Thursday, July 26, 2012
Travel Fail: Never Study Spanish with Surfers
Question: Why is it only my articles in the Exploration "Travel Fail" column so far?
Answer: Let's not ponder that too much...
Everyone has a travel tale in which, looking back, they’d have done things differently – and for me, deciding that the small town of Puerto Escondido, on the stunning Oaxaca Mexican coastline, would be the ideal place to take a week of Spanish classes was just such a moment. Puerto Escondido: Hidden Port. Sandy beaches, the crashing Pacific waves… peace and quiet, surely? A tranquil paradise, just perfect for learning some sexy Spanish conjugations before heading southwards down the gringo trail that crawls up and down the South American continent. What could possibly go wrong?
In retrospect, the fact that Puerto Escondido was referred to, albeit briefly, in The Lonely Planet as “a surfers’ paradise” was probably the first warning of what was to come. Naturally, I took no notice. It wasn’t until checking onto my minisculeAeromexico flight – along with a planeload full of sunkissed, muscle-bound, dreadlock-sporting surfers, plus boards – that it began to hit me that this may not have been my wisest choice. For, as all hardened backpackers know: where surfers go, drugs, booze and parties inevitably follow. And that’s not even mentioning the fact that, after several months living out of a backpack, men sporting dreadlocks had become infinitely more attractive to me…
After a brief flight- the journey was so short, and so turbulent, that when after only five minutes in the air we started plummeting to the ground I screamed, convinced we were crashing (when we were actually landing) – I found myself crammed into a collective along with seven surfers, plus boards. I had booked myself into a hostel which, on the website, looked like a pleasant, friendly sort of place. The fact that the seven surfers and I were all headed to the same destination, The Tower Bridge Hostel, was the second sign that it was time to abandon all hope of constructive language learning. The hostel was run by a British expat whose brain seems to have been melted by too much Mexican sun and the local tequila – a fact that soon became apparent when, just the day after my arrival, he disappeared without cause or explanation, leaving behind no instructions, no money, and a rather bewildered twenty-year-old American boy who, for lack of any other purpose, took charge of the running of the hostel. His interpretation of “running” consisted of letting us help ourselves to beer at will, and leading us to the finest bars, illegal substances and prostitutes you might find yourself in need of.
What ensued was basically the Mexican equivalent of a teenage house party gone awry in the parents’ absence: absolute carnage. Nothing was paid for. Alcohol flowed freely, and plentifully. The sun shone all day, and the nights were long and eventful. Life was good at Puerto Escondido’s number one party hostel.
That is, unless you’d signed up for six hours of Spanish classes every day.
My school was absolute paradise every way – lessons were affordable, and classes were conducted by friendly and fun local teachers outside in the sunshine, overlooking the beach below and surrounded by tropical flowers, hammocks and passing iguanas. It was here that I learnt to my sadness that no one Spanish-speaking would ever actually say “Hasta la vista, baby”. But sadly, due to the festivities back at Party Hostel 101, it was also here that I succeeded in falling asleepduring a one-on-one class, and learnt the slang for “I’m hungover”, which roughly translates as “I’m raw”- “estoy cruda”. And it was here that, when asked by the well-meaning teacher if I’d sampled the local tequila, I barely stopped myself from throwing up at the memories of the beach the night before, when double tequila shots had made me literally chunder everywhah! (Yes, this was during my gap yah). The Spanish for “throw up” is “vomitar”, by the way.
Over the week, although my Spanish was slowly progressing, life at the hostel was deteriorating rapidly. The swimming pool was now the unofficial WC, and unusable. The cleaner, who hadn’t been paid, was gone, and the kitchen took on an “abandon hope all ye who enter” quality. The surfers spent their days lying sprawled across the various threadbare sofas, surfboards abandoned, pumped full of muscle relaxants (which are legal and available over the counter in Mexico) and thus rendered incapable of moving, whilst I crawled my way to class on no sleep. Dorm rooms began to acquire an orgiastic quality (not a conducive environment for doing your homework) and I subsisted on sunshine, beer and a lone pineapple. It was gringo culture at its lowest.
Of course, all good things come to an end, and eventually so did my time in Puerto Escondido. Thirty hours of intensive one-on-one classes had been of some use – seeing as I’d arrived on the continent without a word of Spanish I felt entitled to take pride in even the smallest achievement – and on my final day there, the hostel owner made his unobtrusive return. When I asked him where he’d been, he explained “I just had to get away from it all for just a few days. Just get out of here, down the coast. Just me and the dog.”
