Sunday, May 11, 2008

Camping in the Jungle... More Ruins... The Next Set of Crazy Passengers...

We finally broke out of the hills and hit the plains of the Yucatan. My God, it is so nice to be able to cover a decent distance in a day again! Our first stop in flat country was El Panchan - a small jungle community just outside of the Palenque National Preserve. We set up camp under the trees, took showers in the more-or-less open taps, and watched the monkeys overhead jump from tree to tree. And the bugs! Between the giant ants and the everpresent mosquitos we managed to get our fair share of bites, but we suffered them well. How often do you get to camp in the jungle, really?
In total, we spent three nights. Our first morning, we made our way up to Palenque - the Mayan city that functioned as the capitol for the entirity of the Yucatan for centuries. The massive pyrimids and temple complexes set against the jungle scenery were extraordinary. We were able to duck inside palaces, explore inner pathways, climb monumental staircases with breathtaking (in more ways than one) views. And all the while, the howler monkeys and mammoth folliage were there to set the tone. The humidity was insufferable, but we were able to forget about it intermittently.
After returning to our campsite, we bumped into Andre, a guy we originally met at a bar in Puerto Escondido! We spent the next day or so getting to know him better, as well as meeting other travelers. And that is how we found Michelle, our zany Irish lass - bald, bubbly, and full of life. We also met a 19-year-old Brit named Sebastian who was on a year-long world tour following highschool. Together, the five of us made a day trip to Agua Azul, which has to be one of the most beautiful system of waterfalls in the world. And you can swim in the pools between them! We wiled away the hotest hours of the day soaking in crystal blue water, swimming under and around falls, and learning to do backflips off of the rope swing. Honestly guys, life is rough...
When it came time to leave, we just couldn´t part with all of them so soon... So, we kinda picked up another backseat bum! Yah, we´re traveling one Irish lass heavier than we were before! And so far, no craziness! We even interviewed her beforehand concerning her views on machetes and 16-year-old girls just to make sure! Unfortunately, Andre was on his way back to the states for grad school - his first extensive trip back in 8 years - so I don´t think we´ll bump into him again any time soon. Although he did say he´d be down in Brazil come December, so who knows... Sebastian is currently traveling south to Guatemala, then swinging east into Belize and coming up the East coast of Mexico, so there is a good chance we will see him again in the next few weeks.
After our goodbyes, we headed northeast for Campeche, a moderately sized colonial town on the Gulf. The historical center of the town was absolutely gorgeous, but unfortunately there didn´t seem to be much to do but sit and stare from our hostel roof, so we decided to move on the following day. We did, however, meet Matt - a Californian whom Michelle had met in El Panchan before we arrived. After a little bit of getting to know one another and figuring out all of our routes, he hopped in the car with us when we left. Thats right, the Corolla is currently shuttling four travelers and all their luggage across the Yucatan... Oh, but I can´t begin to describe how refreshing these two are compared to our last hitchhiker. The change is entirely welcome.
Yesterday, we made our way inland from Campeche and explored Edzna, yet another ruin site on our list. Once again, the site was wonderful, but the heat made us think twice about our direction of travel. In the end, we decided that a beach visit was needed before continuing on through the area. After consulting our guidebooks, we decided on Celestun, a small town near Merida which is situated near a flamingo nesting ground. And so, after hours of driving through ungodly heat, we caught a seafood dinner and spent the night floating on our backs in the green of the Gulf of Mexico deciphering the constelations of the tropical skies above.
This morning, we woke up early to catch a boat tour of the nearby mangrove forests and flamingo preserve. Okay, so the flamingos weren´t out in large number, but we did get alongside four of them while they were feeding and saw a flock flying upriver. We also got the swim in the narrow inlets amid the mangroves where the water was cool, crystal clear and indescribably beautiful.
Now we´re back at the hostel napping, reading, and otherwise recouping. Where we go tomorrow has yet to be decided. Hasta proximo!

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Puerto Escondido is Wonderful... Our First Ruins... Little Mayan Girls are Ruthless...




