Rab, Croatia

For months i have been trying to figure out if i want to stay in Brooklyn or move back to London and i have been completely missing it, i need a simple life. As i swam off the side of Rab,s old town at sunset this evening, i thought, this is really living. People are so lucky to be content to live the simple life, why cant i be one of them. As an old man leaned out of the window and watched us swimmers, i wondered how long he has lived on this island and what he does, what could i do. Run a post office perhaps, or a restaurant.

Rab is lovely, i arrived around 5pm by catamaran from Riejka that took about an hour and a half. I had stazed in Riejka onlz one night, i stazed in a hostel again as it was my only choice but i am quickly learning to plan ahead to avoid them in future. I shared a room with 3 school girls, part of some gymnastic troupe from Hungary and they were so wired at 6am this morning, i had to SSShhh them to stop them doing back flips across the room.

I had the morning in Riejka and although Riejka is an industrial port that reallz serves as a gateway to the islands, it does have its charms just out of the city. Just north of the city is Trsat. There is a church there that supposedly hosted Mary and joseph....snooze. I also went to my first Grad aka Castle all were very nice but what i really liked were all the houses on the walk up,i love just seeing where real people live. Talking of the walk, it helps to know the language around these parts as i could of taken a bus or walked an indirect route instead i approached some stairs, i should of known when there was noone around. When i got to the top, i estimated that i had walked up about 500 stairs and then felt i was exaggerating, i had to walk back down after the castle to count. 536 in total, my ass is going to thank me for it but my legs are unhappy.
Trsat though is very nice, i sense and Italian atmosphere, in fact it feels that waz in Rab too, i am closer to the coast and i guess closer to Italy so it makes sense.

The ride over to Rab was lovely, i spent too much time listening to Sun Kil Moon and feel really wistful, overly romantic and slightly depressed now that i am here as i am here alone and it is quite lovely. Have you ever listened to Carry Me Ohio, i must of listened to it 10 times just today, pay attention to the lyrics, they really resonate.

I am staying on the harbour and the very friendly Hotel Istra, i told them i was depsrate for a swim and they pointed me to a local spot where basically the town drops into the Adriatic sea. No beach, just a concrete lip, the sun going down over the island across with sail boats drifting by. The water was wonderfully fresh and cold and i felt the stress of travel completely leave me.

It's 8.30pm now and there is not much to do for a singleton like me but go to bed. Sometimes awesome is a room to myself, a small bed and Croatia's Got Super Talent on the telly.

Tomorrow i am kayaking to a little island not even in my guide book called Franjki or something like that. Apparently Prince Edward and Wallace Simpson had a love in there, it means love as well apparently...great. After that it's an overnight sail to Split. Im actually looking forward to meeting the others in Dubrovnik, some conversation, dinner and wine would be nice...oh and a wedding!


Listening to: Sun Kil Moon -Carry Me Ohio and Ocean Breathes Salty

Time zone GMT + 1

Rab, Croatia

For months i have been trying to figure out if i want to stay in Brooklyn or move back to London and i have been completely missing it, i need a simple life. As i swam off the side of Rab,s old town at sunset this evening, i thought, this is really living. People are so lucky to be content to live the simple life, why cant i be one of them. As an old man leaned out of the window and watched us swimmers, i wondered how long he has lived on this island and what he does, what could i do. Run a post office perhaps, or a restaurant.

Rab is lovely, i arrived around 5pm by catamaran from Riejka that took about an hour and a half. I had stazed in Riejka onlz one night, i stazed in a hostel again as it was my only choice but i am quickly learning to plan ahead to avoid them in future. I shared a room with 3 school girls, part of some gymnastic troupe from Hungary and they were so wired at 6am this morning, i had to SSShhh them to stop them doing back flips across the room.

I had the morning in Riejka and although Riejka is an industrial port that reallz serves as a gateway to the islands, it does have its charms just out of the city. Just north of the city is Trsat. There is a church there that supposedly hosted Mary and joseph....snooze. I also went to my first Grad aka Castle all were very nice but what i really liked were all the houses on the walk up,i love just seeing where real people live. Talking of the walk, it helps to know the language around these parts as i could of taken a bus or walked an indirect route instead i approached some stairs, i should of known when there was noone around. When i got to the top, i estimated that i had walked up about 500 stairs and then felt i was exaggerating, i had to walk back down after the castle to count. 536 in total, my ass is going to thank me for it but my legs are unhappy.
Trsat though is very nice, i sense and Italian atmosphere, in fact it feels that waz in Rab too, i am closer to the coast and i guess closer to Italy so it makes sense.

