Tequila Road

A couple hours west of Mexico City a fitting tribute to one of the country's claim to fame: Tequila, the town named after the liquor made in it's finest form from the blue agave plant, and a marketing opportunity.

Mexico City

I've spent the afternoon at a cafe near the Zona Rosa, and despite feeling very good, I want to ruin it with making everybody happy. The feeling will pass, and I will continue my journey.

I love you all.

I am meeting my friend Marivy who went to Tamwood School as an ESL student when I was a teacher there in 2006. She has kindly offered for me to stay at her house while I am here, and miraculously she has classes very close to where I am at, again near the WTC. I will meet her there between 6 and 6:30 pm. She is meeting some friends tonight, and has invited me along, so it will be more opportunity a practicar mi espagnol, y mi amistad.

Despite sitting in a well-to-do french-style cafe, it is not innoculated against the occassional vendor coming in to sell things, from music to bee pollen to knickknacks and food. Small children too, just out on the street selling. I find my emotions got to me a bit when I saw this, and had to buy something from one of them. But it was incessant. I had to say no. My opinion, they're much better off than a kid who gets to play Grand Theft Auto on the Playstation all day.

Big Lights, Big City

Ciudad de Mexico - I drove around almost 2 hours just to find a hotel! My luck in Guadalajara for finding my friends house without a map, and only speaking to locals, did not translate to here. Mind you there's about 25 million more people here. But its a quick note to say I'm ok and found a clean hotel room for $20 / night. Note: I found out later it was a by-the-hour abode, and explains why there were several couples in the lobby that night waiting for an available room. Luis thinks I'm lucky to be alive.

some clarification mexico city has the largest footprint in the world, but is 2nd in population. The largest city, population wise, is Tokyo, Japan. Damn big no matter how you slice it.

Couch Surfing

Arrived in the city of Guadalajara last night and after asking directions from 3 different people, I found the house where I would couch surf. It ended up being a very lucky meeting, and Steff, and all of his friends took me out for drinks and dancing. Wonderful time and stayed up until 5 am! They are all in their early 20's, so I was glad to keep up with them.

Today, I must leave soon to Mexico City, the largest city in the world, at 30 million people. It is a 6 hour drive from here.

Love to all,

Jason

Inside Out

years of spending in my body, years spent in my head, its a daily exercise to pull myself out in to the world, and be connected with others.

Thoughts on Personality

Two people had replied to me on my first attempt at couch surfing. The first one was suspicious, judgemental and all together negative. I felt bad. The second guy was so friendly, positive, open, and accepting without any doubts. I felt great. Neither people had ever seen me before, and could only guess my disposition from a profile I had only posted less than 24 hours prior. What if I looked different? What if my ability to communicate was different? It got me to thinking: If enough people that surround you help you into believing you are a bad person, especially as a child, your chance of being one will be that much higher. That's it. If you get it into your little human brain that you are not enough exactly the way you are, then you will do all kinds of anti-social things to prove it: stealing, lying, cheating, killing, all so you can be better than the victim. Take something from them. It's easier to do when you think the other person has no connection to you, not in your circle. I had very low self-esteem growing up, and I didn't give a shit about other people when I was lonely, scared, or feeling not good enough. Here's where the problem comes: the victim then begins to lose all trust in humanity, and starts protecting, defending, and closing off. Now, magnify this from an immediate family, to the extended family, to a community, to a city, country and world. You have now got an entire world consisting of people that are scared of each other, and they don't even know each other. There is so much needless pain and suffering. It is our responsibility to create a better world for everyone on this earth. How?

A respected educator in my hometown made a speech years ago that my parents had relayed to me, basically saying that if a kid is bad, it is no fault but their own. I will never forget that, because I feel the statement requires so much more interpretation before it can be considered true. I wonder if he knew how much affect his statement had on me, and I wasn't even there?

All the more reason in my mind to be 100% sure about what comes out of my mouth, especially if I were in a position of authority. Let's take fault out of the equation. It is the parents, community and world's responsibility how a child is brought up, and each person's responsibility to make appropriate decisions as an adult. Yes, agreed, actions, behaviours, words, it all comes from you, but if the people around you are not capable of dialect with you as a child to make sure the message you're getting is positive you could very well end up a 'bad' person, and a bad person I mean someone who screws with other people in someway.

