#Mexican souvenir edition

[nightbornstar]

Got this CD in the mail today! ❤️😊

#One direction #Up all night #Souvenir edition #Limited edition #Zayn #Harry styles #Niall Horan #Liam Payne #Louis Tomlinson #Mexican souvenir edition #Amazon

[royallyprincesslilly]

Title: What We Did In The Dark {3}

Lewis Hamilton x Reader

Warning: Language, 18+ Mature Content, Angst, Small Time Jumps, Preggo Talk, Pregnancy Trope, Talk of Pregnancy Termination

Words: 6.4k

Summary: Neither of you planned any of it. You’d met by chance, and everything that happened after had to have been predestined. Now back to your own life, you find you have a special souvenir from your time in Mauritius and you have a tough decision to make.

As always, thank you for reading. I appreciate it!

As you enjoyed this, please, LIKE, COMMENT, REBLOG!!! ❤️❤️

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What We Did In The Dark {1}**** | What We Did In The Dark {2}* |

Chapter Three: Better An Ooops….

“Take it easy!”

You groaned as you dropped face first onto your couch and let yourself spread out across the cool white leather. After 3 days in the hospital, tens of tests, and plenty of round-the-clock vitamin treatments to get your body up to standard for your condition you were finally released with prescriptions and doctor's orders to take it easy for a few days. You’d planned to come home and jump on your laptop to finish some things up, but Villie decided to bring you in and make sure you were settled. You knew she’d done it for a reason, and it was to make sure you didn’t do what you wanted to.

“So what do you feel like for dinner?”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Tough shit. You’re going to eat. Your doctors said you need to take it easy, eat 3 balanced meals a day, and keep your stress levels down. So they took care of breakfast and lunch, now we order dinner.”

Villie dropped a heavy hand across your ass making you shout into the cushions of the couch. You shifted onto your side and rolled into a ball.

“What about the Halal spot that is on Blauvelt?”

You groaned and at the thought of all that meat covered with white creamy sauce, your stomach churned like the agitator inside of a washing machine. It didn’t feel right at all. Because of it, a ball of nausea formed in your chest, but your stomach grumbled.

“See, you’re hungry,” Villie assumed.

However, that was not the case. The thought of Halal made your stomach swirl like the letter “S”.

“No Halal.”

“Burgers, Mexican, Caribbean?”

None of those sounded any better. Suddenly, Villie gasped.

“Oooh, what about that Cuban spot?”

You allowed that to simmer for a few moments and when your stomach didn’t react you slowly sat up. In your mind’s eye, you saw a towering plate of empanadas beside another plate filled with Cuban-style seafood paella and a bowl of black bean soup and tostones. You looked to Villie and found her smiling widely.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

You pulled out your phone and went to your food ordering app then found the restaurant she meant. You spent the following 5 or so minutes adding everything your stomach told you that you needed and had to have or else you’d die. By the time you’d checked out, your total and quantity were insane for just two people but as far as you were concerned everything was a necessity.

While Villie waited for the order, you took a quick shower. Or it was meant to be quick. Whenever you swiped your decadently soaped-up exfoliating gloves across your abdomen you paused up and your mind wandered. There was an actual baby inside of you right now—two to be accurate. You were carrying the babies of a man you’d only slept with once, well multiple times over the span of 5ish hours. You didn’t know him and you sure as hell hadn’t planned for this to be the outcome of your wanton night of pleasure.

There were so many things on your mind, so many worries to add to the ones you already had. According to Dr. Olumici, you had already reached the cut-off point to ethically terminate with her and most other providers. However, you could find other physicians who would perform an early 2nd-trimester termination. Through your research in the hospital, you educated yourself on why it was too unethical and brought so much controversy. Once you understood you couldn’t fathom doing it.

With that answer, you also couldn’t fathom yourself carrying these babies or giving them a life. You weren’t exactly stable in your life or career. You’d only just begun the path and had so many other things planned to accomplish before the whole adding to the population of the world thing. That meant you had a predicament on your hands that now only had one resolution—adoption. Even that didn’t sit right with you. Could you go on living your life knowing you had a life somewhere else in the world living, a being that came from you, a being you wouldn’t know in any way?

So you spent the entire shower going back and forth over your options but that only sent you into an endless circle with resolutions that weren’t real ones because they posed more problems and raised more questions. By the time you came out of the shower and returned to the living room, Villie was lost in her phone with the food spread out across your coffee table.

“That was longer than usual.”

“Yeah, I smelled like a hospital, I needed to smell like me.”

Villie nodded then grabbed the bottle that was in the center of the table, “Did you know you can get alcohol delivered off of Dash?”

You snorted. Leave it to her to try. You took a seat on the floor beside her ready to dig in but her phone resting on the table caught your eye. It was the picture of the man who’d showed up at the hospital, the one you’d rear-ended.

“You found him on socials already?”

Villie glanced at her phone then scoffed. “It wasn’t hard. Take a guess who he’s connected to.”

You thought about it for a second but the smells wafting from the containers took your attention. You went through pulling off the tops of the food containers and moaning as each new smell filled the room.

“Oh my god, I didn’t realize how hungry I was until now.”

Without another word, you dug into the food filling your plate with a lot of everything. Once you were satisfied with the bites you had taken you glanced back at Villie who was wide-eyed.

“What?”

“Glad to see your appetite has come back.”

You nodded and continued stuffing your face. Over the last few days, though you hadn’t vomited, you felt small bouts of nausea that came and went and the look of most of the hospital food left you not wanting to eat much. You’d worried it was going to be a permanent thing, but those worries were put to rest now.

“So, guess who he’s connected to,” Villie broached again.

“I don’t know,” you said mouth full of food.

Villie grabbed her phone and slid across her screen then held it up to you. When you looked, Lewis Hamilton’s face filled her screen. You gasped forgetting your mouthful of food then immediately began choking from the few particles that went down the wrong pipe.

“Oh my god!”

Villie leaped to her knees, patted your back with one hand, and poured some of the dark liquid from the bottle into a glass before she handed it to you. As you brought it to your nose your stomach turned from the strong scent of alcohol. You put the glass back on the table and shook your head. Villie kissed her teeth and then hurried to the kitchen before she came back with a bottle of water. You took several gulps in between coughs trying your best to dislodge the food that was stuck in your windpipe.

After a few attempts, you took a deep breath and hung your head back.

“Are you all right?”

You nodded, wiping your eyes from the tears that had slipped out.

“Jesus. I know the man is fine, fine but get a grip,” Villie teased.

You scoffed then pressed your palms to your face.

“Wait. Eh-em, you’re telling me the man I ran into is connected to him?”

“Yep. His name is Miles Chamley-Watson. He is the BFF to Lewis Hamilton, like for real BFF shit. They go everywhere together.”

Your eyes were bugged as you pieced it together. How small was this fucking world? How was this even real? The more you thought about it you began to wonder if he was in Mauritius with him. If so, did he know who you were?

“Oh my god.”

“Right! Like we kind of hit it off. I’m not gonna say there was flirting but there was flirting.”

“So you’re interested in him?”

Villie smiled as she drank down the glass of rum she’d poured for you. “I might be. What do you think? Do you think I shouldn’t be?”

How were you supposed to answer that? If she pursued things and they ended up becoming a thing didn’t that mean eventually one way or another you and Lewis would interact with one another? If you did wouldn’t he find out about the babies? If he found out--. The thought paused as a bigger item zipped itself up the agenda. Would he even remember you? He was after all Lewis Hamilton. You were sure there was no shortage of women he spent his time with. Why would he remember you from one night and 5 hours?

“Y/N?”

“Uh—um, well--.”

You saw the hope in her eyes and knew you couldn’t minipulate this because of your situation. Sighing you took her hand. “Valenza, I saw something between y’all. I say go with it and enjoy yourself. Who knows this could be it.”

Villie screeched then began laughing like an erratic high schooler who’d just learned their crush liked them back. Smiling you went back to eating. As Villie talked about Miles for a few more minutes your mind was lost in its own world. This shit was getting even more complicated.

~~~~~~~

4 Weeks Later

Your eyes never left the front door of 4057 Lake Drive Blvd. You’d been sitting in your car for the last 3 hours obsessively staring at the door with one hand on your steering wheel while the other rested on the door handle. You’d had every intention of getting out of your car and going inside 2 hours ago. However, that didn’t work out. Every time you tried to force your feet to move they didn’t. Instead, you sat outside the women’s health center as the time clicked closer and closer to your appointment until that same time clicked further and further away from your appointment time.

Now you were a whole 2 hours past your appointment time with no progress on getting out of the car. As you sat here you went over every single option over and over and over. You interjected every variable, every single con to every single choice. However, with every con, you found yourself seeing just as many pros. Now it was impossible to tell what the right decision was.

Never in your life had you thought you’d consider termination let alone a 2nd trimester one, but you were finding out that in most decisions no one knows what they would do until they are in it. You didn’t think you’d have unprotected sex with a stranger in your life but when the moment came you were one hundred percent DTF (down to fuck).

You closed your eyes for probably the hundredth time and took several deep, slow breaths. On the fifth one, you held it and allowed your heartbeat to steadily slow until it beat low and evenly. It was a trick you’d done most of your life to calm yourself and think clearly. When everything fell away, including the sounds of traffic, the sounds of the city you loved, and even the drum of your engine, you were left with your heartbeat and the rustling of the palm leaves. It was then that you felt the butterfly fluttering sensations again.

When you’d first felt them a week ago you hadn’t known what they were, and it took a few days to recognize what they were. Every Google search confirmed it—fetal movements. That was when it all became real and right now sitting in front of the health center where a doctor was waiting to perform your termination that you were now 2 hours late for because you were panicking and waiting for a sign to show you the right path to take, did it really become real.

Your hands left their current positions, the steering wheel and the door handle, and drifted to your belly which was now ever so slightly poked out. As if the minuscule beings inside of you knew your hands were there the fluttering intensified, crippling you with emotion. You dropped your head onto the steering wheel and allowed yourself to cry for the first time.

What could have been mistaken for sad tears weren’t. They were tears of resolution, tears of understanding, tears of acceptance—of fear. This was your sign, your answer, your path, and you were scared shitless. So your tears flowed down your cheeks and dripped all over you soaking your top. Even then you didn’t stop, you let it all out even turning up the music to drown out the sounds of your sobs.

From this moment forward, your life would never be the same and from this moment forward, you would face whatever came your way on this path with one thought in mind—what was best for your babies. When your tears finally subsided you wrapped your arms around your midsection, hugging yourself and the lives within you, and took a deep breath.

“Okay. I didn’t expect you and I surely didn’t plan you, but I won’t get rid of you. I hope you don’t regret choosing me because you’re stuck with me, and I promise I will do everything to protect you from today onward. Be gentle and patient with me and we’ll learn together.”

As if your words were heard, the flutters returned making you smile. pressing your head back on the headrest you sighed and tried to formulate a plan. That was when your phone rang sending audio caller ID off.

Villie calling. Villie calling. Villie calling.

You scoffed. Even the universe knew the plan was to tell Villie because she was good at coming up with a plan that ensured you were the primary benefiter. Truthfully, you should have told her weeks ago but since your release from the hospital she’d been spending a lot of time with Miles. Though he lived in the UK, they were always on Facetime dates, they’d now met up in London 3 times and you were sure she knew what Miles Jr looked like.

You hadn’t wanted to make things weird between them or add any stress given the truths of your situation. You really had wanted to keep things separate. Now with you deciding to keep the babies and raise them, there was no way you could keep everything from her anymore. She was your best friend after all. Tapping the answer button, you buckled yourself in.

“Hey V.”

“Hey. Where are you?”

“Umm--,” you stretched as you pulled out of the parking lot of the medical center and onto Berman Street.

“Getting on the highway, what’s up?”

“I feel like shopping. Are you down?”

“Yeah, tell me where to meet you.”

The drive through South Beach was unlike any drive you’d done before. Over the last few weeks, you’d been tense and stressed out to the max. It was evident in the way you gripped the steering wheel and sat in your seat. Now you felt differently. You were more relaxed, and more centered but also more cautious. You found yourself stopping and allowing more women and children cross even if they didn’t have the right of way, found yourself driving slightly below the speed limit and following every single traffic law that was in the driver’s manual that you’d neglected mere weeks before.

By the time you parked and fed your meter, you were 10 minutes late and intensely craving a massive green smoothie. After getting not one but two, you found Villie already well into her shopping in one of the lingerie stores.

“What took you so long?”

“Traffic and I needed a smoothie. So for you, shopping starts with lingerie.”

“Of course.”

You chuckled then began going through the racks. There were tons of cute stuff, but you knew soon you wouldn’t fit any of it and you had no one to wear any of this for. With that thought you looked at Villie.

“Valenza Tamina Chord, are you stocking up for a particular event?”

She smiled widely then walked off.

“No, no. Don’t try to slip away. What’s going on?”

“Miles is coming to town in a few weeks for a week and--.”

“You plan on getting your back broke, throat bruised, and internal organs rearranged. Okay!”

Villie giggled as she took down a navy blue strappy number that would look great on her and examined it.

“Okay I don’t know about throat bruised but the rest of it yep.”

You snorted and shook your head. “First of all, get that, it’ll look phenomenal on you. Second, let’s see if you have a voice when he comes.”

“Oh my god, Y/N, he is so cool, such a good guy.”

“He seems like it. I’m glad you’re having fun you deserve it.”

Villie’s eyes landed on you and for a few moments she studied you. “I’m not the only one who deserves it, you do too.”

You nodded and walked away to another rack and idly went through the hangers.

“I mean it. You’ve been single for long enough don’t you think?”

“I have a lot going on Villie. I don’t need another thing to worry about.”

“I understand what you mean but sometimes if it’s the right thing it doesn’t become a worry but something to bring you happiness, and peace.”

You sighed the words at the tip of your tongue but with no way to come out. This wasn’t something you could blurt out and be done with. You knew Villie, she would want to dissect everything on top of wanting a play-by-play of your dick down. This conversation couldn’t be had in the middle of a lingerie store.

“When do we meet the creative director of the station?”

“Boo! Always changing the subject. Fine, whatever. Next week is the meeting. Their name is Sadie Walters and she sent over some ideas for her vision along with some papers to understand your vision. So you got some homework.”

“Okay. I’m excited to get this off the ground and get back to traveling.”

“Workaholic. One day you will regret working so much and pushing your personal life to the side.”

You turned your back and quietly scoffed. If she only knew how little time you would have for a personal life in the next few years she’d take that back. For the next several hours you dipped in and out of almost every store adding bags and bags of clothes, shoes, makeup, and body products until you both were exhausted. After you had dinner at a nearby steakhouse where again you ate nearly everything in sight. When you both split at the end of the night you attempted to get the words out but still you couldn’t. You weren’t quite ready, and you worried you would be really showing before you were ever ready.

~~~~~~

-2 Weeks Later-

Pop!

The champagne bottle top flew across the room colliding into the wall, making everyone cheer and clap. After so many weeks of work with finishing up your catalog, the vacation wear line, and getting the behind-the-scenes stuff of your travel show down everything was signed, sealed, and done. Tomorrow was the release of your catalog and vacation wear line, and you were absolutely freaking out.

“Oh my god. Thank you everyone!”

You went around your office and hugged each and every one of the people who helped you get here. You wrapped your arms around Zavier and squeezed.

“Thank you Z, you made this catalog incredible. I cannot thank you enough!”

“Congratulations. You’re more than welcome.”

Next, you moved on to Sabrina and Chloe, the interns who’d been hired to maintain some of the back-end things. “Thank you beautiful souls.”

“You’re welcome!”

When you moved to Villie she rocked you side to side. That was when the waterworks started.

“Oh Villie, thank you, thank you!”