The ride over to Rab was lovely, i spent too much time listening to Sun Kil Moon and feel really wistful, overly romantic and slightly depressed now that i am here as i am here alone and it is quite lovely. Have you ever listened to Carry Me Ohio, i must of listened to it 10 times just today, pay attention to the lyrics, they really resonate.

I am staying on the harbour and the very friendly Hotel Istra, i told them i was depsrate for a swim and they pointed me to a local spot where basically the town drops into the Adriatic sea. No beach, just a concrete lip, the sun going down over the island across with sail boats drifting by. The water was wonderfully fresh and cold and i felt the stress of travel completely leave me.

It's 8.30pm now and there is not much to do for a singleton like me but go to bed. Sometimes awesome is a room to myself, a small bed and Croatia's Got Super Talent on the telly.

Tomorrow i am kayaking to a little island not even in my guide book called Franjki or something like that. Apparently Prince Edward and Wallace Simpson had a love in there, it means love as well apparently...great. After that it's an overnight sail to Split. Im actually looking forward to meeting the others in Dubrovnik, some conversation, dinner and wine would be nice...oh and a wedding!


Listening to: Sun Kil Moon -Carry Me Ohio and Ocean Breathes Salty

Time zone GMT + 1

Zagreb, Croatia

The train ride from Ljubljana to Zagreb is very picturesque and a very easy 2 hours or so. Sit on the right side of the train, there is much more of the landscape to see than on the left. We arrived at the border for Croatia and were swarmed by police, i had thought it was a raid but it was just immigration. Here they board the train with bluetooth devices, calling in the names of non EU passport holders into little headsets before stamping and moving onto the next. It was like a military operation and was remaniscent of old war time movies.
The shame of the whole EU merger is the loss of all the weird and wonderful country stamps but the upside is if you are the holder of a EU passport there is no security check, very easy should yoube on the run. At the rate the EU is growing you could pretty much be on the run forever.

I treated myself and booked into a little designer hotel called the Arcotel Allegra near the train station, i have Sigmund Freud bed sheets.

After checking in i strolled into the Dolac region which is pretty much the center of town. Zagreb at night is very safe and very walkable although the tram system is excellent. Watch out as they come by fast and furious, waiting for no man or woman.

Starving, i stumbled upon a place that was packed with locals outside. I ventured in and found it was this sandwich bar that i had read about on some blog. It,s basically Croatian fast food, sandwiches, the Croatians absolutely love bread. It must come from the time of the conflict as bread is so simple to make, much as it was popular in British war times. Bread is with everything. The sandwich though was amazing, so much so that i went back today for lunch before my 4 hour train ride to Riejka. Last night i had the classic breaded pork with cheese in a Pita bread with lettuce, tomatos and some kind of dressing. So fresh and i was completely stuffed for 20 Kuna.
The Kuna as me just plain confused. Already coming from the states to the UK i am constantly converting between US and Sterling. Now i am converting the Kuna back to Euro back to Sterling back to dollar to get an idea of what i am spending. Currently it is around 7 Kuna to the Euro. So last nights sandwich at 4 Euro was good value...i think.

The shame of travelling solo is not sampling all the nice restaurants. I dont feel like sitting down to a 3 course meal alone. Zagreb is very socialable and cosmopolitan, much of its layout and architecture of some buildings reminds me of both Madrid and Mexico City. Id like to come back for a weekend perhaps although after today like Ljublana, i think i have covered it in 24 hours although as with Slovenia, id like the opportunity to go inland and do some hiking.

After my walk last night i ventured back to the hotel to use as many facilities as possible, namely the wellness spa which boasted jacuzzis and saunas. They werent lying and at first like with many hotels i though i was the only one using them. I wandered in and the place was silent, noone around, and then i saw a man laying on chair in a robe. We swapped Dobar Dans (Hello) and i went back to change. At first i believed he had thought i had left because when i returned he was standing butt naked outside the steam room. I quickly apologized for walking in on him and closed the door for a moment, as he put his robe back on. I then went into the steam room, wearing a swimsuit, this is a hotel for gods sake not a nudist colony. As i lay there perspiring away all my youth hostel dirt from the night before, in he walks completely balls naked and sits down on the bench, my eyes in direct line with his dangly bits. I dont know how i didnt burst out laughing. Have i mentioned the guy must of been in his late 50s to 60s, white hair...collar and cuffs! Well i remained cool and stayed for 5 minutes, before leaving, as i left he said ˝i hope i did not scare you ˝ i wanted to tell him ˝ not with that, no˝ but i didn't.
Instead i went to one of the jacuzzis, how awesome that they had personal jacuzzis that you start with your room key, it sprays in detergent and cleans it before filling with water and starts the jets. It was fantastic, lights went on in the tub and calming music played. Definitely what i needed.

