"THE MEXICO SONG", and other assorted musings...

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Hi everyone,

This will be my 2nd to last blog entry (I promise😊 -- i just have to figure out yet how to download some of the cool video clips I want to share with you…

All the time I was traveling through the Yucatan and Mayan Riviera I was trying to pull the lyrics and melody of “THE MEXICO SONG” out of the deep recesses of my mind (the memories are all there, it’s just accessing the storage that gets tricky😊

This wonderful song was written by a good friend that many of you may remember from his days playing the lounge and coffee bar circuits in the ‘Wack and other places - Mr. Gordie Ross - now residing with his lovely wife Trish in their beautiful home on Saltspring Island… Gord and Trish take their “Almost Famous” act on the road down to a resort in Mexico for a couple of months every year, and he penned this song before coming home once upon a time ago… I think it expresses perfectly what it feels like to be there, and the catchy guitar chord melody captures the bluesy Caribbean breeze and the rhythm of the waves rolling up on shore… (maybe I can get Gord to send me an audio clip of song and will post it for you to listen to?)

“THE MEXICO SONG”

Barefootin’ in the sand down in Mexico
sun warmin’ my body and my soul…

Listen to the waves pound down on the shore
the plane’s goin’ back but I don’t want to go…

Look at the pelicans flyin’ up above
scopin’ out there next meal…

Hittin’ the water like a spear in the nite
I don’t think that fish even seen it comin’…

Palm tree leaves wavin’ in the breeze
coconuts are fallin’ on the ground…

Bananas, mangos, sweet papaya too
are everywhere to be found…

Bodies on the boards bobbin’ up and down
waitin’ for the big waves to ride…

Tides comin’ in on a full moon tonite
I got my “bonnita senorita” by my side…

The plane’s goin’ back but I don’t want to go,
the plane’s goin’ back but I don’t want to go…

GORD ROSS


Anyhow, it’s great to be back home and and to be reminded again how lucky we truly are to live in one of the most beautiful places on the planet… it really hits you how “lush”, fresh and green and colourful it is here… and how nice it is to have the mountains and rivers around, and to get four distinct season changes each year and live in a moderate climate… and how fortunate we are to live in a “civilized”, uncrowded place with a stable economy and social structure, modern medical health care, lots of clean air and water, comparatively little crime or unrest, and few problems with environmental disasters and the sort…

Redina and I got home late Friday nite and spent the weekend catching up on sleep, doing a little yard and house work, and spending time with family… it has been a lot of fun showing pics and video clips of my trip, and I definitely recommend that you take lots of video when traveling, it really captures the moment… I have about 12 GB of digital images captured, and will be putting together a DVD with the video clips… special hello to Phil and Nick, Anjan "Kim", and Richard Dawes -- I will be sending you all some pics and footage of our assorted adventures...

I really enjoyed keeping track of my round the world trek on this travelblog site… it has been fun, although at times a bit difficult given some of the outdated hardware and slowwwwww speed of computers in some places… it helped me to stay connected especially at times when you feel a little isolated out there…

Well I was away for 54 days, 19 flights, a number of subways, trains, buses, taxis, and bicycles in 12 different countries on 6 continents… Abbotsford to Montreal, to Athens, to Kingdom of Bahrain, to Kathmandhu to Lukla up to Everest and back down to Lukla and again to Kathmandhu... to Bankok to Cambodia and Ankar Wat Temples and back to Bangkok... to Sydney to Auckland to Buenos Aries to Lima to Cuzco and up to Machu Picchu and back to Cuzco... to Lima to Mexico City to Cancun and down and back up the coast of Yucatan back to Cancun... to Dallas, Texas and back to Vancouver... ok, no wonder I feel so tired 😊

There were as expected some frustrating moments dealing with language barriers, different monetary systems, delays and challenges getting in, around, and through airports, some difficult physical challenges, and some very emotional times… but what an incredible adventure… experienced things I will never forget, met some very interesting people, and brought back awesome memories, pics, videos, and keepsakes…

I have my walking stick that got me all the way up to Everest Base Camp -- and then snapped in two as I got up to begin descent (I guess that should have been an omen of the difficulties I would have on way down!) And I collected an assortment of rocks from base of Everest, as well as pieces of Machu Picchu, Inca Trail, the Acropolis, and even Ankar Wat Temple, and an assortment of shells and coral from the beaches in Mexico…

I know that it will still take a while for me to process everything I have experienced and have it really sink in… as I have been showing the pics and vid clips to others and “reliving” the events, I am starting to really realize just how special an experience this has been and how fortunate I have been to have the chance to have made this trek…
I would encourage all of you to try and make / take the opportunity to make something similar happen in your own lives...

I want to really thank all of you for your thoughts and prayers e-mails, and blog comments / messages -- it meant a lot to me and gave me lots of encouragement when I needed… special thanks to Scott and Sean for dealing so well with Dad not being here, and to their Mom for managing through some difficult circumstances… to my Mom and Dad and sister Kendra for helping out and being so supportive… and last but not least to my sweetie Redina for EVERYTHING!!

A VERY BIG HELLO to Greg's family, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances… when you are out there trekking at the “top of / end of the world” you have lots of time to think about what is important in life… certainly your health and financial situation is important, but in the end really it is the relationships you have formed with others along your journey in life that is foremost…

Ultimately, it was the loss of a loved one that inspired me to make this trek around the world - but, ironically what I came to realize is that I (and I think I have a lot of company here) have often times taken for granted the special people in my life… Coming to grips with Greg’s all too-soon departure from us, and being away from friends and family, has given me a broader perspective which I hope I am able to hold onto… our time here is all too short… appreciate the special people in your life and soak it all in…

The following list of reminders to myself to focus on, is something I wrote a few years ago when I spent 3 nites alone on a solo camping trek up at a special place by a lake up in the mountains in Lillooet that Greg and my son Rich had previously been to a few times… Rich and I will be heading up there again this summer to take the rest of Greg's ashes as he had requested to spread along the trails, streams, and mountain ridges...

Hope you are all doing well, best wishes and take care,

Cam


Live without FEAR

Take more RISKS

Keep it simple...

Breathe - Meditate - Pray

Go with the Flow

ACCEPTANCE

TRUST your INTUITION

Focus on being in the PRESENT MOMENT

Have FAITH in the CREATOR and the PERFECTION of it ALL

Stop judging

Don't analyze everything

Be less critical (especially of yourself)

Live each day to its fullest

Give THANKS

Be kind, gentle, and respectful

Stay in BALANCE

Give LOVE to EVERYONE!

Do things that make people feel SPECIAL

Don't take anything or anyone for granted

FORGIVE everyone

Carry no resentments

Dare to DREAM!

Live life with PASSION!!

Have FUN!!! and LAUGH more

SMILE MORE 😊

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Comments

[kendra]

Wow! That's quite the 'list of things to remember'. I had no idea you were so smart!(haha). Actually, what you wrote were things that I often think about, but separately, you know? Not all listed like you did. I think you really nailed it and I'm going to print out what you wrote and put it on my bathroom mirror. It's a great way to start each day. Thanks Cam ... you keep giving me an older brother to look up to.