not famous

I did not succeed in becoming a famous surfer. Playa Pesculas is for professional surfers and I am not. It is crushing. But tomorrow is a new year.

¿Quien sabe? Who knows?

Christmas and after

The Christmas eve dinner with Julio and family did not work out. Unfortunately, Leah and I had to eat two and half pounds of fresh shrimp alone. Bummer.

Christmas day we dressed up in elf/super hero comstumes, well, the best costumes we could patch together with our limited wordrobe: tights and silk scarfs. Then rode around Colima on our bikes delivering cookies to friends whom were working on Christmas. We were laughing at ourselves and most people did not seem to understand why, they stare at us even when we are not dressed in silly clothing with silk capes yelling "feliz navidad" in cartoon voices, why should they understand our humor anyways? Our friends seemed to enjoy the cookies though. That is what is important.
That evening we feasted at the lovely Roberta and Ken's house. They prepared the juicest turkey I have ever eaten, along with cranberry chuttney and mash potatoes. So delicous and filling. Their guests came from all parts of the globe, including a 70s rocker from Finland and his wife, a social worker who spent 6 years in jail. She said, "I am out now."

Alex, famous gituar player for Sid and Fancy, graced us with his pressence the last two days. Yesterday we all met up with a new friend, Carlos, who drove us up to the Colima Volcanoe and took us on hike and tour and fancy lunch and other generous curtousies. It was fun to get out of Colima and walk around... plus we got to practice Español all day. Alex leaves today for Guadalajara. Rock on dude.

Leah and I are going to find a surf shop on the beach that rents boards. I hope to become a famous surfer in the next two days.

¡feliz navidad!

Hey everybody,
so we´re not going to be having a white christmas this year, although that god-damn song has been stuck in my head for the past few days :) No, this year will be different...I´m excited to go to our friend Julio´s house for christmas to see how his family celebrates. When he invited us, I figured we´d go over in the evening for a couple of hours but he added that we should bring our sleeping bags and any dvds that we have...so it sounds like we´re in for our first Mexican slumber party! I wonder if Santa Claus is as fat and jolly in Mexico as he is in the states (he, he)

Jack and I celebrated last night with champagne and a whole kilo of shrimp! It was delicious...today and tommorrow there will be more festivities, which will hopefully distract me from being homesick during the holidays. It´s a comfort to think that we´ll be back stateside by the summer. I feel like I´m just starting to meet a few people here and settle in...I may even have a job interview this week, thanks to Julio! It´s at a restaurant downtown in the main plaza called la Plazacita (do you recognize that Rodrigo?) so hopefully I would make some good tips because it turns out minimum wage is more like 7 dollars a day instead of 8...ugh!
Anyway, that´s the news for the day. I hope you all have a wonderful christmas and new years celebration with lots of good food and good company!
Love to you all!

more Colima

That's right, we live here and life is much slower now that we are not riding our days into the sun. Therefor, the blog entries feel as though they lack the same pissas and tone of life in the bike lane.

"Jack, let's get a hot chicken before they close." Rotissorie chickens, sold whole, some sell 2 for 60 pesos. They a treat and I love them. Someday the states will learn. Whole Rotissorie.
chillo, weh.

At the very same time, we are meeting people. Talking to them. Drinking coffee. Watching telenovelas. Bob Espogna rules. 5 o'clock, everyday.

Last night we were invited to a house party wherein an Egyptian chef was going to prepare all the food. The problem was, the building where the party was going to be never got the electricity turned on and so instead of being a house party, a group of us went to a random bar. The bar let us in after paying a cover, but it was rented out for a private party. We left that bar and went to another that had more ambiant music and a better atmosphere for conversation. Then one of the dudes in the group started ice breakers and I felt like I was in high school. Leah would not translate into Spanish that I put on tights late at night and fly around the city looking for other gringos.
The Egyptian is a cool dude. He wants to open a shisha bar in Colima but says that the people here are lazy and so he needs to find a place that has plenty of parking.

The streets are filled with Christmas shoppers even though it is the heat of the day. We are eating a whole chicken with our bare hands.

Home

So now if you happen to be in Colima, Colima, Mexico and need a place to stay you can go to 79 A, Francissco Villa. Ring the bell and either Leah or I will let you in. Roberta called the new apartment a regular "club med", I wouldn't go that far, but it is really nice.

We spent all day looking and (Leah) asking the shop keepers and corner store owners about apartments for rent. Little known to gringos, asking shop keepers is better than checking newspapers. We managed to find this sweet place next to the river, off of any main streets, in the second story with a view of the volcanoes and a ladder to the roof. We had to find a place that was furnished, right? But not just for the bed, in Mexico an unfurnished apartment does not come with a fridge or a stove.

We now have a double bed, a futon, a four burner stove, a shower with mostly hot water, running water, a fridge capable of making ice, a big living room perfect for yoga, a couple chairs, a tv and a DVD player, a table and a high chair. It is really nice. Below our apartment is a big court yard used for secure parking and parties, there is a karoke machine and some awesome speakers. I want to get some chickens. Like I was saying about needing a place to stay, come on by, we can put you up.

The apartment we are renting does not have a contract, we can leave after Janruary if we want, or we can pay for another month. Our thinking about renting is to have one place to be for a while. Sink into the town and get involved at the orphanage, start taking Spanish classes, make new friends, go to parties. The thought of renting a place is a financially motivated decision as well. Not being on the road and having a kitchen and a fridge is a huge help in cutting down the cost of living, we hope. We'll see. We have gone from a twenty dollars a day food budget to a five dollars a day food budget. I hope it works to be here a while and get to know Mexican culture more completely than we have so far... if nothing else, hanging out with Rodrigo's Grandparents is awesome. And Roberta and Ken are great. Plus there is Julio who works the swank coffee bar. And my Spanish seems to be improving the more Bob Esponga I watch...

