Here I am. I have one week left in Mexico and feel some pressure to make it exceptional. I have not decided what that means yet, but have ran through about 200 options in my head of what I think that means. Several days ago I was ready to bus down to Guatamala, or maybe to Central Mexico. I thought about going to Belize, maybe just hanging out here, maybe going to a small beach town to the south.
So, I have decided that I have ants in my pants, and I should stay here, see the local sites, join in the tourism, and spend as much time with Thea and Luna as I can. This is my decision this morning, all subject to change.
Tulum has been quite a change for me. Bigger town, more noises, people, tourists. Most tourists are more of the ¨backpacker¨type, which is refreshing from the Cancun crowd. I am realizing how spoiled I was in Nexpa, and that finding gems here is a little more work. Of course, I am still enjoying my days, spending time on the beach, meeting friends, and mostly re-uniting with Thea, who I might not see at home for a long time!
One more week...
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Arrival in Tulum...Thea and Luna!
I am currently sitting in an Internet Cafe next to Thea with Luna in my lap. Luna is a new member of the family, hopefully you will all get to meet her soon... Yes, Thea adopted a Mexican street dog! She is a pup, about 7 weeks old. She´s all white and very very small. We think she won´t get too much bigger, which won´t make her the best river dog! Ha! Really though, I am convincing Thea that she should let me take her home with me because I am totally in love.
I got in last night after a full day of travel from Zihuatanajo including taxis, airplanes, buses and colectivos. It has been wonderful to catch up with Thea and see her new home away from home.
Let me back track a little...
I decided to stay in Rio Nexpa for about 3 weeks total, for which I am so thankful. It was an amazing place to be for so many reasons. By the end it was just Allan and I with a few new friends. Gabe and Heather left, as did the family from Morelia. We met new travellers, and continued our life of surfing, eating, hamicking (yes, it is a sport), sleeping, yoga, etc. Some of the new characters we met:
Oliver- a French surf instructor with a lot of energy. He liked to call me a ´lazy girl´when I was in my hamick.
Jason- from Montreal. He showed with a longboard and an amazing attitude. Instead of learning Spanish phrases, he would speak to Mexicans in French, and smile.
Cumpa- from Rio Nexpa. I don´t think I talked about him before... he worked at the grocery store which was also a surf shop and internet place. Every day he joked with me about the coconut popsicles I would buy. He called them my cocaine popsicles, since I was obviously so addicted! He wore a white hankerchief over his shoulders every day. His facial expression usually looked like he had just eaten something sour... very cute.
There were many more, including some of the local surfers, who were each amazing people to watch and chat with. Some cockier than others, but I quickly realized that doesn´t really matter when you are a female surfer!
Leaving Nexpa felt like a chapter ending in a book, maybe even the whole book ending. I left with gratitude for the time and memories, and knowledge that this new chapter would be very different.
I took a few buses south to get to Zihuatanejo. Jason, the Canadian, came with me and showed me the restuarants and hostel he knew from before. We ate fish tacos, drank margaritas, and watched the fisherman paddle out into the bay. It was a cute town, very touristy.
My travels yesterday were long and exciting in many ways. I was transferring buses in Cancun and ran into my friend Lalo. I knew that he would be in the area, but it was very random. We ate tacos at the local stand, and he went on his way. I met lots of people on the way including a cranky business woman from Chicago, a man who works for the federal gov´t in climate change studies, a bus driver who proposed to me, and a baggage checker who asked me to marry his son. Ha! I love this country!
Now I will see what the Carribean has to offer while spending time with Thea and Luna.
I got in last night after a full day of travel from Zihuatanajo including taxis, airplanes, buses and colectivos. It has been wonderful to catch up with Thea and see her new home away from home.
Let me back track a little...
