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Published: August 9th 2017
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laila, la nina magica
She's my new best friend at the hostel. Sometimes she just comes into the dorm to give me hugs <3 I love it Mexico is built of very hard work, love and smiles. This is one thing I'm sure of. I've been here in San Pancho (short for San Francisco, which makes no sense to me) for a few weeks now. I do feel like this is the second place, after Malpasito, that has become a home for me in Mexico. By every definition of the word, this is fucking paradise. There is something in the air here. San Pancho has grown to represent a unique state of mind for me, a different latitude; it's like a Corona commercial.
After sleeping in the car one night, I woke up to a flat tire; not very pleasant. I wasn't in a place that wasn't apparently close to a repair shop. But after sulking in the driver's seat for an hour and installing the car jack, a random guy on his bike informed me that there was a llantera down the road a few hundred meters. I picked up my balls and walked there (I needed a cross wrench because one of my lugnuts was a different size than my wrench) and the guy let me leave with his cross wrench to put the donut
on and drive down there; no questions asked. My tire was repaired and working by 9 am. He wanted $50MX. I gave him twice that. Also he was missing a thumb.
I met a girl from Nova Scotia; we connected when I was playing guitar on the sidewalk with another American guy who lives here. I went with her and another girl an hour north to some petroglyphs in the jungle. It took us a formidable walk riddled with mosquitoes to get there, but it was totally worth it. As soon as we arrived at our apparent destination, wearing clothes seemed to be superfluous, so I pranced around naked like a little fairie person on the rocks in the river. More magic. I had my first real car accident in Mexico on the return drive. No one was hurt, which is the most important thing. The need to have brake lights isn't really enforced, and the person in front of me slowed down very abruptly for some reason. Of course I didn't now they were slowing down so I slammed into their rear. They just drove off without a word, presumably because they were aware they didn't have brake lights and likely didn't have insurance. Fortunately, I was able to make it back home without the engine overheating; the radiator was wrecked. I had a day of procrastination because I just didn't feel like fucking with it, and miraculously the boyfriend of the lady who runs the hostel knew a mechanic. I gave them my car and within three days, he replaced the hood, the frame around the radiator and the radiator itself. It cost just over $200USD for parts and labor. Unbelievable.
I met a group of traveling musicians/artists whilst playing music on the side of the road. One guy travels the world painting women and photographing them and also making nature videos. He showed me this while we were at a little party of about eight people, with a live DJ outside of the hostel next door. These small impromptu events are so much more real and powerful to me than any "club night" or "night on the town" or whatever.
I met, I met, I met... these innumerable experiences where I meet amazing creatures, denizens of this earth, are impossible to describe. But I'll keep trying... A guy called Alejandro approached me randomly on the street one day after I had learned that my laundromat was closed (places in this town don't really have regular hours). He only wanted to help. He enthusiastically led me through town, talking to people and figuring out where to go to get my clothes washed. We eventually found a place which was just someone's house who happened to have a washer and dryer. I dropped off my clothes and they were clean and folded the next day for less than $2USD. He also invited me out to go drinking with his FIVE female friends. Chingon!
I had another police encounter: they pulled up as I was falling asleep in my car outside of town in the hills one night. They only wanted to know if I needed help, and said it was ok if I slept there. I'm still getting used to authority figures only wanting to help me. As I was driving away from San Pancho a couple weeks ago, I picked up a couple hitchhikers from Mexico City at the gas station in Sayulita. I had intended on leaving San Pancho, but they were headed here. I thought, "fuck it, I love that little town and I can show them around," so I returned and we drank mezcal mixed drinks out of coconuts, smoked herb and played in the waves all afternoon.
I've spoken with a guy about the TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language) program, to hopefully acquire some type of livelihood. It seems promising. I should theoretically be able to bounce around the world, teaching people of various ages and races how to speak English, while earning enough money to sustain myself. My savings won't last forever.
There's a cat eating a bag of almonds, presumably not marketed for cats, in the kitchen right now. Sometimes the chickens and dogs walk inside and roam around with impunity; I like it that way.
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MaryJaneDennis
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Interesting tidbits from your travels, Neil. Will continue to follow you on your adventures. Smooth sailing,r driving. Whichever you do.