Am I nieve? Reckless? Stupid? A little daft in the head? Preachy? Consider this attitude is one of survival. I am riding a big black and shiny chrome motorcycle through arguably some of the most dangerous areas in the world. People can sense my fear, or lack thereof. It is my responsibility to be aware of my surroundings, but I make it clear every single person I meet gets the benefit of the doubt: you are a good person. If I show fear, or contempt, or judgement, they will sense that, and their behaviour changes instantly. Every single one of us wants to be loved and accepted exactly the way we are. I ain't no evangelical love hippy, it is a declaration of what this human world really needs. I see it not so much as a survival, but as a means to enjoy existence, and to share it. Our civilizations all had a time when there was no need for bars on windows, and cages around our hearts. We will always have a human desire to defend ourselves, but we must find a way to counterract our natural mechanisms and find a different way. The world is getting smaller and smaller and more and more complicated. Open up. Take a chance, change someone's life simply with your attitude towards them.

Recovering People Pleaser

Like a smoke from that cigarette, or that next fix, saying or doing what I think people want to hear can be such an easy way to keep anxiety at bay. I may be going the opposite direction now by isolating myself a bit, and keeping to myself. Either way, the Puerto Vallarta experience comes to an end, and a truly worthy respite from the road. It has been a time of thoughts, about the past present and future. The time with Bonnie was nice. The opportunity to stay at the beautiful Casa del Puente on her suggestion was out of this world - for $40 a night. The sound of the river rushing by was so relaxing, and I felt like a king living in a 1200 square foot hacienda all to myself. I've been exploring opportunities to write about mines in Mexico considering all the hype from the 33 miners saved in the Chilean desert. I have struggled with my own confidence about writing, and realized it is indeed a matter, simply of persistence. As Ron Joyce of Tim Horton's fame once said, it is the only thing that matters. Reading lots of Vanity Articles from a 2000 issue, and in stories about Tom Cruise, and Jack Kerouac, it really told me a lot about not only the importance of believing in oneself no matter what, but also the idiots out there who will try to bring you down, as a result of their own fear. Jack and I shared a few difficult personality traits, not the least being the incessant need to be liked by everyone. Impossible to survive a life in public with this type of idea. Must create a new way of thinking, or perish.

I had setup an account with couch surfing last night, and my first attempt to find a couch was unsuccessful. The gentleman with the couch said I had obviously run out of money and wanted a free room for the night. He surmised this because I had copy and pasted my request, as I had sent a request to a few people. I thanked him for his feedback over a couple emails, and moved on, despite feeling a bit hurt by the accusation.

Off to Guadalajara!

I love you all very much, and hope you are well.

The Zoo

Zoologico de Puerto Vallarta: right from the first night in our hotel room, we spotted the sign, neatly affixed to the bottom of the rare street signs here in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Positive comments trickled in during the week about one of the many ways to spend one's time, and money here. As my girlfriend and I both had a penchant for wildlife, and our place within nature, it seemed a natural fit. My expectations involved some childhood memories of the Calgary Zoo, with animals behind cages, and us walking methodically past one exhibit to another, and the Vancouver Aquarium beseeched with protestors rallying for the release of Orca Whales 10 years ago. The lack of enlightening motivation may have been the main reason it took us a few days to actually get there.

Our journey began innocently enough. I feel it necessary at this point though to also mention that the roads in PV have been intentionally designed, and built, as if it were a turn of the last century pueblo, substituting black pavement with rocks and concrete. Millions upon millions of rocks turned on a side to reveal a maximum amount of surface area, with concrete to fill in the rest. They did provide the courtesy of two rows of rocks anchored in single file, supposedly for car tires to follow. For motorcyclists, this makes for some interesting driving around town and a definite need for constant attention.

Rocky roads transform into smooth highway, if only for a brief moment. The 10 km ride from Old Puerto Vallarta out to the curvy, pot-hole ridden highway betrays its seemingly short distance. Each 'hoyo', or hole at times inherits it's secondary spanish translation: pit. The motorcycle would have been destroyed, or at least suffered serious blows had it been haphazardly directed through these pitfalls, but fortunately bike, and two riders made it to the zoo on time. Our arrival is met with an eventual request to move the motorcycle further away from the entrance gate, and a male worker, obviously forced to work admissions for the afternoon, and a bit confused as to his duties, no doubt panicking while faced with a couple Whiteys from Canada.

Things seemed like any other zoo I'd been to, but only for a moment. Bonnie was greeted with a victim of a brush-in with the toilet bowl, and summoned the courage to take an innappropriate photo opportunity with it's corpse. Bugs down here are slightly larger than the ones back home.

