Roadspill: wanderism

Showing posts with label wanderism. Show all posts

Saturday, October 02, 2010

from the "early impressions of San Cristobal" dept.

One of San Cristobal's Walking Streets (Andadors)

I've been in San Cristobal for a few days now and I must say I'm very impressed. From the welcoming gift of local coffee and a friendship bracelet from the governor of Chiapas to the positive vibe that fills the streets, it's not at all what I expected.

Welcoming Gifts!

And it's certainly not what you see on the evening news. No drug wars here.

Sure, there are the aural reminders that I'm in Mexico: Barking dogs, crowing roosters and ringing church bells (It's 7:30am!) -- but even they have a certain calmness to them.

My year in San Pedro la Laguna, Guatemala was chaotic in comparison.

Over the past few days I've been strolling around town. There are two main walking streets (andadors) that form a T in the heart of the city. Locals and tourists saunter up and down, past wine bars, restaurants and shoppes. It's all here, yet none of it is in your face.

I feel like I've discovered a secret place.

Last night, Kelly, Dennis and I sat outside at a little wine bar and watched the world go by. A few Mayan street sellers (mostly women and children) stopped at our table to offer us various trinkets and whatnot. But a polite "no, gracias" was usually more than enough to send them on their way. Again: Calm.

Dennis takes a shot from his perch at the Wine Bar

After a few glasses of a cheap but tasty Sirah, we wandered over to a pizza joint to pick up a couple of pies to eat back at the house. The pizzas didn't disappoint: thin crust, cooked to perfection and loaded with my favourite toppings: Anchovies and olives. Yummy, nums.

We enjoyed a bit more wine and then called it a night.

It's been an eye-opening experience. I've only been here two full days and yet I feel like I've been here for months. That's how comfortable and pleasant San Cristobal is. Of course, living with Dennis and Kelly has helped a great deal.

As I write this I'm beginning my third full day. There isn't much on the schedule. A walk. Some wine. Enjoying the here and now.

This will change a little bit next week when I dive into my internet work. I've got five days to build the first website that I hope will generate a trickle of income.

But that's Monday. Until then, I'll be content to simply enjoy San Cristobal's charms.

Cheers

Thursday, September 30, 2010

from the "a place called Chiapas" dept.

San Cristobal's main cathedral

After a delay of about a year, I'm now back where I should be: The tropics. But in a new place: San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico.

And damn, it feels good.

Wednesday was one long day. It started at 3:30am in Cochrane, Alberta. After driving to Calgary's airport, then flying to Houston, then flying to Tuxtla Gutierrez, then driving to San Cristobal, I arrived at my new home.

As it was dark, I didn't see much. Dennis and Kelly were waiting for me and we celebrated new beginnings with two bottles of cheap (but tasty) wine. I went to bed at 2am - almost 22.5 hours after the day began.

This morning I woke up to the sounds of roosters and church bells. Tired, I hung out at the house for a while. Then Dennis, Kelly, Lucy the Dog and I went for a stroll around town. We stopped for lemonade and watched the world go by.

Home Sweet Home

The weather is nice: cool and humid. And the vibe in town is very positive. I think I'm going to enjoy it here.

I'll take some pictures over the coming days. But for now, I'm just adjusting to a new life in a new country and an elevation of 7000 feet.

And away we go!

Sunday, September 26, 2010

from the "hold your horses" dept.

Promises, promises.

I'm not in Mexico. Yet.

Long story short: I was unable to fly out of Calgary yesterday due to mechanical problems with the aircraft. This resulted in me missing my connection - the twice a week flight from Houston to Tuxtla Gutierrez, Mexico. The next opportunity is Wednesday, Sept. 29.

So I'm back in Cochrane for 4 more days.

A longer story to come.

Cheers!

Friday, September 10, 2010

from the "vangroovy" dept

Home Sweet Home (one of 'em)

I should write a love song about being torn between two coasts. Left and right. East and west. Atlantic and Pacific.

How is it that I came to be so attracted to two cities so far from each other? Halifax and Vancouver. Talk about an expensive long distance relationship.

The songwriting is for another day. Today I'll focus on my current visit to the left coast. I've been here in Vancouver for a week now and I've been having a blast: Enjoying a social life, getting out and doing stuff, visiting old haunts.

Hanging with former VTV/CTV colleagues at the Irish Heather.

I've written before about my rekindled love affair with this city, and that hasn't changed. In fact, my love has grown -- especially as I now have something to compare it to (10 months in Edmonton). Talk about night and day.

