Christmas Holidays

So, i arrive in Mazunte a day or two before xmas eve to find the gang in the bar on the tail end of a two day bender,the reception i receive is so warming on the heart, the guys all offer to carry my bags and i couldn't hesitate less to leave the Swiss' that drove me there. We eventually get back to our home for the duration, with a Rhys in a red robe and a now achy back from my overloaded rucksack, we all sit down and debrief our stories up to that moment, they ply me with tequila, i share dried grasshoppers with them and stories of hitchhiking and gifts the universe had given to me. They begin dropping like flies, it is clear the party has come to an end for them, for me it has just begun. I head down to the beach for a swim and cervasa. Some children yell to me to get out of the water, for there are some foreign objects floating around, they are shark guts, ERGH. I meet a guy who shares a smoke with me, immediately i discover he is a sleaze ball and i set about getting home. I am now drunk and incredibly stoned on some extremely strong pot, i cannot remember where home is, every road looks familiar yet not correct, luckily i have the address written on my hand. That night i had a hammock designated for me as the final room in our house hadn't become available yet. I get into the hammock and shut my eyes, the combination of swinging and the spinning out makes me feel nausea, i lay on the floor in major discomfort, after squirming for some time i eventually fall asleep. I wake up several hours later feeling a lot more together, its late, and i'm hungry. Jerome and Katy are in our restaurant so i eat some food with them before  getting a good nights sleep, its been a long and eventful day. The coming days i was completely out of sync with the gang after not having made the full moon party, so i make my own fun and set myself loose on the town to meet the locals and hoop my way around all the bars making friends, teaching tricks and learning tricks too. I find some banging electro in a beach bar and have a great night partying.

A couple of nights in and its our first party night out together after the boys dj at our nightclub. Our house is out the back of the most popular nightclub in town, nightmare but its such a lovely house with a lovely garden. We shop for xmas dinner and the build up begins. Christmas morning a big vat of Sangria is made by the Wizard of Ellis and we all to the la playa with frisbee in hand, rugby frisbee in the sea is played by all followed by glasses of sangria and general festive cheer. Dinner is to be served about 4ish, everyone pitches in to set the table, cook, get decorations and tableware. we have four guests for the feast including two Greenpeace staff, the evening is filled with conversations/debates and lots of booze oh and turkey, we head to the club and then end the night on the beach.

The lead up to new years was spent with muchos lazyness, beaches, natural jacuzzi's, walks, internet, new friends and old friends. We had a night at the nightclub where Rhys, MexicO'Shea, and Andy Ellis playing rocking the scene, skinny dipping as the sun comes up and general innocent mischief. New years was a big event planned by afar new friends and ourselves we had a remote place in Agua Blanca to host our own party, there was another party in San Augustinillo which was competing for some of our guests. We expected more from our party however we rocked their worlds anyway and left around 3am back to Mazunte, we then took over a little cafe bar where the guys played some bad ass tunes till well into the next day. Around 6am me and a couple of the girls headed down to the beach to catch a beautiful view of the sun rise, however we were shocked to find that a young man had died on the beach, potentially due to drink drugs and the ocean, he was a local boy. It was a devastating reality check, i decided to lead the conversation towards a celebration of life and how we were so lucky it wasn't any of us. Death is a major part of life and shouldn't be disregarded. It happens every day.

"Our only role during this time is to be like the tree who remembers its true nature and gracefully lets go of its leaves to return to the earth" Sandra Ingerman

After the new years three day bender, everyone was pretty keen to leave, in fact the whole town was keen to leave so we had to leave a day later than hoped in order to get a bus to San Cristobal. We stayed there for 3/4 days, went out on a boat trip through a canyon and saw crocodiles, monkeys and some birds. Got the flu and moved to Palenque, El Panchan. AMAZING. felt better as soon as i entered the jungle i felt able to breath again which is always a bonus. Lots of wildlife here. We went to the ruins which were magikal... Agua azul is breathtaking, swimming under the waterfall at Misol Ha gives a mixed feeling of panic and utter WOWness... pure adrenaline. We returned to Agua azul a couple of days later for Siwans birthday party complete with a suitcase full of booze, it rained the whole day so we took over a restaurant and got to the matter at hand. we spent the whole day there and then continued the festivities back in the jungle, i went a little crazy that night. I went out without my purse or camera to the 'baaa' and then proceeded to think i had lost all my belonging, throughout the night i would take each member of our crew to search all the destinations we had been to, apparently even getting on stage to ask the band if they may have seen it. i remember jumping on some peoples beds, and then when all went to bed around 5am i was found in the dark complete with head torch, bread, peanut butter and crisps stuffing my face, asked if i had found my camera i casually said 'yeah' and continued eating. hehe.

