The One Amigo!

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Tempted to fake the whole trip while living in secret in my parents’ shed for twelve months and possibly against my better judgement I eventually flew to Mexico City.

This’ll probably come as a shock to anyone who knows me but I nearly missed my flight following one final boozy leaving do in the departure lounge some four weeks after the first. If anything, it was worth flying half way around the world just to get away from them there leaving dos, as I’m sure my liver was starting to give up the fight.

Mexico City absolutely rocks! In fact, I enjoyed it so much I cut short my stay there from three weeks to four days, purely on account of my sensational inability to budget!

While there I stayed in the Centro Histórico, in a really lively hostel just off the Zócalo, the huge main plaza that bears the Presidential Palacio Nacional. This was a great place to start my trip; the centre of the centre of Mexico City. I spent most of the days just walking around soaking everything up, going up the odd skyscraper for the occasional smoggy view and most evenings getting cabs out to clubs and bars with others from the hostel. My favourite person so far has to be Marina, a lovely, possibly slightly crazy and very funny girl from Dresden who spent a few days going out and about with me. The day we decided to make our way to Teotihuacán - Mexico’s biggest ancient city - she surprised me with a beer from the bus station at 9:30am, a gesture that still makes me laugh when I think about it. She’s actually gone off to learn Spanish for a month but I said if she’s lucky I might squeeze her into my plans en route to Guatemala!

So it was, with what little money I had left for the last 361 days of my holiday that I got a 15 hour bus ride west to Colima. I was on my way to the coast but stopped off here for a night. Colima’s a nice, little quiet city, devoid of tourists whose main attraction is the two volcanoes the Parque Nacional to the north which I’d meant to visit but forgot.

Two buses later I’d finally arrived at Barre de Navidad where I’ve stayed for five nights. It’s a nice little touristy town with a big palm-fringed bay one side and a cool lagoon on the other. With the exception of one night when a group of nine Ozzies bowled into the hotel and took me out for a quality night, tourists are very thin on the ground. That said I’m more than happy going out with the few Mexicans that that are around, all of which is good for mi Castellaño.

In fact, the only unfathomable Spanish I’m struggling with is the food since it seems regardless of what I order I get thrown a bit of bread with some meat on which I then customarily douse in chilli and slop all down my nice sticky clothes.

Weather was pretty atrocious for the first couple of days but other than that have been mainly mooching around on beaches and swimming in the lagoon. Oh, and smoking like a trooper. Until I cut right down, that is seeing as it was starting to hurt.

Currently trying to decide where to go in the next couple of days. May join a kid from here who’s now further up the coast in Puerto Vallarta, may catch a bus to Guadalahara (Mexico’s second city - my guidebook reckons it's the birthplace of tequila and the mariachi...) Or make my way southwards along the coast towards Acapulco (ahem... "Did you know Acapulco is the granddaddy of Mexican coastal resort cities…"?!?)

Oh, and my roachkill bodycount is up to one already. Future potential wives take note!!! I bowled into my room after a night on the piss and, imbibed with Dutch courage, set upon the poor little lamb with all the fury my pasty drunken legs could unleash!

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Photos

Me about to miss my flight!
Look at us! We´re LOVING it! Not a care in the world! Come home safely, Son...

Seeya, Marina!
The bandana sporting, gypsy-looking Herman.

Bahía de Navidad
Water and sand.
What´s that? Comment´s optional. Oh, well I´ll know for next time.

Comments

[alison]

have a tequila for me
sounds like you are having a great time. I'm thoroughly jealous. Just make sure you have a tequila for me xxx

[Emmett]

Perkins
Aaaggghhh ! Im green with envy cos Im sat in a Uni IT room trying to make the best of it ! Green I tells ye ! But I was taught....if you havent anything constructive to say....dont say anything at all....is that right??.....maybe....and I havent been doing anything - off mountain biking up Snowdonia next week though....hardly Mexico City though is it? ....so....errr..have you seen Speedy Gonzalez yet? He's gotta be there somewhere, that peky sombraro wearing liilte mouse.... ...I like you comments - you just send a blog every time you get a picture taken with a new chick ! I might set one up ! id probably have no blogs though.... ...Stay safe, dude...have a good one..