My Big Adventures

Wrap up of 5 amazing weeks: advice on traveling in Mexico

brian — Fri, 5 Feb 2010 12:33:00 GMT

So this is it. I should be in Mexico City today (although I've started calling it DF like everyone else) but at 7:00 AM this morning in the Zocalo, watching the world come to life around me, it was hard to remember why. I have to pick up my bag. I'd like to do some shopping. I'm meeting friends there Saturday night. None of that justified leaving the beach on Thursday, so I did the only sensible thing: ate my return ticket, and rebooked for Saturday.

To make my day really weird, I was booking travel for work next week, and will be in Prince Rupert less than a week from now. About 5,500 kilometres north of me right now, and beyond my imagination mentally.

I've learned a few things that others might find of value...here goes:

1) Above all else, monitor your attitude. If you come here with an attitude that everyone is your servant, you'll have a perfectly nice time, but you'll never know what could have been. There's a big difference between service that's not bad (the minimum standard) and people bending over backwards for you. But it all comes from you first. It's not really all that hard to be nice to people.

2) Watch your cash flow. If you are dumb enough (yup, like me) to say "sure" to the offer of a Pina Colada and chips and guacamole at the beach cafe without first checking the price, it's a little too late to complain about it when the $30 bill comes.

3) Think about the cost of things and what is or is not included. Tours for $20 for a day at sea or by land seem incredible at first, but plan on $60. "Stopping for lunch" or "Stopping for snorkeling" does not mean they are included. It's still good value, as long as you plan for it.

4) Leave time to make mistakes. In my case, it took awhile for it to sink in that lots of people were going into a little shack and coming out with snorkel gear. Hmmmm. I should get in that line! Sure enough, I needed to be getting gear. And I needed to take a taxi to get to the boat. And I needed a beach towel. But with a little extra time, I was able to manage all the stuff, and had no disappointments later.

5) Still more time. In Mexico City, there will be a traffic jam getting to the airport. Guaranteed. And you need to be at the gate 45 minutes before your flight. And you need to find the gate on the television screens after you pass through security, because it's not printed on your ticket. So leave lots of time, and once all is resolved, you can grab coffee at the Starbucks or food at the many restaurants and relax before the flight.

6) Tip! About 10 pesos per hour is right for a tour, so count on about 50 pesos for the day. The minimum tip is about 10 pesos for a short tour in a church or at a historic site or something like that.

7) Back to the first point, if you treat people well, with respect, they will do pretty much anything for you. Assume you're being watched, and that the guide you talk to and tip today is the brother of the hotel maid or has a night job as your waiter.

8) Relax, and enjoy your mistakes. Your memories will not be based on the nice sunshine at the beach. Rather, you will remember that weird thing that arrived on your dinner plate, when you thought, "Damn. Didn't even imagine that!"

9) Learn a few words. More if you can, but any attempt on your part to speak Spanish is appreciated, even when it's really bad Spanish. The cliche of "Dos cervezas, por favor" isn't really all that funny.

10) Last, but not least, dump your stuff somewhere if you are traveling. You brought too much of it, and it's a pain in the ass to tote it around. In my case, I dumped it at the last hotel I will stay in before I leave. This is not the US or Canada - nobody is going to steal it.

11) OK, so this really is last. The long distance buses in Mexico, Central America, and South America are the best in the world - far more comfortable than Canada or the US, more secure (similar to airport security getting onto the bus) and safe. Make sure to take a Direct bus though - De Lujo or Ejecutivo class is best. Now, while buses are reasonably inexpensive, and can be used in place of a hotel room, the efficiency depends on your plans - for me, it made far more sense to fly from Mexico City to the coast in one hour at about $170 return than it did to take a 14 hour bus ride.

11a) Ok I really mean it - this really is the last thing. If you're not on the beach (and I mean ON the beach), how hard can it be to put a shirt on and at least flip flops before you go into a restaurant. Like, really. And you don't look as good as you think in that Speedo. Even if your wife says you're hot, trust me...unless you're gay and under 35 and have been to the gym recently...you're not.

So that's my wrap! Thanks to all who have followed along - this has been fun.

Some recommendations:

Hotel, Puebla: NH - a great chain, always good properties.

Language school: SiPuebla. They also have another school in Merida on the Yucatan peninsula.

Beach: Huatulco is amazing, but a little hard to get to. Outside of a charter or direct flight, going through Mexico City is easy - only a 1 hour flight. If you're into all inclusives, you'll be in the Tangolunda area. Otherwise, my recommendation is La Crucecita - not on the beach, but far more interesting than Santa Cruz. My hotel - Maria Mixteca is small, near the Zocalo, with rates starting at about $40 a night. Very nice.

Pure fun: Las Luches - Mexican wrestling.

Food: Anything (but usually chicken) with Mole sauce. I never did get my head around trying the grasshoppers or worms. At the beach, fish and camarones.

Beer: Gotta love Negra Modelo.

That's it folks! I'm already looking forward to the next adventure.

Hasta luego, or better yet, meet me on the road somewhere!

