5 Feathers 4 Days

I returned from Puerto Vallarta feeling a little weird.  After being in a hostel for 10 days and coming back to my shared house it just felt weird.  Don't get me wrong.  I love my place but I really loved being in a hostel and meeting people constantly...it felt a little quiet being back.  If I hadn't have left my stuff or paid my rent I probably wouldn't have come back...but, I also had a tour planned with Pepe.

We were going to the Guachimontones. Now...I don't want to stop anyone from going there as they are interesting to see, but,  if I'm being honest, I found them to be underwhelming and I think Pepe did as well.

They are set just above a town called Teuchitlan.  Our guide was allowed to drive us all the way up to the top of the hill because of my ankle.  It is much better but it does hurt and walking up hill would've definitely made it angry.

Our driver dropped us off and we walked towards the round pyramids.  "Umm Pepe," I whispered. "Estan muy chico," and we both started to giggle.  There was one round pyramid in the centre and smaller stone structures surrounding the whole area.  The information signs only really said how it was built but no information on the Guachimontones themselves.  From what I gathered... it was a small community and there were underground tunnels to get from one building to the next.  The big one in the middle was a temple.  

When we were walking down one of the structures I heard something ... Pepe had knocked one of the lose rocks on the stairs out of place.  We looked at each other and started giggling - he is always laughing.  "Shhhh" I said bringing my index finger to my mouth and pushed it back into place. "Pepe, cuidado."  He then helped me down the rest of the way as stairs are still challenging sometimes with my foot.

Just as we got to the bottom a guy said "excuse me" in English which is not common in this area. "If you would like my number.......you can hire me and I can translate for you and your friend."  "Thank you but we are actually housemates and have been friends for awhile.  I get to practice my Spanish with him." I explained to Pepe what the guy had said and he thought it was funny that the guy offered me his number and started to laugh.  I looked back at the guy and said "I had thought you were trying to give me your number at first," which was true.  We laughed and that was it.

After a half hour we called our guide to pick us up.  No one signed up for the tour so they sent a cab to pick us up and give us a private tour for the day.  When a cab showed up at our house I didn't know why and started babbling to Pepe in English.  "Emmie!"  he said.  "Ah shit, lo siento Pepe." Totally forgetting he doesn't speak English and that I needed to think in Spanish when I'm with him lol.

On our way out of the National Park we saw that there were more ruins along the side of the hill we would've had to walk up.  We were told it would've been a lot better had we of hired a guide but there is no way I would've been able to walk up the hill comfortably.

Our driver took us to a little shop where the owner showed us some original artifacts from the Guachimontones which were really awesome...he told us the replicas were in the museum. (Yes all in Spanish)

We went for a drive and saw a small agave field and went up to the mirador (lookout) to take some pictures of the Guachimontones which was really beautiful.

As Pepe and I were walking back to the car the driver pulls away and waves out the window "Adios" he says.  We start laughing and I look at Pepe and say "ah, Mexicano's" he starts laughing even harder.   When we got in the cab - who had only been turning the car around - Pepe had told him my remark and the cab driver starts speaking to me in Spanish.  Pepe is laughing .... I thought I understood him but wasn't sure... he got out of the car to demonstrate.  Yup just what I thought...he was telling me I could hitch- hike back.... we were all laughing. "Por que," I said "no quiero."  (Why, I dont want to).

Our last stop was lunch at a little local market.  I love traditional Mexican food it is so yummy, I had two tacos and some other thing that I can't remember the name and a large agua fresca...everything for under $3 CAD.  The prices here are better too.

That was pretty much the end of the Guachimontones but always a good day with Pepe - I will miss my buddy.

My last 4 days in GDL:

On Monday a friend from the hostel in Puerto Vallarta was coming to GDL for a few days and I was excited.  His hostel was a 15 minute walk up the road so we met halfway and went back to his hostel for a beer and then headed out to Chepultapec as he wanted to check out the other location of the hostel.

Chepultapec is where all the bars are...I hadn't been there yet so I was happy to be going but the walk took forever.  It was a 40 minute walk which I didn't mind as I got to see parts of GDL I hadn't seen but it's still a challenge with my foot and I don't really use my cane anymore.

