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A Year In Mexico

La Pochota

La Pochota – a kapok tree that has been here since the town was founded in the 16th century

We enjoyed San Cristobal de las Casas so much we ended up staying there for six months. But towards the end it began to feel like we had stayed too long. Eventually we began exploring our next move. When we discovered that some friends from Seattle were going to visit Belize in January, our plans were set.

We spent a few days in Playa del Carmen, then ventured on to Ambergris Caye, the northernmost island of Belize. We spent several days there, then another ten days shared with Rand and Angie.

Then we had a decision to make – what next? Our long-term plans were to go south, but we also knew that it would probably be awhile before we were this close to home again. We also wanted to get a second opinion on repair estimates for Dixie’s MacBook Air. Glenn was also a bit tired after spending a week sick from a cold. On top of all that, Glenn wanted to reconnect with his daughter and see his grandkids for the first time. All of these factors meant that it was time to fly to Texas and see family again.

So we’re back in Texas and reconnecting with a lot of people, trying to get things done. The MacBook repair did not cost us the $850 that the shop in Mexico wanted. As a matter of fact, it ended up costing us ZERO dollars! Our awesome friends Joyce and Steve have very generously lent us a vehicle.

It is taking us a bit to adjust to the different pace here. Oddly enough, we were actually out of the country 360 days! If we had been tracking this we would have waited an extra week just to make it even…

We have lots of pictures and video to process and share, hopefully sooner rather than later.

What is the longest you have been outside of your home country?

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Talking Points!

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spiderBeing on the road, we meet a lot of new and interesting people from all over the world and have precious little time to get to know them, perhaps only the one day or evening to form a friendship. I am, and perhaps you are too, a little shy and often stumped for something to talk about. My culture is prone to be a bit distant and untrusting of new people and so I have always been hesitant to ask anything probing or personal and seem forward and nosy.

So I have been searching, and my favorite advice for getting someone to like you is to be interested in them rather than talking about yourself (thanks to a post by Married with Luggage). That takes the pressure off me to talk and makes the subject something interesting for both of us. I also found a great article from Ash Ambirge at The Middle Finger Project called Your Life In Six Words. As part of a survey of her clients, she asked a series of questions. I am including them here, as well as a small sample of the inspiring answers left by her readers. (For the complete list of answers, read Ash’ article) I think these kinds of questions way trump “where are you from” and “what do you do,” don’t you? And they open up all kinds of possibilities for keeping the convo going beyond small talk about the weather and whether you like this city.

This first one is interesting and fun – quick, six words for your life story! Kind of like a Haiku. What would yours be? Tell me in the comments!

In response to being asked to write a 6-word memoir summing up their lives:

  • Her beautiful mind kept her distant.
  • Took risks, found passion, followed dream.
  • I am still figuring shit out.
  • Took leap of faith, landed spectacularly.
  • Soul searching sentimental crazypants. Dreams big.
  • Wind in her hair, world’s her playground.

In response to what advice they’d give their future children:

  • When you feel safe somewhere, stretch your limits a bit, be a little wild. Then go somewhere new.
  • Love deeply. Laugh often. Find something you love to do. Be conscious. Give back. Send money.
  • Be brave, have heart, do what you love, fuck conventional wisdom.

In response to what one of their greatest unfulfilled dreams is:

  • Tour the world singing jazz.
  • Have a month-long sabbatical in Thailand.
  • Be able to financially support my mother. She was never a mother to me but it isn’t because she didn’t want to be. Her own tormented childhood led her to be eternally 9 years old & she still makes decisions as a child would. Her soul is (ultimately) kind and I want nothing more than to be able to give her a home but most importantly, the peace she’s never been able to give herself. Wow that was intense. But honest. I’m not a fan of phony small talk.

In response to being asked what they believe with all their heart:

  • The world is a beautiful place and all people are basically good.
  • Mistakes are OK, but mediocrity isn’t. Failure to innovate is a death sentence.
  • Life’s too short to do work you hate and art can teach a soul how to sing.

In response to a cause they’re really passionate about:

  • Clean water for 3rd world countries.
  • Creating a safe, accepting and compassionate world for LGBT youth.
  • Animal cruelty and domestic violence. I REALLY wish those two things just didn’t exist.

In response to something they’re most proud of:

  • My three year old daughter. She is so intelligent and bright.
  • Co-writing my uni’s plan to lower carbon emissions.
  • My motorcycle adventures. Vancouver CA to the beaches of Cabo San Lucas.

In response to something they wonder if:

  • My parents will ever move out of South Dakota and into civilization like I did.
  • I should have gotten married at 22.
  • I should just pack it in, move to somewhere with a beach that never gets cold, and just be a bartender and swim in the ocean for the rest of my life.

 

Cheers!

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Palenque – the Star of the Chiapas Maya Show

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Our final day tour began by walking out of our compound and catching a collectivo on the road into the park for 10 pesos. It stopped at the gate, we paid our modest entry fee, and rode on down to the drop-off point several minutes down the road. There we could hire a guide (we did not) to show us around, buy water, food, or souvenirs.

