Category Archives: Travels

Puebla – Probably a magic town

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I’ve heard Puebla described as an array of wonderful things. Though I can’t say I’ve had much luck here. This is my second attempt at a day trip, the first went something like this.

Today hasn’t been much better, my plan included walking to FedEx (1.7km) then to Loving Hut (another 1km) and then getting to the Cathedral one way or another before leaving by sundown.

But I felt a bit lazy, asked a bus driver if he went to Reforma (most of the way down the one road to FexEx). After some suspicious looking though he said yes. I paid my 6 pesos and sat down nervously.

The only good thing about this bus journey to the wrong part of the city was the nice chat with a guy from a nearby town. I alighted and by chance I found a MailPack, my hopes rose! It might not be FedEx but at least I can rid myself of carrying this package.

No such luck

For some reason even though they send the package with FedEx, they have more strict rules than me going to the FedEx office directly. After much picking things up and saying no they said the Spanish equivalent of “I think you should go here…” and even gave me bus directions.

For a box full of things too sentimental to just give away I was growing very tired of having it.

Nearly There

Now came the second good thing about Puebla, the bus driver (not the lying “Just give me some Pesos” one) had fantastic taste in music. So I was rocking out to some classics for which I don’t know the name including, heartbreakingly just as I was alighting, my current favourite The Cranberries – Zombie.

Rocking out on a second class bus in Puebla

It’s been a good couple of weeks for me and that song since Gaby took me to Celtics Bar in Mexico City and the live band played it. Still, I managed to get off, the weight of the package probably helped.

Soon enough I fond myself filling out in triplicate (which is even more frustrating when it’s on [[carbon copy paper]]) the To and From addresses, Package Contents, Value, Purpose, Country of Manufacture, etc., etc.  etc. Bear in mind I’d already done this for MailPack on forms with different logos at the top..

Finally, a bill

Upon being presented with a MX$960 (£50) bill I forgot to hesitate and ask if there was a cheaper, slower option and handed over a debit card – relieved to finally have been able to post it home. The only item which didn’t make it in was my dead kindle. I’d done enough lying for a lifetime to want to do any more and have to fill in another “potentially harmful radiation device” form.

Filled with joy and madness at having free hands I gleefully left, in my mind replaying a generic air-punching scene from some film or other (in the case of my illustration, from a website). With an hour and a half ’till my bus to Oaxaca I had time for the vegan restaurant – and directions to boot!

The Final Straw

If the package fiasco hadn’t been enough to taint my view of Puebla, walking blind around unmarked and delicately named roads with locals who don’t know their area, finally resolving to catching a taxi for 2 blocks just to not have to search out another building number to find the restaurant which turned out to be either closed down or not yet ready (it looked like a closed bank) was the final straw. Even had I not been out of time, it was time to get out of this wonderful sounding but not in my stars this time city.

I caught a 3rd class bus to CAPU (the central bus station) and within the hour was breathing a sigh of relief as my ADO bus pulled out to get me to Oaxaca 4 hours later.

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WorkAway Coatepec

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I joined WorkAway.info because it was much cheaper than WWOOF (30GBP for 2 years worldwide membership, compared to 20GBP for one year just in Mexico). It has far fewer opportunities in Mexico (18 vs. 80) and they’re not what I thought my ideal placement would be (Bar work, Administration vs. Organic Farming and Permaculture). However I am very glad that I did!

I’ve just spent 10 days living with Shayla, a most fantastic person who has WorkAwayers to help her with day to day things such as walking the dog and helping her to drink fantastic smoothies and enormous salads. Shayla had some medical problems (Doctors included) 4 years ago which left her with some damaged brain tissue meaning she now has no balance, unable to continue her awesome career at Apple she moved to Mexico to heal. She’s hosted volunteering travellers for just over a year since her partner died.

You’d imagine someone with bad luck such as that could easily fall into a depressing cycle of bad Hollywood movies and microwaved ready meals. Shayla, on the other hand is living in the today, enjoying a healthy life of endlessly wonderful and (usually) incredibly healthy food (During my one short week we enjoyed Portabella Burgers, Mushroom Masala, Chocolate Chip Cookies, fresh brown Rice milk).

