Hola, amigo

Our buddy, Ryan, made it to Mexico City Thursday night. We took him to this great looking pizza and mezcal place that we passed during our many miles of walking since he’s a big pizza fan. Pizza Nosferatu did not disappoint! Between a huge list of very unique pizzas, micro brews, a mezcalería that you can order from next door, and the sweetest waitress, we had a great time! We wandered around Condesa until we came across an Irish Pub with a Mexican metal/rock band show. We stayed for a drink and then continued popping in and out of a couple spots until we called an Uber to take us back to the hostel.

Early the next morning, we took the trolley to the Central Bus Station and grabbed a bus to Santiago de Querétaro and then one to San Sebastián Bernal. We were subjected to a ridiculous children’s film on the second bus and couldn’t get the high pitched “Fixies” out of our heads. Expecting a bus station, we almost missed our stop in Bernal as the stop was just a spot in the middle of the main road in town and there were no announcements. Our bus driver had a good laugh at that one before helping us with our bags. Across the street, a line of taxi cabs with no drivers were waiting. One man was fiddling under the hood of his taxi and so I approached him to ask if he could give us a ride to Chichidho, the eco park lodge which we were greatly looking forward to staying at. He nodded, closed the hood and helped us get our bags in the trunk. Our driver, who introduced himself as Ignacio, gave us several good tips for the best local things, mentioning to try cactus flower (flor de nata) ice cream, gorditas with corn truffles (huitlacoche), and to climb Peña de Bernal. We actually came to Bernal in order to climb Peña.

Peña de Bernal is a giant monolith of the edge of town. At 1,431ft tall it is one of the largest monoliths in the world. A popular tourist attraction, there is a via ferrata (a protected climbing route) which visitors come to climb. There is a small shrine and crosses at the top of the monolith and it is a type of pilgrimage besides being just a little outdoors fun. It is also wine and cheese country so the town is a very cute, colorful, and welcoming.

Ryan, me, and Jon in Bernal with Peña de Bernal in the background

Chichidho is an eco-lodge that has overs the years attracted many rock climbers and high liners (a form of slack lining but up high, usually between peaks). There is limited solar-powered electricity and water, a shared kitchen and amazing views. The three of us stayed in the hostel style room with many beds but there was a large weekend crowd of campers as well as private cabins. It was easily one of the coolest places that I have ever stayed.

The entire place was built by a man named Fernando and his family. His son, also Fernando, currently runs it and we ended up spending much time talking with him about the future of the lodge and how he would like to protect the environment around the Peña from the quickly encroaching town. We quickly befriended the two very friendly house dogs, one of which often joined us for hikes. I also spent a day going out to Fernando’s orchard with the volunteers and some of his friends to help clean, trim, and pick fruits from the trees.

There are many different types of climbing here. Of course, the most obvious being the opportunity to multi-pitch climb the Peña, but there is also bouldering and roped climbing. We dabbled in all areas (expect for trad) across the five days which we stayed here. Jon and I climbed our first multi-pitch climb (320 meters) up the Peña, but I think that may require it’s own post as it was one of the scariest, most difficult and also rewarding mental experiences either of us have ever had.

We woke around 6am every day and would go on hikes to different views around the Peña to catch the sunrise. We would return to the lodge for breakfast and discuss plans for the rest of the day. Almost every day we would take the 45 minute hike up and down hills and around the Peña to town. We bought fresh bread from bakeries, exploring the many foreign flavors and combinations. We went to our favorite ice cream shop every day for some of the cactus flower ice cream we immediately fell in love with. This sweet grandfather would come out from behind a screen that divided his living room from the shop front and insist that we always try every flavor that he had. He would get so excited to see us return every day. On the last day, the boys arrived while he was feeding his grandson and got so excited that he accidentally dropped the baby’s spoon onto the table and scrambled to recover. His wife stepped in and said that she would take care of the customers but when she told Jon that they normally do not serve the lime flavor in a cone, the husband again jumped up to assist and told her “No, no, no, they can have whatever they want! Lime flavor in a cone is just fine.”