We are suddenly ushered into a world of immediate connection with animals of our dreams, and whisk away the pragmatic thoughts that this is simply a zoo from our childhood, a time bereft of lawyers, animal welfare, bacteria and 21st century rules. Instead, we get all of our pre-pubescent desires aptly met without all the parental supervision that may have come with it in an earlier day. A zoo worker finger-waves at us linguistically in Spanish and proceeds to tell us in English how to feed the ostriches. Each guest is provided the option to purchase a bag of food full of instructions on which type of food to feed which type of animal. Carrots, peanuts, corn, pellets, and cookies (bread) are all included on the side of the bag, but each animal we encounter seems to fall outside of the statute of limitations firmly set out on the bag. We worry about our behaviour until finally we elect to simply feed the animals whatever food they like. Horribly irresponsible, and totally fun. I overrreact. It's the group of 3 Mexican women that taunt the animals behind the cages and gets them all riled up that is horribly irresponsible. But, I guess it is all a measure of degrees. Somehow, the trust we created between ourselves, and the animals, worked out fine. I love animals, and as one, value our ability to be the patrons of every other living thing on the planet.

The question is: do zoos help, or hinder this ability?

The Zoologico de Puerto Vallarta currently sits on 5 hectares of land lush with vegetation growing up from the deep ravines. It was started 12 years ago by Martin Castaneda in memorial to his mother, who loved animals. It soon became an obsession, and to keep the operations going, he was forced to sell off his successful American businesses. Plans include expanding the zoo to encompass all 62 hectares of land owned by the Castaneda family by the year 2018. I envisioned a park without fences with animals free to roam of their own volition; time will tell if this is merely a dream.

A definite criticism of the place is the inability for the larger animals such as the giraffe and leopard to get their much needed muscles moving and exercise in the open. The custodian of the park mentions to us that the incessant pacing back and forth of the large cats are its attempts at just that: in a smaller enclosure the animals seem to adjust, and get their needs met regardless. The park has a reputation as a successful breeder of endangered animals, as well as saving others from mistreatments in a circus, as one example. We were told of a hippo purchased for $5000 only after the zoo's custodian incessantly begged the circus owner to give him up. As a 100% privately owned enterprise without any government assistance, their growth centres around the health and protection of the animals, and expanding as the money comes in. The operation has been in the red for all but 2 years in it's history.

As a means for the operators to assist their operating costs, visitors can treat themselves to a once-in-a-lifetime experience: to hold a baby jaguar. Depending on which animals are deemed suitable for this interaction at the time of your arrival, you may be treated to a one-on-one moment with a baby lion, tiger, jaguar, lemur and monkey. A tricky dilemma arises, and one that pits business against nature, human emotions against animal needs.

I believe it is crucial for every generation to have the opportunity for close contact with other animals. It is a healthy interaction that, if monitored, can lead to respect, a sense of connection, and patronage. I don't think the argument is about zoos or no zoos. I think the argument is about preservation, and maintenance of the natural world. If zoos are assisting in that goal, then so be it. There are obvious detractors, but as long as the animals welfare is being considered, and the operators are in tune with their needs, I see no problem with them. Zoos cannot bear the brunt of all ill will towards human's relationship to nature. We must look at them as one piece of the puzzle, one part of the answer for keeping this wonderful world, and the astounding array of animals on it, alive and well.

Our understanding of the natural world has grown leaps and bounds in even the last 20 years, and we continue to search for ways to improve the welfare of animals, and ensure their continued survival. Whichever way you look at it, these operations require money to continue, and if the preservation of wildlife is an important issue to you, then well-managed zoos keen on animal welfare are just one way for you to show your support.

My Bonita

Bonnie was not happy with these pictures being broadcast around the world. I was. A couple times she mentioned her disdain for them and how she wanted them gone. Totally understand. Obviously, when someone asks you to take their pictures off, you do. Well, I didn't. This wasn't some form of cruel punishment in my mind; I liked the pictures. Sure, if I really look at the pictures, I could see how my Bonnie's face looks a bit contorted and silly, but I'm not going to that place of causing another human being irrepairable harm to themselves or their character.

I'm thinking dating me is somewhat like dating Howard Stern - a public figure who will publicize his, and his partner's innermost thoughts, feelings, and interactions for the world to see. It can be a drag.

Do you believe the truth shall set you free? I'm willing to die for my truth. I've died a thousand deaths trying to be what I thought people wanted me to be.

When I took these shots, i wanted to share with the world how amazing my girlfriend is for coming all the way to Puerto Vallarta, donning a motorcycle helmet, and heading out to god knows where in another country. I was filled with hope and optimism for all of us, just from one person's actions. Nothing is impossible for us, and our world.

Taking a fork in the road here conversationally, I think it's hard to really relate to someone's actions, and all the thoughts, considerations, and inspirations for them until you are really there..... a 'walk a mile in his moccassins' adage to the nth degree. For some, it would be incomprehensible to do just what Bonnie did, without even a 2nd thought.

And another fork: Eleanor Roosevelt (bless her heart) once said "I will only give my opinion when it is asked of me." Fair enough. Smart woman, and well versed in human relationships. What if that person does not have the ability to ask for advice? What if that dog on the street has no owner to take care of it tonight? How about this: Respect a person's need to write their own life's story, but offer them a candlelight with which to see it from? I believe we can help each other so much, but to offer help carries a great, great responsibility and should not be carried lightly.

