And So Another 5,000km Roadtrip Begins… {Travel}

All good things must come to an end.

After 13 weeks, 1 day, the time has come for us to leave Mexico and return to Canada.

By the time you're reading this, we've begun Day 1 of our 5,000km roadtrip from "nowhere to Ontario".

If everything goes according to plan (does it ever?), we’ll be staying in Ozuluama, Veracruz.

Hoping this trip isn't like our last!

Hopefully, by Monday, March 25, I'll be posting about all the non-adventures that we had.

To Recap Our Time in Mexico:

We arrived a day late,

With no money in our pockets,

And, no water,

Buchephalus broke down (and was fixed).

And there was that other “mishap” that had me in tears.

And thats the good news (smile).

Hitchhiking to Canada with a Potty? {Drivel}

If you've come here looking for Toilet Training tips or Hitchhiking routes from Mexico to Canada then you've come to the wrong blog.

Okay, maybe not on the second point.

If you've come to hear about puddles in the corner, Teddy's gender, and broken down vans,

You've Hit the Jackpot!

Toilet Training. Remember all those "signs" that Artemis was sending me in November 2011. Well, one year, 4.5 months later (but who's counting, I AM, I AM!) and it seems like she's decided that "diapers are for babies".

Well, there's more to the story than just that (isn't there always!?).

It all started February 24. She decided to wear underwear and that was that. Two weeks later, after NO accidents, she decided that peeing in the closets, under tables and generally wherever she wanted was way more fun. And don't get me started on #2.

Then, a few days ago, she decided that underwear was once again the rave and we're back to using the toilet. I can't believe that I'm going to write this but I wish that she was still in diapers because it would cut down on "accidents" and washroom breaks for the ride home.

Next up, Thing #2 (a.k.a. Max).

Note that Artemis is still wearing a diaper at night but only because she shares a bed with Max and the Water Shortage Issues.

Bazar. We opened up the Bazar again on Sunday and had our best day so far! We made $1,515MXN or $150 as we finally managed to sell one of our three rooftop boxes. Every year, we drive down with one and then leave it here.

This week, I had two neighbours knock on my door asking if I was going to open my Bazar. Another woman wanted to know if I purchased items and/or sold on consignment.

Culturally, Mexicans don't like to sell things. The only time they do is when they really need the money. Then, they definitely don't want their neighbours to find out. Next year, I will definitely take in consignments.

Hasta Luego. After 12 weeks here, we're getting packed up and ready to leave for Canada on March 21. We still have some loose ends to tie up like trying to get the $100CDN back that the bank "stole" charged us and getting Buchephalus fixed...

An Episode of Candid Camera or A Great Deal?

This morning, we went for our daily trip to our local Fruit and Vegetable stand.

On our list, bananas and cilantro.

Unfortunately, "Our Girl" (as the kids call her), didn't have any cilantro.

No problem, we were going downtown and we'd pick some up along the way.

Along the sidewalk, there are often elderly ladies selling their sparse wares; three onions, two carrots and one jalapeño. They're usually good for some cilantro as well and sure enough, we got lucky.

Well, I'll let you be the judge of that.

I looked through her four choices (three more than usual) and found the greenest and freshest bunch. It also happened to be the smallest but we don't use that much.

Besides, she was charging 1/3 less than everyone else.

She put out her hand, and that's when it happened…

Drivel Begins with a "D". Unlike The Word Monkey #humor

I'll get right to the point.

If you don't want to read about Earthquakes, Spanglish, More Mexican Parties, Monkeys and the chance to win TONS of giveaways then no point in reading this weeks post.

Don't worry if you miss out, Monkey's are a dime dozen.

1. On February 14, Ed felt an earthquake. The kids and I were out so we didn't feel a thing. It's not the first time we've had one. In fact, we usually have one or two each year. The last time, we were in the kitchen and the whole house started to sway. For the first few seconds, we didn't know what it was and then we ran for the door. The houses in Mexico aren't built like they're supposed to be.

Note that I am aware this is a picture of a volcano or a picture of someone having a "bad hair" day. Have you ever tried to draw a picture of an earthquake?

2. We speak Spanish to the kids about 50% of the time whether we're in Mexico or Canada. After two and a half months of complete immersion in the Spanish language, the kids have started to speak "Spanglish". At least one word in each sentence is Spanish and they often give each other "commands" in Spanish. I'm often at a loss for what they're saying as they're now mispronouncing words in a foreign language!

3. This week, we went to another rocking party in celebration of a friends daughters baptism. As usual, Ed and I ate too much and paid for it later. On the flipside, the kids had the best time playing and dancing with their friends. Here's a video of Artemis dancing with one of her new friends.

And just to make sure that you know what Mexican parties are really like, we took this video after five hours (of a nine hour party). A bunch of the 150+ people had already left. Good times!

Note that you can not hear yourself think and the kids are slightly more hyper by this point as they have been eating candy for the past five hours.

And now for our feature piece of drivel...

The Monkey and The Giveaways.

WW: Dancing to the Mexican Beat (Video).

  Besos, The Zoo

Another Week. Another Weekly Drivel Post.

Another week.

Another weekly drivel post.

This one has pictures and a video.

I'm hoping that they'll distract you into not noticing that the post lacks substance.


1. Did you know that we are currently residing in Central Standard Time Zone (CST). That means we're one hour behind everyone in Ontario (a.k.a. EST). Mexicans don't recognize Daylight savings time so soon we'll be two hours behind.

2. The kids prefer taking a bath (to a shower) and we don't have one in Mexico. In past years, I've brought them into the shower with me while they screamed and kicked. Fun. That worked okay while they were under 20 pounds, however, at almost 30, we needed to come up with Plan "B"...

