After my last update, I had a week to relax. I went to my favorite beach, Xca-cel, and spent some time in my reading in my hammock and swimming in the cenote. One day I took a tour of the Sian Ka'n Biosphere Reserve. We saw a lot of birds and floated down a river for a while. Other days I went looking for other cenotes in the jungle to explore. I also spent a bit of time at my friends Internet cafe in Tulum, watching movies and surfing the net.
On the 20th of February, I picked up a new group of 13 and we headed off to Chichen Itza. After the ruins and lunch, we went to Cenote Ik Kil and cooled off before going into Merida for the night. The next day we went to the Anthropology Museum and looked around town a bit, before having a night out on the town.
On the 22nd, we went to the Uxmal ruins and then spent the night in Campeche. After a late start the next day, we went to the Misol Ha waterfall in the state of Chiapas. This is the same cave I tried to get into in August, when the water level was too high. Now it was safe for all to enter. We had a good splash around and then went into the cave. I climbed up the waterfall, inside the cave and that woke up all the bats. It was getting late in the day and it was time for them to go out and feed anyway. I jumped off the waterfall and floated back to the entrance.
We spent that night in Palenque and saw the ruins the next day. We also took a tour of the jungle ruins before lunch. This group had been asking me for days about the Agua Azul waterfalls. They are not on our itinerary, but they really wanted to go there. Since it is one of my favorite places in the world, I agreed to take them.
We drove the two hours through the mountains to the long series of blue waterfalls. A few of them joined me for an epic two our hike/splash. We started off heading down stream. In this section, the waterfalls had short drops of only a few feet, never more than six. We would swim through a pool and then jump off the edge into the next pool. We went down quite a ways, swimming and jumping. Some sections we could walk down. The rock was perfect for hiking in bare feet. It was soft, but not slippery at all.
We decided to take a different set of waterfalls back up. As we came around a bend, we saw a huge waterfall that looked impossible to climb. As we got near it, we realized that we could, with some considerable effort, make our way up the side. We climbed up this, and several other, very tall waterfalls, before coming out well up river of our starting point. Now we had to come down some other big waterfalls and then make our way across the river. I suppose some sections of our little trip were not entirely safe, but it was a lot of fun. Those who joined me agreed that it was a truly memorable afternoon.
The next day was our big drive through the jungle to swim in Cenote Azul and spend the night on the Bacalar Lagoon. They had a swimming pool at the hotel and I practiced my one and a half flip/dive into the water. Then we headed up the Carribbean coast to Playa del Carmen, with a stop at the Tulum ruins along the way. On the Tuesday, we went to the Xel-Ha marine park and spent the day swimming with the fishes and snorkeling.
They all wanted a beach BBQ, so I took them to Xca-cel beach the next day. Xca-cel is closed to the public and guarded, but a dollar each for the security man got us past that obstacle. We got there around noon. The night before some of them stayed out until sunrise, so as soon as we got to the beach, they swam for ten minutes and then all fell asleep and worked on their sunburns. I read in my hammock and swam in the cenote.
Around dinner time, I started the fire. The guard told us that fires were forbidden there. I tried to offer him some food, but he said he was vegetarian. He went to get some water, and I put the coals onto the BBQ grill and ran down the jungle path, parallel to the ocean, to another location. The hot coals made my belly very warm and I had to set the grill down a few times. I finally got to a new place and put the coals down. Then I ran back along the path to sweep away all of the hot coals that had jumped ship. I found that the log that I had rested the grill on for a moment was smoking a bit. I attempted to put out the small fire with the liquid I was carrying in my bladder. This proved insufficient, so I filled some containers from the sea and finished the job.
I eventually got back to the fire, and it was going well, when the guard found us and told us to put the fire out. I may be slow, but I did figure it out eventually. Another ten dollars in his pocket, and we were free to BBQ for as long as we wanted. I was also his friend now, so he took me to his shack and showed me his baby turtle in formaldehyde.
On the last day of the trip, it was only ten days, we stopped off at the beach in Cancun and then went to the hotel. For dinner we went to a fancy restaurant in the new mall and then saw a movie.
They were another excellent group and we all had a lot of fun. It was also an all hotel tour, which was something unique for me. I got a bed every night and we ate out every meal.
Then I had eleven days off. I spent a few days in the Cancun area, doing paperwork and seeing a few movies. Then I moved down the coast and visited my friends in Tulum and spent some time on the beach. On the 7th, I started a scuba diving course. I have done five scuba dives over the past ten years, so most of the first day큦 information was pretty familiar. I breezed through the two practice sessions in the pool and we made a dive in the ocean in the afternoon.
That night I drove down a long dirt road to a deserted beach, between Xca-cel and Xel Ha. I found a nice parking spot and went to bed. I woke up at sunrise, as usual, then lay back down. An hour later I heard some talking and woke up again. I looked out the window and saw four men with large rifles looking at the van. They were Mexican soldiers on the dawn patrol. They were pretty friendly, and were mostly just curious. I told them who I was and what I was doing. They continued down the beach protecting their nation.
That afternoon I made another scuba dive and practiced my lessons under the water. We saw a few squid on the reef that afternoon. That night was the coldest night I can recall this year. Not only did I have to wear a t-shirt, but I even wore my sweatshirt for a few hours, although it was a bit too heavy. On the 9th, my instructor, Ivan, and I went out to make two more dives. We saw a turtle and some lobster. After lunch, I took my final exam and passed easily. I am now a certified PADI scuba diver.
I enjoy diving in the ocean and looking at all the pretty fish and corals, but my real goal for getting certified was diving in a cavern. The day after I got my license, I went to Dos Ojos caverns and made two dives there. I really enjoyed swimming under ground, especially upside down. I think that extreme cave divers are a bit crazy, but I could really get into doing intermediate level cave diving.
Then I headed back up to Cancun and spent the next two nights chatting with Penny on the Internet.
On the 13th of March, I picked up my new group of ten and started the same trip that I did previously, a ten day all hotel loop around the Yucatan with a stop in Chiapas. We went to Chichen Itza and swam in Cenote Ik Kil and spent the night in Merida. On the second day of our tour, we went to the Celestun Flamingo Reserve and saw a lot of birds and swam in a cenote. We ate lunch on the beach and got back to Merida in time to do some hammock and souvenir shopping before dinner and drinks.
On the 15th, we visited the ruins of Uxmal and spent the night in Campeche. We took a pleasant after dinner stoll along the sea side. Yesterday was a big driving day and we made it out here to Palenque. Today they are all visiting the ruins and doing the jungle tour. I will pick them up soon and we will go swimming in Misol Ha.
This concludes the latest installment of "The life and times of Avram Fox".
Saturday, March 17, 2001
Thursday, February 15, 2001
Drive down to Florida, drive down to Mexico for a two week trip and a 16 day trip
It has been a while since my last update, but I will try to remember all of the fun I had.
After the 20th of December, I spent a few days in Boston. Then I went to Connecticut with Dad, Elizabeth and Emily. We visited Lenny and Charlene and their kids in their new home. The neighborhood was covered in snow and looked cold through the window. From there, we drove down the east coast and got to Ocala, Florida eventually. From there, I took a bus down to Grandma and Grandpa's and then spent Christmas day finishing up a few projects in my mother's home.
On the 26th of December I flew back out to Los Angeles. I spent the next three days working in the office and also had a chance to visit with Gary and Marty. On the 30th, I left LA, and after a quick stop at Tiajuana to do some paper work, headed east. I spent the night near Tucson, Arizona. The next day I made it to El Paso, Texas, crossed over and started south. I spent New Year's Eve in my van behind a small restaurant in the middle of nowhere, Northern Mexico.
The next few days were spent heading south through the middle of Mexico. I went through cities I had never visited before, like Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, Chihauha, and Leon. I spent a night in Guanajuato and then went over to the nature preserve for the Mariposa Butterflys. I spent most of the day looking at the hundreds of thousands of butterflies, waiting for the sun to warm them up so they could fly around and look impressive.
The next day I made it to Mexico City and met my new group. There were only nine of them, but it was my first all female tour, not counting me. On the 7th of January, we visited the ruins at Teotihuacan and then drove all afternoon to Guanajuato. We camped there and then took a tour of the city the next day, before driving down to Patzcuaro. I relaxed the next morning and then we moved over to Angahuan, the closest surviving town to the Paracutin volcano.
Bright and early the next day, nearly everyone joined me for the hike to the top. It was fun as always and the best part was the run down the ash slope from the top. That night everyone was pretty tired and went to bed early. Our next stop was Guadalajara. We poked around town in the afternoon and then went out to camp. On Saturday, we took a tour of a tequila factory in Tequila and then went to the beach in Sayulita.
The next day a few of us took a hike up the beach and then we all went into Puerta Vallarta for a night on the town. When we left the club, we climbed up onto the roof of the van for a bit of dancing. A few other people joined us and had their photos taken while dancing on the roof of the van with us. The next day we took a boat trip to Islas Marietas. We had some fun snorkeling and whale watching. We had two big whales and one baby swim by the boat for a few minutes. Whales are always fun to watch.
The next day, after a late night of beach walking and sky gazing, we headed south to Melaque. The campground was no good for us, so we rented some rooms and finally got some beds. The following day was spent driving down the coast to Los Llanos. The drive took all day, then we camped on a nearly deserted beach and all went for a swim. After a few more hours of driving the next day, we made it to Acapulco.
