Travelling on General Mexican Time

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January 11th 2008

Published: January 11th 2008

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Tom Brosnan

Land´s End

The beautiful tip of Baja

Mexicans have a laid-back attitude that makes Aussies look like a nation of workaholic, 'Punctual Pete´s'. The country operates on G.M.T. but its not Greenwich Mean Time like you might think. It stands for General Mexican Time, and it means something can take anywhere from 2 minutes to 2 weeks. As long as you're prepared for this, then its alright.

Since Tara and I left the US on the last day of my visa, its been an action packed month in Mexico. We flew from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas at the bottom of the Baja California peninsula. The area around Cabo is beautiful- golden sand beaches with great rock formations, mild waters and mountain ranges in the distance. Its also very American, with respect to language, shopping, food and prices. We had 2 days checking out the town and beaches before deciding we needed to be more adventurous.

Tara being the far more advanced Spanish speaker (that was made clear when she could say more than hello, thank you and goodbye), negotiated some standing room on a few buses to get up to the small town of Todos Santos. From there we got a ride to a

Todos Santos

Getting a small wave on Sheila

nearby surf camp, that was strangely 30 minutes walk away from the beach. It was still a nice spot to stay and while eating dinner at a nearby ex-pat surfers bar that night, it felt as I imaged Baja would. The next morning, we walked through a river-bed path, lined with cacti to find some small waves at the nearby beach. It was good to at least get in the water and justify lugging Sheila the surfboard around with me.

After convincing Tara that postponing her flight home at the last minute and coming over to mainland Mexico with me was a good idea, we made a hurried dash for La Paz on the east side of the peninsula on another bus. We made it just in time to catch the 7 hour ferry to Topolobampo, where we met a couple who were riding their bikes from Alaska to the bottom of Argentina, through the mountains the whole way! Before dawn the next day, we got a cab to the railway station to board the famous Ferrocarril Chihuahua Railway, better known as the Copper Canyon Railway.

Barranca Del Cobre (The Copper Canyon)
The Copper Canyon Railway winds its

Ferry Crossing

Tara and I celebrate making the last-minute ferry to mainland Mexico

way through a series of spectacular canyons, passing numerous lakes and waterfalls along the way. The number of tunnels and bridges the track includes make it an amazing feat of engineering. As good as the view was from the train, the area is better explored by getting off at different stops, then getting the following day's train. We had one night at the small village of Posada Barranca, where Senor Armando Diaz was our host for the night. He provided us with a cabana with a fireplace and a delicious dinner at night, followed by breakfast and some horses with 'personality' to ride into the canyon the next day. Our horses were as stubborn as mules (and about the same size), but it was still a great way to get down into the canyon, where there were no tourists and only a few self-sustaining families living in simple huts, surrounded by small farms.

That night we got off for our second stop in the comparatively lively town of Creel. The next morning we rented mountain bikes and rode around to some of the nearby lakes and rock formations. Despite it being below freezing (because of the altitude), it was

Ferrocarril Chihuahua Train

Riding out the windows between the many tunnels

enjoyable riding along the dirt paths, passing local men on bikes and Tarahumaran women walking to town, in their brightly coloured clothing. We had one night in the forgettable city of Chihuahua, before Tara flew back to San Diego, and I flew down to Guadalajara, now translator-less.

Guadalajara and Guanajuato
Guadalajara is often referred to as the 'real Mexican city', as its the birth place of tequila, mariachi music and the sombrero. With about the same population as Sydney, the downtown area feels compact and safe to walk around. Its how I imagined a colonial Mexican city to be like, with spacious plazas, impressive churches and plenty of colour. I met up with a couple of guys from the hostel and spent 2 days checking out the sights. On my last night, as we were walking back from dinner, a local printing shop owner was having a party with his family on the street. They had a BBQ and chairs set up, and were playing mariachi from their parked cars. When they saw us (a Swiss, an American and an Aussie) walking past with some beers, they invited us to join them. One guy at the party then threw

Tarahumaran Women

Selling crafts at the train stops along the way

down the challenge to down a beer faster than he could. The American was first up, and was beaten, meaning he was taunted for the night. The Swiss also lost and had to buy another 6 pack for the group. Don't worry, I did the Aussies proud and won, meaning I got to sample the premium tequila from the owner's hip-flask!

The next day (Christmas Eve) I took a bus to Guanajuato for a night, which reminded me of a Mexican Quebec City. The whole downtown is a heritage listed marvel of amazingly colourful houses and restaurants. It was originally a silver mining town, and the wealth is still evident in some of the buildings there. The following day I got a bus through Mexico City's traffic jams and south a few hours to Puebla. There a girl (Ange) who worked with my mum in Brisbane had generously offered to have me stay for a few days and spend Navidad (Christmas) with her family.