Today i walk around town, went to Zagreb Kathedral, my first place of worship on this trip but not my last i am sure. Actually i followed it up by going to St Marks church which has god awful tiling that form flags on the roof and then to a stone gate. I then went up a path that lined the city and gave sweeping views of its rooftops and spires.

I stopped by the market in the Dolac, starting first with the flower market, the smell of lavender was intoxicating, this was then followed by all the fresh fruits and vegetables and the women selling their cheeses, The area was brimming with people at outdoor cafes and what i really like is that these people are older but what is odd to see is rarely are these groups of mixed gender. The older generation certainly seem to socialise with their own. Women outside cafes drinking lattes and wine, the men smoking cigars across the street, cold beer in one hand cards in the other. Everybody watching each other.

Zagreb in fall is lovely. Still warm and sunny in the day, cool at night. The leaves are starting to leave the trees and the streets are full of conkers which streetside vendors roast and sell in the evenings. I have only ever seen that in England before so it made me smile.

Iwent back for a sandwich at Pingvins, this time a seabass in ciabatta with lettuce, tartar sauce and tomatos. I am not a sandwich fan but these were nom nom.

Now, i run for a train to Riejka, the gate way to the coast and where i swap trains for boats.


Listening to: Alexi Murdoch - Time without Consequnces (great trainride soundtrack)

Watching: Charlie,s Angels - The drew barrymore movie. Hadn´t seen it before, somehow i think the subtitled version is better.

Ljubljana, Slovenia

Slovenia looks like Oregon from above. Very lush & forestry. I really hadn´t thought much about this trip with so much going on in my life at the moment so i arrived in Ljubljana without any expections, not even a place to spend the night.

I found a bus to the city center and found myself sitting next to an aussie guy, Matt & a Portuguese guy, Luis. The latter spoke very little Spanish. I had planned to stay in a hotel but they convinced me to go to a hostel with them, the hostel Celica which is rated as one of the best in the world. Yeah, it was full . So we ended up somewhere that was probably rated the worst. Hotel Park which doubles as both a hotel and a hostel. As i found myself having to share with what was supposed to be 3 strange women, i decided it was not one of my best ideas and as i opened the door to the corridor that lead to my room and was greeted with very loud dance music, very loud shit dance music i wanted to run. I inched my way to my room & edged open the door, dreading what might be inside. It was quiet. Phew! Hang on a minute though, what the F is that? On one of the bunks was some kind of breathing device, a machine with a tube coming off of it and mouth piece. It was huge and very, very creepy. Nothing else, the bunk relatively untouched. As i eyed it, somebody on the bunk next to me said hello. I jumped. Hardly surprising as i am the jumpiest person in the world.

The voice was attached to Lena, a very nice 24 year old teacher from Minnesota. She was equally creeped out by the medical device. It wasnt hers. The owner was a mystery to both of us.

I convinced Lena to come out with me, i was thinking i would set her up with Matt or Luis but i just wanted to get out of the room.

The four of us walked along the river which was buzzing with cafes and bars and people. Its a university town so there are lots of young people around. We ended up finding a bar called The Cutty Sark which sold beer and pizza. I did try to ask locals to find out where we could get some local food from, apparently Ljubljana does not do local food. I was pointed to a Chinese place, an Italian and two Mexicans. Mexican food is Slovenia? Thats just wrong.

I sat and chatted with the younguns for a while, until they caught wind that i was 30 something and looked a little disappointed when i said i would not go in on a bottle of vodka and roam the benches of Ljubljana. They decided it wasnt cool either and we went back together, Lena and i was anxious to find out who the owner of the medical device was. NOt before Lena signed on to You Tube and showed us clips of fainting goats which was quite hilarious and we were all molested by the massage chair in the hotel lobby, at one point it tried to penetrate places where i would think it illegal in Eastern Europe.

Our floor was crazy, a party of German teenagers filling the corridor with guitars and booze and lots of singing. Confused into thinking we were all American they tried to get us to sing Tom Waits songs, Bob Marley and then talk turned to Jim Morrison and how amazing her was? Um...how old are these people? What year is this? As modern as Eastern Europe has become, so much of it is still stuck in 80s and stone wash denim and crazy haircuts rule. I made a swift exit to my room. I heard the slow hum of the medical device immdiately but i was a complete scaredy cat and didnt look, it was dark anyway so i just jumped on my bunk and fell asleep to the soudns of Richard Hawley crooning in my ear.