We watched the cliff divers and I want to try it more than ever. Then we enjoyed a free day on the beach. On the 20th of January, we went to ride the jetboats. The ride was thrilling. Afterwards, we played on the climbing wall. That too is fun, and may be one of my next hobbies. We spent that night in Taxco, the silver town. After lunch the next day we headed on up to Mexico City and had a last night out on the town.
The trip was a lot of fun and now I had about a week to get to Cancun. Penny, a very nice Australian woman from my last trip, joined me for a bit of sightseeing in the Mexico City area. I wanted to take her up to the volcano and do some hiking, but the military turned us around because the volcano was a bit active. That afternoon, while driving away, we looked back and the volcano was indeed belching smoke. It was the most active it had been in a while and made the national news. After a night in a town with some hot springs, we moved over to a nice town at the bottom of some 400 meter cliffs. We had an enjoyable hike up to the top of the cliffs, where there was the remains of an ancient pyramid and farming area. The next day I dropped Penny off at the airport and started the big drive east.
Two days later I was on the beach and on the night of the 28th I met my new group. The next day, the six of them and I left Cancun and visited the ruins of Chichen Itza. After lunch we visited Cenote Il Kil. I had never been there before and it was great. It is very deep and we had to spiral down a tunnel to the bottom. Then we jumped in and swam around the natural spring in the jungle. We camped near Chichen Itza and then went to Merida the next day.
We had a free afternoon in town and then went out for a bit of fun at a bar that evening. The next day we went to the ruins of Uxmal and then to the hidden jungle cenote where I can jump from the ceiling of the well, down to the water. Again, I was the only one to try the 15 meter drop. Everyone else took the ladder. From Uxmal, we cut across the Yucatan Peninsuala and spent the night in Bacalar. We took a boat trip to see a few more cenotes and some islands with birds. Our last stop on the boat trip was in a fresh water inlet with a lot of silt. The water was about knee deep, but in some places, you sank down into the silt. With enough bouncing, I could sink down to my chest.
Bright and early the next day we went into Chetumal so the two Japanese passengers could get visas for Belize. We found the home of the consular official, paid him a visit and $25 each and got some stamps for them. Then we went to the border and crossed over. It took us about five minutes to cross, and five hours for the van to cross. The border officials were being especially slow this day. Luckily, my passengers made friends easily and passed the time talking to the money changers. After our five hours in the hot tropical sun, we drove down to Belize City and took the water taxi to Caye Caulker, an island out near the reef.
Caye Caulker is a very relaxed place and we all loved it. It is very Caribbean. This was a great group to bring there. They got right into not wearing shoes and not rushing. At Wish Willy's restaurant, Maurice, the owner, came and sat down with us to talk. He asked if we wanted more beer. When some said "Yes" he said "Me too, get me one while you are up" Then he told us where the fridge was and let every one fend for themselves. There are no cars on the island and the streets are made of sand. Everyone drives little golf carts. I borrowed one for a while and had a great time tooling down the roads.
On our first full day there we went snorkeling. We went to where the nurse sharks and sting rays hang out. Our guide caught some with his bare hands and let us swim over and pet them. I got to hold one of the sharks. I have not done this trip in three years, and it was fun to go back and do some of my favorite things in Belize. The next day we went out to look for manatees. We did not have much luck in the morning, so we went over to a very tiny island for lunch and snorkeling. In the afternoon we went back to look for manatees. After freezing in a sudden downpour, we were rewarded and got some good views of a manatee.
Bright and early on the 5th of February, we took the water taxi back to Belize City, drove to San Ignacio, took a shuttle bus to the Guatemalan border, crossed over and took another shuttle over to the ruins of Tikal. We looked around the ruins a bit that afternoon and then tried to see sunrise the next day. It was very cloudy, and a bit rainy, so all we saw was the top of the big pyramid lost in fog. It was nice, but not a sunrise. We took a full day tour after that. Our guide showed us all the jungle plants, lots of the ruins, and we even saw some loud howler monkeys.
After a brief stop in the town of Flores, on the 7th, we went back to Belize and took David's Adventure Tours for a cave canoe trip. David, a cool rasta dude, was a bit disorganized, but eventually got everything together and we canoed into a long cavern and looked at all of the formations and bats. On the way back to town, his extremely overloaded van got stuck in the mud and needed a push. That put the adventure into the tour.
The next day we went up to where David lives. He has a small camping area on some unexcavated Mayan ruins. We climbed the hills that contain some ancient buildings and had a great view. Then we canoed down the river back to town and spent the afternoon in San Ignacio. On the 9th of February, we crossed back into Mexico in only two and a half hours and shot up the coast to Xpu-ha beach for some camping.
This is where I really came to appreciate my group. They were happy to sit on the beach for hours on end, with no planned activities what so ever. The first day we sat on the beach until mid-afternoon. Then we went into Playa del Carmen for dinner and drinks. The next day we visited the ruins of Tulum, and then spent the afternoon at camp. The following day, we spent the morning on the beach and moved to another beach for some kayaking in the afternoon. On the last day of the trip, we relaxed on the beach until after lunch and then drove up to Cancun and said goodbye.
This was a great group. Nearly every other meal we cooked was spaghetti, and they all loved garlic bread. Every time we made it, we made more and it was still never enough. One night we roasted whole cloves on the coals of our BBQ. Including the garlic bread that night, the seven of us polished off about seven bulbs of garlic. It was a great eating trip.
Yesterday, on my own, I saw a movie in Cancun and then moved down the coast to relax. I now have about a week off to hang out before my next trip starts on the 20th.
After the 20th of December, I spent a few days in Boston. Then I went to Connecticut with Dad, Elizabeth and Emily. We visited Lenny and Charlene and their kids in their new home. The neighborhood was covered in snow and looked cold through the window. From there, we drove down the east coast and got to Ocala, Florida eventually. From there, I took a bus down to Grandma and Grandpa's and then spent Christmas day finishing up a few projects in my mother's home.
On the 26th of December I flew back out to Los Angeles. I spent the next three days working in the office and also had a chance to visit with Gary and Marty. On the 30th, I left LA, and after a quick stop at Tiajuana to do some paper work, headed east. I spent the night near Tucson, Arizona. The next day I made it to El Paso, Texas, crossed over and started south. I spent New Year's Eve in my van behind a small restaurant in the middle of nowhere, Northern Mexico.
The next few days were spent heading south through the middle of Mexico. I went through cities I had never visited before, like Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, Chihauha, and Leon. I spent a night in Guanajuato and then went over to the nature preserve for the Mariposa Butterflys. I spent most of the day looking at the hundreds of thousands of butterflies, waiting for the sun to warm them up so they could fly around and look impressive.
The next day I made it to Mexico City and met my new group. There were only nine of them, but it was my first all female tour, not counting me. On the 7th of January, we visited the ruins at Teotihuacan and then drove all afternoon to Guanajuato. We camped there and then took a tour of the city the next day, before driving down to Patzcuaro. I relaxed the next morning and then we moved over to Angahuan, the closest surviving town to the Paracutin volcano.
Bright and early the next day, nearly everyone joined me for the hike to the top. It was fun as always and the best part was the run down the ash slope from the top. That night everyone was pretty tired and went to bed early. Our next stop was Guadalajara. We poked around town in the afternoon and then went out to camp. On Saturday, we took a tour of a tequila factory in Tequila and then went to the beach in Sayulita.
The next day a few of us took a hike up the beach and then we all went into Puerta Vallarta for a night on the town. When we left the club, we climbed up onto the roof of the van for a bit of dancing. A few other people joined us and had their photos taken while dancing on the roof of the van with us. The next day we took a boat trip to Islas Marietas. We had some fun snorkeling and whale watching. We had two big whales and one baby swim by the boat for a few minutes. Whales are always fun to watch.
The next day, after a late night of beach walking and sky gazing, we headed south to Melaque. The campground was no good for us, so we rented some rooms and finally got some beds. The following day was spent driving down the coast to Los Llanos. The drive took all day, then we camped on a nearly deserted beach and all went for a swim. After a few more hours of driving the next day, we made it to Acapulco.
We watched the cliff divers and I want to try it more than ever. Then we enjoyed a free day on the beach. On the 20th of January, we went to ride the jetboats. The ride was thrilling. Afterwards, we played on the climbing wall. That too is fun, and may be one of my next hobbies. We spent that night in Taxco, the silver town. After lunch the next day we headed on up to Mexico City and had a last night out on the town.
The trip was a lot of fun and now I had about a week to get to Cancun. Penny, a very nice Australian woman from my last trip, joined me for a bit of sightseeing in the Mexico City area. I wanted to take her up to the volcano and do some hiking, but the military turned us around because the volcano was a bit active. That afternoon, while driving away, we looked back and the volcano was indeed belching smoke. It was the most active it had been in a while and made the national news. After a night in a town with some hot springs, we moved over to a nice town at the bottom of some 400 meter cliffs. We had an enjoyable hike up to the top of the cliffs, where there was the remains of an ancient pyramid and farming area. The next day I dropped Penny off at the airport and started the big drive east.
Two days later I was on the beach and on the night of the 28th I met my new group. The next day, the six of them and I left Cancun and visited the ruins of Chichen Itza. After lunch we visited Cenote Il Kil. I had never been there before and it was great. It is very deep and we had to spiral down a tunnel to the bottom. Then we jumped in and swam around the natural spring in the jungle. We camped near Chichen Itza and then went to Merida the next day.
