29/11/2010

I arrived restless at the autobus station in Mexico City where I immediately jumped on the metro to get to where I staying. I had booked a hostel called hostel Amigo a few days beforehand but I used the map that Lu gave me and info from a lonely Planet guide to get there. I arrived at the hostel ready to check in and get some sleep but reception was only open from 8.00. I hung around the entrance way waiting for 2 hours so I could check in… As it turns out my reservation did not show up, the woman at the desk did not speak a word of English and I figured she was saying it was fully booked up for the night.

A little frustrated I managed to speak to a worker there who spoke English and told me I mixed up the address off two hostels both named ‘Amigos’.

I then had to walk half an hour to the other hostel where I was able to check in and eat the free breakfast offered. I joined a group of people on a historic walking tour of the city that was suppose to last 3 hours but because I was so tired I lasted 5 minutes and returned to the hostel to sleep.

I slept for a good 6 hours and still after this extended nap I was still ill rested. Despite this I wanted to meet some newbies and head out to see what there is to see in mexico City, I contacted Lu to come meet me after she finished work and got an English guy (Shawn) and a Dutch guy (Guess) to come with the us to grab a bite to eat. Lu was so sure she could get me to enjoy Mexican food here in Mexico City but what I ate for dinner was again ok but not that great; it was tacos el Pastor and Choriqueso (a cheesy chorizo dish). I also tried a Mexican beer with different sauces including citrus juice and rimmed with sea salt which I my opinion didn’t make the beer taste any better before the Mexican additives, anyways it was called Michelada.

We wondered down the main street that was entertaining but being a Monday not that busy.

After Lu headed home and Shawn and I (Guess went to meet some friend) headed back to the hostel where I got an email from Paul to come meet him at another hostel where he was staying.

It was good to catch up and we organized to leave together with some of his friends to Oxcaca on Wednesday evening.

long exposure shot

Crazy benches in the center of Mexico city

28/11/2010

There was a couple in the private room next to the dorm that were getting a bit intimate last night that kept we awake for a while but when I woke I still wasn’t in the best of shape. Regardless, I met a very lovely chick from mexico city, here on holiday she is training to teach foreigners Spanish. I asked her to teach me some for the rest of my time in GDL but as it goes I was heading off later in the day – still we exchanged emails.

I met with Lu after breakfast and went to collect some bikes that were offered for free. We were only able to cycle around for an hour before we had to return them but it was great because a lot of the roads are blocked off to usual traffic on Sundays to premote exersice and better health… also why the bikes were free too.

We stopped for lunch where Lu suggested I try Torte Ahogada, and it was another case of Mexican food being not too great...

The center of the city was absolutely packed with people doing their shopping and doing Mexican things, we wondered about and saw the sights in the center where soon after we headed back to the hostel where I learnt (for the moment) how to count in Spanish. My Spanish is slowly improving but hopefully towards the end of this trip in Latin America ill be able to hold a conversation.

Lu had to get her flight back to Mexico city and I chilled about before I had to leave to the main bus station at 8.30. I wanted to get local transportation there but it being a Sunday evening nothing was really running.

I didn’t have a choice and had to pay M$150 for a taxi to get there.

I paid for the bus ticket departing GDL at 22.00 arriving at Mexico city at 5.30.

I took some sleeping pills for the journey that worked for a little while but because of a crying baby behind me I didn’t sleep all that well.

Giant Chess board

Cute

This piece of art shows all on mexico's future... v ery cool

27/11/2010

Woke up this morning not feeling 100%, I could have really done with a little more sleep but I wanted to see something with Lu as she flew all the way to come see me and the area. We munched down the free breaky and set out to see the town of Tequila. The tour offered from the hostel cost M$500 which is a little steep in my opinion and Lu and I decided to head there by bus and do it ourselves, good thing we did because we did pretty much the same tour for half the price.

It was a little bit of a walk to get to the bus station but it was good to see part of the town along the way. The bus was only suppose to take an hour and it took over twice as long but we made it and immediately signed up to a tequila tour. The tour was great getting to see the entire process of making tequila and (as much tequila you can drink) we were carted around in a silly looking vehicle in the shape of a barrel and got to try the sweet roasted Agabe which is a cactus similar to Aloe Vera that is used primarily here to make tequila. The end of the tour required me to drink a lot of free tequila… when I say ‘required’ I mean ‘to take advantage’. This is where I got pretty tipsy and then grabbed some pork soup with a taco with Lu before setting back to GDL.

It was a good day and also coo to catch up with Lu, after all it was been 4 years since I last saw her and apparently I have changed a lot, in not only appearance but also my personality – when I first met her that was back in the day where I was shy and quite.

Unfortunately Lu unable to book another night in the same hostel so she moved to a hotel down the road.

I met with Denis and Catherine and headed out for dinner at an all you can eat buffet of Chinese food. The food wasn’t bad but it was nice to have some oriental cuisine instead of all the Mexican food that I have enjoyed so much *cough*.

