Patzcuaro, MC

Patzcuaro is a small town on the shore of Lake Patzcuaro. In the lake is an island called Janitzio, where there are very popular day of the dead celebrations.  This is the first time I've staying in one place this long, and it's a nice respite from driving.

The campsite/RV park/motel is a family affair.  I talked to Arturo, who speaks very good english.  He showed me where to park Vandrew, and took my money.  Unfortunately, the WiFi didn't work the whole time I was in Patzcuaro, so I used that as an excuse not to blog.

The campsite, soon after I arrived, with my new friends Ed and Melissa, from New Mexico.

The town of Patzcuaro was really gearing up for the Day of the Dead celebrations, and the campsite is located about equidistant between the town square and the water taxi to the island of Janitzio.  The town center seemed to be turned into one big market, with bands and art and exhibitions as well as sugar skull and day of the dead paraphernalia and food being sold.

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Mexico City, MX - La Policia

"I don't travel to see different things, I travel to see things differently"
Author unknown

I've waited so long to write this post because I think there's something poignant that I've learned, and I wanted to be able to articulate it fully.

I have, however, come to the conclusion that I'll never be able to convey my thoughts satisfactorily, so here I go anyway.

I got back from Las Vegas, after a wonderful weekend with friends, and Vandrew was right where I left it. I noticed that all the doors were unlocked, and when I tried to throw my bag between the seats, I found that there was an empty wooden fruit create between the seats. I took it out and left it in the garage. Nothing seems to be missing from Vandrew, and they charged me significantly less than the park n fly or the airport parking would have, so things were looking up. I had taken 5000 pesos out of the bank machine, so I had money to pay for parking and for gas. I had booked in to the same cheap hotel that I'd stayed in on my way to the airport, as they were close, cheap, and I knew they had parking for Vandrew.

Just as I was about to pull into the hotel garage, the lights came on. Another policeman. Another "ticket". All my pesos, gone. About $300CDN.

I can't afford this. I don't speak the language. This guy holds all the cards...and all my money. I feel so helpless. There's no "let me talk to your manager", or "I know my rights!".

The next morning, I'm scared to see police cars. I drive carefully by and hold my breath. I can't get out of town fast enough.

It's a horrible feeling...and I'm really glad I got to experience it.  As a white guy from Alberta, I've never felt this way before. I'm so privileged.

How many people feel this way every day? In countries where the police and government are corrupt, this is a matter of course. A black person in the US south in the 60s didn't just have to worry about their money disappearing.  There are places all over the world today where people grow up with this feeling as a way of life, not just while they're travelling for a few months.

It was horrible and I'm so glad I got to experience it...just a very small taste of what so many people deal with only hundreds of times worse.

That being said, I'm going to avoid the big cities from now on.

Mexico City, MX

I've been tried and found lacking as a blogger over the last week. I will endeavor to elevate my game. I apologize to both of you that read regularly.

Well,  I got into Mexico City the night before my flight to Vegas, and was promptly stopped by the policia again. This time they wanted $400US!  I had put only about 800 pesos (around $42US) in my wallet and told him that was all I had. He told me this wasn't enough and we were going to have to go to the police station. I went in the back and came back with $60 in US currency and, while he didn't seem happy about it, he said that would do. Then he gave me back 200 pesos for the tolls on the roads I was going to need on the way to the airport! Very strange to my Canadian mind.

I got to my hotel, and they had a nice big garage for Vandrew.  I went for a walk around the area of my $32CDN hotel,  then did some reading, set multiple alarms for 5:30AM, then went to sleep.

The next morning got up and had a shower. Lots of time to spare, and the park n jet was only a 9 minute drive. Google got me to the park n jet with no problem. Things were looking good... then I saw it "2.5M MAX". Vandrew would not fit at the park and jet!  Even though I'd phoned the night before, the language barrier was too much.  The guy at the kiosk said maybe at terminal 2 there's parking... on to terminal 2. Same problem. Check the international departure parking at terminal 1. Same issue.  I'm getting desperate. The guy at international parking says try the hotel valet. I drive into the hotel parking and ask "you're too big.  I think domestic parking you will fit. I'm 99% sure". I'm 1% sure I'll fit there, so that should work out fine, right? 

