WARNING: Picture Overkill. Sorry!

One of my favorite things to do as a kid was to sit in my grandpa's big leather recliner and page through his many photo albums. I borrowed them 4 or 5 years ago, and scanned a bunch of pictures. They sat on a couple cds and I never did anything more with them. I found those cds today!! Lot's of fun stuff...

When I was 8 years old, my Dad, Grandpa and I drove to Mexico. My Dad and grandpa are not typical tourists, and wanted to see the REAL Mexico. It was amazing, even to an 8 year old. I would love to go back, but really can't imagine taking my own 8 year old to those places today. Times have changed in Mexico (and everywhere else too!), and I am incredibly protective of my babies. :)



man fishing

sad



These guys were ever present and really gross. My favorite song was "La Cucharacha" for at least a month after this trip.

one of many beautiful views

laundry

Me styling by the pool at a resort somewhere - Yes, I do look like an odd child here. What can I say? It was 1987, I was 8 years old, and I had been riding in the backseat of a car for a week. :)




The festival of guadalupe hidalgo took place while we were there. This boy still sticks in my memory. His grandmother was crawling on her hands and knees through town. The boy was in his socks, as she held his shoes. She had 2 cloths, and as she made it on to one the boys mother would pick up the one behind her and move it in front of her so that she could continue forward. She was crying.



a small town in the mountains - As a kid I always thought this last picture - of the girl - belonged in a National Geographic Magazine. I still kind of do. My grandpa is an awesome photographer, if I do say so myself.

My grandpa picking bananas

This guy was sunbathing in the middle of a jungle road.



A church in Durango

This pool was on top of a hotel in puerto vallarta. That's me swimming, and my dad lounging.


My dad was so embarrasing sometimes, but now this is a treasured memory. We were driving down this gravel road in a rural area, and saw this guy with a cart pulled by donkeys. My dad thought it would be an excellent idea to stop and talk to him and take pictures of me riding the donkeys. We sent copies to the man later. He was very excited.




There is a bank entrance just to the left of where this man was standing. There were guards with machine guns at all the banks we saw. There were also roadblocks in rural areas with many men with machine guns searching cars. I'm sure they were guerillas. I'm not sure of why I wasn't terrified, or why once wasn't enough for my Dad to turn the car around and go home, but I'm glad he didn't.


I learned at an early age what a cruel and disgusting "sport" bullfighting is...