After we checked out the hostel we decided to go for a beer and that is when it all started or should I say ended?  After the first place we decided to switch locations.

Its really awesome there.  There are so many bars and there are so many people and along the island in the middle of the road there are people taking Latin dancing lessons.  We found a spot on a patio where we could watch....this was a dangerous idea.  Two for the price of one vodkas....I'm in heaven.  We both got pretty bombed but you can get bombed in GDL for super cheap.  Four vodkas and two beers for $16 CAD ... even if it wasn't 2-for-1 it was still pretty cheap.

By the time we got back to Seph's hostel we were pretty wasted...however, 3 guys that had been at the hostel in Puerto Vallarta were there so we ended up drinking with them...I wasn't doing too great the next morning and the plan was to go to Lucha Libre in the evening.

What is Lucha Libre you ask?  The Mexican version of WWF... or you can just watch Nacho Libre.  It was a blast!!!   I didn't even know where to look, there was so much going.  There was the fighting in the ring, between crotch kicks, boob smacks, a midget wrestling, hair being cut and the heckling and beer tossing it was easy to miss something.

The heckling:

If you are on the lower level (which we weren't) you are in the rich part and if you are in the upper seats (which is where we were) you are considered poor.  There are chants that each part does back and forth throughout the whole night ... now its not very nice what they say but you obviously yell back - all in good fun of course, you are not allowed to get mad - and just get into the whole experience.  Beer gets thrown too.  One of the wrestlers went into the lower part and made a guy chug his beer and gets the crowd going.

The wrestling:

To be honest I had no idea what was going on.  They were in teams but I had no idea who was on what team.  You now it's fake some of it made you cringe. The costumes were awesome and yes they where masks.

Now, from I was told...if your mask is taken off in a fight you are done and if your long hair is cut off you are done and the cutting of a fighters hair did happen when we were there and the crowd just goes crazy.

There is probably so much more that I am missing but as I said it was hard to keep up.

At one point the group of Mexicans beside us as Colby (one of the guys) and I to take a group photo with them.  We were like "ya sure why not!"  Hahaha we went to smile and all we see is a porn video on the camera and we all started laughing.... "yaya," I said "get the gringos."  

As we were walking down the stairs out of the auditorium after the event we heard music. In the entrance to the building there was a band and everyone was just dancing so we went over and joined in the fun - though I had to be careful because my foot almost got trampled on.

Then our whole group - we were on an outing with the hostel - was being taken to a club so we hopped in two Ubers. Marriachi's started chasing the car.  Apparently they try to stop you so you will pay them to play songs.

There is so much Guadalajara that I missed out on my first weeks here because of my injury.  There is always so much going on and it's amazing... I'm so glad I got to experience a lot of it this week.

The night club was fun but we all decided to go back pretty early and call it a night... I was home and in bed just after two.

The next day I didn't do much, I just relaxed and vegged out and went to my last Spanish class, but was waiting to hear back from Seph as we were planning dinner and the others (Cam, Colby and Pascal) were all in Tlaquepaque so I was waiting for everyone to get back.

I met one of my new housemates who is also an online teacher so we were exchanging stories about students and our experiences.  It was really cool to meet another teacher who is doing what I am doing.  Actually, almost everyone in the house is new as the others moved out when I was in the beach.  If I was staying I could see myself getting to know this group better than the other group.  It was hard to bond a lot with the others as I was bed ridden most of the time and they didn't really speak English.   Bea and Ashley even cooked up a wonderful goodbye meal for me which I am very grateful for.

Seph really wanted to see a Mariachi band so we were going to walk to Los Plaza del Mariachi.   GDL gets really sketchy at night.  The streets are empty, they look dirty and the night walkers come

out.  It was fine as there was 5 of us but it was still sketchy.  We followed the directions on Google Maps.  We ended up in a dark open area of a back road that had one street food vendor and a bunch of Mariachis.  "Well it looks like the Mariachis are the crack dealers at night." We all laugh.  "I'm good, we can leave," said Seph and that was the end of that.  

Now I am getting hungry I still hadn't eaten dinner and it was after 11pm and I had to work in the morning plus I had signed up for the Tequila Tour with the guys...yup thats right a second one.  We ended up at La Chata a well known restaurant, a little pricey but a good meal.  