We had a free afternoon in town and then went out for a bit of fun at a bar that evening. The next day we went to the ruins of Uxmal and then to the hidden jungle cenote where I can jump from the ceiling of the well, down to the water. Again, I was the only one to try the 15 meter drop. Everyone else took the ladder. From Uxmal, we cut across the Yucatan Peninsuala and spent the night in Bacalar. We took a boat trip to see a few more cenotes and some islands with birds. Our last stop on the boat trip was in a fresh water inlet with a lot of silt. The water was about knee deep, but in some places, you sank down into the silt. With enough bouncing, I could sink down to my chest.
Bright and early the next day we went into Chetumal so the two Japanese passengers could get visas for Belize. We found the home of the consular official, paid him a visit and $25 each and got some stamps for them. Then we went to the border and crossed over. It took us about five minutes to cross, and five hours for the van to cross. The border officials were being especially slow this day. Luckily, my passengers made friends easily and passed the time talking to the money changers. After our five hours in the hot tropical sun, we drove down to Belize City and took the water taxi to Caye Caulker, an island out near the reef.
Caye Caulker is a very relaxed place and we all loved it. It is very Caribbean. This was a great group to bring there. They got right into not wearing shoes and not rushing. At Wish Willy's restaurant, Maurice, the owner, came and sat down with us to talk. He asked if we wanted more beer. When some said "Yes" he said "Me too, get me one while you are up" Then he told us where the fridge was and let every one fend for themselves. There are no cars on the island and the streets are made of sand. Everyone drives little golf carts. I borrowed one for a while and had a great time tooling down the roads.
On our first full day there we went snorkeling. We went to where the nurse sharks and sting rays hang out. Our guide caught some with his bare hands and let us swim over and pet them. I got to hold one of the sharks. I have not done this trip in three years, and it was fun to go back and do some of my favorite things in Belize. The next day we went out to look for manatees. We did not have much luck in the morning, so we went over to a very tiny island for lunch and snorkeling. In the afternoon we went back to look for manatees. After freezing in a sudden downpour, we were rewarded and got some good views of a manatee.
Bright and early on the 5th of February, we took the water taxi back to Belize City, drove to San Ignacio, took a shuttle bus to the Guatemalan border, crossed over and took another shuttle over to the ruins of Tikal. We looked around the ruins a bit that afternoon and then tried to see sunrise the next day. It was very cloudy, and a bit rainy, so all we saw was the top of the big pyramid lost in fog. It was nice, but not a sunrise. We took a full day tour after that. Our guide showed us all the jungle plants, lots of the ruins, and we even saw some loud howler monkeys.
After a brief stop in the town of Flores, on the 7th, we went back to Belize and took David's Adventure Tours for a cave canoe trip. David, a cool rasta dude, was a bit disorganized, but eventually got everything together and we canoed into a long cavern and looked at all of the formations and bats. On the way back to town, his extremely overloaded van got stuck in the mud and needed a push. That put the adventure into the tour.
The next day we went up to where David lives. He has a small camping area on some unexcavated Mayan ruins. We climbed the hills that contain some ancient buildings and had a great view. Then we canoed down the river back to town and spent the afternoon in San Ignacio. On the 9th of February, we crossed back into Mexico in only two and a half hours and shot up the coast to Xpu-ha beach for some camping.
This is where I really came to appreciate my group. They were happy to sit on the beach for hours on end, with no planned activities what so ever. The first day we sat on the beach until mid-afternoon. Then we went into Playa del Carmen for dinner and drinks. The next day we visited the ruins of Tulum, and then spent the afternoon at camp. The following day, we spent the morning on the beach and moved to another beach for some kayaking in the afternoon. On the last day of the trip, we relaxed on the beach until after lunch and then drove up to Cancun and said goodbye.
This was a great group. Nearly every other meal we cooked was spaghetti, and they all loved garlic bread. Every time we made it, we made more and it was still never enough. One night we roasted whole cloves on the coals of our BBQ. Including the garlic bread that night, the seven of us polished off about seven bulbs of garlic. It was a great eating trip.
Yesterday, on my own, I saw a movie in Cancun and then moved down the coast to relax. I now have about a week off to hang out before my next trip starts on the 20th.
Wednesday, December 20, 2000
The second half of a tour to Los Angeles, a three week tour of the US southwest and a trip to Florida
Near the end of last November, I left Mazatlan with my group and drove up to Los Mochis. We spent the night and took the train up to the Copper Canyon the next day. It was nearly a twelve hour train ride and we were all happy to get off the train by the time we got there.
The next day we hiked down the side of a canyon and sat in some hot springs. The day after that, some people went hiking, but I took a great bike ride with two others. I tried to ride through some mud, but the front tire just sank right in. I did a great flip over the handlebars. After another nice walk the next morning, we took the train back down to Los Mochis.
Next on our schedule was a very long drive. We drove up to Nogales, on the US border. It was very cold. We crossed over on the 7th of November and went to a hotel near Tucson, Arizona. We ordered some pizzas and watched the presidential voting results on TV. Eventually, we gave up on waiting for a winner and went to sleep. On the 8th, we went to San Diego and had a fun night out. The last day of the trip, I went to the San Diego Zoo and had a great time there. Then, it was up to Los Angeles to say goodbye.
On the 10th of November, I went into the Trek America office and did not do much. That night, I drove up to Visalia, California with Ivan and Matt. That drive was an adventure in itself in Ivan's very old pickup truck. We went to Mateo and Jaki's house and spent the night. Saturday morning, a few of us went hiking in Sequoia National Park. We even got snowed on at one point. It was pretty. That night there was a big party at the house and the next morning Mateo made us all a great breakfast.
I got back to LA on Sunday night and met my new group. On the morning of the 13th, I headed north with 13 new passengers (twelve women and one man). We did a quick tour of LA, stopped for a bit in Santa Barbara and spent the night near San Luis Obispo. Then we went up to San Francisco for a few days of sightseeing and eating. While there, I met up with Michiko, a Japanese passenger from two years ago in Mexico. I also hung out with my friend Sue for one evening at a Jazz jam session. Then we all headed east to Yosemite National Park. We did a great hike there over some snow covered trails. It was a bit slippery at times.
On the way out of the park we stopped to look at some big Sequia trees and then camped near Bakersfield, California. From there we drove to Death Valley. Along the way, we saw a fighter jet from the Air Force fly below us through a canyon. It was impressive. At our campsite in Death Valley we had some resident foxes and even a coyote. We went on a few short walks in the Valley and spent the afternoon playing on the sand dunes. I had a great time, as usual, rolling down the sand.
From there we went over to Las Vegas for our buffet and Limo ride. The next day, Thanksgiving Day, I took three passengers out to Red Rocks State Park for a hike in the desert. The hike was awesome. To leave the park, I decided to take the jeep road. Some parts of it were a bit too rough for the van, but with Daniel's help, I was able to get over the rough and narrow parts and come out the other end intact. We then raced back to Las Vegas and went to the Star Trek Experience. The ride was as much fun as ever and we had dinner in Quark's Restaurant.
We stopped at the Outlet mall on the busiest shopping day of the year for a quick bit of shopping, and then headed up to Zion National Park in Utah. We did a nice stroll up a canyon and a nice hike up to Angel's Landing viewpoint before heading over to the Paria River Guest Ranch for a bit of a party with my friend Easton. We also did a great horse ride there. Parts of the river were frozen, but the horse and I were heavy enough to break through.
Our next stop was the Grand Canyon. Most people hiked. I took Daniel to the clinic for his non-healing wound and did some paperwork the rest of the day. Then we went to Monument Valley and took a tour by jeep. That night they all slept in a Hogan, a traditional Navajo dwelling. Then we headed south to Betty and Rusty's cowboy camp. We had a relatively quite night there. They made there always excellent food for us and we dressed up in Cowboy clothes the next morning.
We moved on to Joshua Tree National Park and had another nice hike through the desert to an oasis. We stopped for lunch near some great rocks and I had a lot of fun climbing on them. Our final night stop on this three week trip was in San Diego. I took a group of them down to Tiajuana, Mexico. I really enjoyed being back in Mexico, even if it was only a border town for a few hours. After a short last night out and a visit to Disneyland, the trip was over.
On the 4th of December, I spent my birthday in the office avoiding work. I spent the next two days in the office, also avoiding work. On the 7th of December, I flew home to Florida. I spent the next two weeks sitting on the couch and occasionally visiting family. I flew up to Boston yesterday and will go back to work next week. I will head back down to lead tours in Mexico for the next three months.
The next day we hiked down the side of a canyon and sat in some hot springs. The day after that, some people went hiking, but I took a great bike ride with two others. I tried to ride through some mud, but the front tire just sank right in. I did a great flip over the handlebars. After another nice walk the next morning, we took the train back down to Los Mochis.
Next on our schedule was a very long drive. We drove up to Nogales, on the US border. It was very cold. We crossed over on the 7th of November and went to a hotel near Tucson, Arizona. We ordered some pizzas and watched the presidential voting results on TV. Eventually, we gave up on waiting for a winner and went to sleep. On the 8th, we went to San Diego and had a fun night out. The last day of the trip, I went to the San Diego Zoo and had a great time there. Then, it was up to Los Angeles to say goodbye.
On the 10th of November, I went into the Trek America office and did not do much. That night, I drove up to Visalia, California with Ivan and Matt. That drive was an adventure in itself in Ivan's very old pickup truck. We went to Mateo and Jaki's house and spent the night. Saturday morning, a few of us went hiking in Sequoia National Park. We even got snowed on at one point. It was pretty. That night there was a big party at the house and the next morning Mateo made us all a great breakfast.
