Marmalade Sunsets: Valentine Friendships

Marmalade Sunsets: Valentine Friendships

So yes, February 14th has just passed and we have either woken up very snug with a smile extending from one ear to the next, or we have woken up singing choruses alongside the toilet bowl, having got in from yet another Anti-Valentines social assemblage. I choose not to reveal how I woke up this morning.

Throughout my melodramatic, yet colorful relationship experiences, I have come to realize that too much focus is bestowed upon romance and not enough emphasis on real, non-complicated friendships. I think of my recent trip where two such individuals have showed me the meaning of a great philos friendship based on quintessence, sincerity and long nights of philosophical debate. Both are men, neither of which I am romantically involved with. It’s within this realm, that I am truly able to appreciate the shared experience of sleeping at random bus stations at unearthly hours throughout Mexico, the exposure first hand to the magnitude of tumultuous hardships many native villagers face day in and day out, and the acknowledgment of the potential to contribute so much more to a country, just a two-hour flight from home.

Gagsie and Julian, thank you both for making this an amazing and fun trip for me, for inspiring me to write and not hold back on my thoughts, for painting laughter in my heart and for igniting my desire to journey more inwardly as I travel outward and beyond.
To see our video interviews, go into http://www.travelvolunteersearch.blogspot.com/

Diamonds in the night sky, Central Mexico

After an adventurous 10-hour bus ride through immaculate mountain terrain, being mesmerized by the allure of dazzling diamonds in the night sky, Gagan and I finally got into San Miguel de Allende and couldn’t wait to get to el centro de San Miguel, the town square. As we made way through the cobbled streets, smiling upon century old Catholic monasteries, tasting the laughter of children running effortlessly after magic bubbles and feeling my eyelashes lower as I soaked in the amiable sun, Gagan asked me how many people sitting in the square I thought may trade their lives living in Central Mexico, with mine in Texas. I had no doubt that many may find this gesture quite opportunistic and very likely jump to the occasion. After spending some time in Central Mexico, singing with el Mariachis on Sunday evenings in the square, Aunties, Uncles, Moms, Dads, sitting on benches eating banderillas (corn dogs, somewhat spicy), and long strolls as we watched the clowns perform for the children, I can’t imagine why anyone in this town would want to trade my life of constant laptop powering, text messaging, international roaming and air conditioned coffee meetings in malls, when they could gaze at the magnanimous Cathedral on the square while connecting with some really eclectic personalities, discussing the dynamics of what really is essential in our pulsating lives. To view video blog, go to: http://travelvolunteersearch.blogspot.com/

Mexico, Tekal: Bumpy ride into the jungles…from my view at Ox Watz

As I sit in front of my laptop grasping my grande vanilla chai latte blowing at my wet Estee Lauder nails, my designer spectacles focus on the articles of children soldiers, children sold into slavery and how much more I could do to recycle. I swallow my latte with a thick gulp and think back to Ox Watz. Mr. Manuel, the Program Director showed me what it feels like to reinvigorate my passion for sustainable ecotourism, gaze at the archeological site of Xbaatun and experience the pulsation of Mayan life. As I closed my eyes and floated in the womb of one of the most pristine cenotes, I opened my eyes to a somewhat more exhilarating sky. The mountain bike ride to an excavated Mayan pyramid was the highlight for me. Upon reaching the top of the pyramid, the view was intoxicating and I could see why this place was so sacred to the Mayan people. In fact, most of the people involved in this project are the people of the Mayan community. If you are looking for that wholesome experience of kayaking in an untouched lake, walking barefoot along an ancient Mayan trail or just a bumpy ride into the jungles, this is a place you want to put on your map: http://www.oxwatz.com/Ubicacion.html

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Mexico, Izamal: Day 2 of trip

When my friend Patrick suggested I meet him in the Yucatan to explore the Yucatan jungles, I couldn’t say no. Both Patrick and I thrive off the thrill of immersing ourselves into completely pristine and unknown areas on the map and the Yucatan provided that exhilarating experience. Over the next few clips over the next few weeks, you will see us jumping onto cattle-carrying trucks into the heart of the jungles exploring the allure of unexcavated Mayan pyramids, breathtaking backpacking through ecotourism camps promoting sustainable tourism, interviews with Mayan families and the benefits of housing development initiatives, and of course, our constant plight driving around the peninsula to find the perfect wind conditions for kitesurfing. The trip was awesome. Next stop – Southern Patagonia, Argentina.

Mexico: Exploring Yucatan jungles, backpacking through ecotourism camps and just a whole lot of fun

Patrick made this joke one night while we were hanging out on South Congress about swimming in crystal blue underground caverns, hidden treasures known as dzonot within the Mayan community or cenotes. I went home that night tantalized by thoughts of this majestic experience, of exploring a sensation of something completely natural and profound. I called him up the next day, “let’s do it”.