Well, there was a change of plans due mostly to the pain in my legs–legs that have not walked so much in a long time. I have got to get back on the treadmill!

So, I decided in a short jaunt of only a couple of miles from the hotel over to and around Navy Pier. It was very nice but must be nicer when it is not cold, windy and rainy. Most carnet-type activities and shops are still closed. I would have liked to try the fried dough! And maybe even ridden the ferris wheel.

Then it was back to the hotel to just relax. While relaxing, I received a Twitter invite from a Chicago event tweeter announcing a free concert at the cultural center. Since the Cultural Center is only a few blocks from the hotel inside the Chicago Library I decided to go. It started at 7 p.m. The artist was Carmen Souza, a young lady from Portugal who sings and plays Cape Verdean-style music. She was accompanied by 3 musicians on drums, guitar and piano. She sings well but I left early as it is just my kind of music and I was tired as well.

Today I will either go to the Field Museum and Planetarium or do nothing. This evening I have a ticket for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra performance of Brahms #1 which starts at 7:30.

I will keep this brief since if I elaborate with everything I did and felt I will never finish. You will see why. A fantastic day!
1.- Left hotel at about 9 a.m. wandering through Millenium and Grant Park while waiting for the Art Institute to open at 10.
2.- A couple of wonderful hours with occasional involuntary gasps of pleasure visiting with the Impressionists and other European artists.
3.- A Walk along Lakeshore Dr. and up along the Magnificent mile with a disappointing encounter with chopped BEEF liver at a deli where I was expecting chopped chicken liver. You would have thought at my age I would have learned about those pesky expectations by now. So a no to the beef and then to next door to lemon chicken!
4.- By the Art Institute is the Concert Hall where I found information that led (after a small nap) to attending the 8 p.m. FREE Civic Orchestra (Symphony “trainees”–maybe second chairs would be better) concert last night with Don Juan by Strauss and Dvorzack’s #8. Bought tickets for Tuesday’s Symphony performance of Brahm’s #1.
5.- After a day of both physical (walking about 10 miles) and cultural extremes, it was back to the hotel for dinner and collapse.
6.- Link to pics for those with time: Chicago Photos
Life is good.

Due to storms in the Chicago area, the flight from Cancun to Chicago had to divert to St. Louis for fuel before continuing to circle until given clearance to land but not bad. Arrived only about 3 hours later than scheduled. On the way to the hotel, since it has been 40 years or so since I have been here and have it idealized, I had forgotten how there are areas that are not ideal. Into the Fairmont, dinner and to bed.

Today the plan is to head out walking with targets of Millenium Park, the Art Institute and maybe Teavana.

Tomorrow I leave for Chicago for a few R & R days and meeting other members of the Board of Directors of a trade association of which I am a VP. Have not been to Chicago for many years.

As a child I went many times with parents and even great grand folks to see baseball games. Our family also went to the zoo there sometimes. As a young adult I visited the Field Museum and Museum of Science and Industry many times. Drove from Ft. Wayne to Chicago with friends to watch the premier of “Yellow Submarine” a “few” years ago!

Now returning after about 40 years, I will see which of us has changed the most! Looking forward to Ashkenaz Deli, Michigan Ave., The Art Institute (Impressionist exhibit there now and Monet is one of my favorites) and of course food and evening activities as well.

Will meet friends there on Wednesday evening and we have a full agenda of activities starting with drinks at the top of the John Hancock building, and then off to Chicago pizza, some great jazz at the Green Dolphin and some Blues at the Kingston Mines. Thursday to Navy Pier, Greek food and lots of fun before heading off to The Dells in a chartered private stretch limo on Thursday for a Conference.

Back from the R & R and really enjoyed the Cobá and Tulum ruins after many years of not visiting them. There is always something new being uncovered. Did get a bit sunburned.
President Calderón of Mexico will be visiting Cancun today to celebrate Earth Day with some ceremonies. local leaders will be all over him about security issues and beach recovery.
Quintana Roo approved an anti-abortion bill yesterday.
Everyone except the tourists are hoping for rain. There are wildfires and drought condition in the State and my plants and veggies could sure use it!

Well, I am heading off today for a couple of days of R & R and to see what I haven’t had time to see for years. Some options are lying on the beach and doing nothing, Aktun Chen grottoes, Cobá and Tulum ruins and a trip down to Boca Paila which was the other option many years ago when the Mexican government decided it wanted to build a tourist development in Quintana Roo. Cancun “won” the toss.

The plan is to leave and take a leisurely ride down the coast…stop somewhere for breakfast maybe in Playa or Puerto Morelos or wherever…maybe stop at the Botanical garden outside PM and just mainly wander aimlessly which prohibits exactly what I am doing now I guess!! It is like “planning” to be spontaneous.

Will be staying at the Grand Oasis Riviera Maya all inclusive in Akumal which is very “centrico” for activities and little restaurants in the area. Will post from time to time about my spontaneous trip.

Getting everything finished up at work and the ranch (wildfires in the area are making me nervous.) and will head off tomorrow for a 4-day stay at the Gran Oasis Riviera Maya on the beach at Akumal south of Cancun. Haven’t been down there for years and am looking forward to revisiting Tulum, Coba and some of the great little restaurants in that area. Also plan on visiting Aktun Chen if I don’t freak out with my claustrophobia.

I originally planned to leave Cancun for these days because U.S. Pres. Obama was scheduled to meet with Mexican Pres. Calderon in Cancun on those dates. Traffic and security precautions are fierce when they have meetings like that so I decided to skip out. Then it was announced that the meetings would be in Mexico City but that is no reason to change plans, right?

I guess since I went to all of the trouble to set up this blog (actually someone else did all the work to get things up and running! Thanks, RG!), I really should write on a consistent basis. I should do it for me since doing anything “for” someone else usually leads me to resenting the fact that “they” do not truly appreciate all that I do for “them.”
I left home to go to the seminary when I was about 14 and we had to sit down and write home every Sunday. Maybe that is where my rebellious nature decided it didn’t like to write.
So I am committed to writing something here at least 3 times a week if not every day. Putting it in writing makes it more official. I do currently participate on message boards about the Cancun area and tourism in general so one more won’t hurt and will most probably help. As onerous as commitments are, they do help with a certain self-discipline lacking in most of us or at least in me. So, unless something else pops up today…See you tomorrow!

Welcome to my blog. Quo Vadis? I ask myself knowing that I have no idea where I am going or will be led. I have started this blog to speak of Cancun that has been my home for the last 22 years, my travels such as they are, have been or will be and my life past and present.

I write this while watching the Papal Easter Address Urbi et Orbi. Later I will go to Easter Mass  at Ciudad de Alegría here in Cancun at 10 a.m.. Ciudad de Alegría is a local charity run by various orders of nuns. It has homes for women, children and the elderly and a hospice for those dying of AIDS. For anyone so moved, it is a worthwhile place to support with time, money or both.

After Mass I will perhaps go out to my “ranchito” which is fairly close by to check on things there and the rest of the day is scheduled to be a day of rest but then who knows where it will lead today and in the days to follow.

Join me if you will “as we trudge the road of happy destiny.”