As uncomfortable in my environment as i was, i managed to sleep. Lena left early for a hike which left me with what i thought was 2 strange females in the opposite bunk bed. Well, imagine my surprise when one of them had a deep voice, a hairy back, a bald head and wore tiny pants. Urgh! they had put a man in our room and he was the owner of the breathing contraption. I feined sleep until they showered and left before doing so myself.

Today i rented a bike and rode all over Ljubljana, its very small and tidy so easily done in a few hours. I love that thez have bike lanes on both the pavement and the roads, easily identifiable in red. Good job too as while i was riding my pedal fell off, almost plowing me into traffic so i had to walk it back all the way from the castle. The castle is a big tourist attraction, its pretty from the outside but too modern and restored on the inside.

Im losing weight fast as i am hardly eating and not drinking. I have had no appetite and im disappointed that Ljubljana seems to be low on fresh local food, i didnt feel like anything until... i went for a stroll around the market which was nice, lots of fruit and vegetables, badly made clothes and souvenirs. I suddenly caught a waft of Sardines, i love Sardines. I followed the smell and came across a food truck selling whitebait, calamari & sardines which all the locals were scrambling for. I ordered myself some Sardines that arrived deliciously crispy with fresh garlic and lemon. I sat and people watched for a good hour. Slovenians are a social bunch, lots of milling aroud outside cafes with wine from as early as 11am, bikes everywhere. I love that nobody locks their bikes up.
I like Ljubljana, its very relaxing, the people are amazingly approachable and friendly, ashamedly they all speak great English which i have had to rely quite heavily on. Slovenian not being latin based i have struggled to understand a single word so have shyed away from trying anything more than a hello or thank you. The river is great and i love how vibrant it is in the evening, many of the bars look fun and some restaurants look interesting enough. The problem is, i am not feeling very inspired. I have hardy taken any photos and haven,t written anything more than my blog. So i am taking my own advice where i say if you aren,t feeling inspired by a place then move on. So, i am going to take an earlier train to Zagreb.


Timezone: GMT +1

Reading: John Updike - Couples

Geneva, Switzerland

Travelling is so hard on a hangover. As much as i knew my journey today would involve a bus, two trains, a plane and a car ride i still thought it best to stay out until 3am.

Somehow i woke in time and made my way down the mountain and caught the train first from Les Chable to Martigny and then onto Geneva airport. Thank god for sunglasses and Ira Glass. I slept most of the way.

Got home to Nana in time for a sunday roast and An Affair To Remember on the tv. I love Cary Grant, alway have and this film quite possibly started my love affair with NY.

Listening to: This American Life Podcast - Separated at Birth

Watching: An Affair To Remember

G & C got married yesterday in the beautiful little village of Le Chable. I've searched the internetz and there is very little on Le Chable no matter how you spell it. It was a civil ceremony, in a lovely old private house once lived in by a poet and now used as a registry office for weddings.

Earlier this week G had asked me to translate the ceremony as it was to be in French. I can tell you now that my French is passable should i need to find the swimming pool (piscine) or want a room with 2 beds and a bathroom (Je Voudrais un chambre avec deux lit & un salle de bain). So i was a little surprised. Luckily she has it all translated and all i had to do was recognise enough to know when i had to step in. I thought it an honor, she said it was just because i had a sexy voice and nothing to do with the fact we had known each other for over 20 years (eek!) i had hoped to ask S who is third in our friendship ring but she felt she hadn't yet dropped her mockney accent and was mortified at the thought of having to speak publicly.

What i did not know was that the size of the room was the size of my apartment and i was sitting practically on top of G & C in full view of the congregation. I had hoped that i would be at the back, behind a curtain somewhere. Alas no. The pressure was on me but i think i did a sterling job and unknowingly deceived everyone including G's family that i was fluent in French and did not have the translation in front of me. It would come to bite me on the arse later when JC, the local French speaking Snowboarding hero would try to chat me up.

Did i mention that G looked absolutely beautiful. She is a stunning girl and i think every girl looks especially beautiful on their wedding day, had she wore a white bin bag her smile would of made her radiant. Her dress though was very adult & classic, reminded me of a Ginger Rogers style dress, ivory, sleeveless, with slight jewel placement and long trains that flowed from her shoulders. C looked expecially dashing too.

The ceremony was fun, quick but not hurried and really very personal. After a few photo's, very few formal ones (yippee!) we all headed back up the mountain to Verbier for a much needed drink & dance.

The reception was back at the Hotel Nevai, 3 course dinner and lots & lots of Champagne. DJ Dave played some fantastic track and i managed to dance until 2am before i took my 5 inch heels off. Great meal, hilarious speeches, old friends and new friends made it a fantastic evening. I eventually got home at 9am after an after party but the less said about that the better. I managed to avoid JC, M & NA, i think mostly due to my high tolerance to champagen. I will say though that the scandal did not involve us singletons.