“Shut up. I don’t need thank yous. I am so happy for you. It’ll be no time now before you are bigger than Anthony Zimmerman.”

“Girl, we are not alike. He travels to eat everything; I travel to party.”

Everyone laughed at that. When Villie handed you a glass of champagne you froze.

“We have to drink to you and all that you’ve accomplished and to this amazing team of ours,” Villie said holding her glass up.

Everyone followed her and tapped their glasses together. You brought the glass to your lips, but you didn’t take a sip as they all did.

“Thank you guys so much for all your hard work and dedication to these projects. It means the world to me.”

You hoped they understood how much they meant to you though you couldn’t fully express it because if you did, you knew you would cry uncontrollably which would be weird. You were having a hard time keeping your emotions under control over the last two weeks as your pregnancy progressed. You saw a dandelion blow away from a hard gust of wind earlier and that made you cry for the poor dandelion that would never be seen again. With that, you knew your emotional state was highly unbalanced.

When the bottle of champagne disappeared, everyone started to file out to get on with their own days leaving you and Villie. You scrolled through the virtual catalog in complete awe. You couldn’t believe that after so many months it was over and would be out for the world to see. The pride you felt was indescribable. You’d accomplished this without using anyone's clout, or influence to elevate it. You didn’t have any major help, most of it was compiled by you using your skills and talents. It wasn’t until near the end had you brought on more expertise. This was your baby.

“I can’t believe this is done, V.”

She doesn’t reply. When you felt her approach, she pulled up a chair beside you then sighed. “I can’t believe you haven’t told me what’s been going on with you since you were released from the hospital.”

You paused and fought the rapid beating of your heart because you knew she would hear it in the quiet office. “Uh--.”

“I’ll give you a few moments to come up with what you are going to say to come clean with me but the words out of your mouth better be the truth. I’ve let you go for all this time but right now I’m getting offended and hurt that you don’t feel like you can talk to me.”

You spun to her and grabbed her hands. “No, no. Villie, that’s not it I swear!”

“No? Then what else could it be, Y/N?”

You sighed then found your words. Gripping her hands tighter you looked at her. “Okay look. I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t know how and honestly I didn’t know until a few weeks ago and since then I have been a mess trying to wrap my head around it and future my shit out. It’s a lot happening.”

“Are you sick? Please don’t tell me you have cancer.”

“What? No! I don’t. I’m not sick.”

Villie let out a relieved huff of breath then took a steadying one. “Then what? What is going on?”

“I’m—I’m—pregnant.”

Villie just stared at you with a blank expression. She didn’t move, she didn’t even look as if she were breathing. Leaning forward you studied her closer trying to gauge just what she was thinking. Biting your bottom lip you prepared yourself to repeat the words but just as you opened your mouth to, Villie sprang to her feet.

“What! P—pr—pregnant?”

She walked to the far side of the office. “I know you fucking lying.”

“Uh--.”

“No. It’s a lie. There is no way. How did you get pregnant? When?”

You understood her reaction. You hadn’t told her about your night with Lewis because you didn’t want to be one of those girls who bragged about spending the night with a celebrity and you honestly were kind of embarrassed by everything that happened that night. You’d turned into a completely different person and when the sun rose, and you’d found your limbs entangled with his and your very naked bodies still connected under the massive palm tree that was tucked out of sight you’d felt stupid and easy so you ran as fast as you could without looking back. As far as she knew you’d been in a sex drought for 2 years.

“Y/N!”

“Calm down. I should be the one freaking out. I’m the pregnant one.”

Villie’s eyes widened.

“I’m not lying. I am pregnant. I found out at the hospital after the accident and that’s what’s been going on for the last few weeks. I was trying to wrap my head around it all and figure out what I wanted to do about it. Because of everything that I have going on I didn’t think I could continue this, so it’s been a stressful few weeks,” you rushed out.

Ville was still standing across the room and now looking at you like you had two heads. “You’re not fucking with me?”

“I’m not fucking with you. I promise.”

Instantly Villie crossed the room to you taking you into her arms and hugging the life out of you. “Oh, honey.”

With your best friend comforting you, your tears began flowing. When she heard your sniffles she pulled back and pouted.  “You’re really pregnant?”

Nodding, you sniffled some more. Villie’s tear-filled eyes overflowed and the two of you hugged again and ugly cried together. Relief filled you as you relished the comfort of the one person who's had your back for over a decade. You weren’t alone with this anymore. You knew without a doubt that Villie would have your back the entire way.

When the two of you sat back down, you both wiped your tears and snot and laughed at each other for being so emotional about it.

“Oh my god, Y/N.”

“I know.”

“Oh my god,” Villie repeated.

“I know, I know. It’s huge.”

“Huge? This is—colossal. You’re pregnant.”

You nodded, “I am.”

“You’re pregnant with a baby, like a real baby.”

“Ha, try two babies. Two real babies.”

Villie shot to her feet again.

“Shut the fuck up!”

“Girl I nearly passed out when I found out.”

Villie screeched then and practically tackled you with another hug. “Twins! Aah, Y/N, how precious is that?!”

You snorted. Of course she would be the one to die over the cuteness of it all. Villie dropped back into the seat, then reached for your belly. When she realized it was not flat her eyes became the size of the moon.

“Holy fucking shit, Y/N. This feels so real.”

“Oh it’s real. It’s so real I have had to sideline 3 of my favorite pairs of jeans already and I’m not even halfway there yet.”

“So you’re keeping them, right? You better be keeping them.”

“I’m keeping them. I couldn’t do the procedure. It didn’t feel right in my heart.”

Villie nodded. “I get that. It’s different to hold my hand through mine than be the one in the stirrups getting your own. It’s a decision every woman has to make for herself.”

A few moments of silence stretched as both of you thought back to when Villie ended up pregnant barely one year into law school. Her then asshole boyfriend freaked and went as far as to transfer schools just to get away from the whole thing. After hours of tears, weeks of lamenting, and one in-depth heart to heart she decided it was best to terminate. So, you held her hand through the whole thing and per her request, the two of you never spoke of it again.

Squeezing her hand for comfort, you continued, “It was simply too late for me to have a clear conscious about it. Then I got a sign showing me what to do and—yeah, here we are.”

Villie squeezed your hand again. “Well, I am happy for you honey. You are going to be an amazing mom.”

You groaned. “Mom. V, this is insane. The show, the catalog, the line, all the traveling I’m going to be doing, the chaos of filming. I can’t do this, right?”

“Of course you can do this. You’re not going to be alone doing it either. I will be here. I will be with you for every single thing, ultrasounds, Lamaze, nursery planning, hospital bag packing, birth, and every day after. You’re not alone and you can do this,” she assured in her attorney voice.

Slowly you nodded as her words sank in filling you with confidence. Suddenly Villie gasped.

“Hold up. When did this happen? Who!?”

You let her hand go, stood, and grabbed your stuff.

“Let’s go to my place.”

Villie looked cautiously at you. “Oh god, is it Zavier?”

“What! Hell no.”

“What do you mean hell no? Zavier is fine as hell. You have seen his abs right and his tight ass?”

“Oh my god V, stop sexualizing Z.”

“I’m not. I’m just asking if you have seen his abs and his ass.”

“Yes, I have seen them and yes they are great.”

“Not to mention he is crushing so hard on you, has been for like a year now.”

“Shut up, he hasn’t.”

Villie rolled her eyes as she walked out the door first. “Oblivious fool. Can’t stand you bitches who don’t notice when you have men wrapped around your finger. until it's too late”

You snorted, “Who you calling a fool?”

The bickering continued as you made your way to your cars. When you separated to drive there separately, you made a quick stop at the Cuban spot near your house and once again picked up enough food for an army. When you got home Villie was already waiting for you. She helped you line out the food on the coffee table and get drinks ready, then you dug in. Halfway through eating Villie turned to you to press further.

“I know you’ve been stalling. Spill it already. Is he some struggling cartel clown who thinks he's next in line but is still the errand boy?”

“God no.”

“One of these struggling Miami rappers who swear they got bars but really don't understand the meaning of the word?”

You chuckled. “No.”

“Oh, a struggling underwear model who--.”

“Why do they all have to be struggling?”

“Because you’re stalling which means you’re either embarrassed of him or you regret letting him hit and most likely it’s because you’re ashamed of who he is.”

“I’m not—embarrassed or ashamed of him per se.”

“Okay if not who, then tell me when. When did this happen?”

“Mauritius.”

Her eyes widened again.

“Holy shit, did you Stella Got Her Groove Back on some hot barely legal island bway and brought back your very own Mauritian souvenirs.”

You busted out laughing sending food out of your mouth and onto the floor beside you.

“Wait, wait, wait. Barely legal isn’t my thing and since when have I been out of commission long enough to Stella Got Her Groove Back on anyone?!”

“It’s been 2 years, Y/N. You’re honeytrap was growing cobwebs.”

You laughed loudly again loving the feeling. It had been too long since you’d laughed like this.

“First of all. Fuck you!”

Villie laughed along with you.

“No, it’s who fucked you?”

You hugged her and rocked from side to side.

“Oh I love you Villie.”

“Love you too honey. That doesn’t mean I am letting this go. Tell me already.”

“Fine. Lewis Hamilton.”

Villie gave you a “yeah right” look then busted out laughing. She laughed so long that it gave you more time to keep eating. Slowly she realized you weren’t laughing with her and slowly she stopped.

“I didn’t mean lie to my face.”

“Who’s lying?”

Villie stared at you for a few moments then you watched every cell in her body light up until her face was bright and her eyes wide. That’s when it happened. She screamed. You nodded your head because it was either this reaction you’d expected or the complete disbelief. You’d gotten them both.

“No fucking way!”

“Oh yes fucking way.”

“You had sex with Lewis Hamilton in Mauritius? Oh ho ho, details. I need every single piece of information starting with who said the first word to whom, moving on to are his hands as big as they seem, then what he smells like, then can he kiss, then not skipping any minuscule detail like boxers or briefs, circumcised or not and finally how big and can he lay pipe.”

She screeched again, grabbed her bottle of beer, turned to you then cleared her throat. “Okay, begin.”

She was an absolute trip. You spent the few hours going over every detail of that night that you dared to with Villie. You even let her know how free you’d been with yourself and all the things you’d let him do to you, all the ways you’d let him have you and claim your body. With every piece of info, Villie looked like she was near an aneurysm. When you told her how you’d let him into your back door she lost her shit. She screamed so loud you were sure your neighbors would call the police thinking foul play was afoot.

By the time you finished, Villie was laid out on her back with a dazed look on her face staring at the ceiling as if she had been the one who’d gone through probably the best night of fucking ever recorded by man or woman. You gave her a few minutes to recover and let it all sink in and used the time to finish off the food.

“Oh my god, Y/N.”

Villie sat up panting, her hair a mess.

“Are you good?”

“Am I? Are you? All of that went down?”

“All of that went down. I got back to my hotel room and didn’t recognize myself in the mirror.”

“You a freak, freak, freak!”

Both of you laughed some more.

“I can’t believe you.”

“I know. Mauritian rum is no fucking joke.”

“No. I can’t believe you left him there naked in the sand. Why!?”

“What? Why? You’re joking. I couldn’t stay.”

“Why?”

“Because it was over, it was one night and—I—I,” you sighed. “I was embarrassed. I felt like a fool.”

“You were embarrassed to have slept with Lewis Hamilton?”

“Partly. You’ve heard the rumors about him, heard the stories of him having a harem and contractual relationships that center around sex and extravagance, and here I went and fell for him.”

“Wait, fell for him, fell for him?”

You sighed and thought back to your conversation and the vibe between you.

“I don’t know. I’d had a lot to drink that night and was on a high after that folk dance with the island’s natives and there was something when our eyes met through the flames of the fire. There was something that made me fall enough to let all that go down.”

“Do you like him?”

“I don’t know him. I don’t know I felt like I became this whole other person that I have never been before but it didn’t feel like a mask or me pretending and it makes me wonder why did it come out with him and not anyone else?”

Villie nodded. “So instead of finding out why by staying till he woke up, you ran away and brought back 2 souvenirs with his DNA that you now have to find a way to tell him about.”

“Tell him? Why would I tell him?”

Villie looked at you with incredulity. “You’re joking.” She stared at you longer then scoffed when she realized you weren’t. “No, Y/N, you have to tell him. Don’t you think he deserves to know he will have 2 children running around with his DNA?”

“---No.”

“Y/N--.”

“Okay wait. I can see how you would say yes and well—maybe—yes. Fuck. How do I tell him this Villie? Do I just DM him on Insta and be like hey remember me? He probably won’t if the stories are true he’s had nights like this plenty of times. What do I say?”

“Who cares about the stories, the rumors, and any of that other noise. Right now you are pregnant and you’ve decided to keep the babies—his babies. You have to tell him and let him figure out if he remembers you, and decide what he plans on doing. Whatever he decides won’t affect you. If he decides to man up great then you figure it out. If he decides to deny, deny, deny then fine, move on.”

You heard her words. They made plenty of sense, but you were still apprehensive. You didn’t want to be perceived as that girl. The one who showed up with a pregnancy from one night or a situationship where terms were clear.

“This is messy, Villie.”

“It is but what isn't messy these days? Oh my god, Miles.”

You looked at her as she finally thought about her connection to all of this.

“He’s his bestie right, and now your boo thang.”

Villie smiled at those words then scoffed. “The world is so fucking small.”

“Tell me about it,” you replied.

The two of you sat quietly for a few moments both in your own heads about your situation.

“Well, you have an in to talk to him when you’re ready to tell him about the pregnancy.”

“What in? Miles?”

“Yeah. We’ll tell him and ask if he can get you a face-to-face.”

“Face to face? Villie.”

“Is this the kind of news you really want to send over socials, text messages, or word of mouth?”

You hated when she was right.

“Also from a legal standpoint, if you kept this from him now and he somehow found out years down the line, he could file a lawsuit against you and seek damages.”

“From little ol' me?”

“If he was feeling really butt hurt, that’s the minimum of what he could do legally,” Villie confirmed.

You sighed then dropped back onto the floor. Your hands instantly went to your stomach and you felt your slight bump. This shit was messy and had the potential to get even messier. Villie was right though, you did have to tell him, it was the right thing to do.

Looking at it from a different angle, it was better to say "Hi remember me, oops I’m pregnant" than not and wonder what if.

You closed your eyes and groaned. Your life had turned upside down in the span of a few months and once again it was all because of the things you’d done in the dark.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TagList:

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#lewis hamilton #lewis hamilton fanfiction #lewis hamilton fanfic #lewis hamilton imagine #lewis hamilton blurb #lewis hamilton x black reader #lewis hamilton x reader #what we did in the dark series

[astra-galaxie]

Mariposa Ramirez

Biographical information

Full Name: Mariposa "Mari" Ramirez

Gender: Female

Status: Alive

Age: 8 (season 1)

Birth: 2004

Race: Human

Nationality: Mexican-Spanish

Origin: Grimsborough, USA

Residence: Grimsborough, USA

Family:

Eduardo Ramirez (father)

Valentina Ramirez (mother)

Arturo Ramirez (brother)

Lucia Ramirez (sister)

Itzel Ramirez (sister)

Profile

Height: 4'3" Age: 8 (season 1) Weight: 60lbs Eyes: Hazel Blood: AB+

Mariposa is a bubbly young girl who loves to represent her namesake: butterflies, specifically the monarch butterfly. The ends of her long black hair are dyed bright orange, and she styles it into a set of buns with the ends hanging loose, creating the illusion of butterfly wings. She wears a short-sleeved, flowy black dress with orange trim work, an orange vest and black slip-on boots. Mariposa also has a white beaded necklace that she made and a small black and orange backpack designed to look like a butterfly.

Synopsis

The second youngest of the Ramirez children, Mariposa, is a minor character in my Criminal Case series alongside her siblings. She is a very energetic girl but is a big introvert. She enjoys spending time with people but also values her alone time.

