The country the culture the like
Posted: February 15, 2004 Filed under: BLOG | Tags: mexico Comments OffI realise I haven’t said a lot about what each country’s culture and people is like.
Mexico? Mostly Spanish speaking people. Mix of educated and wealthy with poor and lower class. The last of which like to stare or holler (well the men do). But on a face to face basis have been very friendly.
Unless you’re in uniform. The Mexican police have a bad rep and scare the shit out of Westerners. And they know it. Apparently you should always be ready with a bribe (Even if you’re not doing anything wrong) but knock on wood nothings happened to me yet and personally I’d refuse to give into that kind of intimidation.
Mexican food? Rich and sometimes spicy.
Mexican weather? currently very hot. The kind of searing your skin hot.
Hmmm, will think of more when I get back home.
To travel or not to travel – that is the question
Posted: February 15, 2004 Filed under: BLOG | Tags: travel bug Comments OffI’m divided on the issue. Part of me cannot believe I have to be back in Sydney in 12 days, absolutely loathes this fact and wants to be one of the many other travelers we’ve met who have been on the road for 6 months, 12 months, 5 years. The other part of me knows that there are things, career wise that I want to commit myself to.
Before coming here I was definitely on the career side but happy to do these one month trips. But now that I’m here I’ve caught the travel bug. One month is not enough to see anything. Its enough to catch a taste of what I would like to see, and what to avoid.
Next time I come here, and there shall be a next time I’ll most definitely come with a firmer grasp of Spanish and bucket loads of time. A little money can go a long way here and South America. Ditto South East Asia. And while I’m young with the energy for these places, as well as lacking the funds for Europe, America/Canada these are the best places to hit.
Mexico is caliente
Posted: February 15, 2004 Filed under: BLOG | Tags: acapulco, mexico, Puerto Escondido Comments OffCaliente (sp?) means hot in espanol. Although it’s possibly hot in the sexy sense than the temperature sense. Eh. Works for me!
So where were we? After La Pas we headed to Acapulco by plane. Two words for Acapulco “tourist city”. Personally to be avoided unless you want cheesy nightclubs and bars.
Puerto Escondido however is a nice little beach town. We’re staying at a fun place called Hostel Shalom. Yesterday my bro and I visited two lovely boho beaches called Mazunte and Zipolite about an hour out where you can stay in cabanas and eat at restaurants right on the beach.
La Pas
Posted: February 9, 2004 Filed under: BLOG | Tags: La Pas, mexico, San Diego Comments OffLa Pas has been our second stop in Mexico. Its a 20 hour bus ride from Ensenada and marginally bigger.
Last night I stepped over the line from “drunk” to “out of control”. Brooke, Aaron and I found ourselves crashing a few restaurants and a club here, talking much shit to many locals after drowning in far too many tequilas and the local beers (which is more than just Corona).
The best thing so far about Mexico has been lack of contact with fellow backpackers and instead friendly although at times frustrating (language barrier) friendships with the locals. In both here and Ensenada we have not been traveling the smooth, paved road provided for foreigners while the real country surrounds but remains alien to you, the experience I basically had in Thailand.
We have been traveling on the buses used by locals. We have been staying in hotels used by locals. We have been eating and drinking where the locals do and with the locals. Part of me feels like I don’t deserve whatever kind friendship we’ve received. The other part of me throws that out the window and laps it up for all its worth.
Meeting new people
Posted: February 4, 2004 Filed under: BLOG | Tags: modern life Comments OffMy last backpacking trip was fairly extraordinary. I was by myself, it was my first time backpacking and I really didn’t know what to expect. Second time round I feel like a seasoned traveler (perhaps a touch immodest there) and meeting new people doesn’t seem like a big deal anymore. In fact, I approached this one with nonchalance. I don’t give much of a fuck in Sydney anymore because I like my friends and the more new people I meet the more I realise how rare it is to find people like your mates.
Anyway, this time round I knew I’d have Brooke in a week so it was just Hawaii and I’d figure I’d sit around on the beach most of the time.
Despite this, I per chance happened to stay in this lovely little backpackers called the Polynesian (2584 Lemon Rd, Waikiki, 18089221340) filled with lots of young, fun hot bods and met some wonderful people to pass the week with. Friendships while traveling has different terms. You naturally think wonderful things about people you might not really be friends with at home because (a) you’re all relaxed and happy in a beautiful setting (b) subconsciously you know you have to because you’re by yourself.
Point is is that I loved it there and I realised that I like it when I like someone and/or when I’m liked by someone, just as I hate it when I don’t like someone and/or they don’t like me. (and talking about “like” in the “like like” sense and the normal “like sense”.)
Thing is is that should we be aiming to just be content with ourselves irrelevant of whether someone is nice or rude to us? I would like to be, but it’s difficult. The other way to look at it is that being liked is a positive experience (thus it should be treasured) while being disliked is a negative experience (thus we shouldn’t let it affect us).
But is it possible to let the negative one roll off our backs while holding onto the positive one, or if you let one go you have to let the other go too?
