UNOMOS

The Harlem Shake Demystified Plus New Video

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 01:32:00 +0000

Harlem Shake Cardiff Kook Style in San Diego, CA

The Harlem Shake... demystified (sort of)

When you sit at work and watch endless 30 second clips of videos titled Harlem Shake, you aren't quite sure if you are extremely confused, going to get in trouble, and disturbed all simultaneously. First disclaimer, we are not at fault for your lack of productivity at work. Second, we are just as addicted as you are. Costumed people shaking what they got alongside children, grandparents, in corporate offices or underwater; the sheer uniqueness of each clip can provide hours of enjoyment.

History of the Harlem Shake (in reverse)

February, 2013: DJ BAAUER's song became the next viral phenom in February and as of mid February there were over 4,000 uploaded videos of people doing repeat insane dance moves (usually in animal costumes) that hardly resemble the original Eskesta dance. Some people still keep the NYC Harlem Shake moves in their video, but generally when the beat drops the idea is to go as insane as possible.
May, 2012: The dance faded away until 2012 when DJ BAAUER uploaded a song titled "Harlem Shake" to YouTube with sexy lion roaring sounds and a sick beat that eventually would be the soundtrack to thousands of videos.
1981-2001: Al B brought the Harlem Shake stateside in 1981 (originally called the "albee"). The dance took the ethnic cultural Eskesta dance and twisted it with hip hop and that Harlem gangsta attitude you would expect from NYC. The peak of the Harlem Shake was in 2001 when famous names like P. Diddy, Cam'ron, G. Dep, and Jadakiss were either mentioning it or doing the dance in their music videos.
3000+ Years Ago: The Harlem shake we know today somehow (hard to see any resemblance) has its roots in the Ethiopian Eskesta dance that has probably been around for over 3,000 years. It took us that long to steal another country's dance? Maybe we're not as creative as we thought.

Essential Hostel Amenities for Poor Backpackers

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 18:00:00 +0000

Photo by Oh-Barcelona.com

Backpacking on a budget means you will probably be staying in a lot of cheap hostels. While there are plenty with a fun environment and comfortable accommodations, many lack some basic traveler needs. An extra five minutes of planning ahead of time will save you from a miserable hostel experience. Knowing what you would like to have in a hostel ahead of time will give you a set of questions to ask and compare hostels with. That $8 hostel might not have hot water but the $9 one up the street does; does that $1 price difference change your decision? Here are 20 amenities hostels may or may not have that will make or break your backpacking experience.

20 Amenities to Qualify a Hostel

Photo by Oh-Barcelona.com

Free Breakfast: One of the best strategies for budget travelers is to stay at a hostel with free breakfast (and sometimes lunch/dinner snacks). Cheap bread and jelly is fine, but do they offer pancakes, eggs, or anything with actual substance?
Free Wifi: Are you a technomad traveling with an iPhone and laptop that need to stay connected? Free WiFi is an absolute necessity for you. Don’t get caught paying hourly/daily fees when the next door hostel has it for free. Also check to see if the WiFi signal reaches all the way to your room; an extra bonus if it does.
Free Internet: For those who don’t travel with a computer, do they offer computers with Internet for free? Easy question to ask in advance.
Location: Is the hostel in a dark alleyway one mile from downtown? That is something you need to know ahead of time. Find a hostel that is safe (with well lit streets) walking distance to all the sights you want to see. Paying for taxis everywhere will boost expenses quickly.
Power outlets: No one thinks to ask ahead of time about power outlets but everyone gets annoyed when there are none. Ask if they have outlets with a ground (that third prong), if one is next to your bed (to charge your electronics at night), and if there is more than one shared outlet for the entire hostel.
Hot water: Getting a brisk surprise early on a cold morning that there is no hot water is never fun. Unless you are extremely tight on budget, most hostels should offer hot showers.
Community Kitchen w/ Refrigerator: Traveling slowly and cooking your own meals is important for cutting costs and you will need a hostel equipped with a shared kitchen and fridge to store groceries.

Photo by Barnacles Hostels

Clean Rooms: How often do they clean the rooms? Are there any reviews complaining about bed bugs? Just because it’s a hostel doesn't mean it will be dirty, check in advance for cleanliness.
Book Exchange: A great addition to hostels is a small book exchange program. When you are done reading your book, trade it in for a new one some other backpacker dropped off. It’s free and a great way to find new books.
On-site Bar: Some backpackers love an on-site bar and some hate it. An on-site bar will ensure a great community atmosphere and late night partying; but usually means you can’t bring in any outside alcohol. If you would rather buy beer at a grocery store and pre-game at the hostel, a bar isn’t for you. Some of the best hostels will actually sell beer for cheaper than you will find at any convenient store nearby.
Games: Hostels with the best community atmosphere will provide some sort of game on site. Whether you challenge a stranger to a game of foosball, ping pong, or billiards on a broken table, you are guaranteed to meet new friends playing games.
Toilet Seats: One often overlooked hostel amenity that will upset backpackers if it isn't provided is having a toilet seat. I think you can figure out why.
Lockers: Theft is an unfortunate problem at some hostels and having personal lockers for your valuables is a necessity. Better to be safe than sorry, lock up your stuff.
Individual Bed Lights: Not everyone goes to sleep at the same time in a shared room and private bed lights are great for reading a few pages or getting some work done before getting some shuteye without bothering others (or being bothered by others).
Free Towels/Linens: Some hostels still charge for towels and linens; double check before you pay a deposit.
Organized Activities/Events: Quality hostels will organize free community events and outings around the area. These are great for getting to know other backpackers and sightseeing on a budget. Free salsa lessons… yes please!
Fellow Travelers: Are you the only one staying at the hostel? Hostels are great for meeting new people so find out whether or not other backpackers actually stay there.
Laundry Service: Is there free or cheap laundry service? Depending on the last time you washed your clothes, this could be very important.
Movie Room: Although not necessary, it is nice to have a lounge room where you can relax and watch a movie with new friends. Even better if the TV has ESPN.
English speaking employee: Checking in, getting around, and asking for local advice will all be easier if the hostel staff speaks some English. Not a problem if you speak the local language, but a huge factor for everyone else.

Not every amenity will make or break your decision to stay in a hostel, but several of them will be important to you. Email, call, or ask when you are wandering the streets to see if the hostel has the amenities you care about the most.

Welcome to Colombia

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 20:28:00 +0000

My airport sleepover virginity was finally taken from me in Florida, except I didn't get any sleep. Thanks to jackhammers crushing concrete all night long, cheap earplugs, and sketchy looking people sleeping next to me, I couldn't do it. It had been 30 hours since I got any sleep and I was dozing in and out of consciousness on my flight from FLL (Fort Lauderdale) to MDE (Medellin, Colombia). The cheap Spirit airlines flight provided cheap accommodations... makes sense. Then my luck turned 180 degrees.

View from ride into Medellin

The flight was filled with young people but my elbows were sharing space with a retired couple native to Medellin Colombia. About half way through the flight, the women began making conversation when she asked where I was staying and how I was planning on getting there.

Streets of Medellin

Next thing you know, I was sitting shotgun in their car with a free ride to my hostel (45 minutes away!). This was my introduction to Colombian hospitality, and I loved every bit of it. The couple and I had a great time riding through the mountains and into town where they even stopped at some dangerous turns so I could take some photos (see above). These were probably the nicest people I have ever met, and I plan on remaining friends with them for a long time to come.

Thank you Colombia for welcoming me and thank you to my new friends for taking care of me. I don't need any sleep to realize how selfless and comforting your culture is.

On The Road Again

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 18:00:00 +0000

My feet are itching and the travel bug has struck again, it is time I hit the road. Mexico was a blast and I probably had too much fun and not enough work. This time will be different, it needs to be. Some lessons I have learned and will be applying on this adventure include: pack lighter, more work, less play, diving into the local culture more, steer clear of the main tourist districts, cook more of my own meals, spend less money on beer. There are many lessons I can list, but these stand out in my mind at the moment. Now, the adventure...

Destination... South America

Similarly to my Mexico Adventure, I will be remaining in Latin America, but heading much farther south. Countries that I aim to hit include Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and hopefully Venezuela. Unfortunately, this trip looks like it will only last for 6 weeks, not giving me much time to spend time in each city. I love to travel slowly and go where the wind takes me, but I might need to plan in advance if I want to see all of these amazing countries.

