Richard's jaunt

Saturday, November 27, 2004

Southern Mexico

After Oaxaca I caught the second class bus over the winding mountain roads to Puerto Escondido to chill out by the beach. The journey was great, window open, breeze streaming across my head as I dozed, smelling the flowers and the wood smoke from the little villages. Traveled through the clouds, the hills swathed in forest and the high sun refracting through the cracked and broken windows of the bus. The only unharmonious thing was every time the bus braked the seats became detached, which was a tad surprising when you are half asleep.

The hostel was pretty good in Puerto Escondido, its own pool, four different beaches to walk to. Topped up the tan and played in the waves. The ocean waves are pretty tough here and picked up a whole new range of bumps and scratches for my endeavors.

The mosquitoes finally drove me away from the coast back into the mountains to some of the best scenery so far to San Cristobal de las Casas. It feels a little dodgy here as there are a lot of troops about, but its worth it. Took a number of microbuses to an amber mine, one of the mountain bus stops resembled something out of a Vietnam movie. A little hill with rising mist, sand bagged position, machine guns and barbed wired trenches. Needless to say I did not hang around too long, but the journey was superb. A random mixture of jungle, tropical forest, clearings of maize, banana trees, orange groves all interspersed with abundant bright flowers. Even the dullest bus stop has huge butterflies lazily flapping around.

As hopefully you can tell Im pretty impressed with this area. Went on another minivan ride to a native church. Outside typical vaulted church, inside no pews or chairs,but the floor was heaped with pine needles. In amongst the pine needles and on every surface were thousands of candles lighting the gloomy interior. There were only two small windows high up in the church which cast light through the plumes of black candle smoke. Family groups were rhythmically chanting. At what would be the alter the priest(?) was curing a sick child with the aid of a chicken. Pretty intense stuff.

Went down a canyon to rival some the best of the US, Cañon del Sumidero. A river fills the canyon bottom from which rises sheer cliff faces not unlike the river sequence in Lord of the Rings. There were iguanas in the trees and crocodiles in the water. Huge numbers of birds skimming the water. It had the most beautiful waterfall. It was almost in slow motion, just more than a broad mist cascading from one moss covered outcrop to the next. The boat maneuvered just below it. The gentle drops of water mixed with polychromatic sun burst was hmmm, just run out of words.

While in San Cristobal stayed in a hostel that was more like a commune, which was really fun. The usual hippy things jugglers, people making and selling jewelry. Communal meal times, everyone would share what ever they had. Which made eating much more fun. The washing up never got done though. One day there was a six foot snake in the chill out room, fortunately somebody warned me first. He was dead friendly very warm and soft to the touch. Apparently it was a passing travelers pet.

Took a hideous bus journey into the jungle to Pelenque. Endless bends, bad driving, no air con and I´m starting to develop a fever. The accommodation was not much better. Got another bus to ruins. I was dead lucky the humidity made everyone look as sickly as me, so no one noticed and I bumped into a really sweet Norwegian girl Id met before. Just for the record in case I am giving the wrong impression. There are a lot of girls traveling and my guess when it gets a bit sketchy or to do some of the things the guide book advises against then the Richard chaperon service comes recommended.

Hows this for service. Most people on the bus saw the waterfall took a nice picture. Now how many people wondered what was behind the waterfall. After getting drenched climbing over slippery rocks there was a tunnel behind the waterfall. Why stop now. By wading and by striding on submerged rocks and judging by the blackness of clear water there were some very deep parts. We eventually came to a large chamberwith a subterranean water fall cascading into it. The only slip up is we disturbed some bats, which I dont mind, but my friend screamed and as we standing on a very small rock we stood a chance of both of us falling into the inky blackness.

We rounded off the day swimming anyway, as it was so hot, in the blue water (literally) of Agua Azul. A series of pools and cascading waterfalls in the jungle.

Monday, November 15, 2004

Mexico City

Well the city is nothing like I expected. I was half inclined to give it a miss. Its brilliant. Its pretty safe, noisy, cheap and totally nuts.

Its a cross between a free festival and say Amsterdam. The city is built on swamp in an earth quake zone so everything is skew, including the skyscrapers, which are far from vertical. This and the fancy architecture gives it an Alice in Wonderland feel. The main square contains marching soldiers, faith healers, various mystics, a couple of troops of Indians vigorously and loudly swirling around, hundreds of market traders which line the adjoining streets for miles. Then add in dozens of swarming bright green VW beetle taxis, it makes it into a fun place.

Just to add more fun a pack of dogs decided to have sex in the middle of the four lane gyratory, so total (if it were possible) chaos ensued.

Hostel is fun, roof garden looks over the city, which is strung with brightly coloured hammocks. Great free breakfast, pancakes, eggs, fresh fruit, toast and proper tea.

I was being dull last night, working on the internet, got to my room at 11 opened the door and was immediately handed a beer and told to join the party. The thing was this was my room. I did a double take, checked the door number, fortunately I knew most of the people, they said they thought I would nt mind, which I suppose I did nt, bit odd though.

Its sometimes difficult to remember this life is not normal. I was relaxing in a hammock thinking all was well. But thinking about it the church bells where going ten to a dozen, pulled by hand so fairly random, God save the Queen was being played loudly by an organ grinder down in the street, MTV was in the bar, while a thousand street vendors where shouting 2 for 10 pesos at the top of their voices. It all seemed normal at the time.