I got back to LA on Sunday night and met my new group. On the morning of the 13th, I headed north with 13 new passengers (twelve women and one man). We did a quick tour of LA, stopped for a bit in Santa Barbara and spent the night near San Luis Obispo. Then we went up to San Francisco for a few days of sightseeing and eating. While there, I met up with Michiko, a Japanese passenger from two years ago in Mexico. I also hung out with my friend Sue for one evening at a Jazz jam session. Then we all headed east to Yosemite National Park. We did a great hike there over some snow covered trails. It was a bit slippery at times.
On the way out of the park we stopped to look at some big Sequia trees and then camped near Bakersfield, California. From there we drove to Death Valley. Along the way, we saw a fighter jet from the Air Force fly below us through a canyon. It was impressive. At our campsite in Death Valley we had some resident foxes and even a coyote. We went on a few short walks in the Valley and spent the afternoon playing on the sand dunes. I had a great time, as usual, rolling down the sand.
From there we went over to Las Vegas for our buffet and Limo ride. The next day, Thanksgiving Day, I took three passengers out to Red Rocks State Park for a hike in the desert. The hike was awesome. To leave the park, I decided to take the jeep road. Some parts of it were a bit too rough for the van, but with Daniel's help, I was able to get over the rough and narrow parts and come out the other end intact. We then raced back to Las Vegas and went to the Star Trek Experience. The ride was as much fun as ever and we had dinner in Quark's Restaurant.
We stopped at the Outlet mall on the busiest shopping day of the year for a quick bit of shopping, and then headed up to Zion National Park in Utah. We did a nice stroll up a canyon and a nice hike up to Angel's Landing viewpoint before heading over to the Paria River Guest Ranch for a bit of a party with my friend Easton. We also did a great horse ride there. Parts of the river were frozen, but the horse and I were heavy enough to break through.
Our next stop was the Grand Canyon. Most people hiked. I took Daniel to the clinic for his non-healing wound and did some paperwork the rest of the day. Then we went to Monument Valley and took a tour by jeep. That night they all slept in a Hogan, a traditional Navajo dwelling. Then we headed south to Betty and Rusty's cowboy camp. We had a relatively quite night there. They made there always excellent food for us and we dressed up in Cowboy clothes the next morning.
We moved on to Joshua Tree National Park and had another nice hike through the desert to an oasis. We stopped for lunch near some great rocks and I had a lot of fun climbing on them. Our final night stop on this three week trip was in San Diego. I took a group of them down to Tiajuana, Mexico. I really enjoyed being back in Mexico, even if it was only a border town for a few hours. After a short last night out and a visit to Disneyland, the trip was over.
On the 4th of December, I spent my birthday in the office avoiding work. I spent the next two days in the office, also avoiding work. On the 7th of December, I flew home to Florida. I spent the next two weeks sitting on the couch and occasionally visiting family. I flew up to Boston yesterday and will go back to work next week. I will head back down to lead tours in Mexico for the next three months.
Wednesday, November 1, 2000
The second half of a tour east of Mexico City and the first half of a tour west and north of Mexico City
Hello from Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico.
After my last update, we went to Rancho Esmeralda to visit the ruins of Tonina and ride horses. Then we went to Agua Azul waterfalls to look around. They were a little blue, but still pretty muddy from all of the rain. That night we went to Lacanja. Lacanja is near the border with Guatemala. There were lots of bugs around that night. The local Lancadonian people wear long white tunics and have long black hair. They are definately unique looking.
The next morning we toured the ruins of Bonampak and then hiked through the jungle to a waterfall. The water was pretty high and I was the only one in the group who went swimming. From there, we drove to Palenque and toured the ruins there. We also stopped at Misol Ha waterfall and it was huge also.
From Palenque we went to the ruins of Uxmal and then up to the city of Merida. After a brief stop at the ruins of Chichen Itza, we went to the beach for four days. My friend Sarah, from London, was there and hung out with us during our days on the beach. We went snorkeling in a cavern, hung out for the day at the Xel-Ha marine park, visited Cancun for a few hours, partied in Playa del Carmen and generally had lots of fun in the Caribbean.
From there, we went to Bacalar and took a sunset boat ride on the Lagoon of Seven Colors and stopped for a swim. The next day I said goodbye to Sarah and drove to Isla Aguada with my group. We spent a bit of time on the beach there then moved on. We stopped in Villahermosa to look at the zoo and then spent the night in Acayucan. The last night of the trip was spent in Cholula, a suburb of Puebla. We finished up in Mexico City on the 21st of October and said good bye to four of the eight. The other four have joined me on the next 19 days of this trip.
On the 22nd, I took my nine new passengers and my four passengers who were continuing with me to the ruins of Teotihuacan. We spent that night in San Miguel de Allende. The next morning I drove them into town and got my first flat tire ever, with Trek America. About ten feet from where I intended to park, the curb sliced into a tire and it went flat very quickly. I had lots of people to help me change the tire and I spent the rest of the morning buying a new one. In the afternoon we visited some hot springs and then drove to Guanajuato.
On the 24th, we toured the city and visited the mine and mummy museum. Then, after a shopping stop at Wal-Mart, we camped in Patzcuaro. The next day I got to take one passenger to the hospital. He was allergic to mosquito bites and needed a shot and some cream. He got his shot in the surgery room. I got to watch a doctor sew up what was left of someones fingers. It was not pretty. The doctor was so excited to practice English, that he dropped his instruments. He kept excellent eye contact with me as he tried to simultaneously speak English and perform surgery. That night we moved on to Paricutin, the volcano.
Bright and early the next day, nine of us set off on the 19 mile hike to the top and back. It was the normal hard hike, but I enjoyed it. Especially the part in the middle when we run full speed down the steep ash slope. One person fell and hurt is ankle, but for the most part we all survived the run intact.
From there we went to Guadalajara for a quiet night. The next day we toured a Tequila factory. But first, we had to bring someone to the hospital. Laura had what we suspected was bilharzia, a parasitic worm in her feet from Lake Malawi, in Africa. She had cool track marks on the top of her feet and they got longer every day.
Then it was on to the beach. We camped in Sayulita. On the 29th, I took Laura to the airport and she flew home. That night we went to party in Playa del Carmen, but first I had to take Patrick to the doctor. He cut his finger on a tree and it swelled up. He got his first ever tetanus shot and some pills.
On the 30th, some of us took a boat out to some islands and snorkeled around for a few hours. They have some really nice tropical fish there. Yesterday we drove to San Blas and toured the swamp in a boat. We stopped at a crocodile farm and watched them tie one up to weigh it and move it to another cage. Then we boated over to a swimming hole. There was a four foot crocodile laying in the water, right at the bottom of the entrance stairs. I got pretty close to him, but he would not move. Eventually, someone tapped his tail and he swam off. Once he was about 15 feet away, it seemed safe and I dove in. After a while the crocodile stayed more than 30 feet away and a few others joined me. They have a great trapeze bar there and I practiced my back flip off of the trapeze bar into the water.
After the swimming, we came up here to Mazatlan. Today is a beach day. We went on the banana boat earlier today and bounced around the waves a bit. We drove over to the El Cid Mega Resort and hung out by there pool and played on their water slides. Later we will go back to camp.
I have never been in Mexico during the rainy season before. It is great. Places that usually have thousands of tourists are pretty much empty. Prices are cheaper and it is warmer. But, I am looking forward to coming back down here early next year, when all of the waterfalls are not so muddy and I can swim in them.
Oh, and before you start thinking that three hospital visits in a week is a lot for my current tour, read back to April of 1998. The last time I did this trip, I also brought three people to the hospital for relatively minor things.
After my last update, we went to Rancho Esmeralda to visit the ruins of Tonina and ride horses. Then we went to Agua Azul waterfalls to look around. They were a little blue, but still pretty muddy from all of the rain. That night we went to Lacanja. Lacanja is near the border with Guatemala. There were lots of bugs around that night. The local Lancadonian people wear long white tunics and have long black hair. They are definately unique looking.
The next morning we toured the ruins of Bonampak and then hiked through the jungle to a waterfall. The water was pretty high and I was the only one in the group who went swimming. From there, we drove to Palenque and toured the ruins there. We also stopped at Misol Ha waterfall and it was huge also.
From Palenque we went to the ruins of Uxmal and then up to the city of Merida. After a brief stop at the ruins of Chichen Itza, we went to the beach for four days. My friend Sarah, from London, was there and hung out with us during our days on the beach. We went snorkeling in a cavern, hung out for the day at the Xel-Ha marine park, visited Cancun for a few hours, partied in Playa del Carmen and generally had lots of fun in the Caribbean.
From there, we went to Bacalar and took a sunset boat ride on the Lagoon of Seven Colors and stopped for a swim. The next day I said goodbye to Sarah and drove to Isla Aguada with my group. We spent a bit of time on the beach there then moved on. We stopped in Villahermosa to look at the zoo and then spent the night in Acayucan. The last night of the trip was spent in Cholula, a suburb of Puebla. We finished up in Mexico City on the 21st of October and said good bye to four of the eight. The other four have joined me on the next 19 days of this trip.
On the 22nd, I took my nine new passengers and my four passengers who were continuing with me to the ruins of Teotihuacan. We spent that night in San Miguel de Allende. The next morning I drove them into town and got my first flat tire ever, with Trek America. About ten feet from where I intended to park, the curb sliced into a tire and it went flat very quickly. I had lots of people to help me change the tire and I spent the rest of the morning buying a new one. In the afternoon we visited some hot springs and then drove to Guanajuato.
