Killing Time

I´m writing from an internet shop outside the bus station in Pochutla, otherwise known as Mexico´s Suratthani, to which only Linds and Chantelle can relate. It´s essentially a place people only ever go out of necessity- if you run out of money on the beaches and need a bank machine, or if you are catching a bus out of the shithole. I arrived here with the Brits, who have long ago caught their bus towards Guatemala. We said our goodbyes over a couple of beers and a spliff on the curb just down the street. I´ve been here since 530pm, it´s now 830pm, and I still have 2 hours to wait. And then comes the 12 hours on the bus, that is if there are no delays, and there always are. I bought 2 Gravols in one of the 50 pharmacies I´ve walked past so far for 5 pesos a piece. Then I wandered around the town square and watched some junior high volleyball. I then proceeded to eat an avocado bun and drink some liquid yogurt on the same curb as I had the beers with my departed friends. I´m bored as hell.
I had the option of catching a ride in a Blazer with this crazy Mexican hippie I met last night. He was telling me all about this experience he had with 6 other people, walking through the desert of Northern Mexico eating Peyote. It sounded good last night, not so much this morning, but as I sit here it´s beginning to sound good again. It would have been really tight though with the 3 Quebecers who were also riding with him.
Mazunte was beautiful, and I think I´ve got a bit of a tan somewhere under the layer of red. Both Zipolite and Mazunte were real laid-back, chilled-out places with great vibes. It isn´t high season yet so it´s hard to find much of anything going on, but that´s part of the charm. What I desperately need is to do some laundry, but I´ve been putting it off in this heat, because everything just gets so sweaty and grimy and sandy right away anyways. My next destination, San Cristobal, sits at a higher altitude and is therefore much colder. I can´t put off my chores any longer once I´m there.
I´m off to stretch my legs before the Gravol-induced semi-slumber on the night bus to Chiapas.

Team Man-Kini

So I figure I´ll elaborate a bit more on what I´ve been up to. Cat, Char, Comron, and Tobias have formed a group which we call Team Man-kini. It you want to imagine our graphic symbol, think the swimsuit that Borat wears. We have begun choreographing a dance routine, which includes leap-frog, line dancing, travelling piroettes, and jump kicks, among other sweet moves. We have also been known to play the ukalele, harmonica, flutes, and we sing. It´s great fun. Tonight we may change our name temporarily to Team Man-stash and paint moustaches on ourselves.
I experienced one of the most amazing things today- we went on a four hour boat trip which cost all of 150M and I swam with a group of hundreds of manta rays. It was indescribable. At first a few of us jumped in the water and were told to swim out to where we saw a couple mantas jumping out of the water. I couldn´t see any anywhere for awhile, but then suddenly I looked down and there were literally hundreds swimming around. It was so startling and I got this really creepy feeling. It was a bit scary. But I got over it and spent awhile in there just watching them all until they disappeared again. Phenomenal! Prior to that we saw some soft turtle-porn and spotted some dolphins, as well as did some mediocre snorkelling. I also did some cliff diving, but the highlight was definitely the rays.
We are staying at this place run by this crazy stoner couple- the man from Alaska and the woman from Scotland. The place is really laid-back, with no frills. There´s 2 toilets- one for shitting and the other for peeing, both of which you have to flush using a bucket of water. The electricity is inconsistent and the water runs out because it only gets delivered twice a week, but it´s only 50M per night. And we have use of the blender- which we used to make some delicious rum and fruit smoothies last night. We were cursing them on the boat this morning.
Puerto Escondido was cool as well- the surf is great so it was fun to watch all the surfers out at sunset. I´m thinking about returning there tomorrow for a couple of nights. I´ll write more when I have the chance!

Roast Beef

In Zipolite right now, another beautiful beach on the Pacific. Spent 2 nights in Puerto Escondido, which was really cool as well, crazy waves and great to watch surfing. Still travelling with the Brits and the American, and 2 Canadians tagging along a bit too, but they`re on motorcycle and with a fancy truck and camper, which they`re bragging about just a bit too much, haha. It`s been scorching hot and I`m getting burned a bit more every day, despite loads or sunblock, especially the tops of my feet which look ridiculous. I`m now oficially roast beef, which is apparently what the Brits are known as to other darker nationalities.
Hope all are well freezing in Canada, I`m off to watch the sunset. Will post some facebook pics when I get a better internet connection.

Playa!!

Hey. In Puerto Escondido safe and well. Can´t write more now because I need to get on the beach-it´s calling me!