We may have gone a little nuts for Portobello mushrooms on occasion.

In between meals life was simple and good and involved walking to market with Choco – the lovable pup who’s not sure if he’s a cat or a rabbit – and relaxing in the sun. Shayla and I shared a fantastic bond and a sometimes spooky ability to have the same thoughts. We both love our kitchen knives and spinach smoothies (though Shayla definitely wins in the Smoothie Lover contest) and as a tech savvy person we can appreciate hanging out together whilst also using computers. Some people find that unsociable, uncomfortable or rude but we just got on with it 🙂

(Not) Off to the Falls

On my penultimate day in Coatepec Shayla’s next WorkAwayer arrived, Mai. This meant I could use the Monday to visit the Waterfall! There are few falls around Coatepec, one of which is a short walk from Shayla’s part of town. While experimenting with coffee in Mexico’s “Capital of Coffee” I had got chatting to the waiter who had then invited me on a cycling trip to the falls with him and some of his friends – he could even lend me a bike. Awesome! So I arranged the morning off with Shayla and awaited his email that night. Nothing came. A few days later I popped into the same coffee shop and saw the guy again, he said they had cancelled due to the weather but Monday was going to be nice and they’ll certainly be making a trip! No worries, I’ve met enough Mexicans to know they’re not the worlds most reliable people.

Monday night, still no word. So I took matters into my own hands, shot off half a dozen emails on the ever trusty [[CouchSurfing]]. Last minute, I know, but perhaps….

Off to the Falls

Waking up Monday morning I checked my emails and sure enough, I had a message from Juan. Of course all Mexicans are called Juan but use other names and this one went by Carlos. He was up for a trip to the falls and would meet me at 11am at a corner I suggested. I was a little late arriving at the corner, but again Mexicans are notoriously late for everything so I wasn’t too concerned. At 11:20 I headed off on my own.

At 11:40 I had a call from Carlos. I had managed to find the only punctual Mexican in the whole of Mexico, he had arrived promptly at 11, but having left my phone number at home he had left at 11:10 to get it – I arrived at 11:15. We spoke a little and kind of decided that since I was already at the falls and wanted to get back home by 12:30 it wasn’t really practical to meet. Then the signal disappeared and we were cut off.

That aint a waterfall!

The walk to the falls was uncertain and filled with doubt. After 10 minutes I heard the tell tale sound of falling water, that was quicker than I expected. Walking closer I saw a pitiful excuse for  waterfall, actually only  dam built to power (I presume) a water wheel. I kept my faith, I’d heard a lot about these falls. I asked for directions, and was sure enough directed further up the road. I came to a bridge, with a much more open landscape including another man made “waterfall” and had another “Hmmm I’m not convinced” moment.

On I persevered, walking through a plantation of some kind of bean along a narrow concrete path (which turned out to be a covered irrigation channel) until lo and behold I encountered the mighty falls! Well “Mighty” might be a bit much, but given my expectations by this point I was excited. An open plain next to the river with yet another man made falls no doubt plays host to picnics and kids with grazed knees in the summer, and peeking up river I could see an actual real waterfall with spray and everything. Pondering how to get closer I  noticed a vague but definite path up some rocks to my right. I was a little worried that Choco wouldn’t be able to get up, but the leaper and bounder in him relished the challenge and he was soon ahead of me running around the plantation above.

I have a fairly strict rule to follow paths so as to not be too much of a disturbance and this path was testing the limits of this! After not too long we were walking through another plantation and found a more solid path leading back down towards the river. Finally, a real waterfall! Not the biggest, not the best, but an almighty splashing off a huge rock!

I sat for a few minutes, writing this very blog, as Choco explored, sniffed and jumped off rocks. All too soon he was ready to go and pee on something else so we headed back. This time he went absolutely bonkers running around the still unidentified trees. Halfway back to where we stated I saw another path, this one clearly defined and well trodden heading to the taller natural falls I saw earlier.

