San Cristobal De Las Casas, Mexico~ my personal fav

What's your favorite city in Mexico? 
Ooooh, pick me, pick me!
It's San Cristobal De Las Casas! 
If you're wondering why this post is on the goofy side, it's because I'm writing this in the car on the way to Belize and am breathing in toxic amounts of gasoline into my lungs because we have 2 5-gallon tanks filled with gas from Mexico sloshing around in our backseat. Why? 
Because the gas in Belize is about $5.50/gallon. That's about $2 more than Mexico. 
Now you know. 
From Salina Cruz, we moseyed on over to San Cristobal De Las Casas, or SCDLC (we'll just say that for short). I had heard great reviews on the city, but I tend to take advice with a grain of salt. I had to check it out for myself.  
I have to say , I was pleasantly surprised. 
It had a bit of a European vibe to it, infused with health nut meets hippy. It was my style, for shizzle. 

Signs for yoga and natural foods could be found on every street.
Thoroughly sick of tacos, Dinh and I scavenged the city for something different. ANYTHING but tacos, for the love of God. This quaint city was the perfect place to break that vicious cycle of Mexican food-eating. We noshed on Indian food that made our taste buds smile. 
With our bellies full to the brim, we strolled through the cobblestone streets, getting hawked constantly by local girls selling their handmade scarfs, sweaters and other trinkets. Child labor laws do not exist in Mexico. 
"Quantos años tienes?", I asked one of the young girls. (How old are you?)
"Siete", she replied. (Seven)

That reminds me, a 13 year-old boy bagged our groceries at the local supermarket the other day. He was so little! It looked so out of place, I had a hard time holding back my laughter. 

Back to SCDLC: At $5 for a cozy wool scarf, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to help give back to the indigenous Mayans, all the while keeping my neck warm in the chilly mountain nighttime air. Win-win. 

I was totally digging this groovy little town, but unfortunately Dinh was still suffering from the high altitude. His constant sharp headache made it hard for him to enjoy SCDLC. However, the altitude had zero effect on me. Because I am mountain woman. Clearly . 
One evening I had more energy than a 5 year old full of Mountain Dew and Snickers. (Shoot... now I'm hungry for a Snickers) Anyways. All Dinh wanted to do was lay in bed and hope for his headache to vanish. My partner in crime was kaput. 
Since I despise the caged animal feeling, I strapped on my running shoes and flew out the door. Literally . 
Just kidding. 
Well... it did feel like it. I have these really light running shoes that make me feel like I'm floating on air. I floated all over SCDLC that night. Even though it was dark and 8 o'clock at night, I didn't feel like I was in any danger. I ran by a funeral home with mourning family members. Although they had seen better days, they still managed to squeeze out a smile for me. 
I love Mexicans. 
Beautiful churches and a city full of stunning architecture whizzed by me. 

Happiness flowed from my soul. 
Feeling like I had satisfactorily expended an adequate amount of energy, I waltzed back to the hotel, back to my altitude-sensitive boyfriend. 
Mama Mia!

To all the chocolate lovers

My blogging frequency has declined. For that, I say "lo siento", that means "I'm sorry" in Spanish. Bet you didn't know that by reading this blog you are also increasing your Spanish vocabulary.
I've just been so busy! So much to do, see and eat. However, I'm filled to the brim with tacos and could care less if I ever eat one again. But something tells me I will.
The experiences have been whizzing by and I keep thinking, "ooh, that would make a good blog post", then I get back to the hotel with good intentions to blog, but instead I end up falling fast asleep.
So I'm going to compress the highlights from the last couple weeks.
After Acapulco, we drove to Puerto Escondido, which is a surfers paradise. Surfers from all over the world flock here to ride the waves. And waves they were! Oye!
These dudes were consistently catching tubes. Amazing to watch...

After a night and day there, we were off to Oaxca. It was a long, windey road. And by windey, I mean REALLY windey! The journey took us 7 hours and no one got car sick.
We climbed to an elevation of 5,100 feet as we felt the temperature drop. I dug out my wool sweater and didn't put it away for a few days after. We passed countless little villages along the way . It felt like a whole new world. A part of Mexico that I doubt a lot of people know exists. The "real" Mexico. Their charming houses are made of wood, almost Swiss chalet-like.