Mezcal Sampling

Oaxaca is fantastic! Yesterday started a little poorly, leaving Veracruz and my friends there behind, I was lonely arriving here. The hostel was pretty empty when I checked in and I wasn't looking forward to my own company, but soon enough I started chatting with some great people- Julie and Dom from England. They let me tag along with them out drinking last night and we had a blast. Met up with an American and a Swiss- Comron and Tobias and went out to a couple of bars. One had a live band playing great music and the place was packed with people who were feelin' it. There was some interesting decor in the bar- a laundry rope strung over the bar full of hanging bras. Not to worry though, I still had mine on when I woke up this morning. After dancing and jumping around like mad for a few hours, we went on to a reggae bar but arrived as the band was playing it's last songs. I was somehow pulled into a group photo session of some random Mexicans, the details are vague.
Today Julie, Dom, and I wandered around town and checked out some cathedrals and markets then climbed up a hill out of town to check out the view from above. Oaxaca is very much like Antigua, Guatemala- the streets are all cobble-stone and crooked and the city is surrounded by mountains and hills. Many of the buildings are quite old and historic-looking, it's nice to just wander around and people-watch. I've had some really good food so far- Oaxaca cheese is soooooo tasty-salty and stringy. I found a place with tacos arabes, but they were nothing like the ones in Veracruz and I was disappointed. We sampled some free chocolate in a store today- mole negro y rojo, usually served over meat, which I don't particularly care for.
Speaking of sampling, there are loads of mezcal shops that hand out free samples here. My first taste was at 11 this morning, and I almost felt a little drunk all over again. Mezcal is in the tequila family and is made right here in Oaxaca, so this is supposed to be THE place to drink it. I got the fantastic idea to get a little free buzz going on this evening by sampling in the various shops-there are clear, gold, aged, and creme varieties which actually aren't half bad. But I think it would be far too much work to go around testing all night, haha.
We went to a food market for dinner and they sold delicious empanadas, 2 for $1.20- definitely the place to eat on a budget. There's street-meat galore here too. Dom and Comron ate pig's brain, and everyone tried the chili-crickets again. There's so much I still want to try...So far so good with my stomach too.
And that concludes my adventures in Oaxaca thus far.

Oaxaca

Just a quick note to let everyone know that I survived the 8 hour bus ride from Veracruz to Oaxaca, despite the zero visibilty fog and winding mountain roads...It seems really nice here, a bit chilly in the evening, but I'll survive. Will write again soon!

Update

I´m still in Veracruz for the last day... Have a bus ticket for Oaxaca tomorrow- 7 hours!

Changorama in Xalapa!!

Just spent the weekend in Xalapa, which is just over an hour northwest of Veracruz (if there´s no detour from a protest in the next town over, causing traffic to back up four hours...). It was the anniversary party for Mich´s friends´magazine. We spent the weekend celebrating, so I will leave out much of the details. There was a great band, also friends of Mich, called Sonido Changorama playing. I also discovered my new favourite food there and have eaten it 3 times now- tacos arabes (arabian). They use the pita-type flatbread instead of the tortilla, and you load it with a yogurt and oily-delicious sauce, hot sauce, lime juice, etc. Sooooo good. If anyone´s heard me rave about the kebabs- these are maybe even better. Well, that´s it for now....I´m starting to plan my next move and will write later with more details.

Update

Still in Veracruz hanging out with Mich. Write again soon when I have more news!

Update

Hey All! I am safely in Veracruz City, staying with Mich, things are awesome. Will probably be here until at least after the weekend, so no worries if you don´t hear much- just chillin´. The weather is hot and humid like isla, I´m loving it!

