To all, where ever you may be, a big hello from Mexico! The month of October passed as speedily as the others, and l find myself surprised to already be updating on the happenings. This month was one that was fabulously marked by visiting friends, another trip to Guadalajara, a hedonistic visit to Sayulita, meeting great people and more exciting (and at times challenging) work at the project. It was a busy month that passed quickly and l look back now and find difficult to recall all the events. However, more and more l am feeling that way about my entire time here in Mexico. The first month seems a distant memory, with events hazing into each other. However, before grand nostalgia sets in, we have October to think about!
So l took another trip to Guadalajara to visit Mark, where l found myself somewhat relieved to be on the bus where l could stop and do nothing much for a couple of hours but just enjoy the scenery and Spanish dubbed films. This weekend was marked by trialling some Mexican - Japanese cuisine (which l fondly like to call 'Mexicanese' or 'Japican' both satisfy my ridiculous impression of this meal) as it was marked by cheesy fried rice and sushi rolls. However we did find few very tasty and familiarly named beers!
The weekend was somewhat quieter than the first visit due to a convalescing moustache man, however was just as enjoyable. Roaming the streets, heading to a rehearsal studio of a newly made friend of the boys for beers and a night of Spanglish and just chilling out at hostel and underground pizza joints.
Guadalajara is a fantastic city that reminds me a lot of Melbourne, with a lot of art, music and markets as well as a lot of people! Coming from the down season in Vallarta l found the numbers of people and cars a bit overwhelming. Yet, there was always something waiting for you just around a corner, such as a cow sticking out of a wall, ready to quash any young lady's fears of the big city!
Also, a rare treat for me of heading out to breakfast that was combined with shark feeding and jumping castles (sounds a bit better in writing than in reality) as we watched the fabulous Mexican Sunday tradition of shutting down main streets so that throngs of people can take advantage and ride, skate, dog walk, or meander as they please. Other activities such as giant chess, dancing, and painting filled the parks. An amazing initiative to try and decrease the obesity rate in Mexico and promote healthy lifestyle.
After all this l made my way back to Vallarta in the wee hours of Monday morning. I was high tailing it back to meet my friend Bella at the airport who was coming all the way from Melbourne, for nine days of luxurious relaxation in Vallarta followed by ten or so fast paced days in NY with family and friends. Bella stepped off the plane after minimal sleep during her thirty something hour journey and it was a fabulous and strange emotion to see her. So happy to see my friend again, however it was in such a bizarre context since being so distant from friends and family here and exciting to think l was going to share part of this experience with someone from home! That day was also Ivan's sister's birthday dinner so after a cocktail or two by the pool and catching up with Bella, l left her to try recapture some of the many hours stolen by international travel and headed up the mountain once again to Las Carmalitas. This time with Ivan and his family where many laughs were had, including a broken chair incident (to match the broken bed incident of Chimo), and another beautiful sunset with clouds rolling over the top of us and out to sea.
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| Yes you will probably be my dinner! |
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| As the rain clouds rolled over us sparing us from a typical Vallarta afternoon downpour. |
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| Alex, Nauli and Kelly, a beautiful lil family. |
The following days with Bella were marked by scenes as below. Lounging in deck chairs whilst pretending to be Americans on vacation, making friends with hotel staff (resulting in a free meal and many free bananas!). Bella came to the project one day, went on a tour another and recouped from a pretty ridiculous work schedule back home.
Most nights were pretty tranquil while Bella was here however we decided one night she needed to sample a bit of the Vallarta night life and we ventured out with Bella's new American friends, a couple she met on the tour, Mario and Ashley. What ensued was a hysterical evening of accent impersonations some great margaritas and some terrible margaritas in Styrofoam cups (that unfortunately l am to blame.... however it was nearly a litre of extremely cheap alcoholic sugar syrup!). We went on a bit of a pub crawl after discarding the remainder of our drinks and found ourselves at one of the only two bars l really like on the Malacon (The Bebotero Co. a live rock music bar). We didn't stay for long due to a sugar syrup come-down, however we were there long enough to take advantage of some photo opportunities and see what some of Vallarta's rock scene has to offer.
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| Won't be going to the Tarzan bar again...... |
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| The hysterical and lovely Ashley and Carlos, here pre- terminating said Styrofoam Tarzan margaritas .... |
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| I was pretty excited to see this guy on the wall, that's right it's not just Australians that celebrate the terry-towelling hat! 'What a Wally!' |
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| And then once again after said margaritas........ |
This week also saw the unsucessful attempt at Mexican- American - Australian fusion cuisine....
in future if anyone decides to try the challenge of opening such a restaurant l would suggest that a Vegemite and Cerviche Bagel isn't to be put as a starter on the menu. The old Australian saying that Vegemite goes with nearly anything and is good for the soul, didn't make the par this time. Yes, it is good for the soul, however when combined with a minced fish salad cooked in lime juice on an extremely dense and maybe a few too many day old free bagel l will have to contest.
