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...