One particularly wholesome morning, we hiked to see the sunrise and found a gravel path with horses on it. We decided to continue down this path, hopeful that it would bring us into town for some café de olla (coffee made in a clay pot with cinnamon, vanilla and some other spices) and a bite to eat before we could pick up our laundry from the only laundry shop in town. Little did we know, we had found an art trail! Filled with sculptures from local artists, they depicted local animals and insects, a giant Quetzalcoatl (a feathered serpent deity of ancient Mesoamerican culture) in stone, wood, and metal. At the end of our walk, we reached what we believed to be the actual beginning of the path; a parking lot and small building where two very confused men stared at us appearing so early in the morning (the town isn’t quite awake until 9am). We waved hello and began to exchange greetings when I was equally surprised by a four month old puppy jumping up towards me from out of sight. I caught him midair before he began licking my face. His name was Cacahuate (meaning “peanut”) and he was this little fuzz ball of joy who would was extraordinarily excited to see us. We chatted with the men who ran this art trail and asked if we could pay for our accidental visit. They refused to accept our money but asked what we enjoyed the most before explaining how the trail came to be. After a hard goodbye with my quick friend, Cacahuate, we continued down towards town and found a restaurant with gorditas run by a family of five sisters with the best gorditas champiñones (mushrooms) we tasted during our travels! As they were beginning to learn English, we wrote down our orders in both English and Spanish and exchanged many giggles and great conversation. We returned to visit these lovely ladies for our final breakfast in Bernal and gave us our contact information so that we can be in contact for future visits. All of these great experiences that morning and it was only 10:30am by the time we left breakfast! That was just our every day experience in Bernal.

As the lights were limited at the lodge, we would often head to bed not long after the sun went down and fight with our mosquito nets as we tried to sleep. But when we did sleep, we slept heavy, exhausted from our natural playground which we explored to the fullest every day.

Teotihuacán

Avenue of the Dead from the Temple of the Moon. The pyramid on the left is the Temple of the Sun.

Besides the surprisingly cold day and high winds, visiting Teotihuacán was a great day. I really wanted to take a trip out to visit and climb the pyramids there. The site is located about 30 miles northeast of Mexico City and we reached it by city trolley and then bus.

The city is thought to have been started around 100 BC. At its height, around 450 AD, Teotihuacan was the largest city in the pre-Columbian Americas, with a population estimated at 125,000 or more. First we saw the Temple of the Feathered Serpent, of which we saw partial replicas in the museum the day before. We then walked north along the Avenue of the Dead toward the Temples of the Sun and Moon.

The Pyramid of the Sun is the largest building at Teotihuacán, and is 220 feet tall. It’s often claimed to be the third largest pyramid in the world — whether by volume or height, it’s unclear. Either way, it’s a massive structure. There are steps with handrails to go up the Temple of the Sun and also multiple levels to stop at. We went straight to the top but were buffeted by strong winds and decided on a middle tier that was blocking the wind so that Jon could sit and draw the Temple of the Moon in his travel journal. I ended up taking a nap leaning on the pyramid walls – Don’t judge! We woke up at 5am to get there before the crowds.

We continued along the Avenue of the Dead in which there are several smaller structures with some blurbs. I was so happy to be able to speak both languages on the sign (English and Spanish) because there are some mistranslations and/or missing information on the English parts.

The last pyramid on our journey was the Pyramid of the Moon. At about 140 feet tall, it’s not nearly as large as the Pyramid of the Sun. You can’t climb all the way to the top, but it’s still worth climbing to the halfway point.

There were lots of vendors around, mostly selling jaguar whistles and jewelry. Our walking was consistently interrupted with the patterns of approaching vendors showing their wares and our quick response of “No, gracias.”

I particularly enjoyed visiting the quarters off the side of the Pyramid of the Moon where important public figures may have once lived. There was much more information here and I loved being able to go underground into one of the chambers to get an idea of what the inside of the pyramids might look like.

We grabbed a quick bite (a nopales quesadilla for me!) outside of gate 2 before waiting for our bus back.

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The bus and trolley ride dropped us off at the Palacio de Bellas Artes and we off the cuff decided to take the chance to visit before our buddy Ryan arrived in town later. We delved into a large exhibition on the imagery of Emilio Zapata and then took a long time reading through the gigantic murals on the walls of the upper floors. Overall, a wonderful educational and cultural day!

Mexico City

When I was young my family took trips to Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and (actually one of my favorite childhood trips) a private sailboat ride around the Gulf of California. Cue the beach vacation clichés.