Brian

Photos: Huatulco

brian — Thu, 4 Feb 2010 13:03:00 GMT

Snorkeling, Tortugas, & Crocs.

Huatulco: Snorkeling, Beaches, Tortugas, y Crocodilos!

brian — Thu, 4 Feb 2010 11:29:00 GMT

So I'm inspired to write tonight because of three things:

The trip is rolling down - I leave for Mexico City tomorrow, for a Sunday departure to Canada.
I finally learned to snorkel!
I saw today the funniest menu translation I've ever seen.
And 4th, (so I guess three things + an honourable mention), WorldNomads.com picked up my blog last night and stuck it on their home page. How very, very cool!

The funniest thing first: while at lunch today, at yet another beach restaurant for cervezas y camarones - this time in Puerto Angel, (yeah, I know it's a rough life!), here was the English translation of a menu item:

"Northern arrechera with tip of rooster and you eat the french."

Um, what?

So arrechera con pico de gallo actually means flank steak in an amazing marinade of lime juice, chiles, onions, tomatoes, cilanto, and some other stuff. Tequila never hurts.

"You eat the french"? According to the Spanish menu, the dish was served with "papas a las fransesca" - french fries. It reminds me of the English menu translations you see at Asian restaurants in Vancouver. Maybe menu and signage translations could be a business opportunity for me here!

Off topic, but also a funny thing I heard, is the Spanish word for handcuffs - unofficially - is the same as the word for wife. Hmmm. (Not the official translation for handcuffs, but the word used.)

Anyhow, lunch and my favourite menu came after a day at the Turtle Centre up the coast at Mazunte - also home to a supplier to Body Shop that we toured. The area used to be completely dependent on (illegal) harvesting of turtles and eggs, but now is a major preserve and tourist attraction instead. I'm a big fan of turtles, so it was a pretty amazing sight. It's hard to not like turtles, I think. Also on the agenda was a tour of a crocodile preserve - we saw a few in the water, and on land there were a few others in pens just in case. They didn't have any souvenir belts or handbags at the gift shop.

Also today, a drive through Zipolite - famous for its, um, simple lifestyle, especially for aging hippies that lost their clothes somewhere and are too wrecked, 20 years later, to remember where. Think Wreck Beach with hammocks - sleep in a hammock every night for maybe $5, hang out (lol) on the beach all day, play guitars and experiment with various intoxicants at night, and back to the hammock for some more sleep. Repeat until done.

Hautulco is an area, not really a particular place. The infrastructure is amazing in a "If you build it they will come" sort of way. The only problem is they didn't come. So there are many skeletons of great ideas that ran out of financing, and empty buildings filled with empty stores anxiously awaiting tenants. The existing restaurants and stores are staffed by people anxiously awaiting customers. But except for maybe the big resorts at Tangolunda, which might attract Canadians who never leave the comfort of their all inclusive wristbands, most tourism here is Mexican, and nowhere near sufficient to fill the rooms and restaurants.

For me it's perfect - where else in the world can you be with great restaurants, a $2 taxi from a tropical beach, 1/2 a block from the Zocalo in a good hotel for about $40 a night? But if you want the nightlife of Cancun or Acapulco, this ain't it. (A quick hotel note - I am playing games with the maid, and she with me - every day I leave a little more money in a place that I'm sure she can tell it's for her. Every night I came back, and it's been moved, but is still there.)

The three communities break down like this - Tangolunda, home of the big all inclusive resorts, the golf course, and high end tourism orientation. Santa Cruz - optimistically referred to as a city, with the main public beaches and marina, and many development skeletons. La Crucecita - a little inland from Santa Cruz, an actual town where people live and work - in my view, the actual centre of the action. The hotels and restaurants are small, good, relatively inexpensive, owner operated...all the elements you actually want.

I arrived Sunday, and am fairly annoyed that I'm leaving tomorrow. A quick review of the week:

Monday: woken up by an earthquake. Considering it was small at about 5.0 and reasonably far away near Oaxaca City, I don't want to be any closer. There was a little one in Puebla yesterday too, so I would have got one no matter where I was. (The locals like the little ones, though - they believe the little ones relieve the pressure and prevent or at least delay the big ones). Walked around all day. Hit Playa El Arrocito - "Beach of little rice" - cool little place, with sand like - wait for it - little rice kernels. Saw Avitar at night. Awesome movie.

Tuesday - sea tour of the Huatulco Bays, 90 minutes of snorkeling, lunch on a beach somewhere, and an hour to swim and play in water as warm as bath water. I FINALLY managed to snorkel successfully, and had a great time floating around in the coral checking out fish and assorted little critters. Sort of a big deal for me - I have tried before, but couldn't get over the panic of breathing with my face in the water, and couldn't let the life jacket and snorkel do their jobs.

Today - well, the night is still young - who knows? Tomorrow will just be a beach day until my flight in the afternoon. A friend is meeting me in Mexico City for the weekend - one last chance to see the inside of a Mexican jail! (Oh, Mom, I'm kidding - OF COURSE I've seen the inside of a Mexican jail - who hasn't?)

I'll put up some new pics in a bit - by the way, thanks WorldNomads for all you do!!

