I think that we have already ascertained that I am pretty un-cool, yeah? Well, I was just propounding that fact a little more by reading over my last diary entry and getting all excited about my birthday again. What a great time I had, and not only that, but just as things were beginning to plateau out a little bit, I got all hot and bothered and excited and high about Mexico...MY...HEART...CAN'T...TAKE...IT... CAPTAIN... ITS... GOING ...TO...BLOW!

When I got back from Mexico, all my birthday pressies were still lying out on show, so all I had to do was to go back over them again! What a great time that was, I know, it sounds corny, but I am so blessed by all the people I have around me - family and friends.

Okay, corny stuff over...for now...

We had a gig in December...remember? Before that though, I got to sing a wee bit on Martin Stephenson's CD back over in Airdrie with Big Stuart. As you would expect, it was a great way to spend a couple of hours. AND, as is always the case, you start off singing on one track and end up singing on five! I don't know whether it will make the final mix, but that's now what counts, its that we had a great time recording the stuff. And his stuff sounds really great - what do you expect with Stuart MacLeod at the wheel mind you...

The Acoustic Affair at the Tron Foyer Bar...this was a fantastic gig. As you would expect, a place like this, full to the gunnels provides the most excellent atmosphere. My only regret was that the time restrictions meant that we could only play for an hour and a half...I would happily have played for three. Stuart and Alby were on GREAT form. But the audience? They were also on top form. Well, that's what its all about, but when the band and the audience are at the same gig, everything just moves to a different level. Its the kind of gig that allows me the wee glimpse of why I love to sing.

Phil Ross, with whom I'd recorded 'Fairytale of New York' came up from London to play the song. That was great fun also - and, of course pretty topical - you know, Christmas and that!

So, a pretty magical night. And to those of you who were there - thank you.

Great stuff too the final week of School - Judy has dancing shows on all that week in her nurseries and stuff, so I get to collect Caitlin from school - EVERY SINGLE DAY - hell! All that running about, all that watching DVDs on my new DVD player (Shrek, The West Wing), all that cooking for her, all that hanging out with her - bloody god mum abuse, that's what it is!

Still I handled it and went off to Mexico...absolutely exhausted - !


Mexico 2003
Mexico City
Okay, I think you should go and get another cuppa because I may be some time, even though I intend only to pick out some of the highlights - ! In fact, I'm gonna do the same...thank god for de-cafe.

So, flights were fine. Although Lufthansa (Edinburgh-Frankfurt) swore blind that we hadn't booked vegetarian meals. Funnily enough, when we got on the Frankfurt-Mexico flight, we had veggie meals all ready for us...big jobbies...mind you, on the way out, these things don't sting quite so much...it was on the way home that the real hassles arose...to be discussed further!

Arrived at Buenez Juarez Airport - Mexicans everywhere! Hold on to your bag, watch your back, don't go with anyone who looks dodgy (how would you know), watch out for those who 'killed your father', don't smile at people, get a proper taxi. Phew, I was exhausted just reading the guide book.

So, got into a proper taxi...indeed, there was danger - 'oh my god, we're going to be smothered - by kindness and warmth and generosity'. This was our first glimpse of what were about to encounter over the next few weeks. People who couldn't do enough, who were so interested in you, in where you were from, in your country, in your interest in Mexico. People who were so, so proud of their country, who wanted you to love it too, who wanted to show you the best places, who wanted to practice English, who wanted you to practice your Spanish...and we hadn't even got to our hotel yet!

The reason we hadn't made it to our hotel was because our taxi driver was showing us all the places we should visit over the next couple of days - no kidding, he was giving us a whistle stop tour of the Zona Centro in Mexico City, no charge, just because he wanted to. He drove us up towards the Zocalo (main square in each town, village or city, usually bordered with a church). What an amazing sight - with all the Christmas lights and ALL THE PEOPLE. In a country with a population of 95m, 28m live in Mexico City.

We managed to explain that I was going to meet my brother and his wife who'd arrived yesterday and blah blah blah. Then our guy goes on about how he wants to meet my brother etc etc etc...so, we get to the hotel, the guy opens the 'trunk' leaving all our bags exposed to this seedy and untrustworthy city and we hear 'hola chicas'...see Mark and Jules in the wee juice bar and run over to say our hellos, meanwhile our bags are still exposed for all of Mexico (including our taxi driver) to steal. Yep, it didn't happen, our wee guy was just waiting there for me to return and introduce Mark and Jules...this was our trip in microcosm - people who could not do enough for you...in fact, who went out of their way to do more.

Now, for those of you who know how I look, you may think that I could be mistaken for a Mexican, Mark too is quite dark skinned...but no way, we were too pale and - wait for it - too tall!