If "You Are What You Eat", What Does That Make The Zoo?

Besides the culture and weather, my favourite part about living in Mexico is the Food.

Everything from pigs feet to ceviche (raw ground beef) and chalupas. In a nutshell,

I Love the Food!

Here are some things that you probably didn't know about The Zoo and Mexican food...

Prepare for your Childs Illness BEFORE they get Sick {Safety}

If you're a parent than you've had to deal with a sick child. At least once.

For us, that time was last week. Max was vomiting, lethargic and had a temperature of 38.9 degrees*. He'd come down with a serious case of the 12-hour flu.

Translated into English that means food poisoning.

Ed and I knew exactly what to do... go to the hospital. However, there were several things that we hadn't considered and weren't prepared for.

Would you know what to do?

Here's what we wish we'd known beforehand.

The Very Wordy Wordless Wednesday Post and Update [WW]

Some people don't like it when others include words in their Wordless Wednesday posts. Given the name of the meme, I get it.

In turn, if you're one of those people then you should move on (for this week) because I have some explaining to do.

1. Phone Calls.

Here is the picture that I meant to include in yesterday's post.

See what I mean about not being kid friendly!?

For the sake of integrity (and sanity), I should let you know that the picture may have been set-up...

2. Parasites.

We all parasites and have for some time. I finally got "sick and tired of being sick and tired" so I decided to do something about it.

Phone Communication with Three Year Olds is Futile!

It's a big deal for The Zoo to coordinate calling Canada while in Mexico.

Assuming that the internet café is open, we need to make sure that the person we're calling is home. We also need to make sure that two three-year olds stay fairly quiet in a room jam packed with distractions.

Hahahahahahahaha.

Needless to say, no one has heard from us.

However, after much pressure from Nanna and the Abuelos, we bit the bullet.

To make things slightly more interesting, while travelling, we use “Voice over IP”. The technology that we use (USB key with earphones) requires that each kid install one ear piece in their ear. Of course, one piece is longer than the other and the microphone is the size of a knat! And all is lost if one of them turns their head (of course this would never happen in a crowded internet café).

Have you ever seen the episode of Mr. Bean where he's trying to get reception for his tv and pretty near needs to stand on his head to get it? Pretend you're watching an episode of that.

After 30 minutes of prep we were set and ready to go, here's how all our hard work panned out.

How you Can Help Raise Money for The Mexican Dogs.

Since 2005, we have been members of an animal humane society called "Tzi'te Animal Proteccion" in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico.

This past year, I've blogged about our issues with animal overpopulation and our plan to conquer it.

The last missing piece of the puzzle...

Funding.

While vet consulting fees, sterilization and general care does cost less in Mexico (relative to North America), it is still exceptionally high in comparison to the cost of living.

Until we joined the group, all the funding had come out of individual members pockets. If you found a dog and rehabilitated it, it was yours. At one time, we had five dogs in various stages of care.

Saving one dog or five wasn't a financial burden for us. The problem was saving one dog every.single.day.

The current system was not sustainable.

We came up with a plan that was a win-win-win.

Better To Be Safe Than Sorry When It Comes to The Jalopy {WW}

Better to Be Safe Than...

Frosty the Snowman Spotted on Vacation {WW}

Location: San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico

  Besos, The Zoo

Humbled by Those that Have Less but Give More.

Here in Mexico, it's not hard to have more than your neighbour, or anyone else for that matter.

There is a great divide of wealth amongst the classes.

We are considered upper class (except by the upper class) because we are "American".

Our neighbour Teresa the one that lets me climb onto her roof is amongst the upper lower class. She owns a home (gifted to her by her mother), has a part-time job in a Laundromat (her boss actually pays her) and her oldest of two sons works and helps her out. She is a very good and honest person, loves the kids dearly and is an invaluable wealth of knowledge (especially because we're foreigners and can easily get "taken"). We are fortunate to have her in our lives.

When she invited us over for Ulises 23rd birthday, we were honoured. It would be our first time dining at her place (we have her family over every year and her 8-year old son Alexander comes over almost daily to play with the kids and learn English). We know that she doesn't have much but you wouldn't know from her actions.

A Mexican Delicacy: Unless You’re the Fish (Video)

Minnows for Dinner?

  Besos, The Zoo

How to Make Some Extra Money in Mexico

Remember that little misunderstanding that we had with respect to our finances (or lack there of)?

Well, we came up with Plan "C" and thought we’d run it by you…

Bazar a.k.a. Garage Sale!

A Market Stall in the Santo Domingo Church.

Market Stall, Santo Domingo Church, Chiapas, Mexico

  Besos, The Zoo

You Asked, We Answered: A Taste of Life in Mexico.

Question One: What does your day look like?
As for the kids and I, it's a blank slate. We never know what's going on until it happens. An impromptu parade in front of our house or a musical session in the park. Not to mention friends showing up with news of a birthday, wedding or other event (yes, we are notified THAT DAY of said events. Not because they don’t know that it will be happening --- weeks in advance but because otherwise their guests will forget. Note that said friends are Mexican). We try and get out every day, not a tough feat given the amazing weather. Even if it's just to go to our local fruit vendor to buy bananas (we eat 1 to 1.5 kilos a day!?).

Question Two: How do you stay connected?

Imagine that Water was a Luxury and not a Right.

Mexico has serious water accessibility and supply issues.

They are not alone in their plight. However, in Canada, we are fortunate and it doesn't seem to affect us as much.

As it does here in Mexico.

March 2007. I remember it like it was only yesterday. The beginning of 36 days without water...

Found: The Next Wayne Gretzky in Mexico?

Innocent Enough...