Mariposa attends the local elementary school with her sisters; her favourite classes are art and science. She loves having the opportunity to bring her ideas to life through her drawings and sculptures but also enjoys learning about the science of the world and how it evolved. Her parents proudly display her artwork around the house, and when it's time to change it up, the pieces move into either Mariposa’s bedroom or get safely stored away.

She missed her dad when he moved to Pacific Bay to start his career as a private detective, but he promised he would return once he established his business. Ramirez collected souvenirs for his kids while in Pacific Bay and found as many butterfly-themed ones for Mariposa as he could. Mariposa and her siblings can’t wait for their father to come home and tell them about his adventures chasing criminals.

Story Information

First appeared:

Bomb Alert on Grimsborough (cameo)

Happy Birthday to You! (first speaking role)

Trivia

Butterflies are Mariposa’s favourite animal

She loves fairy tales and stories about fairies

She's thinking about becoming a veterinarian or a lepidopterist

Or another career that involves working with animals

She loves cooking traditional Mexican food with her father

Valentina helps her with her math homework since Valentina also struggled with the subject as a child

Arturo taught her how to skateboard and rollerblade

She and Lucia like playing one-on-one games of racquetball

Itzel loves listening to her sister talk about butterflies and learning about the different species

Disclaimer: Character design was created using Rinmarugames Mega Anime Avatar Creator! I have only made minor edits to the design! Background courtesy of CriminalArtist5.

Links to my stories:

The Case of the Criminal (Ao3/Wattpad)

Killer Bay (Ao3/Wattpad)

Where in the World are the Killers? (Ao3/Wattpad)

#criminal case #criminal case grimsborough #my ocs #astra's ocs #mini profile #eduardo ramirez

[elguerosworld]

Virtual Sketchbook 1- Alex Quintero

1. Writing and Research- Hello, my name is Alex. One interesting fact about me is I'm a first generation college student. 

The art assigned to me was Christo and Jeanne-Claude 1979-2005 The Gates. Steel, vinyl, fabric; 7,503 gates 16’ tall, 23 miles.  

"The Gates" was an installation art project in New York City's Central Park 

The artwork consisted of 7,503 gates made of steel frames, draped with saffron-colored vinyl fabric panels, that were 16 feet tall and spanned a distance of 23 miles throughout the park's walkways. 

The project was funded entirely by the artists, through the sale of their own artwork and the purchase of limited-edition prints and souvenirs. 

The installation was on view for only 16 days, from February 12 to 27, 2005, attracting an estimated 4 million visitors. 

The project required extensive planning and collaboration with engineers, fabricators, and local officials, and faced opposition from some community groups and officials who felt it would disrupt the park's natural beauty. 

When I first looked at "The Gates" by Christo and Jeanne-Claude, I was quite confused about its purpose and meaning. The saffron-colored panels and steel gates seemed to be just a bunch of random objects placed throughout Central Park. However, as I learned more about the artists and their vision for the project, I began to understand the intent behind the artwork. The bright orange color was meant to evoke feelings of warmth and happiness during the cold winter months, and the project as a whole aimed to bring people together and promote community. I grew to appreciate the scale and ambition of the project, and how it transformed an everyday public space into a unique and immersive experience for millions of visitors. 

This Rick and Morty calendar is hung up in my room next to my bed. I look at it every day because it helps keep me organized and to keep track of the days. In the empty squares I write down important events or things I need to remember, whether it being for the current month or events that are a couple months away. I know, I could use my phone to keep track of things like that, but I really like the feeling of flipping through calendar pages and seeing all the writing, it is a feeling that an iPhone cannot bring me. The calendar is beautiful to me because of the purpose it serves and because Rick and Morty is my favorite show. 

3- WRITING A SELF-PORTRAIT- The 'baggage" I am bringing with me when I look at art will include an open-mind. Being open to seeing things from a different perspective just how I had to when I was given my art project of Christo and Jeanne-Claude 1979-2005 The Gates. Steel, vinyl, fabric; 7,503 gates 16’ tall, 23 miles. I am 19 years old. I am from Bradenton, FL. My ethnicity is hispanic, Mexican. I am not part of any organized group. I work for a family-owned beauty supply store and I am a barber. What makes me uniquely me is how I do not regard other's opinions when making decisions. To be the best version of yourself you must understand that people are always going to hate, but you must continue to push on. Especially in the art field. 

4- ART PROJECT- What really fascinates me in my daily life is analyzing people's behaviors and how they react to certain situations. A lot of people take everything to the heart and don't sit back and just take a deep breath. Not everything is super serious all the time. That does not necessarily mean that I perceive everything as a joke or take everything lightly but I do know how to have an open-mind and how to react to things. 

I chose this picture of my younger self as my self-portrait. I feel as if it really depicts my personality, I can be serious at times and joke around. The outfit portrays my serious side and me being a kid portrays the opposite of that.  

[thetouristchecklistposts]

24 Best & Fun Things to Do in Sonora (CA)

Sonora was founded in 1851 by Mexican miners from Sonora during the Gold Rush, when the city was a hub for many industrial and commercial industrial activities in California Mother Lode.

The town derived its name from the state of Sonora, Mexico. To achieve gold and quartz deposits, these miners had to depend on expensive and intricate mining methods other than standard methods, which could not bring out much gold.

This iconic gold rush town is seen on the base area of the Sierra Nevada mountain range and features numerous attractions that will pique your interest.

Are you in search of what to do in Sonora, CA? Here are the top fun things to do in Sonora, CA.

Things to Do in Sonora, CA

1. Tuolumne County Museum

Credits: Jimmy Emerson, DVM / Flickr Tuolumne County Museum

Suppose you are a lover of history; one of the best places to visit is the Tuolumne County Museum. This destination previously was called the Tuolumne County Jail; it was later transformed into a museum to uphold the rich cultural heritage of this place.

The outdoor patio in the museum is where guests sit to relax and have a good time, which was once used as the prisoner’s fitness yard. The exhibits showcased here are incredible, and they have a beautiful story to tell for themselves of how things have transformed over the years.

Exciting things to find here that will interest you include old photographs, antiques, and consumed mannequins. You can also check out their notable displays, such as the furniture used when the building was a jail, pioneer guns, and the Knights Templar.

Address: 158 Bradford St, Sonora, CA 95370,

2. Check out Firearms at The Sportsman

Credits: schnaars / Flickr The Sportsman

If you are a fan of firearms, one of the best things to do in Sonora, CA, is checking out the Sportsman‘s Firearms. It is the only California guns and liquor licensed store in Sonora.

The Sportsman has all you need to kick start your shooting journey. Here is an ideal place to visit if you intend to get a new firearm or still make an upgrade to an existing one.

The shop also has professionals on the ground that will guide you on everything you need to know about a firearm, its shooting mechanism, and others.

Address: 90 S Washington St, Sonora, CA 95370

3. Inner Sanctum Cellars Basecamp

Credits: Africa Studio / Shutterstock

Bookings are not needed to taste the wines at the Inner Sanctum Cellars. Healthy and hearty grapes are harvested at their prime of ripening from the vineyards of Tuolumne County by skillful winemakers.

The best wine is what you should expect when you visit this winery. You can also be a part of their wine club, which qualifies you for bottles of wines up to two, four, and six bottles.

Joining the wine club also allows you to choose unique edition wines; you can also have wines kept in stock whenever you need them. You can get one of the special editions as souvenirs for loved ones or friends.

Address: 22004 Parrotts Ferry Rd, Sonora, CA 95370

4. Dragoon Gulch Trail

Credits: Shylah Anderson / Flickr Dragoon Gulch Trail

Check out the Dragoon Gulch trail to experience a good time in Sonora. This destination is perched in the center of Sonora, Ca, and offers guests the opportunity to see Mother Lode oak trees.

Located in the heart of Sonora, California, the Dragoon Gulch Trail offers tourists the chance to meander amid the Mother Lode oak trees. The trail is more than three and a half-mile of a smooth and unpaved pathway.

While having a walk, you will be sure to experience the city’s outstanding views, the seasonal waterways, the mountain ranges within, and extensive wildlife. If you wish to have a stroll, be sure to choose to form their various pathways from easy to the most challenging ones.

Address: 680 Woods Creek Dr, Sonora, CA 95370

5. Discover Columbia State Historic Park

Credits: Wayne Hsieh / Flickr Discover Columbia State Historic Park

The Columbia State Historic Park is one of the cool destinations in this town to check out when you visit. The destination is eight minutes away from Sorona, and the neighboring Colombia Stars Historical Park is an ideal spot to have a good feel of the lovely weather without having to encounter mosquitoes.

Aside from being a historical park, this destination has a rich cultural heritage and is used as a commercial mall. If you want to go back in time, be sure to visit.

The park is family-oriented and fun-filled, and visitors can dig for gold, eat quaint ice cream, ride in carriages, and have a guided tour of this lovely town.

Address: 22708 Broadway St, Columbia, CA 95310

6. Historic Downtown Sonora

Credits: Vayne [CC BY-SA 3.0], Wikimedia Commons Historic Downtown Sonora

Sonora has a history stretching back to 1850 when it was established by miners from Mexico, who gave the city a name after a Mexican State.

Once, the city was a glorious city filled with people and numerous activities like other communities. However, it currently has a less dense population of residents who still love the rich history of this town.

An ideal way to have a feel of the history of this city is to have a stroll in the downtown area and check out the numerous shops on the streets. In addition, you can check out the many boutique restaurants and art galleries at your convenience. So be sure to enjoy yourself when you visit.

Address: Sonora, CA, USA

7. The Emberz

Credits: Emberz / Facebook The Emberz

Another interesting spot to visit in Sonora, California, is the Emberz. It is a massive attraction in town and a relaxing place to be and enjoy foods like burgers, sandwiches, pizza, and lots more.

Embers also have a unique and extensive wine bar that features Classic Cocktails made fresh for guests to enjoy. Their handcrafted strips are ideal for a taste and classic cocktail.

Be sure to visit with your family and friends to have a fun-filled time while treating your stomachs to delicious meals. Here is also an ideal spot to have a romantic evening with your partner.

Address: 177 S Washington St, Sonora, CA 95370

8. Doug Olmsted

Credits: FabrikaSimf / Shutterstock

Do you love fishing or are an avid angler? one of the best things to do in Sonora, CA, this weekend is to visit the Doug Olmsted. Having a good time fishing in this place should top your list of Sonora activities.

The owner of this fishing company is a professional fly fisherman with so many water experiences in Alaska and different areas in California. He has been fishing in the Motherlode region for about 20 years, so be sure you learn from the best.

Visitors can come with these items to help make their fishing experience worth it, such as sunscreen, lip balm, a hat, a camera to take lovely photos, waders, and a raincoat depending on the season.

Address: Sonora, CA, USA

Are you considering more exploration of California, here is our list of things to do in Murrieta , things to do in Corona and things to do in Lancaster,  for a fun vacation

9. Black Oak Casino

Credits: clementetinin / Shutterstock

One of the best things to do in Sorona, CA, is to visit the Black Oak Casino, and if you are a lover of casino games, here should be the primary Itinerary for you on your checklist.

The Casino features a poker room in the main casino floor area, slot machines, and tables all in place to give you a tremendous colossal gaming experience.

Aside from gaming, you can also treat your stomachs to delicious foods from any of the nine restaurants, and you can have an epic evening with friends or loved ones.

You can also have a fantastic night out in the city after having a good time gambling at the Willow Creek Lounge, which features the Black Oak Casino’s clubs, and hosts comedy shows and live music performances. There are accommodations in place if you intend to spend a day or two.

Address: 19400 Tuolumne Rd N, Tuolumne, CA 95379

10. Potato Ranch llamas

Credits: Rita_Kochmarjova / Shutterstock

The Potato Ranch llamas are perched in the gorgeous foothills of Sierra Sonora, California. This destination has been in operation for about two years.

These Llamas are gentle creatures you will fall in love with. A scientific tidy stipulates that interaction with the animals helps to decrease blood pressure and augment cardiovascular health.

For visitors who will be visiting for the first time and do not know much about these animals, the destination hosts llama-themed activities, including Llama-themed hikes, holiday celebrations, and others.

Address: 15025 Potato Ranch Rd, Sonora, CA 95370, United States

11. Sierra Repertory Theater

Credits: BigPixel Photo / Shutterstock

Sierra Repertory came to be as a result of five actors who were affiliated with the university theater school and envisioned starting their performing art school.

The theater was restored into something much more magnificent after its old times. It is housed in a tin building that has rusted out. The Sierra Rep and Historic Fallon House is currently a place of abode for the Sierra Rep’s primary stage production, which started operations in 1997.

Since its existence, the group has become a renowned art organization often acknowledged by CAC and the NEA. The

Sierra Repertory Theatre has over 100 actors annually, 25 staff members, and is part of the Actors Equity Association.

 About 45000 individuals come to watch these performers, with a considerable number coming from a distance to watch the performance.

Address: 13891 Mono Way, Sonora, CA 95370

12. Diamondback Grill

Credits: Sonora Diamondback Grill / Facebook Diamondback Grill

If you love good foods, one of the best things to do in Sonora, California, is to check out the Diamondback Grill, where you get treated to delicious foods and should be on your checklist.

This eatery is a regular, family-oriented, and operated restaurant that provides visitors with varieties of savory dishes for visitors and locals alike. It is such an ideal spot to have a typical meal with family and friends in a lovely environment.

They have a great food menu that will leave you craving for more, including salads, burgers, and a great wine menu. Their delicious foods come in sizable portions and are affordable, coupled with a friendly staff. Other well-known dishes from their food menu to look out for include the grilled cheese sandwich, the Ortega burger, and the BLT with Applewood bacon.

Address: 93 S Washington St, Sonora, CA 95370

13. Art Celebration on 2nd Saturday Art Night

Credits: Sonora 2nd Saturday ART Night / Facebook Art Celebration on 2nd Saturday Art Night

Every month, businesses in the iconic downtown area of Sonora are available every second Saturday for locals and guests to enjoy the synergy in the city.

These features to find when you visit this area are restaurants, galleries, and stores that showcase art presentations, musical performances, and art presentations.

Via the fact that these activities in this downtown area attract myriads of people yearly, it helps to increase the economy of the community and as well helps the locals to gain profits from various transactions.

Address: Sonora, CA, United States

14. The Peppery

Credits: Peppery Sonora / Facebook The Peppery

One of the best things to doin Sonora, CA, this weekend is to visit the Peppery Bar and Grill. Here has an ideal environment setting for visitors to have a fun-filled moment with their family and loved ones and should be on your checklist of places to visit in Sonora, CA.

Visitors who check-in at the restaurants keep returning because of the restaurant’s incredible service for its guests.

The unique thing about this restaurant is that everything used in preparing their dishes is locally sourced ingredients.

Foods to look out for on their menu when you visit include Louisiana-style gumbo, pepper jack poppers, mushroom, and swiss burger, BBQ tri-tip sandwich and chipotle mushroom,

Address: 13494 Mono Way, Sonora, CA 95370,

15. Sonora Farmer’s Market

Credits: Ary Acevedo / Shutterstock

Another exciting thing to do when you are in Sonora is to check out the Farmer’s Market. Different items are sold at this market, items from Farmer’s produce and Fishermen’s catch and bakers.

The exciting thing about this market is that they provide their guests and locals with different products for sale.

Info about various Farm products is available for your consumption, including where it was cultivated, their recipes, and varieties.

Over 70 different kinds of Apple recipes are readily available for purchase at the Farmer’s market, and Russian and Tuscan varieties of Kale. You can find Thai and Lemon basil, two out of the many basils you can get in the market.