This allowed us to be targeted on a couple of occasions. One or two of those were not so nice. There seems to be a strong Anti-American/Western feeling here and there and a couple of times we were shouted at - 'get the f**k outta here'. But on the other side of that, we met a good few Mexicans who couldn't wait to talk to us and to tell us that they now lived in America and that their children are American.

Anyway, next day was Christmas day...Christmas trees everywhere, and us in our light linen trousers and t-shirts - so weird...and OFF TO THE PYRAMIDS - excuse me? The funny thing here was that we were on the bus and Jules (who speaks and understands fluent Spanish) told us that the conductor on the bus was telling the folks that she would sit the gringos together - US!

I hope that you are thinking not just about the fact that we were off to Pyramids but that we were going on a bus - a bus on Christmas day. No bother, and a bus that ran on time. No kidding, this supposed third world country runs like clockwork. I guess its decades of having a single party state who knew how to keep the country moving. But you can just see it...Glasgow, Christmas day, four Mexicans trying to get to The Burrell Collection...'a bus mate, you must be joking...stand there and you'll get one tomorrow sometime, or maybe the next day.'

It became apparent though that we were in a third world country as we managed to drive out to the outskirts of Mexico city. This is a massive, sprawling city. There is some splendour and there is much poverty. People live in shanty conditions, yet, there was a subliminal happiness in these people that I couldn't (and can't yet) quite articulate.

Anyway, we had Christmas dinner of fajitas and tequila in a great wee place just at the foot of one of the pyramids (please know that I am leaving a lot out - its just too much to put in - you'd be here for a year!) Then we just happened on a wee town - it was just like we'd walked onto a film set...the brightest colours, the loudest music emanating from the shops, people walking about smiling and saying hello to us strangers, old cars driving along buzzing streets. I am trying, but I think it is impossible to describe all of this - it was breathtaking - and this was only day one!

On boxing day we drove past the olympic stadium on the way to the canals at Xotchimilco - both quite an incredible sight. We managed to get through the most amazing market I have ever seen...both in real life an on film. You know that way when you're at a stall and a bus is driving past, touching you...anyway, we were trying to find the canals and out of the blue, this wee guy appeared and, after some discussion with Jules, pointed us in the right direction...it seemed that every corner we turned, the wee guy was there, guiding us on. Anyway, we got to the canal, and of course, he wanted us to go on his pals boat...no problem, just tell us how many pesos it will be. We finally got there and he tried to charge us loadsa money. But Jules, our intrepid interpreter pointed out that 'the book' said that this would happen and that instead of paying $1500, we should pay only $100. Well, the wee guy was mortified, like we'd caught out a wee school boy throwing stones...we agree that we'd pay $200 (well it was boxing day) and off we went onto this canal with loads of colourful wee barges carrying many Mexican families out having a boxing day meal. They'd brought their own food, table cloths, beer, ocht, it was just amazing - and there were Mariachis going up and down the canal singing.

This night was quite a laugh. On the metro in Mexico city there are areas on the platform solely for women and children between the hours of 7am and 11pm - because often they have their bottoms felt. Well, the night before, I was sure that some one had done this to me and when I said it out loud to the rest of the Travelling Foursome, there was consensus that I shouldn't doubt it. Amanda then did the reading on it and found out about the platform and that, should this happen to you, you should shout (at the top of your voice) 'No Tiene Verguenza?' - have you no shame?

Well, we got back from the canals and whilst working our way through the heaving crowds, there was no doubt that my person was pretty seriously violated...not too nice and I would have been more upset had I not managed to remember the magic words...enraged I turned round and screamed - at the top of my pretty loud voice, and in my BEST ENGLISH - 'have you no shame?' No one stopped to wonder and I turned to look at my travelling companions who were bent double in laughter - guess I should have said it in Spanish...


Chiapas
We flew to Chiapas, one of the poorest regions in Mexico and headed up to San Cristobal de las Casas. This was the sight of the Zapatista uprising in 1994. It was really the longest leg of the journey...one I had wanted to do since sitting in that wee room in Glasgow Uni talking about Mexican politics.

After getting to the airport, we had to take a wee bus up into the mountains to San Cristobal. I think because Jules was so able in Spanish, it gave us much more confidence to try wee things like this.

Anyway, on the way up these mountains, you see old women scaling sheer drops, collecting wood and carrying it on their backs supported by straps which went round their heads, with the most beautiful and colourful costumes on. Not that they were dressed up, nope, this is just how they dress and each village, of which there are many, dress in different colours.

So, we got there and where do I start? Great hotel, beautiful wee girls in the Zocalo, busier than I expected. Quite a destination for back-packers. REAL Indigenous Indians selling their wares in the streets and in the most amazing markets...lots and lots of children and big families. Massive, obscene, beautiful churches. Just incredible...

