food glorious food

Over three months here and I am yet to broach the subject of food. This is a gross omission on my part, as my life pretty much revolves around food when I'm in England and it's even more of a big deal to me here.
Let me first start by saying that Mexican food is probably not what you think it is. Burritos  nachos, enchiladas and the rest as you would recognise them in England don't really exist here, at least in the south; they're much more of a US / Mexican hybrid (think tikka masala and it's connection to genuine Indian cuisine). Initially I was a bit disappointed by the food I found here. Village shops are decidedly lacking in fresh fruit or veg, and most come a from the processed foods, crisps, biscuits, and fizzy drinks food groups (Mexico has the highest Coca-Cola consumption in the world, and recently pipped the states to become the most obese nation in the world too). When it comes to local restaurants, th  food is nice but variety is not overwhelming. When I mentioned this to people, the explanation always given was that this is a recently populated region; therefore, there is no regional cuisine and the restaurants tend to reflect this. Hence menus filled with endless variations of meat cooked with tomatoes and  onions, served with beans, rice, and tortillas and a side of spicy salsa; nice enough, but nothing to get excited about. Back in the house where I'm staying, a limited kitchen (one electric hob; a couple of pans) meant that my homecooked meals pretty much reflected these menus, albeit with a strong focus on quesadillas (tortillas filled with cheese, folded, and fried). So far, so average. However, this all started to change when I started spending time at people's houses.

Mexicans (at least the Mexicans I've become friendly with) are extremely generous people. Once you get to know them, the offer is always open to pop round whenever you want. And if you take them up on that offer, then you will always be fed whilst you're there. And the food I've eaten at people's houses has all the flavour, variety, and all-round deliciousness that I was hoping for when I came here. Tamales are a particular favourite of mine, but I've also been fed - and wholeheartedly enjoyed - hand made tortillas served with salt and pork fat (handmade tortillas are a completely different species from the shop-bought variety), empanadas, stews made from wild game freshly hunted in the forest, tostadas (delicious mini deep-fried tortillas topped with shredded meat), spicy chicken broths, and much more besides. Fresh produce is also a lot more plentiful then I originally thought. People grow bananas, coconuts, oranges, papaya, and limes in their gardens, and delicious (and previously unknown to me!) Veg is available at greengrocers shops in Xpujil. Another highlight are the guys who travel from village to village on their bike-come-delivery truck; delicious ice-creams, pastries, and even fried chicken available to buy literally from your doorstep.

All in all, the food here ha  turned out to be everything I hoped for. Which is great for me - although not so great for the clothes I bought with me!

Mexican Christmas!

It is very strange experiencing the Christmas build-up in a tropical climate. Normally in the weeks leading up to Christmas I am wrapped up as much as possible whenever I leave the house, and eating as much hot and stodgy food as possible. Christmas adverts go on air sometime towards the end of October and Christmas becomes pretty much the only thing people talk about from the beginning of December onwards. Here in Calakmul the experience has been very different - which I guess is not going to come as a surprise to anyone! It is very weird hearing Christmas songs when you 're sunbathing in 30 degree heat. And the build up is much less commercialised - it is not the centre of everyone's universe in the weeks or even days leading up to it. However some things never change wherever you are - and the kids were getting just as excited here about the imminent arrival of Santa then they do in England! We've had some really fun classes spent learning Christmas songs and making Christmas cards. Finally enough, the typical Christmassy symbols are the same here as they are in England, so they all covered their cards in snow men - despite the fact that none of them have ever seen snow in real life.
I spent the actual festive period in Merida, which is a really lovely old colonial city towards the north of the Yucatan peninsula. The big meal here is on the 24th, and I spent it at the home of a Uruguayan family. There were about 20 guests and enough food for about 100 - Turkey, beef, lamb  to name but some of the meats on the spread! Uruguayans have a specific way of cooking meat - kind of very gentle barbecuing - and it was absolutely delicious. All washed down with plenty of noche buena beer - which literally translates as Christmas Eve beer.
The 25th itself is generally a slightly more laid-back affair. I spent it on the beach and my Christmas meal was cerviche with tortilla chips. Again, it marks a departure from what I'm used to but it made for a very nice break from the norm. New year's eve was also spent on the beach. I think I could definitely get used to spending the festive season this way!