We sadly left the jungle the following day, many nursing heavy hangovers. Me and Rhys got the cheap bus and we really got our moneys worth, it stank of sick, we were searched by the military on two occasions i woke up to see a gun brush past my face. Arrived in Tulum about 5am and found a hostel after about 20minutes. A lovely place called 'casa del sol' it was 120 pesos for a dorm bed or 250 for a room. Tulum was beautiful and very expensive so we ate in every night and spent the time maxing the chillaxing. the beach is UNREAL, white sand and clear blue water, we snorkeled and saw a turtle, a manta ray and many cool fishes, we were lazy and bought cooked food from the supermarket which we could heat up, the last night Rhys cooked a mean thai style fish with thai curried veggies.

It was sad to leave Rhys, as i had been with familiars for nearly 3/4 weeks now, however i was keen to get on my journey. I caught the bus to Chetumal in order to get another bus down to Flores, Guatemala. I had to stay the night to wait for the connecting bus and my best and cheapest option led me to some Posada opposite the bus station, outside the landlord and a big black Caribbean dude were chatting, a kind Argentinian dude drove me around town to drop me across the road from where he had picked me up, he negotiated a cheap bus ride to Flores for me, Winner. After i drop my bags in my room, which is very basic, completely unluxarious. The landlord cycles off to buy us some coffees, the big black dude is called Cafe, how apt. he spends the entire time trying to chat me up and bribe me into being his girlfriend, money property he trys it all. Along comes a one armed midget baring a boom box around his neck and a tip jar in his hand, cowboy hat and completely wasted. it was a surreal situation.

The next morning i snooze past the point i was supposed to get up, the landlord is banging on my door at 10 to 7 saying i had 10mins to get on the bus, he cycles with me to the bus station and ensures i get my discount and my seat on the bus. The journey is due to be 8hours, thats nothing these days. I did not know we had to pay to leave Mexico, and i never received a visa on arrival which is usually a 50dollar fine however i get away with a 50 peso bribe. a couple of hours later after traveling through the beautiful belize we get stung with another 15 dollar charge to leave Belize, daylight robbery.

Mainland Mexico

So im a little behind on the blog spot but im going to give it my best attempt at the memory jog. I arrived after a 12hr boat ride to Mazatlan at about 9am, i have a cheap recommendation to stay at centro hostel in town, however its been closed down so i get directed to an overpriced centro hotel by which time im so tired i just stay there anyway. im feeling pretty ill so rest for some time before hitting the town. the town reminds me of India, bustling market place. I think that night i had walked the coastline before a very dark cloud engulfed the city so i quickly rushed home before being sucked into it. i went out for dinner on a very limited budget of about 150pesos. i ended up at the most expensive restaurant on the plaza which was an extreme contrast from the India style market place earlier that day. It was so romantic, a pagoda, pretty lights, an orchestra rehearsing, ballet class. I take up a pew outside the Pedro Lola restaurant, where they serve nopalis, a cactus i had been dying to try. The restaurant is filled with Americans and Canadians and there is a couple setting up musical instruments for jam night. Many people immediately come to talk to me, including the band man Roberto, he tells me about jazz night the following night and him and his pal offer me a place to stay for free. i end up staying and spending twice my budget on wine for the evening whilst enjoying some fine music. the next day i check out and head to this amazing apartment the other side of town which overlooks the ocean, sitting on the balcony watching many birds including hummingbirds fly around. That night we head to the restaurant where i am plied with free food, octopus, scallops, shrimp and free booze. Awesome. I end up sitting with the manager and his best friend learning Spanish. The following day is spent recovering, a couple i had met at the restaurant give me money to help me on my journey and Roberto gives me bread, peanut butter, tequila, cab fair to help me on my way. Im overwhelmed with their generousity.  I head off to board an overnight bus to D.F Mexico City.

 I arrive in D.F about 11am and decide to get another bus straight to Teotitichan, where the avenue of the dead is, which is the location of where the gods made the universe. I find hostel 200pesos no internet box room moody women, but cheapest in town. i head out straight away to the temples to get glimpse and judge journey for the morning. have a quiet night in and get up at 6am and walk to temples, first person up the temple de sol, i meditate on top, amazing. bloody scary getting up there and worse on way down, but oh my god, absolutely amazing, on top of the temple de Luna i meet a botanist from a university in Ecuador, result. I spent like 5 hours there soaking it all in. head back when tourists get to much and check out time is near approaching. get back pack bag, shower. steal towel, best thing from hotel.  I leave after lunch time and there is a bus waiting for me to take me back to D.F. D.F was hectic, i traverse the place via metro and find a great hostel next to the cathedral (Mexico city hostel). 

