Cinco de Mayo!!!

Oh dear. I am sorry. I have been nagged by quite a few people - the most influential being my mother - on the fact I have not updated this blog in a while. The reason - MIDTERMS/ESSAYS! You know! Important things. In fact I have the most scary mid term tomorrow but seeing as I just received this e-mail from my Mum and she is one of those people I fear the most then I thought I better get writing!

So cinco de Mayo! A festival in the US and Mexico to celebrate some of the first victories during the Civil War. And where did I go? Mexico. 

It was quite a spontaneous trip. I was meant to be going to Coronado Island with my friends but as that didn't work out, my lovely Spanish friends - the boys who are housemates/best mates with my boyfriend - invited us both to go to Mexico. On a party bus! I was a bit nervous, having heard that blonde people are the prime targets for muggers, kidnappers and genuine 'bad guys' in Mexico. But ah well. You only live once.

The bus was organised by students and was really good fun. Andy and I woke up on Saturday morning and were going to get lunch when a text from Edu sent us running as we discovered the bus didn't leave at 2 like expected by 1.15. I ran to my apartment to shower and get dressed and get important things ready like, oh I don't know, my passport and J-1 Visa before sprinting back to Andy's. Only to find him strolling casually in my direction with a smile on my face. Apparently Edu was 'teasing' so everyone would be ready on time. Ironic seeing as he is usually the late one :P. So we set of towards the car park where the bus would be picking us up.

Now. On Saturday. My voice had practically disappeared. So I sounded a bit like a donkey throughout the whole trip so imagine Eddie Murphy narrating this blog ok? 

We waited in the car park till 3! Because Edu's friends from irvine were non-existent! They literally were holding the whole bus up! Then, just in the nick of time, they arrived. Dropping all of their extra clothes and errr precautions on the floor as they rushed to the bus - provided the entire bus with a lot of entertainment - they finally staggered on board. 

We drove down to the boarder, had to get of the bus, pass through security and get on the bus again. When we passed out of security we were greeted with a foul smell and two small children running around, with no mother anywhere in sight. 

"Welcome to Mexico, I guess." I said. 

We boarded back on the bus and made our way to Rosaritas. Now we were on the 'other side' the students in charge of the bus trip immediately passed out alcohol. Everyone got a drink and it was pretty foul! Andy and I have a kinda code word when we don't like something. We describe the temperature of the drink or food rather than what it tastes like. However, we drank it and proceeded to go on our way. When we got to Rosaritas it was too early for the bar, so we went and played on the beach. Chris, Eileen, and I buried Andy in the sand, which was particularly fun before running off in search of food with the Spanish boys. Andy and I kept spinning each other around on the sand which was a lot of fun. 

We found a nice Mexican place but at first the prices seemed OUTRAGEOUS. Until we realised that was in Pesos and we had to divide by twelve to get our own price. Ah. People would just randomly come of the streets to try and sell us stuff whilst we were in the restaurant which was a bit unnerving but it was rather funny too. It reminded me of the time my parents told me specifically not to accept a song by the people coming around to play to the different tables in a restaurant and so I geared up to be really forceful when Dad just went "Yeah ok then." HEAD meet TABLE moment. 

I ate a tostada, which seemed to be on the starter menu (I had not realised this) but it meant we didn't a complimentary starter or desert. However mine was the size of a mug whereas Andy ordered from the same section and got three burritos basically. So it was highly confusing. We then went for a bit of a wonder around the shops, being grabbed by sellers "BE NICE" and trying our hardest not to make eye contact with anyone. I saw a lot of stray dogs which I thought were adorable and continued to like the smells of food emitting from everywhere. Then we found a tea place. Typically. The english duo rock up in a coffee shop. Chris and Eileen came with us and although they didn't get tea they poured the honey I received with my tea down their throats. It was rather funny and Andy and I were so worried we were going to get chucked out. We left to go to the bar when it was dark and that's when the night truly began. 

Andy got a wrist band which meant he had free drinks all evening, but that didn't stop him insisting on buying my three drinks - strawberry daiquiris - very nice of him. And then....well I think I worked out harder than I had done in the week!  Andy is an extremely enthusiastic dancer, and to dance half-heartedly and with a embarrassed expression on your face (like I normally do) would have looked totally stupid of me. And when he dances you kind of get swept up into it too. So that is why I found myself enthusiastically dancing around in the sand (the bar had an open area in the centre of it) all night.  Also why I found myself in pain so much the next day. We danced mainly with each other but obviously when the Spaniards launched themselves on us we danced the night away with them too. It was so funny. One of Edu's friends knew Andy from his Christmas trip and he clearly thought i was some kind of Mexican girl Andy had met, judging by this friend's hand gestures and we were finding it hilarious to joke how he was going to come up to Andy when we got to border control and be like "errrr mate you have to leave her behind now." It was such a fun night and I enjoyed myself so much. I even sung a long to some of the tunes, even with my donkey voice, before we had to leave on the bus at one in the morning. I met a girl called Sophie while we were dancing. She was very drunk and declared she loved me within five seconds. She literally was clinging onto my neck before she quickly moved onto clinging onto the Spanish boys. Nice to make a friend. 

The trip back was a tiring one. Lots of people were very drunk due to the amount of cheap alcohol but I felt like I had danced all of mine away. Also, very nicely, Chris had bought Andy and I a fish taco each which we ate gratefully. Having only had the small tostada I had been STARVING. Andy quickly fell asleep on me as we travelled back and I enjoyed listening to Sophie half way up the bus try to negotiate with someone why she should continue wearing the poncho the other girl had bought someone else. 

We got to the border and had to wait a long time to cross. All of the people with J-1 visas had to go into a separate petting zoo type area after having had their passports checked to be double checked. In no particular order we would then get called up as one person decided to work. There were four people at the desk plus a manager saying "good job guys, good job. I'll let you go on lunch break soon."

Errrrr why? Why not just give them lunch where they are. They are already only sitting down having a nice gossip about how Fiona's sister had gone on a drunken sprawl and cheated on her girlfriend. I am sure it wouldn't be too hard for them to eat where they are. 

I got picked last to go up and when asked if I was having a good day, I firmly replied "Not really."

I am not a complainer. I never have been. I cringe when my Mum complains. It is so embarrassing. But I didn't really complain as such as state my feelings that the service was rather poor to that of the UK (actual complete fabrication there, UK border airport service isn't particular fast) and that I was shocked only one person appeared to be working. I then asked if I could fill in an evaluation form at some point. I was shattered. And I was having some emotional feelings due to things that had happened that week which had been why my trip to Coronado had been cancelled. But ah well. No Excuses. Turning into my mother....NOOOOOOO. No I am not. Joking. :P And I know it wouldn't be that bad if I were Mum :P Before you say anything. 

And with Andy and the Spaniards, and Chris waiting outside the gates for me, I soon forgot my anger and skipped home. Where I promptly fell asleep. It had been a LONG day. 

(Just a quick thank you to Emily from Warwick who read my last blog post and sent me the most interesting articles about Shamu and Killer Whales!!! Really appreciate it and so flattered you read this!)