Bangkok round II

Philippines

Palawan

Cebu

Donsol

Kl

Perth

Cinco de Mayo in Mexico

Gulf Of Mexico - Phanos Proestos by Phanos Proestos

Last week on Thursday I received my work schedule for the following week and it was empty. So I decided to escape to Mexico to surprise my grandma. I've been coming to San Carlos ever since I was born. It has always served as my point of reference for paradise. It is a second home to me. A place where I've had ear infections. A place where I'm on a first name basis with Tony, the guy who drives the fruit cart, where I've swam among dolphins. A place where I've taken tennis lessons and won first place float in the San Carlos Days parade. My siblings and our lobster red skin were as much spring staples here as Pacifico and salsa for most of our lives.

The condo where I spent my springs has been sold and I am here now to help my grandma pack up for her final migration back to Portland. Hasta luego San Carlos! Echo de menos!!

Gam had no idea I was coming. Her dear friends and neighbors Bruce and Rose were in on it. Bruce came to pick me up at the bus station while Rose kept her entertained with a bottle of Chardonnay.

{Surprising Gammy}

We spent the next ten days lounging in the sun, lunching at new restaurants and recognizing when the clock struck five with a little happy hour beverage.

When I left the U.S. heading south, I realized that I would be there for Cinco de Mayo-one of my favorite holidays to recognize. All through my college years, and before, Cinco de Mayo was taken very seriously. We celebrated by waking up, putting on Mexican dresses, cracking a Corona and continuing the day with only Mexican meals and drinks. I imagined that a Mexican Cinco de Mayo would be much crazier than one celebrated in the U.S.

FALSE.

Apparently we in the U.S. are much more excited about Mexico's victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla than they are down here. My grandma and I celebrated with handmade tamales (not handmade by us, but by the local fruit truck guy), a few Pacificos and a nine o'clock bed time. There were no fireworks, parades all night bonfires. No mariachi bands playing on every corner, excessive consumption of Tequilla or drunkards raising hell at the local bar. It was treated like every other day. And so next year, I have decided I will stay in a part of the world that really appreciates Mexico's role and ultimate victory in the Battle of Puebla. Mexico just doesn't seem to get it.

Previous Cinco de Mayo


Current Cinco de Mayo

From the town of bedrock-Hampi

The sleeper bus was really funny and surprisingly comfortable. It is made up of bed-sized cubbies lining the walls of the interior. I had an entire bed to myself and slept well through the night. We got into Hampi in the morning and took a rickshaw to the dock of a boat to go to Hampi Island. We were traveling with a German we had met in Palolem, Nick and a Finnish guy we had met on the train down to Goa, Valter. A boat took us across the river (it would have taken 2 seconds to swim across, but swimming was prohibited and it was too deep to walk with our bags). We were awestruck from the minute we got off the bus. Hampi looks like it was the basis for the town of Bedrock from the Flintstones. Massive boulders surrounded the small city and people made their shops on the foundations of old ruins. We got huts and unloaded our things before venturing to a restaurant that had been recommended by some other travelers. During our time in Hampi, it was hot. And the electricity shut off on the island during the heat of the day, so no fans were operating. We rented motor bikes and found an escape in a lake not far from town. We spent the hot hours of the days there bathing in the shade of the rocks and watching local Indians jump from rocks. Barring the heat, I could've stayed for weeks at a time in this town. It was gorgeous and had not yet been spoiled by tourism. I left after two nights there to return to the beach for my final three days in India.

On the way to swimming

View from our favorite restaurant

Puppies who climbed into my bed when I slept outside

Jon and Me

Sunset from the Monkey Temple

Jon giving an old Indian boat paddler a break

Sunrise

Hampi ruins

Walter outside his room

Jon on the sleeper bus

Full Power, 24 Hour Palolem

"I feel right now, like the first time you fall in love (hand on heart, ear-to-ear grin). I cannot stop smiling and I haven't eaten for days." Valter, our Finnish friend, on India so far

For the first time on our trip, we were placed in the tourist section of the sleeper train. It was readily apparent when we stepped on and found, sitting around us, 3 Americans and one Finnish guy. The six of us bonded quickly over the fact that we were all sitting together and shared stories of our journeys so far. The train was over crowded, so just before bed, a group of people got on and sat on the floor surrounding our beds. Moving on the train was an impossibility unless you maneuvered through without touching your feet to the ground. We got in to Goa the next morning around 11. The six of us shared a cab to Palolem beach and got situated together.

In Goa they have this saying. "Full Power, 24 Hour, no toilet, no shower, full power." And they mean it. At our beach side huts, everything we did, the manager said "full power" followed with a hand pound. When my laundry was returned to me..."full power laundry." When I woke up early to watch the sunrise "full power morning." And it was everywhere on the beach. We spent our days laying on the beach, kayaking and meeting new people. We stayed with these travel mates for 4 days and they helped us celebrate Jon's birthday. We met some Swedish people at our favorite restaurant, Moksha's, on the morning of Jon's birthday who were also celebrating a birthday. That evening, at dinner, the Swedish guys brought Jon a piece of the most delicious chocolate cake and sang to him in Swedish. We went with them to Cocktails and Dreams, a bar on the beach and continued celebrating. The following evening, we took the sleeper bus to Hampi, a town about 9 hours away full of rocks and ruins.