Travel Dates: I leave January 4th for Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and arrive in Medellin, Colombia on January 5th. I plan* on returning sometime around February 19/20th, giving me about 6 weeks total in South America. Luckily, those 6 weeks are during summertime because I am in dire need of some Vitamin D (I will be taking before and after photos to compare).
*no return flight booked yet

Traveling: Solo vs. Group
In Mexico, I set out on an adventure that tested my independence, language skills, resourcefulness, social skills, and much more. It was a period of personal development, and I needed to do it alone. This trip will be with a group and will test different aspects of my personality and travel skills. One thing I know will be a problem of mine is my patience. At times, we expect to have up to 6 travelers doing everything together, and that takes great patience, coordination, and planning. Luckily, almost all of the other travelers are much more experienced than I, so I'm sure they are more concerned with me than I am with them. Patience, teamwork, negotiation, compromise, and trust are all traits that I plan to improve upon on this trip. Wish us luck!

Word Lens - Best New iPhone Travel App

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 17:00:00 +0000

The latest and greatest from the iTunes app store is as revolutionary as the Shezam app was for me when I first got it two years ago. The new application "Word Lens" from Quest Visual will instantly translate any street sign right on the screen of your phone. And that is just the beginning! Word Lens has topped my list of not only favorite travel apps, but best app out of all 112 of them on my phone (I know, way too many). Here is why:

Pros:

Word Lens can instantly (real time) translate a menu, road sign, magazine ad, or any other printed text.
The app works without a WIFI connection or cell reception. This is huge because most travel apps fail when people keep their phones in airplone mode abroad and the app requires a connection. This one doesn't!
The translation appears in the image as if the actual sign (or any item translated) was originally in the language you are translating too. I am not a programmer, but this seems like an amazing feat.
Eventually Word Lens will be able to do many more languages than just Spanish/English, but for now those are the languages I use the most.
It simply looks and works like something you wouldn't expect to be around for another 5 years. A very futuristic app in the palm of your hand, getting you out of confusing situations while abroad.

Cons: So far, not everything is perfect, but that is expected from a first release. Here are a few things that I notice need some work:

More languages, obviously!
When the app is attempting to translate a sign and is confused on one or more words, the translated text seems to flash too quickly between the choices and makes it illegible for the user. Slow it down a bit.
The actual translations are a bit rough. The translations it gives are about as accurate as copying and pasting your high school essay into a basic free translator online. The app needs a little work in this area.

Overall, the pros outweigh the cons tenfold. This is by far the best travel app on the market (when traveling in Spanish speaking countries). Word Lens is a groundbreaking app that does what none of us regular travelers ever thought was possible.

Go buy the app here ($5/language) in the iTunes store.

Dancing in Mexico

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 06:26:00 +0000

Many cultures in our world simply love to dance. I’m not talking about dancing every few years at a wedding, or even the casual night out bump and grind. I am talking about the folks who pencil it in their calendars three nights a week and won’t let anything get in the way of their dancing. Mexico is one of those places, and if you want to understand Mexican culture, you need to dance. A foreigner can’t possibly understand the values and traditions of Mexico without risking embarrassment and jumping out on the dance floor. Okay, maybe it was just my 6’0 gringo butt who was embarrassed.

There are several types of dances from different places in Mexico. Everyone has their preference, but most Mexican’s can dance almost all of them. From the sexy Salsa dance, to live Banda, or the Reggaeton of the beat pumping north, all styles of dancing exist in Mexico. To truly experience the nation and people, find some locals to take you out for a night of dancing and go with the flow. Here are some tips for different types of dancing in Mexico:

Salsa Dancing

Salsa is the key to women’s heart in Mexico. If you can’t dance Salsa, your chances of getting lucky that night drop to basically nothing. When you visit big cities like Guadalajara or Mexico City, search out the local spots that are happening each night. Put your dancing shoes on, take a sip of tequila for some liquid courage, and hit the dance floor. Your nerves will settle after your first dance. Unfortunately for me, my first dance was with one of the best dancers and sexiest girls in the room (my local friend requested her services for me). My nerves were through the roof, so everything after that was relaxing.

Salsa is easier than it looks. Get the steps down and move your hips. Remember that it is a very sensual dance, so get up close and personal with your partner. For you ladies out there, the man will lead you and what is a normal dance for him will probably blow your mind. If you come from a place where dancing isn’t a focus, it will take a giant leap to get on the dance floor. But, don’t be that guy on the sidelines, be the Rico Suave on the dance floor all those guys are jealous of.

My favorite Salsa club is La Mutualista on Thursday nights in Guadalajara. A younger crowd with live Cuban music and a relaxed setting will provide a good time.

Merengue

If salsa didn’t put you and your partner close enough for you, Merengue will. This is not my favorite dance to watch, but one of my favorites to dance. Once you get down the two-step and side-to-side movements, you will feel like a pro out there. Be sure to have a good amount of space around you because this dance will take you all over the floor.

Cumbia

Salsa and line dancing don’t mix well in my book, but it is very traditional in Mexico. When you are out at a bar in a small town, and everyone gets in lines to dance, you better follow suit. Show respect for their culture by putting in a solid effort. Personally, I failed quickly, but at least I tried (twice!).

Banda

Live Banda in Aguascalientes

Certain places in Mexico love their banda music. A giant brass band starts blaring tunes that make you want to jump around, and that is exactly what the banda dance is. At first, you will be shocked to see some of the younger crowd bouncing around, but if you can get the hang of it you will understand how much fun it is. Mexicans either love or hate banda music, and foreigners often fall on the strongly dislike side, but give it a chance. For a raw banda experience, visit the Feria de San Marcos in Aguascalientes and have one of the thousands of bands on the street play you a couple songs. Now you know you are deep in Mexican culture.

Reggaeton

My love for northern Mexico, mainly Tijuana, has put Reggaeton in a special place in my heart. If bumping and grinding is your thing, take it to the next level with Reggaeton. This dance isn’t for the light hearted, and most Mexican’s south of Baja will mock it, but a few tequila shots mixed with fist pumping music will sure bring out the dirty dancer in you. If you thought your high school prom was grinding, think again.

Folklorico

Folklorico in Zacatecas, Mexico

Ballet Folklorico isn’t in the same boat as the other dance forms because it is choreographed and is not something you would run into at a night club in Mexico. It is though, my favorite dance to watch. Women in beautiful bright dresses and men in traditional Charro outfits put on a show that makes me wish I knew how to dance. One of my goals in life is to join a Folklorico team in Mexico and perform, but I’m not yet sure they will let me. If you want to see the beautiful colors of Mexico, attend a live Ballet Folklorico, you won’t be disappointed.

Guide to Picking a Seat on a Bus

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:23:00 +0000

I recently wrote a post for GoBackpacking.com about "how to choose the best seat on a bus". It is a great guide for people getting ready to board a bus longer than 3 hours, where you will need to take things into consideration such as:

Aisle or Window seat?
Front or back of the bus?
Movie screens
Time of day
Proximity of the bathroom

To get the inside scoop on selecting a seat on your next bus ride, head over to GoBackpacking and then send the tips on over to your traveling buddies. Never again end up stuck in the miserable seats on the bus.

Packing List In Review

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 05:44:00 +0000

My Mexico adventure is coming to an end and I am soaking up some sun in Mazatlan for 2 more weeks. My original packing list was extensive, listing everything down to my stick of chap-stick. This post is not to do a single review of each item, but to describe how several items fall into the following three categories: Must have, Leave home, and Good to bring. Some items may have been more useful had I done more camping, or maybe staying longer in each place, but for my 3 month adventure here is a review of what I packed.