On the 24th, we toured the city and visited the mine and mummy museum. Then, after a shopping stop at Wal-Mart, we camped in Patzcuaro. The next day I got to take one passenger to the hospital. He was allergic to mosquito bites and needed a shot and some cream. He got his shot in the surgery room. I got to watch a doctor sew up what was left of someones fingers. It was not pretty. The doctor was so excited to practice English, that he dropped his instruments. He kept excellent eye contact with me as he tried to simultaneously speak English and perform surgery. That night we moved on to Paricutin, the volcano.
Bright and early the next day, nine of us set off on the 19 mile hike to the top and back. It was the normal hard hike, but I enjoyed it. Especially the part in the middle when we run full speed down the steep ash slope. One person fell and hurt is ankle, but for the most part we all survived the run intact.
From there we went to Guadalajara for a quiet night. The next day we toured a Tequila factory. But first, we had to bring someone to the hospital. Laura had what we suspected was bilharzia, a parasitic worm in her feet from Lake Malawi, in Africa. She had cool track marks on the top of her feet and they got longer every day.
Then it was on to the beach. We camped in Sayulita. On the 29th, I took Laura to the airport and she flew home. That night we went to party in Playa del Carmen, but first I had to take Patrick to the doctor. He cut his finger on a tree and it swelled up. He got his first ever tetanus shot and some pills.
On the 30th, some of us took a boat out to some islands and snorkeled around for a few hours. They have some really nice tropical fish there. Yesterday we drove to San Blas and toured the swamp in a boat. We stopped at a crocodile farm and watched them tie one up to weigh it and move it to another cage. Then we boated over to a swimming hole. There was a four foot crocodile laying in the water, right at the bottom of the entrance stairs. I got pretty close to him, but he would not move. Eventually, someone tapped his tail and he swam off. Once he was about 15 feet away, it seemed safe and I dove in. After a while the crocodile stayed more than 30 feet away and a few others joined me. They have a great trapeze bar there and I practiced my back flip off of the trapeze bar into the water.
After the swimming, we came up here to Mazatlan. Today is a beach day. We went on the banana boat earlier today and bounced around the waves a bit. We drove over to the El Cid Mega Resort and hung out by there pool and played on their water slides. Later we will go back to camp.
I have never been in Mexico during the rainy season before. It is great. Places that usually have thousands of tourists are pretty much empty. Prices are cheaper and it is warmer. But, I am looking forward to coming back down here early next year, when all of the waterfalls are not so muddy and I can swim in them.
Oh, and before you start thinking that three hospital visits in a week is a lot for my current tour, read back to April of 1998. The last time I did this trip, I also brought three people to the hospital for relatively minor things.
Thursday, October 5, 2000
A two week tour west of Mexico City, a mountain climb and the start of a tour east of Mexico City
Hello from San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico,
On the 9th of September, I went into Mexico City and met my new group. This group was dominated by a bunch of British people who like to drink.
On the 10th, we went to the ruins of Teotihuacan in the morning and camped in San Miguel de Allende that night. On the 11th, we looked around town, went to some nice hot springs and drove to Guanajuato in the evening.
On the 12th, we took a tour of Guanajuato. We visited the mine, the church, the view point, the mummy museum, and drove through the extremely confusing tunnels beneath the city. In the afternoon we moved on to Patzcuaro. The next morning they took a boat trip to Isla Juanitzio and then we moved on to the Paricutin Volcano.
We got a very early start on the 14th and did a 19 mile hike. It was a very difficult hike, over sharp wobbly lava rocks and past some steaming fissures in the ground. After we reached the top of the crater, we ran down the ash slope. On the way back to town we visited the church that was covered by lava in 1943.
On the 16th, we went to Guadalajara. This is Mexico's second biggest city. We were there for Mexican Independence Day. We bought sombreros, noise makers, fake beards and mustaches, and got our faces painted with "Viva Mexico" We watched the fireworks and had a great night downtown. It was very crowded and a lot of fun.
On the 17th we went to the town of Tequila and toured a tequila factory. After the free tasting the group was a bit wobbly but a lot of fun. We spent that night in Sayulita, on the Pacific coast. We had a nice sunset and then it rained all night.
On the 18th, it was still raining a bit. We went into Puerta Vallarta and they found a bar. We danced the night away and then went back to camp.
On the 19th, we rented a sail boat and cruised out to the Marietas Islands for some snorkeling. On the way back everybody fell asleep and it was a nice sailing experience. It rained a lot that night at camp.
On the 20th, we drove all day, in the rain, south along the coast. We got to Playa Azul well after dark and found a cheap hotel. The next day we got a very early start and drove most of the day through the rain to Acapulco. We spent two very long days on driving very slowly on really bad flooded roads. That night we went to see the cliff divers. That was one of the most impressive things I have ever seen. They stand around on the edge of the cliff until the water level is right in the canyon below them. Then, when they judge the waves to be just right, they dive off from up to 110 feet in the air. To get up to the diving spot, they have to first climb straight up the cliff. I looked for a sign up sheet after the show, but could not find one.
We spent the next day on the beach. I did an illegal U-turn, in a country with no apparent road rules, and got pulled over by the Transit Police. A policeman waved for me to stop after I did the U-turn. He was just standing there, so naturally I drove on. Then he hopped into a police car and followed me, so naturally I stopped. He spoke perfect English and told me that, behind the tree, was a no U-turn sign. He wanted me to come to the police station and pay a $30 fine. I was looking for the Fed Ex office and was late to pick up my passengers. I explained all of this and then asked if I could pay the fine there. He emphasized that he did not want any trouble and I assured him that neither did I. I gave him a copy of my drivers license. Folded into the copy was about $15. He went to his car and then returned to my van with the copy of my license, minus the money. When he returned, he was very happy. He said that I now have a friend in Acapulco and if I ever need anything to call him. Then he gave me a police escort to the Fed Ex office.
After my exciting afternoon, I rejoined my group on the beach for a bungee jump. This was my sixth jump, so they let me use a chest harness, instead of the normal ankle harness. I took a running leap and did a few flips before the bungee arrested my fall, just above the swimming pool, and I flew back upwards. After a few more bounces, it was all over and I collected my video and t-shirt.
On the 22nd of September, we drove to the hillside town of Taxco. On the way, we stopped to do a jet boat tour. The boat went really fast and did some fun spins. The driver also took us very close to the rocks and scared us. We had a fun last night dinner and spent the next morning looking around the silver jewelry producing town of Taxco.
On the 23rd, we returned to Mexico City. Six of the British passengers joined me and we went to a soccer game that night. Nexcaca beat Atalante 4-1, but it was still fun. I like Latin America soccer because the fans bring fire works and build little fires.
The next day I went to the town of Amecameca, usually just called Ameca. On the 25th, I drove up to Paso de Cortez, between the Volcanoes of Popo and Ixta. I wanted to climb Popo, but it is smoking too much. I parked the van at about 13,000 feet (4000 meters) and spend a night in the La Joya parking lot. The next morning, I put on all of my long underwear and jackets. It took me about four hours to climb up to a minor peak at about 15,500 feet (4700 meters). Most of the climb was in fierce wind in a cloud. I rarely got any good views, but the side of me that faced the wind did get covered in ice. The last hour was spent climbing up a snow covered ridge to the peak. I did not get to the highest point of the mountain, but from the peak I climbed, I could not see any higher peaks because of the fog. The weather cleared on the way down and I stopped to read a book. That night I went back to Amecameca.
On the 27th I drove back into Mexico City to meet my new group. I took the highway into town and got pulled over by the police. They tried to give me a ticket because cargo vehicles are not allowed on the highway. I showed them that the van contained seats and told them that I was going to pick up passengers at the hotel. They agreed that the van was a passenger vehicle and not a cargo truck. So, they tried to give me a ticket because I only gave them a copy of my license and not the original. I eventually gave them the original. Next they tried to give me a ticket because the license plate is all letters and no numbers. It is TREKAMA. They told me that every license plate has numbers, and despite the registration showing that I was correct, they insisted that I was breaking the law. I have a letter, in Spanish, from the Mexican Minister of Tourism. It says that I am driving a cargo and passenger vehicle and to give me any assistance that is possible. They read the letter, got back in their car and drove off. I proceeded to the hotel and met my new group.
On the 28th, I loaded up my eight new passengers and we drove to Oaxaca. We spent three days there and visited the ruins of Monte Alban and Mitla, toured a Mezcal factory, visited a rug weaving town and a town that makes little wooden animals with unique paint jobs, went salsa dancing and saw the giant Tule tree.
On the 1st of October, we went to Playa Muzunte, on the Pacific coast. It is a beautiful secluded beach area. There are big waves to play in and I had a lot of fun in the water. The next day some of us went to Zipolite and went swimming. Three of us were quickly sucked out in the riptide. One of my passengers was unable to swim back. Luckily, some local surfers saw that she was in trouble and came out to rescue her. In the end they had to get one of those red floats on a rope, like in Baywatch, and pull her in. After that bit of excitement, we went back to our relatively safe beach and took a walk to an empty beach on the other side of the point. I spent the rest of the afternoon playing in the waves.
On the 3rd, we drove to Tuxtla Guitierrez. On the way into the city they spotted the McDonald's and got very excited. Guess where we had dinner that night. Yesterday, we took the boat tour up the Sumidero Canyon and saw some crocodiles. There has been a lot of rain lately and the waterfalls on the sides of the canyon were bigger than I have ever seen them before. After the boat ride, we came up here to San Cristobal. Today everyone went on a tour of the Indian Villages with Mercedes and I am using the day to get caught up on all sorts of odds and ends.
