[Postcards From The South]
In an effort to learn a little bit more about this world and our place within it, we have decided to embark on a year-long journey through Central and South America beginning in March of 2008. This is a personal account of our experiences and observations as we explore the depths of this continent, and ourselves. Enjoy!
Jonathan:
After spending three days in this amazing place, it still seems to take our breath away every time we step out the door-- the landscape, the art, the architecture, the food-- this city has a magic to it that's almost indescribable. This morning we enrolled in the Spanish program at Escuela Mexicana, and we moved in with our host family (part of the homestay program offered through the school) both of which seem to be exactly what we were looking for. After only a few short days here we are both beaming with enthusiasm for the weeks ahead. In the meantime, I've started a new list in my journal: "Cities I could live in." I will look forward to hopefully filling that page over this next year, but for now Guanajuato is on its own at the top.
Megan:
I didn't think this trip was going to feel so challenging for me so quickly, but then again I knew there would be surprises. To be honest, the last two weeks have been really hard on me. Some of it has been environmental or physical (like being tied to a bed and bathroom for two and a half days straight), but the majority of it has been emotional and mental. It's interesting that once confidence in one area begins to deteriorate, it can be a bit of a snowball effect. I realized last night that I am making some things harder than they need to be because I am in a slump - I have been attracting negative outcomes because the energy going into my actions is negative.
Another element...it might sound obvious, but I am just now realising it...is that any issues Jon and I were working on in our relationship before we left are going to be magnified when all of a sudden we are with each other all the time. It's pretty easy to depend on each other when we are our only support system, but I have decided establishing more independence will be a great thing for me to work on this trip. I want to learn to express what I want and trust myself more. I will also be working on not comparing myself to the people around me so much, but instead just allowing myself to BE where ever I am.
And what better place to begin practicing this than in Spanish classes here in Guanajuato. We arrived in this colonial town yesterday morning after a daunting overnight bus trip, and could not believe our eyes. This place is even more beautiful than we had heard. It seems like the perfect backdrop for two weeks of learning about a foreign language and myself.
Jonathan:
Well, after a visit to a local doctor for some much better drugs, we're both on our feet again. For the time being I think we've learned our lesson about being cautious with our food-- not that we weren't being cautious before, but now I think we've stepped it up to a new level of reverence.
We've bid farewell to Mazatlan, Durango, and the Covarrubias family-- great friends for whom we are so sincerely grateful. Throughout our time with the various facets of their family we have felt so welcome and thoughtfully cared for, not to mention the fact that 2 weeks of not having to pay for lodging has left our budget in pretty sweet shape.
Thank you to all of the Covarrubias family. We'll look forward to seeing you again soon.
Jonathan:
Just kidding...really. Montezuma's revenge sucks. Regardless, we've had our first run in with this legendary travelers´ailment and lucky for us we´re getting to experience it together. After a full night of lying doubled over in our bed and alternating turns in the restroom, we're both in pretty rough shape today. We are very fortunate to be in Durango in the caring hands of our good friend Fabiola Estrella, the eldest daughter of the family we stayed with in Mazatlan last week. She has been kind enough to stock us up with the heartfelt remedies like Jello, Pedialite, soup and enough Bactrim to keep us adequately pacified for a week. Hopefully this small hitch won't derail us too much for the next few days, but it looks like we're going to have to keep our plans flexible on our way to Guanajuato.
Illness aside, our time in Durango has been very enjoyable so far. Fabiola's husband and 6-year-old son do not speak English so we've enjoyed having a little more opportunity to practice communicating. We've also discovered that Fabiola has a refreshingly contemporary view on Mexican culture and its place in the world. She has some very interesting thoughts and opinions to share, and since we got here our talks have been meaningful and enlightening. For me this kind of interaction is what this trip is about. Not surprisingly, it only fuels my desire to get our language skills to a point where we can continue to share experiences like these with people who don't speak English-- An exciting layer of depth to look forward to.
