Travel on One's Birthday - UGH

Sunday the 23rd was my birthday, the day I leave Mexico :(( and the day I went home :)).  I have loved all the experiences of traveling outside the U.S.A. and being in Guadalajara, Mexico.  The day was VERY eventful.  Up at 4 am to catch my cab at 5 to the airport.  Long lines at the airport.  I was a little worried because I travelled with two large bags and I saw they were not letting people check two bags due to a full plane or they were being charged.  I got up to the ticket counter and told them the smaller bag was my carry on and they let it go.  Of course then when I got to the gate they made me check it but there they don't charge you.  YEAH!  The ride to Dallas was good and I slept. I did get to sit by one of the beach volleyball athletes from Jamaica and we chatted a bit.  Once off the plane though is when the trouble started.  I sent a text message and it went through but then when I looked at my phone next, it said no sim card.  Now, trying to travel without a phone is not fun or easy.  What did we ever do without cell phones in the "olden" days.  No ATT or Apple stores in the airport so I called ATT.  The lady told me that I might need to check to make sure that my sim card was in correctly and to take the back of my Iphone off.  Those of you who have an Iphone may know - that should NEVER happen.  She assured me that the back does come off and that I just had to unsnap it.  So there I was in the airport trying to wedge open the back of my phone.  It was NOT coming off.  Then she tried to tell me how to snap it back together but it was now cracked in the back and we could not fully get it snapped back on.  I was without my phone, calendar, access to games to fill the 6 1/2 hour layover or my contact #s.  I never memorize any of my family or friends phone #'s because they are right there at my finger tips IN MY PHONE (which now will not turn on).  Trust me I am smart though.  When I left for Mexico, I decided I had better know at least one or two phone #'s by heart or write them down just in case while traveling out of the country, something happened to my phone.  So I used the payphone to call home.  I don't remember the last time I had to use a payphone.  I was so frustrated not to be able to call or text anyone or play games.  I decided I was so stressed out, I deserved a SPA treatment so I went to the SPA Xpress and sat in the massage chair and had my feet massaged.  They said when I was done, I could stay and relax in the chair.  I promptly feel asleep and took a 2 hour nap waking up about an hour before I had to leave for the gate.  The last leg of the flight was good and I read and slept.  After waiting for 30 minutes at the baggage claim for my ride, I found another payphone and called my ride to find out there was tons of traffic and it would be another 20 minutes.  We finally arrived home.  I was exhausted and and ready to crash.  It had been a very long and frustrating day.  I wished I could of done something fun on my birthday.  I walked into the house after 11pm only to be greeted by family and friends with a Mexican Fiesta to celebrate my home coming and birthday.  I was all smiles.  We had tacos, home made cup cakes and presents.  It has been a long time since I have been spoiled like that on my birthday.  It really made my home coming and the long trip all worth while. 

Thanks for reading my blog and I hope you all had fun hearing my stories!

10/22 Last Day here :(

The last 12 hours have been crazy.  The third fist fight within the team broke out this time in Lauryn's room and the team manager even got hit.  I was not there and Lauryn stayed out of it - good for her.  The team was really divided and got very little sleep.  I arrived at the village at 7:20 to eat with Lauryn and then to catch the bus to the stadium with her.  Her father and his wife joined us and that went well.  We helped out down in the locker area for a bit and then went up to watch the game.  Unfortunately, the team was exhausted and not functioning as a team and we lost to Chile 0-3.  Ouch!!!  We did not even right the bus back with them to the village.  Lauryn did not even get to play in this game yet those in the fight did.  Hmmmmm - interesting.  Lots of politics going on here.  I ate lunch with Lauryn and then took off for touring.  Here is where life got really adventurous for me.  I took a bus to the city, then transferred to the subway (yes someone who spoke English showed me how to navigate the subway, then I walked 8 blocks or more to the tour bus site to buy tickets and then rode the double decker on the tour.  How fascinating to see the city from that view.  We stooped in small town and I did some shopping.  I was so proud of myself for doing this.  The people of Guadalajara are so wonderful, warm and helpful.  After the tour, I travelled back to the village and hung out with Lauryn and her team eating Burger King and doing a bit more shopping in the village.  What an incredibly long day but oh so rewarding!