Address: 37 Theall St, Sonora, CA 95370

Check out the top things to do in Rancho Cucamonga, things to do in Glendale, and things to do in Idyllwild for a memorable exploration of California.

16. Indigeny Reserve

Credits: Brent Hofacker / Shutterstock

The Indigeny Reserve is an estate owned by the Watson family, and it is 80-acre apple farmland seated right across a street from their house.

It turns out that a vast number of the apples gotten from the farmland could not be sold; their alternative was to switch to cider production, which became a massive enterprise.

It did not take too long for them to decipher that the remnants from the cider production were ideal for producing alcoholic drinks such as vodka and brandy.

Families are welcome to check out this beautiful countryside distillery and cider, constructed from local oak and cedarwood grown and rechecked. Visitors can have an extensive tour of the facility and learn the various processes involved in cedar production.

Do add to your list of things to do in Sonora, CA, for a fun exploration.

Address: 14679 Summers Ln, Sonora, CA 95370

17. Courthouse Square

The Courthouse Square combines the Oak Street and Water Venue, which is the southern brother of this destination. The square was significant as it helped establish a county’s local government.

The main construction of the courthouse began in 1853 and started deteriorating after several decades. Restoration of the building started in 1900, and it required about 300 wagon loads of gravel, 150 sand loads, and 500 barrels of cement for its foundation.

This historic site was built for a Wells Fargo agent in 1889 and had a beautiful lobby. There are pamphlet guides right in front of the courthouse to give you a self-guided tour.

18. Wild Shepherd

Credits: Wild Shepherd / Facebook Wild Shepherd

If you are in Sonora, CA, you might want to check out Wild Shepherd to have an undiluted nature adventure.

The company consists of adventurers and scientists who desire to share their great experiences with nature with others using this platform.

If you want to go hiking as a group or with friends, Wild Shepherd got you covered. Do add to your list of Sonora, CA, activities.

Address: 175 S Washington St, Sonora, CA 95370

19. The Mother Lode Fly Shop

Credits: Rocksweeper / Shutterstock

If you intend to have an incredible fishing experience while in the city, check out the Mother Lode Fly Shop, and this item should be on your to-do list.

This destination is located on the scenic Highway 108, on the east side of Sonora. Be sure to experience a one-of-a-kind local trout fishing style in North Carolina.

The company has the very best when it comes to fishing supplies and equipment, which are readily available at their shop. The shop was founded in 1995 to study the demands of the community.

The shop is well-stocked to help anglers be able to pinpoint whatever item they need for a beautiful experience. Over twelve companies can be seen here, including,

Galvan Fly Reels, Umpqua Feather, and Merchants, Scientific Anglers. You can also find tools supplies and tools fly tying, including lines, fly rods, fly boxes, and snippets.

Address: Sonora, CA, United States

20. Teleli Golf Club Robert Muir Graves

Credits: New Africa / Shutterstock

Tell Golf Club was founded in 1990, and it is a Robert Muir Graves’ scenic 18-hole golf course with incredible views of the surrounding mountains.

The golf course’s name was derived from the language Me-Wuk known as Black Oak. The championship golf course was built by its owner while enjoying the foothills of the Sierra Nevada and Gold Country, which are still lovely areas to enjoy some golfing.

The golf course is fun and challenging for golfers of all skill levels, and the golf course is well maintained and cared for. Features such as its driving range, tea, and greens make golfing easier for golfers.

This answers what to do in Sonora for golf lovers, do add to your bucket list of things to do in Sonora, CA.

Address: 17566 Lime Kiln Rd, Sonora, CA 95370

21. Veterans Memorial Hall & Military Museum

Veterans Memorial Hall & Military Museum was established in 1993, and it has a vast landmark used as a place to remember the American WWI veterans.

You can enjoy different exhibitions on military arsenal and a tile that showcases their military strength during their serving times. You can look out for portraits of locals who dedicated their lives to serving the country.

You can check out the museum’s anti-aircraft cannon, which is known to be a well-known exhibit; despite the visitor’s not being allowed to go much closer to the weapon, it is for sure an exciting exhibition to see from a few meters away.

Admittance to the museum is free and is cared for by volunteers and funded by the public.

Address: 9 N Washington St, Sonora, CA 95370-4705

22. Mark Cottrell Fly Fishing Guide Service – Tours

Credits: MyraMyra / Shutterstock

Mark Cottrell Fly Fishing Guide Service – Tours is a California Licensed Fishing Company situated in Sonora, California. If you love fishing, there should be a primary item on your list of fun things to do in Sonora, CA.

No matter your skill level in fishing, it is ideal to go fishing with this company as the owner has garnered lots of experienced over time fishing in the local waters.

All the essentials and gears such as rods, fishing line, boots, and waders that you need to make this fishing trip an exciting one will be made available by the company.

Address: Sonora, CA, USA

23. Mountain Springs Golf Club

Credits: pisitnamtasaeng / Shutterstock

The Mountain Springs Golf Club is an 18-hole course located in the center of Sonora. This championship golf course was designed by Robert Muir Graves and is suitable for golfers of different skill levels.

The picturesque golf championship golf courses can be spotted in the center of the Gold Country and provide visitors with incredible views of the foothills of Sierra Nevada. This destination has become the most famous golfing facility since it started functioning in 1990.

Surrounding the golf club are other features that include a driving range, a complete pro golf shop, four sets of tees, putting greens, and a driving range.

Address: 17566 Lime Kiln Rd, Sonora, CA 95370

24. Llamas of Circle Home

Credits: Llamas of Circle Home / Facebook Llamas of Circle Home

Llamas of Circle Home started in 1983 and is a ranch in the beautiful city of Sonora, California. The idea of setting up a restaurant began when George and his wife read in a local paper the benefits of setting up a ranch for growing llamas and went on to build the facility.

For more than 30 years, this couple has served people and the state of California and beyond by providing therapy services based on IIama.

People tend to find solace in interacting with these animals and having fun. A study by UCLA shows that interacting with these animals can help increase cardiovascular health and decrease blood pressure.

George organizes IIama-themed activities for people that want to know about these creatures, and these activities include llama-themed holiday celebrations, llama-themed hikes, and others.

You can bring the kids along, so they learn and connect with these animals. George’s idea is that the kids will be knowledgeable about how these animals will aid them in growing physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Address: 15301 Tuolumne Rd, Sonora, CA 95370

Have more time in California, check out our list of things to do in San Marcos, things to do in San Juan Capistrano, and things to do in Visalia for a memorable vacation.

Plan Your Trip to Sonora

If you plan on having a perfect trip to an exciting destination, plan a trip to Sonora, California. This destination features so many attractions to make your stay here an exciting one.

Start planning your trip to Sonora, and plan to explore its top attractions and activities for that fun-filled time you desire.

Happy Travels!

The post 24 Best & Fun Things to Do in Sonora (CA) appeared first on The Tourist Checklist.

source https://thetouristchecklist.com/things-to-do-in-sonora-ca/

[ohbae-me]

I feel like Mammon would really enjoy Mexico! The mariachi music, the folkloric dances, LAS PELEAS DE GALLOS ( basically people make roosters fight each other and people placed their bets in who would win) and don’t even get me started on the Mayan legends and mythology!✨💕

That definitely sounds like something Mammon would LOVE. The witches would undoubtedly drag him there for one reason or another, and it would easily become his favourite place. He loves the music, food and clothing and will definitely being as much as he can back home, including souvenirs for his brothers.

I really wish I could visit myself, and that I knew more about Mexican culture to be able to contribute more to this headcannon!! It's always been on my list of places I need to see!

Send me your favourite Obey Me headcanon: Older Brothers Edition!

#obey me #obey me mammon #mammon #obey me headcannons #obey me headcanons

[mommaafoxx-blog]

Arnold Schwarzenegger - Wikimedia Commons

In 1982 Schwarzenegger first gained international attention as an actor through his leading role in Conan the Barbarian. In 1984 he also played in the sequel Conan the Destroyer. In the same year, the science fiction film Terminator marked the final breakthrough in Hollywood for both Schwarzenegger and director James Cameron. Schwarzenegger embodied the villain for the first time, although he only had to speak about 17 sentences with about 70 words throughout the film. Define the minimum number of people for each row of the result list. Copy the HTML code to embed the book description on your website. For payments of € 100 or more, we would be happy to issue a tax-relevant invoice for the promotion of our project. Please name, street, place for the invoice, amount and date for our assignment.

Turkmenistan Arnold Schwarzenegger Kino commemorative edition stamp souvenir

Examples are only used to help you translate the word you are looking for or use it in different contexts. They are not selected or reviewed by us and may contain inappropriate expressions or ideas, please report examples that should be edited or not displayed. During his first nationwide television interviews in the 1970s, he answered questions about his sport openly. When asked whether he had also taken "anabolic steroids" during his active bodybuilding period, he answered in the affirmative and admitted that he had taken them under medical supervision. Critics accuse him of self-centeredness and selfishness. Regardless of the assessment of his person, his career is exemplary. d and embroiled in an adventure no man has ever done before. In "Predator" a routine emission becomes a horror trip. Here too, Arnold Schwarzenegger can convince with his trained body.

Science [edit

KOBLENZ - Because a train hit a person on the train tracks on Wednesday, the route between Koblenz and Cologne had to be blocked for several hours. The commission became quick because of the system iphone 11 bazooka phone case Food information dealing with the problem of the export of substantial quantities of Austrian wine containing diethylene glycol (antifreeze) to the Community. In January 2006, Schwarzenegger was declared an unwanted person by the parliament of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. The tightened integration policy of Schwarzenegger, who originally immigrated to the United States, was described by the Mexican politicians as "racist". Although Schwarzenegger received the Golden Globe for Best Newcomer for his role in Mister Universum in 1977, critics have repeatedly accused him of lacking acting talent. At the Razzie Awards, which were held as a "counter-Oscar", Schwarzenegger was nominated a total of eight times for the Golden Raspberry in the category of Worst Actor - but ultimately never won it. The prison sentence is now at least 25 years to life, but includes the possibility of probation. In her petition to the governor, the 32-year-old woman had pointed out that she had been abused for years. According to psychiatric reports, she suffers psychologically from the consequences of the violence that has been inflicted on her. Brown was not a "Mister Universe" or "Terminator", but he has a lot of missionary zeal for it, as he put it himself.

#schwarzenegger californie

[chicanoartmovement]

CHICANO ART MOVEMENT attends: PST:LA/LA Café Tacvba • La Santa Cecilia • Mon Laferte 2017

via Hollywood Bowl:

Celebrating a triumphant new release, Café Tacvba, the undisputed leader of Mexico City’s alt-rock scene, will close an epic celebration of our diverse Latin American communities. L.A.’s own Grammy-award winning La Santa Cecilia brings a modern hybrid of Latin culture, rock and world music. Chilean songstress Mon Laferte with her raw and deeply layered voice integrates boleros with pop, rock and melancholic lyrics.

This program is part of Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA, an initiative of the Getty with arts institutions across Southern California. The presenting sponsor is Band of America. Major support provided through grants from the Getty Foundation.

(Hollywood Bowl souvenir program with detailed view of attended programming of PST: LA/LA 2017.)

An event we have been wanting to attend since early 2017 was PST: LA/LA’s concert at the Hollywood Bowl headlined by Café Tacvba. I began my countdown to the moment of when I could get a hold of a pair of tickets to this amazing concert. I was ecstatic with the choice of seating compared to previous Café Tacvba show.

Finally the day arrived when Robert and I made the journey to the Hollywood Bowl venue with a rollie lunch cooler filled with the allowed food and beverages. The hype began to build after we past through the second level of security to the prime pool area and the perfect location to live the front row life.

(Saner designed “El Zopilote” Café Tacvba tour 2017 shirt.)

After eating, Robert and I made our way to the merchandise booths that resembled a packed tianguis, a hustlin’ and bustlin’ street market, of México City. After a long debate of which Café Tacvba shirt was going to be mine, I went with the special edition NIU GüEIS TUR shirt designed by Mexican muralist Saner.

(Mon Laferte band performing at the Hollywood Bowl for PST: LA/LA 2017).

The Chilean beauty and singer Mon Laferte and her band brought lots of energy to the stage and audience as the opening performer. Her vocals impressed all those in attendance and she incorporated the crowd with each song. She recreated Selena Quintanilla’s “Si Una Vez” in a ska version that got all those Selena fans to move and dance.

(Detailed view of La Santa Cecilia set for PST: LA/LA 2017.) 

After a brief intermission, La Santa Cecilia were welcomed with open arms by the people of their hometown of Los Angeles, California. Marisoul (vocals) sang with passion and heart many of their original songs as well performed an acoustic rendition of Juan Gabriel’s “Amor Eterno.” In amidst the joyous moments, there was still room for social awareness. The crowd cheered in support as La Santa Cecilia expressed their solidarity with all the DREAMers who continue to fight for their rights.  

(Special appearance by Cheech Marin during La Santa Cecilia set at the Hollywood Bowl, 2017). 

During the set of La Santa Cecilia, Marisoul introduced a very special guest to the stage. It was none other than Richard “Cheech” Marin, the Mexican American comedian and actor as well as famous collector of Chicano Art. The crowd was elated when Cheech sang a live version of “Mexican American” ditty from the film Cheech and Chong’s Next Movie (1980) that left everyone roaring with laughter.

(Detailed view from left to right: Enrique Rangel, Emmanuel del Real, & José Alfredo Rangel at PST: LA/LA concert 2017.)

At the conclusion of La Santa Cecilia’s set, the anticipation of seeing the performance of Café Tacvba was reaching its climax and as a fan of many years, I could not wait to see one of my favorite rock bands of México. From the darkness, Rubén Albarrán (lead singer), José Alfredo Rangel (guitarist), Enrique Rangel (bassist), and Emmanuel del Real (keyboardist) appeared in costumes. Everyone basked in Café Tacvba’s musical genius and creativity which continues to push the limits of their music that incorporates many modern rock elements and traditional sounds of their homeland. When Café Tacvba played their favorite hits—“Eres, “Las Flores,” and “Chilanga Banda”—fans went into an euphoric state of mind.

Attending PST: LA/LA’s concert at the Hollywood Bowl was a fantastic experience. From beginning to end, Robert and I enjoyed each artistic performance where everybody celebrated their cultural roots through music and unity.

More info on PST: LA/LA 2017: http://www.pacificstandardtime.org

#pstlala #hollywood bowl #cafe tacvba #cafe tacuba #mon laferte #la santa cecilia #cheech #cheech marin #rock #mexico #latin america #music #the getty

[chicago-marlena]

Trip III: Exploring Pilsen

Hello everyone and welcome back!

For this week’s adventure, a small group of my classmates and I ventured to the very colorful and culturally rich neighborhood of Pilsen. Similarly to what happened on my last trip, this was unfortunately adventure was a rainy one, but nevertheless the excitement of the art and Latinx culture was enough to get me out of the house (and there thanks to Uber. whoo!) As someone who grew up in Aurora, IL, in a primarily Latinx community, I was deeply excited for this trip. This trip my first to the area, and I was specifically enthused by the neighborhood's artwork/outdoor murals, cultural foods, language differences, and decorations for the upcoming dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a traditional Mexican holiday dedicated to memorializing the dead. If you’re unfamiliar with Pilsen, allow me to provide some quick insight into the neighborhood itself.