Just as I'm pulling out of the hotel garage (after a smooth 27 point turn), the valet stops me and asks how long I'm gone for. I tell him and he let's me park in the handicapped parking in the front of the garage!  Angels sing! Trumpets sound!  I have parking! I'm going to make my flight!

I race up the stars and take the monorail back to terminal 2. 2 hours before takeoff... Lots of time.

Except when I go to check in, it says the gate's closed. No problem, I'm not checking a bag so I'm not worried. I go and talk to an agent. "My flight's not until 9:30, can you give me a boarding pass?"

"Sir, it's 9:30 now!"

My phone had not updated my timezones! The auto update was off! I had driven 3 days without noticing! Luckily, there was another flight leaving 4 hours later, so I got that one... had to buy a new ticket though.

Off to Las Vegas!

Mexico - Part II

So, I haven't been posting...I've been driving...driving a lot. Since I left Palm Desert 4 days ago, Vandrew's logged 3000kms. It seems like I've only been driving, crossing an international border, filling up with gas, or sleeping. Oh, I did get to watch a hockey game in there too.

When I was in Arizona, I just parked in a reasonably nice neighbourhood in the Phoenix area and went to sleep...just like I'd do in Calgary.  Once I crossed the border however, I was suddenly aware that once the sun went down, the badguys came out, so I had to be more selective about where I chose to park for the night.  In my reading of the online, it was mentioned a few times that staying at the Pemex truck stops was reasonably safe and secure...and also free.  I like free, especially with all the money I was spending on fuel, so the first two nights in Mexico I stayed at Pemex. After 4 days in 30 degree plus weather, it was well past time for a shower. I pushed through to Guadalajara, with the idea of parking at a hostel, using their shower and maybe meet up with some travelers. When I started phoning around, however, I found that all the hostels in the Lonely Planet guide that I had didn't have anywhere for me to park or were closed down. Plan B was to get a hotel...hotels.com had one available just down the street from where I was, for $34/night! It was clean and cool, and it had a nice shower that got me all cleaned up. I didn't even sleep in Vandrew...the AC was too good.

This morning I had another shower (just because I could) and left with the sole goal get my laundry done. This turned out to be quite challenging in Guataljuahara, especially driving a 10' tall maxivan. I looked on Google...the first place only did dry cleaning. The second place wasn't there. The third place couldn't find parking within 10 blocks. The fourth place also no parking. The fifth place was having an overpass built on top of it...finally, the sixth spot I went to was open and I could park illegally a block away to drop off my clothes. Then I tried to park in a shopping mall parking lot, but when I turned up the small ramp to get in, there was a height restriction of 2.5 meters...for an above ground lot! It took me 20 minutes to back down the ramp onto the busy road.  What an adventure!

Also today, I got pulled over by the police for speeding. I'm pretty sure I wasn't speeding, but he did say that I could pay him the 1000 pesos for the ticket. When I did, he was visibly happy and shook my hand. I feel like I should have bartered with him, but it was my first bribe. Live and learn.

Also today, while I was searching for a laundromat, I stopped at a stop light and what can only be described as a wave of water came from the back of Vandrew and splashed up to my ankles. My water tank has leaked, and I lost about 50 litres of potable water. I think the only other thing that suffered was a charging cable that got wet and is now unusable.  Could have been worse.

Off to Mexico city tomorrow, so I should be able to upload some ball camera shots from there. Sorry about all the words.

Mexico

Made it in to Mexico with no problem. I got to the border, and just like the online said, I went to the "voluntary declaration" line and parked. With my forms and photocopies in hand, I went into the building where a nice man with very few teeth told me that I needed to do that "at kilometer 21"

Oh kilometres, how I missed you.

After some back and forth between different buildings, I got my sticker for my windshield and Vandrew was legal!  Now I have to cover a lot of kilometers to get to Mexico City Airport by Friday morning so I can fly back to Las Vegas...I swear it made sense when I booked the flight.

It's stinking hot, Vandrew has no air conditioning, and I'm melting, but other than that, things are going quite well.

No driving at night though...that's when the badguys come out.