The end of Puebla, and the beginning of Hautulco.

brian — Mon, 1 Feb 2010 12:44:00 GMT

I know that there are bad things going on in the world. Haiti, and more recently Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail. With that said, it is hard to describe how good I feel, and how much I appreciate this adventure.

Yesterday was not a good day. The good byes started on Wednesday, continued through an amazing dinner on Thursday night - courtesy of the school - and obviously on Friday.

Not to pick favourites, but Adrien and I were able to make each other laugh until we cried. And Larry, Virginia, Ryker and I had great, wide ranging conversations over red wine Friday nights. Religion, politics, and the state of the world. (And second and third mention to Ryker, he works with NGO's trying to make a difference in the world, a little at a time in places I can't even imagine going, and threw a great and very generous wine and cheese at his place last week!). And Kelly, who blew out a hair dryer trying to get warm under the covers, and Victoria, who conquered the transit system but never did have a good taxi driver, and Sarah, who worked in French at a kids camp in Quebec on her gap year from Australia and is off next to Wisconsin to ski, and Sophie, who has the guts to leave a perfectly good life in London for the unknown in Puebla, and who may get a job teaching English if she can figure out the right person and method to offer a bribe, and Matt, who was so excited by it all that he invited his parents to Puebla for his last few days, and Antonio, maybe the most amazing Director of Education ever, and Silvie, my teacher, who was incredible, and the guides, and the host families....... it was in total, amazing.

Yesterday sucked. I left Puebla, somewhat confused as the school bought my bus ticket but the bus company knew nothing about it, I left late, I arrived in Mexico City at a hotel I hated, and all was really bad. But then I sorta thought it through - hmm - dude - when was the last time you ate, and how much sleep have you had? Because your attitude at the moment is a wee bit negative. So considering I had got to bed at about 2:30 AM the night before after yet another great night with Adrien and girlfriend, Sophie, our favourite guide (unnamed, as I'm pretty sure he's not supposed to play with us after hours), and after yet another Friday night dinner with Ryker, Larry and Virginia, and then had up at 7:00 AM, maybe I just might be a bit unreasonably bitchy. So I slept, ate, and sure as hell, everything turned out well this morning.

Now I'm in a very small city in Huatulco - La Crucecita. There is nothing south of here until you get to Antarctica. It's warm, I'm at sea level so the air is thick, I've got an amazing room for about $40 a night for the next 4 nights, and am looking forward to hitting the beaches. There's 9 bays to explore, so it could take awhile.

It's about 8:00 PM now, so the music is about to start, I'll get some food and cervezas, and the night will be great. I am experiencing a bit of culture shock, though, with the sudden exposure to touristas, people speaking English, and 'northern' people generally. I've appreciated people asking me whether I would like them to speak to me in English or Spanish, rather than automatically assuming English. And they've really appreciated me requesting Spanish.

Now, not to be bitchy, but just wondering - how is it possible that I can have somewhere in the range of 40 - 400 views of these journal entries, and then only 1 or 2 comments? Just curious. I like the view counter, but wouldn't mind a little feedback now and again....

Photos: Mexico City & Teotihuacan

brian — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 03:33:00 GMT

El fin de semana: Puebla, Week 3

brian — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 03:06:00 GMT

It seems that I am caught in a very strange time warp. First, I can't believe I have only been here three weeks - it feels like a lot longer than that. Not that I am bored - anything but - it's just that I am very comfortable in my routine, meet and greet the same people at the same time on the street each morning, and have a somewhat normal life - albeit in Mexico. Second, I can't believe it's already been three weeks and I only have a week left here. I could easily stay a lot longer.

Those two conflicting senses of time are also shared by the other students - we are beginning to get a sense of the end, and are not entirely welcoming our departures.

The weather finally turned last Sunday, and we now have what is considered normal here for January - warm and sunny every day, and pleasantly cool at night. The struggle to stay warm has ended.

So what's next? I have a week free at the end of the session with Sipuebla, and have my eye on Hualtulco - a resort and beach community near the southern tip of Mexico in the state of Oaxaca. Sun, no precipitation in January, 30 degrees, on the Pacific. For $150 return, I can be there in less than 90 minutes from Mexico City. (Or I can take a 7 hour bus ride through a very nasty stretch of mountain roads. Hmmm). So I could leave here at 10:00 AM next Saturday for Mexico City, and be on the beach in time for dinner. Sounds pretty good.

The trip to Mexico City and Teotihuancan last weekend was truly amazing - climbing the Pyramid of the Sun is not something to be forgotten. I picked up an interesting story about the Cathedral in Mexico City at the Zocalo: not only did the Spanish build it on top of an Aztec pyramid, they raided the pyramid for stone and other building materials! Nobody really noticed at the time, but now that people are digging around there is a bit of controversy. On the other hand, the Cathedral is sinking into the lake beneath it, so eventually justice will be served. It's a good thing we live in a different time now, with more respect for other cultures and history. Unless of course one considers the raiding of the oldest antiquities on Earth in the National Museum in Iraq. And the Taliban blowing up giant statues in Afghanistan because the statues honoured a different god than they liked and were distracting. Who am I to split hairs? What is interesting is the apparent need for civilizations of all times to build monstrous temples, cathedrals, pyramids, statues, etc to appease their gods. And a little human sacrifice here and there couldn't hurt either, whether casting virgins into a volcano or burning witches at the stake. We are a strange and fearful bunch.