I decided to stay in Rio Nexpa for about 3 weeks total, for which I am so thankful. It was an amazing place to be for so many reasons. By the end it was just Allan and I with a few new friends. Gabe and Heather left, as did the family from Morelia. We met new travellers, and continued our life of surfing, eating, hamicking (yes, it is a sport), sleeping, yoga, etc. Some of the new characters we met:
Oliver- a French surf instructor with a lot of energy. He liked to call me a ´lazy girl´when I was in my hamick.
Jason- from Montreal. He showed with a longboard and an amazing attitude. Instead of learning Spanish phrases, he would speak to Mexicans in French, and smile.
Cumpa- from Rio Nexpa. I don´t think I talked about him before... he worked at the grocery store which was also a surf shop and internet place. Every day he joked with me about the coconut popsicles I would buy. He called them my cocaine popsicles, since I was obviously so addicted! He wore a white hankerchief over his shoulders every day. His facial expression usually looked like he had just eaten something sour... very cute.
There were many more, including some of the local surfers, who were each amazing people to watch and chat with. Some cockier than others, but I quickly realized that doesn´t really matter when you are a female surfer!
Leaving Nexpa felt like a chapter ending in a book, maybe even the whole book ending. I left with gratitude for the time and memories, and knowledge that this new chapter would be very different.
I took a few buses south to get to Zihuatanejo. Jason, the Canadian, came with me and showed me the restuarants and hostel he knew from before. We ate fish tacos, drank margaritas, and watched the fisherman paddle out into the bay. It was a cute town, very touristy.
My travels yesterday were long and exciting in many ways. I was transferring buses in Cancun and ran into my friend Lalo. I knew that he would be in the area, but it was very random. We ate tacos at the local stand, and he went on his way. I met lots of people on the way including a cranky business woman from Chicago, a man who works for the federal gov´t in climate change studies, a bus driver who proposed to me, and a baggage checker who asked me to marry his son. Ha! I love this country!
Now I will see what the Carribean has to offer while spending time with Thea and Luna.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Rio Nexpa and the hard life...
I am still in Rio Nexpa enjoying the surf, sun, and hamick time. I will back-track a little bit... After my night in Melaque I took 2 or 3 more buses to La Ticla, a small beach where I could meet Allan and Mark. The bus dropped me off at the top of the hill. I started to walk, then got a ride from two old men. I found Allan and Mark and met some new friends... Mark gave me the tour of the beach, river and the best place to get shrimp tacos. I stayed with them that night with plans to catch a ride to Rio Nexpa in the morning with Gabe, a new friend from San Diego.
That night I met the local doctor and we had a great dinner, some laughs and beers. The next day I took Mark´s board out for my first Mexico surf. Within the first several minutes I got to know the local jellyfish population. They left me with a bubbly rash along my arm and legs which is just beginning to clear up. We left shortly after for Nexpa.
Arriving to Rio Nexpa it was Allan, Gabe, Heather and myself. We found a nice, cheap cabaña and made ourselves at home. After a quick move in we grabbed boards and paddled out for an evening surf. The sunset was beautiful and I felt so blessed to be here.
Since then we have found a routine here. We have been here for a week now. Each day we wake up, look at the waves from our balcony, stretch, snack, lay in a hamick... surf, eat a huge meal, pass the day... laugh, walk, eat more, maybe surf more, beach run, walk, read, write in journals, play guitar and laugh some more. Our group is very dynamic with a variety of different characters around.
Gabe is a 21 year old from San Diego who is spending his winter on a Mexico road trip in his parents old minivan. Heather is a Canadian surfer, firedancing, massage therapist with a wicked laugh. Allan is my amazing friend/ co-worker from Corvallis who is also spending the winter here, surfing and running around. Together we make a great group. We enjoy eachother´s company, while still doing our own thing each day.
