The Radical Sabbatical

Tuesday, June 27, 2023

Mexico

June 19 through 27, 2023

"I know that all good things must come to an end and I've had an incredible ride. I just want to end it on the right note." - Alonzo Mourning

Cancun, Mexico turned out to be a pretty good ending spot for this year, despite us having chosen it pretty randomly (originally we were thinking Jamaica, and at one point, the Dominican Republic). After being dismayed by the exorbitant prices of hotels in the tourist section ("Hotel Zone"), I found us a sweet Airbnb that was about 1/2 hour away. Our Airbnb is a full-size house that can sleep 8 people and has a full kitchen, 3 bathrooms, and is in a gated community (which helped with feeling safer in this country). The owner, whom we never actually met, was super-responsive with fixing stuff and offering advice. We made good use of the 7-11 across the street, the Walmart that was 10-15 mins walk, and the Domino's Pizza nearby (which was really necessary that first night ;).

Together and separately, we did 3 excursions - one catamaran/snorkeling cruise to nearby Isla Mujeres, one full-day tour to a Mayan cenote and Chichen Itza (an old Mayan city that is now designated one of the New 7 Wonders of the World), and a one-day trip to Playa del Carmen and Cozumel island for 4 snorkeling stops. My favorite was Cozumel which had sea stars, (docile) sting rays you could touch, and the clearest blue water I've ever seen (plus a really good Go-Pro photographer). To be sure, all three excursions were rather touristy (as much of the Yucatan Peninsula is) and the buffets were subpar, but we did get the overall "flavor" of the region. Side note: although I went to the trouble of getting "ocean-safe" sunscreen, the snorkeling guides wouldn't actually let us use *any* sunscreen for fear of damaging the reef and sea life (which, I suppose, makes some sense since it is a major industry for them).

We decided to skip the overly touristy resorts (like Xcaret and other X names) because they were further away and pricey (and more geared toward families or thrill-seekers). We also got very familiar with using Uber to get around (taxis can be sketchy and price-gouging, as we learned in our first minutes exiting the Cancun airport ;). My broken Spanish was sufficient here, especially since most people don't speak English fluently. Infrastructure was pretty good where we were staying, but oddly lacking in crosswalks ... and mailboxes for some reason? I tried to get a massage at one point, and also visit a Toastmasters club, but discovered that Mexican websites are sometimes wrong or out-of-date 😐 But our biggest complaint here was the relentless humidity (oy!); everyone I asked said that it never lets up and Cancun is always hot. Maybe that's why everyone's always in the water :)

One of the big highlights of this week was celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary. I found us a lovely Italian restaurant right on the water called Nicoletta, which I would highly recommend. The food was amazing and was only surpassed by the impeccable service (honestly the best I've had in years). We even got to watch the sun set during our meal :) which was a lovely way to mark the occasion. I feel like this year was a real testament to the strength of our marriage. Any marriage that can stay solid when you're together 24/7/365 must have some real glue (and love) holding it together.

Since this part of the trip was intended as a wind-down, I did actually spend 3-4 days doing not much of anything (which admittedly was hard for me). I'm realizing that I will need a solid transition period upon return to California, and I am just a bit worried about getting sucked into commitments unintentionally (I know, just say "no"...). My first priority of course will be catching up on time with my girls :) It's wild to me that we are nearly empty nesters now.

All good things must come to an end and this is my final blog entry (structured to be #54, my age :) After a year of seeing 36 countries (18 new to me), writing 100 Instagram posts (with 50 followers!) and 54 blog posts, reading 26 books, sending 90 postcards, making my way to about 100 UNESCO sites (lifetime), hitting 72 total countries (!), and visiting 4 Toastmasters clubs, it's a little bittersweet to be heading back home. Although I worried that keeping this blog would be "work" I am now so grateful that I was talked into it (by my girls!) and that I have this wonderful record of this year.

Thanks for coming along on this "Radical Sabbatical" journey that we were super-privileged to be able to take. It was fun knowing that our adventures were vicariously enjoyed by those we love 💓.

With love and gratitude, Deena and Art

On snorkeling tour to Isla Mujeres

Sunset on our anniversary

Rigatoni with chicken (anniversary dinner)

Snorkeling near Isla Mujeres

Vallolidad (on the way to Chichen)

Mayan ritual ceremony required for entry to cenote (underground springs)

Cenote (90 steps to get down; very cool waters)

Chichen Itza is a UNESCO heritage site (I think I've seen over 100 of them now)

Entry to Playa del Carmen pier

Mexico flag at Cozumel pier

Snorkeling in Cozumel with sea stars

Snorkeling in Cozumel

Snorkeling with sting rays (I got to touch them!)