So one more week. This weekend, I am going to take in an 'African Safari' just outside of town for giggles. I'm horrified by the idea, but everyone tells me it's great. If nothing else, it's a cheap few hours of entertainment.

Hasta Luego!

Oh - if I don't get around to posting pics from last weekend they can be accessed (for those not on Facebook) at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=190226&id=570675329&l=ae3afafa60

El fin de semana: Puebla, Week 2

brian — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 05:15:00 GMT

For anyone interested, this style of travel really is interesting. Maybe I'm a little slow, but it only started to sink in last night that I am not really on a holiday - I am actually living in Mexico, with a schedule to keep, with work to do, fully immersed in the community, and hanging out with people from all over the world. Very cool.

So who comes to these programs? There are about 20 people at the institute, mostly from the US, but also from London, Poland, Australia, and one young guy who grew up in Seattle but has been traveling out of a suitcase most of the last 6 or 7 years. Along the way, he lived in Italy for a year studying international relations, helped to open a museum in Cambodia, and worked at an orphanage in India. And picked up amoebic dysentery which he got fixed up in Thailand. After a few months here, he'll head off to Guatemala and Honduras for some project that caught his interest. Many of the people are well into their 60's and are learning Spanish to work the markets better in search of masks, to read Spanish literature, to help in their travels....whatever. 20 different people, 20 different reasons.

People who travel have an entirely different way of looking at the world, which I like. On health insurance: "Well, I have catastrophic insurance for anything REALLY bad, but realistically if I need a filling I'll just catch a plane to Thailand - cheaper than the US including airfare, and I'll get a week on the beach." On safety and security (from a gay couple with an apartment in Acapulco): "True, there is crime, but we feel safer here than at home in Kansas City." Everyone agrees on the need to travel just to shake things up a bit.

So the people who come to places like this have a larger view of the world than just their back yard, city, and country. I hope I'm one of them.

The lessons this week were really interesting - our teacher has a background in linguistics, and studied English, French, Spanish as a second language, and translation, and along the way picked up a lot about the history and foundation of language - how language is derived from culture, and vice versa. Her example was how in Spanish there are 4 different verbs for different degrees of liking or loving something or someone, and how the incorrect use leads quickly to misunderstanding. A couple of years ago, the school had to intervene in a situation where a student, trying to express his appreciation to his host mom said, "Tu me gusta", or "You please me". Now, a person could easily be pleased by a good meal, or a work of art, or a really decent cup of coffee, but it wasn't the best choice of words to say to a mom in front of her 15 year old son. Um, what exactly was it that you found so pleasing, buddy? An easy mistake to make.

Tonight, I'm off with friends to celebrate a birthday, Aussie style. We have to behave, though, because we're on a bus at 8:00 am tomorrow for Mexico City - probably the most densely populated metropolis in the world, with an economy larger than many countries. Although Tokyo officially has the highest population, there is an argument here that nobody has ever come up with an accurate count for Mexico City. In any case, officially or unofficially, there's a whole lot of people there.

We will be taking on Teotihuacan and the Pyramid of the Sun, the National Palace (highly recommended by my guide instead of the cathedral), and the largest skating rink in the world at the Zocalo.

Hasta luego!

Photos: Nutcracker and Las Luchas

brian — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 11:00:00 GMT

Quite the mix of culture!

Nutcracker, Las Luchas and an unexpected (and undesired) day off.

brian — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 10:26:00 GMT

Well, it had to happen eventually. After 13 days on the road, with different food than I'm used to, with fairly constant stress living in a different culture and operating in a different language, and with a daily struggle to stay warm, my body finally rebelled with great drama. Not to get into the details, but I ended up in bed all day today, and missed the Wednesday excursion. Considering the shape i was in all day, an afternoon on the bus would have been rather unpleasant for all of us. The goal, though, is to get better for an all day excursion on Sunday to Mexico City and the ancient city of Teotihuacan (the pyramid of the sun). It should be amazing. Setting aside today, the week has been fun. 6 of us headed out to "Las Luchas" Monday night - the Mexican version of World Wide Wrestling. Incredibly entertaining, funny, and the best use of $20 I've had for a long time - $20 bought ring side seats and beer. The guys wrestling in Las Luchas definitely get bonus marks in gymnastics - some of their stunts like handstands and backflips from the ropes were amazing to see. The audience was even funnier - kids with drums, horns, little kids swarming the wrestlers after the matches for autographs and pictures - and the wrestlers accommodated. Outside, there was two square blocks of vendors selling food, masks, and other stuff. Now, that compares with a free production of Nutcracker that we saw Sunday afternoon. Quite the week of culture! Something impressive here is that arts and culture activities, and museum entries, etc are free or cheap. Here's to getting better - my host family is off getting me some tea and meds to settle things down a bit. Hasta Luego!