My sister and I loathe the memory of jewelry hawkers who tried to drape silver necklaces on us in Cancun and Playa del Carmen. They pushed us to buy overpriced woven blankets and fake Mayan replicas. They tugged at our arms, pulled us one direction or another, fighting for us to come into their shops. One time, we ran back to our hotel in Playa del Carmen because we were so overwhelmed and afraid.

For many years, Mexico was a touristy party land to me. It was a trashy place to go on spring break or after graduating college. Frankly, I saw mostly American tourists ruining an authentic culture. After studying Spanish in college, I knew there was more to it but I had not found the right moment to return to Mexico on my own accord. Of course, I was also burdened with the American fear for safety which nagged at my dreams of a Motorcycle Diaries type trip through Central America.

My parents were not particularly enthusiastic about this portion of our travels. For many people living in the states, the fear and uncertainty surrounding Mexico stems from news reports that either over-sensationalize issues, or that fail to frame those situations in the proper context. Combine this with an over-saturated and tense political climate, and it’s no wonder my parents have concerns about it. Sure, there are dangerous areas, particularly along the border, but I wonder what the reality is exactly. There is much separation between truth and fiction…and therein lies the problem. There’s a significant rift between what is reported about Mexico in the news, and what the majority of travelers that I’ve spoken to experience when they visit. And so, I arrived in Mexico City unsure of what to expect.

– DAY 1 –

Our first day in Mexico City was a leg burner. We walked something like 11 miles from our hostel near the Palace of Fine Arts (“Palacio de Bellas Artes”) to explore the hip Condesa and Roma neighborhoods and then made our way to the Chapultepec Forest and nearby museums. For breakfast, we stopped at the Rosetta Bakery. I had been recommended the Rosetta Restaurant from my past boss at the University of Texas who sent me a list of his favorite places in Mexico City but our schedule didn’t work well with going back to that area for lunch or dinner. Instead, I found out that they had a bakery and went to visit it for breakfast ¡Y que rico! This cute, dimly lit bakery cafe is a simple long room with a bar covered in pastries with stool seating. I asked the waitress to get me whatever was her favorite and ended up with a Guava pastry that looked a bit like a danish. I sipped on my coffee and split the tasty pastry with Jon while we waited for his avocado sandwich on fresh bread to come out. On my way out of the café, I saw a man in a University of Texas sweatshirt and asked if he had gone there. He was very confused by my question – he probably had not gotten his coffee yet, forgot he was wearing the burnt orange hoodie, and was surprised the gringa could speak Spanish – before he responded that no he had not, but his friend had.

From there we walked and explored Condesa and Roma neighborhoods. What a cute area! There are tons of beautiful buildings and shops. On Amsterdam Avenue, there is a pedestrian walkway in the middle of the road but lined with tall trees and bushes. There are several parks in the area as well where dog walkers arrive with a dozen (surprisingly) well-behaved dogs and they often roam without leashes.

We stopped to admire the many architectural details of the city and for the occasional bite to eat, tea, and wifi hook up. The high elevation probably came into effect as we were more winded and tired from walking than normal at this point.

The Chapultepec Forest reminds me of Central Park in New York only that it is twice as large. We explored a bit of the sculptures in the park before heading to the National Museum of Anthropology (Museo Nacional de Antropología) across the street. It’s a giant museum, the largest in the city, and we were proud to get through about five rooms. There was an excellent temporary exhibition about the correlation of photography and documenting histories in relation to found ancient sites of Mexico. We then chronologically visited the giant rooms for different ancient societies but didn’t have enough gusto to make it to the second floor ethnography rooms at all.

Designed in 1964 by Pedro Ramírez Vázquez, Jorge Campuzano, and Rafael Mijares Alcérreca

Seeing what I thought was the Aztec calendar – but in reality is not – was a big learning moment for me!

“The one sculpture which identifies the Mexicas above all others is the Stone of the Sun, discovered in December, 1790, in the Plaza Mayor of the capital of new Spain. Because of its symbolic content, with the names of the days and the cosmogonic suns, it was incorrectly identified as the Aztec Calendar. This is a large gladiatorial sacrificial altar, known as a temalacatl…used to stage the fights between warriors in the tlacaxipehualiztli ceremony.”