Ferry to Cozumel (the logistics to get from Cancun to Cozumel were lengthy and not for those prone to seasickness ;)

Chichen Itza

Our newly adopted family from Brazil from the snorkeling tour (they said to come visit anytime, and I just might :)

Tuesday, June 20, 2023

Panama

June 10 through 18, 2023

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined." - Henry David Thoreau

Panama was a whirlwind, in a whole different way than India was a whirlwind. This was our second time in Panama and I think when we set it up a year ago, we had "big ideas" for seeing the whole country in just a few weeks. Our host, Jeanette Shakilli (head of the Fundrapromat foundation), is a high-energy dynamo who is single-handedly trying to improve math education and literacy in Panama. She set up a very rigorous schedule for us (primarily for Art to do shows in 5 of the 7 provinces in the country) which we didn't quite realize would be so tiring. We probably should have looked it over more closely :)

Although our first day was low-key (we went to the Smithsonian to see tree frogs and turtles and sloths, and we visited an artisan market), our remaining days were full and often involved long drives (Panama is pretty big for a small country). The infrastructure is pretty good, except for some of the roads in the provinces, but it still took a fair bit of time to get to the more remote areas. Art did Mathemagics shows for audiences of all ages and skill levels, plus an extra donor-dinner casual math show, and I'm still impressed with his stamina (to be sure, there were a lot of naps in the car). Side note: I wasn't viewed in nearly the same way as I was during Art's India shows, where I was "equally royal"; here I felt very much like a "plus one." In any case, Jeanette seemed very pleased with all that Art gave, especially to the poorer and more remote provinces like Darien (that involved 8 hours of driving with 5 of us in a sedan, all in one day!), but we both felt that a day or two of downtime would have made everything better. We did get to see more of the lesser-seen areas than most tourists do, try lots of local foods, and briefly check out local markets.

Jeanette was always worried about "losing" us so she wouldn't let us wander on our own, and definitely wouldn't let us take a taxi anywhere (!). I'm not sure if this says more about Jeanette's anxiety or the country's safety. The only time we were on our own was when we were in our own hotel, which also had an enormous mall attached (we did check that out on the last day). She was also constantly asking for feedback on each and every show (which got a bit tiring for me). To be fair, she really is doing hero's work and making a huge difference in math education here, on a shoestring budget no less.

Other activities included: going to the new Panama Canal expansion (super cool), visiting a local synagogue for Shabbat (very nice and welcoming, and Spanish/Hebrew-speaking!), running a 5K race (which allowed us to see how very disorganized a race's administration could be, how very early Deena could wake up, and how pretty the Panama skyline is at dawn), and seeing the Gamboa Rainforest complete with boat ride and Father's Day brunch with Jeanette's extended family. We enjoyed meeting her relatives which also gave us more of a window into Panamanian culture.

By the time the week came to an end, we were spent and ready to head off to Mexico. Our last visit to Panama was in 2016 and I expect if we visit again, it might not be until another 7 years have passed :) We enjoyed the food (arroz con pollo and empanadas were among my favs, in addition to some American chains ;), the people, the culture, and the language (I got to try out my low-level Spanish often), but perhaps next time with fewer show commitments for Art. (Aside: my cough, left over from Japan (!), is almost gone but not quite... other than that we are both in good health :)

Looking forward to a week of relaxing in Cancun next week!

P.S. Special thanks (gracias!) to Laurel for helping me get registered for the 5K race on their slightly confusing Spanish-only website, and for making sure I didn't accidentally register for the half-marathon ;)

Deena and Art

Panama sign / harbor (wanted to post this on my Instagram but Instagram kept cropping it wrong :-)

Teriyaki chicken salad

Arroz con pollo plus not-very-good pork tenderloin

Welcome to Panama

Turtle at the Smithsonian

View of the lake by the canal

Sea star at the Smithsonian

At the entrance to Darien (which borders Colombia)

One of many Mathemagics shows

Mathemagics show (sponsored by Fundapromat foundation)

Jeanette with Art and Jeanette's assistant Leylani (who came with us to all the shows in the provinces)

Panama Canal expansion (a big source of revenue in this country)

More Mathemagics show moments

Monkey at Gamboa Rainforest

Panama 5K race (circa 5am)

Friday, June 9, 2023

Barbados and St Vincent & the Grenadines

June 1 through June 9, 2023

"The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams." - Oprah Winfrey

Living the life over here ... after the busyness of New York, Barbados was a nice shift to slow "island vibes." We had a day to relax after we arrived and enjoyed a fancy seaside dinner out with the guy who is hosting us (Bernd Sing, a German guy who works at University of the West Indies and has lived in Barbados for over a decade).