A banner depicting the saying “Brown is beautiful, Beloved Asheville”. The term Brown refers to the Latinx community in Pilsen, as the banner serves to empower its members. This message helps combat negative stereotypes and unite the Latinx community from all walks of life, as evident in the varying caricatures. | Original photo

Statistically speaking, according to the Statistical Atlas, the neighborhood of Pilsen is predominantly Hispanic, as they make up 70.7% of the population. While observing the area this stat was proven true from the abundance in Latinx businesses, restaurants, and other amenities. While this statistic accounts for a majority of the population today, Pilsen’s neighborhoods had not always been this way. It was not until the 1960s that Pilsen transformed into what we know as the primarily Latinx neighborhood that we see today. Prior to this time period, the area was mainly populated by “Central and Eastern European descendants - including the Bohemians” and referred to as Plzeň, named after a city in today’s Czech Republic (Mitchell, 2014). According to the same source, the neighborhood shift in demographics can be best explained by Chicago’s massive city projects during the 1950s, including expressways, public housing developments, and a university campus (the University of Illinois in Chicago, interestingly enough!); these editions ultimately caused the ethic shift, as Mexican residents to move from the Near West Side into what is now Pilsen.  

I decided to begin my trip venturing down W. 18th Street, starting around the corner of West 18th Street and South Carpenter Street. As I began walking, I took note that the area was characterized by an abundance of community resources including restaurants, salons, independent shops, insurance businesses, churches, and even laundromats. The area was a mix of both family-owned businesses, franchises, and independently-owned stores unique to Pilsen. 

A street vendor’s fruit stand, full of variety. | Original photo

As I began exploring the area, the first thing that instantly caught my eye was surprisingly a Vietnamese Cafe/Restaurant, titled HaiSous Vietnamese Kitchen located on the corner of W 18th St and S Carpenter Street. On one hand, as a person who identifies as half Vietnamese, I was very excited to see this place (as Vietnamese cuisine is only usually available in the Chinatown area) but on the other hand, I was genuinely surprised to see this in the area. After reading Pilsen’s neighborhood history, I was anticipating seeing mostly Latinx and European-themed businesses, so this was a pleasant surprise to begin my trip on, and later ended up foreshadowing the neighborhood’s abundant cultural diversity. 

Vietnamese cafe and restaurant, ‘HaiSous’ located on the corner W 18th Street and S Carpenter Street. | Original photo

While I was at the establishment, I ordered a small Lychee danish for breakfast. Lychee was one of my favorite snacks growing up and is a traditional fruit in my family. Overall the pastry was a 5 out of 5 stars, filled with nostalgia and the delicious lychee cream cheese spread; I definitely recommend it if you’re on the hunt for a small bite!

Lychee danish.   | Original Photo 

As I continued my walk, the first church-related site I encountered was a shrine located on West 18th Street and South Allport Street, right next to the St. Procopius Catholic Church. Upon first glance, I was ecstatic to see this site, as the area was surrounded by foliage and colorful flowers, with the shrine in the center. (The area was extremely calming and well maintained. Beautiful.) While I wasn’t able to enter and explore the church itself, I took some time to learn more about the shrine itself and the significance to the area. 

Shrine of the Virgin of San Juan de Los Lagos | Original photo

For Pilsen community members, the shrine serves as a site for completing promises or mandas (vows in traditional Mexican Catholicism) at one’s own pleasure. The woman depicted in the center of the shrine is known as Our Lady of Guadalupe (also the Virgin of Guadalupe) and is notably a powerful symbol of the Mexican identity and faith, commonly associated with attributes such as empowerment, motherhood, or resilience (Reyes, 2016). The figure is highly embedded into Mexican culture, particularly through religious influence, as best seen depicted on the site’s shrine. Catholicism itself has a large influence on Latinx culture, as I was able to best observe it through the many art murals in the neighborhood. Many of the murals I encountered were either in dedication or featured some form of the powerful symbol; for me, this showed the community’s importance in not only religious values but values that Our Lady of Guadalupe herself represents. 

With that in mind, the next few photos are some of my favorite art pieces I encountered while venturing through Pilsen. The community’s abundance in art and murals makes it comparable to a museum. Of all the trips I have taken so far, this trip was the first where I had experienced public art at this frequency; it is apparent that the neighborhood values its murals and the messages that they provide, topics including religion, love, history, or injustice. No other community I have seen so far does public art like Pilsen, making it my most vibrant trip so far.

Without further ado, here are some of my favorites: 

Art mural of Our Lady of Guadelupe. The angelic figure at her feet displays red, white, and green, resembling colors of the Mexican flag, as the angel’s wings resemble those of the eagle in the flag’s center. These elements help portray the mural’s theme of freedom and pursuing the American Dream.  | Original photo

Additional dedication to the Virgin of Guadelupe | Original photo

This depiction of the religious figure was particularly interesting to me. This piece of art was located on the exterior of a children’s youth center/school building and portrays the Virgin of Guadelupe with younger features mirroring the youth.  

Hidden mural. This piece of art touched me emotionally, as I felt it best represented the American Dream for those migrating to the United States. | Original photo 

Art depicting cards of the Mexican card game, “La Loteria” | Original photo

While further exploring the public art and murals on W 18th Street, one thing that struck my interest was the addition of art referencing a popular Mexican card game, coined by the name Loteria. The vibrant and colorful pieces were spread throughout the street, hidden on doors and wall corners, paying homage to traditional Mexican culture.

La Sirena Loteria Card. The text in the upper right-hand corner reads “Con los cantos de sirena, no te vayas a marear” translating to “Don't get dizzy with the songs of the mermaid.” | Original photo

La Loteria is a traditional Mexican card game, typically played in family settings and holiday celebrations, and is often compared to being a “Mexican Bingo”. The visual depictions on the cards are imperative to playing the game; while an American Bingo announcer calls out sequences of letters and numbers, i.e., “B-4”, Loteria operates off the premise that an announcer describing general ideas or poems related to the images on the card, i.e., “the coat for the poor” referring to the Sun card (Villegas, 2019). The card game traditionally offers a select set of images and Pilsen’s interpretation of this can be seen in their customized depictions of the cards, unique to the community and the neighborhood. Seeing this was a small but mighty addition to the neighborhood art, ultimately reminding me of playing La Loteria in my hometown with family friends. Small additions like this show the neighborhood artists’ attention to detail when preserving culture; as Loteria is a game that has surpassed many generations and emulates values of family and unity.

A traditional card in the game La Loteria, “El Corazon”, customized to pay homage to the neighborhood of Pilsen | Original photo

To conclude my trip to Pilsen, I stumbled upon the Pilsen Vintage & Thrift, located at 1430 W 18th Street. This shop was just as vibrant as the rest of the neighborhood, filled with vintage goods either sourced or inspired by Latinx culture. To commemorate my trip, I even purchased a couple of small souvenirs including a ring, earrings, and stickers as a way of supporting the community and thanking the shop owners for allowing in-store photography. 

The initial view of Pilsen Vintage & Thrift when walking in | Original photo 

Pilsen Vintage & Thrift store interior | Original photo 

Before leaving the shop, I actually sparked up a conversation with the store’s cashier, asking her about her experience working in Pilsen and her general thoughts about the area. She shared many stories of her early life growing up in Pilsen, but when discussing the state of the current day area she concluded gentrification was definitely happening, as she shared “my rent has almost doubled in the last year with all the newer businesses taking over previously family-owned ones” (she requested not to be named for the sake of this post). From my observations following my trip, I could see that neighborhood is known for being a cultural hub, both in its historical roots and today as well. With the neighborhood’s high frequency in the arts and culture, this opens up a large fiscal opportunity for businesses to capitalize on the neighborhood driving out native residents and family businesses replacing them with ones accommodating more toward middle-class customers and residents. This can best be understood through the context of Pilsen’s perceivably profitable identity, one that “market initiatives [are] now employed to ‘renew’ such neighborhoods [as] Pilsen itself can be packaged and sold as a site of culture” (Saclarides, 2009). Off first glance, the area just seems to be “balanced” in terms of offering both family-owned, culturally significant business and “affluent” style businesses or popular corporations, but when observing this through the lens of gentrification, I can’t help but wonder how native residents feel about the changes in the community.  Ultimately, while some may view this act of cultural commodification as a “beautification” of the city neighborhood, these driving forces of increasing consumerism and tourism tend to leave residents of ethnic neighborhoods feeling intruded on or out of place; as consumption and commerce don’t tend to follow with compassion and cultural preservation (Saclarides, 2009). Pilsen has come far from what once was viewed as an “overcrowded, decaying site of contagious social pathology, often [once] tagged as ‘ghettos’, ‘slums’ or ‘barrios’”, and continuing this development of the neighborhood needs to include the resident’s cultural values while still pushing for advancement (Saclarides, 2009).

Flyer advertising a protest, advocating for children in border detention centers. Found at the register/check out area of Pilsen Village & Thrift. | Original photo

Ultimately, I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Pilsen, and hope to return to the area soon. While my one regret on this trip was not stopping for lunch, I still felt immersed in the culturally rich neighborhood, leaving with a new perspective on one of the many communities Chicago offers. I enjoyed reminiscing on aspects similar to my own hometown and particularly took great interest in the vibrant street art. With all this being said, for any of you even considering visiting the neighborhood: 100% go for it! Pilsen offered me a new perspective on cultural expression and community and left me ready to plan for my next trip back (and start practicing my Spanish again!).

Mural of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, an important figure in Latinx culture. One of my favorite artists and favorite murals I saw. | Original photo

Sources:

La Sirena. Mexican Figuritas. Loteria postcard. The Mermaid. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.changingworld.com/la-sirena-mexican-figuritas-loteria-postcard-the-mermaid.html.html.

Mitchell, C. (2019, May 1). The birth of a Latino community. Retrieved from https://www.wbez.org/shows/wbez-news/swept-from-their-homes-chicagos-latinos-built-new-community/331fcc5d-be0b-4b20-be9f-245a562a9310.

Race and Ethnicity in Pilsen, Chicago, Illinois (Neighborhood). (n.d.). Retrieved October 17, 2019, from https://statisticalatlas.com/neighborhood/Illinois/Chicago/Pilsen/Race-and-Ethnicity.

Reyes, R. A. (2016, December 12). Our Lady of Guadalupe Is a Powerful Symbol of Mexican Identity. Retrieved from https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/our-lady-guadalupe-powerful-symbol-mexican-identity-n694216.

Saclarides, K. (2009). Selling Chicago as a Global City: Redevelopment and Ethnic Neighborhoods. On University of Chicago - SSA: Advocates' Forum.

Villegas, T. (n.d.). History of La Loteria. Retrieved October 17, 2019, from https://teresavillegas.com/history-of-la-loteria/.

[kristipetersenschoonover]

Me posing with a new friend on the Congress Avenue Bridge at Austin’s Bat Fest, August 23, 2014.

On one of my many sojourns to Austin, Texas, I was lucky enough to attend the annual Bat Fest, which in 2019 will be held Saturday, August 24, from 4 p.m. to midnight on the Congress Avenue Bridge downtown.

What is that, you ask?

Texas is famous for its bat colonies, and the state is home to 32 species. In fact, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife, Bracken Cave Preserve and the Congress Avenue Bridge are the largest known colonies in the world. It’s not uncommon for people to watch the bats emerge from their caves every evening, and events, like Austin’s annual Bat Fest, are much-anticipated occasions. Here’s a list of hotspots: https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/species/bats/bat-watching-sites/

This artwork, on the side of a gas station/convenience store right near the Congress Avenue Bridge in downtown Austin, pays homage to the world’s largest known urban bat colony.

Back in 1982 or so, I read one of those cheesy 1970s thrillers called The Anthrax Mutation, by Alan Scott. I don’t remember a whole lot about the plot or the characters, but I do remember one very disturbing scene with a few dead cows; I also remember I developed a fascination with bats. Naturally, when my sister, Missie, moved to Austin, Texas, seeing the bats take to the night skies was on my bucket list.

In 2014, we made it happen. Here’s some photos and video from the 2014 event, which featured live music, vendors, food, booze, and, of course, a prime spot for watching the bats! Get your tickets for this year’s party and learn more here: http://www.roadwayevents.com/event/bat-fest/

Here is a viewing guide for the bats at the Congress Avenue Bridge: https://www.tripsavvy.com/austins-bat-bridge-a-viewing-guide-254880

If you’re at all curious about The Anthrax Mutation? I know I have my dad’s original first edition paperback in the basement, but it’s still available out there used and pretty cheap. Check it out on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Anthrax-Mutation-Original-Project-Dracula/dp/B000R80FMI

The Congress Avenue Bridge in downtown Austin shuts down for BatFest.

Our wristbands for BatFest 2014.

Me posing with a new friend on the Congress Avenue Bridge at Austin’s Bat Fest, August 23, 2014.

My sister, Missie, makes a new friend as well. She’s got a thing for owls (in fact, her house is full of owl stuff–napkin holders, coffee mugs, et cetera).

It was a hot day (that’s an understatement. Anyone from the Northeast would probably melt, but I loved it!). Here, Missie waits to get some cold lemonade.

I had never heard of fried Snickers! One advantage of being in the extreme heat–at least for me–is that I don’t eat because I had no appetite. I saw this sign, though, and wished I’d had one! Fried Snickers–there’s a first time for everything!

Missie holds up a mirror so that my niece, Andi, can model her new flower wreath.

Me and my wine…these were sold at the event and they were perfect. They were plastic cups with air-tight lids, so if you didn’t finish your drink, you could put it back in your bag without worrying about it spilling. I wish every festival did this. Great idea!

Austin is a city of creatives. One of the best things about their festivals is the plethora of local artisans. This guy was selling his unique handmade hats that also became stuffed animals.

The state of Texas is very serious about its bat population. Bat Conservation International had an information booth to promote awareness.

At the Bat Conversation International booth, a volunteer shows us a preserved Mexican free-tailed bat. These are the bats that live under the Congress Avenue Bridge.

A view of downtown Austin and the river from high up on the Congress Avenue Bridge. Several people rent or bring their boats so they can watch the spectacle from the water. To the lower right of the picture and out of frame is a small park, which was also crammed with onlookers.

Another example of Texas’ love for its creatives. Honestly, I wish the area in which I lived up north here was as supportive as this.

Several vendors sold alcoholic beverages. These prices were actually a little cheaper than most events up north at the time.

Another Austin creative displays his wares.

As you can imagine, custom/unique bat houses are very big in Texas.

I am so very sorry I didn’t think to purchase my copy of GOODNIGHT AUSTIN when I was there! You can, however, get a copy of this children’s book that features everything that makes Austin special at goodnightaustintexas.com.

I really was looking to buy a very special souvenir that would remind me, specifically, of the night I spent at BatFest. Diamonds are Evil, an Austin-based company, makes jewelry out of wood. I purchased this gorgeous piece, and it now hangs over my mantel. To learn more about this company, visit here: https://www.dailytexanonline.com/2014/01/22/diamonds-are-evil-jewelry-company-takes-stand-against-diamonds

Me with artist Michael Murphy, who started the Diamonds are Evil company with his girlfriend, Meridith Butler. To be honest, I’m not even sure this company is in business anymore. The domain for their website expired. All the more reason that the bat piece I bought is special.

GET READY FOR AUSTIN’S BAT FEST AUGUST 24! On one of my many sojourns to Austin, Texas, I was lucky enough to attend the annual Bat Fest, which in 2019 will be held Saturday, August 24, from 4 p.m.

