Following a litany (1) of complaints (snide remark) about the lack of posts on this page, i have finally decided to put something up. Coming to the end of Mexico now, this place is the dog´s mickey. Land of the long white pick-up truck, usually peopled by laughing moustachiod gentlemen with shotguns, some of whom are sometimes police. The food is great, the people are friendly, the ruins are spectacular and the weather is queensland. The only fault i have with the place is that i haven´t been raped in any of the places lonely planet said i would be, so i might have to write them an email when i get home to complain.
First up Mexico City, population somewhere between 25 and 40 million. The place is fantastic, crazy and nowhere near as dangerous as nearby ghetto Los Angeles. Following a Coyacan pub crawl, the bag carrier - Deb - and i made for Teotihuacan, an ancient Olmec, subsequently Aztec city about an hour outside. We made to climb the 3rd biggest pyramid in the world, beaten only by some naff thing in Egypt and some other one in Mexico that doesn´t look so much like a place of human sacrifice since the Catholics got their hands on it.
After we went to Palenque, in the south of the country, where we spent a day doing nothing, and a day rampaging over more ruins - Mayan this time - and enjoying a refreshing handful of beers beside an amazing waterfall complex at Aqua Azul. Palenque also seems to be a home from home for French people, which makes a change from too many goddam Merkins.
The last couple of days has been in Cozumel, the Caribbean Ko Samui. It´s nice if you can avoid the cruise ships (11 in 3 days) despatching thousands of giddy tat-buying Merkins onto the esplanade. The diving here is good, if not as spectacular as i was led to believe. We did, however, find the Mexican McDonnell´s, complete with corresponding interesting toiletting experience, and the Mexican Italian Waiters, right opposite the giant beer bottle i wanted to take home. Speaking of which, the beer here is great, except Corona, which is watered down goat piss. Now we leave to go to Tulum to relax on the beach for a couple of days, before heading to the soap opera that will be Miami. I might walk around and pretend to be Colin fkin Farrell for a couple of days and see if any hos suddenly appear by my side... Alternatively i might just spend 3 days drinking beer with my parents and sitting by the pool in the montrously overdecorated apartment complex we have booked.
Highlit quotes - all Merkin:
[nasally Texan drawl] "Don´t go to Thailand - except Phuket, you can get all your medical work done there real cheap, that´s the only reason to go to Thailand"
[godawful midwestern accent] "yeah Bali - bawlee - used to be rilly awful until they opened McDonalds and Starbucks, at least now you can get a decent cup of cawfee".
Take it easy,
colm