Today was a post wedding bbq of Ostrich & Chicken. Hangovers cured with Pimms & Bloody Mary's. People were avoided & sunglasses were stuck to most people's faces.

Verbier, Switzerland

After a morning at the Hotel Nevai Spa i took a short hike up to the Chapel of St Christophe. Only about 45 minutes north of the resort, it gives breath taking views of the valley. A large cross on the edge of a cliff and a small chapel reside at the top. The chapel is tiny inside and i was surprised to see it in use with burning candles and recent photo's of people passed on. My favorite was of a priest swinging a golf club. Nice swing.

Pre wedding drinks at Le Fer a Cheval a place known for it's pizza. In fact there are a lot of pizza places in Verbier which i found strange until i considered it's close proximity to the Italian border. I had been here in the winter season and it's a totally different atmosphere in the summer...no dancing on tables for me this time around.

Families and friends got together, many drinks were drunk and pizza's were eaten, pre wedding drinks are a great way to break the ice. As it was the last night before the wedding we made sure to whisk G away from C before midnight. I think G & I were the only ones to go home so early, G needed her beauty sleep before the wedding and i was terrified of having to drive a wedding party down the mountain on a red wine hangover. Sometimes i do the right thing, sometimes.

Verbier, Switzerland

Today is very auspicious apparently as it is 09/09/09. It certainly proved to be a good day for me starting at City Airport where i was due to catch a flight to Geneva. In 3 minutes i had checked in, dropped my bag off AND made it through security checks. It really reminded me of traveling years ago when it was so much easier, before the world went crazy with red tape and procedures.

I easily caught the 14:27 to Martigny which left at precisely 14:27, hardly surprising because we are dealing with Swiss Rail.

As tired as i was, i stayed awake as we snaked our way up the French side of the Swiss Alps to Martigny where i was to be picked up by my friends husband to be, C.

The train goes through Montreux and Lausanne and past the beautiful Lake Geneve. At points we were so close, from where i was seated it looked like we were actually gliding atop the lake. The lake on my right and the mountains on my left there was so much to see, i kind of just withdraw from the world and daydream...i do love a train ride.

1hr 45mins later i was in a car heading up to Verbier. I had been here a couple of times in the winter to ski but never in the summer. It was strange to see it bare of snow but it was still as beautiful in lush green. Skiers & snowboarders have been replaced with mountain bikers, hikers and climbers so although much busier, the resort area is not completely dead.

The drive up, although only 20 minutes is quite hairy. I've just found out that i'll be driving people down for the ceremony on Friday as well as back up. Gulp!

My friends chalet is great, the views are magnificent with completely unobstructed views of the valley below and mountains straight ahead. It's stunning and i sit and take stock for half an hour on the deck.

7.00pm and G (the bride to be) and i were whisked off for her Hen Night. I knew it wouldn't be a cheesy, gaudy affair with crappy t-shirts and bunny ears but i was still surprised how lovely it was. Her swiss based friends had secured a friends chalet for the evening which is straight out of MTV Cribs. It was ridiculous. Perched high up in the mountains, decks, huge fireplaces and tv's in the walls at the end of the bath tubs. So, so nice. They hired private chefs to cook for us, with duck breasts, salmon tartare, rasperry and white chocolate cake, bottles of good wine and the Champagne flowing it was a great night. I was on my best behavior and made sure my friend didn't get too wasted, we have spa appointments in the morning! Yip! Yip!

Listening to: Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings The Flood

Time Zone: EST -6

London, England

Back on home turf. I'm nervous about it. I'm nervous because today was such a beautiful day, not once but three times i commented on how the weather was fu*king with me. It was especially sunny & warm, something i know it never is, but as i struggle to decide where i want to settle it seemed to show me London in all it's beautiful glory. At times my chest hurt as i thought about moving back permanently.

A working morning, Lunch with JT in Soho and a brief sit in Regents Park. Shoes off in the grass. Sun on my face. Book in my hand. Same pose as i moved East to Spitalfields where i sat on the grass and people watched between pages as i waited for TC.

TC didn't help matters with his walk along the river. The pair of us were both battling sobriety and as we passed pubs that lined the river, full of workers having cheeky pints we almost gave in. I know i wanted to. Even beer looked appealing on such a warm day as they bubbled and flowed in peoples hands, sun shining through highlighting the burnt amber liquid. The plan was that TC was going to teach me how to use the new but old Polaroid 340 camera he bought me. Alas it was not to be as it seems the camera is faulty. Such a shame as it was a fantastic day for polaroids, it seemed all around there were great faces and places to document. I'm optimistic it will be fixed though. Forever the optimist.