Should we stay or should we go?

If we stay it will be trouble. If we go it will be double. Should we stay in Colima? Beautiful, beautiful Colima city with it's hustle and bustle, it's university with private language classes, the casa hogar with a socially rewarding volunteer opportunity. Should we stay and volunteer with troubled Mexican children? Try to rent an appartment for around 2,000 pesos when some of the locals tell us the average is 3,500 to 5,000 pesos? Should we stay in a city when we want to swim in the ocean? Should we settle and rest even if we yearn for the rythm of biking and the thrill of adventure?

We like the feel of Colima, but ...

Pictures?!

What blog would be complete without pictures? right.
I wish I could figure this out, but this is as close as I have come:
http://picasaweb.google.com/catalystculture/IdahoToMexico03

My appologizes.
Send suggestions to the techniquely ilterate at:
catalystculture@gmail.com

Check out the locations of some the photos, it is kinda neat to look at them from that prospective. It is a long ways from Idaho to Mexico. wow.

Ken and Roberta's

We are now staying in the luxurious residence of Ken and Roberta's in the city of Colima. It is really friggin' nice to have a shower, kitchen, and visit with Rodrigo's grandfolks. That's right! Leah and I got to meet Rodrigo's Abuelos. They are awesome. The family resemblance is apparent in the entheusasism of Rodrigo's Grandpa. He is overflowing with generosity and kept repeating how highly Rodrigo had recommended us. His Grandma treated us to lunch of delicious fryed fish and beans. We are going back tomorrow. I have to know how she makes those beans taste so good. I hope to hear some stories of Rodrigo's past.

Leah and I talked about why we are in Mexico. This question is more and more prevalent as our money dissolves. I want to learn Spanish more than I want to learn how to surf. Leah wants to work somewhere with more purpose than selling crap to gringos. Colima might be the place, it has a university with language classes and Roberta knows of an orphanage that provides housing to volunteers. Again, quien sabe, who knows. Colima might be the place.

Colima city, Colima

The city sits at the base of a giant volcano, could be two, the air quality here is not like it is in Montana. The city is somehow smaller feeling than Manzanillo and we both enjoy that. The streets are paved and there are friendly people here. Also, a great friend, Rodrigo, has grandfolks here. We hope to find them. And we have some family friends to stay with, Ken and Roberta, which is good because my ass is still killing me.

Regroup and rethink, that is the current plan because who knows what tomorrow will bring.

Also on the randomness of adventure, last night we stayed with Rosa on the beach. She has a little stand that sells seafood and such. She generously invited us to her sister's birthday party, also at the stand on the beach, and gave us fish and shrimp and beer to our hearts content. Then one of her drunk cousins walked us over to a live band that was playing at the church. The celebration of the Virgin of Guadalupe goes for twelve days. Today we saw runners carrying a cross along the highway. They go from Colima to Manzanillo in the Virgin's honor.

We ate some Cantalope and thought of Dave and the crew in Sandpoint.

Manzanillo Shmanzanillo

So we´re moving on tomorrow, heading inland to Colima. Manzanillo is a beautiful port-town with vibrant colors and friendly people...but it just isn´t quite what Jack and I were envisioning for a place to settle for a while. I got as far as looking at job lists and talking to people about renting an apartment but it didn´t feel quite right so we´ll be moving along again. The highlight of my day was finding a sweet little bike shop down the road from our hotel owned and run by Juan. He´s a maestro when it comes to bicycles so I felt very happy to leave my treasure in his hands for a little tune-up...and now she purs like a kitten. It´s amazing how much shit collects on your bike after 2 months of riding! But it´s also amazing that we haven´t had any major technical difficulties (knock on wood).
My greatest fear is the end of this trip because I´m not sure what the hell we´re going to do...and this fear is becoming more close to a reality since we´re running out of $$...but something has worked out for us before and I´m convinced that it will work out this time too. Biking rules! Anyone who hasn´t taken the time to do a trip should go for it!
Love to all of you!
Will write again soon

Manzanillo

Now what? The whole time we have been on the road, more than two months of adventure, I have had this little voice in the back of my brain that keeps repeating,
"Why? Now what are you going to do? Why? Now what are you going to do?" For the past two months it has been easy to tell that voice, "vamos a Colima, Let's go!"

Now that we are here, ... well, it isn't like it is a surprise that I do not know what to do, but I was kinda hoping for balloons and confetti, a parade maybe. Then diplomats to take Leah and I by the elbows and direct us to our dream jobs. Where we would work, effortlessly, curing the worlds ills. Then, we would feast of giant shrimp and surf the famous waves of Playa Oro, everyday.

That has yet to happen. Yet.

Destination Achievo

Si, mi espoñal es malo. Perro, apracticar ahora en Manzanillo.
That is right. The surf town and giant port, Manzanillo, located in the state of Colima, Leah and I have arrived. We made it. We made it, we made it. Done.
I have a defined line around my butt cheaks that clearly marks where my seat makes contact with my butt. It is highlighted in red, swollen rash of burning pain. It stings a little when I swim in the ocean.

Another serendipidous event, we stayed in a hotel the same night it rained for the first time and we arrived at our primary destination exactly a month after we crossed the boarder.

Manzanillo is cool, far less gringos, bigger than Puerto Vallarta, smaller than Mazatlan, and I heard a rumor that there is surfing here. I plan to check out the University for potential language classes.

Right now the Christians are celebrating the twelve days of the Virgin de Guadalupe with traditional dress and parades, music, street food. It is really cultural. I like all the shrines to the Virgin, like the one at the Pemex gas station.

I changed the colors of the blog to better reflect the Latin flavor. I hope you like it.