By the time we left the museum, we were very tired and hungry so we began the walk towards our dinner spot. Expendio de Maíz Sin Nombre is an experimental kitchen, composed of an volcanic rock open kitchen, two tables, and a meeting place where you can learn all about the origin of corn (designed by architect Ludwig Godefroy). Everything is made with corn, accompanied by two or three different sauces. Before serving you, they offer you a corn quesadilla, in the shape of a small pig with fresh cheese. There’s no menu, they just serve you plate after plate until you’re full, and rotate their options weekly. They asked us what we eat or don’t eat and they prepared some lovely dishes for us with whatever was fresh and available!

Day one in the city was wonderful! Of course, having only seeing a small section of it, I can’t say much but I certainly enjoyed it! Excited for more exploring!

Weekend in Cuernavaca

Cuernavaca is the “City of the Eternal Spring,” a city of mild weather and beautiful climate. What was once a small vacation town became wildly popular after the 1985 earthquake in Mexico City. Jon’s father and aunt grew up in Mexico City but his grandmother moved here after the kids were all grown up. Eventually, Jon’s aunt Bizy and her family moved out to Cuernavaca as well, only a few blocks away from grandma’s.

Staying with Aunt Bizy, Uncle Miguel and cousin Marissa at their home in Cuernavaca.

Sunday morning after a yoga session, coffee, and time with their three dogs we headed out by car up the mountains to Tepoztlan. In the distance, a volcano fumed with smoke and we were told stories about Tepoztlan. Jon used to visit there as a child during family trips but this was my first time in Mexican mountains and even in central Mexico!

Since the 1960’s, Tepoztlan has attracted tourists flocking from all over the world to seek out spiritual experiences, and as the town grew in fame, the offerings to tourists expanded. However, the biggest and most important tourist attraction is, and has always been, the pyramid El Tepozteco, a small temple dedicated to eponymous Tepoztecatl, God of Pulque, and tucked into the folds of the mountains. It is, in fact, a hike to reach. It requires a 1,200 foot, 45-minute climb up slippery rocks and winding muddy trails. Despite the challenging climb, it was surprising to see hundreds of families, children, even grandparents heading out to attempt the feat. It was a holiday weekend and therefore extra crowded so we decided to skip the hike this time and instead head straight for food in the market.

Near the main square, the streets are covered with the central market and we immediately begin to explore a grouping of food stalls under canopies. Large displays of fruits and vegetables abound and the heat and smell of cooked foods make my stomach grumble. “These are recipes passed down from generation to generation,” a shopkeeper tells me. The food is varies widely – some stalls have ancient cooking, some specialize in singular dishes, some are vegan, and all made with high quality local ingredients, of course. We decide to try a variety.

Having breakfast at the market in Tepoztlan with Bizy, Marissa, me, Jon and Mike.

Itacates (the triangular white and blue corn pockets) and fillings for sale at a one of the many stands in the market. On Sundays tourists often come from Mexico City for the day and the market becomes an extensive food court of ancient, local, and fusion delicacies.

Squash flowers, radishes, small squash, and greens of all kinds are available in the market. Food cooked at market stands are made with produce from these vendors and you can eat deliciously fresh foods – like this squash flower quesadilla that I had for breakfast!

Another part of breakfast – we stopped at a stall that specializes in only two types of goat soup. Jon and I got one each to share and experimented with adding different quantities of the provided onion, cilantro and lime.

A musician plays some music for us as we wait for our breakfast

Street corn being prepared for us in the market. We added mayonnaise, cheese and spice to this corn which tasted kind of like hominy

We’re off!

First stop: Mexico!
Plan: We’re on the plane in Dallas heading to Mexico. Once we land in Mexico City, we are taking the bus from the airport to Cuernavaca and meeting up with Jon’s aunt, Bizy. After a weekend in Cuernavaca, we will head into Mexico City, staying in Zona Rosa, for four days. Our climbing buddy, Ryan, will meet up with us there and together we will head north to Queretaro and the small town of Bernal where we plan to rock climb a granite monolith at the edge of town.