Me trying to eat the raw Agave

...and now the cooked Agave

That was a mistake of theirs, full access to all the tequila

Me and Lu

26/11/2010

I set off today to Guadalajara, it wasn’t difficult to get to the bus station at the other end of town because locals were kind enough to help me out. The bus again was very comfortable and despite the windy roads through the mountains I was able to catch up on some sleep that I was lacking from last night, although apparently it wasn’t enough. I was so nackard when I got to Guadalajara and if it wasn’t for the help of a German/Italian guy who was on the bus I would have found it to be very difficult to get to the center of the town and the hostel.

Lu was arriving later in the evening so when I got there I again tried to sleep but instead had a beer with some Danish and Aussie guys. Lu was a girl I met 4 years ago when I first started backpacking Europe, she is Mexican and I honestly hadn’t really chatted to her until recently because I was travelling in her country. She caught a free flight to come meet me at in this city as she wants to see more of her own country.

When she arrived we went out to see the town with a French Canadian couple (Denis and Catherine) we went to a place where it was unusually themed using Army items to decorate the place and the check came in a helmet.. I didn’t quite get it but it seemed to work as it was filled with locals. We were going to go and get some cheap street food but the only ‘cheap’ street food that was on offer was tacos filled with the meat of pig but the only options were tongue, brain or cheek… it didn’t take us long to move on to another place.

We got back to the hostel and had a few beers where I shared some stories before crashing out hard.

25/11/2010

Again, not a very exciting day, just chilled at the hostel until the evening than sank back 8 beers before heading out with a bunch of others to Harry’s bar where Giamo took us there in the van it was again ladies night where girls drink for almost free. Jenna and Andrew both Canadian who I met last week came back and were staying in the other hostel. I was pretty wasted towards the end of the night and because I had to leave in the morning I didn’t continue out to the night clubs. I met a bunch of English girls who were unbelievably hot at Harrys and I tried to get involved but with no luck.

Swimming at the beach yesterday does wonders fixing my dreads but the problem I have is sand that gets caught and comes with me and goes all over my bed.

24/11/2010

Nothing exciting today, just chilled on another white sand beach and cooked dinner for Dennis Conrad and myself. Later I went souviner shopping with Dennis which was a mistake because shopping with him was worse than shopping with a chick but I did get to take some good photos of some of the statues on the beachfront and get to see Wolverine from X-men – shame I didn’t take a pic.

From yesterday - by far the softest lips ive ever kissed

23/11/2010

Just headed and chilled down at the beach with Dennis and Conrad (from Australia) for the day, nothing exciting other than getting sunburnt but days like this I feel are the reasons why I like doing nothing…. Er… I mean travel.

I was suppose to leave today and make my way to Guadalajara but most hostels were fully booked till the weekend so I decided to stick around

Later Dennis, Conrad and I went to Walmart for Dennis to return a digital camera he bought a few days before hand that had already broken. Its crazy that something so American made its way to Mexico but I suppose this place is a very touristy spot and the local economy thrives off it.

We caught part of the sunset and headed back home… I can now call it this because I have now been staying here for too long…. Its not a bad thing though, I like it here.

Again tried not to drink too much and be persuaded to go out so I held back a little and chilled in the evening chatting to the two Israeli guys who joined us on the cruise yesterday (Tomer and Shy)

Dennis

Dennis very stocked with my abilities to make simple noodles taste really good

22/11/2010

I woke up early to organize myself and everyone else to get going on this boat cruise.

We left the hostel at 8.45am to get there by local transport. I made the mistake and accidentally got the boys off at the wrong stop. Ill say it wasn’t my fault as we were given bad directions. The 8 of us (unfortunately all boys) had to walk down the road for about 1km to make it to the port where we waited for the boat to show up.

Whilst waiting (and also getting searched) there was a sea lion that entertained the crowd, I got a picture taken with me kissing the animal – by far the softest lips ive kissed before ;).

Finally after waiting for ages the boat arrived and we boarded it, it was mostly families with us boys being the only people around our age that was there purely to party.

We were told that we could get beers immediately after boarding but again we had to wait till after the snorkeling session which actually only lasted 10 minutes.

Didn’t really get to see much whilst snorkeling – just a few fish but I didn’t mind because I wanted to take advantage of the open bar that was offer on the $30 tour.

All the alcohol offered was terrible at best making it difficult to sink them down but as it showed when we arrived at the white sand beach I was well on my way, past tipsy.

We played some Volleyball on the beach with some Mexicans which was good fun although it was obvious that most of us were drunk. We got the free lunch where I managed to steal an extra food ticket from under the cooks noses and munched down the 2 meals by myself… again the food was pretty terrible but edible. The fish was like a rubber sole and the bean dish was bland like all the other food I have had in Mexico… really disappointing L.

I also managed to fuck my toe up during a very short soccer match, I kicked the post trying to block a shot at the goal... leaving me hobbling away.

After a few more hours on the beach we had to board the boat again and make our way back toPuerto Vallarta. On this trip I had a nap despite there being free alcohol.

Whether it was the sun, the bad food, the excessive alcohol or the motion of the boat I managed to run down stairs to the bottom deck and throw up everything I ate and drank for the past few hours. I do blame it on the food if anything :P

We got back to the boat and I paid for the picture of me kissing the sea lion. I dunno… because I was drunk perhaps…it set me back $8 USD which I suppose wasn’t much but money to go toward things like accommodation and food.

We got back to the Hostel where I chilled for the evening when mostly everyone else headed out.