I paused. “Do you mean… this dog?”
“Yeah,” he replied, blindly waving in the direction of the long-suffering hostel labrador.
“You mean this dog that’s been here with us all week?”
“Oh yeah… not the dog then.”
That was all the explanation we ever got. But in a way I understand what that crazy man was saying about having to get away from Puerto Escondido for a bit. The place looks like paradise but it sucks you in, like a backpacker black hole. Ultimately, I left on that rickety plane with no significant language abilities, but one hell of an important lesson: never, never sign up for Spanish classes in a surfer party beach town. Don’t say you haven’t been warned.
Warning: Hammocks are conducive to hangovers, but not to language learning.
Wave Of The Summer 71119 | SURFLINE.COM Wave Of The Summer. CESAR PETRONI at PUERTO ESCONDIDO, Filmed: 07/ 05/2012 by Andres Petroni at PUERTO ESCONDIDO. Surfer: CESAR PETRONI ... www.surfline.com/video/featured.../wave-of-the-summer_727...
Wave Of The Summer 71119 | SURFLINE.COM
Wave Of The Summer. CESAR PETRONI at PUERTO ESCONDIDO, Filmed: 07/ 05/2012 by Andres Petroni at PUERTO ESCONDIDO. Surfer: CESAR PETRONI ...
www.surfline.com/video/featured.../wave-of-the-summer_727...
Wave Of The Summer. CESAR PETRONI at PUERTO ESCONDIDO, Filmed: 07/ 05/2012 by Andres Petroni at PUERTO ESCONDIDO. Surfer: CESAR PETRONI ...
www.surfline.com/video/
Airline Telephone Numbers
Airline Telephone Numbers
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Passport, Visa, and border crossing requirements
Passport, Visa, and border crossing requirements
The U.S. government requires U.S. citizens entering the United States via land, sea, or air to have a passport, passport card, or other travel document approved by the Department of Homeland Security. Expedia strongly recommends that every traveler have a passport; if you don't have one, allow a minimum of six to eight weeks to obtain one.
- Children: All U.S. citizen children ranging in age from birth to 18 years are required to present their own passport when entering the United States at airports.
- Air Travel: Passports are required for U.S. citizens traveling to or from all international destinations, including Mexico or Canada.
- Land & Sea Travel: U.S. citizens returning home from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, or Bermuda, by land or sea, will be required to present one of the travel documents listed below:
- U.S. Passport
- U.S. Passport Card
- Enhanced Driver's License (EDL)
- Trusted Traveler Program Cards
EXCEPTION: U.S. citizens on closed-loop cruises (cruises that begin and end in the same U.S. port) and visit Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and/or countries of the Caribbean will be able to enter or depart the US with a birth certificate and government issued photo ID.
As of July 2009, Mexican nationals are required to present a visa in order to travel to Canada. For more information on this new policy, and how to obtain a visa, please read the visa requirements for Mexico.
For further information, see U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Web site
For information on passports, U.S. citizens can visit the State Department's Web site, or call the U.S. National Passport Information Center: (877) 4USA-PPT. Please allowat minimum six to eight weeks for processing of the passport application. If you need to travel urgently and require a passport sooner, expedited processing is available.
For information on obtaining and renewing a passport, visit the Passport Announcements page.
For information on entry requirements for a specific country, please go to the Entry/Exit Requirements section in the country-specific information for the country you are interested in. You may also contact the U.S. embassy or consulate of that country for further information.
To find U.S. entry requirements for non-citizens, read the U.S. visa information page.
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Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Shoes for Souls
Written by Danielle WallingsfordTuesday, 24 July 2012 18:18
A life changing experience for a local woman
Shannon Black heard God tell her “I want you to do that” as she listened to her friend Susan Hicks describe the blessings she received on a mission trip to Oaxaca, Mexico. But she thought to herself, “There’s no way I could ever do that.” She wondered how she would get off work and be away from her family. A few months later she heard someone else sharing their missionary experiences and she knew she had to make it happen.
“I just got chill bumps and I felt God telling me again, ‘I want you to do that.’” At that moment she grabbed Susan and said “Okay. I’ve got to do this!”
She and Susan, along with Susan’s husband Dennis Hicks and Rebecca Wells, found a way to do what God put in their hearts to do, and last October they made their way down to Mexico on a Shoes for Orphan Souls mission trip.