Puebla Week 1: El dia de Tres Reyes, Churches, and Pyramids

brian — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 10:16:00 GMT

Ok, ok, it's been a little while since an update, and then all I managed to do yesterday was upload a bunch of pictures with no explanation. My bad...I'll catch up the best I can now. (There is an address at the bottom of this that anyone not on Facebook can use - the pics there have tags on them).

First, my impressions of Puebla and the Spanish school overall: What's not to like? I'm fed three times a day, the city is very clean, safe and walkable, my teacher is excellent, the host family is beyond hospitable, and there is free internet everywhere. The only down side is it's pretty damn cold, and the buildings (and the people) just aren't equipped to deal with it. I'm seeing a lot of gloves and winter jackets around, but today was gorgeous so maybe the weather has broken.

The most interesting thing last week was the celebration of "Dia de Tres Reyes" - three kings day. Not a celebration I had ever heard of before, but huge here, in celebration of the 3 wise men bringing gifts to the baby Jesus. Remember the pics in the Zocalo of the balloon vendors? Kids write letters to the "Three Kings", attach the letters to helium balloons, and then release them from the plazas the evening of January 5. It's quite something to see thousands of balloons in the air over the city. There was also a huge parade with floats, marching bands, superheros, etc that night throughout the city.

That night, the kids put out their shoes, go to bed, and then in the morning receive gifts, etc. Apparently they hate clothes - toys are the best. This celebration traditionally was the Mexican version of Christmas - they celebrated the arrival of the 3 wise men, rather than the arrival of Santa Claus. For most kids today, it's a double whammy and they get both parties. The rule here seems to be, if in doubt, throw another fiesta!

At the school, we had a "Rosca" for 3 Kings Day - a bread ring with fruit in it that has inside a couple or more tiny dolls, representing the baby Jesus. Each person cuts their own piece from the bread ring, and the one that gets the first doll invites everyone sharing the bread over for a breakfast or dinner of tamales and hot chocolate on Feb 2. (I don't know the significance of that date).

After Rosca, we took a little walk to the Zocalo - we had an assignment to actually talk to people on the street - ask directions etc. - and learn to listen to the answers. Not as easy as it might be - first of all, normal people don't answer like they do in class, and second, apparently Mexican people hate to say "No". So rather than tell you they can't help you, they'll make up directions that might not quite work out. So the second part of the assignment was to ask three people for the same directions, and then compare the answers. T'was fun.

At the Zocalo, every kid in the city must have been lined up to receive (MORE!) gifts from the 3 kings...quite a site to see, all paid for by the local television station.

Still Wednesday, we took off on our first excursion - out to Cholula, a nearby town famous for the presence of the Temanapa Pyramid. This is thought to be the largest pyramid (not the tallest) in the world, and was already abandoned and grown over by the time the Spanish got here. Not knowing it was there, they built a big church right on top of it. From the top, we had amazing views of the city and of the local volcano.

We also toured two churches: San Francisco Acatepec - in baroque style from the 18th C and Santa Maria Tonantzintla from the 16th C.

It is impossible to describe the majesty, grandeur, and the 'over the top' style of old churches, and for that matter the pyramid. The most interesting thing to think about is how these structures were built over in some cases hundreds of years, without the benefit of machinery. Just people and donkey power.

We will be taking excursions every Wednesday, and seeing Tlaxcala, Cacaxtla and Xochitencatl, and Tecali and also taking a little road trip into Mexico City next weekend, seeing either the largest cathedral in the Americas or the Government Palace (not time for both). Oh, and the largest skating rink in the world apparently - the Zocalo in Mexico City is turned into a skating rink each winter.

All in all, an amazing experience. For anyone with the patience to have read all the way to here, I have a reward: tonight, a bunch of us are heading to Las Luces (sp?) - wrestling Mexican style. We have ring side seats, and the vendors are already setting up outside with their wrestling masks and other souvenirs (3 hours prior to the match). It should be a blast, and my camera batteries are freshly charged.

To refer to the pics I posted yesterday, with descriptive tags, try this web address: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=187637&id=570675329&l=01ba2dbdf9

It should work for those of you not on facebook.

Hasta luego!

Photos: Pyramids and churches

brian — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 02:59:00 GMT

Sipuebla - El instituto espanol

brian — Wed, 6 Jan 2010 10:04:00 GMT

The Spanish institute I'm attending for the next four weeks is an easy walk from the house of my host family - less than a 10 minute walk if I take my time.

Check in at the school was as expected - orientation, and the requisite signed pledge to speak nothing but Spanish while I'm here. There is a small bell that can be rung when someone hears words that don't sound like Spanish. Unlike my entry into Spanish classes in Mendoza, I actually made it through the interview and was entered into Level 2 - about what I expected. To start, the two dreaded verbs for English speakers: Ser and Estar, both of which mean "to be".

The routine is good - classes from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, off to lunch at a Mexican restaurant, relax for 45 minutes, then walk around with a conversation tutor looking at sites, touring galleries and museums, checking out the many (!!) cathedrals, seeing a movie...basically whatever I feel like doing. My tutor is a young student very knowledgable about Puebla and Mexico generally, fairly fluent in English from working in Cancun and Toronto. I'm finding most younger people here are fairly bilingual.

