¡Hola Mexico!

Hola mi amigos y familia-

I write to you now from the city of San Cristobal de las casas in the Mexican state of Chiapas.  It is unbelievably gorgeous here with the abundant cobble stone roads filled with every kind of person and food choice you can imagine.  As the Lonely Planet guide book says, ¨It´s a place where ancient customs coexist with modern luxuries.¨ 

Tomorrow I will have officially been in Mexico for 2 weeks.  I have stopped hallucinating the phantom ¨buzz¨of my cell phone in my pocket and am starting to get the hang of this traveling thing again.  Ten years after my last backpacking excursion in India and Nepal, a few things have changed.  All the obvious things that come along with age have been surfacing, a decreased tolerance for discomforts on buses and hostel mattresses, yet also an increased awareness of my surroundings, my impact on the local economy and social structure, and a  greater desire to witness, learn, and integrate. 

I´ve been traveling with a dear friend and sometimes sweetie, Dan Bean.  We both wanted to explore Central America and learn Spanish so decided to become travel partners to at least acquaint ourselves with the territory and then also have solo time to surround ourselves with only Spanish speakers.  We haven´t gotten there yet.  Mostly, we´ve been in touristy areas.  We started off in Cancun.  Dan has had digestive issues for some time now and his symptoms increased for the entire month before our departure.  So, on our first day in Cancun, after walking around aimlessly to find lodging, we stumbled upon a clinic.  We walked in and within 5 minutes we were seen by a doctor that spoke no English.  He had an awful translator there to help us with the charades of ¨infermo estomago.¨  Some how, Dan followed the doctor´s instruction, did several laboratory tests, and got some medications for amoebas, giardia, and parasites which he all tested positive for.  Central America is the land of parasites so now he has a clean slate.  His symptoms are better but still present and I have decided to take the drugs as well to knock out any buggers in my gut too.  I have an herbal protocol to continue taking as a preventative treatment for the remainder of the trip.

We bought this really cool product at REI before we left called a Steri-Pen that sterilizes all of our water with UV light.  It is a great alternative to bottled water.  Mexico has a serious littering problem so although they probably don´t use any more plastic than we do in the US, it´s really in your face here. 

We have had such a nice welcoming here and immediately I noticed that I needed to turn down my protection that I had built up in India.  People here are really helpful and polite and unlike in India if they are offering to sell you something or invite you to stay at a hostel, they aren´t all in your face about it.  The vibe is muy chill aqui.

In Cancun, Dan and I discovered the cutest little cafe with two owners

that we immediately befriended.  Dan and I both expected that people in Cancun would know how to speak English, but that was not the case. Mostly we used muy mal Spanglish and an embarrassing amount of
charades.  Roberto and Romy and the B.Org cafe were different. They spoke excellent English and Romy cooked us the yummiest fresh, organic meals we could find.  Yum!

I soon moved on to Tulum while Dan stayed in Cancun to complete his lab tests.  Please watch this hilarious youtube clip http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=qtWcb0bcA-A&feature=related Still after visiting Tulum, I can´t help but crack up at the the thought of the Inappropriate Yoga Guy.  I was lucky enough to experience yoga and a full moon in Tulum and while I don´t think it´s worth all the hype, I had a fabulous time. 

At the bus station I met a lovely woman from Australia, named Izzy, and we teamed up for 5 days.  She had a reservation at a super cute hotel on the beach called Papaya Playa.  We shared a rustic little cabaña with a sand floor.  The shower water was hot, but straight from the ocean.  Keep in mind I had barely seen the sun up until this point.  We were bummed out but on the precipice of a 4 day streak of sun.  Heellllloooo Caribean Sea, white sand beaches, and mass amounts Vitamin D for this Oregonian!! 