Shoes for Orphan Souls is a humanitarian aid project of Buckner International. Their organization delivers shoes to thousands of children in many impoverished regions of the world, children who otherwise might spend their young life dealing with diseases brought on by walking the harsh earth in bare feet. Buckner sends individuals like Shannon and Susan to these children with the blessing of brand new shoes and the assurance of Jesus’s love.
Though the shoes are meant to be a gift for the children, Shannon felt that she was the one who truly received a blessing. “It was just so amazing to see how much a simple pair of shoes, something we take for granted every single day, meant to the kids. They loved them,” she said. The trip left Shannon with many unforgettable and life changing memories. She savored the simple beauty of singing a hymn, then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee, how great Thou art, while others who worshiped sang the words in Spanish mi corazon entona la cancion, cuan grande es El. Shannon will also carry the memory of a little boy named Ernesto in her heart forever. Ernesto lived in an orphanage and walked with braces on his legs. She worked with him on Vacation Bible School activities, but before she could say goodbye a teacher took him to work on something else. Later she noticed Ernesto sitting in a corner, his feet without new shoes. She was able to wash his feet and place new shoes on his young feet. “That was special for me, to put his shoes and socks on after we had formed that special bond. It was just a really awesome experience,” she said.
Susan received her share of blessings on that trip as well. She visited a government orphanage. “They told us in the morning you’re going to be with some mentally challenged children,” she said. At first, the situation made Susan feel uneasy because, having had four healthy children, she had never been around children with disabilities before. Susan said, “I’m a talker and normally nothing ever prevents me from talking, but this day I couldn’t. I was just standing there thinking, ‘these children, what kind of life do they live?’” When she went into the room she noticed a girl, about 14 years old, who was sitting across the room moving her head back and forth. Her name was Patti. Susan sat down with her, took off her old shoes and washed her feet. But, before she could get the shoes on Hattie’s feet something amazing happened. “Tears are just pouring down my face and I’m trying so hard to keep it together,” she said. Then, inside Patti’s new shoes Susan found a note. It said, “God made you special, love Mallory.” In that moment, God gave solace to Susan. “I was like okay Lord, that’s it. God made her just the way she is. I don’t understand it and it doesn’t seem fair in my eyes, but God you just gave me an answer right there. This little girl is special in your eyes,” Susan remembered thinking.
Volunteers like Shannon and Susan help bring blessings to orphans across the globe, and they are rewarded with joyous hugs and kisses of small children whose grateful smiles will forever linger in their minds. If you too would like to help improve an impoverished child’s life by giving them a new pair of shoes you can drop-off a new pair of athletic shoes and socks to Calvary Baptist Church in Scottsboro by August 31. The shoes will be sent to Buckner International and processed to go out as a gift to a special child in need. For more information call 256-259-0385 or visit www.shoesfororphansouls.org
Shannon Black heard God tell her “I want you to do that” as she listened to her friend Susan Hicks describe the blessings she received on a mission trip to Oaxaca, Mexico. But she thought to herself, “There’s no way I could ever do that.” She wondered how she would get off work and be away from her family. A few months later she heard someone else sharing their missionary experiences and she knew she had to make it happen.
“I just got chill bumps and I felt God telling me again, ‘I want you to do that.’” At that moment she grabbed Susan and said “Okay. I’ve got to do this!”
She and Susan, along with Susan’s husband Dennis Hicks and Rebecca Wells, found a way to do what God put in their hearts to do, and last October they made their way down to Mexico on a Shoes for Orphan Souls mission trip.
Shoes for Orphan Souls is a humanitarian aid project of Buckner International. Their organization delivers shoes to thousands of children in many impoverished regions of the world, children who otherwise might spend their young life dealing with diseases brought on by walking the harsh earth in bare feet. Buckner sends individuals like Shannon and Susan to these children with the blessing of brand new shoes and the assurance of Jesus’s love.
Though the shoes are meant to be a gift for the children, Shannon felt that she was the one who truly received a blessing. “It was just so amazing to see how much a simple pair of shoes, something we take for granted every single day, meant to the kids. They loved them,” she said. The trip left Shannon with many unforgettable and life changing memories. She savored the simple beauty of singing a hymn, then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee, how great Thou art, while others who worshiped sang the words in Spanish mi corazon entona la cancion, cuan grande es El. Shannon will also carry the memory of a little boy named Ernesto in her heart forever. Ernesto lived in an orphanage and walked with braces on his legs. She worked with him on Vacation Bible School activities, but before she could say goodbye a teacher took him to work on something else. Later she noticed Ernesto sitting in a corner, his feet without new shoes. She was able to wash his feet and place new shoes on his young feet. “That was special for me, to put his shoes and socks on after we had formed that special bond. It was just a really awesome experience,” she said.
