Paradise Lost

I guess all good things have to come to an end. That first night in Mazunte Hootie woke up with some really bad chest pains. He had been having pains for the last couple of days, but it was never to this extent. He seriously thought he may be having a heart attack. So, we rushed out to find a cab at 2 in the morning! The lady at the inn told us that there was a guy named Senor Miguel. He lived next to the basketball court in town and drove a camioneta. We walked over to his house and started yelling his name from the street. There were crazy dogs that wouldn't stop barking and I thought that we may be bitten. Finally Senor Miguel awoke. He said he would take us to the emergency room. The emergency room was located in Pochutla. So, it was about an hour away. When we got there, there were people lined up outside the door sleeping, just waiting to get in. Hootie got in right away because the cab driver pounded on the door and told them that he was possibly having a heart attack. As we were walking in the door, they were hauling the bloody sheets off of Hootie's soon-to-be bed. There was blood all over the floor and the circumstances were not the best. There was one nurse that night, that we liked to call the lollipop nurse. She was eating a sucker in the emergency room while waiting on Hootie. He was given nitro and some pain medicine right away so he started feeling a bit better. Then the doctor, the only one the entire time we were there that spoke English, asked us if we would like to spend the night or if we wanted to go home. He recommended that we spend the night and that a specialist could diagnose what was going on with Hootie in the morning. So, we spent the night and Hootie got hooked up to an IV. They moved us to a different room with four other patients. We stayed the whole night and the whole next day and still had not heard what was going on with Hootie. The nurses kept giving medicine. They had no clue what type and there really was no sympathy. Finally the doctor from the night before was back on shift. He was going to be there for 24 hours. He told us that when the specialist arrived the next day that he would get things figured out. And hopefully, we could get out of there. We told them that we needed to catch a plane, just so we could get out. Finally the specialist arrived. He told the English speaking doctor that we could go home with a list of medications for high blood pressure and pain, but Hootie would need to see a doc as soon as we returned. We were jumping with joy to find out that we could leave. Well, I was, Hootie wasn't doing too much jumping. But, not before paying the bill. Hootie could not get unhooked from the IV until I paid the bill. I walked to the bank at the hospital just dreading to hear how much it was going to cost. I ended up getting the bill and it was only $130! That's for two nights and two days in the hospital! Much cheaper than the USA! But, I would take the medical care in the USA over Mexico any day! I never want to be in a Mexican hospital again!

As soon as we were released we jumped in a cab and headed back the hour to Mazunte to gather our bags at the inn. Then we took the same cab to Puerto Escondido, which was about 1.5 hours away, to get to the nearest airport. We bought the first ticket out to Mexico City. It seems like Mexico City didn't want us to leave. This was our third time in Mexico City throughout this trip. We spent the night in Mexico City and then flew out the next day to Portland.

Once we arrived in Portland, we had a good night's rest and headed to urgent care in the morning. From there we got sent to the emergency room. Here is where we found out that Hootie had a condition called pleurisy. Pleurisy is when the pluera, the lining between the ribs and lungs, gets inflamed. Hootie did have a chest cold a couple of weeks before these symptoms when we were in Guadalajara. Which makdes sense because, supposedly, pleurisy is oftentimes started from a viral infection and symptoms don't show up until a couple of weeks later. Pleurisy can cause severe chest pain when you breathe and can make you feel that you are having a heart attack. But, there is nothing they can really do for pleurisy, you just have to wait for it to run it's course and take some medicine for the pain.

We are thankful that we made it back safely. It taught us a lot about life and all we have to be thankful for. We are sad that we had to leave paradise behind. But, we will be back soon!

Hootie checking into the emergency room and getting his IV.

All packed up and heading out of Mazunte and Posada Ziga.


Bye, Bye Mexico...

Bye, Bye Mexico City for the third time!

Hootie saying goodbye in our cab to Puerto Escondido's airport.

Hootie eating his last tortilla in Mexico just before his dose of medicine.

PARADISE...

