woke early to find clean 6-8ft swell, thick and heavy, took a few photographs, went out and got two waves before i broke my leggy, nearly drowned after copping a 6 wave set on the head, after a quick breather i returned back to the line up, surfed for a couple of hours, on the last wave pulled in, didn't make it and came up with my board in two pieces, ate the best nachos.

We are back on the road again, we spent the month of December traveling south down the coast of Sinaloa, Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima, Michocan, Guerro and Oaxaca. In the north the Mex 200 was in top shape, by taking an exit somewhere near San Blas on a well beaten windy road with plenty of unexpected pot holes and topes. After Sayulita we went through Puerto Vallarta on another good road to the once booming and now out dated city of Manzanillo, surrounded by a number of run down and abandond hotels, the bay only offering a good harbour, the surf was closing out, we ate and slept in a back street, somewhere in the middle of a suburb right outside a cock fighting ring. We woke early deprived of sleep, and wanting to get out of there as soon as possible. We travelled a country winding two lane highway through farm lands and over many rivers, we reached Tecoman, and drove a further 12km out to Pascuales, a narrow road lined with coco farms for the majority, a beautiful drive, we arrived and for the first time in Mainland there was a good swell 3-4 perhaps, we stayed for the next 4 days under a palapa resturant, surfed through a good 8ft swell, broke a legrope and a board, saw and surfed some amazing waves. We continued on to try and catch the last of the swell at La Ticla, out of Colima and into Michocan the farming state and the least developed, made obvious by the condition of the road, we wind through jungle and by the coast, we arrived mid afternoon and had a late surf. This place has a campground with a great set up, old wooden tables and chairs that we were able to use as a kitchen bench, outdoor shower and a palapa shade to park under for real cheap. We stayed here for 5 days surfed some 2-4ft waves mostly rights but some good lefts, mostly on our own. I put the 6'0 back together, we discover coke 5peso deposito, continuing on the windy road checking several potential breaks but eventually making it to Rio Nexpa by dusk. Here we met two other travelers and rented a cabana right on the point, the setup was perfect, fishing hole infront, left point and a right river mouth break. We stayed a week and spent Christmas there, ate lots of fresh fish and coconuts and surfed some extremely fun waves. Back on the road again and this time with Tim from Melbourne, he'd rented the cabana out with us and was hitching throughout Mainland Mexico. We were going to Puerto and had room. The plan was to head south get fresh bread and empanada's before going for a surf at Villa Dorada, there was no bread or empanida's as they dont bake on mondays. We missed the turn off for Villa Dorada and ended up in Playa Azul, the wind was up, there was swell but it wasn't worth surfing, we get cash out and head south to Zihuatanejo. We arrive in the late afternoon and struggle to find a place to stay, eventually staying in a restaurant campground for 36pesos each. We wake early, refuel, get coffee and drive all day south, get stuck in Acapulco for an hour and continue on a poor road in the state of Guerro.We make it to a small beach town, what appeared to be a popular spot with mexican tourists, here we stayed in a quaint little place on the river. We were back on the road again the following morning by 9am, our destination in mind, Puerto Escondido a further 360kms away, a long and hot drive, yet beautiful at the same time. We make it to Oaxca and all the way to Puerto Escondido arriving by 3pm that afternoon and having the hard task of checking into a hotel/hostel/cabana 2 days before new years eve and the peak season without blowing the budget.

I don´t think Jazz has ever appealed to the younger generation, i don´t really know who this younger generation is, i don´t think they could get into a Jazz club anyway, Jazz is hard to follow, i mean you actually have to like Jazz to follow it, and my motto is never follow anything. I don´t know what the motto´s are of the younger generation, i would think they´d have to follow their parents. What would ones parent say to his kid if he were to come home with a glass eye´and a Charlie Mingus record and a pocket full of feathers? He´d say ¨Who are you following¨ And the poor kid would have to stand there with water in his shoes and a bow tie on his ear and sout pouring out his belly botton and say ¨ Jazz father, ive been following Jazz¨ And his father would probably say ¨Get a broom and clean up that soot before you go to sleep¨ Then the kids mother would tell her friends ¨ Our little Donald is part of the younger generation you know¨

- Bob Dylan

After trancending through physical and mental exhaustion, we arrive in San Juanico battered bruised transformed travelers.The north road in was a extended welcome to Baja and a speedy transition into the ruggedness of traveling through Mexico. The longer you stay the higher the chance you might not leave, personally this what we experienced, to describe it takes on a whole new level, the people, the food, not to mention the waves we had and what we have experienced as a whole, working in the garden, fresh hot coffee of a morning, to beautifully cooked meals of a evening with good company. After living in San Juanico for four months I now have a book full of recipes to take with me on the road, a plant that needs watering and some tasteful memories.

We just had our 35mm film developed, here are some photographs taken over the last 6months.

slide-ways from Image^ on Vimeo.

I took several photographs of this historical building,originally constructed in 1903-1904 and was the residence and business of Matthew E. Helme, one of the founders of the city of Huntington Beach and a former mayor.Today, the building is still owned by descendents of Helme. The storefront is now an antique store, M.E. Helme Antiques.

An anthology of greens.

Riding mexican style in the back of a pickup, negotiating the obstacle course of Panga Beach.

a single thread from Image^ on Vimeo.

Follow your inner moonlight, don't hide the madness -Allen Ginsberg

When digital manipulation has become of normal, and flash has ultimately diminished the appreciation of the exquisite, yet perhaps too subtle a tonal range of ambient light.

A garden of pleasurable dreams.