Last night, I missed out on "Los Luches" - WWF, Mexican style. Very theatrical wrestling matches, and very popular. Next Monday for sure.

Other than classes, we have excursions booked every Wednesday and one Sunday, and there are lots of other (unorganized) diversions for weekends. Tomorrow we are off to Cholula - apparently the biggest pyramid in the world. (The Egyptians might say their's is higher, or whatever...in any it'll be pretty amazing. I've never seen a pyramid before).

Next up: Tomorrow is "El Dia de Reyes" which is a huge deal, and I've never hear of before. Any excuse for a party and a big parade!! Check out: www.inside-mexico.com/ReyesMagos.htm

Also, Cholula. Just enter "Cholula Pyramid" on Google - it's pretty amazing what comes up.

Hasta luego!!

A weekend in Puebla

brian — Tue, 5 Jan 2010 15:36:00 GMT

My first night in Puebla, I arrived after dark, and wasn't really interested in doing much exploring after 36 hours of travel. So a beer in the rooftop bar at the NH was in order. After a nap, a little dinner in the restaurant, which was outstanding. Some poblena soup (a local version of chicken soup), served in the classiest way I've ever seen: the standard soup bowl, with some chunks of stuff in it - cheese, veggies, and the like, and then from a tureen brought to the table, the soup is poured into the bowl. The waiter leaves the tureen with the rest of the soup that you pour it in your bowl when you like. Like how tea is served, sort of. In any case, very classy.

Service in Latin American restaurants is always a little more formal than in Canada or the US - a European influence, I would guess. For that matter, all service workers are a little more formal - for example, I was far more impressed by the condition and cleanliness of the taxi and the uniform of the driver than I usually am at home.

Back to dinner...after the soup, the dish the region is most famous for - Chicken with Mole. Mole is a complicated sauce with cocoa and chillies, and then a whole bunch of other ingredients handed down in family recipies. Everyone's might be a little different, like curry in Indian food is a little different everywhere but ARGHHHH!!! It was incredible. With a very happy belly and a liver bathed in red wine, back to bed.

Sunday was a very relaxed day of exploring the Zocato area - the central square. This area is always the same - a huge cathedral and a huge palace facing each other, with a public square in the middle. I think there is a certain obvious statement made with the cathedral and palace competing for attention - the government and the church are keeping an eye on each other.

I can't figure out how to embed pics here - refer to the gallery.

Afterwards (despues), I met up with my host family who by that time were worried - they had expected me the day before, I never told anyone I had a room, nobody asked, yada yada yada. Communication foul up. All good - I was fed a great dinner, and found the little doll hidden in the holiday cake. More about this, the resulting commitment, the ballon vendor, and 3 Kings Day on Wednesday tomorrow...

Photos: Sunday in Puebla

brian — Tue, 5 Jan 2010 13:15:00 GMT

Sites around the Historic section

40 days and nights: beginning in Puebla, Mexico

brian — Sun, 3 Jan 2010 13:28:00 GMT

So first, as always, a geography lesson. Puebla, Mexico is about 2 hours by a very comfortable bus trip south east of Mexico City, between Mexico City and Veracruz. The city of Puebla is the 4th largest city in Mexico, and sits at an elevation of about 7,000 feet - a little tough to think about: 1.5 miles above sea level!

I'm here for a 4 week intensive Spanish immersion program, starting Monday. In the meantime, I'm having a rather pleasant night relaxing at the NH Puebla. The NH chain is big in Latin America and my favorite - always excellent, oriented to the business crowd. Not exactly a cultural relic, but nice for a night - not out of place amongst the better downtown Vancouver hotels.

Getting here was a bit tough, and I'm sure it's because I was flying for free and Air Canada hates me. First, fly to Toronto for 4 hours, and then to Mexico City. Now, it's 2450 miles from Vancouver to Mexico City, and about 2400 from Toronto. So if I have it straight, I flew 4 hours to gain 50 miles in distance. Hmmmm.

On the bright side, I flew business class which is always a treat, and I had warm cookies and ice cream courtesy of Air Canada. Sweet. And I spent a great day in Toronto eating Sushi with Megan, Donovan, and kids, and playing Monopoly City and high speed Connect 4 with Jaron.

I love being back in Latin America - it's been a little too long, and the last two trips to Cuba and to Mexico were a bit challenging. As always, the welcome at immigration was warm, the inter city bus was great, and I'm happily settled awaiting a walk about in the morning. Puebla, from first appearances, is a big city but clean and modern - not bad for a city dating from long before Canada even existed.

I have access to high speed internet, and have my lappie with me, so I won't have the connection challenges like were in Cuba. With a little luck, this blog will be interesting.