It's far from perfect, but it's a damn nice place to hang out in. And maybe move back to, one day. Or, in the evil plan in my head: Live in the tropics from November to May. Live in Vancouver from June through August. And then Halifax for September and October. Wouldn't that be grand? Better put that on the white board.

I've still got a few places left to see and a few people left to visit. And then it's back to the Prairies. Getting stuff sorted in Calgary. Visiting Southwestern Saskatchewan for another photo safari. And even more, before heading down south on Sept 25.

It seems like there's lots of time between now and then. But the window is closing. And I better get my arse in gear...

Cheers!

Tuesday, September 07, 2010

from the "time machine" dept.

A book of dreams? Of history? Or just junk?

Despite my constant wanderings, I still keep a large storage unit just outside of Vancouver. It's big -- 7'x9'x7' -- and it's packed with the remainders (and reminders) of my material life.

There is some stuff in it that needs to go, like old furniture. There's some stuff that I want to keep, like travel souvenirs and books. And there's some stuff I have to keep, like 7 years of tax paperwork.

As much as I'd like to do away with it all, I can't. Due to the amount of stuff I have squirreled away and the logistics of paring it all down, the path of least resistance is to just keep it in storage for 100 bucks a month. For now, anyway.

Sadly, I totally fall into the storage company's business plan. Sucka!

Last weekend I went to visit my stuff at its home in a big warehouse in Delta, BC. I opened up my storage container and was nearly crushed by a cascade of cardboard boxes overflowing with reminders of my previous adventures, of which there have been a few. Paintings from Ghana. Sand from Malta. Beer cans from Portugal.

I wasn't visiting my stuff to risk life and limb or to take a stroll down a junky memory lane. No, I was looking for some specific stuff to take with me to Mexico at the end of the month: hiking shoes, rain gear and other assorted bits and pieces that I want to have down south.

In one big Rubbermaid tub, I spotted a thick black book. A Daytimer. The faux leather was cracked and pieces of paper stuck out from between its pages. Feeling like Indiana Jones, I blew off a layer of non-existent dust and threw it open.

Inside was a treasure trove of a past life. Specifically from the years 1996 and 1997, when, at a tender young age, I:

- Quit my job at CKY TV, Winnipeg
- Decided to travel to Bosnia to produce a documentary
- Went freelance and turned down an investment opportunity with Frantic Films (d'oh!)
- Moved to Vancouver to start a new television station (now CTV BC)

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Anyway... Inside the front cover, a clear pocket held a mix of memories. Vancouver Television business cards, notes from girlfriends (!) past, and a label from a long ago enjoyed Moosehead beer. But this was just the beginning. There were more old business cards, a yellowed Far Side cartoon and lists of phone numbers of current and not so current friends.

My favourite Far Side panel

Pages and pages of people, places and long forgotten important reminders including hockey games, Spanish lessons and fancy dinners in L.A.

Hangin' with Wolfie, no doubt.

I'd intended to toss the whole collection into the trash. But in my ongoing struggle to banish stuff my life, I find I win some battles and lose others. This one may be lost.

Can I really toss out a phone list from 1992? A stamp from the United Nations post office in New York? My Halifax and Dartmouth library cards?

Flotsam and Jetsam

A pragmatist would say yes. But I think I'll say no. Not because these bits and pieces in and of themselves mean much. But because taken together, they mark a major transition in my life when I quit a full-time job and travelled to distant lands before starting a fresh, new chapter.

Sort of like today.

Thursday, September 02, 2010

from the "day 4" dept.

Go West...

So far, the first week of the latest chapter has been going well.

I've sorted through my stuff, tagging items as "to be sold", "to be junked" and "to be taken to Vancouver". I've also made Cochrane my official address and alerted anyone who cares.

I continue to pitch a writing project centred on the Celtic Colours music festival this October in Cape Breton. No bites yet. It seems a long shot.

In the meantime, I'm preparing to depart for Vancouver tomorrow (Friday 9/2). I'm going to drive there, leaving first thing in the morning to hopefully avoid crazy long weekend traffic -- especially between Hope and Vancouver. I hit that the last time I drove out and it was BRUTAL.

I'll stay in Vancouver for a week or so, sorting through my storage unit in an attempt to reduce the amount of flotsam and jetsam that I have. Spending $100/month to store what is essentially crap makes no sense. I want to whittle it down to just photos/papers/negatives/travel trinkets -- and find a smaller, cheaper storage solution.

Four days into this new life I feel pretty confident. I've been poking away at formulating a plan for Mexico (I head there 9/25). And everything seems to be going smoothly. And it's funny: The last 10 months have seemingly disappeared from my memory. Weird.

And so it goes...

Saturday, August 28, 2010

from the "life reset" dept.