...I mean Mazunte. The most amazing place I've ever seen in my entire life. A small secluded beach. Hammocks swinging over the sand. Warm ocean waters. Perfect swimming conditions. A peninsula at the southern-most tip of Oaxaca state where you can see the sunset and the sunrise. Dreaded hippies. What more can you ask for?! We will definitely return soon! We rode a bus all through the night to get here. The bus took us to a town called Pochutla and from there we took a camioneta, basically a ride in the back of a pickup truck. It was about an hour ride to Mazunte. We arrived in town and started walking towards the beach. Along the way we were asking folks if they knew who Carlos Einstein was. Another Italian traveler that we met in Guadalajara told us of his place. We ended up finding him. We decided not to stay there. It was a little below our comfort needs, but none-the-less had an amazing scene of backpackers, Carlos was great, and had an amazing bar that overlooked the Pacific Ocean. We ended up staying at an quaint inn next door called Posada Ziga. It was beautiful. We had a balcony overlooking the ocean.

Hootie in the back of the camioneta heading for Mazunte.

View from our balcony.

The small beach looking to our right.

And looking to our left.

Oaxaca

Wow Oaxaca is an amazing city! The city is beautiful. It is surrounded by mountains. We heard that it is the most highly visited city in Mexico. A lot of people speak English there, but they always start out in Spanish first. This helped it keep it's Hispanic feel. There were a lot of amazing crafts and good restaurants. We got there and checked out some places to rent bikes. First we thought we may do a tour, but it seemed pretty expensive. So, we decided to keep looking we found one company that let you rent bikes on your own. It was much cheaper and we didn't have to follow a tour guide around. We decided to do that. Let me tell you, riding on the streets of Mexico on a bicycle is an adventure in itself! Especially on our journey home during the middle of rush hour. But, we were okay. It ended up being really fun. On our journey we did a loop that took us to Monte Alban. It was a steep climb, but definitely worth it. Monte Alban is this huge amazing ruin. It sits atop a mountain that overlooks the town of Oaxaca. The view from Monte Alban is incredible. The buildings at Monte Alban are incredible as well. The only bummer is that you can't enter them. But, I guess that will keep them protected for a lot longer. We wish we would've had more time at the ruins but we had to get back before sunset.

Scenery from our mountain bike trip to Monte Alban.

We finally made it to the top of the mountain. Hootie looking strong at the entrance to Monte Alban.


White flowers that were growing at the top of the mountain. View of the valley below.

Me in front of some of the ruins.

View of Monte Alban from atop one of the pyramids. The building in the center is an observatory. This building is laid out at a 45 degree angle to the rest of the buildings. On it's walls were heiroglyphs that recorded Monte Alban's military conquests of other towns.

Panoramic view of Monte Alban.

View of the city of Oaxaca from the top of Monte Alban.

The ceiling of a really ornate church in Oaxaca.

A cool mask that we found for sale.

Cuernavaca and Xalapa

We left Mexico City and headed for Cuernavaca. It was a reminiscent experience to be here. I went to school here about 9 years ago. It's a beautiful city with beautiful weather. It's known to be the city of eternal spring because of the really nice weather. I really wanted to head back to my host family's place to see if they were still around, but time got short. I didn't get around to it. Maybe they wouldn't have remembered me anyway, and it would have just been awkward? Anyway, we got a good glimpse of the city. We tried to head out to Xochicalco, but never made it. It was sort of annoying, we tried to find the city bus, but never ended up finding it. So, instead we headed out on a shorter excursion. A small ruin within the city. It was a great way to lounge away the rest of the afternoon.

View of the church at sunset from the Palacio de Gobierno in the Centro de Cuernavaca.

Hootie chilling at the pyramids in the city of Cuernavaca.

On our ride to Xalapa, we rode past a volcano. I'm pretty sure it is active!

Upon arrival in Xalapa, we knew that we wanted to go on a whitewater rafting excursion. We had met a guy from Cuernavaca that worked for Raft Mexico. They also had an office outside of Xalapa in Jacamulco. We headed out to Jacamulco the morning after we arrived and went on a rafting trip. The trip was amazing. Hootie even got to guide for the end part of the trip! After the trip we hung out at their amazing abode. In the middle of the jungle, they had a pool, some cabañas, a bar, a ping pong table and some amazing food. I recommend it to everyone. I wish we would have brought our bags. We could've spent the night and finally would have had the chance to use our tents! Next time we'll know!

Hootie and I lounging on the grounds after our rafting trip.

A pretty cactus near the pool at Raft Mexico.