I immediately set out to explore and walk for ages, find some live music in the street, the zocolo is bustling with Christmas, ice skating, rides, food etc. I come across a protest as one of the leading politicians was fired so his staff are protesting for their jobs, here i meet a group of teenagers which take me on a walk back to the zocolo, they are nice and buy me an inflatable pencil thing which we take advantage of in the square, they are impressed by my general coolness (big ed). Back at the hostel i meet several people including a Dutch guy, an Indian and 2 Argentinian girls oh and one Korean girl, we all head out to find some viola (aka dancing) and find a really cool student hang out place, vegetarian organic cafe/bar. cool music and people. Meet Daniel, a student there, loose two thirds of team to bed and me and the 2 guys head to a party we have just been invited to on the other side of town. Many of our new team wanna teach me to salsa, which i entertain for some time. Seriously drunk, probably the first time ive been out and allowed myself to get drunk as the safety of the team allows. The party is in the back of a skate shop and the djs are playing tunes from the counter. Bout 3am we decide to make tracks back home. Daniel makes sure we all get home ok.

The following day after making him wait an hour Daniel tours me around the city, he doesnt speak any English so the day is spent with dictionary and phrase books in hand. Very hilarious, we toured most of the museums, went to various cafes to have conversations via a free translation website, hung out at his friends houses that were artists, ate grasshoppers, tried local foods and drinks including ponche, a hot fruit drink, lush. went to some art exhibitions. We walked around for nearly 11 hours, when we were at the last place, the vegetarian cafe and saw a group of Nazi's welding a Nazi flag on the backs i decided it was a good time to go home. The following day Daniel met me again for breakfast and then we headed to the museum of anthropology, via a lake where we went out on some pedelos, we saw some ancient traditional dances from some shamanic performance groups, the museum was fantastic. All of Mexicos finest artifacts held in one place. amazing. The we went to have coffee and translation chats. Then we went to the vegetarian cafe where we had a lock in, ate mole and drunk beer, then we stayed at this cool dudes house Dayn, were we exchanged music and cool polabras/ words. The following morning i was set to leave, Dayn was eager to show me his work, as he was an artist, we went to his studio where we had a little photo shot, not before a window frame, massive steel structure fell on this guy, luckily he was not hurt and neither were our spirits, it was sad to leave the community of cool people i had become friends with, but it was time to move on. Daniel took me to the bus station and we enjoyed a meal together before parting ways. I got a bus to Oaxaca where i had planned to stay for a couple of days.

Got to Oaxaca wey later than hoped, about 1am. I found it difficult to find any place to stay that was open, i eventually found somewhere and was given a room which felt like i was in the office on the next door nightclub, so i took it upon myself to find another open room. The place was minging, and when i woke up to see a spider next to me i just had to get out of there quick smart, so i went to a really nice cafe and spent a couple of hours rinsing the internet and talking to my dear pal Stannard on Skype. Good times :). i decided i couldnt be bothered with Oaxaca and immediately set off to the bus station. I found it hard to find but stumbled upon a bus company which cost 3 times as much and took 3 times as long to get there, this i did not discover until the journey was wey under wey. It was a beautiful journey through the mountains. This was also weird as i had a strong familiar feel to my surroundings, like i had been there before and it did not feel like new terrain. I have never been to the jungle before.

I arrived in Puerto escondido about 7pm and a friend i met on the bus took me to the bus stop of where i needed to be to get to Mazunte to meet my homecrew for xmas. There was only an hour left before the bus' stopped running there, i waited about half an hour before seeking out some information, apparently there is a road block, the local people are protesting against the government for higher pay and they had been there for four days already, i could get a taxi for 500pesos but that would be half my budget that i had remaining, so i found the cheapest place in the guide book and headed there to rent a cabana for the night. Immediately  on arrival i meet this Swiss girl Tanya, and then a Mexican lad called Fernando, who is my neighbor. the grounds are amazing, lush greenery, my own cabana and hammock outside. So spend the night talking with these two drinking cervesas, and having a smoke, this girl Tanya is nice but has a deceptive suspicious awe about her, then a small black scorpion comes running along to were she is sitting, i see and quickly warn her, she has a lucky escape and we remove the scorpion to the road side. apparently they are so rare i will probably not see one again.  She is leaving for my direction in two days with her friends so i decide to stay and hang out and then get a free ride. The next day is good, is slow, relaxing and cheap, we take a walk down the beach, Tanya's schedule is slightly ahead of ours, we meet her on the beach and she is glad to have company so she can leave her stuff on the beach and swim. We are heading to the end of the beach to watch the sunset, there is a weirdo guy sat nearby that is watching us. She says she has to listen to her instincts so turns for home, we confront the guy and come to the conclusion he is just drunk. so we head tot he end of the beach for a long walk. We eventually get home for some more chillaxing in the hammocks, i attempt to do Fernando a dreadlock, but we have no tools and his hair is too thin. Me and Fernando have hit it off like he is a younger brother, Tanya seems to want a lot and not give anything in return. I dont like her, i feel she is competing for my energy in some respect, weird. anyway, couple of days later and a sad farewell to Fernando i hitch with the Swiss to Mazunte in a car with no air con, no opening windows and 3 smokers. An hour later i arrive in Mazunte...