This led us to just walk and talk instead, dropping by previously unknown to me passageways. TC is the first person i know to show me parts of London even I didn't know about! I know! I hardly thought it was possible! I have become rusty after my years away but still. Impressive knowledge of the Royal Mint too.

We caved to alcoholic beverages at the local Thai place. No way i could eat without a glass of wine or 3. Met up with R and hung out at The Golden Calf and some colorful locals. A pretty perfect day in London for me. I even managed to catch the last train home. Home is with Nanny Madeleine. She makes the best flat mate.

Listening to: Talking Heads - This Must Be The Place

Reading: The Rough Guide to Croatia

Los Angeles, CA

I experienced my second Earthquake this evening. A very surreal experience as i was sitting with my friend D in the movie theatre at The Grove watching Star Trek.  As The Enterprise was about to go Warp Speed the building started to shake and creak. My first thought was that it was part of the cinematic experience! My heart rate elevated and i started to look around me and people had started to run out of their seats.  I now think they were tourists as the majority stayed in their seats.  I didn't even think to run, i turned to my friend D with wide eyes, who turned to me equally wide eyed and after a 'whoah' and a grip of his arm we burst out laughing. Perhaps nervous laughter.  The movie kept playing the whole time so i quickly went back to watching it and people slowing came back to their seats.

Outside, The Grove was buzzing because it was a beautiful day. People sitting outside eating, couples kissing by the fountain. No way would you believe there had just been a 4.7 richter scale earthquake.  These  Californians are seriously laid back.  I like it.

They are also ridiculously good looking and healthy.  Everybody looks like a model. Sure some of the girls are overdone with boob jobs and oversized lips but they have great healthy, fit bodies. The men, well, the men are ridiculously athletic looking.   Since being here i have been to the gym every single morning, i've swam and ate more fruit this week than in the last 3 months...maybe it's because i've been in a swimsuit most days. Who the hell can be so bold to eat a hamburger and fries while wearing a swimsuit? Not me.

Oaxaca, Mexico

Two blocks from we stayed in the Historic District is the Cathedral Santa Domingo . An ornate old monastery and church from the 1570's that combines baroque and gothic beautifully.  The old convent now houses the Cultural Center and botanical gardens.  A very pretty, peaceful church, the light through the stained glass windows was particularly pretty.

We weaved our way down the streets through the very busy Zocola.  Yet another protest or demonstration of some kind was occuring. This one had quite an audience, more organised with chairs and microphones.

We found the local food market 20 Noviembre which was amazing.  A burrow of food stalls selling local chocolate and cheeses, some crickets or course.  Stalls displaying various meats packed the place, next to each stall was a hot grill where you were able to pick the meat you wanted and they cooked it on the grill with onions, chili's and vegetables. Smoke filled the corridor as did the people packed in trying to get their lunch.  Further along were tiny kitchens offering tamales, enchilades and mole's.  We picked one and i left it to El Grinch to order a platter consisting of two moles (Mole Negro and another i cannot recall that was red in color!), Oaxacan cheese and grilled meats.  That, the warm tortilla's and a couple of cold beers made for an amazing lunch for about 100 peso's for both of us.

For dessert we stopped by an icecream parlor called Popeyes that El Grinch would go to as a child (he has not been back to Oaxaca as an adult).  We shared a delicious flat sugary cone filled with a scoop of chocolate and and another scoop of milk chocolate and nuts. Yum.  Delicious but definitely best shared. 

After a quick siesta back at the hotel and we were back on the streets of Oaxaca City.  Neither of us had done too much research into the nightlife, earlier on in the afternoon we were handed a flyer for a bar on the west side of town so we decided to go there. It offered two for one Mexcal's..

En route, we took pictures of the only decent graffiti that i had seen in Oaxaca.  Some stenciling of Mexican hero's and characters.  The city is full of graffiti but it's mostly terrible reckless tagging done by inexperienced teens, not skilled or artful at all.  It was also not usual to see protest rhetoric sprayed across the front of beautifully painted buildings. Very harsh and stark. 

We also stumbled on a great little jazz bar La Nueva Babel. As the band played in a tiny space the size of a bread box, we sat upstairs on cushions and drank yet more Paloma's.  It was so close and comfy i felt like we were at a private party at a friends home with the stereo playing.

It was strange to see people smoking inside, the global smoking ban has not reached Oaxaca yet, although El Grinch tells me it has reached Mexico City. Much to his lament, he is a smoker. A smoker with morals who could not bare it if i even picked up a cigarette.