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The moment we got through security, we jumped, squealed, and high fived! The past few days have been BUSY and we didn’t really process leaving Austin last night. Between packing up our moving cube, selling almost all of our furniture, packing the car and repacking the car, saying goodbye to all of our people in Austin, and my back giving out two days before leaving among the tons of details, exhaustion took its toll. We were happily replenished with Mexican food and great company at Jon’s aunt and uncle’s in Dallas, and a great night sleeping in a comfy guest bed rather than the floor of our apartment (we got rid of the mattress four days earlier). It wasn’t until we were through security that we really got to celebrate, relax and finally feel that this is the beginning.

Schedule

MEXICO February 1, 2020 – February 12, 2020

Arrive in Mexico City the afternoon of February 1 – take a bus to Cuernavaca to meet up with Jon’s Aunt Bizzie.

FEB 3 Afternoon – take bus to Mexico City. Check in to lodging.

FEB 3-6 Mexico City

FEB 5 Meet up with Ryan Farmer in Mexico City

FEB 6 Take bus to Queretaro and bus to Bernal. Check into lodging.

FEB 6-11Bernal – climb Peña de Bernal

FEB 11-12 Return to Mexico City by bus.

FEB 12 Fly back to Dallas

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FEB 12 – 13 Drive to Big Bend
FEB 13 – 17 Stay in Big Bend (if bad weather, then maybe Guadalupe Mts)
FEB 21 Get to San Diego
FEB 21 – 23 Stay at Casa Newman and enjoy life!

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BAJA, MEXICO February 24, 2020 – March 13, 2020

FEB 24 – MAR 1 For the first week, Walt + Jim and Anita Stark parents will join to show us the lay of the land and all the things in Los Barrilles (the town his house is in). After that, we will be on our own.
MAR 13 Back to San Diego.

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MAR 13-17 San Diego and day trips

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MAR 18 – April whenever – Road Trip SW National Parks (TBD)
APR 15 DON’T FORGET TO DO TAXES!!!.
APR 22 Celebrate Rachel’s 27^th Birthday!
APR 24 – TBD: Drive North. Arrive in Portland late May?

It’s really happening

We’re doing it!

Well, in summary, we’re taking off on a four month hiatus, a honeymoon between moving from Texas to Oregon. It’s a dream come true! We have so many plans and yet we have left many things open so we can go wherever opportunities arise. We’re wanderers, following the open road of the Western US and exploring the natural beauties in it. We couldn’t think of a more romantic experience than the freedom to explore and play in nature and we’re terribly excited that ITS REALLY HAPPENING.

Have you ever experienced complete freedom? It’s a bit scary, really. It means no plans…well, I’m naturally too much of a planner to relinquish that much control. For us, we found a balance between making plans and being open. We’re excited for the road ahead.

I’m just getting this new blog going, so stay tuned for more. Subscribe to get notified when I post new updates.

My Story

A 20-something nonprofit fundraiser, storyteller, and nerd on a mission to more meaningfully contribute to this great, big world. I believe in the wisdom of the gut and the power of voice – I am constantly pondering my next adventure. I studied art history at Connecticut College, got a master’s in modern and contemporary art history from the University of Texas at Austin. After graduation and getting married, I took off on a dream trip: a honeymoon road trip through Western America. Now, we’ve moved to my hubby’s hometown of Portland, Oregon and I’m seeking new experiences.

Storytelling

I wrote my first book at age six. It’s written in crayon and I bound the cardboard covers with yarn. The tale, “Down Reis Park Path”, featured a girl getting lost in the woods and finding her way back thanks to the friendly forest animals.

Twenty something years later, I’m still drawn to stories. They inform, inspire and entertain. They can connect generations and ignite change. I love true stories – uncovering the tiniest details and figuring out what inspires people. The little magical moments of good are my favorites to tell.

Other adventures:

– I studied art history in Buenos Aires for a semester and got an award in my photography class for depictions of local life.

– I worked in a museum during college, assisting the curator by doing condition reports on artworks in the vault and aiding with exhibition set up and take down. I even got to move a mummified falcon once!

– I studied indigenous cultures and evaluated the education department of a museum while working a Spanish speaking internship in Uruguay.

– I played a lot of soccer growing up and still have the scars to prove it. I’ve competed internationally, went pretty far in the Olympic Development Program, and coached for a bit. My old goalie gloves still smell really gross.

– I taught myself how to rock climb and recently completed my first multi-pitch; a nerve–racking trip up an 1,200ft monolith in Mexico (see my stories for more on that)