Nasdravi

So I'm in Prague and wanted to post my last blog...da, da, da. It's been a very difficult last month. And hard to leave beautiful Mexico with daily sunshine and warmth. Prague is more dreary, for the pensive souls. Change is inevitable and because of that, I am here.
A quote that I read this morning describes some of how I feel:
"Whatever is heavy and difficult, as long as it is only borne properly, also marks the precise weight of life. It teaches us the measure by which we may know our strength and which we may then also apply when we feel blessed with happiness."
Jack and I have bid each other farewell after a beautiful and epic adventure by bicycle. I will never forget this time and will look back on it with (mostly) fond memories. Goodbye Mexico.
Goodbye Jack. Goodbye pollitos.

The End

The theme song to "Idaho to Mexico" is a song by Vicente Fernadez, called Estos Celos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4ZViNUx6pQ

I crossed Nogales with little more than a hurmphuff from the boarder cop, easier than crossing the Canadian boarder. Soon I will be in freezing cold, then in cold rain.

Yes, I miss Mexico.

Dominoes

I just learned how to play Dominoes from Poncho the Great. He beat me, really bad. I mean, who would think it was a game of skill and cunning?
Also, he gave a bottle of cologne. Avon "Wild Country" Colonia para Caballero. Watch out ladies, I'm going to smell flammable.

Tomorrow: good byes and carne asada.

Vamos

Leah left Mexico yesterday afternoon on a jet plane. She left me for her Mother, who lives and works in Prague. Lucky girl.

I am alone with Maggie the dog, house sitting Ken and Roberta's place in Colima and making plans to travel North, while at the same time drowning my sorrows in over sized beer bottles and choking my breath with cigarette smoke.

Good bye Leah.
Good bye Mexico.
Good bye hot sunshine, delicious food, cheap beer, and delicious food.

Hello bus ride from hell. Colima, Col. Mexico to Helena, MT usa, what took Leah and I two and a half months will take a grueling 61 hours on a bus.

Ginger Rock

I was in Guadalajara gaining inspiration by the Ginger Ninjas and their pleasant revolution. Holy crap these bikers rock. They are completely self contained, including sound system, cello, full drum set, tools, costumes, todos. They started in Northern California and are leaving for Mexico City in a couple days, maybe. They travel by way of magic and their force is a powerful one, attracting attention from radio, newspaper, and elected officials.

They pedal by day, rock out by night. Their shows are pedal powered by 12 volt motors that audience members are encouraged to pedal as the Ninjas rock their funk-folk-booty-shakin-mountain-groove. Electric and legend making, they speak from the heart and move by people power. Their impact is huge to the physique and minimal to the environment. Check them out: http://www.gingerninjas.com/

So, I got to hang out with them for a couple days; very inspirational. The Ninjas performed the night I got to Guadalajara until late-ish. The next day we awoke early to ride with the mayor of Guadalajara on the Sunday-shutdown. Every Sunday Guadalajara shuts down 25 kilometers of city streets to bicycle and pedestrian enjoyment. The city lends out 300 bikes for free and thousands of people turn the 25 kilometers into an all day parade of happy folks. The Mayor is interested in expanding the program and has sent delegates to witness the success in other areas. In addiction, a bicycle summit has been organized to further the dialogue of improving bicycle travel within Jalisco. Also encouraging is the fact that Guadalajara is sister cities with Portland, Oregon, a world renowned bicycle friendly city.

After the bike ride, they Ninjas set-up and performed a show in a government owned structure along the closed off road. Then, they tore down and loaded everything on their extracycles and biked over to the next venue, where they played a long set.It is completely inspiring for me in terms of entertainment via bicycle. Or education via bicycle. And both.

Thank you Ginger Ninjas for your Pleasant Revolution.

Sharky goes to Mexico

Mark, Leah's Dad, flew into Manzanillo last Saturday. Leah met him at the airport and I guess they hitched to Melaque.

I hope they are having the time of their life.
I am in Colima, watching television and getting a beer gut.

Pollita

I bought a chicken. Not a whole delicious rotisserie chicken from a tasty rotissoria, no I bought a live little pullet, flesh, bone and squawking. It might be a rooster because it makes noise in the mornings. Still to soon to tell. It lives in our "patio" a closet sized space with a dirt floor and re-bar ceiling. It is a pet project that would make my father proud.
We have a chicken pet/livestock.
I am going to buy a couple more so the one we have does not die of loneliness. Plus, we will probably move before they get to be full-man-meal-size.

Secretly I have hopes that it infuriates the landlord for making us sleep (if you can call it sleep) on a broken, old mattress and eat dinner around a card table while sitting in plastic lawn chairs. "Furnished" now includes chicken shit, pendejo.

Mexico is awesome.
We have a chicken pet.
Is it wrong to name your food?