#bat colonies in Texas #Bat Conservation International #Congress Avenue Bridge #Diamonds are Evil #Mexican free-tailed bats #The Anthrax Mutation #when is Austin Bat Fest this year #where can I go to watch the bats take flight in Texas

[asfaltics]

whether a bare numeral can be turned

  through, and turned       8   turned to the left       13 turned to the right       13 turned away       40   who turn       89 turned and twisted       108 we turn       187   their names had been turned to another       191 turned       209 by the rule which turns       212 Fisher, turned       214   —   that a man cannot turn his mere name       219 turn a description       241 be turned into arbitrary symbols. There must be collateral matters to invest them       248   whether a bare numeral can be turned       254 Anybody may so use the same numerals, provided he turn them       255 turn with indifference       275   might soon turn into the white rose       276   —   argument turned, was       278 in turn       291   or even by turning       305 What beneficial end could it possibly serve? It could not be turned       319   turned into sheer nonsense       320   turned out       326 turn out to be a mere nullity       347   Well, take that case, and turn back       358 turn not upon       392 turned paper of a gray tint       410   turned work is so done       410 as a case turning       418 let us turn       435 turn       438 and turn       441   and turns       468 turn out to be erroneous       472   turns out to be unfounded       473 turned down       492   —   and thus turn the court into an engine       505 but when we turn... and attempt to reason from analogy, we find great difficulty       517   —   turns out to be in this instance       598 The bottles turned the scale.       609   turn, each       628 turned into an instrument       640 in their turn       661 turn it into a necessary       666 turn       731

—

turn, turns, turned, turnings — all of them — from William Henry Browne (1825-1900), A Treatise on the Law of Trade-marks and Analogous Subjects, Firm-names, Business-signs, Good-will, Labels, &c. Second Edition, Revised and Englarged (1885) University of Michigan copy, digitized October 16, 2013 several scans of different copies (including earlier and later editions) available via archive.org

W. H. Browne (1825-1900) saw military service in Mexico and later in the Civil War; retired as brigadier general and took a position (as did many mustered-out generals, apparently) in the Patent Office. His Treatise on the Law of Trade-Marks reads well to this day (and to this ear): it is philosophical, pragmatic linguistics, peppered with delightful examples and considerable wit (of the dry sort). He has been described as having developed "a reputation as a poet and raconteur" *, with reference to his story "The Mexican Coquette. A Sketch of Modern Chivalry" that appeared in the literary annual/gift-book The Iris : An Illuminated Souvenir, John S. Hart, ed. (Philadelphia, 1853) : 65-88.

Browne was brother of the composer and writer Augusta Brown Garrett (1820-82 *). Included in that same number of The Iris was Augusta's "A Secret Letter. A Tale of the Crusaders" (pp 121-135).

—

3 of 3

all tagged nonsense all tagged numbers all tagged turns  

#analogous subjects #numbers #numerals #turns #William Henry Browne #Augusta Browne #Augusta Browne Garrett #latihan #whether

[stannamarsh]

Souvenirs From Hell

Souvenirs From Hell, by H.R Martin, (AKA YokoKoko on Tumblr, though this is the best edit.) I worked all day on this and forgot to eat. ----------------------------------------- Maya Angelou once commented that, "There's no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside of you." A certain person who will be mentioned later gave the opposite advice. Don't tell stories. Stories make one accountable. . Anyway, this story is unapologetic and it is all mine. What I learned recently has to do with the difference between life as a messed up 24 or 25 year old and one as a messed up 29 year old, aka me. It starts with knowing what you want and planning how to get it. Knowing that your fuck-ups are your responsibility. Knowing you're a mentally ill bitch who says harsh things, making the granary of truth in your words harder to hear. It's frustrating that you were attempting to communicate but somehow you got it all wrong. It's wanting desperately to be more thoughtful, helpful, intelligent, necessary and kind with your words. It's striving for the best in every action I choose to take. I want to be a decent human being. Due to my flaws, it's a struggle. Knowing isn't the issue. Doing right is the challenge. As for the five years growth between 24 and 29 I never believed it was that big of a difference until I lived it. That gap, in my experience is filled with codependency and attempts to train or fix someone. This is how we drive ourselves crazy. It's their journey. Not letting others walk their own journey or not being left alone to walk it is 90% of our therapists' jobs. We should work on ourselves. Because many, if not most partners that we try to prod and improve, and love into what we need them to be are stubborn idiots, and frankly so are we, for attempting to do this. I don't want to waste my fucking energy trying to train them to man/woman/non-binary up and be friggin grownups. Not my circus, not my monkeys, and most certainly, not my cage. Now that the intro is finished, the goals. I want: 1) A home that is mine. Not living in a hippie garbage can or benign drug house, albeit one with a chill vibe, in a nice neighborhood full of little-free-libraries, with nice people who are doing their best so you can't really blame them. But goddammit, I want different. It scared me that this was becoming my life. Is this my scene? What about my goals? I got negative and bitchy, and eventually exploded despite your stellar hospitality. I'm trying to work on these things at my own place, but humans are influenced by their friends. I need to distance myself until my living space at Hawk's Ridge is up to my standards, I need to work on that. Yours can be whatever you want it to be. And the hypothetical me with my shit together would give zero fucks about that, once I'm confident that I have my own standards in place. Otherwise, I get very anxious. 2) A solid community of friends and family who are "going places" in life, to the best of their individual ability (which does not mean under the constant influence of recreational yet legal prescriptions.) I'm not judging, given my penchant for these, and the fact that I'm starting NA tonight. Legal drugs that become a grey area between therapeutic and recreational are fun, but they won't help you achieve you goals. Anxiolytics are for anxiety, or the dentist. Vicodin is for pain and don't mix either with copious amounts of alcohol. That's why you spend too much time throwing up instead of doing fun things, like a cancer patient with much nicer hair. Also, drink water if you want to keep up with Mexicans, working in the hot sun without getting heat exhaustion. Common sense, people. I'm not saying your pain isn't real but some of it is your doing, just like some of mine is my doing. We have to hold ourselves accountable, better ourselves, drink and smoke weed socially and responsibly on VACATION (not stupidly or ever before getting behind the wheel.) Get with the program. People with more obstacles than solid doctors, helpful family, and a paid-off home do it every day. This was what I was keeping to myself until I said it in the wrong way while crying in your bathtub, "communicating" why I was harshing your buzz with my negativity. At the time, I had had a Klonopin, a Xanax, a Vicodin, another Xanax, another Xanax, and alcohol. I'm not a puker. I'm a cathartic, brutally honest crier, which is as bad a vomit in its own way. It smells better but takes longer to clean up. I'm sorry I hurt that sweet boy's feelings through the wall and seemed ungrateful for your hospitality. It's my fault for taking all those drugs, but I wasn't comfortable, something was wrong, I couldn't put my finger on it, and I repressed it with anything available to keep from being rude. It didn't work. There was truth in what I said, but the way I put it was mean, and unnecessary. Holding stuff in is bad for me. You said communicate. I said what I said and if I hadn't said it then, I would have done so eventually. Yes, I am grateful to people who open their homes to me, go on adventures with me, share their possessions with me. Catharsis can be cruel. I can't hang around you when I have 99 problems to solve already. Whether you would even want that is a mystery to me. I'll be busy but I still care. Though, I expect at this point, it's tl;dr for the both of you. That's another thing. Friends are people for whom tl;dr does not exist, unless they've had a stroke or something. 3) If there is a love mate out there for me, a soulmate if such a thing exists, I want to encounter this person on my adventures. I don't chase or look, because it depresses me and reduces love "such that it is" to consumption, or a meal ticket, a housing situation, a drug connection, a business deal, or a codependent puddle of mutual enabling. It's worse than any drug, save needles, meth, or crack, and all too often often, "love" drives otherwise healthy people down that road. 4. I want to go to Boulder, CO, my own personal Mecca. My condolences that police and a drugged hippie were mutually stupid and it resulted in tragedy. I mean the guy was strung out running naked in public. The worst child murder/ rape in recent memory went down there too, but people move on and this is where I want to live. This is my goal and I'm strong enough to not let news reports stop me from achieving what I want. 5. I want my MLIS and I will get it in December. When I get my debt and income under control, I want to participate in a BA to MD/PH.D program because once I'm stable, and clean, I know I can buckle down, tear through that MCAT and make it happen. See, when I was messed up, I at least knew enough not to hurt myself or spend the next day vomiting. Let's turn this sad, low-rent talent of mine into something that can help people. Want to be: medical librarian, doctor, medical PH.D (You heard me: MUD/FUDD), writer,Gonzo blogger, adventurer, world traveler, and at times, gainfully unemployed. These will all happen if I go to my meetings and follow Dr. Robert's advice: Get clean, hang out only with stable people who are tackling their goals, and achieve my scholarly potential, which truth be told, is at least a Masters' and an M.D/Ph.D. Not to brag, but that potential is somewhere between Lisa Simpson and Malcolm in the MIddle. (Meaning I'm probably a crazy genius, and if I'm retarded, John is a vegetable, organic I hope, so as compost he can me useful.) People say all the time that you're too old to start over. If someone can't do it they want to tell you that you can't either. Age is just a number. And truth be told, I'd rather die learning than being stuck in mediocrity. 6. I want happiness, stability, freedom from drama. attachment issues, an end to envy that a friend or acquaintance has someone, no matter how messed up the situation. I want independence, to control my compulsive, self destructive need to help others when there's shit I have to do for myself, just to prove my worth and keep them from leaving me. I end up burnt out and I become unnecessarily honest at people. I need to trust my vibes. If a situation feels icky or grasping or just plan dirty, I'm out. It's been real. Thanks for having me. Time to go slay the other goals. 7. MONEY...ENOUGH money that I have everything I want and need,within reason and accounting for storage space: a home, a housekeeper, or at least some kind of professional organizer to help me with cleaning and beautifying my abode, which is not my forte. My wonderful parents Susan Coleman and Donald Jeff Martin are helping me follow my bliss. They are the absolute best parents. I can never do enough to properly thank them for giving me life, taking a great risk to do so, for my dad taking the time to give private preschool quality education to me as a toddler so now math and languages are easy, for my mom who taught me about feminism, and whether she knew it or not, supercharged my innate qualities of forthrightness, justice, and the desire to fight for what's right. Thanks for teaching me right from wrong,and taking care of me. I had an enriched life, despite our initial lack of money. That is a miracle. My parents (and my pets, and my goals) are, together MY EVERYTHING. Gratitude. Balance. Best Life. That's what I'm after. Money is the tool to reach goals, not the goal itself. 8. Lastly, I want adventure....safe, but not so safe that it isn't fun. Exploring the world, writing, experiencing, living. This alone will keep me from getting sucked into any sexist bullshit or dysfunctional "love" vortex. When I achieve THAT, the desire to hurt myself, check out, or die will be OVER forever. I know this instinctively. That's the GP. Hell. I might become a GP. But, I'd prefer something more Housean, such as Pathology or Internal Medicine, I am the queen of my castle. But, to paraphrase Marley, that castle is in my MIND. To paraphrase Thoreau, my castles in the sky are the shit. Now they and I need a proper FOUNDATION. None of this is meant to be a mean dig at Jexi. I call you this because I know you as a unit. Who are each of you individually?(Also, I don't think either of you are notorious enough to be figured out by that alone, so I'm attempting discretion.) This is just my perspective. My truth. Thank you's to: Gino Dykstra, Amy, the therapist, Doctor Robert Wesner, Dr Widitz, Dr. Don St. John, and Linda the P.C, and all the people from Partial Hospitalization and STEPPS. If I forget someone, add yourself. Oh, Lori Parrish Niemi, Christina Morris Penn-Goetsch, William Niemi, Jexi, for helping me gain this insight, and Keith E Gatling. Weirdly, I am also grateful for that squirrelly, two-faced bastard, John Trachsel, who made himself useful for the first time ever, by convincing me to abandon my impulsive suicide gesture. He didn't know who he was talking to so he treated me like a person/ possible lay for a while and pretended to care, right up until the point where he learned he had called me. I could hear him backtracking because he doesn't want people to know he talks to me. When I called him out on this, he called me crazy, "retarded", and finally admitted that he didnt want people to know he talked to me. He, in a his glory thinks he's too good to talk to me? I have his mugshot on my hard drive, named "ThereISAGod.jpg." This is bullshit because most people have no problem acting like a god-damn human toward me. Anyway, this is proof that even a shmuck-a- fuck like him may sometimes do good things by accident. Of course, if he'd caught on quicker, I think that he would have hung up immediately. If he, for one second believed that I, Hanna Martin. was distraught, suicidal, and in need of help, hell, that was his goal anyway, right? But screw you, I didn't kill myself. My point is that even though you badly need therapy and other help, you are not completely useless. There may still be inpatient help for you and I no longer wish you dead. Thanks to all who have helped. One day at a time.

[twistednuns]

December 2018

Iglo Veggie love with broccoli, buckwheat and black beans. Quick and easy.

The TEDxTUM event was pretty inspiring. I loved how they organised it and some of the speakers were amazing. Seeing all the cool stuff other people are working on actually motivated me to try and achieve great things myself. I'd like to learn about something new, start a project or volunteer.

Pick Up Limes videos.

The way Cher sings the word Memphis in her cover song.

Seeing Frank for the first time in four months. Having a good time at the Uncle Acid concert, getting a beer at Flex. Even though meeting him always causes some kind of emotional turmoil it might actually help to solve a few things I've been stressing over this time, for example that whole deal with Claudia.

Spending two hours in the kitchen on a Sunday morning. Preparing a summer and a winter curry. Pre-cutting salad. Listening to Tai Chi music. Baking these divine buckwheat chocolate cookies - absolutely delicious even though I forgot to add salt. Kinda healthy, too! It's grain-free (I even used groats) and I substituted part of the sugar with honey.

Gift ideas for rock collectors and mycophiles.

A spotted woodpecker in our backyard.

Dalmatian Jasper. Such a pretty stone.

Blinded by the Light. And a trip down musical memory lane. Making a nostalgia mixtape. Singing, enjoying the sound of my voice (as long as I hit the right vocal range).

Drawing owls. For hours. Using my Polychromos coloured pencils. I'm currerntly working on two owl-related projects, designing a logo for coffee roasters and making my friends' wedding invitation. Drawing owls like lovebirds is such a satisfying thing to do. Also: making my students come up with new ideas! Some actually drew some owl logos, too!

Tetris.

Reading books I don't understand. By people who are smarter than me. A very humbling experience. There is so much more to learn, experience and achieve.

Franzi's elegant coat and her ice crystal earrings. She's pregnant but she is skinnier than before and looks great. We cuddled up on a rooftop and had Kinderpunsch.

Practising The Pogues' Fairytale of New York for for karaoke night. I never hit the NYPD choir note quite right. My neighbours must hate me.

Taking a mental health day. Starting the day with baking cookies, making vegan sushi rolls. Reading, taking a nap. Yoga in the evening. Feeling really happy and relaxed. One of those rare inspired days when everything just falls into place. I kept revisiting beautiful places and memories during Shavasana. And I LOVE my yoga teacher more and more each week. So sad she is leaving the studio.

Taming your temper - tips for anger management.

Another coincidence. I wondered when the next Bilderbuch record will be released when I was looking at Mavi Phoenix at her concert - that girl is the female version of Maurice Ernst. A few hours later I found out that Bilderbuch actually had released a new album one day ago. WHAT.

Mirror tape.

Being a fluffy little red cat's human of choice. We sat in a cat café, no animals in sight. After a while a cat walked up straight towards me, sat down on my yellow scarf and kneaded it. Later she demanded attention and purred while I scratched her jaw. Apparently this was quite a rare occurence because she is said to be really shy and hard to handle. Weirdos unite!

Making Bhindi Masala, a vegan okra curry. Spicy and intense - delicious! Oh, and sushi rolls filled with avocado, veggies and fancy tofu/tempeh. Now I have a whole container waiting for me in the fridge.

Practising yoga for 20min on a gloomy Monday morning. Lighting a candle, drinking a cup of Ayurvedic Kapha tea with honey and lemon.

Tom, who inspired me to learn more about Ayurveda. And to rewatch The Darjeeling Limited because let's face it - Wes Anderson really knows how to make one of the poorest countries in the world look gorgeous.

We become what we think about. It's impossible to be successful without having a destination.

Quotations from Siri Hustvedt's The Blazing World: 1 / 2

"Smelling you almost makes me cum."

Running around with a fake septum piercing. I kinda like the look. I'm actually considering getting a real one but so far I'm fine with the clip-ons. The good thing is that you can't see the ring's ends anyway in that kind of piercing.