Must Have

Kelty Red Cloud 6650 Backpack - This comfortable backpack kept my back alive during the long walks.
Deuter Futura 28 day pack - you always need a day pack
Merino wool boxers - Laundry isn't one room away anymore. Sometimes you go 3 weeks without cleaning your clothes. Merino wool stays fresh, keeps cool when worn, and doesn't get stretched out or bunched up like cotton boxers. My only regret was that I didn't bring one or two more pairs.
Board shorts
North face convertible pants
1 pair of jeans
Asics GT 2150 black shoes - I picked these up the morning of my departure from San Diego. I got lucky someone had the newest black version in stock. These were great for mountain climbing, days full of walking in the heat, dining out, and dancing all around town. Because they were black, they passed for a classier shoe at night. But during the day, they were the same rugged quality and comfort Asics always provides. The only pair of shoes I brought.
Flip flops
Baby wipes (bring more) - I only brought two small travel packs, I should have brought 10. Not only are these necessary in Mexico, you can probably sell them to other backpackers in pain (not that I would).
Acer AS1410 netbook - This was perfect, and I will write a complete review of a traveler's netbook soon.
Sanyo Eneloop battery charger - The battery charger saved my life and wallet. Just plug in at night and have plenty of charge for a few days. This was of course until I misplaced the charger somewhere around Zihuatanejo. I was really bummed about that one.
Canon Powershot A570 - A great small camera that I found had more features than I knew. It took some amazing photos.
Petzl Tikka Plus 2 headlamp - I loved this headlamp. I used it plenty of time to get my money worth and I lost it somewhere between Veracruz and Palenque. This was one of my favorite items on the trip and was quite sad when I realized it was gone.
Skype headset
iPhone - I was first skeptical about carrying around such an expensive device everywhere but after just a few days I realized it was the MVP (most valuable product) of my trip. It was my phone, notepad, calculator, music player, calendar, game player, and so much more. I didn't even use many Apps because I wasn't sure if that was eating up all my Mexican cell air time. I will never travel again without this miracle device.
iHome portable travel speakers - Maybe not a necessity for everyone, and I was even skeptical at first, but if you plan on staying at hostels these are a must have. Pull out these pocket sized speakers and people will be in awe just by their size. Then turn the volume up and show them what these little guys can do. They don't take up any space, don't need to be plugged into a wall, look cool, and provide entertainment for an entire crowed. An absolute must on every trip.
100% Deet bug repellant
Ear plugs - people laughed at me when I packed ear plugs... they just don't understand hostel sleep.
Leatherman tool - This one tool replace several other items I packed. Bottle opener and knife had the most uses, but several other items came in handy too. Small and easy to pack and gets any small job done. I have had this Leatherman for a few years and when I got to Mazatlan I realized it was gone. Somewhere in my last three stops, it was left behind. This is one tool I can't be without in life and will replace ASAP.
MSR medium pack towel - I laughed at everyone packing large towels that took up half of their bags, smelt horrible, and would never dry.
North Face Cat's Meow sleeping bag - not the perfect sleeping bag for my trip, but a sleeping bag was necessary none the less.
Combo locks
Zip lock bags (strong ones, 3-5 of them)
2 books

Good To Bring

body wash, shampoo, conditioner: good to have travel bottles, but easily can be purchased there
Hand sanitizer: no purse to carry it around in, but it came in useful a couple of times
Fenix LD10 flash light
Sandisk Cruzer Micro 16GB USB memory stick
Coleman first aid kit
Dirty laundry bag
Coleman weatherproof matches
Therm-a-rest ProLite Plus sleeping pad
Platypus water bottle
Detailed map of Mexico (free from AAA)
Frisbee

Leave Home

3 out of 5 pairs of socks - you wear flip flops everyday
Jacket - one sweatshirt is enough, leave the jacket home.
Beanie
Pocket size digital video camera - the Canon camera does video, no need for an extra camera.
Flex-o-line clothes line - didn't use this a single time, most likely because I didn't camp much or do my own laundry often.
Camelback water pouch - I shipped this home. It would have been great if I was camping or hiking more often for longer periods.
Small can opener - I had a Leatherman tool with a can opener.
2 caribiners
stick of chapstick - melted in the first week
Timex Ironman wrist watch - It was nice sometimes, but no one keeps track of time when backpacking and you don't really need to. Besides, my iPhone had a clock. Also, if you wear a watch, everyone will be asking you the time because they aren't wearing one.
Small Cutco pocket knife - the Leatherman has a knife, and bringing a knife around in your pocket can get you in trouble no matter how small.
Poncho (depending on time of year) - bring it if you are travelling during rainy season, but I only felt rain one time.
Spork - Once again, limited camping meant limited use of camping tools like the good ol' Spork. I still love my Spork though and think I will use it at home for fun.
Gorillapod tripod - there were only a couple of times when I needed a tripod and I had my friends bring me down a big tripod which was much more useful than the small gorillapod. So small though that you don't notice it in the pack so it might be good to bring anyways.
Coghlan's six function whistle - Even with 6 functions it still didn't get used. Granted, my sunscreen exploded all over it half way through and I never thoroughly cleaned it out. Not sure if I would have used it anyways.

End of the Mexican Adventure

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 20:37:00 +0000

The end of the journey

I have been to the highlands,
backpacked hot and humid lowlands,
walked through miles of blue agave fields,
and palm groves hunting for coconuts,
tasted greasy taco stands,
and home cooked chile rellenos,
smelled the burning fields,
and rotten gutters of big city life,
seen women as beautiful as angels,
and indios massaging the land,
drank warm beer by a campfire,
and tequila from the aging barrel,
walked miles on virgin beaches,
and through the city late at night,
danced salsa to much embarrassment,
and tango barefoot in the sand,
spent 18 hours on a freezing bus,
and 20 pesos on a grand meal,
partied until break of dawn,
and watched sunrise that morning,
ran into police looking for cash,
and deep potholes putting TJ to shame,
spoken Spanish to ancient men working the field,
and prostitutes in a rowdy nightclub,
hiked up jaw-dropping ruins,
and mountains burning under the sun,
heard beats pumping out of pharmacies,
and lively mariachi in the place of its birth,
been hustled by a 5 year old kid,
and by strangers pretending to help,
smoked Mexican cigarettes in the cantina,
and mota on the beaches of the pacific,
met and killed time with a wild man from Iceland,
and ventured around with a Kiwi friend,
beat a previous champion in a pool tournament,
and a flu that almost killed me,
learned what it means to be a Tapatío,
and how to make 5 pairs of clothes last 3 weeks,
photographed some of nature’s miracles,
and the dirtiest bathroom stall in history,
relaxed in hammocks on secluded beaches,
and rooftops overlooking the city,
realized what it all meant to me,
was that all we needed was a little love,
in order to preserve the beauty of life,
Mexico is full of love and beauty,
and that is what will keep bringing me back,
to the land that captivated my heart.

View from my new patio in Mazatlan

Paradise in Zipolite

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 31 May 2010 19:39:00 +0000

Paradise in Zipolite

South of Puerto Escondido about an hour was the small (clothing optional) beach town of Zipolite. I thought I had seen paradise already in my Mexico Adventure, but I was mistaken. At hotel Brisa Marina, 150 pesos got me a beach front room with a private bathroom, balcony, hammock, and a functional fan to keep me somewhat cool. Aside from the humidity and heat, this was exactly what I needed to relax.

An ocean breeze, hammock in the shade, book, and a cerveza was all you needed to pass the time during the hot days. I ventured out to jump in the water and toss a Frisbee around when I felt energetic. As the sun began to set, a relaxing walk on the beach either to the secret Yoga gardens on the cliffs or to the hidden beach just around a rocky point would end the perfect day and begin the fun but tranquil night.

The town was so small, it was impossible not to meet everyone. A very free-spirited gang of people that all seemed to get along well. A free-spirit was probably a pre-requisite with the nudist beach atmosphere. This wasn’t a typical US clothing optional beach full of older men and generally unattractive people. It was all ages and plenty of beautiful bodies soaking up the sun. The people I met were great. From the twins who were living there and starting an online business, the French family of girls on a semi-permanent vacation, backpackers who never left, expats running bars, wild Swedes, to token Canadians, everyone was friendly and having a great time. And since everyone knew each other, it meant we all went out together at night.

Dinner was cheap, 10 peso beers and 35 peso giant Tlayuda’s (wish I had a picture). The after dinner party was at Crazy Horse Invincible’s new bar. Yes, the crazy Brit legally changed his name to Crazy Horse Invisible, new nickname “Loco”. The bar wasn’t open to the public yet, so we just had a table of interesting folks (understatement) drinking free beer and rum. I finally called it a night around 3am, exhausted from my busy day of lying around.