Mexico City

Mexico City is an amazing city. So much to do! I think it may take at least a year to see it all. We stayed at a great hostel that Peggy, whom we met in Queretaro, recommended. It was located right near Condesa, which is a great artsy area. The Condesa area is a little on the expensive side, but since we were in the largest city in the world, we thought we could splurge. We got the chance to take the metro during rush hour. It was hilarious, because Hootie knew what was coming, because he had done it the previous day, I did not know what was coming. So, as soon as we boarded, it was like a race. Everyone ran, pushed, and pulled to get seats. Hootie knew what was coming, so he won the race and got a seat. It was great! Next time I'll know and I won't have to sit on Hootie's lap!

We visited the ruins of Teotihuacan, which is just on the outskirts of Mexico City. They are amazing. I had been to them about 10ish years ago, but they still amazed me. It's a huge Aztec city that was never destroyed when the Spaniards came because they didn't know that it existed. There are two huge pyramids there, the Sun and the Moon, and also a lot of smaller living quarters and temples. There are even remains of murals left. It's incredible. We climbed both the pyramid of the Sun and of the Moon. When we reached the top of the tallest, Pyramid of the Sun, there was a point to touch to rejuvenate yourself, and gain energy. We did it, but I'm still not sure that it worked! We made it out of Teotihuacan just in time to catch the last bus back to Mexico City.

Some of the sculptures on the Quetzocoatl temple at Teotihuacan, dating back to 200 AD (Don't quote me on that date!).

Some dried flowers at the foot of one of the temples at Teotihuacan.

Hootie standing front of some of the smaller temples.

I just love the beautiful rock colors and the tiny stone trail that the Aztecs put into the mortar.

View from the bottom of the pyramid of the Sun. Dreading our next step of climbing to the top!

Me sitting atop one of the smaller temples.

Hootie, standing tall.

A glimpse into what the city of Teotihuacan looks like these days.

We visited the Museum of Anthropology. A GIANT museum. I visited once when I was in high school, and somehow I forgot how big it was. Once again, I think I got a little "museumed out" here.

One of the sculptures in the Oaxaca part of the museum. It was the same sculpture that was on the front of my high school Spanish book. I think people call it the Aztec calendar, but in fact it's something else. But, I can't remember what!? I think I was "museumed out" at this point!


The Museum of Anthropology has some amazing architecture. This is one of the views of the windows at the museum. I love the pattern.


That evening after the Museum of Anthropology we headed out to Xochimilco. It's at the south side of Mexico City. It's a little area, that has boat transportation, and everything is built on bogs. Definitely a cute little area. I think our captain was drunk though, and I think we may have gotten a little ripped off, none-the-less it was another great adventure!


Hootie and I on the boat (Gondola-like) in Xochimilco.



One of the boats selling Elote on the river. Elote is basically corn on the cob smothered in mayo, cheese, and spices. We found out that Elote is not good for our stomachs!

This may be a boring photo for some, but I just love the bold colors and different textures.

He can guide a raft, can he guide a Gondola??

Queretaro

We arrived in Queretaro just in time for a cold spell. We ended up having to wear our warm gear the entire time in Queretaro. We met some more cool people at the hostel. There was a couple, Anders and Sally, that was just moving to Queretaro. So, it was interesting learning how they were dealing with the move. There was also a girl from England, Peggy. She was actually moving to Argentina for 3 years to do a teaching job. These people are courageous, I love it! What an exciting move to make in life. I'm not actually sure where we spent all of our time in Queretaro...but here are some pics of the city.

This is a view from the mirador near our hostel. Cutting throught the center of the photo is a huge aquaduct that runs through the city.


These bull heads were mounted in a cantina we went to for a couple of drinks. I just love how it reminded me of Wisconsin. When you enter a bar in Wisconsin, it's deer heads, but in Mexico, it's bulls!


Inside the Convent in Queretaro. When this was built, water from the aquaducts flowed directly into this building. The height of the highest arch in this building is the same height as the aquaduct.


There is a tree that grows inside of the Convent. Really interesting that the thorns on the tree are shaped like crosses.

Sunset from the top of the Convent. You can see the dowtown church in the sunset.