Hopefully we'll be feeling better soon. We'll keep you posted.
Megan:
I think there were a number of contributing factors leading up to such a rocky couple of days earlier this week. I noticed a lack of confidence in myself overall - this was partially due to the language barrier, but also because I was no longer feeling my normal avenues of support. I didn't have my typical affirmations of self worth to fall back on - a success at work; sharing my thoughts with a close friend being able to engage in a familiar routine. I realized that so many of the things we are faced with can easily become overwhelming if we aren't in the right state of mind.
I am pleased to report that we have weathered those rough days and come out in calmer waters. On Wednesday we spent the afternoon at a local orphanage, which ended being a very rewarding experience. It was wonderful to give of ourselves for the benefit of someone else. The children who live there were enthusiastic, engaged in activities and very helpful toward each other - two of the girls spent their afternoon teaching their friend how to ride a bike. Spending time with these children was just what we needed to regain our focus.
Jon and I have also decided to prioritize our language learning to help us connect in a more meaningful way with people along the way. Next week we are planning to enroll in a two week Spanish course in Guanajuato, Mexico where there are opportunities to study Spanish during the day and stay with a host family and practice speaking at night.
With rejuvenated spirits and looking forward to what lies ahead, we are preparing to depart Mazatlan on Monday.
Jonathan:
Since we arrived here in Mazatlán on Saturday morning we have been staying with our good friends Gabino and Olga Covarrubias-- long-time family friends with a beautiful home overlooking the rocky coast just south of old town (safely away from the booming hotel strip). The environment we've been living in here is breathtaking. Just yesterday we spent our afternoon stretching and exercising on their gorgeous white tile terrace as we listened to waves crash on the rocks below, and we watched the sun dropped into the Pacific-- it was amazing. In addition to our beautiful surroundings, our hosts have been wonderfully hospitable. They have included us in everything they do as if we were members of the family. We have really felt so welcome here.
Despite our plush surroundings though, I've found myself feeling surprisingly unsettled these past few days and I'm not sure why. Part of it seems to be connected to the fact that our time here has been a little aimless. We arrived here without any idea of what we wanted to do-- I'm not even sure I read what our tour book had to say about Mazatlán until yesterday. We've allowed ourselves to get ushered around, picked up, dropped off, told where to go, where not to go... in some ways it's been nice, but I think on some level it's made me feel a little helpless and out of control here. For some reason I'm letting it shake my confidence. I've noticed myself feeling more reluctant to practice my Spanish, talk to strangers, explore new places... All the things I enjoy doing when I'm feeling secure. It's weird.
On top of that, I think we have reached a point where we are craving a little more substance from our experience on this trip. The "vacation-ness" is starting to wear off, and we are both starting to look for ways to connect with people and places on a deeper level-- it's a noble cause, but the language barrier has started to feel a little constricting. It's tough to really get to know someone when all we know how to do is order drinks and ask directions. We must be making progress with our Spanish, but it doesn't always feel like it-- the learning is slow going and it's starting to feel frustrating.
This afternoon we're going to spend some time volunteering at a local orphanage-- something we set up through another friend of ours down here-- which will hopefully give our time here a different slant. In the meantime though, we've both been feeling pretty drained and irritable and we're looking forward to finding a way to rejuvenate our enthusiasm.
Jonathan:
I'm not sure we realised how isolated we had been from other Americans until we showed up in Loreto-- the multitude of extremely white legs, black socks, and "totally wasted in Mexico" T-shirts came as a bit of a shock. I guess that's what comes with the nice beaches and access to fun activities. Either way, we've been having a pretty good time in the southern Baja.
We took a snorkeling trip to Coronado Island yesterday, just off the coast of Loreto. We got to swim with a few sea lions, and we even saw a massive humpback whale from the boat while we were out there. They are such majestic creatures, but a little intimidating when you're in such a small boat! Last night we caught a bus to La Paz, and we've spent most of our day today just exploring this town... we've already stumbled upon some of Megan's design work advertising Paraiso del Mar (a project she was working on before we left).