Spending time with the old friends. The best ones. The ones you don't have to speak to and it's still not uncomfortable. The ones you can be super weird around and they embrace it. The ones you can tell your strangest ideas and stories.

There is a new Turkish supermarket right around the corner! Fresh cilantro whenever I want! YES!!!

Heavy snowfall. It does look kinda pretty, I admit.

Many questions, not enough answers at the ESO Supernova exhibition/planetarium. / Making another cat friend over breakfast. / Seeing my foxy ginger lady Anika again after such a long time! / Orange marzipan lebkuchen and roasted coconut almonds (they taste like Raffaello). / Finding the perfect earrings and a beautiful head band at EDITED - The Label. / Performing Fairytale of New York live on stage with Manu. Being able to curse at somebody through song is perfect, I had a lot of fun. Also, he promised me his art teacher sweater as a Christmas present.

A knitting project with rainbow wool.

Making a clay sculpture for my mum. Taking it out of the oven at 80 degrees, wrapped in a dish towel like a baby.

The honey marzipan nougat bar from dm bio.

Meeting Manu at his office. Receiving the most awesome paint palette sweater as a Christmas present! And he let me spend a full hour in virtual reality! He has such an amazing programme which lets you draw in 3D and float around in space (with VR goggles). I'm absolutely fascinated and intrigued. Gotta visit him more often.

Meeting Tobi, Maike, Lena and Christian at Märchenbasar. Being drunk after some Feuerzangenbowle with rum (Pfeffi in Manu's case) and white mulled wine. Taking the long way home.

Buying Paulaner Spezi for my class. Supermarket trips with the kids before 8am. Schrottwichteln. Watching random goat videos and intros to children's series.

Having a drink at Goldene Bar in Haus der Kunst. Such a gorgeous place. I'm trying to get into a workshop on the museum's architecture at the end of January.

Making random people want to kiss me. Having no desire whatsoever to actually kiss them.

The Harry Potter round (on special request) at the pub quiz.

Reading Stephen Hawking's short answers to some of the big questions. I have to admit, I know nothing about physics or cosmology and at times his explanations were super hard to understand (fine, I probably didn't understand most of it) but I love creating a need to use my brain in uncommon ways.

Vivid dreams. About  dangerous skyscrapers (just different floors stacked loosely on top of each other), a kidnapping in a futuristic car by very glamorous gangsters, lesbians on a scooter trying to save me, travelling through Asia and the US with Sash, a sinking ship (but all the passengers swam back to the surface after a short period of unconsciousness), ATMs, fancy drinks, meeting strangers with beautiful eyelashes at a restaurant.

Discovering the Trouvelot astronomical drawings (1882) on the darkest day of the year, winter solstice. Watching the night fade away ever so slowly in the morning from the kitchen window, squeezing fresh oranges to make juice for breakfast. Bright orange and midnight blue is a great colour combination.

ASMRctica.

An article about a dear friend of mine appeared in Süddeutsche Zeitung! So happy for him.

Spending time with very old friends right before Christmas. Tobi, Sash, Michi, Yanic, Fischi and his wife... Playing MarioKart on SNES with Peter and taking weird selfies together. I had a very nice evening.

Managing to get a look at downtown Chicago during my layover. I uber-ed into the city centre (watching the skyscrapers getting larger and larger), walked around Millenium Park and along Lake Michigan. I spent quite a bit of time at Blick, an amazing art store, before I took the train back to the airport.

Arriving in Mexico in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve. Seeing the city sparkling from above. Watching a bunch of kids beating a pinata well after midnight. Arriving in a beautiful artist's apartment in Condesa.

The Anthropology Museum in CDMX made it on the list of my favourite museums ever. I could have spent days there. I kept sketching some of the funny masks and Maya figurines. There were plenty of creepy tombs and skeletons, depictions of weird Gods, handicrafts and woodcarvings. It was just so interesting, probably because I had never seen a lot of South American / Aztec culture before and I love learning and exploring new things.

Christmas day in CDMX: sunshine, tacky glitter decorations, pointy balloons and spiky pinatas. Dancing, ancient smoke rituals performed by a Mayan community.

Mexican street food, especially the vegetarian street food tour with David. Meeting the Blue Corn Lady (her quesadillas are with cactus and beans and they're incredibly delicious). Flatbread, corn, fruit with chili and lime. Pulque and Mezcal. Finding out that the green salsa is actually worse than the red one. Tacos, Enchiladas, Tamales. If you go to Mexico just for the food you'll still have plenty to explore.

That evening with the pink sunset. Walking through the old used book store in Roma. Reading an interesting take on Lars von Trier's Melancholia. Meeting the resident cat.

Lucha Libre! Watching the luchadores, especially the small people in the second round. Laughing about the Mexican boy next to me swearing at the top of his lungs. Getting a mask as a souvenir.

Climbing the sun and moon pyramid at Teotihuacán. Getting a sunburn. Enjoying the atmosphere. It's a very impressive site.

Diving in Cozumel with Brooke-Anne (a librarian from Las Vegas who was raised by Mormons), Cynthia from Quebec and Lucie from Toulouse. Entering some coral formations underwater. Eating cantaloupe melon and chocolate cookies after the dive. Spending the evening with another Canadian, Jussi from Finland and that other dude from Puerto Rico. And some Indio beers.

What I loved most about Tulum were the ruins (right next to a gorgeous beach) and the health food restaurants (La Hoja Verde and Co.Conamor).

And this year I don't really have a good New Year's Eve story because I fell asleep at quarter past eleven in a little village west of Tulum. All alone. Could be worse though, I had an amazing year.

#personal #present perfect #things i love #december #2018 #december 2018

[travel-blog-incitysearch]

Mexico

Mexico is a colorful mix of Spanish, Indian and Caribbean cultures. Rest on the best beaches of Cancun and Riviera Maya, ancient monuments of mysterious civilizations and diving on the island of Cozumel, tequila, good food and fiery disco - all about Mexico: tours, prices, hotels. Imagine standing in a tropical rainforest, watching the Mayan hieroglyphs on the walls of the Palenque temples to the cries of colorful parrots. Or paddling out into the surf with your surfboard, the surf lapping great turquoise waves and the bright white beaches behind you. Or scuba dive into an underwater cave surrounded by fish, as if painted in bright gouache. Or you can dance till sunrise and fall in the world's best discos Acapulco! And in between - try to try at least part of the 300 local varieties of tequila - and without all the fancy salt and limes, but as the hardcore Mexican farmers - with tomato juice, generously seasoned with chilies. Which, in case the pepper isn't enough - snack on any of the local treats that make your mouth burn. That's what Mexico is all about - the colors, the other sensations and tastes here are remarkable, juicy, pure, just enough time to enjoy. Perhaps the only drawback of tours to Mexico - a long flight. Otherwise, the country is perfect.

Resorts and Regions of Mexico

Photo by nextvoyage on Pixabay The capital, Mexico City, is one of the largest cities in the world, surrounded by volcanoes and impregnable mountains. The old Aztec city, once a beauty on the ground, wiped out by Spanish colonizers, but the ruins of Tenochtitlan and the halls of Templo Mayor still hold secrets covered with the dust of centuries. The modern center of Mexico City is the baroque Plaza de la Constitución, Alameda Park, Paseo de la Reforma Avenue, Garibaldi Square and other spectacular locations. But the outskirts of Mexico City, especially the infamous Tepito neighborhood, are not the best place for idle strolls. Guadalajara, which is second in size only to the capital, is called the "City of Roses" for its abundance of beautiful gardens and parks. That's why the canons of mariachi music, Mexico's main sound symbol, were born here. Sightseeing is concentrated in the Center, expensive hotels and restaurants are in the western neighborhoods, and the most unique souvenir shops are in the suburbs of Tlaquepaque and Tonala. Monterrey - a big economic center, which imitates the U.S.: live here not poorly, modern craftsmanship is valued more than ethnicity. Colorful Spanish architecture can be admired only in the fashionable Pink Territory, but the surrounding nature - mountains, deserts and canyons - above all praise.  Puebla huddles between four volcanoes, the highest of which reaches 5747 m. Impressive cathedrals, museums, markets - there is plenty to see in the UNESCO-protected city. Merida is the heart of the Yucatan Peninsula, the starting point of fascinating trips to ancient Mayan cities and the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. The most popular resorts on the Caribbean coast are Cancun with gorgeous beaches, shopping centers and spa centers, and the Riviera Maya with perfect conditions for home holidays. On the Pacific coast tourists are attracted by bustling Acapulco with nightclubs, restaurants and casinos, elite Los Cabos with unsurpassed opportunities for outdoor activities, and comfortable Puerto Vallarta with developed authentic building and beach infrastructure.

Climate

The climate is subtropical in the north and tropical in the south. In the resort coastal areas (Acapulco, Cancun) the temperature is +26 ° C in winter and +35 ° C in summer. The country distinguishes between dry (November-April) and wet (June-September) seasons, which differ not by temperature but by the amount of precipitation and especially by humidity. August through early October is considered a time when hurricanes are likely to strike. Also, Mexico is characterized by high altitude temperature differences: while on the coast of the summer heat, in the highland towns of Maya is very cool - about +15 ° C. In addition, the country is sometimes shaken by hurricanes, their impact is more susceptible to the Caribbean coast.

Customs and Visa

It is possible to get an electronic Mexican visa. To do this you need to fill out a special form on the website of the National University of Migration and pick up a document with a unique code that must be printed out and give the company, taking a ticket for a flight to Mexico. Medical insurance is not required at the border crossing, but you do not need to fly into the country without it. Importation of foreign currency is not limited (declaration required), export and import of local currency - no more than 5000 MXN. When entering Mexico, you must fill out a customs declaration form, which lists all the necessary items brought into the country. For personal use can bring no more than 400 cigarettes or 25 cigars or 200 grams of tobacco, 3 liters of spirits or wine, one camera, one camera and gifts not exceeding 300 USD. Prices on the page are for October 2018. Medications must be accompanied by medical records or prescriptions verifying their necessity. Pets need a veterinary certificate of international example, drawn up a maximum of 5 days before arrival in Mexico, dogs and cats - also documents on vaccination against rabies. Importation of fruits, vegetables and products from them, plants, cuttings and seeds, flowers, meat products, pornographic editions and psychotropic substances is forbidden. Local currency in the equivalent of more than 10,000 USD, antiques, precious metals, archaeological treasures, drugs, weapons, birds and rare animals as well as their stuffed animals and skins cannot be taken out of the country. There are no restrictions on the export of alcohol and tobacco. Through an ergonomic service can pick up travel insurance in Mexico with the right parameters (including coverage for covid, zero deductible, etc.) and at the lowest price. Tax free Making a single purchase of 1200 MXN and more (cash is limited to 3000 MXN, bank card is not limited), you can save up to 15% of VAT. To do this you need to take a Tax Back receipt at the cash register or a special counter in the store, enter your personal data and show your passport, a copy of your immigration card, cash voucher and boarding pass to the customs officer at the airport. If the total value of the items purchased exceeds 5,000 MXN, they may be "insistently asked" to be inspected. The due amount is refunded at Tax Back offices: half in cash, the other half by transfer to a bank card.

Transport

Photo by crispy-fotografie on Pixabay Mexico has an extensive network of domestic air travel. Not only the huge cities are connected by regular flights: popular resorts take up to 7 flights a day from Mexico City. "Aeromexico delivers from the capital to Cancun for 1480-4050 MXN in a single finish (travel time just over 2 hours), to Acapulco for 1161-4843 MXN (1 hour), to Monterrey for 2240-2500 MXN (1.5 hours). Mexican railroads are less convenient for travelers. There are, in fact, a couple of tourist trains that run, for example, from Mexico City on the Chihuahua-Los Mochis line in the northwest (on the carrier's website in English) or from Cancun deep into the Yucatan Peninsula to the Mayan cities, but the tickets are very expensive: from MXN 3300 in economy class. But the country has excellent intercity bus service. Transportation is clean and ergonomic and runs on schedule. In addition, in many regions of Mexico is almost the only way to get anywhere. A distinction is made between luxury buses (carrier ADO), first class and simple buses. Each region and destination is "patronized" by a private company. The fare depends on the distance, speed and comfort level: for example, a trip from Guadalajara to Acapulco costs from 1300 MXN in economy class to 1500 MXN in the premium cabin. Air conditioning, in most cases, is available in all buses.

Public transport in cities

Municipal buses (fare approximately 4 MXN) operate in all major cities and are a fairly ergonomic (although often crowded) mode of transportation. Tickets can be purchased at special kiosks or from the driver. Mexico City has a subway consisting of 12 lines, the fare is 5 MXN and tickets are sold at each station. Another means of transportation in the capital is the metrobus: 4 lines that connect the center with the outskirts. The price of a ticket is 10 MXN top-up card and each trip costs 5 MXN. The Tren Ligero fast trains (4 MXN) and trolleybuses (2-5 MXN) are also popular. During kids and rush hours, women ride the subway in special cars, separate from men. In all tourist areas there are shuttle buses - "peseros". The fare depends on the length of the trip, with an average fare of 5-10 MXN. In Cancun and Acapulco, public transportation is excellent. There are buses going both ways almost all day with 2 to 3 60 second intervals, and the fare is 15 MXN. There is also a bus line between the cities of San Jose del Cabo and San Lucas (tickets are 65 MXN). In the cities of Mexico, it is possible to travel by cab. The standard taxi fare is about 10-20 MXN per pickup plus 7 MXN for any kilometer, at night fares increase by 10%. Some cars do not have meters, so the price should be negotiated in advance. Those wishing to take a cab for the whole day enjoyment will cost 1,000-1,500 MXN.

Communications and Wi-Fi

The most famous mobile operators are Telcel, AT&T and Movistar. It is possible to connect at the providers' offices, prepaid SIM cards cost from 50 MXN, recharge cards of 100-500 MXN are sold in supermarkets, newsstands and gas stations. Telcel subscribers talk to Russia costs from 20 MXN per 60 seconds. International calls are also made from pay phones installed throughout Mexico that accept cards of 20-100 MXN. Free Wi-Fi is available in some hotels, cafes and restaurants, and occasionally in parks and other public places. Access points for Telcel subscribers are widespread: by entering a password and your login, you can use the Internet without restrictions. Internet cafes are available in both metropolitan areas and remote regions, the connection is 30-40 MXN per hour.

Hotels in Mexico

Photo by Engin_Akyurt on Pixabay Mexican hotel classification is not much different from the standard international: the "stars" are assigned by the same rules, but with the institutions of luxury it is a little more complicated. Apart from the usual 4-5*, there are luxury hotels with a mark Gran Turismo and hotels of special, the highest category. The first do every whim of the expensive guests: restaurants, stores, spas, golf courses - on the huge territories there is everything you need. Others place their bets on exclusivity: a personal island for diving or a mini-reserve - the most ambitious ideas are in the fight for guests. The Mexican electricity grid voltage - 110 V, for sockets with flat sockets need adapters. In Mexico City, a bed in a hostel costs from 105 MXN, a double room in the "three" - from 250 MXN, in an ergonomic "five" - from 1100 MXN per day. In the resort of Cancun is possible to rent an apartment for 400 MXN, a double room in a 4 * hotel for 550 MXN or a villa with a pool for 1500 MXN, that if money is tight - limited to a bed in a hostel for 190 MXN per day. Any second, upbeat Acapulco invites you to "triplexes" for 450-500 MXN, beachfront resort hotels for 1000-3000 MXN and luxury vacation homes for 800-30 000 MXN per night. Money The financial unit of the country is the Mexican peso (MXN). 1 peso has 100 centavos. Current exchange rate: 1 MXN = 3.63 RUB (1 USD = 19.87 MXN, 1 EUR = 24.04 MXN). It is possible to exchange currency upon arrival at the airport (we do not recommend doing so as the exchange rate is more often poor) or on the spot: at banks, hotels and special exchange offices with a sign "Casa de Cambio". With a successful carrying of U.S. dollars U.S.: the exchange rate is adequate, and in some restaurants, stores and hotels they may also pay directly (without losing vigilance at the same time: the locals are eager to inflate the rate, in another case, and even cheated a tourist). It is better to have change in your pocket all the time: the change from large bills in public transport, cabs and private shops will not wait. The unspoken prize for attentive service in the catering industry is 10-15% of the bill. Standard tips for porters, drivers and maids are MXN 20-38. In cities and resorts rather a lot of ATMs, credit cards of the main payment systems are everywhere, as well as traveler's checks (mainly in U.S. dollars). Unfortunately, fraud with credit cards is not uncommon, so before the trip is worth insuring the card against damage. The banks are open from Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 17:00 (there are branches till midnight), on Saturdays till 14:00 (in some places till 16:00). Sundays are mostly days off, but some branches in the resort areas are open till dawn.