The street markets are insane. Thousands of people jammed into narrow streets all shouting. Add in the smells of numerous tacos being cooked and eaten as you shuffle along. Kids with wheel barrows wheeling through the crowd selling sweets. Vats of chips being fried while being pushed along through the crowd. The odd scooter with a chicito on the back (no helmets of course) and through this madness comes a bus, as they have not shut the road. The best bit is when the cops come along and the traders grab their gear so all the carefully piled merchandise scatters everywhere as they belt up the side streets dragging their gear behind them. Give it two minutes and they all come back again.

Did the cultural stuff, museums, churches and pyramids. All very nice, bit peeved Diago Rivera´s museum was closed for two weeks. I like all the day of the dead stuff lots of skeletons, and strange looking little imps and devils. Bit like Tim Burtons "Nightmare before Christmas", which unsurprisingly is very popular over here.

My stomach sorted itself out. That is until I bought a green taco off an Indian women. I like hot food but the chili sauce near made me go blind. Speaking to a local girl (and they have chili sauce on popcorn) she said the native stuff is too hot for her and generally had a good laugh at my expense.

The thing to look out for is sneaky jalapenos. They usually attack when not expecting it. It was 6am at the bus station and I asked the sandwich lady to make us a cheese sandwich, which was great (tomato, lettuce, advacado and local made cheese, bit like Holumie) and half way through I get a whole mouthful of chills. Not what is needed before a long bus journey. Same happened with the Cornish pasty (Im sure the Cornish gold miners never had chili).

Loads of food here, buy it off the street and its virtually free. Cake shops to die for. You can buy virtually anything here. Each block (and there is a lot in a city of 25million) specializes in a certain product, such as typewriters, wedding cakes, surgical supports. In the pharmacies you can buy full surgical equipment, all kinds of nasty looking stainless steel instruments, a complete range of cutting equipment, plus all the stuff you would find in a Chemistry lab. The mind boggles what they do with it.

Its a shame to leave, but the only downside is the pollution. It is worse than LA and has been catching in the back of the throat.

Friday, November 05, 2004

Northern Mexico (updated 15 Nov)

Bit of an epic journey from Baja and used about every means of transport.

Local bus at 14:00 to ferry terminal and caught the ferry for an easy crossing to the mainland landing at 22:30.
Caught another local bus (1960s, had to stand, bag on roof) from ferry terminal to bus station. Then got ripped off by a taxi driver to a hotel at midnight.

Got up four hours later to get another taxi, as this town was a bit rough, as I usualy use buses. Caught a train at 06:00. This wended its way through rolling green and leafy scenery which could have been England (honest).

The journey was really pretty, waterfalls, mountain passes, numerous tunnels and bridges. Later I met an English railway engineer who told me the bridges were dead dodgy.

It is supposed to be one the worlds top railway journeys. It was supposed to take six hours but instead took thirteen, because it rained!. It was so slow you could watch individual trees pass by. Top train though, restaurant car had booths not seats, the cocktail carriage had a wooden bar that swept in a 4m curve, very Orient Express. We had our own machine gunner as well!

Stayed at Creel for a while did some walking, but it froze at night due to the altitude, so I did not stay long. I picked some berries for a girl to turn into jewelry, which was nice.

Lots of native indians. The women wear some amazing traditional clothing, while the guys are all in Western gear and ride huge beat up pickups. Helped a local guy to move house. Well I asume he was moving house, could be robbing it for all I know.

Up to Chihauhua (bit of a dog, he he) and then to Zacatecas. This is one of my favourite towns ever. Full of winding streets, very little sign of the 20th century, all the buildings are as when Pancho Villa was ripping up the town. Terracota colours, shutters at the windows, a little rounded arch for the door. The only problem is that without shop fronts or signs it is really difficult to find a particular store. You have to peer into each door way, an underwear shop could be next to engineers workshop, next to saddlemakers, or iron mongers (who sell horse shoes!). The bars have swing doors, just like the films, great!

The bedrooms in Mexico use glow in the dark light switches, which I though was a brillient idea.

Currently in Guanajuato, which apart from being very pretty is a big student town and has the usual student facilities. Loads of internet cafes, 10peso an hour and loads of booze. By chance I have bumped into a fellow Scot, so we have had a few drinks! One offer is for 45peso you can get 5 beers or 1lt of Barcadi or 1lt of Taquilla! The exchange rate is 21peso to the quid, so it works out very cheap. I found loads of Mexican beers that dont make it out of Mexico. I dont know whether its the altitude (everywheres over 2000m) or the food but my stomach is far from happy. I think I have been over doing the chilis. They have salsa on their breakfast beans, or it could be the cacti, which I found out today is a laxative (just what I need).

Well off to do some more beer research. Planning to hit the biggest city in world in the next few days.

Just as an aside if you are wondering about my punctuation (though I doubt it) it is because of the Spanish keyboards. No two are the same and to make life more difficult the keys dont match the symbols.

Oh I left town fairly promptly as my Scottish budy after a five am finish, which by the way the club was still full on when we left and there were people in church singing on the way home. Anyway he was keen to be more than a buddy. Im all for new experiences but I think I ll take a rain check on that one.

Went to Morelia, which was a fine town. The only white face in town, but the people were so friendly and keen to catch where I was from. Also went to Patzcuaro, which is a really pretty mountain village next to a huge lake. Took out a boat and went to one of the islands. Lots of water lilies and herons. Sunset was beutiful over the lake, but the mosi´s bit me to death, such is life.