Bella and l decided to leave our budding ideas of such a restaurant in the bin with the remaining scraps of our failed enterprise to head out to Punta De Mita with Greta, Lupita and her husband John. What resulted was a day of a lot of sun, ladies chatting in Spanglish, eating Manta Ray (!) and some pretty hair raising driving experiences.
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| Very pebbly beach of Punta de Mita, in the distance is the Marieta Islands |
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| Manta Ray (on the left) tastes somewhat like a chicken fish with a bit of a twist!? |
Mark then arrived in Vallarta, with the other boys to follow a few days later due to one sick bike and one sick boy. We had another day of being Americans by Bella's pool, and then we trekked out into the night to find the only vegetarian restaurant we could and experienced that the dangers of the buffet also lie within vegetarian cuisine. So with protruded bellies and an icecream (to cut through the savoury), we strolled back along the Malacon watching street performers and giant waves drenching ambling onlookers.
Bella left heading to New York on the Wednesday, and it marked the end of a fabulous week hanging with my friend. It was also a great opportunity for me to see how the other half of Vallarta experiences the city here. It is not one that l wouldn't totally shun, however l don't know if l would make it a regular occurrence or permanent lifestyle choice. After a few days, l was itching to be productive again and the expensive, slow paced life of the hotel urged me back on to my side of Vallarta. Where people are up early with the sun heading to work to the blaring soundtrack of noisy children, geckos kissing, old VW Beetles and quad bikes in the street.
Mark then came to the project for two days, where all the staff and kids were eagerly awaiting to finally meet this mystery moustache man l had spoken so much of. After all the greetings were done we set Mark to work on fixing two of the manual hoists (helping to lift kids from floor-seat-bed-toilet) and also making two great therapy tools (a balance wobble board and scooter board) that have been getting a lot of daily use.
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With great shame l realised l didn't take any photos of Mark sweating it out at the project.....
so here is a photo of us if we were donuts! |
For an extended weekend holiday we headed to Sayulita to meet up with the boys and have a bit of a break from Vallarta. Sayulita is a little surf town north of Vallarta which has been somewhat over run by American expats. Mark and l stayed our first night in what will go down as one of the worst hostel l have ever stayed in (and that is spanning hostels across Australia, Canada, Europe, Thailand and now Mexico). So we shifted to stay at the other boys hostel for the following nights and what ensued was many good times, fish tacos, hanging at the beach (sin surf), rock climbing walls, fun days and nights drinking and just generally being a little bit hedonistic!
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Pretty typical scene of the weekend at the fish taco stand
Left to right, Mark, Lewis, Phil, Ferg and Matt |
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| Mark with giant bug and moustache scaring local children |
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| Is that a face of hangover. |
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| Ohhhh, scary vampire coffee cup! |
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| Mark wrapping up after some intense belaying action |
After returning to Vallarta and having a few more quiet days (and some not so quiet nights, thankyou Mariana and German) it was time the boys headed off to continue their trip further south. All in pretty good spirits and ready to explore the rest of the Americas. It was a bit sad to say goodbye to Mark again however no where near like the first time. We won't see each other again until Christmas, which at that stage was about a month and a half. Although sad l also felt ready for them to go, wanting to settle back into the daily life of the project and really commit to some the goals we had set for ourselves for my last month.
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| See you later, bye! |
The day the boys left also saw the second Monster Truck/ Bikie show to raise funds and awareness for Proyecto Pitillal. A fun afternoon of cruising through the city with horns and music blaring followed by displays of rappers, dancers and artists at the beach.
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| What is a fundraiser without a werewolf?! |
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| Supposedly werewolves prefer buggies!? |
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| While the werewolf wasn't looking! |
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| Bikies |
And as l head into the final month here in Vallarta l start trying to de-construct what has happened in this blur of 5 months and counting. It feels strange to have the final weeks ahead of me, with flights booked out and Bolivia project organised, moving on towards further unknown. Just as l feel some sort of synthesis occurring here, and the work at the project really firing up, l know that before l know it, it will be time to leave. However, before we lament too much on time gone, let's go and enjoy the last month of Vallarta, of more time in Guadalajara, visiting Tepic and other places around Vallarta and trying to contribute as much as l can at the project in the weeks left. Until December with the November instalment, take care everyone xox
