Saturday, December 6, 2008

The Sparsest Public Square I've Seen in Two Months.

From 19 Monterrey
This Spanish colonial city was founded in the furthest outreaches of the empire.

The cathedral is fine, if a bit rustic.

No shade yet. Gravel makes it look like it look more unfinished than it already is. No restaurants (except for this one that sold the some of the worst bar-b-qued meat I have tasted on this trip) or bars of any kind. One of the least interesting social scenes, as you can tell from the photo.

Let's hope it gets better.

Upcoming Book Projects.

Sexi Diva: The Baffling English Language Shirts of Monterrey.

Mofin: The Fantabuluous Muffintops of Guadalajara.

¡Dejame, Viejita! : An Asshole's Guide to the Public Spaces of San Cristóbal.

The Complete Book Mayan Sex Secrets. Turtle Feather Jaguar! It will blow your mind!

The Dry, Hacking Coughs of Oaxaca. An audiobook.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Fifty One Days.

From 19 Monterrey
br/>I could have stayed more, but I had business I needed to attend to back in San Antonio.

Just an awesome, awesome experience that will take me some time to process.

Practically speaking, it's been more than 50 days without... Driving. Church's Fried Chicken. Lone Star. Flushing toilet paper. Doing ANYTHING vaguely illegal. (Have you seen that show Locked Up Abroad on National Geographic???) Being shorter than someone. Speaking much English. Touching another human being. (Aside from brushing shoulders in a bus seat. A strange realization, but true.) I went for about 45 days without any fast food, but I actually had a Big Mac Attack. (And I'm ashamed of it, of course.) Real Tex Mex flour tortillas.

I'm going to do all this stuff this weekend. Watch out.

Random Image.

From 18 Cancun and Yucatan
I NEVER saw an indigenous person that looked like this during my time in Mexico.

I guess if white people want to believe their ancestors looked like Conan the Barbarian, then why bother the pre-columbian folk's ideas about the past?

After All the Hype.

From 19 Monterrey
After all the hype, it EXCEEDED the sky-high expectations.

Not one of the top meals of this trip. One of the top meals of my life!

Sublime! Succulent! Crispy, fatty delicious skin over juicy, meaty goat!

What Zankou Chicken in LA does for chicken.

What City Market in Luling does for cow.

El Rey del Cabrito, you ARE the king of goat.

All hail the king!

The Elevator.

From 19 Monterrey
Where does it go? Can I go there? Who do I ask?

Is there some cabrito VIP lounge I should be made aware of???

Would it be like the end of Willie Wonka and the elevator busts out of the building? Would it land on a goat?

I want in!

Casual Dining Norteño Style.

From 19 Monterrey
Everything was goat themed. The elaborate carved wood chairs. All the architectural details. The napkin holders had pictures of splayed goats.

It was insane.

Mollejas.

From 19 Monterrey
I'm not a lover of organ meats, but these beauties were barbequed to perfection. With some onion...delicious.

The Menu Looks Promising.

From 19 Monterrey
I want to know this guy. He looks like a character. A used car salesman of the roasted goat world.

What's his story???

Also I want that shirt. A short sleeve mariachi shirt. Try taking cabrito grease out of the embroidery, though.

El Rey del Cabrito.

From 19 Monterrey
After a couple of short airline flights, my friend and I were in Monterrey, where the journey began for me 51;days before.

I had passed this place before. Curious. Scared. Hungry.

But I had passed it up 51;days ago. Not today, though.

Main Drag.

From 18 Cancun and Yucatan
Kinda upscale touristy? A lot of English being spoken.

Boo.

View From Under the Palapa.

From 18 Cancun and Yucatan

Playa del Carmen.

From 18 Cancun and Yucatan
A little more crowded. A little more expensive.

Still nice, though.

Sunday, November 30, 2008

The Unforgettable Ruins of Tulum.

From 18 Cancun and Yucatan
Unfortunately, I did forget my camera phone at a restaurant in Tulum.

Here's another picture of food. A seafood stand by the bus station before the trip.

Go Google "Tulum" and "Mayan." I'm sure there are much better pics than I could take. The site is not top, top tier. (Like Monte Alban, Palenque or Chichen Itza) But it is solid. A Mayan city situated on a cliff overlooking the ocean. Strategically placed for defense and trade along the coast.

UPDATE: Found pics on other camera.