The next night was even more interesting, a billiards tournament about a 10 minute walk outside of town. The house turned bar was called Livelula, and was my favorite bar in all of Mexico. Two quality pool tables, a foosball table, tasty small burritos as snacks, and big screen television to catch up on Mexican baseball and bad movies. It was hot since there was no ocean breeze, but the people and place was a perfect combo for a good night of pool. 50 peso entrance fee, 16 players, one of which was last year’s champion (this was the 7^th annual Livelula pool tournament). He was an older white gentleman who I personally got a long with really well… until the numbers were drawn and we were matched up in the first round. Best out of 3 games advanced. Everyone was watching, expecting me to go down quick (I should have). Turns out I brought my A game, the best game I have ever played. I sunk almost every shot, was in the lead and took the first game. Could have been a fluke. Second game, I took the lead again but struggled to sink the 8 ball, nerves were kicking in. Gave him another chance and he scratched on the 8 ball, game over and I go on to round 2. Unfortunately, round 2 was after several beers and I was playing what turned out to be the champion of the night; I lost after missing too many easy shots. Next year, I will play sober or with a 4 beer limit.

Saturday was the day the big swell came in. Triple overhead waves, barreling just off shore shaking the ground worse than an earthquake. Not good for surfing, but amazing for watching from the hammocks. I was a little hungover from the pool tournament, and the hotel owner recommended the Mexican cure: Agua mineral con limon y sal (mineral water with lime and salt). It was delicious. That night was a triple birthday party, so we were all relaxing a little extra during the day preparing for the nights festivities.

Birthday dinner was at Café con Leche, one of my new favorite restaurants. Great American rock songs playing in the background, a Canadian running the place, tasty burritos (nothing like California burritos) for cheap, and delicious birthday shots of tequila, clamato, lime and salt. Eventually the owner’s Mexican wife passed around the mota and that got the party started. I bought myself a new bracelet, and off we went to the only party that night; La Isla bar on the beach.

2x1 mojitos, fire dancer, horrible sound system, wiggling your toes in the sand while sipping mojitos and dancing wild reggae/salsa/rock mix was a great way to celebrate my last night in town and 3 birthdays. I became a dancing fool and provided the crowd a good laugh. I danced with a French girl I had never met and never spoke to again but for several songs, we were dancing like the world was going to end the next day. At one point a song came on which called for a dance that mixed tango, salsa, and dramatic theatre…. I rose to the occasion and showed that French girl white boys can dance, or at least have the guts to make a fool of themselves (which I absolutely did, I heard all about it the morning after). One wild night!

I got stuck in Paradise a few more days than I anticipated. It was a perfect place to disconnect from the world, relax and get away from it all, read and smoke weed all day. A special shout-out to my hammock buddies Paola and Alex, the only people I’ve ever met from Roosevelt Island in NYC. Very cool girls, I hope to see you in Zipolite again someday.

Zipolite teamwork: Notice the nude sunbather lending a hand!

Agua Azul in Chiapas

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 28 May 2010 01:42:00 +0000

First day in Palenque, day trip to Agua Azul

We had heard of a mysterious place called Agua Azul in the middle of the jungle near Palenque. It was one of those can't miss things when travelling through Mexico. Despite my crazy high fever, severe flu, and bathroom emergencies I got the courage to wake up and head out with the guys to the paradise of the jungle.

After a 2 hour colectivo bus ride and several fees for entering Agua Azul, we were finally able to witness with our own eyes what they actually mean by "Blue Water". Literally, its all very fluorescent blue. Not the blue ocean water you see in the movies, but literally glowing. Briefly, my sickness drifted away. Then a fellow sick friend and I realized a quick bathroom break before jumping in the water would be a safe bet.

After a couple hours of frolicking about, we attempted to jump off one of the waterfalls but got yelled at by the makeshift Mexican security. Not sure whether we should listen to him and what the consequences would be, we gave in and came down off the rocks. Probably for the best, I would have most likely drowned anyways. Back to frolicking.

The mysterious steps that lead up the hill seemed appealing so we went for a walk and found more beautiful waterfalls and swimming wholes. A few good kodak moments of the guys and we were very satisfied with the day trip. Our group split up and we all wandered about for a little while longer. My sickness took control of me again and my body forced me to lie down. My choice of bed... an old closed down store with empty tables set up. Nice soft plywood tables in the middle of Agua Azul for all tourists to look and laugh. If only they knew how I was feeling. I passed out and my friends left me there to sleep while they searched for the rest of the group because it was time to go.

Although it was only a short 4 hours in Agua Azul, it was by far one of the greatest sites in Mexico. It might not be as meaningful as ancient ruins, or taste as good as mole enchiladas, but it was a different type of Mexico that not everyone gets to see. A beautiful jungle full of life and vibrant blue waterfalls. Something every person deserves to see.

San Cristobal De Las Casas

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 27 May 2010 05:18:00 +0000

San Cristobal - Romantic Mexican town 7000ft up in the mountains of Chiapas

After the most beautiful bus ride across Mexico from the state of Veracruz to Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, I finally arrived in San Cristobal de Las Casas... at midnight. I quickly got on the Internet, found a hostel, and heard warnings of taxi's trying to rip you off by taking you to the wrong hostel so I began walking. 20 or so blocks later, I realized I was lost so I gave the hostel a quick phone call. Finally, a bed and a city with temperatures below 90 degrees.

Rolling out of bed around 11am, I began meeting other travelers and searching out good places to eat. I realized the 20 blocks I walked the night before were all gorgeous and felt a little similar to Guanajuato, one of my favorite cities. There were more gringos on the streets here than any other city I had been to (not necessarily something I love) and eventually I realized San Cristobal was the last pit-stop for people heading down to Guatemala. Overall a good first impression of the city.

Over the next few days, I wandered through the markets and even ventured off of the beaten path to see the city from a locals perspective. It was a bit discouraging, the people working the beautiful town are all very poor. I had heard of a small Indian village called San Juan Chamula that was supposed to be a unique experience. I ventured out with my friend Sam on my first colectivo ride (community taxi vans). We piled in the van and then picked up more people on the way to give us a comfortable 5 people to a 3 person seat. Arriving in San Juan Chamula, we thought we had missed something. What was so great that we needed to head out there? It was dirty, the market was weak at best, the chapel was under construction, we couldn't take pictures and there was nothing we wanted to take pictures of. Everyone looked unhappy and it was probably because there was only one store with a cold beer available. Maybe I missed the point, but San Juan Chamula was a waste of my time. It was just a really poor and dirty version of San Cristobal.

Friends at the hostel turned out to be a big group of English dudes and several other mixed nationality travelers. To start the first night off right, we decided a proper Foosball tournament with a 10 peso buy in was necessary. Although I beat my first opponent 10-0, the second match got the best of me at 6-4. It was great fun and got the entire hostel involved which always helps to break the ice and meet new people.

After a couple days of good fun, several of the English guys started getting sick. We had all planned to travel to Palenque together on a night bus leaving at 1am and getting in at 7am. As they all started feeling better, whatever they had hit me hard on the last day. I had a horrible fever and flu and won't go into any dirty details. I had no bed to rest on since we checked out in order to leave to Palenque so I just had to sit and wait until the bus. 1am finally came around and I had the worst bus ride of my life. Between constant chills, having to use the buses bathroom while maneuvering sharp turns, and not being able to sleep, I arrived in Palenque a complete mess.

3 days later, I was back in San Cristobal on my way out west to Puerto Escondido. I thought I was feeling a little better so I booked my next overnight (12 hour) bus trip for the next night and headed off to bed. The flu came back strong that night and I hadn't felt that sick in many years. A larger Mexican man who was snoring all night on the bed next to me didn't help me to sleep but in the morning informed me he was a doctor. After a few questions about my symptoms, he had written me a prescription to go pick up at the pharmacy. Once I got the drugs in my body, I finally began to feel better. I rescheduled my bus for the next night and got a good night sleep for the first time in several days.

La Quemada Ruins

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 11 May 2010 01:09:00 +0000

Day Trip To La Quemada Ruins, Zacatecas

Just outside of Zacatecas is where you can find some jaw-dropping Aztec ruins. Standing from below looking up or above looking down, these captivating ruins provided amazing views and a fun day trip outside of the city.