Mexican Navidad
My Christmas was definitely the most unique I can remember. It began on Christmas Eve, with Ange's whole family staying up to eat, drink (good tequila) and say a few prayers to

´Donkey Riding´

On trail with our not-so-thoroughbreds

the baby Jesus. When it hit midnight, everyone wished each other Feliz Navidad, and we continued on for a few hours. On the 25th, after a late breakfast, Ange and her sister took me to the nearby Great Cholula Pyramid- supposed to be the largest in the world, but largely under the ground. On top, the Spanish had erected their own church, using stone from the pyramid (as they often did). From the top, there was a great view of the surrounding town and nearby active volcanoes of Iztaccíhuatl and Popocatepetl (that's it, try say those two quickly). We then went to a friend's house for an amazing feast that included mole (the chocolate based sauce, with meat) and cheese-stuffed chili's. We even had traditional roast turkey and stuffing- except it was with more chili's and rolled in a tortilla!

In the evening we visited Ange's cousins, and played around with the mild electric shock machines that physiotherapists use (its really popular here guys will come up to you at restaurants and offer to shock you for money). When that became too tame, the fireworks were brought out, which is a pretty standard affair. What wasn't though was when

Divisidero Stop

The Tarahumaran market on the edge of the Copper Canyon

the biggest rocket of the night decided to turn horizontal and fly directly at me. Within a split second, it crossed the 12 metre "safe distance" zone and hit me fair in the chest, burning a hole in my jacket!

I needed a drink after that one, so we all went to the local bar for numerous jugs of sangria, then back to Ange's for more drinking and Mexican dancing. The next day we checked out the sights and markets of colonial Puebla and ate some more delicious food. I got on a bus the next morning and headed to Oaxaca (wuahakka), sleeping most of the way in the comfortable seats.

Oaxaca
Oaxaca State has the reputation of producing some of the country's best crafts and food. It is also a beautiful centre to explore the surrounding area, and has a great artistic vibe. At one of the best hostel I've stayed at, I met a nice group of friends doing a road trip from Guadalajara. Luckily for me they had a spare seat in their car and offered to take me with them to the nearby sights (and spoke fluent English). We went to the Zapotec site

Valley of the Monks

Tara and I taking a break from our mountain bikes to clown around

of Mitla, with amazing and intricate stone carvings, and another Spanish church built on top. We then went to impressive Hierve el Agua, where solidified, calcium-rich water stretches from a cliff to the ground, creating a 'frozen waterfall'. On a day trip back from seeing some ruins around Oaxaca, we were caught up in an industrial dispute between local workers and the government. Upset with where their tax money was going, the workers decided to stage a road block on the only highway back into town. We had no idea whether it would be 5 minutes or 5 days until they moved, so we had to sit and wait. It ended up being 3 hours before we were back moving. Good old G.M.T. again!

The next day we took a bus to the amazing Zapotec city of Monte Alban, built on the top of levelled-off mountain. It was fascinating walking around picturing what this place would have been like in its heyday, with markets, ceremonies and ball games. Back in Oaxaca we went to one of the local markets for an early dinner. There, they had a whole section just for BBQ meat, with smoke billowing out into the

Guadalajara Sunset

A common sight in Mexico- church spires above the skyline

rest of the market. We bought a big tray of 3 meats, a few veggies, salsa and guacamole and a stack of tortillas and drinks for under $20. It was an amazing meal not only for the food, but the atmosphere of eating with our hands and sitting in a smoky market next to strangers. We spent the night walking around the beautiful Zocalo and markets, and went for some drinks at a nearby bar. I said goodbye to the crew the next morning, and took a windy shuttle bus over the mountain range to the humid, tropical coast the next morning.

Oaxacan Coast
I paired up with a vegan couple from N.Y. State who spoke more Spanish than I (can you see my strategy?) to make our way to the small beach town of Zipolite. The crowd was a strange mixture of nudists and young families, but the setting was beautiful. Restaurants and hotels were right on the sand and the beach had some fun waves. After a night there, I decided to chase a more happening scene for New Years Eve and took a series of Camionera's (shuttle vans you can jump in the back of for

Huaraches

A tasty $4 dinner

around $1) and a bus to the famous surfing spot of Puerto Escondido.

Again arriving with no accommodation booked (or much of an ability to ask for some), I met a nice girl from Mexico City (Lily) in the Camionera who was also looking for a place. We teamed up and found a second-storey room with 2 king beds and an unbeatable view of the famous 'Mexican Pipeline'. I was planning on meeting some of Ange's friends on the coast for NYE, but hadn't been able to get in contact with them, so I was a bit lost as what to do. Then as I was having dinner at a nearby bar, I heard the familiar accent of some Aussies. I started speaking to them and it turned out that one of them (Andrew) lived a couple of suburbs away in Brisbane and had gone to Aspley High with my good mate Emmanuel. More than that, he had also been in Vancouver for the same period of time and had bought a VW Kombi van (called Fred) and had driven down the coast to here! They were renting a house with a bunch of Aussies and Americans, so we

Guadalajara Drinking Comp

The local challenger is the guy with the mo and the big grin on the left

spent the night playing familiar drinking games and partying in the streets.