Obviously, I am still having lots of fun and am looking forward to the next two weeks in the jungle and on the Carribbean beaches.
On the 9th of September, I went into Mexico City and met my new group. This group was dominated by a bunch of British people who like to drink.
On the 10th, we went to the ruins of Teotihuacan in the morning and camped in San Miguel de Allende that night. On the 11th, we looked around town, went to some nice hot springs and drove to Guanajuato in the evening.
On the 12th, we took a tour of Guanajuato. We visited the mine, the church, the view point, the mummy museum, and drove through the extremely confusing tunnels beneath the city. In the afternoon we moved on to Patzcuaro. The next morning they took a boat trip to Isla Juanitzio and then we moved on to the Paricutin Volcano.
We got a very early start on the 14th and did a 19 mile hike. It was a very difficult hike, over sharp wobbly lava rocks and past some steaming fissures in the ground. After we reached the top of the crater, we ran down the ash slope. On the way back to town we visited the church that was covered by lava in 1943.
On the 16th, we went to Guadalajara. This is Mexico's second biggest city. We were there for Mexican Independence Day. We bought sombreros, noise makers, fake beards and mustaches, and got our faces painted with "Viva Mexico" We watched the fireworks and had a great night downtown. It was very crowded and a lot of fun.
On the 17th we went to the town of Tequila and toured a tequila factory. After the free tasting the group was a bit wobbly but a lot of fun. We spent that night in Sayulita, on the Pacific coast. We had a nice sunset and then it rained all night.
On the 18th, it was still raining a bit. We went into Puerta Vallarta and they found a bar. We danced the night away and then went back to camp.
On the 19th, we rented a sail boat and cruised out to the Marietas Islands for some snorkeling. On the way back everybody fell asleep and it was a nice sailing experience. It rained a lot that night at camp.
On the 20th, we drove all day, in the rain, south along the coast. We got to Playa Azul well after dark and found a cheap hotel. The next day we got a very early start and drove most of the day through the rain to Acapulco. We spent two very long days on driving very slowly on really bad flooded roads. That night we went to see the cliff divers. That was one of the most impressive things I have ever seen. They stand around on the edge of the cliff until the water level is right in the canyon below them. Then, when they judge the waves to be just right, they dive off from up to 110 feet in the air. To get up to the diving spot, they have to first climb straight up the cliff. I looked for a sign up sheet after the show, but could not find one.
We spent the next day on the beach. I did an illegal U-turn, in a country with no apparent road rules, and got pulled over by the Transit Police. A policeman waved for me to stop after I did the U-turn. He was just standing there, so naturally I drove on. Then he hopped into a police car and followed me, so naturally I stopped. He spoke perfect English and told me that, behind the tree, was a no U-turn sign. He wanted me to come to the police station and pay a $30 fine. I was looking for the Fed Ex office and was late to pick up my passengers. I explained all of this and then asked if I could pay the fine there. He emphasized that he did not want any trouble and I assured him that neither did I. I gave him a copy of my drivers license. Folded into the copy was about $15. He went to his car and then returned to my van with the copy of my license, minus the money. When he returned, he was very happy. He said that I now have a friend in Acapulco and if I ever need anything to call him. Then he gave me a police escort to the Fed Ex office.
After my exciting afternoon, I rejoined my group on the beach for a bungee jump. This was my sixth jump, so they let me use a chest harness, instead of the normal ankle harness. I took a running leap and did a few flips before the bungee arrested my fall, just above the swimming pool, and I flew back upwards. After a few more bounces, it was all over and I collected my video and t-shirt.
On the 22nd of September, we drove to the hillside town of Taxco. On the way, we stopped to do a jet boat tour. The boat went really fast and did some fun spins. The driver also took us very close to the rocks and scared us. We had a fun last night dinner and spent the next morning looking around the silver jewelry producing town of Taxco.
On the 23rd, we returned to Mexico City. Six of the British passengers joined me and we went to a soccer game that night. Nexcaca beat Atalante 4-1, but it was still fun. I like Latin America soccer because the fans bring fire works and build little fires.
The next day I went to the town of Amecameca, usually just called Ameca. On the 25th, I drove up to Paso de Cortez, between the Volcanoes of Popo and Ixta. I wanted to climb Popo, but it is smoking too much. I parked the van at about 13,000 feet (4000 meters) and spend a night in the La Joya parking lot. The next morning, I put on all of my long underwear and jackets. It took me about four hours to climb up to a minor peak at about 15,500 feet (4700 meters). Most of the climb was in fierce wind in a cloud. I rarely got any good views, but the side of me that faced the wind did get covered in ice. The last hour was spent climbing up a snow covered ridge to the peak. I did not get to the highest point of the mountain, but from the peak I climbed, I could not see any higher peaks because of the fog. The weather cleared on the way down and I stopped to read a book. That night I went back to Amecameca.
On the 27th I drove back into Mexico City to meet my new group. I took the highway into town and got pulled over by the police. They tried to give me a ticket because cargo vehicles are not allowed on the highway. I showed them that the van contained seats and told them that I was going to pick up passengers at the hotel. They agreed that the van was a passenger vehicle and not a cargo truck. So, they tried to give me a ticket because I only gave them a copy of my license and not the original. I eventually gave them the original. Next they tried to give me a ticket because the license plate is all letters and no numbers. It is TREKAMA. They told me that every license plate has numbers, and despite the registration showing that I was correct, they insisted that I was breaking the law. I have a letter, in Spanish, from the Mexican Minister of Tourism. It says that I am driving a cargo and passenger vehicle and to give me any assistance that is possible. They read the letter, got back in their car and drove off. I proceeded to the hotel and met my new group.
On the 28th, I loaded up my eight new passengers and we drove to Oaxaca. We spent three days there and visited the ruins of Monte Alban and Mitla, toured a Mezcal factory, visited a rug weaving town and a town that makes little wooden animals with unique paint jobs, went salsa dancing and saw the giant Tule tree.
On the 1st of October, we went to Playa Muzunte, on the Pacific coast. It is a beautiful secluded beach area. There are big waves to play in and I had a lot of fun in the water. The next day some of us went to Zipolite and went swimming. Three of us were quickly sucked out in the riptide. One of my passengers was unable to swim back. Luckily, some local surfers saw that she was in trouble and came out to rescue her. In the end they had to get one of those red floats on a rope, like in Baywatch, and pull her in. After that bit of excitement, we went back to our relatively safe beach and took a walk to an empty beach on the other side of the point. I spent the rest of the afternoon playing in the waves.
On the 3rd, we drove to Tuxtla Guitierrez. On the way into the city they spotted the McDonald's and got very excited. Guess where we had dinner that night. Yesterday, we took the boat tour up the Sumidero Canyon and saw some crocodiles. There has been a lot of rain lately and the waterfalls on the sides of the canyon were bigger than I have ever seen them before. After the boat ride, we came up here to San Cristobal. Today everyone went on a tour of the Indian Villages with Mercedes and I am using the day to get caught up on all sorts of odds and ends.
Obviously, I am still having lots of fun and am looking forward to the next two weeks in the jungle and on the Carribbean beaches.
Friday, September 8, 2000
The drive to Cancun and a two week tour of the Yucatan and Chiapas
Hello from Orizaba, Veracruz, Mexico.
After my last update, on the 13th of August, I went back to the hotel and ran into Wendy. She wanted to give a tour of Hollywood to her passengers, but was too tired. Greg and I decided to do it for her. Wendy and her passengers got into a van and Greg drove us around.
The tour went well until we got to Beverly Hills. Greg pulled over and let the passengers out. As soon as we pulled away from the curb, two cops on motorcycles were following us. We went around a few blocks but could not lose them. We stopped for gas and Greg asked them why they were following us. They thought we were dropping off a bunch of college students to join the protests against Nike in celebration of the Democratic National Convention. After they understood that we were just carting tourists around, they gave us a police escort back to the pick up point. Then they let all the passengers pose on their motorcycles for photos. None of the passengers even realized that they had been followed by the police during their entire visit to Beverly Hills.
After the best tour of LA ever, we went back to the hotel. On Monday, I put in a full day at the office and then started driving. On Tuesday, I got a bunch of books on tape, and drove, On Wednesday, I drove all day and listened to some books on tape. That night I got to the bottom of Texas and spent the night. On the morning of the 17th, I crossed into Mexico, took care of some paperwork and headed south. I drove all day on the 18th and on the 19th I spent the night in Catemaco.
I had some free time, so I took the slow road over the mountains. The road was very muddy and bad in places. It was fun to slide the van around some turns and get it dirty. I got lost a lot, so I picked up a few passengers. One sat up front to give me directions and the rest sat on the roof. I was taking some money away from the local buses, but at least I did not get lost.
After some more driving, I made it to Cancun on the 21st of August and met my new group. They were a youth group from Luxembourg. I have learned alot about their country in the past two weeks. They speak Luxembourgish at home, learn French and German in elementary school and learn English in High School. By the time they are 18, they are fluent in four languages. Impressive.
On the 22nd, we went to the ruins of Chichen Itza, swam in the underground cenote (well) in Holca and spent the night in Merida. On the 23rd we bought some hammocks and hung out in town. On the 24th, we went to the ruins of Uxmal. That afternoon, we followed some directions to a hidden cenote. We drove off into the jungle on a very bad dirt road and ended up at a big hole in the ground. We took the stairs down into the water and swam around. I figured out that you could jump from the roof of the cave down into the water. It took a little aim, but it was a lot of fun. For some reason, none of my group wanted to try it.
