Well, not Italy. It says Mexico. The customs guy scared the crap out of me. I felt like a criminal, and even though I did have jewelry and said I didn't (it was $10, not the Diamonds International kinds of stuff), and even though I lied about touching livestock (do pet goats count?), I didn't really have anything to feel guilty about. It wasn't like I was smuggling in knives (cause money can't buy knives). At least I managed to state my name correctly (if I ever take a lie detector, I'm going to fail because they won't be able to get a baseline, I'll be so nervous).
Okay, so customs aside, here's a whirlwind tour of my whirlwind tour of Mexico.
Sailing in Puerto Vallarta--it just doesn't get any better than lying in the sun on a sailboat with a pina colada watching a half dozen dolphins swim alongside while listening to Jimmy Buffett. Unless of course, you add in humpback whales, fresh fruit and sushi, a hysterical tour guide, and a chance to drive said sailboat. Yup, pretty awesome.
Mazatlan--too many highlights. We skipped a tour in favor of letting Elise and her family show us around. We started at a local shrine, frequented by hundreds of thousands of Mexican pilgrims, seeking healing miracles from "ninito Jesus," a statue of the child Jesus blessed by Pius XII. The house is full of gifts for the ninito in thanksgiving for miracles--holy cards, rosaries, pictures, and of course, because it's the child Jesus, toys. Then we celebrated Mass at the cathedral after a quick stop to see the famous cliff divers, hit up the huge downtown market (freshest produce, fish, and meat in the city), had a traditional Mexican lunch of tortillas (the good kind that you get fresh everyday), beans, rice, guac, shrimp, and smoked marlin, and finished the afternoon with a game of soccer on the beach. Heck yes!
What we saw of Cabo San Lucas was from the driver's seat of a Yamaha Rhino, the latest craze in 4-wheeling. Picture a stripped Cherokee crossed with a typical ATV. Add miles of cactus-filled deserts, gorgeous beaches, helmet and goggles, and tons of dirt. It was yet another of my attempts to be James Bond. Total blast, except for the fact that we ran late and they literally had to hold the ship for us as we caught a tender boat back on board 20 minutes after we were supposed to sail.
Not to mention of course, our glorious digs aboard the Carnival Pride. Dancing shows, buffets, gourmet meals, live music, Mary's lucky penny slots, sun decks, mini golf, 24-hour pizza and ice cream (which I controlled myself to one use each), and plenty of Euchre games (more a function of my family than the ship). Michelle and I even attended an art auction, and surprised ourselves by buying a piece each. It was a riot.
I would say the only downside, though it is a fairly significant one, was the lack of Mass onboard, even for Christmas. I think being in the middle of the Pacific qualifies as a travel dispensation, but I missed the Eucharist, and was thrilled to get back tonight for Mass. It's comforting in a way to know that no matter how much fun I'm having, I still miss the ability to receive Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. I'm blessed to be so drawn to it.
So that's the bare bones version, kids. I can't believe we're about to start another year, a year in which I am going to be trying to grow in trust, in many ways. It's an appropriate follow-up to everything I've done this past year and considering everything that's coming my way in the next few months. As always, your prayers are appreciated.
Blessings.
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