'regalo me un peso' was the cry of many of the kids on the streets who, if you didn't buy some of their sweets, or whatever, they would ask you for a peso. We went into a bar and had our daily tequila (medicinal you understand) and were followed in by all these wee kids...you could take them home they are so beautiful and so sincere...'regalo me un peso' one wee boy said to Mark as he rested his wee head on his shoulder. Then the wee guy went round the table and asked us all, then went back to Mark's other shoulder 'regalo me un peso' - it was like a scene from Oliver...

What I did like though was that these kids weren't moved on by the barstaff (here or anywhere we came across this). You know in a lot of places its like 'don't disturb the tourists' here it was like 'aye, go ahead...disturb them, they can afford it'. and, when you consider that 1peso is 5p (7.5cents) then, yep, we can afford it!

A couple of times we took buses to some wee outlying villages - and how glad am I that we did this...it was just incredible. People, families, children, in the Zocalo, ready to pose for 'the tourists' when bus tours came in. Apart from those bus tours, these places were devoid of tourists (not that I mind being a tourist, being one myself and all) But I preferred to see folk living in situ, if I can. And we certainly did...families playing in the backyard of their mud hut - get that? MUD HUT - while the old woman is weaving under a tree and the kids are feeding the chickens and pigs and cows and...I wish I could show you how this was. In San Juan Chamula we saw the most amazing church where, there was no JC allowed, in fact, this village had ousted the catholic religion and prayed to their own saints and gods.

The floor was covered with pine needles and occasionally there were clearings where families had stuck their candles to the floor and were praying loudly, offering up coca cola, sprite, eggs, dead chickens, all sorts to these gods. It was a sight to behold and much more practical in the ways of religion. That is to say, no big gold statues and folk begging on the door step for five pesos, three of which they would give to the church. Just folk following their religion on a personal level.

In this wee town, my brother turned heads...as he did most places we went. All the women fell in love with him...so did the children. They would run up and scare him and then he would have to chase them...the sound of laughter is always good...this was no different - special even.

Time and practicality meant that we had to take a tour up to the places we wanted to go to in Chiapas. Those were the Agua Azul, Misol Ha (amazing water falls) and the Palenque ruins. Indeed these were amazing and well worth the TWELVE HOUR bus journey on a wee mini bus that was boiling. The ruins/pyramids of the ancient Mayan city were right in the jungle, the waterfalls were vast and incredibly impressive. But it was the bus journey there and back and the sights we saw that just blew me away.

We left at 7am. There had been rain the night before and remember we were at something like 7000 feet so, right in the mountains. The landscape with the mist hugging the valleys and mountains was quite stunning. We drove through Ocosingo, the place where the Zapatistas are based. This was a real thrill. Nothing happened except that we drove by the camp and there were all these guys out sitting round fires and chatting - but I was in heaven...Then there was the wee village that we drove through where the bus had to sit for a while, allowing the townsmen space to persuade a massive big pull to go with them. Then there were the wee shanty villages where there was no electricity, only fires burning and christmas trees decked out with anything colourful. And the families sitting chatting under trees and at shopfronts in the middle of nowhere. Then all the police and army vehicles and road blocks and remember, we were in the jungle, a real true jungle - where all of a sudden in the middle of dense plantation there would be the most vivid red and blue blossoms. There were also guys getting around on horseback. Big strong Mexican men with brown skin and sombreros and ponchos, riding past on horses.

Next day way New Year's Eve...things got pretty quiet pretty early. That is to say, that there were few inigena selling their wares in the town, rather they all went off home to their villages early to prepare for the celebrations. It was funny to see these people walking straight, rather than bent double with tonnes of wood on their backs. We took a drive out to a lovely wee village - San Andres Larrainzar. This is fairly off the beaten track and we had to take a taxi there - $100 was the cost. about a tenner. Again the drive here was amazing, but the village was stunning - I felt like we were on the edge of the world. We walked through the village, feeling a little intrusive. Wee kids would follow us and then disappear when we turned to look at us, but one wee boy got up the courage and sidled up to us - Fernando, he was beautiful and about 8 years old - 'what is your name?' he asked us in perfect English. Jules started to talk to him in Spanish and they had a wee chat. Then we saw him return to his friends on the street corner, telling them that 'the senora said my English was very good' his face was beaming...it was wonderful.

On the way back, Jules and Mark were asking a taxi driver how much the journey would cost...now the numbers were difficult, even for Jules. He said he take us back for 500 pesos, but no Jules protested, the driver brought us for only $100...err, the guy had said that he'd take us back for $50, not $500! Mind you, I ought not make fun of Jules, cos when we got out of the taxi I shook the driver's hand and bid him a 'Feliz Ano Nueve' - happy year nine!

For the new year festivities, we went down to the Zocalo and danced with some back packers and Mark got to share his malt whisky with some Mexicans and a couple of dutch people too - I thought I'd died and gone to heaven...happy new year!"

to be continued...