The next morning my group did something that most groups find impossible. They woke up before sunrise, had breakfast, loaded the van and were ready to go by 7:30 am. We travelled for nearly twelve hours and went to Rancho Esmeralda, near Ocosingo, in the state of Chiapas. They made and excellent dinner for us, as always.
The next day we visited the ruins of Tonina. I like them because there are many places to crawl around if you bring a flashlight. In the afternoon we went to San Cristobal de las Casas. We spent a few days there, visiting the Indian villages, taking a boat trip up the Sumidero Canyon and going to the bar.
From San Cristobal, we went to the waterfalls of Agua Azul. It is rainy season, so it was Agua Caca and nobody wanted to swim. This group was used to hiking, I took them on a hike they will remember for a long time. We followed the river downstream. First we passed a sign that told us to be careful of robbers along the way. Then we had to skirt some mud. Then we had to hop across a stream and got our boots a bit wet. Then we came to a place where the trail was flooded. I led them through the water. The water was not much above our knees and we all got our boots good and wet there. After a bit more than an hour of walking, we came to the first of four big waterfalls. It started to rain. By the time we got to the fourth waterfall, it was pouring. Now we were all good and wet. Of course, I loved it.
We hiked back to the van in the rain and mud. I told them they could pile their boots near the door and put their clothes in a big plastic bag. Then, in their underwear, they got into the van and we drove to camp.
The next day we visited the ruins of Palenque in the morning and went to the waterfall of Misol Ha in the afternoon. I have never seen it it the rainy season before and it was way to big to play in. We went around back to the cave, but the river in the cave was also too strong so I told everybody to go back. Only one of them was stupid enough to follow me up the river and into the cave. We went a good ways in and saw the waterfall in the cave, before somehow, exiting the cave safely. That was fun also.
After leaving Palenque, we went to Bacalar and spent the night near the lagoon. It was nice to be back near the beach and we had a midnight swim. From there we went to our campground on the Carribbean and spent a few nights. During the days we went to the Xel-Ha snorkel park, the town of Playa del Carmen for dinner, the ruins of Tulum, and hung out on the beach.
Then we finished up in Cancun. They were a great group. They were always ready on time and we were able to do lots of extra fun stuff.
Now I am on my way to Mexico City for my next trip. On the 4th of September, I drove to Tizimin. Then I continued around the Yucatan Peninsula and stayed as close to the coast as I could. The roads were pretty bad and it was very slow going. I wanted to continue along the coast in the state of Veracruz, but the road was washed out. So, I headed inland and am now in Orizaba. I had a lot of fun seeing new areas on my own and taking all of the small roads. Tomorrow I will go into Mexico City and meet my new group.
I came back to Mexico because I like working down here, but I forgot how much fun it really is. There are so many cenotes in the jungle to discover and the relaxing beach days are great. So, I am having more fun than usual and hope to come back down here in January for a few more months of fun/work.
After my last update, on the 13th of August, I went back to the hotel and ran into Wendy. She wanted to give a tour of Hollywood to her passengers, but was too tired. Greg and I decided to do it for her. Wendy and her passengers got into a van and Greg drove us around.
The tour went well until we got to Beverly Hills. Greg pulled over and let the passengers out. As soon as we pulled away from the curb, two cops on motorcycles were following us. We went around a few blocks but could not lose them. We stopped for gas and Greg asked them why they were following us. They thought we were dropping off a bunch of college students to join the protests against Nike in celebration of the Democratic National Convention. After they understood that we were just carting tourists around, they gave us a police escort back to the pick up point. Then they let all the passengers pose on their motorcycles for photos. None of the passengers even realized that they had been followed by the police during their entire visit to Beverly Hills.
After the best tour of LA ever, we went back to the hotel. On Monday, I put in a full day at the office and then started driving. On Tuesday, I got a bunch of books on tape, and drove, On Wednesday, I drove all day and listened to some books on tape. That night I got to the bottom of Texas and spent the night. On the morning of the 17th, I crossed into Mexico, took care of some paperwork and headed south. I drove all day on the 18th and on the 19th I spent the night in Catemaco.
I had some free time, so I took the slow road over the mountains. The road was very muddy and bad in places. It was fun to slide the van around some turns and get it dirty. I got lost a lot, so I picked up a few passengers. One sat up front to give me directions and the rest sat on the roof. I was taking some money away from the local buses, but at least I did not get lost.
After some more driving, I made it to Cancun on the 21st of August and met my new group. They were a youth group from Luxembourg. I have learned alot about their country in the past two weeks. They speak Luxembourgish at home, learn French and German in elementary school and learn English in High School. By the time they are 18, they are fluent in four languages. Impressive.
On the 22nd, we went to the ruins of Chichen Itza, swam in the underground cenote (well) in Holca and spent the night in Merida. On the 23rd we bought some hammocks and hung out in town. On the 24th, we went to the ruins of Uxmal. That afternoon, we followed some directions to a hidden cenote. We drove off into the jungle on a very bad dirt road and ended up at a big hole in the ground. We took the stairs down into the water and swam around. I figured out that you could jump from the roof of the cave down into the water. It took a little aim, but it was a lot of fun. For some reason, none of my group wanted to try it.
The next morning my group did something that most groups find impossible. They woke up before sunrise, had breakfast, loaded the van and were ready to go by 7:30 am. We travelled for nearly twelve hours and went to Rancho Esmeralda, near Ocosingo, in the state of Chiapas. They made and excellent dinner for us, as always.
The next day we visited the ruins of Tonina. I like them because there are many places to crawl around if you bring a flashlight. In the afternoon we went to San Cristobal de las Casas. We spent a few days there, visiting the Indian villages, taking a boat trip up the Sumidero Canyon and going to the bar.
From San Cristobal, we went to the waterfalls of Agua Azul. It is rainy season, so it was Agua Caca and nobody wanted to swim. This group was used to hiking, I took them on a hike they will remember for a long time. We followed the river downstream. First we passed a sign that told us to be careful of robbers along the way. Then we had to skirt some mud. Then we had to hop across a stream and got our boots a bit wet. Then we came to a place where the trail was flooded. I led them through the water. The water was not much above our knees and we all got our boots good and wet there. After a bit more than an hour of walking, we came to the first of four big waterfalls. It started to rain. By the time we got to the fourth waterfall, it was pouring. Now we were all good and wet. Of course, I loved it.
We hiked back to the van in the rain and mud. I told them they could pile their boots near the door and put their clothes in a big plastic bag. Then, in their underwear, they got into the van and we drove to camp.
The next day we visited the ruins of Palenque in the morning and went to the waterfall of Misol Ha in the afternoon. I have never seen it it the rainy season before and it was way to big to play in. We went around back to the cave, but the river in the cave was also too strong so I told everybody to go back. Only one of them was stupid enough to follow me up the river and into the cave. We went a good ways in and saw the waterfall in the cave, before somehow, exiting the cave safely. That was fun also.
After leaving Palenque, we went to Bacalar and spent the night near the lagoon. It was nice to be back near the beach and we had a midnight swim. From there we went to our campground on the Carribbean and spent a few nights. During the days we went to the Xel-Ha snorkel park, the town of Playa del Carmen for dinner, the ruins of Tulum, and hung out on the beach.
Then we finished up in Cancun. They were a great group. They were always ready on time and we were able to do lots of extra fun stuff.
Now I am on my way to Mexico City for my next trip. On the 4th of September, I drove to Tizimin. Then I continued around the Yucatan Peninsula and stayed as close to the coast as I could. The roads were pretty bad and it was very slow going. I wanted to continue along the coast in the state of Veracruz, but the road was washed out. So, I headed inland and am now in Orizaba. I had a lot of fun seeing new areas on my own and taking all of the small roads. Tomorrow I will go into Mexico City and meet my new group.
I came back to Mexico because I like working down here, but I forgot how much fun it really is. There are so many cenotes in the jungle to discover and the relaxing beach days are great. So, I am having more fun than usual and hope to come back down here in January for a few more months of fun/work.
Sunday, August 13, 2000
New York to L.A. and San Francisco to L.A., USA - Two fun tours
have an exciting month since my last update. Here, let me tell you about it.
On the 7th of July, I went to the airport to fly up to New Jersey. The flight was full and I was voluntarily bumped. Delta gave me a $300 gift certificate and a First Class seat on the next flight, an hour later. After a stop over in Atlanta, I continued up to Newark in First Class. The seats were big and the orange juice was never ending.
On the morning of the 8th, I went into work. I was eagerly anticipating my three days in the office. I was going to plan my trip, make sure my equipment was in perfect condition and hang out with my friends. At 8:00 a.m. a tour leader called in from New York and said that, due to a family emergency, he had to go home. As the most available and experienced person in the office, I was chosen to drive into the City and take over his trip. So much for my easy three day transition back into the working world.
I picked my group up at 2:00 pm and we headed to Philadelphia for our first night of camping. I had a group of French people between the ages of 16 and 21 and their chaperone. Their English was not too bad. We were doing a 24 day trip from New York to Los Angeles along the south.
On the 9th of July, we went to Washington D.C. and spend a few days sight seeing. Then we drove through Virginia and camped in Tennessee on the way to North Carolina. We rented some inflatable kayaks called duckies and paddled down the Nantahala River. The rapids were not that big, but the trip was amazing. It was a hot day and the river was cold. The river was covered in fog and you could often not see for more than 75 feet. It was fun going down the river in the fog.