Second Attempt

I think the next time I try to surf I will rent a long board. Leah says it is a lot easier than the short, surly little boards that so many people make look so easy.

Leah worked on her day off and then demanded that she have two days off in a row. Everyone in the restaurant gave her hell for it, but it gave an opportunity to go to Tecla. An hour and half south of Tecoman, we got off the bus in the middle of no where and walked down the road to the beach and small indigenous town of Tecla. I found a guy that trusted me enough to rent his board to me, and Leah and I tryed for the second time to surf.

I stood on the board. I caught a wave. I got dropped on my head. I got worked more times than I can count. I am not famous.

Surfing is a majestic sport of grace, timing and is also terrifying. For someone who grew up in a landlocked state, the ocean is scary. Big walls of water crashing over me is "fun" is "cool" and a "workout". I went into fetal position and covered my head with my arms, scared that I would smash into the rocky beach after a huge wave crashed on me. It was kinda creepy to hear the waves bouncing the big rocks after been thrown underwater by a wave.

Now we are back in Colima. We moved into a different apartment because of the overbearing neighbors at the last place. We were required to notify the owners of any visitors and it was difficult to have anyone over for beer or socializing. The new place is less aesthetic but is more convenient for hospitality, and the owner's sister is not watching our every move. Double plus.

ps. the new address is

Madre Selva 268-A
Colima, Col. 28000
Mexico

The Check Cleared!

Thank you so very much, dear sweet Grandmother of mine! You have made my Spanish dreams comprehensible. I will start the very next week with classes four times a week two hours a day and private tutor to boot. Thank you brave, strong Grandmama. Your love for us all, or Leah and I, is strongly felt and deeply appreciated.

Butt Vomit

It was only a matter of time before it happened to me. I braught it on myself. I washed the radishes with tap water, but did not wait for them to dry before devouring half a bushel. Now I pay the price, squatting on porcielin thrown, contemplating the direction I should take my life.
There is a shimmering glint of hope, the flickering light at the end of this fecal washed tunnel. Poop pills from a family doctor in Orofino, the honorable Kelly McGrath. Thank you thank you thank you.

Working in méxico...

So my latest update is that I am now a waitress at a restaurant called Los Portales, working 40 hours a week busting my behind taking orders, serving coronas and keeping the place looking clean. Apparently it´s common to work at least 6 days a week, if not 7 and they do not take breaks. We get to eat one meal during the 8 hour day and only when there´s a slow moment with few customers...tough stuff! And we only make $5 (per day!) plus tips, which have varied from $3 to $14 so far. So I´m not sure how long I will last in this business...but it´s been a very interesting experience so far. It´s given me a window into Mexican life and culture that I wouldn´t have necessarily seen from afar...and the extra money helps quite a bit.
The other news is that we´re moving to another apartment close to the old one but with less restrictions...this place definitely has an extra room for visitors and we don´t have to worry about our anal landlord wanting to know who is coming in and out all the time. I think it´s going to be a good change because more friends will hopefully come over, it´s easier to find and I think we´ll be more comfortable there...so that should happen by the end of the week!
Anyway, much love to all of you and please send news from afar!
xxoo

more pics

Here´s a link to more pictures of the great adventure, for those of you who are interested:
http://picasaweb.google.com/leahbrandt/IdahoToMexico

Happy new years and love to all!

¡Feliz año nuevo!

2008!

Happy happy New Year!
I feel like this year is a year when the hopeful changes will be realized and goodness will be achieved, because we are certainly past due on for some of that. Signs that point to goodness: election year.

On an entirely different note: our landlord, and owner of our apartment, is an ass. He wanted Leah and I to come down to his office and talk to him about hosting a visitor. The owner wanted us to pay extra rent for the extra person who stayed a total of two days. Poncho, the coolest caretaker and all around rad dude, stepped up for us and calmed the situation. Later, over carne asada on New Year's Eve, Poncho said the owner does not tell renters until after they move in about the extra fee for visitors. What a dick. The owner is not in need of cash, he leaves the apartments empty most of the time and his son uses them to have parties, which Poncho has to clean up. And when we have told people about the cost of our apartment, they gasp at the price. The owner's sister lives within the same complex, so she reports anything and everything we do. It sucks to think we cannot have an open door to our friends and family. Lame.

We are looking for a new place to live.
I am going to miss Poncho.

And New Year's! Roberta and Ken have a famous party every New Year's (travel article that makes mention of their party: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B01E1D8153BF93BA35751C0A9629C8B63). They hire a Mariochi band that plays well into the morning, while Ken makes strong margaritas that keep the dancing feet moving. Fantastic party fallowed by a burguies breakfast of fresh papya, empanadas and passion fruit juice. Good, good and great. Leah and I were the intraduced as the bikers who rode from Idaho. The usual questions fallowed, how long did it take you, where did you sleep, how many hours a day... yeah, I am still wearing the same shirt.