This town is very small and the local characters are a lot of fun. There is Gerry- the Mexican surf instructor. He can be found randomly wearing a ´lucha libre´ mask while surfing or running around town. Downstairs from us there is an amazing family from Morelia. It is a 3 generation family, all here helping run the cabaña and restuarant for the winter. Reina Marcela is the 4 yr old. She is super cute and quite demanding (Reina means queen). We have a lot of fun with her and her parents and grandmother are very sweet and hospitable. Next door you will find the group of Israelis. One looks a lot like the guy from Knocked up. He likes to wink at me while I try not to bust out laughing. Also, there is an amazing couple from Washington staying in their camper next to us. Frank and Laurel. They are road-tripping Mexico for 6 weeks this winter. They have a variety of travel board games including Scrabble (great memories from my recent trek!). Frank sold me his surfboard after letting me ride it for several days. It is a great learning board for me. I would like to think that I am learning to surf, it is a difficult process including lots of salt water in my nose! The locals are patient with me in the water, which is great.
Today´s highlight was when I went to sit in my hamick after lunch. Apparently I didn´t tie my knot very well and fell dramatically on my ass. Everyone at the restaurant next door saw, as did my friends. We all got a good laugh and I will probably only have a few bruises...
Well, that is the news as of lately. Life is easy here. I will stay here at least a few more days, then travel south. I am not sure where at this point. I will eventually get to Tulum to see Thea- I will probably fly there. That is it for now. I hope you are all going well...
That night I met the local doctor and we had a great dinner, some laughs and beers. The next day I took Mark´s board out for my first Mexico surf. Within the first several minutes I got to know the local jellyfish population. They left me with a bubbly rash along my arm and legs which is just beginning to clear up. We left shortly after for Nexpa.
Arriving to Rio Nexpa it was Allan, Gabe, Heather and myself. We found a nice, cheap cabaña and made ourselves at home. After a quick move in we grabbed boards and paddled out for an evening surf. The sunset was beautiful and I felt so blessed to be here.
Since then we have found a routine here. We have been here for a week now. Each day we wake up, look at the waves from our balcony, stretch, snack, lay in a hamick... surf, eat a huge meal, pass the day... laugh, walk, eat more, maybe surf more, beach run, walk, read, write in journals, play guitar and laugh some more. Our group is very dynamic with a variety of different characters around.
Gabe is a 21 year old from San Diego who is spending his winter on a Mexico road trip in his parents old minivan. Heather is a Canadian surfer, firedancing, massage therapist with a wicked laugh. Allan is my amazing friend/ co-worker from Corvallis who is also spending the winter here, surfing and running around. Together we make a great group. We enjoy eachother´s company, while still doing our own thing each day.
This town is very small and the local characters are a lot of fun. There is Gerry- the Mexican surf instructor. He can be found randomly wearing a ´lucha libre´ mask while surfing or running around town. Downstairs from us there is an amazing family from Morelia. It is a 3 generation family, all here helping run the cabaña and restuarant for the winter. Reina Marcela is the 4 yr old. She is super cute and quite demanding (Reina means queen). We have a lot of fun with her and her parents and grandmother are very sweet and hospitable. Next door you will find the group of Israelis. One looks a lot like the guy from Knocked up. He likes to wink at me while I try not to bust out laughing. Also, there is an amazing couple from Washington staying in their camper next to us. Frank and Laurel. They are road-tripping Mexico for 6 weeks this winter. They have a variety of travel board games including Scrabble (great memories from my recent trek!). Frank sold me his surfboard after letting me ride it for several days. It is a great learning board for me. I would like to think that I am learning to surf, it is a difficult process including lots of salt water in my nose! The locals are patient with me in the water, which is great.
Today´s highlight was when I went to sit in my hamick after lunch. Apparently I didn´t tie my knot very well and fell dramatically on my ass. Everyone at the restaurant next door saw, as did my friends. We all got a good laugh and I will probably only have a few bruises...
Well, that is the news as of lately. Life is easy here. I will stay here at least a few more days, then travel south. I am not sure where at this point. I will eventually get to Tulum to see Thea- I will probably fly there. That is it for now. I hope you are all going well...
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