We walked on the nice, easy paths and climbed to the top of many incredible temples at this huge site. There are a lot of vendors here along the paths, but they don’t holler at you or bother you – unless you show interest in something as you walk by. Even with the number of tourists, it is still a fairly serene area. We even spotted several howler monkeys and spider monkeys in nearby jungle trees.

If you follow the signage to see the cascades, you are rewarded with some nice peaceful waterfalls and the almost secret stairs up to the area that has not been cleaned of jungle growth. This was my favorite part, but Loretta opted to wait for me instead of venturing very far in. I wandered among the ruins like an adventurer on discovery. I even wandered down holes and came up on top of small buildings. I only encountered two or three other people in there, and it was fantastic! I sat and listened to the jungle sounds, howler monkeys in the distance, and imagined life back then.

Reluctantly, I emerged from the jungle to join my friend to continue our explorations. What a spectacular day! Enjoy the photos – there are a bunch of them!

 

More pictures from Palenque:

 

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Waterfalls Day!

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If you come to Chiapas, Mexico, all the tour companies have trips to see waterfalls Misol Ha and Aguas Azul. The van dropped us off and said to “walk that way,” come back in an hour. Not sure what we would encounter, we walked. Yes, it was worth it!

Loretta came prepared to experience the waters and swim, so she got the whole wet experience, taking the path up behind the falls. Very wet, windy area from the force of so much water!

Then it was back into the van for the drive to the Cascadas Aguas Azul.

It seems that every brochure or poster for Chiapas has a picture of this gorgeous area. It had been raining quite a bit, so we were warned that the water might be more marron (brown) than azul (blue), but we wanted to see the cascades anyway. If it gets better than this, I don’t know how!

Both of these waterfalls are run by the local indigenous groups, and they live here. Seems that each family has a booth to sell food or crafts. The walkway up to the top of Aguas Azul is long and jam-packed with things for sale, from tasty empanadas to clothing and jewelry to what claimed to be small meteorites.

Many people swim in the pools below the multiple waterfall areas, but the water is ice-cold, so be warned! Loretta was determined to get the most out of her trip and said, “cold, but you get used to it and it’s nice.” I’m not sure I believe her. While I relaxed and read a book, I soaked my feet in the water and they were cold the whole time!

Though both falls areas are popular tourist sites and have many vendors, they have managed a balance that is very enjoyable. I’m very glad we decided to take this tour!

Enjoy the pictures from both our cameras!

More photos from the Waterfalls of Misol Ha:

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Jungle Ancients: Yaxchilan, Bonampak

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We waited in the dark for our tour van, listening to the jungle awaken. Driving as the dawn breaks through the lush countryside was refreshing – until we came upon a terrible rollover accident and we walked near, to be reminded of how fleeting life is. Thankfully, no one died here, and we were only delayed an hour.

Our tour provided breakfast at a little roadside tour restaurant, and we were all ready to chow down before continuing on. Arriving in the area we had to stop and pay a little to the Frontera to pass to the boats. The launch ride of 55 minutes was a gorgeous trip between the jungles of Mexico and Guatemala.

First sighting a tall ruin from the river, the rest of the exploration trek did not disappoint, and we were serenaded by howler monkeys in the high canopy. I find that ruins are best enjoyed in solitude or with a friend, not in crowds, so that I can contemplate and discover in my imagination as well as with my senses. Yaxchilan is large, and we only encountered a couple of other small tour groups.

Our tour guide did not speak much English, so Loretta and I just broke off and went on our own. The signage was in English, a Mayan dialect, and Spanish, so we got a bit of explanation as we went. This site is known for the elaborate carved stone lintels over the main doorways in major buildings and the carved stone stelae containing hieroglyphic texts that describe the city’s history. (Be sure to check out the Mayan language in my pictures of the signs.)

Another 55 minute boat ride, and we got back on the bus to head for a much-anticipated lunch at a tour restaurant in the Frontera area before we headed to Bonampak.

Because of the delay at the accident scene, our visit to Bonampak was cut short so we did not get to climb to the higher temples. But the Temple of the Murals is the main attraction containing fabulous colorful frescos in three rooms. Wikipedia has a fascinating description of the site discovery and how a lucky accident preserved the murals for so long.

Five o’clock and the site closes down, so we hit the van for the very long ride back to Palenque looking forward to some good food and wine at Don Mucho’s before passing out. At dinner we decided to take an extra day – as indie travelers with no set itinerary we can do that! – just to rest and enjoy our jungle hotel area.

Compared to over-touristy sites like Teotihuacan outside Mexico City, these are a breath of literal fresh air. There are no vendors yelling at you to buy, and there are few people compared to the size of the site, so you can have some peace in your jungle explorations. If you are ever in Chiapas, Palenque or San Cristobal areas, I highly recommend you take a tour.

I hope you enjoy the photos!

Yaxchilan:

Bonampak:

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