I'll write more later...when I'm somewhere air conditioned.

Phoenix, CA

the drive from Palm Desert to Phoenix was different than I'm used to.  In Alberta, most of the dangers of driving come from either very cold weather, or slippery roads.  Through the desert, it's the heat.  There was a sign that said words to the effect of "turn your air conditioning off so you don't overheat over the next ten miles".  Very foreign concept to me.  The full moon rising over the desert landscape was amazing, but unless you're a professional photographer, moon photos don't do justice.

Not really doing much in Phoenix, just passing through.  But I thought I'd catch a hockey game while I was here.  I have been to Phoenix once before...about 15 years ago.  I went to a hockey game then too...the Coyotes were also playing the Flyers that night too!  100% of the games I've watched in Phoenix were against Philadelphia.

Tomorrow...Mexico.

Palm Desert, CA

Traffic in Los Angeles is something I don't think I could ever get used to.  Calgary's congestion and urban sprawl is bad, but L.A. is crazy.  I wonder if there's a statistic on road rage in L.A. vs. the rest of the country...

After I dropped Melissa off at the airport, I went to visit some good friends from Red Deer who were vacationing in Palm Desert, about 100 miles east of Los Angeles. It took me 4 hours to drive 100 miles on the "freeway".

Eventually, I met Mark and Melissa (new Melissa) in Palm Desert, and we had a really nice sushi meal.  They gave me a key to the resort they were staying in, and I spent two nights at their resort.  Nothing like a hobo looking guy crashing your romantic getaway!  Love these guys.

Also, Mark brought down the international driver's permit that I forgot to acquire when I was in Alberta.  Sooo lucky to have a good friend like Mark.  I emailed him photos and forms and he took care of it in Red Deer.  A hassle he didn't need before he left, but he came through like a champ.

I did manage to get Vandrew an oil change and a wheel alignment in Palm Desert...it's been over 5000kms since Calgary!

After two days of catching up and freeloading, it was hard to move on, but I need to get to Mexico City by October 21...I have a flight to catch back to Las Vegas!

Melissa, Mark and I by the pool.  Where is the sun? (out)  Where are the guns? (out!)

Santa Monica, CA

I'm getting behind on my blogging...

Just before I dropped Melissa off at the Los Angeles airport, we stopped for a nice lunch in Malibu, then a quick stop at the Santa Monica Peir to ride the Ferris Wheel.

McWay falls and Ragged Point, CA

On our way out of Big Sur, we stopped at the picturesque McWay Falls

Melissa, Andrew, and four random french girls

Heading south from Big Sur, we stayed at Ragged point, with great views of the water, but no whale sightings unfortunately.  It did turn out to be on the migratory path of some monarch butterflies, and since I'm planning on visiting a monarch butterfly final destination in Mexico, I thought I'd share a couple of pics.

Convienience vs Cost

One of the big things that I've been thinking about while living in a van for the past 4 months is convenience.

"Andrew, how have you enjoyed living in a van for four months?"
"It's been fantastic!"

This has not been a lie.  Vandrew has given me insight into my life that I could not have found otherwise.  Vandrew has been enjoyable, and not entirely uncomfortable.  Vandrew has been an adventure.  Vandrew has not however,  been very convenient.

Sure, there have been a few times where I've been able to drink alcohol and not to worry about how to get home.  Sure, instead of a 45 minute drive back to my apartment, I can pull over a block away from the movie theater and go to sleep.  This being said, the conveniences of Vandrew are few and far between.

It's not convenient to shower...I have to put everything into a bag and go to the gym...or the office...or a friend's house, or a swimming pool.  I tend to forget things (FYI, it takes me 23 paper towels to dry myself off after a shower).

It's not convenient to cook.  Pots and pans are limited as space is at a premium, if anything with any flavour is prepared, all of my clothes and bedding will smell like onions and garlic for days, so I stick to boiling water, where I have to get out of Vandrew and turn on the propane, and remember to turn it off afterwards.  Washing dishes is inconvenient too, and dumping the water afterwards is a pain in the neck.