The Fall

This path down didn’t looks quite so secure with slimy rocks to the sides and large steps. I thought for a minute, checked with Choco who gave me a nod and set off down. It wasn’t a long path by any means, but the going was slow. Half way down I hear a yelp and spin around just in time to see Choco disappearing down the side of the rock. “Oh dear” doesn’t quite cover my thoughts but a split second later there was a splash. I hopped off the rock after him just in time to see him clamber out the water onto a ledge on the side. Neither here not there, the loyal little scallywag tried to come back to me, no use that I think the second falls will have to remain elusive. I jumped in after him (that may sound daring, but it was only 10 inches of motionless crystal clear water) and scooped him up onto the picnic-perfect plain from where we started. Choco had a shake, and I dried him off with a towel. He had another shake, then a third. The poor guy was a bit wet, but luckily the sun had come out and he dried off soon enough.

Arriving just in time to think Choco and I are still cool mountain climbers, I look up to see Carlos walking towards me! He’d managed to get here in time after all! We sat chatting by the river for a few moments before heading back to Shayla’s where he was promptly invited to stay for dinner (his first Indian food!) and general chilling out.

It was a day of frustration, excitement, anxiety, sun, uncertainty and good company. A good, good day 🙂

What did you say those trees were?

Those trees, turned out to be coffee trees. Yes, my beautiful baby beans hanging out on their tree waiting to be stripped, baked, beaten and drowned to provide me with the liquid black magic that make the world spin so beautifully. Thanks to Carlos for the identification!

The Coatepec Crosses

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Today I climbed the hill. I’d actually seen this patch of green in the middle of the town on a map before I came and planned to walk through it from the bus to get to Shayla’s.

After my Balagan in Puebla I ended up getting a taxi. Thankfully! Because this hill is 80m high! Note for next time, use a map with contour lines.

When I left the house I had about an hour and a half. I hadn’t yet decided whether to go to the river or the hill so I just walked. It soon became apparent that the river would be harder to get to, houses and houses in progress lined the hillside between me and her.

So I looked up at the giant leafy mound to my left and pictured the map I had carefully studied last week. None of it applied – I was on the other side and heading to the top rather than Shayla’s house.

A few minutes wandering lead me up a dusty lane of run down houses to a small staircase made of large stones. At the top I followed the path. Of course I didn’t know it was the path at the time, but left went down hill and right headed upwards so it was a good enough presumption.

 

I say path, it was actually a road with two lines of cobbles for tyres and a strip of dirt between to catch peoples litter. The first interesting thing I noticed about this path was the abundance of crosses. Now Mexico is a religious place by any standards, but this was getting extreme. Three crosses later I took a closer look and noticed they were depicting Stations of the Cross, excellent! Now I have some idea of how close to the top I am (presuming number 14 was at the top). I was at number 8.

Some wanderings later, and after feeling very suspicious for trying to catch a glimpse of the school I could hear through the trees, I was presented with a decision. The arrow to the left said something in Spanish, the one to the right something else in Spanish. I thought I’d have my cake and eat it and headed right first. A good choice, a few meters up the road was a viewing point with an almost areal view of the city dissolving into the countryside and eventually fading into misty mountains.

After a few awe filled gazes, and a few more after I put my glasses on, I headed off. The path which continued round was a decline, so I went back to the sign and took the left path, which turned out to be a grass covered shortcut to the top. Score! At the top there’s a viewing point to get a bit higher, but it was closed and a ring of trees surrounding the plain actually makes the view less exciting. That said, while gazing out seeing a monstrously big and snow capped mountain slowly fade out of the mist on the horizon isn’t something you experience every day!

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A Balagan in Puebla

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I thought a stopover in [[Puebla]] sounded like a good way to break up a 4 hour trip and see a city I’d heard so much about, plus there’s a a FedEx office from where I could send some excess weight, souvenirs and presents home. To top it off HappyCow.net lists a vegan restaurant.

So I studied a map, plotted a route to include FedEx, Loving Hut and the Cathedral and set off with my trusty directions-containing notebook.

Upon finally arriving in the bus station in Mexico City I had a 30 minute wait for a bus to Puebla. So far, mostly good.