We were enamored with Oaxaca and ended up staying for 5 days.
They have coined it the "culinary capital of Mexico", for good reason.
Our taste buds thoroughly enjoyed our stay .
The most famous vittles is called mole, which is a sauce made from ground up peppers and chocolate, among many other ingredients. The locals smother meat in this dreamy concoction and even spread it over pizzas and tortillas.
Oh. My . Goodness.
I can't describe how yummy it is. You'll just have to go and taste it for yourself.

There was this awesome market called "20 de Noviembre" in the middle of town where we liked to eat every night. It's filled with food stalls. Take your pick. A foodie's paradise. 

During the day, we usually scavenged on street tacos.
Oh, I couldn't mention Oaxaca without mentioning the CHOCOLATE. This place is a PMS- ing girl's heaven.
If you love chocolate, do yourself a favor and board a plane and get down to Oaxaca. You'll be glad you did. You might come back a few pounds heavier, but it's all worth it.  Unless, that is, you can afford the ticket to Switzerland. The chocolate is a hair better there. Your choice.
While snooping around one afternoon, we picked up the scent of rich chocolate and followed our noses. We discovered a street abundant with chocolate shops. I felt like I was walking through Willy Wonka's chocolate factory .
I got high off the seductive smells of chocolate. Mayordomo is supposed to have the best chocolate in town, so of course we had to make a pit stop (or 3) there.
The minute you walk in, there's a smiling Mexican girl with a sample of their delicious fudge on a little plastic spoon. Don't mind if I do!!
I'll tell you this, it's pretty yummy . The chocolate making process is done right there in the open so the curious can witness this miracle in action.

Dinh and I sat down, made ourselves comfortable and ordered a cup of chocolate con leche. Hot chocolate. I think I said "oh my gosh, this is so good", after every sip. I was wishing the cup would never end. By far, the best hot chocolate I've had in 32 years. They serve it with an egg yolk bread, that is meant to dip in the creamy goodness. It's a beautiful combination. It just works.

In Oaxaca, there are also these amazing thin pizzas called tlayudas, they are delish! They're even adorned with edible flowers.

Ok, so we stuffed ourselves with chocolate, what's next?
We made it a point to talk with plenty of the indigenous ladies in town, scattered around the city center selling their handmade goods. Wearing traditional garb, they were a pleasure to interact with. Very warm and light hearted. Tzotzil is their first language, but they also understand Spanish. It's sad to think that this tongue is quickly dying out. Dinh had the local ladies rolling in laughter as he attempted to learn the basics of this language. A people person, that guy is.

You can catch them stitching away on beautiful embroidered shirts and dresses and selling them for so little, compared to the time and effort they put into it.

Another point to mention, the entire time we were in Oaxaca, there were large platoons of teachers protesting the pay and education reform. The army and police were out in full force to make sure nothing got out of hand.
On our way out, the teachers blocked the road for an hour and a half while they protested.

After Oaxaca, we drove to the Cuajimoloyas, which is a little village set even higher in the mountains at 10,400 feet. We stayed in an adorable little cabin. Dinh suffered heavily from the cold and altitude. It was much cooler up in these majestic mountains. We stayed in an adorable cabin with a fireplace. I loved it. "Look at this place, Dinh, it's so cute! Don't you think?!", I exclaimed as I danced around our house for the night.

"Yea, it's great.", Dinh said sarcastically . I look over and see him laying on the bed, huddled under a blanket. This boy does NOT like the cold, let me tell you. He's not used to such high elevations, being a creature that's always lived at nothing higher than sea level. He had a crushing headache the entire time.
I dragged him out of bed like a caring girlfriend and we went to explore the teeny town.
We petted a donkey and talked to little kids.

Locals were celebrating "Dia de la independencia", which signifies their independence from Spain.
We stumbled upon a basketball court where the local boys were playing basketball and soccer. I crashed their basketball game, since it looked like it needed a little spicing up. Don't worry, I asked before. "Se puede?" (May I?),  I asked. The boys nervously snickered and obliged.