The first thing we learned here is how *very* expensive it is to eat out (maybe worse than Israel or Scandinavia). The dollar is valued 2-to-1 (2 US dollars = 1 Barbadian dollar) so everything looks twice as expensive, and really is two to three times more expensive than back home even after the conversion rate. A typical dinner out for two people can run you $100+.

Art did several shows for the university and for some local schools, and was a big hit! The audience reaction was one of pure amazement. I attended the first show and then I went exploring while he did his remaining shows. It was pretty tiring for Art but luckily he had a chance to nap in the late afternoons before we headed to dinner (we occasionally ate at our hotel-apartment, which happily had a full kitchen). On my excursions/tours, I learned about the island's history (run by the British until 1966), the geography (including a very cool cave and an old functional windmill), the people, the language (an interesting mix of broken English and Creole with a light British accent), and the culture. I also walked myself over to see the house where George Washington stayed with his brother (long before George was President, and the only country he visited outside the US), the garrison and military tunnels, and the house where the singer Rihanna grew up (as well as her current mansion). Although Barbados is relatively safe to wander around, it is equal parts sketchy markets and harbors with yachts. There is decent infrastructure but it has its challenges. The government buses can be slow and unreliable and have no A/C (which is much needed in June!), and the local "minivan buses" have a bit of a free-wheeling fly-by-night feel to them plus a distinctive musical horn (I braved it anyway; turned out to be quite a party bus with reggae music).

The food is pretty good despite the steep prices (lots of chicken and rice, with some Jamaican and Indian influences); the weather is pretty darn hot and humid; and the beaches are just pretty! We wandered along the coastline (everywhere is near coastline on this relatively small island in the eastern Caribbean), the tide pools, and the boardwalk, and enjoyed some amazing sunset views. One day I took a snorkeling tour to see fish/turtles and shipwrecks and it was fantastic! I see now why people flock to the Caribbean for snorkeling and diving. The water was even close to my temperature!

On one of our final days, I made my way to the Jewish quarter and saw one of the oldest / restored synagogues of Barbados. It's pretty cool that there even is a Jewish community here, albeit a small one. Some local families made it their mission to restore the synagogue from 1833 and it is still in use today. There was even an excavated mikveh and a cemetery that is still used by the community!

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We had always planned to see at least one other Caribbean country and we had thought it would be St Lucia, but when we finally got here and looked into flights, the most convenient was St Vincent and the Grenadines (which I knew nothing about). It's only a 45 minute flight from Barbados (due west) and there were flights daily so off we went.

St Vincent is the main island and the Grenadines are a series of little islands that are probably beautiful and less populated, but we were limited on time so we only visited St Vincent for 2 days. We would up staying at a lovely historic hotel that had everything we wanted (except for maybe good water pressure!). We spent the first afternoon wandering the area near our hotel and along the waterfront, which turned out to be fairly empty (and a bit dodgy-looking) because it was Sunday (who knew?). Much of the Caribbean islands are very religious and church-dominated so not much happens on the Lord's day.

The second day I set up a tour of the island and that allowed us to get a good (and safer) overview. We saw the lighthouse, the fort, the beach (had it almost all to ourselves!), a botanic garden and waterfall, have lunch at an authentic local place, and visit the site of the Pirates of the Caribbean (POC) movie filming (we are not huge fans of the movie but it was cool to see anyway, plus we got to walk the actual plank!). We headed back to our hotel and, for a small fee, got a room to relax in before our evening flight (best $35 we've spent all year).

We waited for our taxi to come -- the guy who had driven us from the airport the day before offered to return -- and he stood us up! Fortunately our hotel ordered us another taxi which came and speedily got us to the airport in time. Unfortunately after waiting for a couple of hours (and our flight kept saying delayed), they canceled our flight! At this point it was almost 10pm and there were no other flights out. We were ticked but not as much as another couple who were going to miss all their connections back to the US. All 10 passengers were (finally) shuttled off to a hotel (complete with not-great breakfast!), where we all got much-needed rest.

In the morning they came back for us and got us out on the early afternoon flight. This did cause us to miss one of our tours on Barbados but luckily I was able to reschedule it (Art was not, due to his shows) so it wasn't a total loss. In any case, we were verrry ready to be back in Barbados. Next time we're out this way, I would like to see the Grenadines and maybe some other islands - I hear they are quite gorgeous and deserve a few more days than we had.

Hard to believe we are heading to country #35 (Panama) tomorrow! I expect it will be a jam-packed agenda of shows and sightseeing, and more hot weather :)

Deena and Art