Leon and Guanajuato

We had a great time in Leon thanks to Salvador and his family. We arrived in Leon and were planning to meet up with the Salvador and his family. We got to the bus station and were trying to decide who to call when all of a sudden, up walks Salvador and Javier, a close family friend that he calls his son. Salvador and Javier took us to their house, just outside of the city center. They have a really cute house and treated us like royalty. Giving up their bedroom with a beautiful terrace and incredible view of the surrounding cerros (small mountains). Salvador and his wife, Imelda cooked us some amazing meals. Imelda also enlightened us with a nueva medicina. You mix fresh lime juice with honey and drink it. It's amazing for a sore throat. It was great to see Salvador. He used to be the custodian at Ziba and has sinced moved back down to Mexico to be closer to his family. He has an amazing family. They are so kind and friendly. Everyone in his family speaks Spanish, but his son, Nestor speaks English very well. It was a great opportunity for us to really hone in our Spanish speaking skills. Salvador and Imelda make pies for a living. They work very hard making pies all day. But, they definitely have a good time, and enjoy it. The pies are very scrumptious. They make three kinds: Pineapple, Cheese, and Pineapple + Cheese.

The first night we arrived Nestor and Javier took us to downtown Leon. There were a lot of candies for sale since it was the weekend of Dia de los Muertos.

The decorated sugar skulls were my favorite!

For the life of me, I can't remember what this type of band is called. But, they are a band that marches through the streets of Leon. They even played a special part for me so I could get a good pic.

Javier, Hootie, Nestor and I enjoying our first-ever Michelada. Well, maybe Hootie wasn't enjoying it so much!

The reason why Hootie wasn't enjoying it so much! He ordered a Carne Seca Michelada. Which means, Dry Meat Michelada, which was not very tasty. Not even Javier nor Nestor liked it!

We spent the next day in Guanajuato. What a cute little town. Very colorful and colonial.

On Halloween, while we were in Guanajuato we went to the mummy museum. Talk about creepy! These mummies are like none I've ever seen before. They are fully preserved, clothes, hair, skin, everything! Disgusting! I'm not sure I would want my body on display like this when I die. I guess that they had to be dug up to make room for more dead people. I think that they were preserved so well because of the mixture of clay and lime in the soil.

Another one of the mummies, you can see her hair still in braids.

One of the baby mummies : (

The smallest mummy in the world! It was actually removed from the mother's stomach.

We hung out in the evening in Guanajuato. It was Cerventino. The biggest party I've ever seen in my life. The streets were elbow to elbow through the entire city. It was really cool to see. I can just imagine how much I would've liked this during my college years! Nestor and his friend, Lupita met us down in Guanajuato in the evening.

Me in the streets at Cerventino. People from all over the world were at this incredible party. It was the last weekend of the party. The party had been going on for 3 weeks!

Hootie and I in front of Teatro Juarez in downtown Guanajuato. Brrr...it was chilly there.

Nestor and Hootie next to a statue in the park in Guanajuato. We also saw a sign in this park saying that Guanajuato is the sister city of Ashland, Oregon. Kind of cool!

Salvador and Imelda enjoying their time making pies!

We need these back home. A drive through liquor store. You literally drive through a can of Modelo to get a beer!

Nestor drove us into town to buy some cowboy boots. Leon is known for their cowboy boots. I found a really cool pair made out of some exotic hide. I love 'em!

After finding just the right boots we took a trip to the top of a mountain where there is a statue and church called Cristo Rey. It is this enourmous statue of Jesus and is a replica of the monument in Brasil. Jesus sits atop a church and on the sides of him, he has two cupids, one removing the crown of thorns and the other putting on a king's crown. It was some pretty amazing symbolism. Inside the church below, there is an altar and floating above and around the circumference of the room there is a giant crown of thorns, and then floating in the center above everything is a king's crown. It was pretty cool. It is a place where people make huge pilgrimages to and is a very important religious space for Mexicans.

Hootie, Nestor, and I in front of Cristo Rey.

Cristo Rey at sunset.

Salvador's family the night before we left. We were so sad to leave them. They are incredible people and they have such a beautiful family. They were so generous with us. We learned a lot from them. Hopefully they will come visit us in Portland, or we'll be able to visit them again someday in Leon. Hanging out with their family has been the most favorite part of my trip to Mexico.

Front row: Salvador, Miguel, Imelda

Back row: Hootie, Nestor, I.