After four days in Puerto Escondido, we finally managed to pull ourselves away. It was by far our favorite beach hangout - cheap hostels, cheap things to do, good people. We once again said our goodbyes to a new group of hostel mates (this time from Quebec, Argentina, and Spain) and headed inland towards Oaxaca City.
The plan was originally to make it there in time to see Monte Alban - the first ruins on our route - and continue on. Unfortunately, the road was much more treacherous than we had expected, so we arrived late and spend the majority of our time in the city just looking for a cheap place to stay (Oaxaca ain´t cheap!). After wading through over-priced hostels and motels that charged by the hour, we finally settled on a small roadside inn 25 minutes out of town.
The next morning, we woke up early and made our way to Monte Alban, which is situated on top of a large hill in the center of three converging valleys. The civilizations that lived there actually set about flattening the top of this massive mount so they could build their city! It was amazing to think of the work that went into that site. And the view was spactacular - or at least it would have been had the air not been so hazy!
Moving East, we made a quick stop in the small town of Santa Maria del Tule - home of El Tule, a 2,000-year-old Sycamore that sits in the courtyard of the town church. It is boasted to be the world´s largest in circumference (you could fit a house inside this thing!). So we paid our 3 pesos, gawked awhile at the most imposing tree either of us had ever seen, and hit the highway once again, thankful that we were finally driving across plains again rather than through hills.
After making our first drastic wrong turn of the trip which cost us about 2 hours (we made it to Ayutla, look it up!), we pulled into Tehuantepec for the night, found a cheap motel, and got some much needed pollo asado. Then, with another early start, we arrived in San Christobal de las Casas around noon the following day.
San Christobal lies in the heart of the Mayan highlands in the state of Chiapas. The streets and central couryards are constantly filled with the local indians who trek from the surrounding hills to sell their crafts. It is also thus far the most beautiful city we´ve come across - white stucco walls, red brick roofs, 500-year-old churches, etc. Truly the first time that a city´s heritage has been so visibly on display.
We once again managed to find a hostel for $6 a night per person and settled in for two days. The first night, we took in Palenque Rojo, a Mayan production at the local theater. The performance was all in Mayan and told the story of the last King of Palenque - very interesting, but rather hard to follow. We had to relie heavily on our programs for the plot. We also spent much of our time wandering through the street markets - some of the best in Mexico - which offered all sorts of indian goods. It took a lot of will power not to take away much more than we did! Oh, and if you ever find yourself in this part of the world, don´t ever underestimate the power of the six-year-old Mayan girls to sell you more bracelets and belts than you know what to do with! We are walking away with 5 charm bracelets, which is 5 more than we needed or wanted. They are ruthless! Beware! But I did find out that my (Andy´s) name in Mayan in Tesh. Thai´s is Thai, as always.
Today we are set to move North to Palenque, home of more ruins and a jungle campsite which we´ve heard much about. Adios for now! We´ll write again soon enough!

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Beautiful Hostels... Winding Roads... Exquisite Beaches... Jackass in the Back Seat




We made it to Puerto Vallarta in good time, though the road was all over the place. From Tepic down, we wound back and forth through beautiful rolling farmland - learned the fine art of passing cars in Mexico (they could give a damn about the lines between lanes). Once we arrived, we made our way to the Oasis Hostel, the first place of its kind on our trip. It was nothing short of wonderful - free breakfast and internet, good conversation, and a short journey to anywhere in the city. For a little under $30 a night, we got a private room for two days and began meeting our fellow travelers.
There was David, the aging British movie producer who had lost his wallet at the airport and was waiting to hear from his friend in Baghdad about a Western Union wire. He had a hand in producing "The Life of David Gale" among others, which is one of our favorite movies! We also met Jo, Jess, and Charlie - three girls from the UK who were touring Mexico and Central America by backpack. We got a chance to go on a snorkeling excursion with them - unfortunately the water at Los Arcos (the arches) was a little less than optimal. Okay, it was terrible - like diving in pond water - but the day was still quite fun getting to know the girls. We also met a guy named Ben from Buffalo, NY who was on somewhat of a 'vacation yet to be decided.' He had landed in Puerto Vallarta for the time, but he was planning on making his way to Puerto Escondido on the south shore at some point. After a night of chit-chat, we offered to give him a ride around the coast in exchange for his portion of the cost.
The city of Puerto Vallarta was quite beautiful - old buildings, cobblestone streets, and such - but it was rather touristy. After the fifth teeshirt shop in a row sporting "I ate the worm!" type goods, we kind of lost interest. To us, the town really shined because of the people we met.
On our second night, we took out our mini-BBQ, went to the grocery store, and got all the fixings for kabobs. The Brits pitched in with a huge salad, and we all sat on the roof overlooking the city and ate until we were stuffed.
The following morning, we got an early start and set out along the coast, our new passanger in tow... Lets just say the first day of travel was really enjoyable... We wound through small towns (you could hold your breath and pass through them before you had to let it go), bought some CDs for Ben's stereo, and chatted about the things that brought us to this place. Unfortunately, after that, his true colors began to show. I don't even know how to explain the extent of his obnoxiousness! I think it all started when he explained that he, a 29 year old, was no longer dating anyone over 30; in fact, his ideal girl would be a 16 year old whom he could ' show the world,' who would love him for it, and never leave because of her complete dependence on him... The conversation just went down hill from there - the merits of prostitutes, the complete idiocy of all Mexicans, their lack of ability to keep anything clean, his need to buy a machete for protection (when we haven't had ANY trouble)... By the end, with Ben weilding a large blade out the window to 'ward off would-be bandidos' and Thai threatening to kick him out of the car, I got the pleasure of chauffering us silently through the most beautiful and remote part of Mexico.
And it was beautiful... From Puerto Vallarta, we drove to Manzanillo, then onto Lazaro Caredas, Zihuantanejo, Acapulco, and finally arrived in Peurto Escondido last night. We stayed at the cheapest places we could find - anything from $30 all the way down to $14 for all three of us. We made a game of food, finding the local hangouts rather than paying inflated prices in other restaurants.
Our first two stops were rather nondescript. Manzanillo has a bit of a touristy feel, but not much, and Lazaro Cardenas has none. Ben and I (Andy) made our way to a local bar in LC where we listened to a couple local teen rock bands cover American hits (the first American music we had heard since leaving the states), but that was all that was happening on a Friday night. Acapulco, we found, is past its prime - trash everywhere, dirty water, deteriorating high rise hotels. We stayed outside the bay mostly - saw the cliff diving show and explored Puerto Marques, the local place to get away from the hype.
Yesterday, we pulled into Puerto Escondido, found a place - Hostal Shalom - for $6/person a night, and went about separating ourselves from Ben. Although we are still staying in the same dorm room as him, the added freedom to roam apart has made it a much more livable situation. We went snorkeling at nearby Playa Manzanillo last night at sunset - the first real snorkeling that Thai has ever seen (Los Arcos does NOT count). We even saw a few manta rays among the rocks! Then we capped the evening off by going to a bar with some newfound friends from the UK, Spain, and Canada. Today the plan is to rent a couple of surf boards ($8 for the whole day!) and explore Playa Camarizalillo where the waves are supposed to be the best. Anyways, I'm burning precious daylight writing all this out, so I need to get going. Love to all! Hasta proximo!