90 minutes later they still had no idea where the bus was, not all bad since I had a chance to try and send my package from the mail place in the station. Attempt #1 was thwarted by my saying that the T-Shirts weren’t new. Apparently you can’t send used (used ever, not just currently dirty) clothes with FedEx. No worries, I’ll do it in Puebla and say they’re new.

I was aiming to leave Mexico City by 11am and be in [[Coatepec]] by 7pm. It’s a 4 hour drive.

I eventually got out of Mexico City by 3pm. I asked in another Pakmail but they said they couldn’t ship to England – attempt #2 down the drain. So for a ticket to Coatepec I searched. I spent the best part of an hour going between bus companies stands (each with their own queue) before a helpful lady behind me told me what none of the staff knew: I had to change in [[Jalapa]]. With a bus in 5 minutes I wasted no more time, bought a ticket and hurried off – before even having a chance to leave Puebla bus station, let alone see the famous cathedral!

Arriving in Jalapa (Home of [[Jalapeños]]) tired late and fed up I decided against finding the other bus station, catching another bus and then a 20 minute walk uphill, and paid a small fortune for a taxi to Shayla’s house.

20 minutes later I was meeting Shayla and Maureen for the first time, but this past 10 days has been too much for one blog post, so that’s another story.

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Morelia – Shiny Churches and Wifi Plazas

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Cold beer just tastes better in the sun…

… but the best cold beer is in the late afternoon shade following a lazy day strolling around [[Morelia]].

Today began 2 nights ago at a [[CouchSurfing]] Camp when – sat around the camp fire – Chano agreed to host me. The plan was [[Guadalajara]] but when a Mandarin speaking Mexican invited you round you can reckon good things are in store.

This morning began with someone wandering around the streets with a bell. I have no idea why*, he appears to have been going all night. After a quick email check (and a host confirmed in Guada!) and a short browse on WikiTravel Morelia I headed to the market Chano mentioned for my stable breakfast – Avocado and fresh bread.

* it turns out it’s the rubbish guy, Morelia is a city in which the council don’t collect any rubbish, so this helpful guy (and many others) are there to collect it for you (for a small fee) any time of day… or night.

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It didn’t take long to fall for this relaxed, happy and comfortable city. It”s huge (750,000 people) but ths historic centre is walkable and beautiful; and tourist orientated signs and maps abound!

A Wifi-Enabled Plaza and a Very Shiney Church

The first sight I came across was the aquaduct, originally built in the 17th centrury and made of hollowed tree trunks. After some map studying (I managed to forget my compass again!) in the Wifi Enabled Plazas I gleefully followed the aquaduct past the park to Plaza Morleos, who’s main feature is a statue which wouldn’t be out of place along [[The Mall]]. I watched some skaters having a photo shoot and fended off a sales person before heading into the church – >Santuario de Guadalupe.

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I’ve been to many astounding churches, but this must be the shinest of them all! The walls and arches are decorated the the usual intricate patterns, however everything here is guilded and sparkles as you walk down the nave. In an interesting contrast, the walls are adorned with huge, entirely not shiney murals. These depict the conversion of the indiginous peoples to Christianity:

  • Brave looking explorers carrying a cross scout the hills, as the good Mary watches over them.
  • Dark skinned children wearing feather skirts are taught by a veryt pale frair while a church is constructed in the background.
  • An honourable guy intervienes at a human sacrifice while his buddy erects a cross next to a falling statue of [[Tlaloc]].
  • In front of a pyramid an [[Aztec]] fountain is used as a baptism font for the locals, now stripped of their head coverings hich lay discarded by the side.

As is only natural given the location, it all looks very honourable.

I’m here at a lucky time, the alter is being dressed for a wedding so the mexican red white and green hang from the arches and flowers surround the glistening, limp body of [[Jesus]].

More WiFi and a Dull Cathedral

Leaving, I headed back down Clz. Fray Antonio de Sab Miguel, usually I avoid walking the same path twice, but this was an exceptionally nice path. Wide enough for two lanes of cars but instead clear, clean and lined with trees and benches playing host to couples who are too busy adoring eachother to notice you path. This walkway leads to the mentioned WiFi Enabled Plaza, which in turn leads to Toluca-Morellia. Toluca-Morelliais a very busy street, but the wide pavements and jolly shoppers make you easily forget the road and njoy the central street through town.

