The end of Mexico, Portland, and so on

I apologize again for the interspersed nature of my entries, but this is my last apology. That's just the way it's going to be, and I'm proud of myself for even writing this much. The real issue is that I keep a journal, and it has dibs on all of my recordings. What then gets translated into a blog entry tends to be slightly more edited and therefore time-consuming, and while I do enjoy writing these entries, I am enjoying life away from the computer much too much to feel guilty for not sitting at it.

So, life. Is being lived, and lived wonderfully. The last few weeks with my sister and co were positively magical. We explored all around Oaxaca: A small village where they only produce pottery; a huge market with too much of any one thing, guys drinking beers in the morning, meat hanging openly, and mountains of mole; a beautiful waterfall hike that I went on once with Nina and then with my friend Trevor, involving some serious rock/root climbing up extremely steep inclines; to the ruins of an ancient city; to the inside of some crazy caves; and a weekend excursion to a waterfall that is composed almost entirely of mineral deposits and has barely any water on it save at the top.
Not to mention the beach! The beach was sooooo lovely. Trevor and I ventured to Puerto Escondido on Tuesday, the 10th, on a slightly cramped, slightly rickety mini-bus. We arrived around midnight and checked into our straw-hatched cabin by the beach. Could have been quieter, was lacking in the hot-water department, but it was comfy and clean.
We went to dinner the first night after a hike along the coast and met a waiter, Louis, who was very enthusiastic about the area and suggested numerous different adventures he could take us on. We decided to take him up on the offer, and the next morning he picked us up with his fiance, Clara, and we drove down dirt-roads in the jagged mountains to the most incredible waterfall I had yet seen in Mexico. On the way to and back from it we stopped at a family's house and I made tortillas with the women and we ate fried eggs and cactus to go with them. At the waterfall Louis asked Trevor if he wanted to catch some shrimp. After a while I got to try also, but Louis quickly came over and removed the heavy, but not so heavy I couldn't move them myself, rocks for me, and I chuckled and stopped trying. Note that Trevor was not invited to try to make tortillas. So much for progressive gender-roles!

Nina came a couple days later and it was so much fun running away from/into waves with the kids.

Now I am in Portland, saturated in green moss and grey skies. But the rain is not the only difference I percieve. It seems I acclimated to Mexico much more than I realized, and I've made a list of a few points of culture-shock that I'm working to overcome:

1) Water-pressure
2) Not doubting the safety of water; being able to potentially drink tap water; being able to clean vegetables with tap water, etc.
3) Having the right of way when crossing the street.
4) The incessant checking of IDs whenever I want a beer or to enter a bar.
5) Smooth, paved roads that one can drive very fast on without too much concern.
6) Higher prices, obviously.

There are more, but those are the most obvious.

Portland is beautiful, equipped with a bunch of funky neighborhoods. Too many hipsters though. I don't know if it isn't too big of a city for me, but I'll feel it out better this summer.

And tomorrow I head to the HERB PHARM! I'm sooooooo very anxious and excited. I have quite a few more things I'd like to write, but I think I've been writing long enough. Once I've adopted a routine at the herb pharm perhaps there will be more time to include reflections of the internal me rather than my physical whereabouts.

For the last photos of Mexico:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2135556&id=6901865&l=8fa1b5b67d
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2138645&id=6901865&l=f942a6c6c0
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2138649&id=6901865&l=ab70cc9507
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2138655&id=6901865&l=059bb60952

So much love 'til next time,
Shanti shanti shanti