Chilled

Getting to downtown Lima from Miraflores is very easy, as there are combis (minibuses) going up and down Av. Arequipa all day. Av. Arequipa is the long, wide, straight boulevard that connects these two important areas. This afternoon, I hopped on a combi into the downtown area, and checked out what there is to see around there.

For my final few hours in Vancouver this afternoon, Genna took me on a little tour of the Steveston Village area. This is a beautiful little wharf and seafood spot, nestled at the very bottom of Richmond Island, and overlooking the Gulf of Georgia. It's also apparently the oldest part of Vancouver. This is where Vancouver started, as little more than a modest fishing village. There are great restaurants, great cafés, and great ice-cream shops along the boardwalk here.

Tonight was my first family Shabbos dinner since leaving home, almost six weeks ago. I have to say, it's more than nice to do this once in a while: it's actually very important. All the Cohens were home for Erev Shabbat, except for Andy, who was orchestrating an inter-school dance that happened at his school this evening. Beautiful dinner, beautiful atmosphere.

I didn't really have any plans for today, and all the members of the Cohen family (whom I'm staying with here in Vancouver) were busy with work or study all day, so I decided to take a trip downtown. Vancouver is nice and easy to get around, with its great bus system, and the weather was fine and sunny too (if a bit cold). I went and checked out the Broadway area first, then I continued on to the main downtown district.

I've made it to Vancouver, and I'm (probably) going to be spending my whole time in this city sleeping here at Genna's house. Genna's house is in Richmond, which is a very suburban area in the southern part of Vancouver. It's ultra-neat-and-tidy, ultra-spread-out, and ultra-middle-America-of-Canada. Being back in the suburbs — and back in a house with a family — is a big change from the many hostels I've been staying at lately, but it's a nice and a very welcome change.

Wasn't feeling too good today. Crap in my throat, could barely talk, and quite tired. Must have been the oversupply of meeting and greeting and drinking, and the shortage of sleep, that I experienced over the past two days at DrupalCon. The weather was also rather unspectacular today. So I just took it easy at the Green Tortoise here in SF, drank lots of tea, and spent most of the day using the free Wi-Fi here to update this blog.

After a month of Mexican hostels, I'm more certain than ever that Amigo is the best damn hostel in the country, and it was great to return and to spend one last night here. I didn't do anything much for my final night in Mexico; just hung out at Amigo, and had some drinks with the other folks staying there. Also had a little reunion with Alan, who has returned from his volcanic expedition, and who's going back home to England soon.

Coming to Palenque has really, seriously, given me more than I'd bargained on getting. Before I came here, I believed that inner peace, meditation, and all that stuff was total bollocks. But now, I can say for the first time that I understand what all of that means; and I understand why people are prepared to make such efforts in order to attain it. After spending a few days relaxing here, I feel better than I've ever felt before in my life.

The success of my hammock-swinging experience here is yet another way in which Palenque has surprised me. I thought that hammock-swinging on Tulum beach would be the easy practice run, in preparation for the anticipated "grand challenge" of Palenque. But actually, it's been easier and more enjoyable here than in Tulum.

After about 3 days of intermittent rain and constant cloud, the sun has returned in full force, and Tulum is paradise once more. As such, I did what semed like the only logical choice, and spent all day long relaxing and having a seriously chilled time on the beach.