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I can’t say I’m too impressed by the cathedral, though it would be hard to match Santuario de Guadalupe! It was dark (not that I mind them saving electricity) and much like other cathedrals. So I’ll mention a Mexican difference from England. Statues and shrines here tend to be behind glass or bars, rather than the openness of english churches and cathedrals. It makes them shiney, but more distant.

Next on my list was Museo del Estado. After much wandering and some shamefully bad map reaqding I found it (behind the map). It was pretty good, if small and entirely in Sspanish, but closed at three (20 minutes after I entered).

And so here I find myself, sitting in [[Plaza de la Rosa]] with two beers and a cool breeze carrying voices through the trees and a warm shady afternoon ahead of me.

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Valle de Bravo – Today I Climbed a Huge Rock

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Now this place is pretty enchanting. I’ve spent about 30 minutes going up and save for a brief glimpse of the curly brown back of someone’s head I’ve been entirely on my own. The sun is out in all it’s gloriousness but thankfully the path is shaded by towering rocks on all sides. That’s not to say this mini mountain isn’t green, indeed it’s as lush as the rest of the Mexican basin. There are several different views from the top.

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Take a Look Around…

To the west overlooks the huge man made Lake Avándaro, created with the building of a series of dams for the hydro electric plant called Ixtapantongo. The multi layers of mountain look amazing across the distant water’s surface, this is one high place which might suit Roni as looking down all you see (aside from the vertical cliff face teeming with life which even Attenborough would whip out a camera for) is a miss-match of green and blue perfect gardens of the rich.

To the North and South are forested mountains as far as the eye can see, with splotches of field or hamlets gleaming white in the afternoon sun.

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…and Settle in the East

The East, however, is my favourite. Right below me is a wild looking river mouth with half a dozen dingies loosely moored. As the river snakes inland it quickly becomes lost in the urban sprawl which is Valle de Bravo (Valley of the Brave). I can see a church squatting in the middle of a small cemetery, new buildings, old buildings, isolated clusters of houses, bright walls and football pitches all strung together by telephone cables.

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And the sounds are even more of a sensory explosion, nothing dominates for more than a second above the tinkering of people selling, children playing, someone is singing, roosters… there are roosters everywhere! Dogs are barking, people calling, busses struggling up the hills with their 20 year old engines and motorbikes cruising around. Birds chirping, musicians playing, roadworks and builders hammers, a lorry stopping quickly, a car honking, a pig squealing.

So Enchanted Was I, I Forgot to Tell You Where I Am…

I’m leaned against a tall black cross with a virgin Mary on my left, a 20 foot drop on my right and some kind of tree which appears both fluffy and dead at the same time. It’s nice, certainly a place to make me happy.

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Today was a bit of a last minute plan, one of those which presents itself as the obvious when the original one falls through. Derro was unable to take me to the volcano because he had to study, so to Valle de Bravo I came. After half a dozen hopeful CouchSurfing emails I had a call from a guy called Sebastian, who could host me – but then he couldn’t but his friend Pat could. But then Pat couldn’t so Sebastian put me in touch with Rodrico – who I’ll be meeting in a little over an hour.

A night of coffee, colonialism and [[cerveza]] awaits!

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Being Vegan in Mexico

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Vegan Things:

  • Vegan Beer: anything by the Cerveceria Modelo brewery (written on the side of the label) is vegan, for example: Indio, Corona, Pacifico, and Modelo.
  • Nopales are a popular topping or filling, it’s a kind of catcus.
  • Tortilla’s themselves are always vegan.
  • Superama sell a margarine which is vegan, the one in Santa Fe also had Tahini!
  • Tofu and Tofu Burgers are also available in Superama.
  • Soya milk is easy to get in supermarkets, I preferred the Silk one (despite the irony) and found the Ades one too sweet.