A couple of blocks up was Cafe Tamarind. Another tiny space, this time starker add bright with cubes for chairs, local art for sale on the walls. I guess it looked pretty young and hip yet the crowd was very diverse. Many of us sat around on the cubes trying not to look at each other. The music was good, electronica but the place lacked atmosphere and after a beer we moved on.

On to Fandango. A backpackers favorite (although it was also busy with locals) that is also a rock music venue. Last night a band played English/American rock covers, the one that stuck in my mind was 'Another Brick In The Wall'.   The drinks were cheap, hence the American backpackers drinking margarita's made with rank tequila.  I mock but 10 years ago that was me in Asia, it bought back memories. It wasn't a bad bar at all but after a couple of drinks we decided to see what else Oaxaca had to offer.

We ended up at a bar called La Divinia. No backpackers here, all locals head banging to another cover band, this time it's Nirvana.  It had more of an atmosphere, people are really rocking out in the next room where the band is on an elevated stage.  It was around 2am and El Grinch decides to get me a litre of Paloma (tequila with grapefruit soda), he a litre of something wicked and coke.  It was definitely the straw that broke the camels back. I recall us sneaking the drinks out of the bar and staggering up the street towards the hotel, after spotting a couple of intimidating gardi (police) further up the street we opt for ditching them instead of hiding. Probably a good thing. We both woke with wicked hangover's this morning.

Oaxaca, Mexico

We wake early. Breakfast is included so we make the most of it. Fresh fruit, chiliquillas and eggs on the menu.

We relent and pick up a map from the hotel with the idea of just walking around Oaxaca City, finding our way.  We notice on the map that there is a market on Fridays at a town around 35 Klms away so decide to ditch our plan of exploring the city, get the car and get driving.

It seems that Friday is also the day for demonstrations. El Grinch tells me that Mexico loves a demonstration,  on Thursday in Mexico City it was the teachers. Today in Oaxaca it seems to be the farmers and they are blocking every major road out of the city with their protests. Our map is terrible and i will never understand how we managed to circumnavigate all the dusty back roads that have been made pretty much obsolete since the arrivals of the more modern roads. The businesses on these small roads must rub their hands with glee at the possible business that these protests bring in for them.  

Th city quickly turns into farmland, donkeys grazing, chickens & kids running loose but the protests continue. Soon we are so far off the path we have no idea how we will get back on it. No signs anywhere, you just have to feel your way and ask the local Ranchito's that line the streets with their dusty stetson style hats. Luckily for me, i don't have to break out the Spanglish. El Grinch is the best chauffeur and translator a girl could ask for. 

The landscape of the Oaxaca valleys is drier and browner than i expected especially for winter. I expected the sierra's to be more lush and greener but the mountains that surround Oaxaca & it's 500 plus municipalities (thanks El Grinch) are still very beautiful.

Just when we think we are free of road blockades (if you call 2 crates in a road and a single cop directing traffic from the shade of a tree a blockade) we off roading again following a tractor as it blows dust all over the place. These roads are narrow and very dusty, giant holes litter our path, a biker even bites the dust right in front of us (he was fine). I can't help but feel smug that i opted for the very pricey full insurance option!

The town we are in is called Octolan de Morelos.  Known for it's market and being the birthplace of Rodolfo Morales, a Mexican painter whose house now serves as a museum and gallery of Mexican art and artifacts. We go here first and for a small donation to the foundation we wonder around his folklore style paintings.

The market completely overtakes the whole village. There are goats on a rope, turkeys being paraded around ( i had several brushed up against my legs, wearing a skirt. Not pleasant), and just about everything for sale.  The market is a mix of modern junk with delicious food and vegetables and local arts & crafts. It is packed with locals, some in modern dress, others in traditional dress, women carrying their wares on their heads.  A great place for photo's but many of the locals hate having their photo taken so i take them from the hip and have come up trumps with some fantastic shots.

I had promised El Grinch that i would try the Oaxacan delicacy of Chapulines. Chocolate covered Crickets to you and I. I take one look at the jumbo sized ones and balk. I will but not today.

Due to another blockade it takes us over two hours to get back to Oaxaca. 33 Klms in 2 hours. It's a pain in the ass but it's fun. I have no idea how we got back, certainly it is not the way we came. No road signs to anywhere, i am pretty sure these roads are not even on a map. When there is a sign it is spray painted on the side of a rundown building OAXACA and an arrow.

Just miles and miles of winding dirt roads many of which feel like we are passing through peoples back yards. Passing through the smallest of towns like La Cienega, many of these towns rely on the sale of their black pottery to survive.  The funnest part is asking for directions. All look bemused at us even though El Grinch is technically a local, he is still foreign.  Directions include 'Take a right at Benito's house', left at the school, go on pass the Jose's house and Jesus's house"  Which one is Jesus's??? We have no idea and just keep trying different roads and it's fun. We are not in a rush for anything.

