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| This photo was taken from the balcony during the Mexican Spirits Experience. As you can see in the photo it was quite windy that night. The view of La Paz Bay is amazing from up here. I spent most of my days in the recent week sitting quietly at the Dolce Cuaranta. Reading and reflecting on my posts. As I read through the stories, emotions, sites, smells, and memories of that day surface. Frequently, I recall events, stories, feeling, and emotions that I felt did not appear in my posts. Why are they not in my posts, you ask? It is simple, really, I have only a tiny window of time to write each day. There were days when I spent much longer writing than I wanted. There is a delicate balance between enjoying the moment of writing and being lost in the past. I try my best to stay in the moment, so I must mindfully decide what I will post each day. Many times it is guided by my photos but not always. As I read my posts, I find myself picking up the breadcrumbs on the trail I left for myself. Reading my posts brings me back to the moments, actually to those specific days. So after several days, how far am I into my posts? Currently, I am more than of 100 days in. That puts me at approximately 2.5 weeks into the Camino de Santiago. One of the first things I realized, is that I underrepresented my struggles. My injury in Ireland was more difficult physically than I presented it. My post while I was in Bonduran, Ireland, was the first time I feel like I candidly revealed how difficult those early days were on me. Part of it is I refused to let the injury prevent me from exploring Ireland, so I wrote about what I could accomplish while omitting many of my struggles. Reading those posts now, I remember vividly just how difficult those days were. Simple things we all take for granted, walking without pain, easily walking up and down stairs, were an incredible struggle for me while I was in Ireland. This artisanal Tequila shop in San Jose del Cabo has a fantastic selection of Mexican Spirits. Unfortunately, the prices appear to have a significant Gringo Tax. 😂 I found them to be a bit too rich for my liking. Nevertheless, I loved wandering through the shop and admiring the bottles, which are quite unique from brand to brand.  I also noticed that what I enjoyed most in my travels was my long-distance walks. My time on the International Appalachian Trail (Ireland), the Pembrokeshire Coastal Trail (Wales), the Camino de Santiago (Spain), and the Valbona to Theth trail (Albania), next to watching Le Tour de France, were the highlights of my travels. This is a fantastic way to enjoy the countryside, meet people, and learn about the culture. I long for other similar walks or pilgrimages more than simply visiting cities. I already have a short list of similar ventures in Sweden, Japan, Turkey, and Canada. Undoubtedly others exist, and I will expand this list to let it guide me to my future destinations. My early time in southern France was the least enjoyable of my time in Europe. Don't get me wrong, I saw some fantastic sites. But I also found myself trapped in a cycle of constantly doing and wasn't taking enough time to enjoy not doing. The heat in Toulouse finally broke me, and I relocated to Perpignan, France. There I made a list of things I needed in my travels. When I re-encountered that list, I noticed that I have continued to use it to guide me, which has made my travels much more enjoyable. Music, especially music with the family, is an integral part of Mexican culture. During my time in Baja, Mexico, I was fortunate to meet Miguel the owner of the hostel in La Paz. Miguel played great Mexican music when he visited the hostel in the evenings. One my favorites, are Miguel's friends. Los Aguas Aguas - La Playa (The Beach) has a groovy reggae Mexican brass vibe. I find it quite lovely to listen to. Cartel de Santa is a Mexican rap group. They have been called one of Mexico's most influential hip-hop groups since the early 2000s. Miguel played Cartel de Santa - Los Mensajes del WhatsApp (The messages of WhatsApp) one night, and I loved it. I found the beat to be quite different and refreshing. Eric, on the other hand, likes electronic music. I can easily listen to Tu Ta - Major 7-Reality Test when I need an energy boost. The electronic beat is steady rhythmic, and not overpowering. Along the Malecon in La Paz, the city has created an urban street skate part where kids on skateboards and rollerskates gather to hone their skills on various obstacles, including ramps, rails, halfpipes, etc. I think this is a great idea and a fantastic way to give kids an opportunity to have fun. It also keeps kids from shredding near businesses too, lime in many other cities.  Other patterns have emerged. These are tied to people and the environment. I don't know what this means yet, but perhaps this is where my future is headed. Dyland and I had some great conversations, which I enjoyed, on this topic while in Gortin. Since that time, and perhaps because of my background, I have written about this topic frequently in my travels. I still need to clarify this, but I need to pay attention to it. A few last items that I have uncovered thus far. First, my ideal temperature might be mid-70s F (mid-20s) with a fair amount of humidity. My skin feels much better than when I am in the dry arid air of the Intermountain West of the United States. Obviously, if I can be near the coast or mountains, I am much happier. I see myself living in a place that meets these criteria. I am not sure where that is, but it appears again that my future is outside the United States. Or is it? Cassa Esterito, the hostel, where I spent my time in La Paz, has a taco stand in the back courtyard. Sarah makes fantastic cheap home-cooked tacos. Sarah's taco stand is open Tuesday through Sunday night. She offers four varieties, three of which are pictured here. Gobernador taco (top) is bacon-wrapped shrimp - 55 Pesos ($3.05). The Veggie on the right is super yummy - 40 Pesos ($2.22). My favorite is the bottom left, the Papas a la Mexicana (Mexican potato taco) - 45 Pesos ($2.50). Add in fresh condiments like onions, cilantro, pico de Gallo, and hot sauce, and BOOM! Some nights I wonder why I even leave the hostel! 😂  |
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