The vague and mysterious history allow you to imagine your own idea of what daily life was like in La Quemada. They had the traditional ball court, a few pyramid styled structures, many houses, roads, and what seemed to be a fortress. Seeing as it was elevated on a hill, I imagined it was a fortress defending against numerous other local tribes attempting to gain power.

The wind was blowing at nearly 40 mph when my friend and I began hiking up the hill. I attempted to climb a few of the ancient structures and realized it required extensive balance with the powerful wind nearly throwing me off. I nervously climbed back down just to move on to the next fun building to climb.

The stairs were extremely steep and tall. Think about doing high steps for every stair and barely making it. Now from my personal experience, I'm fairly sure indigenous Mexicans are quite short. It is amazing they were able to walk up and down the stairs on a daily basis without tumbling down.

No Hay Cambio

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 21:44:00 +0000

Rant - Getting Change in Mexico

You want a pack of gum and only have a 200 peso bill to pay with... you are out of luck. No hay cambio!!! They couldn't even change a 100 peso bill last night. Who is hoarding all of the change in Mexico? I'm sure the answer is out there somewhere but I haven't a clue.

What I do know is that when I try and buy a bottle of water, the only money I have is what I just took out of the ATM machine, and the cashier looks at me like I'm an idiot offering her a 100 peso bill. Now imagine the look I get when I pull out the 500 peso bill, it is as if I just punched the cashier in the gut by the look on their face. Look people, I don't have exact change or else I would have given it to you. Don't get upset with me because you gave all your change to some banker who left you only with 500 peso bills, maybe you should hold onto some of those coins next time.

This is not a once-a-week occurrence, this is a 3-4 times per day occurrence. I am not getting paid in small bills by anyone, I am taking out cash from the Santander ATM machines. I even learned to trick the ATM machines now in order to receive just one 50 peso bill! Instead of the standard $2,000 peso transaction, I enter a custom amount of $1,950 to prevent the ATM machine from simply giving me four 500 peso bills. Even with this trick, I feel like I am fighting every cashier I run into. Well don't expect me to forfeit, I will buy my pack of gum somewhere else if I have to and you will lose my business.

Feria de San Marcos

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 17:59:00 +0000

Aguascalientes, Mexico: Feria de San Marcos 2010

A tip from a friend in Guadalajara led me to what would turn out to be four crazy nights at the largest fair in Mexico. Feria de San Marcos draws over one million people annually and takes place on 4km of pathway through the city. People from all of Mexico know this is the one party they can't miss every year. Now I do too. Bull fights, cockfights, rodeos, dancing, live bands everywhere, concerts, theater, and michiladas are just a few of the exciting things going on. You can't help yourself but to dance all the way down the main boulevard with live banda music cranking on every corner. The smell of tacos, gringas, and hot dogs wrapped in bacon fill the air which is necessary to cover up the smell of one million visitors.

View from The Roof

The people in town were lively, beautiful, and smiling continuously. I have never seen so many people so happy to bump elbows and spill drinks squeezing through a stampede of wannabe charros, Mexican families, borrachos, and Latina girls trying to dance in the crowd. You couldn't help yourself but to smile right along, even if that guy just stepped on your toe and then you fell over onto his son that was too short to even be seen at the party. I don't know one party in the US where so many people can cram into a small place and keep a smile on their face. Try NYC on New Years Eve, or Mardi Gras in New Orleans, or any local fair. Too many people stresses everyone out. Not in Aguascalientes, the more the merrier and everyone is stress free.

Full orchestra Banda music

Casino cops said goodbye and they opened the tables to some proper poker, streets were marked to allow alcohol in public, and night-clubs put the same 15 song playlist on repeat. That must be the right mix for getting people to have fun until the break of dawn. Banda and mariachi bands were waiting to sing the night away for a few pesos, and the people were willing to sing and dance right along with them. Even I jumped in tune on a few songs after a couple spicy michiladas with clamato. Despite numerous clubs open for partying, plenty of people were satisfied socializing in the midst of the madness. Bumping shoulders was the easiest ice-breaker, and sharing a sip of your beer was necessary in order to reduce the excursions to the beer stands and Oxxo.

My Aguascalientes Family

The night was alive, and it never stops. Three continuous weeks of Feria de San Marcos and all the beautiful people that come to visit is something everyone must experience. Randomly running into people you know from far away places, meeting new friends to share the fun with, and simply enjoying the presence of friendly strangers creates the perfect party atmosphere.

Modelo can made for La Feria de San Marcos

A special thanks goes out to Rodrigo, who allowed me to surf his couch and show me around the fair. You are a great friend and I will see you again soon. To Gina, thanks for being my daytime chauffeur. You are a lot of fun and I enjoyed our adventures. And too all the other friends I met, thanks for showing me what Aguascalientes is all about. Muchos abrazos y besos!

My friend Chuey who I worked with in Los Angeles and randomly met in the bathroom at La Feria de San Marcos

Fusilado Anniversary

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 01:40:00 +0000

Fusilado Mezcal Bar - Valenciana, Guanajuato

Struggling to make the best of my day, I finally rolled out of bed, checked e-mails and figured out where the heck I was headed. My friend had told me to meet her at some random bar 10 minutes outside of Guanajuato. Turns out it was no random bar at all, it was one of the greatest nights I've had in Mexico.

The taxi had not heard of the bar called Fusilado, but he knew where Valenciana was and once we arrived he helped me ask the locals where it was. Out of 10 people, only one had actually heard of the place that was literally only 150 ft away from where we were standing. It was obviously not a locals bar. I wandered over, met someone standing outside (because the place was completely packed), and asked if he knew who Jess was. Jess is my friend from San Diego who is also a fellow Mexico addict and lived in Guanajuato for four years. He knew exactly who she was and I squeezed inside to say hello and began meeting one person after the other. Most of the names have since left my memory, but a few people especially stuck out. Camelo, Kent, and Alan were running the show. This is their bar and have been here a while employing and partying with fellow travelers who wander in.

Turns out that I was 15 minutes too late to the party. I just missed the burros races which literally was people on the backs of some donkey's racing down the cobblestone road. The only person to be booted off by one of the burros was my friend Jess, which made for a good laugh or two at her expense. I was just on time for the next special event though, and we were fairly warned before knowing what was happening that it would be "sexy peligrosa" (dangerously sexy) show. That was an understatement. Music turns on to provide the beat and out comes a beautiful girl dressed in tights twirling balls of fire around in a very sexy and dangerous manner. She was truly talented and the entire audience was struggling to pick their jaws up off the floor.

The show ended and everyone crammed back inside. I wasn't up for the close quarters inside so I remained out front mingling with fellow travelers, students, and Kent. Next thing I knew, everyone inside was screaming. I peak inside to witness the eight year old son of one of the bar owners' friends was on the counter dancing for the crowd. He was quite the dancer too, definitely impressed all the ladies their that night. After everyone got excited from the 8 year old's dance moves, they started hollering at the guys to go "shirts-off". I luckily was outside and saved everyone from having to see my belly, but several other guys were not as lucky (or maybe several girls were very lucky, depending on how you look at it). Unfortunately for them, it was cold outside and Kent was obviously in a bit of pain drinking mezcal with no shirt on. No one would let them put their shirts back on, so they had to toughen up to party the rest of the night. Once again, sexy-peligrosa was the theme of the night and remained that way until the end.

After a long night of festivities, the guys found one last bit of energy to do their traditional Sunday buffet. I saved up my appetite by not eating a single thing until the buffet started at 6pm and it was to die for. Good ol' fashioned barbecue with all types of meat, salad, fruit, mashed potatoes, serrano peppers stuffed with cheese, burgers, etc. After four plates full, I think I reached my limit. For 60 pesos, that was by far the best bang for your buck (when you eat as much as I did). It tasted great, we had great company on the rooftop of the bar, and the food filled a desperate need for recovery from the previous nights anniversary party.

Thank you to everyone at Fusilado. You were a great crowed and I hope to run into you again someday. To Jess, it was great seeing you and thanks for turning me on to such an amazing bar. To Kent, Camelo, and Alan, you guys are great and I will be back soon enough to party some more. Those Mezcal runs sound amazing, I will make a point to jump on one soon. Cheers go out to the French girls and girls from Eugene. Thanks for the show fire-dancing sexy-peligrosa girl and Kevin bar dancing boy. Salud!