New Years Day
Waking up and seeing the Mexican Pipe from my bed, with overhead sets coming through was a magic sight to start the year off with. I had a fun surf in the morning, with not many people out (thanks to some sorer heads than mine) and had a massive brekky with Lily. I ran into Ange's friends in the street and spent the afternoon with them, swimming and sitting on the beach, with a beer in hand and watching the skydivers falling from the sky at sunset. At night I reluctantly boarded an overnight bus to Mexico City. I was on a mission to get my Brazil Visa from the Brazilian Embassy, in order to meet my bro Jimmy there for Carnaval.

Mexico City
When the Aztecs first came to the valley that is now Mexico City, it was a huge island surrounded by rivers and marshland. They built their great city at this location because it had been foreseen that where they spotted an eagle perched on a cactus, eating a snake, it would be the centre of the universe and therefore

Guanajuato

The array of colourful houses all around the beautiful city

their city. This part-history, part-legend is still the image of the national stamp and appears on the Mexican flag. Today Mexico City has a population the same as the whole of Australia, and it is dirty, smelly and dangerous (although I never had a problem). It is also one of the most interesting cities I've been to and has world-class attractions, transport and culture.

While waiting for my Brazil visa to be processed, I spent the week seeing as much of the city's many sights as possible. The Museum of Anthropology in the Bosque de Chapultapec (Mexico City's Central or Hyde Park) is amazing. With rooms for each of the major Meso-American cultures, a full day was barely enough to spend there. The Emperor's old palace on top of the hill has an amazing view (when its not too smoggy) along Avenue Reforma and all the way to the Zocalo (centre square). There are a multitude of art museums across the city, as well as dozens of huge murals, which add to the colourful appearance of the city. The Metro system in Mexico City is amazing. As fast and frequent as Tokyo's, it is all colour and picture-coded and

Packing Light

More fun on the road

only costs $20P (20c) per ride anywhere!

One night I led a group of Aussies from the hostel out in La Condesa district- partly because I could at least ask directions and say where we were trying to get to in Spanish, and partly because it seemed I was the only one who could read a Metro map. Needless to say, when 2 of the guys decided to jump in a cab and go to a strip club "with free entry", I wasn't surprised to later hear they paid $20 per beer.

I met a nice German girl (Sima) from the hostel who wanted to see the same areas (and again spoke Spanish), so we teamed up to visit sights such as the UNAM University, and the the '68 Olympic Stadium opposite, the downtown area (including ice-skating on the Zocalo) and some of the city's greener (and less polluted) outer suburbs.

We also did a day out at the daunting and amazing ancient city of Teotihuacan. Home to the world's 3rd largest pyramid, the city that even the Aztecs believed was built by/for the gods, was incredible. Walking along The Avenue of the Dead between the Pyramid

Resting at Mitla

The intricate Zapotec site, near Oaxaca

of the Sun, towards the slightly lower Pyramid of the Moon, you can't help but feel small and insignificant. In its glory, the whole city was covered in detailed paintings and colours and temples were atop each pyramid. It remained largely untouched by the Spanish as it is located 50kms from Mexico City.

After a week in Mexico City and carrying a cold for the past month, the pollution was getting to me. While its an amazing city to visit, it isn't the best place to get healthy. So, after successfully getting my Brazil visa, I got a bus to Puebla to meet Ange and her boyfriend. We went for more amazing food, followed by drinks at a lively cantina bar. I was able to do some much needed clothes washing and CD burning at Ange's place and pick up the rest of my gear. I said my goodbyes and thank you's and got an overnight bus here to the beautiful highland town of San Cristobal De Las Casas.

From here I will make my way into Guatemala and all the way down to Panama City, where I fly from to Salvador, Brazil on Jan 28th. Carnaval with

Monte Alban

The amazing Zapotec city

Jimmy awaits!

Highlight
Being a born and bred Aussie, ice is not my most natural surface to be on. While I believe I'm better than my average countryman at ice-skating (Canadians stop laughing), I can´t claim to have ever ´dominated´an ice rink.... until now. My new strategy is to only skate in areas that are just as unfamiliar with the frozen stuff. Enter Mexico City Zocalo Rink- billed as the world´s largest. From the moment I strapped on the fresh size 11 skates (that size in this country meant they´d hardly been used), I knew something was special about this session. Maybe it was the fact that half the competition were forming a ring around the boards as they pulled themselves around the entire rink, or the fact the guy next to me was still wearing his business suit, I´m not sure. But as soon as I got on that ice, I DOMINATED. I was ducking and weaving between the locals like time had been slowed just for me. To the left a girl was being taken off the ice in a wheel chair (figure that one out), while a young boy tried to issue a challenge on my

Mexican Road Block

Anoher delay to G.M.T.

right. I blew him away and made another blitz through the crowd. On several occasions staff members came and told me how good of a skater I was, and wondered if I had been in the Winter Olympics. It was either that or they said no taking photos- I couldn´t quite work it out as they were speaking in Spanish, but it didn´t matter, I was in the zone. The record books will show that I only attended the 6pm session at the world´s largest ice rink on January 8, 2008, but those who were there will remember it as much, much more.

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