Come on, scuba dive with me! So many of my readers say they could never dive, but actually…you can, at least vicariously! I am so happy that many appear to enjoy my photos and my endless enthusiasm for all things aquatic, but on this wordless Wednesday, enjoy the dive with me. Take 2 minutes and sit back. Relax. It’s all good, I guarantee it!
Dio de Muertos is a Mexican holiday that honors those who have passed. Families celebrate the lives of the dead, and pray for them, to help them on their spiritual journey. It is a tradition that dates back to the Aztec, and their celebration and ritual regarding the Lady of the Dead.
On October 31, All Hallows Eve, the children make a children’s altar to invite the angelitos (spirits of dead children) to come back for a visit. November 1 is All Saints Day, and the adult spirits will come to visit. November 2 is All Souls Day, when families go to the cemetery to decorate the graves and tombs of their relatives. The three-day fiesta filled with marigolds, the flowers of the dead; muertos (the bread of the dead); sugar skulls; cardboard skeletons; tissue paper decorations; fruit and nuts; incense, and other traditional foods and decorations. -Frances Ann Day, Latina and Latino Voices in Literature.
I thought Cozumel might have a big celebration during the 3 days, but though there were examples on the plaza, there wasn’t a fiesta or party. Going to the cemetery seemed like an intrusion, so I did not go there and cannot tell you what happened there.
Enjoy the photos of The Day of the Dead! I think it is a fascinating tradition…I love the skulls and imagery of skeletons!
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DID I MISS ANYONE???? WHO DO YOU THINK SHOULD BE ON THE LIST! PUT IT IN COMMENTS, PLEASE!
The last month has been crazy and non stop. There are so many adventures to tell you about they will have to be broken up into several blogs.
As I last reported, my husband, Randy, had to leave Cozumel after 10 days to treat a virus. Since his double lung transplant (An Unexpected Journey) infections have been frequent. The anti-rejection drugs which keep his lungs breathing easy has a catch: it reduces his immune system. He is getting better, but the virus is still there. I am headed home tomorrow.
After Randy left I continued to dive, and my bestie (*who owns Villa Torres, the home next door in Cozumel) came to town with kids and grandkids in tow! There were 5 grandchildren running around, from 2 years to 13 years. What fun!
One of her grandchildren, Beck, is 5 years old. When he saw my Great White Shark photos and Manta pics, he was mesmerized. He loved talking about the “cookie cutter” shark whose bite leaves a perfect hole in its victim. Shark Week fascinated him, but also scared him a little. He learned, and remembered, so many facts and he is now fascinated by sharks. Excellent!
On my schedule was a Marine Megafauna Foundation Ray of Hope Expedition in Cancun, and I took the ferry from Cozumel and headed up on the 15th. The goal was to find the endemic Manta Rays, photograph them for ID, and take samples for DNA testing. It was also a lovely opportunity to meet up with my friend Rodrigo (who took the Great White photos of me five years ago) and partake in Citizen Science. I tell people to look Rodrigo up when they come to Cancun, he manages Solo Buceo, and it is an excellent dive operation. The meeting of the Ray of Hope directors and Rodrigo was a match made in heaven. They are definitely tribe members with their love and dedication to pelagics (sharks, rays, turtles, whales). Hopefully they will get together and cook up another expedition somewhere! I am on it.
Exciting! Travels with Tam was nominated by Adventures of Empty Nesters, and I thank Suzanne Stavert for such an honor! The Liebster Award is for discovering “newish” bloggers, and while I have been doing this for about two years, I still feel very much like a newbie. I learn something every day, and I am enjoying the journey! One is supposed to list 11 facts about oneself, then answer 11 questions. So here goes!
11 Facts
You probably know too much by now, but I have to answer 11 questions. I’ll try to be brief, which is obviously a difficult task!
Now it is my turn to do some nominating…I’m not sure how many to nominate, but here goes:
Cindy Gaskell 82 degree Quest
Heather The Travel Type Blog
Kimberly Montgomery FiftyJewels
Hélène Tragos Stelian The Next Act for Women
Jenny A Taste of Travel Blog
Cheryl and/or Lisa What Boundaries?
Angelfish are among some of the most beautiful fish in the ocean. They live on coral reefs, in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. Each ocean has different types of angelfish. They are closely related to Butterflyfish, and when they are babies, they, like Butterflyfish, are “cleaners” (cleaning debris from other, larger fish). The largest species, the Gray Angelfish, live in the Atlantic Ocean, and are almost always seen in pairs. Gray Angelfish can grow to a length of 24 inches andare protogynous hermaphrodites, meaning that if all of the fish are female, one can turn into a functional male.
When seen on the reef, most Angels tend to be in pairs, and they mate for life. The pairs are very much “together”, always keeping one eye on the other…never venturing far. Their patterns and colors are dramatically different from baby to juvenile to adult. I have seen Angelfish in all 3 oceans, and it is difficult to say which is the more beautiful. They hang out on the reef during the day, and hide at night, and when a turtle is feeding nearby, you can be sure a few angels will be hanging around for the leftovers since they both love to eat sponges!
Grays don’t want to be challenged for leftover sponges! Not a great photo, but look at the determination!
