A MATTER OF BALANCE

When you have a full tray of drink it's often a challenge to get them back to a table of thirsty customers. Unless you're this industrious lady. Then it's simply a matter of balance.

Huatulco, Mexico.

DAYS GONE BY

Ancient ruins. Tulum, Mexico.

EL DIA de la BATALLA DE PUEBLA

This week's Friday Martini is temporarily supplanted by a wish for a 

Happy Cinco de Mayo, or "Fifth of May".

It's really more of an American holiday celebrating Mexican culture than a Mexican holiday,

but it gives us the opportunity to get together and accent one aspect of the overall American Culture, which is, by design, a melting pot for other cultures and peoples.

In many ways we have lost our way and lost our pride in being that cultural stew.

As Travelers we learn to understand and value peoples who are different from ourselves, and appreciate what it is that they bring to the cultural canvas. As Americans we welcome them into our lands and our hearts, as is our cultural priority - at least as it is elucidated in our longstanding ideals. 

We haven't ever really risen as a whole to the best that is in us, but in our past our ancestors showed us the way, and gave us the tools with which to be that "Beacon to the World" we imagine ourselves to be.

We've always strived to be better.

So, in celebrating the Battle of Puebla, we get the opportunity to 

reach across the social divides and find what unites us instead of dividing us.

And since I don't have an easily-located photo of the Mexican flag, I'll opt instead for

a shell full of Mexican peppers in the colors of the Mexican flag. A toast to the spice of life.

Feliz dia de la Battalla de Pueblo. Feliz Cinco de Mayo.

Happy day of the Battle of Puebla. Happy Cinco de Mayo.

SAYULITA, MX - DAY OF THE DEAD

Day of the Dead...or more properly Dia de los Muertos is the celebration, particularly in Mexico, of families gathering to celebrate their ancestors and helping to support their spiritual -- or through the spirit world -- journey.

The three heads shown below, which decorated the front awning of a building in downtown Sayulita, is representative of the style of the artwork associated with the Dia.

Typically celebrated October 31st through November 2nd, the Dia is a way for us to pay respect for those who have come this way before, and in many ways laid out the pathways we walk today.

TULUM RUINS, TULUM, MX - EXPERIMENT, "PICTURE 0045" Number 4

Welcome to September. The year is just blasting on by...

The final "0045" image for the week is from the ruins at Tulum, on the Yucatan 

Peninsula in Mexico. The only set of ruins adjacent to the Caribbean Sea the day was unbearably hot and exhausting. Even the locals were hiding under the few trees available for shade. Our frozen water bottles quickly warmed up and by the time we left they were actively bottles of hot water.

Should have brought our swim suits. 

SAYULITA, NAYARIT, MX - COLORFUL AFTERNOON

Roughly a half hour north of Puerto Vallarta lies the little resort town of Sayulita.

It's a colorful, fun and slightly rough-around-the-edges seaside escape. A little out of the way, but certainly worth the drive.

If you can find parking, that is.

SUNRISE, SUNSET

“There's always a story. It's all stories, really. The sun coming up every day is a story. Everything's got a story in it. Change the story, change the world.” 
                  
                                                               ― Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky

It seems appropriate that I am writing this entry in the pre-dawn hours, tucked tightly into a cocoon of darkness. In just a little over an hour, as I write this, the sun will rise and a new day will begin.

Sunrise, Long Beach, CA

Sunrise is a magical time for many of us -- though I'll laughingly admit there's a large group of Americans who only theorize about sunrise, having never actually witnessed one for themselves. But the slow ascent of day, the gradual brightening of the sky to the East, with the sounds of birds as an accompanying orchestra, is one which when you pause to observe is a wonderful thing.

Sunset, Dana Point, CA

Likewise, at the end of every day the mirror of the dawn occurs: dusk. When the sun retreats back into the night and we all pack up our lives for a short time and rest to await the next day. Well, many of us rest...and that kind of depends upon which day of the week it is.

Both dawn and dusk are favorites for photographers. The lighting is dramatic and intense, giving us both inspiration and opportunity. Either directly shooting the sun as it rises or descends, or using the light from it as it falls upon some other target of our attentions.