Wracked with Guilt

I´m feeling bad even before we get there, ever since I was told that 6 of them will be slaughtered. And it happens like this every Sunday. Everyone says: what did you expect? It´s a bullfight. But still it´s so horrible. My rationale is that it would happen whether I attended or not, and it is part of the culture I guess, so when in Rome...
The ¨corrida de toros¨ starts at 4pm in this huge stadium called the Monumental Plaza Mexico and costs only 55M for the nose bleed section, which is more than close enough for me, thanks. The place is one of the biggest bullrings in the world, but isn´t nearly full as I am told that this is the start of the season.
The first bull comes out followed by the matador, who tests it awhile using a pink cape. At this point a few other costumed men come out with the capes as well and take turns distracting the bull. The next stage is where men on horseback enter the ring with lances and taunt the bull some more. The horses wear protective gear and are blind folded so they don´t run away. In the first event, the bull knocks the horse over. It´s quite terrible to watch, but it eventually gets up and appears unharmed. The men on horses leave and in the next stage, the matador thrusts razor sharp barbed sticks into the bull´s back. I believe this is to further aggravate and tire the bull. The matador works the rest of the event with the cape, attracting the bull in a series of passes in order to show his skill. And finally the bull is killed by a sword between it´s shoulders. It is dragged out of the ring by the horses and the blood on the ground is covered over. This is repeated 6 times over the course of the afternoon.
The second bull comes out aggravated and we are told that sometimes this is done by sending electrical charges into it´s testicles. This is just plain torture and I can´t believe I agreed to watch. We stay for 5 killings and leave a bit early to avoid the crowds.
Prior to the bullfight, I went to the area of Coyoacan with the girls from Slovenia, Natja and Petra. We visited the Frida Kahlo museum and walked around a bit. I was a genius and brought my student card with me, so I´ve gained discounted admittance to a few place so far. Another highlight so far has been the fruit stands that sell what seems like a litre of fresh fruit for 15M (1.50). That is if you can get past the vendors handling the money and who knows what else before handling your food, which I´ve long ago grown accustomed to... More later!

Sore feet

I don´t think my runners are going to make it home from this trip. After being in Mexico only 3 full days I could probably have walked from Winnipeg to Regina by now, but why would I want to go to Regina? I´ve conquered the city´s metro and I love it, even when it´s so crowded you get pushed on and off of the cars. It ´s so fast in comparison to how the traffic moves above ground on the streets.
Friday I walk the 8 or so blocks to the metro station and make my way to the centro historico where there is block upon block of beautiful architecture to see. I arrive at the Alameda central, a beautiful building that houses some museums which I somehow can´t bring myself inside to see. I walk a few blocks to the Catedral Metropolitana, built in 1576, and have a look around the exterior, which is quite amazing. I enter the cathedral and there is a handful of worshipers inside that I don´t want to disturb so I quickly admire the interior and then exit. Outside the cathedral there are ruins of an Aztec temple, a place which the Aztecs believed was the centre of the universe.
Also outside of the cathedral, I am drawn to the sound of drums. I see various stations set up of men dressed in elaborate head-dresses and loin cloths, perfoming some sort of ritual on people who are lined up. Apparently these are Aztec ¨doctors¨ or healers, as a local man describes to me. He tells me that they are performing this ritual with smoke and the burning of some plants in order to restore energy to the people lined up. Part of the ritual involves one of the two healers standing behind the person being energized and blowing into a large shell, making a deep sound.
The man who explains to me about the ritual also walks around with me for a short while, exlaining some things about the ruins and the cathedral and various surrounding museums. He is very friendly and I feel guilty thinking that maybe he wants some sort of tip for offering his time and knowledge, but he doesn´t ask for anything. He is simply being helpful and friendly, as most Mexicans are.
After we depart, a group of university students approaches me to help them with their homework. Their assignment is to create interview questions and have them answered by a foreigner. I quickly find myself being filmed via a cell phone, answering a few short questions. After my moment of fame, I walk away and am approached by another man who clearly has seen me helping the students. He wants a quick english lesson on how to say various things in regards to the jewelery he is selling. I help him but then of course he wants me to buy a $200 necklace, yeah right.
I wander around the rest of the day outside. Although there are many museums and indoor attractions, I can´t bring myself to go inside anywhere. The only exception is the torture museum that I pay 25M to visit, where there are various paintings and actual torture devices from around the world to see. Back outside, the weather is beautiful. Sunny and warm, not hot. And the people watching is great, although by the end of the day after walking in crowds for hours I start to feel claustrophobic.
I take the metro home again and am exhausted by the time I walk the six more blocks from the station and then climb the four flights of stairs. That night, I go with Adrian a few blocks away to a friend´s house. A few of us drink some beers in the dining room, while a few others conduct their choir practice in the living room, which is hilarious to hear. My spanish is coming along alright, but I need period translation to make sure I am following along.
Yesterday I decide to go see a complex of pyramids at the site of Teotihuacan, about an hour by bus north of the city. It´s nice to get out there and have a break from the bustling, polluted city.
The ruins are amazing, built between 250AD and 600AD. Most impressive is the temple of the sun, the world´s third largest pyramid, which it is also permitted to climb. I thank myself for not smoking that day, because it´s not an easy climb. The view from the top is worth every pant. At the ruins I also take a guided group tour in spanish and visit a great museum. In total I walk around for 4 hours or so. Thankfully I wore sunblock, but I´m still developing a nice farmer´s tan from wearing the wife beaters.
Last evening two more girls arrive to stay with Adrian. They are from Slovenia and are super nice. They pack it in early after a long day and I go with Adrian to meet his friends at a cafe and sing karaoke with the ¨Rhythm Killers¨, as they call themselves. We murder the song ¨the lion sleeps tonight¨, followed by some songs in spanish that I´ve never heard. And today is, of course, a new day.