Here's to the start of a new adventure! (Raise a glass of Negra Modelo here)

Jazz Festival ... Ballet ... Ice Cream (But first an important disclosure)

brian — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 12:20:00 GMT

I am forced by ethical and editorial guidelines (especially in these difficult economic times) to make the following disclosure: I am at home. In Vancouver. Using high speed internet. For free. See, I intended to maintain a real time journal. I'd be there. You'd be there. We'd share the thing. It really was a great idea. Nearly like twittering (although I actually have no idea what that is...it's my understanding that e-mail and blogging have gone the way of the dinosaur, and replaced by "tweeting" where I can release scintillating little messages like, "Crossing the street to the other side", or "Waiting for the light to turn." I don't get it, but whatever. That's what I'm told. However, (sorry, I was intending to make a point, but got distracted and then annoyed, but patience always does pay as you will soon discover) after making the commitment to ongoing updates to the journal I discovered the unfortunate truth. It's not like there are internet cafes on every corner of Cuba. So you gotta find a computer. Then you gotta get in line (during the hours the computer is available). Then you gotta pay about $10 - $15 per hour for its use. And since it's not high speed, you spend much of that hour watching it. Now that, to me, is not a particularly good use of my time, when the sun is shining and beers are a buck and a half. So instead, I will be sharing memories of experiences rather than the experiences themselves. Impressions. Emotions. I will though be able to support them with names and places and references and stuff, so that actually might be ok too.

Group travel in Cuba

brian — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 06:40:00 GMT

Since Sunday night, I've been part of a tour organized by ZunZun Educational Tours, a Cuban/Canadian company based in Vancouver. Not having been part of an organized and excorted tour before (at least not for more than 1 - 2 days), I really had no idea what to expect.

In short, it is amazing. Our guide is local, very experienced, and very knowledgable. Her English is perfect, and she tries to teach us a few words here and there in Spanish. Our tour includes about 40 people, half from Canada and half from Bermuda. We have two buses and two guides, so there's lots of room for everyone.

The tour is focused on the upcoming Jazz Festival this weekend, but we have had exposure to the history, politics, economy, and social conditions of Cuba as well as the music. Today, we had a bit of a lecture on Urban Design and Planning from the architect responsible for the construction of a scale model of Havana, and a leader in the most important urban planning organization in Cuba.

Despite my low expectations, this tour has turned out to be great. The people on the tour are interesting, engaged, interested in a wide variety of social issues, and fun to spend some time with over many mohitos. The various sites we are touring always come with an explanation of the historic or cultural importance, so we are getting a rich exposure to Cuba not possible from the beaches of Varadero.

Yesterday, we were wowed by students at the main Havana music school. Talented students interested in music training are transferred to this school when they are 8, and work 60 hours weekly (plus homework) through Grade 13. It was, to be frank, impressive at how much they can do with so little. The jazz quintet that played for us at the end of several other demonstrations ended up with a well deserved standing ovation.

I am delighted to be here, and to be spending my time learning a little about where here is. I've really enjoyed hanging out with other people in the group, and have a lot of memories to share with a guy who popped by Cuba for the tour on his way home to Vancouver from 2 months in Argentina, Ecuador, and Chile. He and his mom and brother managed to all meet here for the tour, and we've all been chatting a lot about South America.

The food has been plentiful and flavourful. I would not accuse Cuban cuisine of being widely varied or overly imaginative, but there's nothing wrong with it at all.

Tonight is the Opening Ceremonies of the Jazz Festival, after which we'll check out the Buena Vista Social Club. Tomorrow, music all afternoon, and then the Cuban National Ballet with Giselle.

Only 15 minutes left on my rather expensive internet card...update later. Message today is basic: thoroughly enjoying myself.

Travel without a net

brian — Mon, 9 Feb 2009 03:26:00 GMT

I like the shock of arriving somewhere new with few if any plans, and little if any idea of what will happen next. The routine is always the same: For the first 24 hours hours, recover from the travel, try to find something to eat or at least a decent drink, peek outside at a new world, and generally hope for the best. The second 24 hours is generally made up of actually going outside to encounter this strange new world and trying to get the compass set. By the third day, I'm comfortable, have my bearings, and am ready to explore. Today is day 4. Things are good.

I'm in Old Havana, at a nice old hotel from the late 1800's pretty much in the centre of things. Water is a short walk away (strangely, it was much farther before I got me bearings properly set and actually used a guide map), and there are many historic buildings, castles, and early fortifications complete with cannons that got back to about the 1700's.

I've been delighted by the surprises: very good coffee rather than the rumoured plonk, and yesterday, a great paella dish putting rest to my fears of boring food.

Today, I change hotels to the Hotel Riviera in Vedado, another district of Havana, and hook up with my tour group. I'm feeling a little cocky, as I have the lay of the land and have figured out the basics of getting along, while they will have to go through the 72 hour process of getting comfortable.

Much to my surprise, I still have more than enough Spanish to get along, but I've found most people here have passable English. No communications worries.

So this is it...off to meet some new people, get resettled, and get started.

