volcan

Travel where you discover the wonders of the earth, and help protect them at the same time. Embark on unforgettable journeys that will enrapture your soul, enlighten your mind and enkindle your spirit. 

Whilst in Guatemala we immersed ourselves in the Mayan culture by doing a home stay and studying the language at the school of Jabel Tinamit in the village of Panajchel, Lago de Atitlan. We were introduced to our Guatemalan family late into the afternoon, brought together under the one roof with little means of communication, forced to use the little spanish we do have. Their house is right off the street in the centre of the village, no less then 20 meters from the school itself.  Woken the following morning to the sound of bells ringing from the nearby church, the sun was just starting to rise and I could feel the cool morning  air begin to seep through the cracks in the windows above. Several hours later we found ourselves walking the streets of the village amongst the Mayan women and children, store fronts that line the cobble stone streets are beginning to open for the day, the smell of tabaco and diesel fumes fills the air. We spent the morning browsing store fronts, drinking coffee and with more then enough time to spare I spent the remainder of the afternoon buried in my book, A River Sutra a novel by Gita Mehta. We spent the following morning walking through the narrow terraces of the Natural Reserve, a narrow bridge spans the stream that runs from the waterfall above us. There is a placidness to the scene that suggests the calm and simple lives ordered only by the passing of the seasons. As I revise on my notes from today's lesson I begin to hear the sweet sound of Amarlia's voice coming from the kitchen as she prepares for this evenings meal, freshly baked quiche torta with a bowl of vegetable soup, served with freshly baked bread. Only now as I begin to write this had I wished I asked Amarlia for the recipe. The day that followed led us to the Mayan caves, often described as the entrance into the watery Maya underworld, located halfway down the mountain just outside the village of Panajchel. Mountains and caves are important elements in Mesoamerican creation myths. Mesoamerican belief systems liken water to fertility and mountains give flowing water and rainfall through the caves. Accordingly, these natural features were and still are considered sacred, sought out by Mesoamerican migrants looking for a new home. We learnt that agricultural products are common offerings in caves and the Mayan people perform rituals as a way of asking the Gods for healing, good fortune and direction in their lives. As expected sundays are a time for family and religion which meant no meals were provided during our home stay on this day, enabling us to explore the village in search of a good restaurant, that lead us to a 100% vegan restaurant, Alice and Robert's. I ordered a delicious flafel whilst Braden ate pita bread stuffed with veggies. Over the next two days we continued to study the language and incorporate that into everyday interaction. Leaving Panajchel early on Wednesday morning, now with a greater understanding and knowledge of the language, the culture,  the people, the food and their beliefs. 

there is one of its kind.

december monday twentieth, Nexpa

surfed early, 3-4ft long clean lefts, only ones out at 7.30, fun waves, great tree house accomodation right on the sand, 37 and a half pesos per person per night.

Michoacán from Image^ on Vimeo.

thursday sixteenth, La Ticla. Surfed earlish, Ellen filmed, was okay but alot of bad ones, a few amongst them, ate five huevos for breakfast, q-celled the 6.0.

one and a half hours south on a narrow windy road through jungle and we arrive in the small village of La Ticla. 50 pesos per person per night, surfed late on the right rip, similar to CT right, good air sections. Ate pasta that Ellen cooked it was Muy Bueno.

Mushrooms, cooked in pesto with whole wheat pasta

1 purple onion
3 garlic cloves crushed
chili to taste
1 kg mushrooms
sun dried tomatoes
handful baby spinach leaves
handful basil
whole wheat pasta
small jar of pesto
olive oil

Dice up a purple onion, garlic and chili, fry in a little bit of olive oil, leave the seeds in the chilli if you want the extra spice. Add mushroom, cut thick slices so they don't cook down to nothing, add pesto to the amount you are cooking, a small jar of pesto or close to it. Add sundried tomatoes,baby spinah leaves and basil, don't be shy go for a handfull in you like a stronger taste of basil, otherwise a small amount will do. Cook on a low heat and add to whole wheat pasta or you can choose to have it on its own. Enjoy 

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