Hang Handpan

Nice...

Energize Your Whole Life

Hahaha. It's funny in that ironic sorta way. Change is gonna come.



"When there is a huge solar spill we just call it a nice day."

Time to wake up and smell the crude, baby. The crude way that our leaders don't listen, our people don't speak, and our collective dissonance reigns supreme.

Here is how you can speak up. Whether I think it will change anything or not is still to be determined...but it beats sitting on our asses.

"This whole damn place seems to have lost control, so I raise my voice before I lose my soul!" - Michael Franti

Here is a great link to some comics about the Keystone XL Pipeline.

Cultura Vieja

Well, my time is about up in Mexico. Back to the cold (um, that depends on what day) spring of West Virginia. I can't wait! While I have totally enjoyed my time here, I am anxious and ready to return to mi casa.

Hace mucho calor en Jualcomulco. That means that is is freakin' hotter than hell here. More cold coconuts, more trips to the river, and plenty of water (or jugo y caguamas for Adam...haha).

We bought a bunch of coffee in Coatepec, which is kin of coffee around here, and I hope that they will let me bring it back. This coffee is some of the best I have had in a long time...I still rank the Hypno Mexican Chiapas as my favorite...that's just me.

Pico de gallita Morgan.

El Rio Pescados, a great place to swim, to cover yourself in clay, and to fish for camarones del rio, or shrimp. The supermercado has got NOTHING on these local shrimp. Some of them are the size of small lobsters. Yum yum, for sure!

El vecino de Robbie, the neighbor, Morgan and his son, putting it in four wheel drive.

¡Pinche hippie guero!
Mogley has been practicing his free-spirited music every day. Tour dates have no been announced, but you can keep track of him here.

Yo fui al museo de antropologia en Xalapa en Sabado. ¡Super chingon!
I went to the Anthropology Museum in Xalapa on Saturday. Super awesome!

It is loaded with Olmec artifacts and history. Wow!
Este cabeza colosal esta muy grande.

This collosal head is very big.

They look bored. Probably because they've been swinging for thousands of years...

 Seems Asian, eh? Or perhaps its the alien influence? Yo no se.

 All due respect.

  The pictures don't do it justice. These heads are HUGE!

And according to the history, the stones were moved vast distances before being carved. A lot of their cultural artifacts were destroyed. ¡Que lastima!

Anybody recognize this fellow? ¡Diez puntos para ti, si tu conoces!

 They had a nice display of these stamps. The ones below are even more complex as they roll. ¡Que chido!

 Cayota, the sweetest mama dog around. I think that the dogs like Robert's cool tile floor on the often blazing hot days.

 Each day I see Roberto's garden and get psyched for digging in the dirt back at home. Except I won't be growing any pineapples...

OK lovely readers, tune in later for a grand change in scenery. Voy a regresar a Los Estados Unidos muy pronto. ¡Nos vemos!

¡Que onda!

 Estoria and I talked a lot about the mezcla of cultures that make up Easter. Pagan fertility spring time yeeha crossed with Jesucristo being raised. She had fun, to say the least.

 I left this winter wonderland, a late wonderland at that, to the sunny climes of Veracruz, Mexico.

 A view of Jualcomulco from the climbing cliffs. Tranquilo.

 The first day we set out to the state capital, Xalapa, a city of something close to 1/2 million. We met up with some friends of Robbies and went bouldering, amongst other things.

 I want one of these.

 Morgan climbing by the lake, trying to reach el restaurante con los camarones del rancho.

 The local art school was performing a play and had some interesting paintings. Eyes are big around here, lost of artists use them. It is the same around the world, no?

 Graffiti, like skateboarding, is an often misunderstood part of culture. Other times it is quite blunt.

 Carry that weight.

 I coudn't help but think of Nathan, the local silverware warper, when I saw this piece.

 We left Jualco for a super sweet spot with waterfalls bursting out of the cliffside and a nice picnic area. It was a popular oasis and we certainly enjoyed it. On the way, we passed farms that were all growing these vegetables that look like cucumbers but are prepared like tomatoes. What are they? As of this writing I cannot remember. What struck me is that all these operations use a trellised system and creates a canopy that covers hillsides. It was impressive.

 Robert letting loose.

 Adam is trying to live thrifty, so he buys in bulk!

I left for Mexico last week and the blog has been in the back of my mind. Sorry, blog, for the neglect

Life here is quite different than life in the states in the north. You must get used to a certain amount of dirt or you will go bonkers. I mean raw meat on the table, with flys, y pinche perros y gatos everywhere, and basura in all directions.¨It's Mexico, dude.¨ As in Ecuador, I still wonder if there is a way to convince the people to ¨Adopta-un-calle¨ (Adopt-a-highway for those who don´t know.) They looked at us like we were completely insane when we were picking up trash in Ecuador. Gringos, working in teams, to pick up mostly food wrappers and containers, in rural Ecuador. ¨What the hell is going on in the world today?¨ their faces seemed to say.

Fucking coca-cola is deep in the veins here, and they own just about every other drink you would buy in a store: juice, water, ¨energy¨drinks, you name it, tight grip. ¡Fanta Fanta Fanta! Somebody said Mexico is the leader in consumption and sales of that great drink. It shows. It is EVERYWHERE. Gorgeous buildings become tainted with new plastic and metal signs. Oh, well, Cory, get over it. Robert, who is hosting us, told me that they will give you a free fridge, slathered in coke signs, and paint your house if you will sell there products. Genius.
¿Donde esta el pepsi? I'll take a fresh coconut over them all, any day. Not to mention you get some carne to boot.

The amount of abundance all over Latin America (and North America, to be sure) is awe-inspiring. Mangoes, papayas, limes, tamarinds, and tons of other things that I am not even aware of. I've started to read The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan (¡Mil Garcias, Robin!), and the introduction is good enough to know it is a worthwhile read. Haven't read much these days so I hope to fly through it and get on to his other books. But the book's timing is impeccable, as is this trip. It's important for me to keep myself learning and exploring new and different ideas, with a focus on gardening/farming and spirituality.

Off to get in some cool water because, imagine that, its hotter this year in Jualco then it was last year.

Hope you look forward to traveling in your life and also remember how sweet your home may be.