Going to the bathroom isn't very convenient.  My original plan was to not use my toilet in the van unless there was an emergency.  There was a change of plans when I realized how important it is for me to be able to pee first thing in the morning.  If I use to the onboard facilities, I then have to empty the tank.  This is not convenient.

All of this being said, the fact that I am only inconveniencing myself for a relatively short period of time helps.  Knowing that there will be a time when I should be able to go back to the creature comforts that I have become accustomed to helps.

I also believe that it is good to be uncomfortable from time to time.  Being uncomfortable makes us appreciate the comforts that we have been taking for granted.  It also makes it easier to put a value on comfort.

I have some all in one glass wipes.

These are convenient.  One step.  Wipe glass with moist towel.  Done.  

At what cost though?  Not just the cost in dollars and cents, but the cost in waste.  I'm all for easy...but more than easy, I like efficient. At what point does the time savings override the waste cost?  I think it's going to be different for everyone...but I do think that I need to be more aware and deliberate when I make these choices in the future.  I'm not going to use cloth handkerchiefs to blow my nose, and I'm driving an old Dodge that gets about 12 miles to the gallon across the continent, but I have thought about it and made those decisions.  How many things have I yet to consider?

I don't think I'll buy glass wipes again.

Big Sur, CA

So, I picked up my friend Melissa at the San Francisco airport, and we headed south to Big Sur.  The Lonely Planet explains, "Much ink has been pilled extolling the raw beauty and energy of theis stretch of land shoehorned between the Santa Lucia Range and the Pacific Ocean, but nothing quite prepares you for your first glimpse..."

The Bixby Bridge, with Melissa, Andrew, and Vandrew

The place we stayed was a bit surreal.  I thought it looked like an eccentric grandpa built the place as a kind of play fort out of scraps of lumber.  It turns out, however, that an eccentric grandpa built it out of scraps of lumber.  The word "quirky"  doesn't quite seem to sum it up.

We also visited the Henry Miller Memorial Library, because why not?  Art and philosophy and music and literature and very Big Sur-ie.

San Francisco, CA

The city of San Francisco has a toll on the Golden Gate Bridge.  They don't take cash or cards at the toll booth, they take your picture and you submit electronically.  I'm not sure if I'm going to get a ticket in the mail when I get back to Canada, but I did park here for the night.  Fog horn going off all night was as bad a being in bed with a tuba player who only knows one note...and is practicing all night.  Tuba players are cool though.

Golden Gate Bridge Vista Point

Comments!!

I've been told by a few people that they couldn't post comments here...I think I've fixed it...you know...if you want to comment on stuff...

If you don't want to comment, that's cool too.

Coastal Highway, CA

So, I set out south from Crescent City, with the idea that I'll follow the coast as much as possible.  Being an Alberta boy, the ocean was something exotic and exciting.

I followed the 101 south, and eventually met up with highway 1, the Coastal Highway, at Leggett.  As I turned on to the 101, I noticed I was running on empty, but highway 1 was a tiny, twisty road and there was nowhere to turn around....my only hope was to make it to Hales Grove.

Trying not to use the brakes very much to conserve fuel, but not wanting to go off the windy road with my top heavy Vandrew, I eventually made it to Hales Grove.  The moment of elation was short lived as I found Hales Grove to be nothing more than a couple of weathered hunting cabins...no services.

To top things off, there was a sign at Hales Grove saying that there were no services at Rockport either!  I don't know why they felt the need to mention this at this point...maybe it was meant to be ironic.

I was sure that I was going to run out of fuel, but miraculously, Vandrew managed to push through to Westport, where there was a lonely gas pump.  "Watch it," the store attendant said, "it's $4 a gallon".

I would have paid twice that.

There was not a lot of diversity in the landscape along highway 1.  There was also not a lot of cellular service, gasoline retailers, or people.  For the most populated state in the US, I was surprised that there would be such vast underpopulated areas.

Crescent City, CA

Crescent City sounds like it should be the home to a comic book super hero, but it's actually home to a maximum security prison.