Our waiter was Poncho who was fantastic or should I say EXCELENTE!  

I was ordering in Spanish and he said excelente....I thought he was just complimenting me on my Spanish and was feeling great about how good it was getting.  Turns out he just says excelente to everything even if you just order a Coca Cola ahahaha...my Spanish has improved though.

We had an excelente time and even celebrated a birthday with one of the French guys with us.

Late dinner means no sleep for this girl.  I didn't sleep till after 2am and had to be up for work and then go to the tour... I was exhausted but napped on the way to the tequilera.

It was very different than the last tour.  Only one tequilera this time so not as many samples or drunk people and this was a coach bus not a van.  Our guide on the bus was Rosie who spoke English and Spanish but as she was speaking Spanish, Cam asked me "do you understand what she is saying?" and I told him. "Do you understand more than you did on the last tour?"  OMG I totally did!!! Wow, I don't really notice it but its an every day thing now.  My grammar is better and the speaking doesn't seem as fast now,  maybe I'm used to it or understand more, I dont know but it's awesome and I like to speak Spanish when I can.  It's a great feeling and something I am proud of that I have done and promised I would do. So a high five to myself.

We were put into groups.  Me and the guys were the only ones with the English guide....this was great because I got to really understand the making of tequila this time and it's awesome.  

We were at the 3 Mujeres tequilera ( 3 Women) and they make orgnaic tequila.  The tequila we drink at home is filled with chemicals as they mass produce it.  Chemicals are used to grow the agave plants so they can push out the tequila faster.  Also, tequila with the worm is actually mescal, a different plant, its not the blue agave plant that tequila is made from.  The plant mescal is made from has worms crawling around it which is a good thing but for the blue agave it is not a good thing.  The process of tequila is incredible and really makes me appreciate it a lot more.

After sampling we all bought a tequila cocktail and enjoyed the Mariachi band which Seph was pretty stoked about...he got a tequila tour and a mariachi band in one go....what a lucky guy :)

They played a very well known song in Mexico.  I can't remember who but some man (many years ago) of power had a wife that didn't love him so he hired a mariachi band to write a song for her which says she will not be happy without him .... something like that anyways.

After this we were taken somewhere for lunch.  It was a buffet lunch but it was pricey and we weren't that hungry so we all ordered our own thing as well as drinks.  I had the biggest margarita of my life but was yummy AF.  We were then taken to Tequila Town where we had an hour.  I had no idea it was a UNESCO site.  We wandered around, got drinks, took pictures and watch this crazy pole thing.  Where they spin around upside down while a guy plays music at the top... it was super cool but definitely looked scary.

It was then home time. I slept ... I was so tired as I was running on no sleep and the guys had kept me pretty busy the past three days but it was also the last day as we were all splitting off.   Seph was leaving the next day for Puerto Vallarta as his flight home to Toronto is Saturday and Cam, Colby and Pascal were taking a night bus to MXC (Mexico City) and I was leaving for Cancun in two days.

I was a bit sad.  I haven't done a trip like this in three years and forgot why I love to travel so much.  It's not just about where you go, but the culture, the language and the people you meet along the way.  As much as I have met others since I have been here these past 3 days with these 4 guys were awesome, they were the feathers that became my crew.  Yes I know...only three days, but three days can seem much longer when traveling.  We all had an absolute blast and I had the opportunity to talk and get to know each of them.  I have never met a group of guys that were all so personable, not one of them arrogant or an asshole... they were totally the type of people I love to meet and travel with but they were all so different and awesome in their own way.  I forgot about the bonds and the friendships that develop over a short period of time when traveling and I love it but it's the goodbyes, I always lose a little bit of my heart when feathers I have floated with float on their own gust.  

I think whats a little harder this time is with everything that I went through last year I am trying not to get an attachment to anyone in any way, but I'm such a caring person that its hard for me to not get some sort of bond with others and feel it in my heart, it's who I am.  Floating with feathers is part of traveling and something I wouldn't change.

I read a really wonderful quote today:  Who you travel with can be more important than your destination.  With all my years experience it is so true, and this week I was reminded of this and am grateful for the memories and new feathers I know out in the world. 

Safe travels.

                                                          - Mi Vida Hermosa -