Now, back to the front page: under these circumstances, it's virtually impossible to really understand someone's choices when you consider the environment, their mood, situations in their day, the people they're with, the weather, their personality, the people who influenced their lives, their ability to deal with stress, how many tequila shooters they had, and so on, and so on. There are a million and one reasons to misunderstand each other, and only one to understand.

Bonnie and I really had a wonderful week together, and although it's arguably pretty easy to get along in one of the most beautiful places on earth, we had some rough times. These tough times were all created through misunderstandings. When one person is absolutely convinced that the other is doing something with a sole intention to harm, or damage the other, it's hard to come through without the defensive mechanisms coming up. Spines, teeth, claws, poisonous venom: we, as humans have an astounding array of attack, and defense mechanisms far more dangerous and debilitating.

How do we all find the patience, and self-control, to do away with our human need to protect that destroys our intimate relationships, and yet still feel safe enough to function? You make a choice, and you stick with that choice until you go to sleep. When you wake up the next morning, you make another choice. Saying 'forever' for anything can invite regret and disappointment, despite making everyone happy and optimistic for the future. Do our human minds really have the ability to understand, or even adequately deal with 'forever'? Yes, I think it does, on one condition. That condition is that the person recommits to their 'forever' agreement every single day. It could be a diet, an attitude, or a relationship. We're not that different. Sure, some of us know exactly what forever means, and some of us don't. For those who don't, I request that you don't throw it around lightly, and conversely that you don't refrain from using it. Every single one of us has the ability to embrace 'forever', but few of us really know how.

Mexican Tourism

The Mexican Tourism Industry has experienced such significant setbacks recently that business owners refer to the swine flu epidemic of 2008 as ‘the good old days’. The media’s attention on the over 28,000 drug-related deaths in the last 3 years, combined with the slowest economy in a decade has taken its toll on local tourism. Puerto Vallarta, a stalwart destination of North American travellers for the last 50 years, has been built on this business, and is feeling the crunch. Don’t let this doom and gloom bother you in the least bit though – shopping, eating, drinking, and sleeping have never been cheaper.
The relatively quiet streets of Old Puerto Vallarta belie an over 300,000 strong local population spread amongst two adjacent states - Nayarit and Jalisco. You may feel as if everyone in the town is a beach vendor after dining in one of the open air restaurants, and find yourself saying “non, gracias” upon your return back home. They are hungry to make a deal on everything from bracelets to silver, ornamental oyster-shell masks to hammocks and it is customary to haggle on the price. Buyer beware: show any interest, and they will swarm. As you would be hard-pressed to find other foreigners, your money creates more interest here than it may have just a few years ago. Accustomed to seeing wealth, and not afraid to hassle you, the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well. In the very least, if you are craving some attention, you will feel very special. Simply wear a t-shirt and shorts, and the local vendors will see you a mile away. This fellow to the left and I had an initial misunderstanding, he was thinking dollars, I was thinking pesos, so when I gave him $25 in coins, he had quite a pause. An uncomfortable moment before we re-negotiated at $140 pesos, or $14.

All-Inclusive .

Refusing to fail we committed to return to Bucerias to find my cousin and his wife. Helmets - check. Driver's license - check. They were waiting just outside their all-inclusive, and we got there bang on 1 pm, the latest meeting time agreed upon. We walked back east up the main road into the Royal Decameron resort, and the hot day spurned our hunger and thirst. A small, glorified roadside that looked like a restaurant was our destination, and we were rewarded despite no beer on site. Colin and I went across the street to the OXXO, Mexico's version of 7-11, and rectified that situation with 6 bottles of beer, one large bottle of water, and a pre-mixed Margarita combo compliments of El Jimador for less than $8. Colin and Corrina invited us into their resort without a yellow armband so we creatively hid our wrists. They were anxious to beat the bus crowd back to the airport, so they ushered us onto the beach, ordered us a couple free drinks each, and left within 15 minutes. As the bar staff had seen us already on the beach, they beckoned me on my return to the bike for a frisbee and some water. "Abierto Barra!" Open Bar. "Just a moment," I reply "uno momento senor". Two margaritas and two rum and cokes for Bonnie and I, and it was at least a couple hours before the security guard asked where our armbands were. "Checked out, checked out." We were leaving anyways, with a little taste of all-inclusive on our lips.

Tourista

surfing in Sayulita, big washout from flood in September, numerous cuts from coral, policia fine of $350 pesos, failed attempt at finding cousins in nuevo vallarta, oil leaking out of bottom of bike, the whole spectrum of rich and poor, beach vendors aggressive.