Saturday Travels: I Forgot My Camera!
At around 4:15 am, we had just gotten past airport security when I thought, “Hey, let’s take some of our first pictures!” As soon as I began to unzip my bag, I realized all at once…I forgot to bring my camera. Here I am, at my last ever speech tournament, and I didn’t bring my camera.
There was simply no way I could get the camera at that point, so as soon as we arrived in Birmingham, we went to a local RadioShack and purchased a decent digital camera for about $80. Crisis averted.
Other than that, we’ve had a great start to the trip. We went to a small deli for lunch and the Cheesecake Factory for dinner. Tomorrow is the last day before competition begins, so I’m going to get some rest. After all, I’ve only had a few hours of sleep since Friday.
I’ll keep you “posted.”
Leaving NOW
We’re waiting in the lobby of the hotel because our bus to Cancún will be here in just a few minutes. There also happens to be a WiFi connection here.
It’s been a great trip, but I can’t wait to get home.
Last Day in Mexico!
Today is our last full day here, so we basically have a free day here in Playa Del Carmen to relax, shop, relax, swim, and relax.
As for tomorrow, we’ll be heading off for Cancún, where we’ll fly out and return to the United States, specifically Houston, before returning to Maine late at night. It should be easier for us to return now that Jeremy’s stolen passport showed up at the embassy.
Playa Del Carmen is Amazing
We found a great place to spend the three-day finale of our trip. The beach looks like a giant post card, the food isn’t bad, and there is semi-working WiFi in the lobby of the hotel.
Unfortunately, Jeremy Daigle’s bag got stolen on the beach, containing his passport. He is with Mrs. Towns and our tour guide at the police station now, so hopefully we won’t have to sneak him across the border.
Tomorrow, we’ll be traveling more to go snorkeling, after which we’ll go clubbing here in Playa. After that, we’ll have a free day to relax after that late night.
Nice Hotel in Valladolid
Sitting here in our third hotel (now in Valladolid), and it’s our first hotel to have legitimate wireless internet. Hopefully our hotel in Playa Del Carmen has it as well. We’ll see.
Anyway, we just finished our trip from Mérida, during which we took a detour to see a huge pyramid at Chichen Itza and to swim in an underground cave river. Pictures will be posted as soon as I get home.
I’m just happy I have reliable internet again. Off to check email!
I Got Sacrificed!
Our hotel here also has WiFi, so I have another update. After we climbed to the top of a Mayan pyramid, where I promtly updated my Facebook status with my cheap cell phone, I got sacrificed by Mrs. Towns and another person on the trip. I’ll post pictures as soon as I get home.
I also got bit by a few black flies. We’ll see how that turns out.
I Found WiFi!
As I was eating pineapple ice cream at a little shop here in Mérida, I found out that this place has free wireless Internet! It was nice to check my email and everything.
In a couple minutes, we’ll be heading off to climb some pyramids, so it should be fun.
Where’s the paella?
In just a couple days, I’ll be heading off to Mexico for a week of relaxation and exploration. Of course, I can smell an internet connection from a mile away, and I’ve been told that there will be internet access at all of our hotels during out stay. I’m going to try to post updates using my tiny iPod touch throughout the trip.
Also, you can see my general schedule for the week on the sidebar to the left. This is just so that you can be even more jealous!
Going to Alabama!
In a nice followup to last year’s magical NFL District Tournament, at which I somehow qualified in Duo Interpretation, I just found out that I’ll be attending this year’s NFL National Tournament in Birmingham, AL. I’m the qualifier in Original Oratory, and Kim Clark and I are first alternates in Duo Interpretation. The National Tournament will be in mid-June, shortly after the CFL National Tournament in Albany. The next few months are sure to be exciting as I prepare for both of these tournaments.
In addition to this, I was nominated and selected as the NFL District Student of the Year. This was a tremendous honor and I can’t stop thanking everyone who made it possible. It’ll be a night I’ll never forget.
Neil’s Official Macworld 2009 Predictions
Hardware:
- New 17″ MacBook Pro with the same unibody design as the 15″ model.
- New Mac mini with an aluminum enclosure and tapered edges, nothing special.
- Small upgrades for some of the other Macs, perhaps left unmentioned.
Software:
- iLife ’09 & iWork ’09 include tighter integration with Mobile Me.
- iMovie is updated with a timeline and other features lost from iMovie ’06.
- Snow Leopard is demonstrated for speed and will be available in late February.