"Which way to San Cristobal?"

And so, it begins.

This morning finds me in a completely different situation than yesterday. My gig is over. I'm about to leave Edmonton. And the sky is still firmly fixed above.

I'm reminded of a quote by the Grinch, when he awakens Christmas morning to find that Christmas had arrived despite his best efforts:

It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes, or bags!

And sure enough, despite taking a giant leap of faith, a bright new day arrived. I'm healthy, have money in the bank and a new direction in life.

So far so good.

Today will see me leaving Edmonton. I have a one-way bus ticket for Calgary. My ol' pal Dave (from the Halifax chapter of my life) will pick me up and I'll hang at his place in Cochrane for a few days. Then I pick up my rental car for some Prairie and West Coast exploring.

A return to Southwestern Saskatchewan is high on the list, as is a stroll on Chesterman Beach outside Tofino.

Mexico isn't far off. September 25. But with the upcoming buffer, I'll be relaxed and ready to hit the ground running -- or a similar cliche.

I had a nice send off at the office on Friday. A long-term staffer (Ivor the amazing IT guru) was also leaving. Thankfully he took most of the spotlight. Sometimes I like being the centre of attention. Sometimes not. It worked out well.

After finishing the workday I headed to a local watering hole for drinks with my (now former) boss Jessica, the newest member of communications Sarah, and a team of reporters (Min, Faiz & Charles). Plus Dan, the lucky winner of my job.

It was a nice way to end the week and the experience. I also received a nice card from the folks in the newsroom.

At the end of the day, most of the frustration I felt was not about work, but about place. If this gig had been in Vancouver, Halifax or even Calgary, I'd be on board for another year. But Doug and Edmonton are like oil and water. I didn't expect that.

Time to pack and get on that bus... Southern Alberta awaits...

Cheers!

Thursday, August 26, 2010

from the "a (small) change in plans" dept.

Thursday, August 26, eh? Crazy.

One day of work left. Two sleeps in Edmonton left. Crazy.

It's been a busy week: Getting stuff ready, looking after a house, garden, two cats and a dog, plus training my replacement.

Now that I've cycled up the big hill, it's time to coast down the other side. Work should be easy on Friday with cleaning out my stuff and submitting forms. I believe all my work related communication tools will expire at 5. Whatever.

Because it's rainy season in Southern Mexico, I've decided to delay my departure from Canada by nearly four weeks. No sense rushing down there for the cold and wet when the best time of year (fall) is almost upon our great Dominion.

I'm still beating a hasty retreat from Edmonton on Saturday. I'll hang in Calgary/Cochrane for a few days. And then I'll rent a (cheap) car and drive to Vancouver for a bit of work, a bit of play and a whole lot of organizing. If the planets align, I hope to spend a night or two in the Tofino area getting spiritual and eating my face off at Sobo (you had me at deep fried polenta).

I wish I could fit in some Galiano time, but my cottage of choice is booked solid. Boo.

No matter. A bit of transition is in order and I'll be heading south on Sept 25. A little poorer, but a lot more relaxed and ready to work for me and my future.

I can't wait!

Sunday, August 22, 2010

from the "inching forward" dept.

Today is Sunday, Aug. 22nd. Generally, it's an unremarkable day -- cool, gray, fall is definitely in the air. But there is one remarkable thing about today. It is the last Sunday I will spend in Edmonton.

In less than a week I will have relocated to Cochrane, Alberta. What little stuff I have is now there, the last of it hauled down yesterday.

Between here and there lie 6 days in Edmonton and 5 days of work. But it's no holiday I'm about to embark on. It's a big test -- a challenge to see if I can walk the walk and make a living from my creativity, business skills and the internet.

Can I? I hope so.

But, worst case scenario, I'll return to Canada. Not Edmonton. I won't make that mistake again. But somewhere like Toronto where freelance jobs are as plentiful as dandilions in a prairie meadow. Or, at least that's what I like to believe.

It feels good to be winding things down. I'm free of my apartment. I'm free of my stuff. And soon, I'll be free of what has been a most challenging and unexpected year in Edmonton. It's too bad that the last 10 months weren't spent in Vancouver or Calgary or Winnipeg or Halifax. I would be leaving with a heavier heart. But I am overjoyed to be leaving Edmonton. And I won't be looking back.

It's too bad, because, by and large, I had a good job in a good environment. But Edmonton and I didn't click. And that is the primary reason for my departure at his point.

Like I keep saying: I'll write more on my relationship with Edmonton once I'm out of town. But I'm bursting at the seams to let it all out. And, boy, will it feel good.

And so it goes...

Cheers!