Where to begin…. Once again…

Clunk-clunk-clunk-clunk and pop-pop-pop-pop-pop are never the sounds you want to here coming from your Jeep... NEVER!!!!! But as much as I wanted them to go away, they were lovestruck and wouldn’t let me or HAL (that’s the Jeep) alone, following our steps, and making themselves aware of their existence at every small bump (clunk-clunk-clunk) and turns (pop-pop-pop-pop)... So in short: I WAS IN DEEP!!!

In times of needs there are always people to step up and help you... and this time it came

From the most unsusual of places: the stoners of Mazatlan, and the gay community of Puerto Vallarta...

First came in, I will change names for confidentiality issues, Tom, and Jerry, the Mazatlan stoners, who worked on the truck for the better part of the morning, working on the driving shaft... which, had the end didn’t solve the problem at all... but I came out of it with a brand new u-joint and a new layer of silicon for the differenatial.... YHEAAAAAA!!!!! Ahh stoners... never know what to expect from them!!

After a stressfull 5 hour drive to Puerto Vallarta, the noises were still sticking to me, the engine was overheating from the jungle mountain climbs, and I was on the verge of using every swear words in my vocabulary (which include some in French, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, German, Japanese, and oddly enough one in Latin). That is when I eneded up staying with Robb (through couchsurfing... google it) and his oasis, a hillside hacienda, witha pool, hot tub and the amenities of a 5 star hotel.... not bad for free!!!



Robb then proceded to take me downtown, meet his friends, and go for a meal, which is when I figured out that I was being adopted and surounded by the gay community of Puerto Vallarta... not that there is anything wrong with that!! I got adopted wright away (my good looks) and started every sentence with: I’m meeting my GIRLFRIEND, in Cancun (my paranoia). But to tell you the truth I had an amzing time with the lads, and made me feel very comftarble and accepted, even if I was a lesbian!!

Their mission was then to find me a mechanic. Emailing, asking left and right, where finally my path ended to Rami (not gay), the most amazing mechanic, and person, I think I ever met. I knew I was in good hands no gay pun intended here) when the first thing he told me is: mecanical work is like a crime scene, first comes denial, when you try to convince yourself that it’s not happening, then realisation, that you need to deal with it, to finally lead an investigation that will tell us the problem. He was my Sherlock, I was his Watson!!!

And problems he found, and patience he had. Rami spent the day explaining everything that was wrong, he and 2 helpers working on HAL like surgeons, putting all their love into it, offering me lunch, giving advice and lessons on how to drive th truck, what to and not to do... and making me realize that I wasn’t on a pleasure ride, but rather on a longhaule journey that will demmand me to take good care of the truck... and myself! We talked about life, books (Rami reads around 250 books a year, classifying himslef a s a compulsive reader), and philosophy. That day, not only did I find a great mechanic, I also found a friend... and all of that for 450$, a job that would have costed me round 2000$ back in Ottawa!!

Mexico as, so far, been a rollercoaster of emotions, from ridiculous happinnes, to uncertainty, to extreme confidence, to high stress, from going with the flow, to asking myself, how the hell am I going to get out of this one.

But in the end, sitting on the beach with a cold beer in my hands, watching the sunset and thinking of past events, it was all worth it!!!
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OK, for the record, I started with great safety intentions!!! Cause, when you´re about to cross a border renowned for it´s fierce drug and people smuggling habilities, ponctuated by numerous druglord wars and assassinations (Juares is by all means the murder capital of the world with 1900 executions this year, breaking their own record of 1400 from last year… always great to set better goals!!) you do need a mínimum of precautions…

So here were my rules:

1. Spend as less time at the border crossing of Agua Pietras, renowmed for it´s drug smuggling…

2. Do not, in the 1st 200 kilomters, give a lift to anyone that demand s to come in the Jeep…

3. Follow traffic and drive deffensively…

4. Nerver, ever drive at night, the risks of bandits, donkeys and drunks are way to high…

5. Avoid big cities, and try not to drive in them…

6. Don´t cave into or offer any bribe, to anyone…

7. Stop for no one

So… I came to realise over the years that I have a certain problem with rules and authority, including my own. So I always come with the same mindfram: if you´re gonna break a rule, might as well break them all, as you´re in deep shit anyway from breaking the first one.

So heres what happened!

1. I couldn´t spend no time in Agua Pietras, as i needed to deal with Mexican bureaucracy and get an entry visa, an import permit for the vehicle, and wait in line on Mexican Time. What should have been a 3 minute ordeal soon became a more tan 1 hour task that would´ve put Gandhi to test is pacifism!

