The Last Post (we're home and it sucks)

Yeah...nothing really I can add to the above sentiment.

Good news...Leticia has decided to come to Chilliwack for a visit (oh yeah and to see Stanley Park...my story and I'm sticking to it).

Planning another trip to the One World in August for a quick 5 or 6 day visit to the city of Leon (uh...they have a nice park there too, I've heard...) Then I'll take Darien and Tristan on a 10 day adventure similiar to the one Greg and I just finished the following year, they will be ready for it...maybe not quite as many clicks though.

It was good my amigos...the one thread that keeps running through my mind...Carlos Casteneda said that in his dealings with Don Juan Matus (The Yaqui shaman) many times he had imparted to Casteneda that to follow the path that has a heart is always the right path to follow. I am convinced that the reason our trip went so smoothly is that right from the beginning both Greg and I felt that taking this trip the way we did, definitley had heart.

Try a holiday thats out of the box my friends, you will not be disappointed, I promise.

Colin

PS: Keep checking this site over the next couple of weeks...there are more pictures and entries that Greg and I have yet to add.

Mexico city...on our way home

We arrived safe and sound in Mexico city...readers you have to see this place to believe it...over 30 million people (Canada just tipped over 33 million last cenus). We took the metro and it was way easier than you might think, to Leticias parents place where we were greeted by her sister Yasmin, Mamma Aguilar, Joquin, and the two daughters Melissa and Jessi. Awesome family!! First thing that Mama told us ( after telling us to take off our shoes that is) was ¨"mi casa et su casa" Had a beer, dinner and a shot of tequilla then went to bed...due to lack of sleep (re: bus ride from hell post).

L-R Melissa,Carlos,Mama, Jessi and Joquin.

Greg and Jessi

Melissa and Jessi playing Volly balloon with Greg.

Yasmin Leticias sister

Went to the Mexico Museum of Anthropology.....ay! Caramba!! we basically had about 6.5 hours there...need three days to really get it all...this place is a must see for anybody. Absolutley fabulous! Saw the sarcophagus and lid of Pakal The Great (Ruler of Palenque) and yup...there it was carved in stone on the lid...what definitley looked like the Mayan King in a reclined position working controls with fiery flames leaving what could only be propulsion jets...pretty cool!.. couldn´t get a shot though...hard angle and low lighting...maybe Erik Van Daniken had stumbled on to something here. Remember I was telling you about the murals of Cacaxtlan? Well some have been brought here to be put on exhibition while the reconstruction of the temple is being completed...figures in blue are sacrifice victims. Oh by the way...people here are not at all afraid of the Popol Vuh's {Mayan Prohecy} prediction for the end of the world...the date just marks another change in the earths cycle and is nothing to worry about.....or is it ?

Well thats pretty much it...we're on our way home this afternoon and not liking it one bit. It's been a hell of a trip and something that I will definitley do again...hopefully with Darien and Tristan being my travel partners. This really is the way to get the pulse of the people and country...I am so fortunate to have had this experience, and to have a buddy like Greg come with me...it´s been a journey that is good for the soul...thanks amigo!!

I'd recommend it in a heartbeat to anyone who wants to try this and i you want info or help...give Greg or I a call...we´ll be glad to help you anyway we can.

The land of distractions and the bus ride from hell

So we wake up and decide it´s time to visit the mineral springs called Los Estacos resort...a mere 13 km out of a nearby...did I say nearby? town called Jojouatla...well as usual we get distracted and decide to go to the Bodega super store for hot sauce and tequilla...good bargins too! and then we´d grab the bus and stay the day at the springs...this started at 9 am....well we wandered the market once more took some pics and finally grabbed the bus to the NEARBY town of Jojouatla.........2 hours later we arrive at the spring to find it closing in the next 45 min or so...just friggen great! But what a spot...absolutley beautiful!!