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Burnin' in Heaven


Hola from Mexico! We finally crossed the border! Yeah! After a few hiccups in Tiajuana - traffic and road signs are disorganized to say the least - we set out on our way South. By nightfall, we found a flat patch by the highway outside Sonoyta to camp for the night. We were surrounded by beautiful desert scenery - cacti for miles, and such - but it was a rather sleepless night. Note - camping on the side of the highway is a rather noisy endeavor! We stirred and whined about the choice of location until the first light of dawn. Then we got back on the highway and drove until dusk, pulling into Los Mochis for the night. This time, we sprang for a $25 room - just a bed and a bathroom, but much quieter than the night before.
By the next day, we arrived in Mazatlan, the first tourist trap on our route. Absolutely beautiful! Especially when you get a little off the beaten tourist path. We spent a night on the main strip, then made our way to Stone Island - la isla de piedra. It was amazing to say the least. Its this nice secluded beach/island. We camped there for a night, played in the water and ate the most delious food around - Andy got this chicken with nuts and pomegranate cream sause at the Copa de Leche. If you ever come the Mazatlan you have to stop here! We took an embarcadera - a ferry - for 20 pesos or two dollars. It was a cheap and enjoyable place to stay. We spent a total of 20 dallors in a full day. In the evening, we went coconut hunting amidst the palm trees and drank the milk under the sunset. Thai befriended one of the locals, a cute little puppy that followed us around until its fleas got to be too much for us. We could absolutely get used to living on sandy beaches and playing in the ocean til the sun goes down.
We were going to camp a second evening, but we returned last night to find our site usurped by a pack of local surfers - they had dragged our tent 150 feet towards the water to use as shade... Don't know why... Anyways, they seemed nice, more naive of our anxiety over the situation than maliscious. They greeted our questioning faces with smiles and helped us move it back to where it had been. Either way, we opted to retun early and spent the night in a cheap motel ($18 will get you a private bathroom, but no door to divide it from your bed).
Today we are leaving Mazatlan for Puerto Vallarta. It has been three beautiful days and nights. We are completely burned - a nice shade of ruby red. Aww how every good tropical adventure should start. We are having a lot of fun, but we can say honestly we're a bit homesick at the same time. We miss all of our friends and families very much. And we absolutely plan on dragging a few of you back to our little amazing island paradise the next time round.... Bring sun block!!!
Oh, and don't forget to check out our slideshow at the bottom as we will be updating it with the latest pics. And click on the link to see the rest! Love to all!!

