Meet the Parents

Still playing catch up...

Back in San Cristobal for the fourth time I still wasn't sick of it... and every time it was so great to see all the friends I left behind there. We stayed long enough to celebrate Arturo's birthday on the 29th of August. We also ran into some friends we had met in Guatamala and one of Arturo's best friends, Ulises, who he had grown up with and originally started traveling with many months previous. Ulises and his girlfriend Anne, and Arturo and I all hitched together to Tuxtla and spent a couple days camped in the center of the city next to a huge Catholic church.

From there, Arturo and I headed toward the Pacific coast and the beaches of Oaxaca. Due to the many political problems in Oaxaca and a recent hitchhiking scare (taxi driver killed by hitchhikers), it was much more difficult to get a ride that usual. It took us several days walking and camping in the rain and the middle of nowhere before we finally got close. We could finally smell the ocean but we weren't quite there yet and the sun was setting quickly. Luckily, our angel of the day pulled over in his BMW and told us he could take us to Puerto Angel. This kind soul, was a tall, red-headed Frenchman who spoke perfect Spanish and had LOTS of money. We came upon a military checkpoint in the road, and unsure if we were carrying drugs he asked us to get out and walk... luckily he waited for us on the other side and after we passed the soldiers he took us to one of his homes/hotels on the hillside in Puerto Angel. He let us shower in one of the many guest rooms, he offered us drinks and appetizers and we sat watching the sunset, conversing with him and his girlfriend for hours on his huge balcony overlooking the ocean. When it started to get late, he bought several pieces of jewelry for his girlfriend/housekeeper and then we all piled into his Hummer and he gave us a ride to a cheap campground in Zipolite.

The beach in Zipolite was really calm and pretty, but being low tourist season it was difficult to sell and we had to move on quickly. We tried hitchhiking to Mazunte but the roads were so empty that we ended up walking the entire way with our four backpacks, the guitar and the drum, in the million degree weather. We finally arrived and asked around for the hostel that was owned by the Frenchman's girlfriend. It was easy to find and she welcomed us cheerfully and gave us a great deal on a room. She and her 5 year old son live there and run the bar and restaurant in front of their house. We stayed for a few days and enjoyed the beach and danced salsa at the bar. One night, our friend the Frenchman even showed up to party - he brought his American wife.

From Mazunte we hitchhiked to Oaxaca City. It took us a little while to find a cheap place to stay but finally found a small hotel room fairly close to the city center. Oaxaca quickly became my second favorite city in Mexico. We planned on only staying one night and stayed two weeks. The plaza in the center was always full of people and different performers. Even though we weren't allowed to sell there - it was a great place to do hair wraps and when we were able to dodge the police we sold really well. The food in Oaxaca was better than anywhere else in Mexico, and the market in the center is huge. We had so much fun trying all the different local dishes.

Outside of the city we waited on the toll road for a ride to Mexico City. A pickup truck overflowing with a family and their friends finally stopped. They were headed all the way to the DF (Mexico City) and took us the whole way. Unfortunately the sun disappeared and we spent most of the 10 hour trip huddled under a plastic tarp fighting the rain. The family was very kind and made us a place to sleep on their living room floor that night. In the morning they made us breakfast and we left early to hitchhike to Morelia, Michoacan.

In Morelia we surprised Arturo's family - his mom and sisters were really excited to see him and it was great to meet them. We helped clean out their spare room and they let us stay there as long as we needed. We stayed for a month while Arturo got his documents and passport worked out. I met a lot of his old friends and we were in town for two big festivals where we were able to sell a lot. For my birthday we went to a small pueblo an hour from Morelia called Patzcuaro. Staying in one place for a month gave a nice break from the constant traveling, but after a month I was ready to get on the road and see something else.

We headed north and stayed a few days in Guadalajara - a really beautiful city. From there we followed the coast going as quickly as possible. We generally got rides with semi trucks and trailers. The only hard part about heading north through Mexico is the closer you get to the states, the more military checkpoints there are on the road. We got stuck several times in the middle of the desert waiting as long as 11 hours so the soldiers could poke their heads in the back of the semi and wave us along. The fun part was that the drivers were always more than happy to give me a driving lesson, I even took over for a while when one of them needed a nap and drove the 18-wheeler.

Around the end of November we made it to Tijuana. At first we stayed in a cheap hotel in the center but when I woke up one morning to the sound of people yelling that they had found a dead body behind the hotel, we decided it was time to find a new place to stay. We rented an apartment for the month and I crossed the border every few days to work. My boss at The Tractor Room where I worked last in San Diego was so nice, and put me on the schedule so I could make a little extra cash. I also was able to get a small spot at the farmer's market selling my jewelry. I didn't quite stay the whole month because I got sick and after a hellish trip to the emergency room I rented a car and drove to Idaho to stay with my family. In the mean time, Arturo took a bus to Barra de Navidad to sell and spend Christmas there.