Just when we thought things were going smoothly it happened....oh man did it happen! The springs close...we need to get back to Cuautla...find a combi to take us back to the bus depot where we can catch the bus back right? Not a chance...Tlaloc was going to have a bit of fun with us first....Mario the combi driver gets us to a cross roads where he tells us that the bus right there...is going to Cuautla...we thank him jump out and after having the bus driver confirm that he is indeed going to Cuautla with a simple "Si" we jump aboard....this is around 630 pm. I soon notice that we are heading in an unkown direction...no familiar landmarks and the one that is familiar...the strip club I noticed...is on the wrong side of the road. After about 2 hours we arrive in a town...don´t know which and find the bus depot closed...bus driver says no problema we´ll go to another one...it´s also closed...after another half hour he drops us off on the side of the road witha few others, and tells us the next bus to Cuautla will be here soon.

Bus comes, we board..ask the driver..¨does this bus go to cuautla...answer is inevitably a hearty "SI!" another hour goes by and we arrive in town...only the depot does not look at all familiar...this is Cuautla i ask...the answer is "SI"....(sigh) After disembarking we find out the town is call Igualo and the next bus is at 530 tomorrow morning.....(?????)

I decide to give Leticia a call to let her know were ok and to find out where the hell we are, as suddenly our spanish speaking abilities are not doing very well at the moment.... she has a good laugh after settling down and tells us that we´re in a completely different state (Guerreo) about 3 hours north of Acapulco...we finally got a bus at 130 am, I think the guys at the desk re-routed one from Puebla just for us and we arrived back in Cuautla at 430 am...had to pay him a two cerveza bribe...it was worth it....ahh i just get to sleep in my bed...when....I was woken up by a marching band in the square...some sort of Flag honoring day...speeches, pledge of allegiance the whole nine yards.

I laughed to my self and said only in Mexico...I must have looked a site...2 hours sleep...hair askew...no shoes and shirt on backwards, shooting the above pictures for you readers..Greg was blissfully asleep having the forsight to put in ear plugs.

Cost of the ticket to Jojutla.....20.00 pesos

Dinner at the all night Fonda in front of the bust depot in Igualä ( with 6 pack)....85.00 pesos

Bus ticket back to Cuautla....185.00 pesos and 8.5 hours

The experience of the adventure?....PRICELESS!

In Cuautla

We landed under the cover of dark on the 25th of January to what seemed to be a dark dingy town...no vibe, no people, no internal music playing and we were tired. Oh well we're here, so we walked the 4 blocks to the Zocalo and again woke up the propieter of the Hotel Colon...even at this late hour he was all smiles...room was 250.00 pesos per night...again we were tired so we thought we'd sleep and then push back to Cuernavaca after a day of market research. Greg was pretty much the walking dead and I wasn't much better { after my climb at Cacaxtla}, we needed some down time although didn't know it.

I woke up at 730 am and blasted out of the room leaving Greg to sleep...as I had to check out what kind of town this was in the light of day.....manomanonman! was I in for a shock!! the town was alive! people everwhere...vendors, kids, mamacitas and me. I was going to jsut sit and have a coffee and watch, but decided to take a boo around...the streets were jamm packed...it's like the entire town is one big market.

See the pic...all of the streets were like this..no kidding! Greg joined me in the square and we both decided that we needed a day with out packs on us , so we'd stay a night...do the mineral springs the next day and then head to Mexico City to meet up with Leticia parents and family.

Typical Street scene in Cuautla every morning

We ended up staying three days in thsi town...people extremely friendly and helpful...certainly like to come back and visit it again...on to the springs.

And at night...the Zocalo is the place to be for families and teenagers....it's where it all happens.

GREG WITTALS WILD KIÑGDOM

It all happened back on Jan 22 at El Tajin.As we were walking around the ruins we accidently wondered off a path and into the jungle, where we proceded to get hopelessly lost.

This is the map that we did not have.>>>>>>>>>

















Feeling all Indianna Jones like( actually Colin wanted to be Allen Quartermain this time)we fearlessly proceeded on totally unaware that we had also left the :VOICE OF REASON : back somewhere at the entrance.

We then split up i followed the stream and Colin the path.

When all of a sudden i heard this HORRIBLE NOISE.The first thought that came to my mind was another Mexican Jaguar,the most dangerous of all predatory felions.I heard Colin scream,so i started to bushwhack in that general direction when i heard that HORRIBLE SOUND again.I crouched low and strained to see threw the jungle,my heart felt like it was about to explode as i caught a glimpse of something moving,and realized there wasnt one but there were two.Thinking quickly i pulled out my camera (i wasnt allowed to bring a knife on the plane) and i and took a quick picture hopeing the flash would momentarily blind then just long enough for us to :RUN AWAY:As we fled like frightened school girls we came upon a ñarrow opening in the jungle.We climbed threw getting all scratched and bloody by these sharp thorns on the trees.Way WAY worse then climbing threw a barbed wire fence drunk.