Las Momias de Guanajuato

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 18:27:00 +0000

Hanging out with some mummies... creepy!

The first stop getting into Guanajuato was to find the creepy mummies we had heard about. I hadn't read up on them much before but have seen some pretty gnarly photos. We both convince them we are students to save a few pesos and we quickly entered the museum to do the 10 minute walk around and snap some photos. It was interesting to see, but I don't think I will be going back.

The museum houses fully intact mummies including the worlds smallest, worlds most intact, worlds youngest, etc. There was not enough space in a nearby grave to they began moving some graves only to find that they buried were perfectly mummified. Guanajuato immediately opened up a museum for all to witness the all natural mummies. There wasn't much to the museum besides a faint smell of death and numerous mummies lit up in a way that enhanced their creepy factor.

For some reason each of the mummies had a facial expression of extreme pain and torture, yet these people were all dug up out of a grave site where I am fairly certain they weren't buried alive. Most of them seemed as if they were screaming sometime after they had passed away. That was the first creepy observation.

Next up, the children. This museum houses the worlds smallest mummy and I am pretty sure it is because the mother and child died in birth and were buried together. A tough scene to look at for sure. Several babies with a look of pain on their face was by far the best/worst part of the museum.

Already a bit weirded out by the presentation of the dead, the museum went as far as to give fictional names and personalities to many of their mummies. A short reading gave you their name, place of birth, age, profession, cause of death, and one half-comical joke about what they are currently thinking about. It was a mix between comical relief and simply lack of respect for the dead. I felt awful while I was laughing out loud.

Guanajuato Experience

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 23:47:00 +0000

My Love For Guanajuato

I am living it up in Guanajuato as I am typing this and the days/weeks are beginning to blur together. I have Latin pop songs pumping through my head and I think my heartbeat is in sync with mariachi. $375 monthly rent all inclusive apartment is ever so tempting. The vibrant houses, ancient chapels on every corner, and 4 peso (about $.30) tamales make Guanajuato one of my favorite places in Mexico so far. The random dog on a roof barking furiously, a bit of sewage smell in the underground tunnels, and diesel buses flying past on the streets barely big enough to walk on; it all seems beautiful in this charming silver mining town. The Mexican reggae bar with overly friendly staff full of energy bring the city to life at night. For breakfast, 25 pesos seals the deal on a three course meal of fruit, chilaquiles, and fresh bread. The cool breeze, bright sun, blue sky, and puffy white clouds bring me back as close as possible to the perfect Encinitas weather without the May Grey and June Gloom. Of course, I miss the Pacific ocean and my blood requires salt water to keep pumping. I guess I will have to leave this dreamy town. For now, off to a Mezcal bar and burros races.

Surf Trip Day Five - Eight: Rio Nexpa

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 20:06:00 +0000

Actual Travel Date: April 3 - 6

Days in paradise began blurring together. Surfing in the morning, delicious cheap food and palomas the rest of the day combined with beautiful sunsets and an amazing beach created the perfect place to relax for several days. Instead of one post per day, I will try to sum it all up into one as best as possible and hopefully keep the order of events accurate.

Unfortunately the second night was still crowded so the four of us guys had to squeeze into the small cabana one more time. Abe won the single bed that night so I was back in bed with a Canadian. Ean was satisfied with his air mattress, especially since there were no other guys sleeping next to him. The cabin got a bit steamy and rotten smelling but with the window open and fan blowing it wasn't too bad for getting a decent nights sleep. We were definitely looking forward to private beds the next night.

The south swell was still holding so the morning surf was great. I eventually figured out the spot I liked and how to drop in on some of these bigger waves which made for a couple great sessions on my boogie. The wave was too crowded and even some local kids around the age of 12 paddled out on boogies and were jumping in on waves. Pretty impressive especially since they weren't using any fins. Despite the crowd, everyone was super chill and there were enough waves to go around, even for a bodyboarder.

We arrived in town with very little cash and immediately asked where the nearest Cajero (ATM machine) was at. A one hour drive to Lazaro Cardenas! We were sick of driving but didn't have enough to last us so we piled up after surfing and headed into town. It turned out to be a nice drive that stayed right on the coast with a decent view of several bays that looked enticing. We grab the cash, load up on necessities such as paloma ingredients, tortillas, avocado, and tons of water to prevent another trip back into town.

We get back to Nexpa and head down to play some billiards on a couple tables that had been very weathered in the open air restaurant. After loosing a bet wagering breakfast the next day, I reluctantly made another bet for a round of beers at the bar and luck turned my way. We let the next group take the table and quickly introduced ourselves some locals playing craps in Spanish. None of us knew how to play, especially not in Spanish but we gave it our best shot. It took way too long for the locals to explain and I think I may have accidentally cheated but it was still good fun. The rest of the guys called it a night and I hung out talking with some locals. The tide had been creeping up on us and we were sitting at a table on the patio when a large shore-break wave crashed only a few feet away and it felt like I was back in Sea World again getting splashed by Shamu. My entire pants were soaked and luckily my cell phone was in my left pocket a little protected from the water or I would have been at a huge loss. Coincidentally, the large shore-break brought with it several hermit crabs that seemed to frighten all of the local girls so I thought it would be funny to throw a couple at them... my evil sense of humor at play.

After surfing the next morning, it was time to look for a two-story cabana right on the beach. We each split up and looked for the best deal but it turns out Beto had the best offer especially since he was willing to trade the boogie board for one of the nights. We negotiate a price of 400 pesos a night for the big cabana on the beach and were thankful to finally have a proper toilet, shower, kitchen, and hammock along with 4 private beds! You have no idea how good that felt.

Just two doors down from our cabana was a sweet little restaurant with a small family running the joint. I asked for several items on the menu and kept getting the response that they were all out of what I wanted. All they had were homemade enchiladas for $45 pesos and that sounded perfect. While I was waiting I also ordered some guacamole not realizing what I was getting myself into. The enchiladas finally arrived after about 45 minutes and once I was completely stuffed and satisfied the guacamole arrived with a basket of crunchy tortillas. This wasn't just a bowl of guacamole, it was a giant plate that could easily have been an entire meal. I needed to call Abe over to help finish it off because I didn't want to waste the quality guac. After eating at the restaurant a couple more times and talking with some of the locals, I come to realize that in Rio Nexpa, the average wait for a decent home cooked meal is one hour. You definitely needed to place the order before you were hungry, because waiting until the last minute would leave you stranded sipping on palomas with no food in your belly. At least we had paradise surrounding us while we waited, it made it all seem just right.

We were quick to introduce ourselves to the neighbors and offer to combine bonfires that night to save money and create a more festive event. When we finally wandered over to sit down, we realized that we were hanging out with a giant group of young Mexican lesbians. I'm not complaining, but it was definitely not what we expected but anything is better than Ean dancing with a giant group of Gay Mexicans a couple nights before.

Semana Santa finally came to an end and people cleared out of town. It was just us and the group of Lesbian girls left to party at the bonfire along with a couple random gringos that were staying down the beach a way. Despite clearing out, the waves were still crowded but as I said before, there were enough "holas" (waves) for everyone. I was a bit too tired and relaxed to jump in the water for the long paddle out into the crowds on the last day so I gave Beto my boogie that I traded for the room night. He also bought Abe's fins and planned on renting them out to make a little extra cash on the side. We slowly but surely packed up our bags for the last time, chilled in the hammock one last time, drank one more ice cold caguama, and ate a good sized breakfast of eggs, beans, chilaquiles, and homemade tortillas that were to die for (and took an hour to prepare). A very relaxed ending to a 10 day trip that was both wild and relaxing, basically how my entire trip in Mexico can be summed up. It was great traversing the central Mexico coast with three great friends that I don't get to see often now that I live in Mexico. Thanks for coming down guys, it was a blast. And to Abe, thanks for handling that mini-van like no soccer mom has ever done before.