Monday, April 14, 2008

LA LA-Land


We pulled onto our friend Alvin's street in North Hollywood last Tuesday, April 8th. Since then, we've been ambling through old friendships and familiar streets reacquainting ourselves with the city we used to call home. While plenty has changed among those we know, it has been reassuringly easy to fall back into familiar chit-chat. Aside from a new baby (give Matthew a kiss for us, Adrine) and a smattering of new jobs, it is literally as if we never left! And thank God, too, because we've been terrible at picking up the phone over the last couple of years (sorry guys)...
Between catching up with everyone and seeing the sites, we've also managed to try a few new things. We attended an anti-war art installation in the warehouse district. It was a collection of pieces - graffiti, silk screen, painting, and film - from local artists. Interesting enough, but a lot of the same. A collection of painters were working simultaneously on a few canvases, making their individual contributions to each and rotating between them. We watched them work for a bit before deciding to catch a bite to eat. And that is when Alvin introduced us to Philippino fast food (Jollibee... the things that make you go hmmm...) - fried 'Chickenjoy,' hot dogs in spaghetti, and noodles in (shrimp?) gravy. Well, at least we can say we tried it...
We also celebrated Songkram - Thai New Year - with Alvin and his friend Polly. Hollywood Blvd was closed from Walker to Normandy yesterday to make way for the festivities. After touring the stalls, we got a bite to eat and headed for the beer garden overlooking the Muy Thai boxing ring. There we soaked in the sun over a cold beer and enjoyed the high caliber of people watching that only Hollywood can offer. In Thailand, the new year is brought in with a week-long water fight where anyone on the street is fair game. Security at the beer garden must not have been aware of this, or at least they didn't seem to appreciate Alvin's attempts at bringing the tradition to Thai Town. We decided to duck out after their not-so-subtle warning.
Tonight is our last night in town. Alvin is making dinner - Pig's Blood Soup with Liver. Now we'll see how Philippino fast food compares with the real thing! Later we will be heading to Venice Beach to sit in the sand and hang out like we used to. Hopefully we can rustle up some people to go with. Then tomorrow morning we are off to San Diego to meet Lindsey. We're getting close to the border, guys! Get Excited!

Sunday, April 6, 2008

In Search of Hot Springs


Yesterday we managed to break Nic and X away from Fresno to go hot springs hunting along the nearby Kern River. It was gorgeous! Nothing but beautiful weather and rustic scenery. The river lies at the bottom of a steep canyon in the otherwise arid desert scape of central California. The four of us, along with their friend Nikki, spent the day driving lazily between Lake Isabella and the canyon walls in search of the illusive Remington Hot Springs. And it WAS a search... These springs are completely unmarked and are typically known only to locals. We arrived in the area at roughly 2:3o in the afternoon and didn't even find the thing until 8! Funny, even when we set out mid-day we never manage to find our way to springs until dark.

By the time we landed, we ended up crashing in on a bachelor party of partially clad, thoroughly drunk 40-somethings who were wiling away the man of the hour's last free days in sun and sulfur. The company was "mixed" to say the least - but festive! Then again, that's part of the whole experience! You truly never know what ilk of man you will meet. Thai and I settled into conversation with what must have been Al Yankovic's Puerto Rican cousin who was more than interested in our travel plans. We had to refuse the invitation to stick around for the bon fire, however, as Nic and Nikki were growing a bit uncomfortable with some of the partiers. Somewhere between the middle-aged nudity and intermittent drunken leers/jokes, we lost them.

All-in-all, a wonderful day. And now we know where to find the hot springs for the return trip. We'll just make sure to get there during the day!

Thursday, April 3, 2008

What Up Fresno!!!


So we finally got out of Salem and landed in Fresno on the 1st :) That puts us 740 miles and twelve and a half hours deep into this thing! It has been a fun filled time in the sun. Hanging out with our good friend Nicole whom we haven't seen in years. The weather is beautiful here - not too hot, not too cold - which has given us a chance to break out the shorts and skirts. We are having a bit of a hard time finding things to do while Nic is working, but her hubby X has been more than helpful - trying to stretch your money kinda limits the options. So we've been taking walks to parks and crashing in on Nic at work. She's bored there anyway - we might as well help a friend out. Who knew life at Fred Meyer Jewelers was ever less than scintillating?
As of now, we are thinking we will be in Los Angeles on the 8th. Then we'll really have a budgetary battle of will power! So many friends/bars, so little time/money. The plan is to stay there with our friend Alvin until the 14th or so. Then we'll be on to San Diego for a night. Well okay, the person we're planning on staying with there doesn't know yet (actually we haven't talked to her in years, but surprise!). We're pretty sure it'll work out, though - hmmm, we really should let her in on it...
Oh, and for all of you with a drink in your hand, a toast to the Oregon DMV - where would we be without their diligent efforts? No, really, where? Mazatlan? Acapulco maybe? All we know is Nicole applied for a new title through the California DMV two days after we did, and she received hers four days ago! Oh well, ours is set to arrive in two weeks or so. We shall just have to wait and see. We're getting good at that!

Photos

To see the rest of our pictures, click "View All Images" below, then click the "Jeeves1024" link on the following page. You'll see a list of albums on the left organized by location!