That night, we snuggled together under 14 blankets after the sun set, taking all the warmth with it. Our cabin grew frigidly cold as our fire died out when we fell asleep and neglected it. Bummer.
Because Dinh was nothing short of miserable with his headache and hatred for the cold, we decided to hightail it out of town and headed to San Cristobal De Las Casas. It was my favorite town in all of Mexico. And because this post is getting too long and the town deserves it's own post, I'll stop here.
Until next time my amigos!!!

A Mexican witch doctor cleanse

So, while we were in Oaxaca, Dinh thought it would be a cool idea to find a curandera, aka: a witch doctor. I was slightly annoyed as he asked almost everyone we ran into if they knew of a curandera. It seemed to be some type of secret business because the locals weren't quick to give out the info on the lady .
It wasn't until the second day of witch hunting that we caught a scent on the trail. Dinh and I were in a local market snooping around. We ate some crickets. True story . We also ate some chocolate and prunes to wash them down. Because they were salty .
We stumbled upon a guy selling incense, charms and what-nots. He looked like the kind of guy that would know where a witch doctor was. We asked, and he came through. He motioned for us to follow him through the mumble jumble maze of the market. He stopped at a little shop that looked part Halloween store, part herbal shop. I got a little spooked out because the lighting was low and there were skull candy faces and jugs of strange liquids laying around. Little shop of horrors. 

Suddenly , in between the herbs pops out a 32 year-old lady named Catalina. I looked for warts on her nose but didn't see any . She looked really excited to see us, anxious to try some hocus pocus on us I assume. Dinh asked her if she could do a cleanse. She shook her head "yes" and tried to pull him into the back of her shop, a black abyss which I imagined pigs feet and goat's ear to be hanging. Or a huge bubbling pot that she stirs as she cackles to herself. 
I grabbed Dinh's arm before he was abducted. "Wait, what is she going to do? How much does it cost?" I interrogated. 
"She said it cost 150 pesos.", Dinh explained. That's about 11 dollars. I got weirded out when she started having Dinh smell all her funny potions. 

"We should go. Yea, let's go Dinh" I pleaded. 
We skiddadled. But before we bailed, we snapped a pic with her cute mom. 

As we shuffled back to our hotel, a million thoughts zipped through my head. I was overwhelmed. I couldn't handle all this alternative medicine witch doctor thing. I'll admit, I was a little scared. I didn't want to have any creepy spirits taking over my body and end up like that freaky girl with the swiveling head in that one movie. I don't have time for all that nonsense. 
"What are you so afraid of?", I debated with myself. "You had all kinds of crazy things done to you in India, China and Korea. All in the name of medicine." 
I'm totally into learning about medicine in other countries. I just needed a day to let all this curandera stuff sink in.
The next day , my curiosity got the best of me. "Let's go back, Dinh. I want her to do the cleanse on me." I bravely announced.
So off we went, in the rain, to the witch doctor. It was a Sunday, so we weren't sure if she'd be open, but when we got there she was just as excited as the day before to see us. 
I told her I wanted the cleanse done and she hustled me back to the cramped space behind her shop.
Come here, my pretty....
First, she started rubbing my entire body with a raw egg. My hair, my arms, legs, chest, and even my eyes. All I could think of was how there better not be any poop on that egg. 
After that, she poured a mystery liquid that smelled like vodka onto the egg and then rubbed it on me a little more. She had me blow on it 3 times, then cracked it in a glass and said everything looked good but mumbled something in Spanish about my eyes. I didn't understand her. But it's fine. My eyes are still working great.
Next up, she took a rose leaf bouquet and fluffed it all over my body . Then she told me to stomp on it 3 times. I did as I was told. I didn't want to end up in her witch soup.
Lastly, she made me some hot chocolate. Sweet! 
She also gave me 2 roses to put by my bedside while I slept. To ward off the bad spirits, you know. But we ended up giving them to a lovey dovey couple on the street on our walk back home. Oopsie.
I'm not sure if my energy is "cleansed" like she claims. I'm just happy she didn't cast some kind of bizarre spell on me. That I know of..............
Bwahahahaha!!!!
Here's the evidence:

Acapulco cliff divers

It was a sweltering hot day when Dinh and I rolled into dusty Acapulco. After over 8 hours of driving, we were exhausted and desperate for a place to rest our bones. After little to no time searching for a hotel, we settled on a dump of a hotel in the middle of town. It had seen its hay day , to say the least. Termite worms squirmed on the bed sheets, gnawing at wood chips that they had bitten off the headboard. I've seen worse, but not by far. 
The decrepit hotel was owned by a helpful, straight-forward man named Pablo. We expressed our intent while in Acapulco: sleep and hit the road early in the morning. He strongly suggested we go see the famous cliff divers that night. They were performing at 7:30, 8:30, 9:30 and 10:30 pm. We were easily persuaded, but struggled to gain the ambition to leave the comfort of our air-con room. 
I grabbed my camera and Dinh and hoofed it up a seemingly never-ending hill, following Pablo's directions, "1 block, derecha, then derecho all the way up the hill." I started to smell the onions from the tacos I ate the night before weeping with the sweat from my armpits. It was the end of summer in Acapulco, but it felt like we were walking through Death Valley in July.
I'm here to tell you the truth about Acapulco: it's a has-been resort town. It's days are over. I could plainly imagine what it looked like at its height. Today, it's mildly depressing to be there and felt a tad bit dangerous. 

Human feces aroma wafted through the air as we traversed over sidewalks that appeared to be very beautifully decorated in a past era. 

We easily located the cliff from which the courageous divers jump from daily . 

At the admission gate, we met a fella named Angel. He engaged in a conversation with us and answered all the questions we had about the divers. I could immediately pick up on his high level of intelligence. It was a pleasure to speak with him. His English was impeccable, with a British accent.
He was a diver himself and had been diving off these cliffs for 21 years. 

After learning he was a diver, I had so many more questions to ask him. 
"Do you get nervous EVERY TIME you jump?", was the first question that blurted out of my mouth. 
"Every time", he quickly responded. 
"I'm so focused at that moment, I can't afford to make a mistake.", he added.
I felt so lucky to be having such an intimate conversation with one of the actual divers. We were getting the inside intel. It was an amazing opportunity. He informed us that he was supervising the divers tonight and would not be diving. 
We conversed for about 30 minutes, talking about things such as Hawaii, traveling and surfing.
It was almost time for the show to begin, so we bid adieu to Angel and headed down to get a good spot to watch the divers. 
Up until this point, we hadn't seen any tourists in Acapulco. Suddenly there were at least 30 foreigners before our eyes. The tourists had come out of the woodwork, congregating at the platform, eager to catch a glimpse of the famous divers. 
Soon enough, 6 young divers came strutting down the stairs to the viewing platform.
The torches they held lit up the darkening sky . 
The setting sun created a spectacular cotton candy glow.

The muchachos were short with lean bodies, equipped with 6-packs and speedos. 
They shocked the crowd by unexpectedly leaping off the rocks into the angry waters below. After swimming across a narrow channel, they began to make the ascent to the top of the jagged cliff. Personifying Spider Man, they methodically gripped the rocks while climbing to the top. 

2 alters were located on the top of the cliff, lighted up with images of the Virgin Mary . 
One by one, the divers took turns saying a prayer at the alter before hurdling themselves off the 125 foot cliff. 
I was nervous for them.

Everyone cranked their necks to the top of the cliff where the divers stood. 
Each diver would whistle and wave his hands, indicating he would be the next person plunging to the waters below. 
Examining the movement of the tide below, they patiently waited for the precise moment to dive. Everyone watched intently .The water below is only 6-16 feet deep, depending on the tide. Their body language exuded a tinge of fear, but hesitation could be a fatal mistake for them. 
Looking very professional, they performed Olympic style dives: The swan dive, back flips, multiple front flips. 
My camera captured them in mid air, forever freezing their structured bodies against the colorful evening sky . 