Surf Trip Day Four: Pascuales to Nexpa

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 19:47:00 +0000

Actual Travel Date: April 2

I Wake up early, watch the surf and amazing sunrise, then get back in bed for another hour of sleep. I finally got the energy up to head out for the morning surf and it was my worst session yet. Only one wave and lost one of Ean's fins for good. Luckily Abe had one more pair but I didn't want to take a chance of losing one of those so I didn't paddle back out. Abe and Ean were getting some sweet waves so they surfed for a few hours. We had some amazing chilaquiles for dirt cheap, said goodbye to our new friends, and loaded up the mini-van. We once again thank Abe for being the soccer mom and driving us all around.

The drive was beautiful, winding through the tropics and peeking out at the coast whenever possible. Unfortunately, winding through the tropics meant an abundance of curvas peligrosas (dangerous curves). It slowed our speed down a bit, but Abe was peddle to the metal on some and made for an exhilarating ride to say the least. Hundreds more Topes (speed bumps) made for a bit of a longer ride as well. We ended up with a nail in the tire so stopped by in a small town to get it repaired. The town was made up of only the tire shop and tienda next door but we were lucky because many shops were closed that day for Semana Santa. On top of muchos Topes y Curvas Peligrosas, there were a few tricky construction zone. We would be driving straight ahead and without warning we would be heading directly into oncoming traffic. Turns out the built the road and connecting the south lane to the north lane so you needed to quickly maneuver to the right to get back on track. This was by far the craziest and scariest part of the trip. It happened three or four times and two of them were very close calls with oncoming traffic. Sure does keep you on your toes. Aside from the danger zones, the drive was beautiful and offered some amazing views of small beach villages below.

We finally make it to the dirt road heading into Nexpa. Not very long, but pretty gnarly and almost 4WD qualifying. Our minivan rocked it though. We parked and started looking for rooms. Unfortunately it was still Semana Santa and a weekend so there was nothing left. We split up and when we were about to resort to sleeping in the van, I found a small cabana with no bathroom or kitchen and only two beds. I think we paid 300 pesos for the one night when usually this room would go for 150 pesos. On top of that, the public shower had no water left so we just accepted there would be no showers that night. We made ourselves at home and took out our traditional lunch, dinner, and every snack in between: avocado and salsa tacos and fresh mangoes that were to die for. I don't really even like mangoes, but I loved these! For a beverage, we of course poured a few more Palomas.

The surf was big here. Large, peeling lefts that could go on for what seemed like a lifetime. I had a tough time catching the waves the first night, but knew the next few days would be a blast. After a long day, I was exhausted. Ean had a good air mattress so he was on the floor and the rest of us left it to rock paper scissors to determine who got to sleep solo that night. I won, and I never got out of that bed. While I was down for the count, the other guys headed out to do a stroll down the beach and check out the bonfires. Turns out they found a group of gay Mexican's dancing in speedos and thought it would be appropriate to do a little dancing themselves and take some photos. See below, the man in the yellow shorts is in fact a straight white guy if you couldn't tell. I think the gay dancing wore them out so they came back and crashed for the night.

Surf Trip Day Three: Barra De Navidad to Pascuales

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 04:24:00 +0000

Actual Travel Date: April 1

6:40am, Abe's alarm goes off so we can get in an early surf session. First task, get the car out of the hotel parking lot where we were blocked in by two other cars. I warned them we would be leaving early the night before but Abe still had to argue to get our car out of the parking lot. Pretty sure that hotel hates us despite doing nothing wrong. We jump in the van and head out to a spot that was supposed to pick up the south swell filling in. It was a 10 minute drive out of town and another 10 minute drive on an unkempt dirt road through the forest to get us out to the point. Finally we arrive and after checking every possible surfable area, we didn't see a single wave. Either bad directions or the waves just weren't working that day, we were headed back to the hotel. We quickly checked the surf in town and decided to hit the road straight for Pascuales.

The road was one of the best we would encounter on the trip. A two lane cuota (toll road) with little traffic driving along the coast. One quick checkpoint to search our car for drugs was the only hold up. It's always a bit awkward when you are having a friendly conversation with the military and they look at you with a smile and ask in Spanish (even though the speak English) if I had smoked any mota. I smile back and say "of course not". They must have a huge success rate of acting extremely friendly in order to get the truth out. Just smile back and say no.

After a couple hours on the road we get into town, jump out to check the surf, and immediately jump in the water to surf. The waves were powerful, fast, barrelling, lefts and rights. This was the first wave in my life I was a bit nervous about and I was only on a bodyboard. I jump in, paddle out, and lose both of my fins when a wave pounded me. Luckily, they float. I found one and was able to kick out a little farther to catch what was probably the best wave I have ever dropped in on. Took it in and found the second fin floating up on shore. Put it on, and paddled back out to catch four more waves which were gnarly and sure got my blood pumping. By far the only time in my life I was satisfied just to catch five waves.

We grabbed the last hotel room in town (only a couple hotels) and wished we would have had tents to pitch instead. 15 hotel rooms on the beach but over 200 people with tents all over the place. After recouping from the surfing, we cruise down the beach to see what this town is all about. Small restaurants, hammocks, tents, cocos frios, buckets of Sol, waves, and that was about it. Just what we wanted. We had two SD lifeguards in our group so befriending the local guards was quick and easy. Lifeguards all know that many Mexicans do not know how to swim let alone know what attire to wear in the water so they are a risky group of people to watch over. Throw some enormous pounding waves and rip currents in the mix and you have a serious situation on your hands. Many people drown every year in Mexico and specifically in Pascuales so when we saw their lifeguards only had a small makeshift tent, no fins, and one buoy for 3 guards to save people it made quite an impression. The guy had guts, that's for sure. Abe generously gave him a pair of the fins we were travelling with but not using in hopes that it would make their job a bit easier and safer, but they are still a long way from that.

The lifeguard we met wanted to hang out that night and we had no idea what was going on. He seemed like a cool guy, especially after Abe gave him some expensive fins. We told him to come back around 9pm after we grabbed some dinner and went coco hunting. And that is just what we did. Turns out that San Diegans just aren't meant to knock down coconuts. The Canadian however, made it look easy and quickly had six coconuts for us to smash and crack open for the fresh juice and meat inside. All this was happening just on the beach in a grove of coconut palms watching the sun set. The perfect start for a fun evening.

Nightlife in Pascuales? None unless you are there during Semana Santa... then there is a random huge party for everyone on the beach with a stage and live band. Our lifeguard buddy met us at the hotel and we jumped in the van thinking it was too far to walk. As we are turning onto the road toward the party, we are stopped short by police helping out at a traffic accident. We turn back around and wait until they would let us pass and when we did it was obvious that the man who crashed on the motorcycle had died in this accident. Sort of a downer, but nothing we could do about it now. We drive down the road literally 1-2 minutes and realize we should have walked. The party was huge, random, fun, outdoors with a cool ocean breeze, and everyone in town was there! Pascuales is small, and this was obviously the only party going on that night. We were lucky enough to meet the entire crew of Sol (the beer) girls hanging out at the party until their "manager" required they all go to bed. Met a few more locals, wandered around and pretended to dance a bit, then made the walk back on the beach when the party shut down. Met some new friends on the half mile walk back and ended up hanging out with them until 2 or 3 in the morning before calling it a night. Although I was speaking half Spanish and half English, I am fairly certain my Spanish speaking exponentially decreases after midnight. I should just start going to bed at 12 every night and prevent embarrassment. First day with huge surf in a small town was a blast and I will definitely be going back to Pascuales.

Surf Trip Day Two - Punta De Mita to Barra de Navidad

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 18:17:00 +0000

Actual Travel Date: March 31

After a long night in Sayulita, the goal of waking up early didn't happen. We strolled out of bed and were very surprised by the complimentary breakfast being served. This wasn't your typical cheap bimbo toast and coffee breakfast. Waffles, pancakes, juice, good coffee, multi-vitamins (I need as many as I can get), and that all comes with the friendly hospitality of the managers. Staying at SurfariMex Surf Inn was an great decision, the most chill and relaxing rooms with nice beds, colorful paint, clean bathrooms, Mexican style tile, and surf themed. Just remember, you will need that Oxxo kid to find it for you.

