Fantasy Nerds in Mexico

Dude, I am such a cheap date. No matter what good resolutions I have, the moment I get a chance I throw them out the window... And I am not talking about women either, here is the story:

I have made a rule for myself that I would not buy another English book while I am traveling, as Spanish learning is the key goal. I have been very good in this regard, but it has not stopped me from borrowing a book at the School or accepting other traveler`s old yarns that sound good (which is technically not breaking my rule as no money have exchanged hands, yep I am skirting the edge of the rules here...)

In Palenque I finished the last book I brought with me from SA, which happened to be Book 8 of the Wheel of Time, a 12 book Fantasy Oddyssey and good shit! I consciously did not buy 9 and 10 when I was in the States because I knew I would just wolf them down to the exclusion of my higher purpose if I possessed them...

But so I finish Book 8 at the roadside Cafe in Palenque, and it is all happening! Rand (the hero) is channeling the living Beejeesus out of the world, everyone is betraying everyone, growing all powerful, reclaiming thrones and striking down towers, going crazy and trying to solve the taint... Sorcerers are going mad, civil war has erupted and the hero`s girlfriend is about to reclaim her throne. The end of 8 was a real cliffhanger, but where the hell do you think you are gonna get a fantasy book in Latin America short of contacting Amazon. So I kinda was glad, as this meant I would have to shelve my addiction for about six months until I reach English speaking shores again...

HA! Christmas came early. You will not believe this, but there is a 30-something book exchange at my current dingy youth hostel in Merida, I casually had a look as I reckon exchanging is not buying so I won`t technically be cheating... you know what, they have only one fantasy book in there, and NO SHIT I AM NOT KIDDING YOU, it is Winters Heart, Book 9 of the wheel of Time. I am such a nerd, I am so happy right now that I could cry. I am now set for at least another two weeks, but I have vowed to punish myself by not starting it until I leave Mexico... I will have to deal with the total guilt at the knowledge that I am cheating the hell out of my own rules, but total joy at having another 1000 pages of otherworldly intrigue to keep me company on those long bus rides...

So the compromise is that I will only start digging into it once we leave Mexico. Let`s see if I can be good...

Ok, that is sad, considering the amazing ancient ruins, beautiful beaches and hot chicks out there, but I am making time for those too...

I am such a nerd. Thought I´d share.

Zipolite Beach!





Buenos resoluciones son como bebes llorando en la iglesia - ellos deberian ser sacados para fuera immediatamente...

"Good resolutions are like babies crying in church - they should be carried out immediately"

- Charles M Sheldon

So when last I mused on this very public forum, I was indecisive between flying straight to Cancun (Great beaches, great people, good fun) or taking a bus down south and making my way on the recommended tourist track through the jungle and Chiappas to Cancun, but with a first stop in Zipolite beach (Great beach, great people, good fun - there is a trend here).

So with the help of Ricardo`s Spanish, Sujin from Korea and I hopped on an overnight bus and the next morning found ourselves in sultry Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca state, where the water is warm, the waves nasty and the beers sufficiently cold. We lounged aroudn for a bit on the beach there, then dodged some surfers before hopping onto the next bus to fabled Zipolite beach 80km down the road - this famed travelers hangout seemed just the thing.

So picture it: Hammocks every where, the faint smell of weed entices the senses, bohemian-looking gringos walking up and down the beach and the odd knee-boarder taking advantage of the massive waves... that about sums it up. For a full day we slept, read, slept some more and just took advantage of the massively tranquil vibe, the comfy hammocks and the friendly locals.

Check out the most amazing sunset ever!!!!

And today... well, we took a boat out to have a bit of a snorkel, suss out some other beaches and have a great fish and prawn lunch at some deserted beach down the road... yep, it has been hard. And now, in true fashion, another 12 hour bus journey awaits us before we hit San Cristobal... can`t wait! Nagging feeling in the back of my mind is that I have to be out of this country in 10 days... ah, bah! Will worry about that later...

Paricutin: Climbing live volcanoes


"La alegría de ver y entender es el más perfecto don de la naturaleza."

"Happiness is to see and to understand the most perfect gift of nature."

-Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra


So today, after yesterday bidding goodbye to fun, entertaining, interesting Guadelajarra and all the interesting people there, I am once again solo and trying something different: Climbing volcanoes.

I arrived in Uruapan last night to once again find my guidebook hopelessly out of date, my chosen hotel is no longer a sweet buy and is far from the centre - well for me anyway. I have some tea, read my book on the tarot and eventually drift off to sleep, secure in the knowledge that the next day I will finally summit a volcanoe!

Here is the kicker - I did do all that. I was dumped by the bus outside of a small town Angahuan, but following my sometimes-trusty Lonely Planet I soon walked the few kilometres to the tourist point where I picked me up a guide - Filipe by name. We set off on a brisk pace, as I felt I had little time to do it all after a delayed bus trip and the active Volcano Paricutin was beckoning...