Sunrise, Mt Haleakala, Maui, HI

I have been fortunate to have seen some truly spectacular sunrises and sunsets -- including a few of them which qualify as "Life Events". Seeing the sun rise from the top of Mount Haleakala in Hawaii was a truly inspirational moment, which I've described here, with the beauty and intensity of the sunrise over the massive volcanic crater, accompanied by the beautiful voice of a Hawaiian singer greeting the new day with a song.

Sunset from Mallory Pier, Key West, FL

Party time...

The carnival atmosphere of a sunset in Florida's Key West as seen from Mallory Pier is a fun and festive event as hundreds of people gather to watch a flotilla of sailboats dance across the horizon as they're silhouetted by the retreating sun.

Bodies of water seem to be appropriate canvases for the breaking of day or setting of the sun. The reflective nature enhances and frames the sun in a way that is remarkably profound and -- thankfully -- quite photogenic. And it oftentimes is an event which we will remember long after the sun has set and we've returned to our regular activities. It's a moment of pause, of -- pardon the pun -- reflection.

Sunrise on the tundra

As a photographer I have been to and seen many different spots in this world, but inevitably some of the most impactful moments have been in the very early morning hours when I walk, usually alone, around a place as it slowly wakes up. To see the sun as it comes up over the ocean, or a mountain, or the flat expanse of the Canadian tundra. Sunrises are mostly solitary events.

Sunsets are communal, shared, and more celebratory in a way. It's not the end of the day for many people, just the ending of daylight. As such, watching the sun go down is a group effort, while the sunrise is not. There may be one or two other souls who have similarly gotten up early, grabbed a cup of coffee and wandered out to see the morning's light. I described one such sunrise here.

These are some of my favorite places to see the sun awaken and also fall to sleep.

Sunset, Grand Canyon, AZ

Last vestige of light over Joshua Tree NP, CA

Sunset aboard the MSY Wind Surf - Adriatic Sea

Sunset, Hanalei Bay, Kauai, HI

Sunrise, Monument Valley, AZ/UT

Just before sunrise, Waikiki Beach, Honolulu, HI

Sunset, Washington, DC

Sunset, Nice, France

Sunrise, Port Douglas, Queensland, Australia

Sunrise, Sedona, AZ

Sunset, Santa Fe, NM

Sunset, Las Vegas

Sunrise off the coast of Mexico

Sunrise, Cayman Islands

Sunrise just off the coast of Panama

Sunset, Cartagena, Colombia

Sunset, Kona, Big Island, HI

THE DAILY ESCAPE: TRUE RELIGION

When I am on the road, particularly to a new or exotic location, a favorite photographic and cultural practice for me includes a brief stop in at a local house of worship.

Whether it is monumentally grand or charitably humble, the vast majority of institutions speak to a spirituality and peace which is all too difficult to find in this modern day world. I may not endorse or follow the religion myself, but no matter what the faith my visit often creates an opportunity for a quiet moment of introspection.

And while I can be awed by the power and architecture of many great structures -- St. Paul's in London; Notre Dame in Paris; The National Cathedral in Washington, DC; The Vatican -- it's more often the truly humble, unassuming gathering places which give me a spiritual pause.

(La Iglesia de la Santa Cruz, Bahia de la Santa Cruz, Huatulco, Mexico)

THE DAILY ESCAPE: Suyalita Colors

I love to find surprising and wonderful little spots in the world, particularly when I'm not expecting them. On a day trip through the Costa Nayarit in Mexico I "discovered" the town of Suyalita.

It's a wonderful hidden gem -- in the midst of a general tourism boom -- that I otherwise might have overlooked. Given that it was just one stop of the day trip, I could have used another two or three hours to explore this fun little spot.

Going to have to go back some day for a more intensive exploration.

ROAD TRIP Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta

The morning began quite early for us. 5:30am, adjusted eastward two hours since our departure from San Diego. We showered and got ourselves ready for the day. Breakfast delivered a few minutes before the scheduled 6-6:30 window. Fortunately for room service I had donned my clothes before hearing the porter's soft knock at the door.

Martha's ready to go!

We departed the stateroom promptly at 7:05 and were pretty much the first people checking in with our guide on the dock. Martha, the very energetic and friendly tour guide from Vallarta Adventures, was trying to corral twenty two visitors headed into the Sierra Madre for what was (accurately) billed as an off road "Eco-Safari". Despite the promise of a rather rough ride and a three-quarter hour guided Eco-walk through the rainforest, the majority of patrons were several years our senior. The only younger participants were the tour employees and one of the ship's photographers sent along to document the adventure.