Tomorrow night we'll catch a ferry to Mazatlan (back on the mainland) for some much needed down time with friends... and it smells like it's about time for us to do some laundry as well.
Jonathan:
Well, after 3 days of spending time in a city we never intended to get to know, we finally have tickets for tonight's ferry to Santa Rosalia. I think the unexpected time we've spent here in Guaymas has been a great experience for both of us.
When we first arrived here it felt pretty intimidating. It was loud, busy, dark and disorienting. We couldn't find a place to eat, and every street felt like a dark alley. It took three full days of exploring to find a few spots that made this place feel a little less daunting-- the sunny plazas, the cantinas with fantastic taquitos and friendly staff, the rocky point where you can watch the sea birds catching their dinners at sunset... It turns out, this place has been wonderful.
This morning after a visit to our favorite paneria (bakery), and a trip to the nearest Oxxo for coffee (that's Mexico's 7-11) we bumped into a friend on the street, a local guy named German who we met at a bus stop our first day here. It was odd, but for a moment this place felt familiar... almost like home.
This stop has provided a pretty important experience for both of us it seems. It's helped us open ourselves up a bit, and sink into our experience a little more. So, we're heading out to the baja with our eyes and hearts a little more open than they might have been otherwise, and we have this town to thank for it. We owe you one, Guaymas.
Megan:
We seem to have a little more time than expected here in the fishing town of Guyamas as we await a ferry to the Baja that seems to run far less frequently than advertised...it has been postponed the last two nights due to rough weather. So our one day stay here has turned into three, and we thought another trip to an internet cafe might be in order.
I have been thinking a lot about how this trip is going for us so far. I am wanting to find a balance between enjoying spending time in a place, and feeling like I am really stretching myself - both for my benefit and for that of others. I think this requires connecting more with other people. We had a neat experience while mountain biking in the Copper Canyon near Creel. Jon and I took a break to enjoy some of the snacks we had brought with us and two indigenous Tarahumara girls in brightly colored dresses approached us to see if we would like to buy some of their small handwoven baskets. Instead of buying a souvenir, we offered them a few of our orange slices and a couple of cookies, and we all enjoyed the snack together. None of us could talk to each other, but this somehow felt more substantial to me than any of our other interactions. I would like to have more of these kinds of experiences...and I think continuing to work on my Spanish is a good start. We have been making an effort to do some kind of Spanish lesson every day, and so far it´s going really well. I think now that we are immersed in the language, have a lot more time on our hands and are able to see our progress daily, Jon and I are both much more motivated to learn.
I suppose we´re off now to practice our Spanish, and most likely to enjoy an afternoon Negra Modelo. Here´s hoping the ferry will be running tomorrow evening, as we´re pretty ready to have a new city to explore.
Jonathan:
The Copper Canyon railway turned out to be all that we had hoped. We took the train from Chihuahua to a small town called Creel, about halfway to Los Mochis (where we are now). Creel is a pretty popular stop for travelers like us, so we enjoyed sharing meals and stories with fast friends from all over the world. We spent two nights in Creel taking in the sights, and even fitting in a little mountain biking. We were surprised by how much the landscape reminded us of home, and the temperatures too-- 40 degree nights were definitely not what we expected from the northern Mexican desert.
The second leg of the Copper Canyon railway, which we completed yesterday, was breathtaking. Rocking back and forth on what we hoped were impressively sturdy rails, our train descended the near-vertical canyon walls into some of the most dramatic canyon lands either of us had ever seen. Over the course of the afternoon, we watched the sun paint the walls as our train wound its way through the gnarled canyon corridor.
After a late arrival in Los Mochis last night, we are now preparing to head up the coast to Guaymas where we will catch a ferry out the Baja for some whale-watching before we head further south.