Update

Greetings! Still alive and having a blast. Write soon...

The Journey: Winnipeg to Mexico City

I find it incredible just how small the world really is. I´m reminded of this on the bus down from Winnipeg to Minneapolis. Behind me sits a woman from Vancouver who is following Bob Dylan´s tour by bus, catching as many shows as possible. Her mission is to create cards featuring her sketches of Bob Dylan performing and to sell them to raise money for an organizations of grandmothers in Africa.
Following a brief exchange abot ourselves, she alerts me to the man sitting in front of me, explaining that he and I have something in common- we are both destined for South America, eventually. While stretching our legs outside at the next stop, I find out that this man grew up partly in Bolivia working with, get this, disadvantaged Mennonite children. Originally from Altona, he travels frequently to Bolivia to volunteer in schools, clinics, as a translator, etc. When I tell him that I had difficulty finding volunteer work from home, he hands me his card and tells me I am welcome in Bolivia.
He then shares a story about why he is travelling by bus from Alberta to Florida- he is planning to get on a cruise down there that will carry him to Chile. He is avoiding flying. I listen in horror as he tells me of his last flight from the US to Bolivia where one of the planes engines failed and everyone almost plunged to their death. Great. I thought the greyhound was going to be my greatest worry.
I then hear that a couple on their honeymoon are on the same route as I- they are on the bus until Minnepolis, catching a flight to Mexico City the following day. They don´t care to take the metro with me though, so I go it alone. Once in the airpot I find a nice bench and lay down. I catch less than 5 hours of restless sleep and am wide awake at 3 pm. The two flights are rather uneventful, aside from having no luggage when I arrive.
In the cab on the way to Adrian´s, my host from couchsurfing, I am reminded of cab rides through Bangkok. The city is huge and the traffic flows in a similar manner. I feel a rush of excitement- I love everything about it. I arrive at the apartment shortly after and am welcomed immediately. My first meal that afternoon is amazing sushi at this small place two doors down from the apartment. My next meal is a phenomenal home cooked turkey dish with a delicious salad. I meet another couchsurfer, Erika, who was invited for dinner as well as Adrian´s best friends, Sergio and Claudia. It´s a great night and I feel at home already.
The next day, I catch a bus around the corner and arrive at Bosque Chapultepec, an enormous park in the middle of the concrete jungle. It would take days to see everything there, so I choose the zoo and the castle. The zoo is the best I have ever visited- admission is free aside from the special exhibits. There are hundreds of monkeys, where I spend most of my time. The other highlight is the aviary where you enter into their massive cage and stand just feet away from the birds, with nothing between you.
After the zoo I walk up to the castle and check out an amazing view of the city. I cruise through the castle and check out all the rooms clad in art and pieces from the royalty era. It is set up like a museum. On my way out of the park I get instructions on the use of the metro. It can´t be too difficult, it seems. But it´s so crowded once I get down there, I have to be careful not th get knocked over. I get out at the wrong station and am lost. Thankfully people here are super helpful, and soon I´m on a bus, the bus driver assuring me he will tell me when to get off. After what seems like too long, I hop onto the stop as the driver barely stops and head into a restaurant to ask for directions. I´m only a few minutes from home and find it easily. My luggage comes shortly thereafter.
After a nice dinner in the trendy La Condesa neighborhood, I get picked up by one of Adrian´s couchsurfing friends, Nate. We go to a bar for the weekly couchsurfing meeting a have a few beers. I meet a ton of awesome people. Afterwards we pick up Nate´s girlfriend and drive around forever in the maze the is MXC to drive her friend home. It´s a nice tour anyways. After a few more beers at a bar with super loud music, I get dropped off again at home and sleep as though I´m in my own bed. Here I am this morning, running late as I write.

Without Luggage, Again

I have arrived safely in Mexico City, but again without the luggage. It feels so great to be back in Mexico- I love this country! My host, Adrian, is excellent so far and I already feel at home. I will write more later, including details of my journey down here.

Final Preparations...

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."- Mark Twain

With only a few hours remaining until I begin my next adventure, I am encouraged by these words. Just a quick note to thank all my family and friends for being supportive and loving. Of those of you worried about me, please remember that I'm living a dream, and if I make it to Minneapolis on the Greyhound safely, then I've won half the battle!

Love you all and hope you enjoy the blog!