That night I tried to take my group out to a cafe and some live music. The exit to the campground was muddy and steep. I slid the van all over the lawn, tore up a lot of grass and eventually, with everyone pushing, made it up to the road. It was fun driving the van while it slid sideways. The cafe had some good music and hot chocolate and everyone had fun.
After a long drive through Alabama we made it to New Orleans. I explained how women sometimes bare their breasts in exchange for bead necklaces. Two of the 17 year old boys were so inspired they went around mooning people. They came home with quite a few necklaces.
Next, we headed over to Galveston Island in Texas. We went swimming and hung out on the beach. Our next stop was San Antonio. The Alamo did not hold their interest for the whole day, so we went out to New Braunfels, rented inner tubes and floated down the river.
Our biggest drive of the trip came the next day, but with an early start we made it to El Paso in record time. After dinner I took them down to Mexico for some drinking, smoking and dancing. They may not be able to remember it, but they had fun.
After a brief stop at White Sands National Monument, in New Mexico, we camped in Albuquerque on our way to Monument Valley, Utah. We galloped through the Valley on horseback and watched the sun set.
Our next stop was Lake Powell. While twelve of them swam and jumped off the cliffs, the chaperone and I took one of the passengers to the doctor. He had bronchitis and his coughing was bothering everyone. He got some pills and treatment and then we all went to camp at the Pariah Canyon Camp Ground. Easton, the owner let me go along on their horse ride. It was a truly amazing ride. We passed through tall, narrow red rock canyons and eventually came to a box canyon/cliff. It was a truly amazing sun set ride.
Our next stop was the Grand Canyon for a day of hiking, or in my case, laundry. From there, we went to Seligman Arizona for some ice cream at Delgado's Snow Cap on Route 66. That place is always a huge hit. You must suffer through a 15 minute comedy routine for a soda.
In Las Vegas we pigged out at the buffet and then took a limo ride down the strip. We were dropped off at a wedding chapel and two of the passengers had a mock wedding.
After Vegas, we drove to Los Angeles and camped in Malibu for a few days. We went to Universal Studios, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Santa Monica, Venice Beach and Melrose Avenue.
They were a lot of fun, but had almost no initiative. They were difficult to motivate when it came to washing dishes or cooking. But once they got started, they did not complain too much. It was fun hanging out with a bunch of kids for three weeks. I even taught some of them not to throw their cigarette butts on the ground.
I then spent the first week of August in the L.A. office. I worked on my equipment, planned my next trip and studied up for my upcoming three months in Mexico. A few of us took a day trip to Tiajuana to do some paperwork and eat tacos.
On Friday, the 4th, I drove up to San Francisco and visited my friend Sue, and her boyfriend Peter. Peter is a boat captain and on Saturday Sue and I joined him for a cruise of San Francisco Bay.
That night I met my new group and on Sunday we headed east. I now had a mixed international group. We went to Yosemite National Park on the 6th of August and hiked down to the big sequoia trees.
On the 7th, most of us did an 8 mile hike. Then we ate pizza and headed over to looked at Yosemite Falls in the moon light. That night at camp we watched bears dig through the garbage.
On the 8th, we swam in Mono lake and then went to Las Vegas. The next day I bought a new pair of sandals. That night we took our limo ride. I used a new company, Fox Limo Tours. They had a stretch Ford Explorer that holds 14 people. We cruised the strip and sipped our champagne.
From there we went to the Grand Canyon and a few of us flew over it in a helicopter. Then, after a quick dinner we went to watch the sunset. The next morning, at 4:30 we left to watch the sunrise. After a relaxing morning, we drove to Lake Havasu, Arizona for a night near the hottest inhabited town in the U.S. We camped near the Colorado River and had to run in there every few minutes to cool off.
Yesterday, after a hot and sticky night, we drove into L.A. and did a quick Hollywood and Rodeo Drive tour.
Today is Sunday, so the office is closed and I am forced to take a day off. I will plan my Mexico trip, do some laundry, and write some e-mail.
Tomorrow I will start my seven day drive to Cancun and pick up my new group on the 22nd of August.
On the 7th of July, I went to the airport to fly up to New Jersey. The flight was full and I was voluntarily bumped. Delta gave me a $300 gift certificate and a First Class seat on the next flight, an hour later. After a stop over in Atlanta, I continued up to Newark in First Class. The seats were big and the orange juice was never ending.
On the morning of the 8th, I went into work. I was eagerly anticipating my three days in the office. I was going to plan my trip, make sure my equipment was in perfect condition and hang out with my friends. At 8:00 a.m. a tour leader called in from New York and said that, due to a family emergency, he had to go home. As the most available and experienced person in the office, I was chosen to drive into the City and take over his trip. So much for my easy three day transition back into the working world.
I picked my group up at 2:00 pm and we headed to Philadelphia for our first night of camping. I had a group of French people between the ages of 16 and 21 and their chaperone. Their English was not too bad. We were doing a 24 day trip from New York to Los Angeles along the south.
On the 9th of July, we went to Washington D.C. and spend a few days sight seeing. Then we drove through Virginia and camped in Tennessee on the way to North Carolina. We rented some inflatable kayaks called duckies and paddled down the Nantahala River. The rapids were not that big, but the trip was amazing. It was a hot day and the river was cold. The river was covered in fog and you could often not see for more than 75 feet. It was fun going down the river in the fog.
That night I tried to take my group out to a cafe and some live music. The exit to the campground was muddy and steep. I slid the van all over the lawn, tore up a lot of grass and eventually, with everyone pushing, made it up to the road. It was fun driving the van while it slid sideways. The cafe had some good music and hot chocolate and everyone had fun.
After a long drive through Alabama we made it to New Orleans. I explained how women sometimes bare their breasts in exchange for bead necklaces. Two of the 17 year old boys were so inspired they went around mooning people. They came home with quite a few necklaces.
Next, we headed over to Galveston Island in Texas. We went swimming and hung out on the beach. Our next stop was San Antonio. The Alamo did not hold their interest for the whole day, so we went out to New Braunfels, rented inner tubes and floated down the river.
Our biggest drive of the trip came the next day, but with an early start we made it to El Paso in record time. After dinner I took them down to Mexico for some drinking, smoking and dancing. They may not be able to remember it, but they had fun.
After a brief stop at White Sands National Monument, in New Mexico, we camped in Albuquerque on our way to Monument Valley, Utah. We galloped through the Valley on horseback and watched the sun set.
Our next stop was Lake Powell. While twelve of them swam and jumped off the cliffs, the chaperone and I took one of the passengers to the doctor. He had bronchitis and his coughing was bothering everyone. He got some pills and treatment and then we all went to camp at the Pariah Canyon Camp Ground. Easton, the owner let me go along on their horse ride. It was a truly amazing ride. We passed through tall, narrow red rock canyons and eventually came to a box canyon/cliff. It was a truly amazing sun set ride.
Our next stop was the Grand Canyon for a day of hiking, or in my case, laundry. From there, we went to Seligman Arizona for some ice cream at Delgado's Snow Cap on Route 66. That place is always a huge hit. You must suffer through a 15 minute comedy routine for a soda.
In Las Vegas we pigged out at the buffet and then took a limo ride down the strip. We were dropped off at a wedding chapel and two of the passengers had a mock wedding.
After Vegas, we drove to Los Angeles and camped in Malibu for a few days. We went to Universal Studios, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Santa Monica, Venice Beach and Melrose Avenue.
They were a lot of fun, but had almost no initiative. They were difficult to motivate when it came to washing dishes or cooking. But once they got started, they did not complain too much. It was fun hanging out with a bunch of kids for three weeks. I even taught some of them not to throw their cigarette butts on the ground.
I then spent the first week of August in the L.A. office. I worked on my equipment, planned my next trip and studied up for my upcoming three months in Mexico. A few of us took a day trip to Tiajuana to do some paperwork and eat tacos.
On Friday, the 4th, I drove up to San Francisco and visited my friend Sue, and her boyfriend Peter. Peter is a boat captain and on Saturday Sue and I joined him for a cruise of San Francisco Bay.
That night I met my new group and on Sunday we headed east. I now had a mixed international group. We went to Yosemite National Park on the 6th of August and hiked down to the big sequoia trees.
On the 7th, most of us did an 8 mile hike. Then we ate pizza and headed over to looked at Yosemite Falls in the moon light. That night at camp we watched bears dig through the garbage.
On the 8th, we swam in Mono lake and then went to Las Vegas. The next day I bought a new pair of sandals. That night we took our limo ride. I used a new company, Fox Limo Tours. They had a stretch Ford Explorer that holds 14 people. We cruised the strip and sipped our champagne.
From there we went to the Grand Canyon and a few of us flew over it in a helicopter. Then, after a quick dinner we went to watch the sunset. The next morning, at 4:30 we left to watch the sunrise. After a relaxing morning, we drove to Lake Havasu, Arizona for a night near the hottest inhabited town in the U.S. We camped near the Colorado River and had to run in there every few minutes to cool off.
Yesterday, after a hot and sticky night, we drove into L.A. and did a quick Hollywood and Rodeo Drive tour.
Today is Sunday, so the office is closed and I am forced to take a day off. I will plan my Mexico trip, do some laundry, and write some e-mail.
Tomorrow I will start my seven day drive to Cancun and pick up my new group on the 22nd of August.
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