Ok, so either I am getting old or the guidebooks are becoming more accurate. Either which way, in times past when the book says two hours to the summit, I am comfortable in doing it in 1.5. Not this time... it was a helluva walk, and the scree near the top reminded me so much of Kilimandjaro!

It was a great experience, the rain hit us on the way back however and I had a moment where I feared for my life - you know it is close when you spot the lightning and hear the thunderclap simultaneously. Did not help that I could actually HEAR the branch of the tree that the lightning hit snap...

All is well that ends well, checked out the church that was covered in lava in 1944 when this baby erupted and rounded off my day by not waiting for the bus but just spoiling myself and taking a taxi instead. A tired boy who has hiked 25km`s up a bunch of volcanic ash does deserve his little pleasures...

So now I am going to go have some dinner, maybe a glass of wine, reflect on the wonders of nature, comtemplate my next move... it´s all good...

Guadelejarra

Tanto si piensas que puedes, como si piensas que no puedes, estás en lo cierto

"Whether you think you can, or you think you can´t, you are right"

So here´s the funny thing, and bear with me:

1. Guadelajarra was totally disappointing.
2. Guadelajarra was totally worth it - fantastic!

No, I am not losing all my marbles, but I found an interesting contradiction in terms this weekend - the city did not live up even close to its billing of vibrant nightlife, many marriachis and the birthplace of tequila bla bla bla... I found the nightlife ordinary, the marriachis non existent and the Tequila very similar to the other places I visited... and the festival, where the governer came onto the balcony overlooking the square for 40 seconds and had us all shout "Viva Mexico!" 4 times along with thousands of other locals... hehe.... that was cool, but did not blow my hair back.

So if the party itself was disappointing, the nightlife was dreary and the city itself no great shakes, why did I enjoy it so much? The quick answer is the other backpackers in the hostel. After several weeks of primarily interacting with Mexicans or other Spanish speakers, I was not prepared for how much I needed some down time, English speaking company and familiarity. All this was provided in spades by different groups of people that drifted in and out of the hostel, to wit...

Scott from New Zealand: It was great to have a good old rugby debate, but as is my fashion we eventuallly digressed into the areas of politics, moral obligation of nations and repatriation of lands to locals... great guy, great fun and it was so good to talk rugby!

The US Student crowd: Bunch of pisscats, they were loud, obnoxious and great fun. Spring break in Guadelajarra or some such, they were very entertaining and had some good looking girls hang around them from the same school, so I thoroughly enjoyed their company!

The Poms: A whole gang of poms also swept in on day 2, good looking girls interesting blokes and had some more good conversations...

The Irish: Had a great lunch with Kerry and her Austrian friend-with-the-pink-hair-who-rescues-sea-turtles Michelle, and later on her friend Claire, who I really enjoyed - interesting person with some attractive dreams and someone I could have easily spent more time with...

So there were big days filled with nothing but endlessly entertaining conversations, and I must admit, it was hard to leave. A high-energy environment with loads of young people on really cool personal journeys, it was what a backpackers is all about...

So here is the bottom line folks: Even if the place is not all that, the people you see it with make all the difference...

Piensa, cree, sueña y atrévete

"Think, believe, dream and dare" - Walt Disney

Right now I am in Guadelajarra gearing up for Mexican Independence Day weekend, the single biggest fiesta on the local calender, and these people do know how to party.

Youth Hostel was full last night, it was raining and after finding a shitty overpriced room in nearby hotel, I went exploring. I was all set to pack my bags asap as the Plaza de Mariachis was deserted, the main square was filthy and generally I don`t like big cities.

But, time heals all wounds. The main square turned out to be somewhere else, there was loads of local dancing and a vibrant market just round the corner and I had a good few beers and some great conversation with Juan Carlos at Bar Cuba Libre. This military man had to double back to the base to call his wife (USER ID) before we could hit town. Bars were pretty empty, reliably tonight is the night...

So I decided to stick around for a few after a bumpy entrance, have now found a bed at the youth hostel where I have encountered some interesting people and am regaining the balance...

I´ll stay here for a couple of nights, do some Spanish studies, meet some people and party the hell out of the local clubs, and then I plan to hit Uruapan and go check out some Lava action at the Volcano there.... Will keep you posted!

NEW BEGINNINGS

Eres creatura de las circumstancia o eres creador de las circumstancias?

- Are you a creature of circumstance or a creator of circumstance?


Key question that needs be answered as I bade farewell to my nice, comfy life in Cuernavaca as a guest of the Monroys - thanks Isabel! and go upward and onward as a solo act in Mexico...

So, in preparation for the desperate loneliness, the agonizing bus rides and the anxiety-inducing solo dinners, Isabel (Ricardo`s mom) bought me a green jasper stone at Tepotzlan, a mystical mountain with a temple at the top. People go there to receive energy, and all types of fruitcakes have shops at the bottom selling mystical stones, holy artifacts, Spider Man dolls...

