bye baires, paradise y mi nuevo amigo, El Palo

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Where to start. Having left my home and new copado amigos in San Telmo, BA i passed quickly thru Salta in the north of Argentina and San Blas on the west coast of Mexico. I am now sitting in my new share house in San Diego, Cali.



After nearly 8 months, a lot of bife de chorizo and even more communication problems, i am now back on english speaking soil in the land of knarly surfers y pinchy cabron mexicanos.(es una broma chavos, los quiero todoooo!)

It trips me out hanging in north america, not the same feeling as when i was in disneyland mode 14 years ago. After more than 3 weeks walking down the street and hearing the accent i still feel like im an extra in a episode of the OC. The accent, the array of attitudes y la pinchy patriotism.

On arrival i was literally carried accross the mex/usa border by team Shake De Lock after falling sick to food poisoning during my lonely character building 36 hour bus ride to dirty dodgy tijuana from San Blas. thanks boys, will never forget how good it felt when you knocked on my trainspotting like door. I couldnt handle seeing that enchillada eating, ceiling walking baby another minute alone.



But fortunately that was my only bajon de mexico, the rest of the time was spent with two beautiful days seeing the amazing architecture and ruins of mexico city and a week chillin in a wooden beach hut for $10aud a night. A perfect dose of sun, seafood and surfing at the low end of tourist season. There were only 4 other people staying within cooee (nearby), it felt like my own piece of private paradise. Rising each day to an empty beach, walking down my stairs, grabbing my board and strolling 10 steps to the Pacific ocean for the perfect wake up call. Giant size, freshly squeezed juice delights for breakfast at $1 a pop and fresco fish after another mornin surf sesh is such a healthy way to pass each day. With the sun soakin days learning to surf on a perfect beginner ride and por la noche, thunder storms and lightening cracking each night like clockwork. my mp3 with some sweet tunes (gracias martin) and all spin'n to a nightly puff of the local mota. Funny how I continously felt that wonderful travel feeling of never wanting to leave a place. Sunset memory.



Did have one little scare with hurricane john threatening to drop in to say hello. As my house was the only one directly on the beach, the local press dropped in to see how the 4 tourists were feeling about the posing problema. After much hurricane eve excitemente, we had to sleep the night in town in safer quarters. Was all to no avail as in the end Johnnie just rudely passed on by without even calling, he went further north out to sea and then onto hurricane heaven where all "good, peaceful" hurricanes go to unwind.



All in all San Blas, un pueblo bastante tranquilo con el rikissimo sabor de mexico, with only a handful of tourists, amazing cheap place to chillout, enjoy perfect weather and eat enchilladas and tacos till u burst. www.stonerssurfcamp.com




As for now i am working in oceanside with Jack, jaime, nate, tanner and bob thanks to the linesyworldhook_abruvvaup.com. cheers guy i owe ya one. I am in Oceanside, Cali, smashing concrete, shovelling dirt and gaining a new appreciation for manual labour. After working in a bank for 7 years, the biggest difference is definately the work ethic. From bank butt sitting days, the longest walk being accross the road to a get a sweet mornin coffee from RM, to backbustin sweat outs and strange senses of physical accomplishment. I think i am slowly becoming a MAN!.AARRGGHH!! Truth is, I am totally stuggling to keep up with a 57 year old vietnam vet who refuses to take lunch in a 11 hr day and an illegal mexicano hulk who just laughs at me like an older brother would, as i battle to pick up pieces of sharp 40kg concrete or narrowly avoid stepping on my third, rusty nail for the day . Its like being 15 again at my first ever job, helpful humbling.



All in all am enjoying my stay here, working with good people and living with some laid back cali chicos who love a beer. However can't wait to check out san fran and new york, if anyones got any hot tips for either city let me know. live music, hostel or unmissable food spot.




Will be hitting london for cuz pete y jess's wedding on the weekend of the 10th of November if anyone is in town, if not im sure being a spanish neighbour until the end of April we will surely catch up soon enough. Am so pumped about getting back to europe and seeing so many family and friends, its been a while between beers.


nicholas
www.experienceaustralia.net

"i was so determined to break all routines..(that) I developed a routine for avoiding routine and eventually had to change that, striving to make of the whole process a spontaneous adventure rather than another routine path",,
(from The Vision by tom brown jr)

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