Izzy the Ozzie and our friend Chris from Ohio bought a tour package to snokle in Grand Cenote and swim with wild sea turtles.  OMG!  What a fabulous day!  We had an excellent tour guide and a great adventure!  Cenotes are a series of underground caves, tunnels, and lakes that run under the Yucatan Peninsula.  They think they were formed by a huge meteorite that hit the Yucatan thousands of years ago.  The porous limestone allows rain water to drip through the surface layer of the Earth to form stalactites and stalagmites.  The Grand Cenote was EPIC!  I´ve never seen anything like it!  Please check out some Google photos! http://www.google.com.mx/images?q=grand%20cenote&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:es-AR:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=es&tab=wi&biw=1016&bih=600.  We continued on to the beach at Akumal which was about 20 minutes north on the coast.  This was a very white and American tourist destination, but it didn´t distract from the magnificance of those sweet docile turtles loping their way through the waters disregarding the swarm of large snorkeling mammals around them.

Tulum was good to me.  I had some solid beach time, girl time, and lots of stillness.  Izzy and I took a yoga class at the ¨Eco¨ hotel next to our regular hotel and when we went to check out the place, a gentleman gave us a tour of the yoga space and sweat lodge.  I asked him what makes his hotel ¨Eco¨ and his response was that there was no electricity.  Izzy and I thought that was hilarious and told him that was a great way to make a buck and save a buck.  ¨Eco¨

For the most part the hotel beach was empty.  One day while working hard on our tans, Izzy and I were approached by two Italian guys.  It sounds better than it was and Izzy was trying to convince me that I could adjust this story to fit my fantasy when I shared it with all of you.  But, the reality was, they were a little weird and old for either of our tastes.  Also, they spoke no English, very little Spanish, a little more French, and of course Italian.  Being the well educated American that I am, I speak no other languages (yet), but Izzy speaks a little French.  We had the most pathetic conversation in a very broken 4! different languages.  It was bizarre!  Eventually they gave up and let us get back to work; holding our books, lathering sun block, swimming, sleeping, and the most difficult of all, turning over....hehe

On the evening of the full moon, I gave Izzy a Thai massage on the beach as the moon rose out of the Caribean sea and the sun set to the West.  That evening was the night of my intention setting.  I was so overwhlemed during Winter Solstice and the change to the New Year, I didn´t have time to clarify intentions for this chunk of my life.  With the moon illuminating everything so graciously and the waves crashing 5 feet away, I felt connected to my sometimes bold and outrageous path, the people that have seen that moon on that beach for the many years previous, and the person I am becoming now.  I´m constantly renewing my commitment to open my heart, embrace gratitude, and step into my full potential. 

Dan made his way to Tulum and within a few days we were on a 12 hour overnight bus ride to Palenque, the location of one of the largest and most tremendous Mayan Cities.  Mexico`s pubilc transportaion is awesome.  First class is ubber comfortable, with seats that recline 2 or 3 more times than an airplane, movies, and bathrooms.  Second class is a step down with no movies or bathrooms but still very comfortable.  Throughout every city we`ve been in they have large vans called 'collectivos' that provide frequent transportation for cheap. 

They refer to old buildings of the Maya as 'ruins,' but I can assure you that they are a long way from ruined.  It was a truly powerful experience to walk through building that were built over 2,500

years ago.  Tonight we watched a documentary on Palenque and am in awe at the intellegence, capabilty, and culture that was present in this land that long ago.  Their knowledge of architecture, water control, nature, sacred geometry, and agricultural is stagering.  I'm excited to learn more and perhaps visit more sites in Guatemala. 

The history of this land is rich.  My mother`s boyfriend, David, sent me the book entitled 'The Open Veins of Latin America.' It has been a quality eye opening read, but with the subtitle 'Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent', it's not a comforting bedtime story.  Pillage has raged the people of this land. 'The strength of the imperialist system as a whole rests on the necessary inequality of its parts, and this inequality assumes ever more dramatic dimensions.'  And so it goes.  I feel honored to have the education and strength to open my eyes to the reality of what has happened here, but it is not without heartbreak. 