It's still only 3pm so we are going to take a walk around Oaxaca City as planned this morning. I see a siesta in my sights.

Oaxaca, Mexico

My flight to Mexico City was pretty uneventful. The only highlight was brushing past Anderson Cooper who sat a couple of rows ahead of me. Seeing as the Inauguration is in a few days i am surprised he is not heading to DC.

When i arrived in Mexico City i did a stupid thing. I had Sushi.  I know, i know, i know....

I was meeting El Grinch (Remember El Grinch from my trip last November) and had a few hours to kill before he left work and came to meet me. I was also hungry but didn't want anything heavy. I really, really wanted Sushi. Needless to say it was terrible and it serves me right. Never, ever eat Sushi in Mexico. It makes sense really.

El Grinch met me and our adventure began.  We picked up a trusty little purple Chevvy and we drove, i say we but i mean he, drove for over 6 hours with only minimal bathroom breaks to Oaxaca. I love that neither one of us had a map and neither one of us cared. It was pretty much one straight road via Puebla anyway.  He drove the whole way, no complaints. Through the rain in blackness. I was the GPS and DJ, no complaints about that either. Bonus points awarded. We drove on the paid road. In Mexico you have a choice, the local 'free' roads or the 'paid/toll' roads. The tolls are pretty high and plentiful but it is worth it. The difference between the two is vast and the toll roads are fantastically clean and well kept. More so than most roads i see in the US. I understand from El Grinch the free ones are pretty dangerous and slow.

I would like to write about the stunning scenery but it was pretty much pitch black the entire way after it took over an hour just to get out of Mexico City traffic.  I know there were mountains involved though, lots of them, it was strange not seeing them but feeling ourselves getting higher and higher, our ears occasionally popping.  It was euphoric for us at one point when we realised that we were almost out of gas and somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Just as we started to talk about camping in the rain, no tent surrounded by wild coyotes a gas station appeared from nowhere. At this point we also realised both our phone batteries were dead.

Arrived in Oaxaca in one piece. Even in the dark i could sense how different it was to Mexico City. I could see the outline of the mountains surrounding the city and it definitely lacked the heavy concentration of cars.  It felt less tense and We are staying in the Centro Historico and getting to the hotel took some navigating because neither of us had a clue of where the hotel was. No pdf print outs for us. That's how we roll.  We found the hotel, dumped our bags and straight for the Paloma's. That's how we roll.

After some late night Taco's we headed out on the town. The town was quiet though, it appears the bars and restaurants close early midweek.  Eventually we ended up at a Karaoke/latin dancing bar the name of which i can't recall.  Needless to say i did not partake in either but El Grinch did have that Cervecita and i had my Paloma.  

Kilometers Travelled: 477 to Oaxaca

Listening To: My Oaxaca road trip play list - Damian Marley - Welcome to Jamrock, Santogold - L.E.S.Artistes, Portishead - Dummy, Hot Chip - Made In The Dark

Time Zone: -1 EST

Denver, CO

I have been staying The Curtis hotel the last few nights. I love this hotel and highly recommend it but don't stay on the 10th floor.  My room (1019) as with all the rooms on this floor, are adjoined to other rooms. And the doors between them are thin.

1st night

Woken up around 1.30am by 'Steve's' cellphone next door (1020) I know his name was Steve because he was talking to his wife/girlfriend called Amanda. "Hi Amanda, it's Steve. I know it's early but i miss you. I can't wait to see you again...Mmmmm yeah, yeah, i have been thinking about you too...Mmm..i miss you too baby.." Let's leave it at that. I tuned out with help of CSI Miami.

1st Morning

Steve is a burper..and proud of it. "BUUUURRRRPPP! BUUUURRRP! Oh yeah!" BURRRRP! BURP! YEAH!" He's really in his own private idaho. Except it's not as private as he thinks.

2nd Evening

Steve can't get to sleep. I hear him sighing so loudly i move my hand across to the other side of my king size bed to make sure he's not actually lying in it.

2nd Morning

Steve doesn't like his boss. He spent a good hour on the phone ranting about what a "motherf*cker " Joe is.  As i understand it, Joe is head of sales and Steve's sales are down this qtr. Joe's not buying the global economic crisis.

3rd evening

Steve has left. He has been replaced by a couple.  I have no idea of their names but they are having animalistic sex. I have turned my TV up loud hoping that they might hear it and work out that if they can hear me then i can here them having monkey sex.