Once threw we saw what what was shurly a never before seen small temple, and beside the temple somthing TRUELY AMAZING. It all suddenly became crystal clear,the answer to the age old question, of why the Mayan race disapeared?........NO wonder they vanished: A CIVALIZATION CAN ONLY GO SOO FAR ON A SQUARE WHEEL:

After escaping the deadly ferrel turkeys and solving the ancient mystery,we proceded to work our way threw the jungle back to the ruins.

As

we were entering the archological site a man with a clip board(which looked suspicously like an M16) said YOU GRINGOS ARE IN DEEP TROUBLE FOR BEING OUT OF BOUNDS. YOU HAVE A CHOICE: EITHER JAIL or REBUILD THAT TEMPLE OVER THERE........

Man

Temple

I was working at a feverous pace not wanting the alternative.It was unbearably hot and humid.

Colin said: im thirsty lets go for a cervesa.So we snuck off the site threw the gates for a bite and a beer.............THE END.......

Tlaxcala and Cacaxtla

Well...we found the one town that we don't like...this place reads good in the guide books but really has nothing to offer...San Miguel de Allende does if you want to hang out with your neighbors...2.5 hours looking for a hotel..did I mention that the town is made of hills and all of them seem to be uphill....all the vendors seem to sell in the plaza are hot dogs for petes sake! yep we're outta here. One cool thing...Greg went to bed while I blogged for you guys, but was speaking to a Cop on my way to get some beer...he had been to Canada more than a few times...Vancouver, Toronto, etc...but his most favorite place was a small town he couldn't remember the name of, but had mountains called the Three Sisters! Jeeze of all the places to run into somebody who has been to Canmore....I told him that I used to live there and that Greg still does..I don't think he believed me at first, but then when he saw how surprised I was...he thought it a bit odd as well to say the least, anyway.... On a more of a downer...it is clear that we are not going to be able to see and do everything we planned...oh well another trip...On to the ruins!


In 1993 a discovery was made and excavation began on Xochitecal or the Pyramid of flowers...also found were human remains ...from sacrifices no doubt and over 5,000 clay female figures. When we arrived at the site it was closed! The Government is putting a big chunk of cash into building and preserving the site especially the murals...apprantley the creators of said murals went to some lengths in preserving them for future generations by putting a layer of very fine sand overtop and then filling in the rest with soil rocks etc...again the site was closed...but after a bit of persueding and all in the interests of entertaining you dear readers...we were allowed to walk up to the Pyramid of flowers site...so I did { Greg was in a bit of pain today so he opted out} nice little 3.5 km jaunt up a friggin hill!! I really have to stop listening to that little voice in my head...I came down sunburnt, thirsty and tired...but I climbed the damn pyramid...

One of the really neat things is that Mt. Popocatepetl is smoking again...Greg was speaking to this young lady we met on the bus, the volcano has been smoking for 3 years now and in that time the valley citys...Tlaxcala, Cuenevaca, Puebla etc have been put on red alert more than a few times...now it's in the green but everybody is very wary of Popo and wondering when she'll blow her stack....hell hath no fury as that of a woman scorned. Sorry about the pic...hazy day, but that is a plume of smoke and not a cloud.

Vera Cruz

Left Papantla on the way to Vera Cruz, the Gulf of Mexico coast is quite beautiful and does require more research as there are ton of little villages all the way to Vera Cruz. Ahh Vera Cruz, what a city....tourist town for sure, but with enough of a work ethic to make it palatable, lots of Mexican touristas here...not so much North Americanos, guess this is because of the popularity of the Mayan Riveria and plcaes like Puerto Vallarta. Jan 29 sees the start of their Carnaval...it's supposed to make the one in Rio look like church...what a drag...we need to be in Mexico City so we can fly out the next day. On our way to Tlaxcala and then to the ruins of Cacaxtla...see ya soon.