It's also where the moon scene from E.T. was shot, and it was Endor, the home of the Ewoks, in Return of the Jedi.  All this, according to the bartender at the bar that I was drinking at.  The Turf Club, one of the highest rated pubs in Crescent City according to Google, had no one in it.  I had to hunt to find the bartender.  Coincidentally, the Blue Jay's baseball game was on, so I watched them win the wildcard and get into the playoffs, chatted with the barkeep and drank a couple of cheap beers.  The next day, I headed out in the rain to Endor..

Yubnub
(these were by no means the biggest trees in the forest, but I didn't take my ball camera on the 10k hike so these are just the ones close to the trail head)

Oregon Caves, OR

So I spent the night in Grants Pass, Oregon, and my plan was to head directly west to Gold Beach.  Well, google maps decided that the best way for me to go would be through California...not directly west.  On the down side, this adds 37 miles to my trip...aproximately $10 Canadian in gas.  On the positive side, this route took me right past the Oregon Caves.

Going under

Funny Shapes 

Century old graffiti (covered in 100 years of calcite)

A view from on top of the caves

Crater Lake, OR

My original plan was to follow the coast down from Portland.  As with many things on this trip, that changed.

Quite a few people told me that Crater Lake was a "must see" in Oregon.  It is located approximately 2 hours drive inland, so rather than driving from Portland out to the coast, then driving back in to Crater Lake, I just took the I-5 south from Portland.  I made it to the village of Oakridge, where I spent the night.  On my way out of town in the morning, I noticed a sign - Lion Mountain Bakery 1 mile to the left.

Well, the thought of a nice croissant and maybe a coffee on my way out of town sounded appealing, so I followed the sign.  Shortly, I came across another sign, saying the bakery was 1/2 a mile, to the left again.  I was heading back where I came from.  Another sign, 1/4 mile down the bend in the road...getting closer.  Then nothing.  I was back at the school, and I knew I'd driven more than a 1/4 mile from the last sign.  I turn Vandrew around.  There's another sign for the bakery, 1/2 mile.  I drive until I meet up with the sign from the other direction.  No bakery.  Turns out the bakery burned down last year...

I didn't want a delicious croissant anyway.

As I worked my way up the mountain to Crater Lake, the rain that had been steady all day turned to snow.  Not enough to stick to the roads, but enough that you could make some really good snowballs.  When I arrived at the lake, it was beautifully picturesque...

I couldn't really capture the majesty of the lake with my phone, so I went back the 100 meters to Vandrew and grabbed the Panono.  When I arrived back up to the lookout, the clouds had moved in and everything was hidden in cloud!

I got to talking with a guy from Texas named Stratos.  Stratos had quit his job and had been travelling around North America for the last 7 months in a Toyota 4Runner with a rooftop tent.  We decided to drive around the lake, where we hoped the weather would clear up, and maybe we could find a drink.

Stratos, Andrew and Vandrew

Well, we did find a lodge where they made a pretty good old fashioned, and we sat and chatted for a couple of hours, but the weather didn't get any better.  It was hard enough for me to deal with the snow as an Albertian, but Stratos was really struggling.  By the time I got to the base of the mountain, there was no snow in sight...still lots of rain though.

Portland, OR

There are some people who are so great, you just feel like family.  The Friedmans are those type of people.  I spent the weekend with my friend Jodi, her husband Matt, and their two boys Kai and Nico. We ate warm pretzels and beer cheese (soooooo good!), drank old fashioneds and caught up with each other's lives.  Jodi and I met up with the remaining bike boys at (you guessed it) another beer festival in Portland, and the Friendmans and I went to a couple more of the McMenamins pubs.  Such a great time.

Matt, Jodi, Kai, Nico, Andrew and Vandrew


Jodi and I, near her house in Lake Oswego

Baruch, Andrew, Steve, Jodi, Brendan, and Bryce

Bend, OR

Because Hopsfest in Hood River was so much fun, I went down to Bend to spend some more time drinking beer, laughing, and acting like a 14 year old boy.  They were staying at a hotel that was converted from an old catholic school, and it was really cool!

The McMenamins pubs and hotels are a staple in Oregon and Washington.  They utilize old and quirky buildings, and have a sense of fun.  Not known for their fast service in the bars, that's okay in a place like Bend, where everything should be very laid back anyway.  Plus, at the Bend location, everything isn't always as it seems....