From 18 Cancun and Yucatan


From 18 Cancun and Yucatan


From 18 Cancun and Yucatan

Hometown Wins.

From 18 Cancun and Yucatan
There is joy in Mudville, as I look for the nearest restroom because my eyes are watery and my bladder is pulsating with pain.

Go Atlante!

Bring on... Santo? San Luis? Not sure.

Another Set of Doubles, please.

From 18 Cancun and Yucatan
The girl in front of me got up and jumped into my enormous cup of beer and started swimming.

I had to pick her out like a gnat that flew into my drink.

The Crowd Was Animated.

From 18 Cancun and Yucatan
Drumming. Chanting. Numerous waves.

The middle aged woman next to me had the mouth of a Veracruz sailor. ¡Vieja cochina! She was having a blast, though.

An Accident at Halftime.

From 18 Cancun and Yucatan
An eagle mascot had an interaction with this inflatable star mascot. The star fell down and its costume started losing air. The yellow plastic material began clinging to the person's body as a handler worked to make sure this person didn't suffocate.

Half the crowd was cracking up. A quarter was concerned. The rest wasn't really paying attention.

The Playoffs.

From 18 Cancun and Yucatan
The Tigres of Monterrey v. the hometown Atlante. Two of eight teams left for the Mexican national championship.

It was an elimination game for the Tigres.

I'll Have a Beer. A Double.

From 18 Cancun and Yucatan

Are You Ready for Some Futbol?

From 18 Cancun and Yucatan
After Isla de Mujeres, my friend and I checked into a hotel downtown and made our way to the arena, where the playoffs were happening.

We bought them from a young scalper, but you would have thought we were buying something very, very illegal, with how paranoid HE was.

Friday, November 28, 2008

This Morning.

From 18 Cancun and Yucatan

Downtown Cancun Bar.

From 18 Cancun and Yucatan
Watching UT trounce the HELL out of A&M.

Beautiful. Did you like the game, Ben Morales? Ha!

Señor Frogs.

From 18 Cancun and Yucatan
I had to do it. Part of the experience, right?

One drink and out. The drunk Americans with balloon hats were getting to me.

Thanksgiving in Cancun.

From 18 Cancun and Yucatan
The best beach I've ever been to. No doubt. Clear blue water. Powdery sand. Beautiful. All day was spent here.

This is where I called you from, mom and dad.

Spurs Game in Mexico.

From 18 Cancun and Yucatan

At a Mexican Hooters.

I hope the travel gods forgive me for this one, but I needed to watch some basketball. A kid's pickup game or something.

Looks like Ginobili made it back before I did. Will I make it back before Parker???

Cancun.

From 18 Cancun and Yucatan
View from the balcony.

Forty bucks a night per person. Awesome.

Port A, I won't miss you.

The Ballcourt.

From 17 Chichen Itza

Temple of Venus.

From 17 Chichen Itza

More Chichen Itza.

From 17 Chichen Itza
One of the sinkholes that collected water for the city.

More Chichen Itza.

From 17 Chichen Itza
The Caracol.

Set to capture light at the equinoxes and solstices.
From 17 Chichen Itza

More Chichen Itza.

From 17 Chichen Itza

The Incomparable Chichen Itza.

From 17 Chichen Itza

Public Art in One of the Roundabouts.

From 16 Merida
This one is...big? Right. Horrible.

On the Montejo Boulevard.

From 16 Merida
During the reign of Porfirio Diaz, Mérida became a boomtown, with the export of sissal, used to make...rope.

It's millionaires built a Parisian-style boulevard and mansions on that boulevard.

Irony.

From 16 Merida
The general that gained fame suppressing the revolt of Mayan peasants eventually has his beautiful home given up as a museum to their ancestors.

It boggles the mind.

From 16 Merida


From 16 Merida

This Kids Wants Out.

From 16 Merida
Be quiet and stop complaining. We're trying to get rid if that ugly normal head of yours.

How It's Done.

From 16 Merida
What, me worry?

From 16 Merida

Skull Modifications.

From 16 Merida
Looks goods. Let's bring it back.

This was for the religious-ruling class.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Built by This Guy.

From 16 Merida
A wealthy businessman. A dealer in plumbing supplies? Did I read that correctly? Also a general in Mexico's Caste War, where Mayan peasants revolted against the deplorable conditions in which they were forced to work. An asshole.

Mérida's Anthropology Museum.

From 16 Merida
Housed in a private residence from shortly after the turn of the century.