10\21 shopping & village

Wow  right now I am in the village on a laptop provided by the village sitting across from a Jamacian and a Colombian athlete.  There are other athletes in the room from Mexico, Cuba, Brasil, and Trinidad.  Lauryn is off with her team to watch mens field hockey.  Tonight I will join her team to watch Mexico vs TnT mens futbol.  This morning I kidnapped Lauryn from the village and we got on a bus to the city and went to a mall shopping.  There was an Applebees,. Outback Stakehouse and a McDonalds.  They have the regular papa fritas but they also have McPatatas which are like boardwalk fries but much better.  I will post more photos tonight of my excursion. 

10/20 Pics

 My new friend Nanti who is Indian but from Canada - her so competed in Taw Kwon Do.  She stayed in my hotel.

 The TnT flag being brought out onto the field.

 Me in the villa Panamaricana holding the olympic flag.  :)

 eating lunch next to the Colombia athletes

 some of the Brasil women futbol players at lunch

 Lauryn coming off the field.

The olympic flame on top of the Omnilife Stadium

10/20 Tied Mexico 1-1

Yesterday was out of this world.  One of the best futbol games I have seen in a very long time.  Mexico vs TnT.  We scored first and then scored again but they called it back.  Then they called a penalty on us in the box and Mexico scored on a PK.  There were sooooo many close calls for goals.  On a sad note, one of our players YaYa # 17 has been sick and she fainted on the side lines and was unconscious for about an hour.  They had to put her on IVs and take her to the ER.  We have not heard an update today yet. 

I spent the day with Lauryn and her dad.  We had a stupid fantastic time.  We toured the village for her dad and then he and I hung out while she took a nap and did her team meetings.  Then we were able to ride the bus with her to the stadium entering the field from down in the locker rooms.  I can't wait for Toronto Pan Am games 2015. 

So here are the stats.  Columbia has 6 points and will go to the semis.  Mexico and Chili each have 2 points.  TnT has 1 point.  If we beat Chili on Saturday (and we will trust me - lol) and Columbia beats Mexico - we will go to the playoffs on the 25th.  There we will meet Brasil (eeck - that will be the game of the decade).  If we were to win it all - we have an automatic bid to the Olympics in London next summer!!!!!  No pressure of course!

Today, I am shopping with Lauryn and then we are going to the men's Trinidad and Tobago game tonight.  Yesterday, Nigel and I were interviewed in the village.  FUN FUN!!  What a life experience this has all been. 

10/19

Today was a slow and laid back day.  No game to play today.  The day started with breakfast with my new friend Nandi.  She is like me, here as a single mom to support her son competing in Tae Kwon Do here. She is from India but has been in Canada since she was a little girl.  The 2015 Pan Am Games will be in her home town of Toronto - can't wait.  After breakfast I took the taxi to the athlete village.  It is interesting to ride in a taxi when the driver speaks ZERO  English.  I just point a lot and give them the map of where I need to go.  At the village Lauryn took me for a tour of where the athlete's live and I was able to relax in her room.  It is so fun to walk around and see all the athletes from different companies and different sports.  During Lauryn's team morning job, they saw the US synchronized team practicing at the pool in the village.  SOOOOO cool she said.  :)  After lunch with her in the dinning hall, I took a taxi back to the hotel for my afternoon siesta.  :)  This evening, I walked around the neighborhood near my hotel.  The architecture here is so cool.  Tomorrow will be touring and the game against Mexico. 

A picture is worth a thousand words!

 Looking at the Omnilife Stadium

 Athlete's Village

Lauryn in the village

 

Lauryn in the dinning hall in the village - it was HUGE!