I tried to make sense of the reason behind their craziness. What made them want to become a diver? Was it for fame? To be part of a tradition? Family tradition? Men have been diving off this cliff since 1934. I'm sure there are huge bragging rights of an Acapulco cliff diver. 
I was thoroughly impressed by their courage. I remember the feeling I had when jumping off a measly 8 foot waterfall cliff in Hawaii. It took me at least 10 minutes to gather enough guts to jump. They jumped 15 times higher than I did. WOW.
Also, I couldn't get over how young some of these bold divers were. They were just kids, for God's sake!
I questioned the salary of the gusty juveniles. The admission fee was a petty $3.50, which couldn't amount to much when divided by 6. 
At the end of the show, you have the opportunity to take a picture with the divers for 20 pesos, which is about $1.50. 
I wanted my pic with them, of course. 
Right before the camera snapped, the boys exclaimed "Tequila!" in unison, making me chuckle.  

Puerto Vallarta? Yes, please!

Total miles driven: 2,361
Times we've been pulled over: 3

My crystal ball prediction was correct. We have been pulled over by the policia a total of 3 times. Twice when I was driving, once when Dinh was driving. The last 2 were within a half hour of each other. In our defense, we didn't give the cops any reason to pull us over. The fact that we have California plates was enough. Now that we are farther from the US border, the cops look at us more suspiciously , which I understand. There's a possibility that we are driving a stolen vehicle. 
After accusing us of absurd violations, it was obvious that they wanted a bribe. Once again, a flash of Dinh's police badge allowed us to continue along on our journey without forking over any pesos . Thank Dios for that badge!!

So far, I would have to say that my favorite coastal city in Mexico would be Puerto Vallarta. The town seems to have their stuff together. It felt safe, so we didn't have to worry about our car parked on the street outside of our hotel. The touristy parts of town are kept very clean. We stayed in the "romantic zone" or "viejo Vallarta", which is definitely the place to be. It has quaint cobblestone streets, houses with Tuscany-like tiled roofs and stores that looked like they have a real history to them. We took a morning to explore the windy roads heading towards the mountain. We witnessed locals going about their daily grind outside their cute artsy houses. 

The whole city is very artsy , paying close attention to details, which really pays off. Murals on the walls, carefully laid sidewalk art and artists intently working on their masterpieces. There is no shortage of crafts in this town. Also, the city is very gay friendly.

The best part about Puerto Vallarta is their boardwalk. Lining the beach, it creates an entertaining atmosphere with it's dazzling clubs, sculptures and stores.

The time passed quickly as Dinh and I walked it twice daily . Spray paint artists captured our attention, as well as the other art work that speckled the boardwalk. 
Huge fancy clubs line the strip. My eyes sparked with amazement as I stared at the clubs like a kid in a candy store. Their facades are very inviting, with enormously tall ceilings and over-the-top lavish decor. 

Not a great pic, but you can get the idea

One club named "Zoo" had cages nestled in between trees with a big giraffe greeting you at the entrance. A very African feel. Another club had ginormous sparkly chandeliers and velvet couches, creating a New York City vibe. 
They were all extremely impressive and looked very new. There was only one problem. They were all empty , desperate for customers. 
Workers attempted to con passerby's in with quirky sayings like "Taste it, don't waste it" and "free tequila shots for you!" Loud music pumped through their speakers and feel-good tropical scents were sprayed into the sea salty air to lure customers in. 
It seemed like a perfect location for a bachelorette party. A place where you could really go wild.
Among these flashy clubs were plentiful shops, selling everything from bikinis to maracas. Tourist prices included. 
Walking along the boardwalk one rainy afternoon, I saw a local man carrying a teeny tiny dog. I cooed at it and, without asking, he placed the sleeping puppy in my hands. It was TOO cute!!!! I almost died, it was so cute. The pup was so young, his eyes weren't even open yet.

One day as we were perambulating through town, we stopped at a barber shop to get Dinh's hair cut. A very nice man named Pablo cut his hair with expertise while he told us a little about himself. He loved to fish and he had 3 girls. The best part of traveling is getting to know the locals.  