Dockside we were transferred into a small shuttle bus, which carried us a mile or so up the road for a rendezvous with the two Unimog military vehicles which would be our rides for the excursion. We piled in to the open air rear cargo/seating area and set off up the highway, immediately discovering that a) warm jackets were indeed a necessity, and b) any attempt at styling one's hair for the day was a completely wasted effort.

We shortly arrived at the town of Bruceria. 20 kilometers (12 miles) northwest along the coast from Puerto Vallarta. Turning inland, we followed a dry riverbed which became consistently less dry the further into the mountains we drove. The makeshift roadway carried us up into the Sierra Madre, dodging the occasional wandering cow, dog or other driver until we arrived at a  locked gate, demarking public land from a private reserve. The riverbed became a very rough "road" from that point onward, but the terrain wasn't much of an obstacle for our driver or the Unimog. In fact, it should be noted that the driver would later slow down more significantly for speed bumps in a town than he did for the rocks in the riverbed's irregular terrain.

Martha takes charge!

Not that I'm complaining. It was a great deal of fun, though a few of the older members of our little Familia (as Martha labeled us) might not have been quite so enthusiastic about it. Pulling oneself up into the Unimog isn't a strain, particularly for travelers with canes. No overt complaints, though a few grumbles from the more fashionable travelers in our midst. 

Arriving at our first stop, the unimogs were backed into a side grotto, and we all disembarked for a moderate walk through the forest. Martha and Adrian, her partner/guide from the other vehicle, took turns explaining this part of the Sierra Madre's biosphere as we came along them, identifying dangerous plants to avoid, beneficial ones and the services they could provide, as well as a few small members of the forests fauna -- a large termite nest and several examples of the native ant species. The larger animals and bird species kept their distance, though we heard periodic vocalization examples of both in the distance.

Clambering back into the Unimogs the two-vehicle convoy set off back down the riverbed again in search of "Sarita's house". Within a few very fast-paced minutes as we raced across the rough terrain, slowing just once to ford a pile of rocks and sand that was daunting even for our military-grade transportation. I quickly labeled it a speed bump, which elicited an ironic laugh from my fellow passengers.

Sarita's house in fact was located in a compound located twenty or so

Sarita

 feet above the riverbed on a natural hillock, across the way from a forty foot cliff face at a bend in the river. The two vehicles clawed their way up the  steep driveway -- dirt path, really -- and parked off to one side. There were four structures, with the house situated at the rear. A wood shed to fuel the large open air save and frying pan was off to the left, and to the right was a wood structure with a roof and open walls. Sarita was already hard at work at the oven, patting down homemade corn tortillas, flattening them on a press and slapping them down on the pan to heat up. Off to one side were an assortment of beans, avocado and rice for the tacos, as well as a sampling of local peppers to be tried at your own risk. Several of the group tried their hand at molding and flattening a tortilla, to various results. Sarita generously told everyone how well they did, regardless of actual performance.

After a brief and very pleasant visit we were off again, regaining asphalt after a ten minute drive down the remainder of the riverbed, slowly morphing itself into first a dirt road then an actual paved road towards the center of Bruceria, turning onto a larger highway for a smoother trip further up the coast and across the foothills to the picturesque seaside town of Sayurita. Echoing the more traditional city centers with its streets of shops, bars and vendors running down to a colorful and crowded main beach, Sayulita was a welcome stop enabling us to climb out of the Unimogs and wander aimlessly for a time before we again clamber up and head off for lunch at isolated beach over the coastal foothills from town. 

Sayulita

Martha serves lunch

Lunch was served on a beautiful seaside events building, overlooking a nearly empty beach. Heavy on the beans, carbs and tasty meats...and a blood red punch served optionally with or without Tequila. Given that the bottles of Tequila were generously left on the tables, you could choose your own percentage concoction, some creating a much stronger drink than others.

Unfortunately the time came, all too quickly, for the return drive to the ship. Martha delivered the bad news, and for the last time we dragged ourselves, now laden with lunch, up into the vehicles for the forty minute drive back to the port. Heavier, sun-tired and slightly the worse for wear, but much richer for the experience.