Nearly Vegan Things:

  • Escites: Without the Mayonaise or Cheese
  • Quescocalades: With a Mushroom, Nopal or Bean filling

Potholes:

  • Cinema Popcorn is often made with butter
  • Some Bread is made with milk or eggs
  • Beans (even tinned beans) may be cooked in animal fat
  • Anything may be cooked in animal fat

Glossary:

  • Non Vegan Items:
    • Huevos: Eggs
    • Leche: Milk
  • Vegan Items:
    • Vegan: vegano or vegana
    • Beans: Friholis
    • Mushrooms: Champions
    • Nopales (Catcus)

Links:

Other:

Notes which are not specifically vegan but are probably of interest to vegans:

  • Walmart have a large presence in Mexico, including Superama, Sam’s club, Suburbia and VIPs.
  • There’s a decent organic selection in supermarkets.
  • There are tonnes of local stores everywhere (helping your money end up with the people who need it, rather than in the rich few who have).

If you’ve got any updates or additional information, feel free to leave it in the comments!

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The trouble with eating fresh fruit in the sun

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The trouble with eating fresh Mexican fruit in the glorious Mexican sun is that it just doesn’t last long enough. I’m not talking about the Sun, of course. He’s been there since Nanahuatzin jumped.

I mean the food. It only lasts so many minutes, and if I were to enjoy eating in the sun as long as I’d like, I’d be as big as Templo Mayor. Which I visited yesterday, by the way. It was built over by the Spanish, but in the past 100 years has been excavated and is smack bang in the middle of Mexico City. Very convenient for tourists, not so much for those who want to excavate the rest of it.

To save some confusion, what we know as the Aztecs were actually called the Mexica (pronounced Mexi-sha) and were one of several groups of people who made up the Aztecs. They had the biggest empire when the Spanish arrived, hence the name of the country today.

I saw the place of Human Sacrafice, the museum even has a nice (if slow) animated display showing the 5 types of human sacrifice:

  • Heart removal
  • Skinning
  • Death by arrow
  • Burning
  • Decapitation

Depending on to which god you are being offered. Even outside of sacrifice, the method by which you died determined to which god you were delivered and so which afterlife (or rebirth) you earned. Drowning suddenly sounds quite appealing.

After several astoundingly interesting hours at Templo Mayor – which means Major Temple, presumably named as it was the not only the center of the Mexica empire but also the literal center of their universe – we (Gloria and I) visited the humongous cathedral build by the Spanish to replace the silly old Mexica stuff with awesome Jesus things! (Their thoughts, not so much mine).

Oh, and I spent a full 20 minutes watching the huge flag in Zocalo (The heart of Mexico City and one of the largest city squares in the world). Partially because it’s mean to be lowered by the army at 6pm. However it wasn’t, due to a huge march through the city talking about a revolution.

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Nearly in Mexico

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3 hours remaining and the views out the window are incredible, interesting and inspiring all together. The icy expanse of Canada’s coast were a sight to behold, the obvious liquidness trapped in solid icy patches of white and blue.

The USA is everything I expected it to appear from the air. Vast flat planes neatly divided by dead sraight roads with occasional Scalectrix style swerves. The most interesting aspect is the combination of jaggerd lines and slowly changing colours of nature with the straight and sharp designs of Humans.

So many places to visit!

Va Va Voy a Mexico!

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I’m currently travelling at 578mph 10,000m above Greenland through -66C air. Not too shabby for a first blog post eh?

Aparently the flight will be 90 minutes shorter than expected*, thanks presumably to favourable winds. We’ve just eaten, my vegan meal was pretty awesome aside from the milk based creamer they gave me. I had mushroom couscous, nice bread, salad and a rice pudding0esque dessert. At 587mph, that’s my kind of fast food!

I’m sat next to a tennis player and a French lady – with whom I can communicate only enough to pass a pen back and forward as we both struggle to translate the Mexican Border Control forms. Hurrah for my Kindle! Though where’s Saz when you have an actual need for some French?

10 minutes later, the crew find the English forms. Typical eh?

 

* as it turned out, it was only 10 minutes shorter.

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