We jumped in the water for a quick surf session but everyone was a bit tired. It was fun but we were ready to head south for some of the bigger south swell filling in. Back to the blue water grill for 4 of the most delicious fresh fish tacos I have ever eaten. The owner was there and we were able to pick his brain about what spots we should stop at. He had done safari tours for 10 years and knew every surf point imaginable. One place we kept hearing about tough was Nexpa. This mystery beach that was supposed to have great surf on a south swell.

We load up, say goodbye to SurfariMex, and hit up the old lady for more gas to get us into a town that actually has a PEMEX. We also needed to go through town to find a MEGA store that supposedly sold a half decent boogie (for myself). Abe brought me fins, but I needed a bodyboard. We load up on groceries, a $45 boogie, and drive right through the tourist mecca of Puerta Vallarta. After we pass through Vallarta, the TOPES! (speed bumps) got really serious. Big, small, drop offs, paint, no paint, just one or maybe 5 in a row, you never knew. We were lucky to see a sign or be behind someone who we could watch hit one really hard then we would slow down. These aren't just in this stretch of road, they are all over Mexico. We just really began to notice the task of overcoming them. We were all very thankful Abe wanted to drive the whole way, I would have been very frustrated. One advantage of topes, we were able to pass cars while they were taking the topes slowly.

We got in to Barra de Navidad too late to even try to surf but it looked like a fun little town. A great walking avenue on a man made jetty full of cools shops and restaurants. A small island with a luxury resort across the way. We mix up some palomas and head out into the small town to see what is happening. We heard the Piper Lover bar was supposed to have a good atmosphere with live music. We were a bit surprised to find 10-15 expats all over the age of 50 listening to a sort of comedic blues band. My favorite tune played was the "Chocolate Chip Cookie Blues" [short video coming soon]. We have one beer and are basically ready to call it a night.

On the way back I see 20 local kids hanging on a wall drinking michiladas that looked delicious. I asked them where to find the best ones, and they offered me a sip of theirs to determine if it is what I wanted. We couldn't resist, we head down to the local stand making very fresh michiladas and I order with clamato and a little spicy. We take them to a wall on the beach and try to take a picture that makes us looks like ghosts. [look at the top photo on this post] Can you see us? It worked out pretty cool. After that, we dreadfully went to the room realizing that 4 large guys were sharing two not so large beds. I was lucky, I got to sleep with the Canadian that night.

Surf Trip Day One - Guadalajara to Punta de Mita

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 18:37:00 +0000

Actual Travel Date: March 30

The boys arrive in town the night of March 29 and we were ready to hit the road the next day. First stop, rental car. We had a reservation for a mid-size car for a decent price but when the truth came out, they wanted to tack on taxes increasing the price 25%. Ean had done a little price check with another rental shop and we for the same exact price were scored a sweet mini-van that later proved to be exactly what we needed. We took out the middle seats, Abe posted up as driver, me as the passenger, and the kids in the backseat partying everywhere we went.

We hit the road around 1pm and I knew that we needed to make the drive before the sun set or it would be too difficult to see through the windy mountains. There is a toll road almost the entire way, but we stopped off quickly in Tequila (missed our turn and decided it would be a fun detour). No tours for us, but we managed to find some large agave plants just off the road and stopped to have a little fun. Not sure if I should post this photo, but I figure it will get some laughs out of a few of you.

We jumped back on the toll road and let Abe work his driving magic through the mountains. There were few opportunities for an "easy" pass of the semi-truck or bus in front of you so many dangerous moves were made. On top of that, Mexico seems to think putting the dotted street lines (signifying a safe pass zone) just before a turn or a slight hill that you couldn't see over. A few very close calls, but we made it out in one piece. 5-6 hours later (because of Semana Santa traffic), we arrive in Punta de Mita with little cash and no gas. We made the mistake of thinking Punta de Mita would have a gas station. Lucky for us, there was an Oxxo with an ATM, some chips, and a kid. Yes, a 10 year old (at most) kid who looks like he runs the town. We had no idea where to get gas or where our hotel was at, so I squeezed in the backseat with Ean and Neil and this kid took control of the directions. First stop, an old women and her jugs of gas to get us through the day.

Next up, find the hotel. We had a reservation for one room at the SurfariMex Surf Inn. The kid didn't know of it (probably because the name recently changed) but after asking a few people he got us there just in time. The manager was just loading up to go surfing and so we dropped our bags off and headed out with her for the first session of the trip. A bit of a crowded wave with people learning to surf, but the left went into a reef that scared some away so we hung out on that wave. It felt amazing to get into the water, with only board shorts on! Super warm weather and water watching the sunset, basically perfect. The managers were extremely friendly, very helpful, and the hotel was exactly what we needed.

After surfing, we needed some food and heard of this place serving the best fish tacos around. It was called the Blue Water Grill and yes, they have the best fish tacos I have ever had. San Diego has nothing on these tacos. In fact, the owner is part owner of one of the more famous San Diego spots in OB, but his tacos were better down here. The setting was surreal: amazing fish tacos, ice cold beer, solo guitar player jamming up on stage, small pangas parked on the dock, lights shimmering off the water, all just after a fun surf session. This must be heaven for Jimmy Buffet.

We had heard a lot about the town of Sayulita, just 10 minutes north. It was already late, but I had a fellow traveler friend up there that wanted to party so we jumped in the mini-van and headed up there. We met my friend at the Rubber Duck bar where it was open mic night so everyone showed up with an instrument and a voice to jam. One talented girl jumped up and belted out a few songs to show off her amazing voice. Besides the music though, the scene was a bit dead. People just standing around, no dancing, very little talking, and no mingling amongst groups. We were about to leave, because it had been a long day. My friend said check out one more place to see if there was something fun going on and turns out it was exactly what we wanted. We hit up Oxxo, made some Paloma's and sat on the beach for about 30 minutes until we were ready to go back to the club.

After the club everyone in Sayulita went to the after hours bar to hang out. It was a long fun night and moral of the story, it was great having a Canadian with us that night. Well that was until his shirt was ripped off by a Canadian girl thinking she was funny. It made for some great laughs and even better pictures.

Surf Trip

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 18:21:00 +0000

Just stopping in to let everyone know Internet access is hard to come by around here and cost money. I will not have another blog post until Wednesday when I am back in Guadalajara. Right now my 3 friends and I are cruising the beaches of the Mexican pacific looking for waves. We finally found them in a small little village that is as close to heaven as you can get on this earth. Just to keep you hanging on until I get back to write about the adventure, here is just one picture to summarize the trip. Hope everyone is doing well, keep in touch!

Traveler's Pack of Cigarettes

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 01:55:00 +0000

I'm not a smoker. Sometimes I even forget I am smoking a cigarette and not a cigar. But when I am travelling, a pack of cigarettes is sometimes the best tool you have for meeting people. The evil little death sticks turn out to bring good fortune when in a social setting. Here are some reasons why these chemical killers are helpful:

The easiest ice breaker line in history... "Do you have a cigarette" or "Can I bum a cigarette". All of a sudden, you have permission to start a conversation with that person.
When you have a pack of cigarettes, you can share one with a stranger who would like one. That person is now just slightly indebted to you. Even more so if you pull out the much needed fire and help the person light theirs as well.
When you offer someone a cigarette, there is a good chance that person will want to smoke it while you smoke one yourself. This provides a few minutes of quality time to get to know each other. Hopefully by the end you have created a bond that allows for easy going conversation the rest of the night and possibly even meeting up in the future.
Although extremely superficial, the act of smoking gives you a sort of "coolness" about you. A relaxed, cool, carefree, and fun image is automatically given to you by that little cancer stick. Imagery of course instilled in our minds from marketing campaigns, but it is there nonetheless. Of course, not in the eyes of an anti-smoker, but then again you probably aren't smoking with them anyways.
The act of giving something to someone for free no matter how small and insignificant it is still makes someone happy. The recipient will always be thankful. And if it is the last cigarette in your pack that you offer them, that is a huge gesture!
Karma! When you give something away, eventually it will come back your way. One day you will be the person asking for a smoke, and someone will be there to give it to you.

Despite all of those great benefits, I am still not a smoker. I do smoke a few while travelling and once in a while buy a pack to share with people. Back at home, I don't think I can ever pick up that habit but I don't really need an ice breaker back home anyways.

Top photo source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lanier67/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0