San Cristóbal, pronounced with the accent on the 'O,' has been one of the funniest words that Dan and I try to pronouce.  When Mexicans say it, it sound so beautiful and fluid compared to the choppy gringo way that Dan and I spit it out.  We´ll be walking down the street repeating it back and forth, being sure to silence ourselves while passing the locals, and then cracking up.  This city is fabulous and I highly recomend it to anyone coming this way.  The streets are filled with mostly Mexicans and Indigenious people, with a sprinkling of foreigners from Israel, Europe, Australia, Estados Unidos, and many others.  There are all types of people; wealthy Mexicans passing through for entertainment and shopping, traditionally dressed Mayan people selling their hand made crafts on the streets, and dready travelers playing in drum circles.  San Cristobal has got it all.  There are your normal run of the mill 'hip' china-made clothing stores, lots of amber and turquoise jewelry stores, numerous shops of all kinds, and countless cafes and resturants.  I´ve enjoyed everything from freshly squeezed orange juice from a street vendor and bountiful dishes of vegetables to a whole unknown fish on my plate with a side of spaghetti.  Turns out spaghetti is a normal dish for Mexicans... Who would have thought?  Pizza´s big here too but unfortunately I´ve been trying to stay away from cheese since it makes my belly do somersaults.

I´m teaching yoga 5 days a week at the hostel I´m staying at, called Posada Ganesha.  Often I´m getting paid more than I would for a class at the studio I taught at in Portland.  Dan found a room to rent in a

house with a Mexican girl and a French guy.  Mylai (me-lie), the sweet mexican girl, has become a great ally and friend.  She's been super helpful and knows just enough English for us to understand each other.  The other day she took us out to lunch (whole fish place) to meet her friend, Maria.  they are two of my favs so far.  After lunch we went bra shopping (I forgot mine) and it was so freakin' fun.  The 4 of us were cracking up talking Spanglish, asking Dan about which bras or underwears he liked best, all to the most loud and dramatic Marachi music over the store speakers.  Priceless.

Mexicans loooove music.  It is pumping from every crevis of this country.  I don´t quite have an ear for it yet to tell you distinctly which kinds of Mexican music I hear, as I am sure there are many, but imagine the music you hear at Mexican resturants and turn it up 10 times.  Just now, walking to the Internet cafe, I heard what I assume to be one of the most popular current hits.  It´s a remix of that Dirty Dancing song...  'I.. had.. the time of my life... and I never felt like this before...yes I swear, it´s the truuuuth... and i owe it all to you...' followed by loud bassy dance music.  Hilarious!  Andy, please look it up.  I think it`s called Dirty Bit.

Our 2 latest adventures have been to shop for and cook our own food and to

start taking Spanish classes!  The food market is the most exhausting and chaotic part of town, but also the most diverse and authentic.  Today, I bought cauliflower, jalepenos, avacodos, kale,

carrots, peas, rosemary, tomatoes, onions, ranch eggs, and cheyote (a yummy new vegetable for me).  The season is ripe with manderins,

mangoes, pineapple, apples, strawberries, and avocados.  You can buy whole chickens or turkeys, a cow leg, beans of all kinds, and herbs.  The market is a string of make shift 'blocks', rows upon rows of dispayed produce mixed with random music dispays, and packaged products.  Phew, it was siesta time after that trip today.

Today was also our first Spanish class and oh man are we excited.  It will be a whole new experience when we can actually communicate with the very friendly people that surround us daily.  Our teacher is awesome!  Tomorrow we have a field trip to the Museo de Medicina de Maya and on Sunday we will head to an eccentric church, located about 20 minutes away, that mixes Christianity and Indigenious beliefs and drinks Coca-Cola as the blood of Christ!  Next week will be teaching, studying, and maybe taking some adventures to the surrounding canyons and caves.  Guatemala is on the horizon and each day I inhale gratitude and exhale anything that stops me from being fully alive in this experience.  I am so blessed and I am sending endless appreciation for your support and love.  ¡Muchos Gracias!