The bill came to a pea sized $4 ! Over the next couple of days, we kept running into Pablo on the street, in the grocery store and while walking by his shop. A friendly "Hola, amigo!" was exchanged between us each time. 

Another afternoon, we were approached by a charming local girl named Jasmine. She was trying to sell us fake flowers. We saw her mom, a lady wearing traditional clothing, sitting a few feet from her. We were intrigued, so we decided to strike up a conversation with her. 
They belonged to a tribe from Oaxaca. We were both interested in talking to her since we planned to go to Oaxaca. She had 3 children. 
After a warm conversation with her, I bought an overpriced pen from her, decorated to look like a little girl with pig tails. It was cute and I thought my niece would like it. I didn't barter because I knew her family was probably hurting for the cash. I agreed to her price and then asked if I could take a picture with her.

So overall, Puerto Vallarta is pretty swell and my top pick for "best coastal town" thus far, with Mazatlan being a close 2nd!!

"Bring your kid to work day" is everyday in Mexico!

Total miles driven: 2,161

Mexico has been a pleasant surprise, so far. It's very easy to travel here. The road signs are clear cut, the roads are pretty well maintained, the people are friendly and the accommodations aren't too shabby . The food is pretty yummy too :)

helping out with the churro making

street tacos

We have seen mucho policemen on our drive. Keeping the streets safe with their machine guns!

Disclaimer: I've seen some pretty nasty living conditions, so I'm making my comparisons with those. 
Mexico is still North America, after all. It's just an extension of the US. 

But in the US, we bring our kids to daycare. Normally . 
I've noticed that a lot of Mexican women bring their children to work with them. Perhaps the cost of day care deters them, or perhaps they just prefer to have their children with them at all times. Either way , it all works out. One night we ate at a local taco stand. A little girl, about 7 years old, sat on the sidewalk next to my plastic chair. As I ate my messy taco, I watched her as she practiced writing her Spanish on her lined notepad. Her mom cooked over a hot skillet, feverishly dishing out scrumptious tacos to locals, seemingly oblivious to her child's whereabouts. But I'm sure she had a pretty close eye on her precious little one ;)

She had enough trust in the passerby's and in her customers that they would do her no harm. Mexicans are very family oriented.The innocent brown eyed girl looked bored so I sparked up a conversation in Spanish with her. She was so adorable and sweet.

Another night, as we ate at another taco stand, the worker had her 2-year-old fraternal twins seated on the little plastic chairs as she stood behind the little white stand. Her kids had obviously missed their naps and were bored out of their minds. 
The next day, I went to a little convenience store to get a morning cup of Joe. I pushed the handle to dispense the coffee. It spat and sputtered.  A 13 year old girl scurried over and quickly changed the coffee canister for me, anxious to help. Her mom working behind the counter smiled at me. Mommy's little helper. 
You see, "bring your kid to work day" is everyday in Mexico!

The Mexicans we have encountered so far have been pretty amicable. No problems yet. I genuinely believe you get what you give. Attitude is everything and we've been nothing but polite and friendly with everyone we've met. 
Mexicans are predominantly Christians. Catholic to be exact. I believe this greatly influences their actions. There are many alters along the road and images of the Virgin Mary .

As far as the road trip goes, it's been going pretty smooth. Gas is a pinch cheaper here. Its running us about $50 to fill up, compared to $75  in the US.
How many US gas stations names can you think of?
A lot, I'm sure.
Well, ALL gas stations in Mexico are named Pemex. Government owned and controlled. 

We've been hugging the coast, taking the scenic route through beach villages, avoiding Mexico City because that's where the bad guys hang, apparently . 

It's been a lot of fun. Dinh and I are getting along pretty well, considering that the only time we're away from each other is when we're in the bathroom. There's been lots of laughs on the road. It's really nice to be able to share these amazing memories with him. I never would have experienced México this intimately if he wasn't accompanying me. In my original plan, I was going to fly into México only to explore Chichen Itza and hightail it out of the country. 
I never thought I would say this, but I prefer traveling with Dinh compared to traveling solo. 
Ok, ok, I said it. 
I knew he would make a great travel mate when I met him.