So I duly entrenched myself and not only got the green Jasper stone (which will help me center and assist with new projects) but also bought a book (all in Spanish) on Tarot reading (cards included). Why would an upstanding, well-adjusted Virgo like myself decide to take up Power Stones and Card-reading...? Ok, reasons in no particular order:

1. Waaaaayyyyy back when I was in Broome Australia in 98, my Tasmanian buddy was so impressed by my continuous and inventive stream of bullshit that once, at a market, he spotted a Tarot reader and said: "Hey Piet... You could do that!"
2. One girl had a pack at a party in Mexico city recently, with no prior experience and armed solely with rudimentary Spanish and a bottle of Tequila I proceeded to lay out the cards for one of the Spanish girls and a bloke from England. It was fun, harmless and chicks always want their future read... aha...
3. David Copperfield was a really shy child, but once he started doing magic he became DA MAN and snared Claudia Schiffer (albeit briefly).
4. So in keeping with the soul of my search, which among other things include learning Spanish, meeting loads of interesting people and dating local chicks, I have now embarked on the cooky plan of making friends and influencing people by pretending to be a spiritual guru. This will be achieved by practicing my card reading abilities wherever I can and hope this will draw other soulsearchers to me like moths to a flame... I will attempt to not detract from this effort by taking it seriously with pocket dictionary and guidebook in hand. Hey, it is a method...

Which brings me to present day, just spent an hour doing some Spanish Lessons at the top of the mountain overlooking picturesque Guanajuato, the best town for studying Art in all of Mexico, nestled in between some spectacular hills and home to about 20,000 art students. This might be a good few days... Am in a dorm for the first time in five years, will go for beers with new mates from States and Spain shortly.

The Spanish is coming along swimmingly, off to go practice...

Oh, and just in case there was an interested minority, highlights from last week`s activities...

a. Got sick at the start of the week, drank loads of vitamins but still fell asleep in class
b. Had my birthday Wednesday, FANTASTIC two cakes at school and at Ric`s place in Mexico, had a great night but said goodbye to some good friends, ended the night in deeeeep philosophical discussion with Ricardo and Dani on terrace at Gorge`s flat while his mate was gettin busy inside with her friend...
c. Got back to school on Thursday and duly had final proper lessons, salsa classes in evening and fantastic night jivin to the Latin sounds at Mambo Cafe. BOOHAAA
d. Friday was the last day, had some goodbye beers then finished things off in Cuernavaca in style.
e. As for the weekend... the mystical mountain of Tepotzlan as discussed (with some great folks from the school as attached, Julie Meli Dulan Jacob, watched the Sentinel in a local mall with a ladyfriend, packed and said goodbye...

The Mad Adventures of Pepe Le Pee….

“Cuando buscas el bien en las otros, descrubimos lo major de te mismo”

-When you look for the good in others, you discover the best in yourself…

Now, someone PLEASE tell me how I make this advice applicable to my weekend.

Ok, so here´s the deal:

THE TIME: Late afternoon at my place Saturday (being Ricardo´s weekend house in Cuernavaca and my base for studying Spanish, which is coming along quite nicely thank you very much).

THE PLACE: Kick ass house with barbeque, ensue phone call from Ricardo telling me that he is coming through with a few mates… a few mates turn out to be 3 guys 10 girls, how the hell can you lose with these odds? Some other time please Ricardo, I have already identified your friend that I like and other distractions unnecessary… but hey, one does need to be solid host!

THE PROCESS: Buy loads of booze, meat and charcoal, wisely leave Mexican Braai procedure to resident expert Gorge so I can concentrate on feeding all the girls welcome tequilas. Am getting along quite nicely with gorgeous newcomer Dani when crowd pleaser and home favourite Blanca appears, effectively sealing off attention span for rest of evening.

KEY ELEMENTS TO SUCCESSFUL EVENING: Good friends, good Chilean red wine, excellent Tequila balanced by lots of water drank en medio, a bit of Spanish Linguistic practice enhanced by slow Mexican tunes, some Whitney, beautiful evening by pool, stunningly beautiful company.

HEALTH WARNINGS TO ATTACH TO MEXICAN PARTIES: Watch out for seemingly harmless elderly neighbour who still lives with mother. Should have been forewarned by excessive questions round feasibility of interracial marriages in South Africa on previous evening. Aptly named Pepe, his alcohol tolerance levels are indecently exposed by 3 in the morning, as evidenced by him casually wetting himself while chatting to us – sitting on my couch! Damage control is swift, but he does it AGAIN 10 minutes later while chatting outside! I even feel guilty when I coerce him back to his place, and turns out he can´t find his key and has to walk round to front door or wake up 80-something mother…

Needless to say, pant-wetting elderly gentlemen serve as most excellent passion killers, ranking right up there with dead mice, English humour and the Bush Administration.

Will make flash escape to Mexico City on Wednesday for key Birthday celebration, sans potential pantwetters! In the interim will concentrate vividly on socio-political debate with other neighbours in Spanish, giving 110% in class (I am now flying solo in both morning sessions, which is great) and fighting off impending highly irritating slight cold by killing it with dosage of Vitamin C.

Hasta luego!