Susan received her share of blessings on that trip as well. She visited a government orphanage. “They told us in the morning you’re going to be with some mentally challenged children,” she said. At first, the situation made Susan feel uneasy because, having had four healthy children, she had never been around children with disabilities before. Susan said, “I’m a talker and normally nothing ever prevents me from talking, but this day I couldn’t. I was just standing there thinking, ‘these children, what kind of life do they live?’” When she went into the room she noticed a girl, about 14 years old, who was sitting across the room moving her head back and forth. Her name was Patti. Susan sat down with her, took off her old shoes and washed her feet. But, before she could get the shoes on Hattie’s feet something amazing happened. “Tears are just pouring down my face and I’m trying so hard to keep it together,” she said. Then, inside Patti’s new shoes Susan found a note. It said, “God made you special, love Mallory.” In that moment, God gave solace to Susan. “I was like okay Lord, that’s it. God made her just the way she is. I don’t understand it and it doesn’t seem fair in my eyes, but God you just gave me an answer right there. This little girl is special in your eyes,” Susan remembered thinking.
Volunteers like Shannon and Susan help bring blessings to orphans across the globe, and they are rewarded with joyous hugs and kisses of small children whose grateful smiles will forever linger in their minds. If you too would like to help improve an impoverished child’s life by giving them a new pair of shoes you can drop-off a new pair of athletic shoes and socks to Calvary Baptist Church in Scottsboro by August 31. The shoes will be sent to Buckner International and processed to go out as a gift to a special child in need. For more information call 256-259-0385 or visit www.shoesfororphansouls.org
Recipe for Oaxacan-style carne asada JULY 24, 2012
Recipe for Oaxacan-style carne asada
Serves 4
You might not be able to re-create the atmosphere of the smoky alleyway in the Mercado 20 Noviembre, but carne asada at home couldn’t be easier. Grill skirt or flank steak and pork cutlet, then briefly grill tortillas. Add cilantro-flavored guacamole, lots of onion, and don’t worry too much about authenticity.
GUACAMOLE
| 2 | ripe avocados, halved, seeded, and peeled |
| Juice of ½ lime | |
| ⅓ | cup water |
| Handful fresh cilantro leaves | |
| Pinch of salt |
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2. Transfer to a bowl; cover and refrigerate.1. In a food processor, combine avocados, lime juice, water, cilantro, and salt. Puree until completely smooth. Taste for seasoning and add more lime juice, if you like.
MEAT
| ½ | pound skirt steak or flank steak |
| ½ | pound boneless pork cutlet, trimmed of fat |
| 1 | teaspoon ancho chili powder, or anotherfavorite chili |
| 1 | large sweet onion, quartered |
| 1 | bunch scallions, tops trimmed |
| Canola or vegetable oil (for sprinkling) | |
| 4 | medium, mild green chilies, such as Anaheim |
| Salt and pepper, to taste | |
| 8 | large flour or corntortillas |
| 1 | bunch radishes, sliced |
| 1 | can or jar (16 ounces) nopales (in the Latin section of supermarkets) |
| 2 | ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced |
1. Light a charcoal grill or turn a gas grill to medium-high.
2. Pound the meat between two sheets of plastic wrap, using fresh sheets when switching meats. Cover both sides of the pork cutlet with chili powder. Transfer to a plate and cover. Refrigerate both meats.
3. In a bowl, combine the onion and scallions. Sprinkle with oil. Set on the grill rack with the chilies. Grill scallions for 5 minutes or until charred, chilies 3 minutes on a side, onions 10 minutes or until cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
4. Sprinkle the meats with salt and pepper. Set on grill rack and cook steak about 3 minutes on a side, pork about 4 minutes on a side or until both are cooked through.
5. Add the tortillas to the grill rack. Cook about 30 seconds on a side; stack on a plate.
6. Spread a little guacamole on a tortilla and add meat and vegetable. Garnish with radishes, nopales, and tomatoes.Luke Pyenson
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