New Adventure: Cuba International Jazz Festival

brian — Thu, 5 Feb 2009 14:46:00 GMT

Well here we go again! It has been way too long since I've had a chance to reflect, write a bit, and travel somewhere new. I've been a few places since Argentina. Interesting places. I drove across Canada in Casey the Camper for Canada Day in Ottawa, I've been to Ixtapa (and regrettably brought back a little friend), I flew around in helicopters over the now defunct Galore Creek mine in northwestern BC, I discovered and have now twice visited Lasqueti Island, I celebrated 20 years of Aboriginal entrepreneurship and lending in Alberta at the Marriott Hotel and Casino, I went fishing for a week off the west coast of Vancouver Island, I rediscovered the best Greek food in the world in Kamloops thanks to my friend Scott, and I've been to Westbank. Once. No need to go back.

Unlike Scott, I have not partied on a yacht off the coast of Spain or partied all night in Ibeza or attended a private ACDC concert along with a night in Manhattan.

But once again, really for the first time in two years, I have a chance to take some time and do something fun. I've worked my butt off for the past few months, and have left behind a nearly clean desk. Nothing to think about, really.

So what is this new adventure you might ask? (I hope someone will ask!) I am off to Cuba to take in the International Jazz Festival. Cuba has been speaking to me for awhile. My sister and family have been there, a client / colleague goes often and loves the place, and it turns out one of my favourite clients will be playing in Cuba. Enough said. I checked out the possibilities with Aeroplan, they said pretty good, I booked, and now have once again the pleasure of a business class flight for free.

It occurs to me that the last time I travelled, Megan and Donovan eloped to Las Vegas. We made up for it a year later with a big ass party - exactly the kind they tried to avoid. The trip to Argentina was an incredibly special time for me, and I was shocked by the time I got back by how many people were following me along. It was really neat for me.

Cuba will be a little less strenuous, I think. I will be on my own for a few days in Old Havana for a few days at the Plaza - an old mansion converted into a hotel with, I am told, a spectacular courtyard and amazing coffee. On Sunday, I will join a Canadian organization for the Jazz tour festivities, and the requisite tours of rum factories, cigar factories, and more museums than I care to think about.

The great part is my friend and client Rob will be there from Calgary, playing drums for the Springbank Big Band. He tells me we will be partying at the Canadian embassy, as they've been invited to play there.

So here we go - off again. Who knows what will happen, but I'm having a great start with wine and cookies in the Maple Leaf Lounge waiting for the first leg of the trip.

Vancouver - Calgary, short layover, Toronto, 3 hour layover, Havana tomorrow afternoon. Bug spray and sunscreen packed. And a few good books. Hasta luego....

Wild Winnipeg

brian — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 22:21:00 GMT

Winnipeg! Home of Alice and Bill, my incredibly cool cousins, and where my Dad grew up (and saw the construction of the Hudson's Bay downtown in the early 1900's). But how did I get here.....(insert wavey lines and music to go back a bit, like Bob and Ted).

So how is it possible to turn a 780 km trip from Saskatoon (which Mapquest says is 8 hours, 52 minutes of driving time) into a three day journey? Damn, at this rate, I'll be in Ottawa in September! Maybe I just take more interesting routes than they do. And get distracted by shiny things, apparently.

I only spent one night and most of a day in Saskatoon, and then moved on. I really wanted to stay and connect with a buddy of mine there, especially with the Jazz Festival about to start (Buddy Guy, Jeff Healey, many others), and Aboriginal Day festivities on. BUT we couldn't make it happen, which in hindsight is OK. Heck, I might still be there! Lying in a ditch somewhere, moaning. Or something equally messy.

Night 1: Lanigan. I sang most of the way there until I decided to figure out how to change a fuse. Whoo hoo! Pretty exciting stuff.

Night 2: Gilbert Plains, MB. Shiny object by the road: a huge golf ball dressed in Scottish garb, carrying a hockey stick. The town mascot (serious! check out the pic!). Obviously my kind of place - I hit the brakes, did a u-turn in the middle of the highway, drove around town, found the campground, parked beside some behemoth thing with a satellite dish, put the roof up, moved to the second floor (loft style) bedroom, and went to sleep. Just in the nick of time, cause then the heavens opened and dumped. Golfers running and screaming. Funny.

Night 3: Gimli, MB, on the shores of Lake Winnipeg. Gorgeous place, but famous mostly for an emergency Air Canada landing many years ago because of an imperial/metric mix up on the fuel. And they have a viking. Pickerel and chips for dinner, a $6 movie at the local theater, and a nice sleep behind the Sears catalogue outlet.

Notable things along the way:

The transition from Saskatchewan to Manitoba is striking. Right at the border, all of a sudden there is a nice little valley and a big lake and then a hill, which is all pretty exciting after driving through Sask. Then a tiny little place by a lake - Roblin maybe - with a great little ice cream shop. And a really pretty drive straight east to Lake Winnipeg.

Finding an internet site in Dauphin Manitoba? Um, yeah. Not so much.

Northern Sask and Man seem to be filled with strange little towns that are either pretty and charming or complete dumps - nothing in between. The dumps are interesting though - how does that work when everyone in town collectively decides at the same time not to paint or repair anything? And then I come along 10 years later and judge them. Hmmm.

Gotta run - even more exciting stuff to write about, so stay tuned. And tell your friends. I want a book and royalty deal of some sort.