2. Now, the lift thing, I left Agua Pietras with no Mexican Money, cause it took me forever to find the road that leeds out of there, and once I was out I didn´t want to go back… it´s a real shithole!! So in the next town, I stopped at the gas station ans asked for a bank… at which the employee proceded to ask his ¨friend¨ the local bootleg cd seller, who´s neck is coverd with tatoos of spiders and marks (which reminded me of marks you make after each killing you did in your life) to show me the way… Offer that I decided was genuine and safe enough, and accepted to take him in my truck, in a town in the middle of nowhere… Nice fella, been clean of drugs for 3 years, and found God…

3. Ok, traffic, either too slow or too fast to follow…and driving deffensively is great in theory… but in a town of 800 000, nearly imposible!! So son decided that offence is the best way to win, and deffence would lead me nowhere. So invented my own style of drivng: Deffenattack!

4. I did drive at night, but only to follow Rafael, a guy a I met 2 hours earlier, who brought me to his house..

5. First city I drove in was more tan 800 000 people, with no urban planning whatsoever!!

6. Ok, not a big one but…In Agua Pietra, the custom lady charged me 1 US dollar for 1 photocopy. She was over 60, old and frail, asked me for the dollar with a huge smile…. And that was in the customs building, next to the sign that said: BRIBE OFFERERS WILL BE PROSECUTED, PLEASE DENOUNCE BRIBES IMMEDIATELY, with a big red phone next to the sign… that sits right in front of the person asking for he mini bribe!!!

7. Stop for no one… how naive of me, between random custom inspections, military check points, toll road blocks and various objects clogging the way, how the hell am I suppose to stop for no one!!!!!

In fairness, I´m a victim here, the rules kinda broke themselves!!

WELCOME TO MEXICO, REMEMBER TO ALWAYS YIELD TO THE GUY CARRYING THE M-16!!!

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One of the last thing you want to hear when entering the United States, in a small bordertown named Calais, Maine is: "Sir, I don't understand the purpose of your trip, can you please pull over and get inside the building for further questioning!" Especially when it is said in ultimate monotone, buy a 6 foot 4 Gommer Pile look-a-like (Gommer Pile is the crazy one in Full Metal Jacket).


So that was my entry in the United States. One hour of drilling led by a very cute blonde border agent... and a not so cute emotionless Robocop! Where are you from, what's the purpose of your stay, how long will you stay, who will you live with, do you have a job, do you have letters that prove you will have a job when u come back, how much money do you have... well you get the hang of it. Most of the questions were asked 2 or 3 times.... they even asked me if I had marijuana in the truck... Trick question!!! But all mu coolness didn't stop me from sweating, figgiting, imaging the worse... until they let me in... after searching the truck and its ridiculous amount of material!!

A big thank you here to Isa and John, two world travellers who had the misgiving of being denied access to the US. Without their advice, and misfortune, I would never have been fully prepared with all documents to cross the boarder.

Thankfully, this amusing entry to the US, wasn't reflection of the amazing 2 weeks I just had here.

First the driving. From small New England Towns, to the city of Boston, going through the craziness of drving New York and New Jersey to the vast dry plains of Texas and New Mexico. Mountains, deserts, forests, views as far as the eye can see, following Old route 66, and seeing the remnants of an America long forgoten have been the highlights of the road.

Then the people. I must admit I met a lot of people travelling the world, but not many Americans. This time I decided to couchsurf everywhere I went, and try to meet as many a I could.

Met Stephanie who introduced me to the best Portland brew.

My good friend Dianne who invited me to her class at Harvard, where mad discussion were had on teaching. Met her roomates, 2 physics phd students, one of whom is now my model against adversity.

Andrew, Becky and Buddy in Harrisburg who opened his brewery for me.... even after a made Friday night...

Veronica in Columbus who entertained me with her shananigans in Columbus.

Roni who took me to the best Pizza in Tulsa, and the best live music.

Hannah and her roomate, in Armarillo, who took me to the poshest traditional Texan thanksgiving dinner I ever attented (well it was my first American one really).

And the ridiculously large Texan in Boston who in the most laid back way, told me his story on how he got stabbed on Halloween...

But all that was topped by Mr. Dan Slavin, a friend I used to play football with in Korea, who showed me the most amazing time in Santa Fe ove tha thanksgiving weekend. A four day topped by great parties, amazing food, old indian dwellings, shouting riffles, shorguns and hand guns, swimming in hot springs, and hanging out with the nices, craziest and most hospitable people I ever met!

Now at the Mexican border, last night in the US... The adventure really begins!!!!

Weird facts...

Counted 13 dead deers, 7 dead racoons, 4 dad skunks, and one dead dog on the side of the road between Harrisburg and Columbus... that's barely 560 km!!!!!!!!
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