Safety

Photo by Holgi on Pixabay No special vaccinations are needed when you visit Mexico, although prior vaccinations are possible for hepatitis and malaria prevention. In the country, you should use reasonable precautions: eat warm food, pasteurized milk, and bottled or boiled water. In crowded places you should be worried about thieves, and to move around the city to use only officially registered cab (green cars are less reliable). To make women and children as safe as possible in metropolitan areas created the work of "pink cab": at the wheel - only women, in the cabin - emergency call button rescuers, men are forbidden to enter. Not far from shopping malls and hotels there are special tourist cabs whose drivers speak English and enjoy doing mini-excursions on the road. Tourists are advised to travel by car, bus and train only during the day, and avoid the provincial areas. There is no need to take pictures of the locals without their permission: the native Mexicans honestly believe that in the picture remains a part of the human soul. Despite the fact that, if you pour a little coin in the appreciation, the belief could easily shake. Nature is not without its dangers: the searing tropical sun, high pollution and seismic activity in the air. Smoking is not allowed in public places: the fine is 1,500-2,700 MXN. Despite the government's best efforts, the drug mafia is thriving in the country. The northern border states cause the most trouble: they regularly ship illicit substances into the United States. Ciudad Juarez in Chihuahua is surely one of the most criminal cities in the world: fights, shootings, kidnappings and other detective stories are everyday routine here. But in the southern states (Guerrero, Yucatán, Campeche, etc.) and popular resorts there is virtually nothing to worry about.

Beaches of Mexico

Photo by PublicDomainPictures on Pixabay Mexican beaches are beautiful: soft sand of all kinds of shades, photogenic palm trees, the gentle waters of the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean - a dream come true. One of the most popular resorts - Cancun, whose coast is divided into long and small parts. The first is known for excellent conditions and clean sea for surfing, the second is perfect for home recreation: nearby Isla Mujeres reliably protects against waves (by the way, on the "island of ladies" is only possible to swim in the crowded Playa Norte). Pearl Beach is known for its perfect cleanliness, Playa Linda - a wide palette of sports activities. The best beach in the Yucatan Peninsula is Tulum with its rich and delightful scenery of underwater world, inexpensive to the naked eye. The main resorts of the Riviera Maya - Playa del Carmen, equally beloved by wealthy tourists and dishevelled youth, and the island of Cosumel with a narrow but very beautiful coastal strip (on Paradise Beach - children's play areas, on Palancar - the actual restaurant), a huge national park and coral reef. In Acapulco on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, the beaches of Caleta, Caletilla and Pi de la Cuesta are notable. Excellently equipped Condesa is beloved by the LGBT community, and wild Revolcadero by desperate surfers.  Los Cabos is a paradise for lovers: you can reach Playa del Amor only by boat, and there you can enjoy the views of rocks and caves, the variety of coastal fauna and the pleasant company of each other. Puerto Vallarta's most famous beaches are Los Muertos with its extraordinary sunsets, La Manzanilla and Destiladeras with its developed infrastructure and Conchas Chinas with its pristine nature.

Diving

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Oaxaca Itinerary: The Perfect Week

Day 1 in Oaxaca: Eat Your Heart Out

Mezcal in Oaxaca/Oyster

Your Oaxacan restaurant bucket list is endless, but it does come with a few requisites. And that’s how you’ll frame the first day in Oaxaca, after settling into your hotel. But first, take it easy as you walk around the grid-like center, familiarizing yourself with the central Zocolo around which all activity seems to buzz. You can pop into art galleries like Centro de las Arte de San Agustin (CASA) or Centro Fotográfico Álvarez Bravo, or grab a coffee and croissant at Boulenc.

Among the restaurants that serve the best Oaxacan fare, make Los Danzantes or Restaurante Casa Oaxaca your first big meal. The former makes its own mezcal, and both serve colorful, flavorful dishes centered around Oaxacan ingredients like molé, huitlacoche, or even chapulines (yep, grasshoppers—but don’t be deterred!) Other notable restaurants that you should visit this week include Pitiona, La Biznaga, Origen, Criollo, and Zandunga Sabor Istmeño Centro. You can also make a lunch out of a visit to either of the center’s big markets, though that’s central to tomorrow’s itinerary.

Kick off your Oaxaca visit — or schedule a nightcap — with a mezcal tasting at La Mezcaloteca (one of many excellent mezcalerias in town). Book ahead and sample your way through their collection of aged liquors, while learning about the agave-smoking and -fermenting process that’s central to Mexican drinking.

Day 2 in Oaxaca: Markets and Artisan Goods

Tlacolula Market/Oyster

Oaxaca’s influence on Mexican gastronomy is immeasurable. Some of the country’s most prominent dishes come from the state, like the chocolatey molé negro and the crunchy, open-faced tlayuda. The agaves that are used to create mezcal are largely grown in Oaxaca (just as those used to make tequila are mostly from the state of Jalisco). We digress: It’s because of Oaxaca’s gastronomic influence that its main marketplace, the Abasto, is so fun to visit. Chefs come as far as Mexico City to shop for fresh ingredients. You can spend hours wandering through this marketplace, which also houses shops for clothing, furniture, textiles, home goods, and more. You’ll be humbled by its size and orderly chaos. For late lunch, head back to the city center and grab a table inside Mercado Benito Juárez or Mercado 20 de Noviembre, where you can grub on fresh tlayudas or tacos.

As for souvenirs, take note of what you find at Mercado Benito Juárez; after lunch, compare it to the offerings at El Mercado de Artesanías and La Casa de las Artesanías. These places have anything you might want to take home, like black pottery, regional clothing, hand-carved and -painted alebrijes, and even Oaxacan rugs. Sure, it’s only day two in Oaxaca, but consider this your audit of the offerings before buying something at the end of your trip. It’ll consume the end of your day just to see it all.

Day 3 in Oaxaca: Monte Albán + Temazcal

Monte Alban/Oyster

Today, escape the city for the first time, and point towards the Monte Albán archeological ruins, some 30 minutes southwest of Oaxaca. This is the one-time capital of the Zapotec people, one of the first cities in Mesoamerica, founded as early as 500 B.C. The ruins paint a picture of life at the time, with ball courts, public plazas, residential zones, and more. A visit to the on-site museum tells its history, and showcases stone carvings and other artifacts recovered from the site. Plan half a day or more for the excursion, especially since it’s to your benefit to take a historical tour, lest the significance of the place be lost.

Ask ahead what time your tour concludes — or better yet, get an early start to beat the hot sun, and make sure it ends by lunchtime. Grab a bite back in Oaxaca and freshen up — only to undo it all at your afternoon sweat session of Temazcal. This Mesoamerican healing ritual was practiced by the Mayans, Zapotecs, Toltecs, and Aztecs, and involves sitting in a low-heat sweat lodge made of volcanic stone, clay, mud, or anything of the likes. In short, your guide will walk you through various states of focus and healing, as you rub herbs, juices, and even mezcal on your nearly-naked body. You release all your toxins and negative energy as you cleanse your body and mind. It’s a private experience, though, so you can shorten it if you feel too claustrophobic or overheated, though most people get through the ritual just fine. One of the best picks is Ceviarem Temazcal Oaxaca, a family-run business that hosts intimate and personable rituals. Call or email well ahead to book your spot, and give yourself another half-hour to get there by car, as it’s east of the city.

Day 4 in Oaxaca: Hierve el Agua, Mitla, and Teotitlán del Valle

Mitla/Oyster

Today you’ll venture out once more, this time southeast of Oaxaca. You can do everything in one fell swoop, starting with the town and archeological ruins of Mitla — An hour by car. You can self navigate the ruins, which are more of an attraction than a destination like Monte Alban. The town itself offers visitors many hotels, restaurants, and shops, though its smart to get your colorful  textiles at the end of the day, in your final stop. After a bite to eat, drive a little further to the petrified waterfalls and springs of Hierve al Agua. These rock formations are one of the regions’ most visited attractions, as they resemble waterfalls that are frozen in time.

After your nature photoshoot and a quick dip in the springs, drive back towards Oaxaca, with your target on the small town of Teotitlan del Valle. (You can stop at the archeological site Dainzú en route if you want to see more ruins.) In this small town, you can walk the length of the main stretch and browse the regions’s famed rug-making shops, buying them at much lower prices than if you purchased in the city center. Learn about your options, and about the process behind each rug; some are woven by hand, others machine, and the complexity of these things, as well as the dyeing process, can impact the cost. Bring lots of cash, however — a thousand pesos if you want a couple rugs, and far more if you’re especially eager. to shop. You’ll leave town with a few colorful souvenirs, and very functional daily reminders of your visit to Oaxaca.

Day 5 in Oaxaca: Gardens, Gilded Cathedral, and Oaxacan History

Santo Domingo/Oyster

Your fifth day (and final morning in the capital), centers around the Santo Domingo Cathedral. Pop in for a quick ogle, marveling at the gilded, carved details that linger overhead. Next door is the Oaxacan Cultural Museum, highlighting history of Oaxaca and Mexico through pre-Columbian history til present day. You’ll see various artifacts that color in the lines of this storied past. You can also peek out over the city’s awesome Ethnobotanical Garden, which offers English tours throughout the week. Ideally this fifth day is one of those dates; it’s worth restructuring your schedule to get an up-close glimpse at these plants, as the 2.3-acre grounds house an incredible array of regional plant life. You can’t visit the grounds unless you’re part of a tour. That’s why it has the name “Ethnobotanical Gardens”, since “ethno-botanical” denotes the relationship between plants and people, as is outlined on the immersive tour.

Make your final souvenir spree at El Mercado de Artesanías and La Casa de las Artesanías, then head to the airport for your flight to the southern coast of the state, to Puerto Escondido.

Day 6-7 in Oaxaca: Puerto Escondido

Playa Zicatela/Oyster

It’s in this beach town that you’ll wrap your stay in Oaxaca (the state, that is), on some of the country’s best “virgin” beaches. They aren’t overdeveloped like Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Cabo San Lucas, and even Tulum. Plant yourself any day at city-lined beaches like Zicatela, Bacocho, or Carrizalillo, though you’ll hardly feel like you’re in a city. Here, you can enjoy the waterfront as it’s meant to be, rather than walled in with an all-you-can-eat pizza buffet. For genuine Mexican hospitality, stay with Posada Real Puerto Escondido or Villa María Puerto Escondido, both off the shore of Bacocho, and up the coast from the other two beaches on your to-do list.

As for flying home, you’ll connect back through Oaxaca City or Mexico City, once the sun sets on your perfect week in Oaxaca.

Where to Stay in Oaxaca: Our Oaxaca Hotel Picks

Surely you’re looking for top-tier hospitality, a central location, thoughtful and comfortable design, and incredible food. Good news, as your Oaxaca hotel options are plenty. However, we’d suggest Quinta Real Oaxaca, Casa Oaxaca, and Hotel CasAntica as your three best Oaxaca hotel bets. They check all of the aforementioned boxes.

The Pool at the Quinta Real Oaxaca/Oyster

Quinta Real Oaxaca is a real historic charmer. It was built as a convent in 1576, and many of the original details such as frescoes and tile floors, have been restored. Check out the gorgeous courtyard pool!

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The Pool at the Casa Oaxaca/Oyster

Casa Oaxaca is set in a calm cobblestone pocket of Oaxaca’s pretty historical center. The rooms are minimalist and modern, but the real highlight here is Casa Oaxaca, the in-house restaurant. It dishes up a visionary take on Oaxacan cuisine in a la carte and multi-course menus. Freebies include Bulgari toiletries, welcome cocktails, and a delicious daily breakfast.

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Atrium courtyard at the Hotel CasAntica/Oyster

CasAntica is a budget pick with oodles of charm and a walkable location. Strong coffee, freshly squeezed orange juice, and a swim in the pool are the perfect way to start the day in Oaxaca.

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Ole, Ole! Urals brewer pins hopes on Mexicans to drink bars dry

POLEVSKOY, Russia (Reuters) – A tiny Urals brewery has produced special beers for each of the four World Cup matches taking place in Yekaterinburg and is counting on thirsty Mexicans to come to the rescue after making rather too much for Uruguayans and Egyptians.

Bottles of beer are seen at the Melody Brew brewery in Polevskoy, Russia June 19, 2018. Picture taken June 19, 2018. REUTERS/Andrew Couldridge

Each tournament beer produced by Melody Brew is made with two types of hops with flavors inspired by the teams – for example ‘El Dorado’ for Peru, who play France on Thursday, and ‘African Queen’ for Senegal, who face Japan three days later.

The labels feature the flags of both sides, with spaces for fans to write in the score as a souvenir.

Chief brewer Alexei Saburov is keen to dispel the notion that Russians are only interested in vodka.

“It’s one of a heap of cliches, like we have bears roaming the streets, it’s always cold and we go about in fur hats with ear flaps,” he told Reuters, standing in front of shiny silver vats at the brewery in Polevskoy, southwest of Yekaterinburg.

Chief brewer Alexei Saburov poses with a sample of beer at the Melody Brew brewery in Polevskoy, Russia June 19, 2018. Picture taken June 19, 2018. REUTERS/Andrew Couldridge

He has produced 6,000 liters of special World Cup beer – 2,000 for the first match here between Egypt and Uruguay, 2,000 for the last one between Mexico and Sweden, and 1,000 each for France vs Peru and Japan vs Senegal.

Sales manager Alexander Bobolev concedes that was a mistake as half the Egypt-Uruguay batch has yet to be drunk. But he is relaxed about the excess, as all the beers are still on sale and there are 25 days still to go in the tournament.

In particular he is pinning his hopes on supporters of Mexico, who stunned Germany 1-0 in their first game and look well placed to run away with their group.

Slideshow (6 Images)

“Whatever the Uruguayans drank, the Mexicans will drink 10 times as much, judging by how Mexico played against Germany in Moscow, and by their reputation as the noisiest fans,” he said.

“Of course it helps us if a team wins. If you win, that increases the quantity of happy fans who drink beer.”

In Americanka bar in the center of Yekaterinburg, Peruvian fan Hermis Moutardier was drinking with a group of friends on Tuesday night and said she was pleasantly surprised by the quality of Melody’s World Cup pale ale.

“I didn’t expect to have such a good beer in Russia, but do you know what, I am really happy,” she said.

The brewery’s name comes from the fact that Saburov prepares his beers with music always playing in the background, convinced that the ale is somehow imbued with the character of the melody.

For the World Cup beers, he had to get his hands on the anthems of every tournament since the 1930s.

“We were brewing for six days, and for six days these loud football anthems were playing – Ole! Ole! It was fun.”

Editing by Peter Rutherford

The post Ole, Ole! Urals brewer pins hopes on Mexicans to drink bars dry appeared first on World The News.

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