Headed to the hills for some cooler weather

The dam humidity was kind of bugging me in Zihuatanejo (it´s by the ocean and there´s still high humidity in Oct.) So last night a few of us gathered to watch what we thought was the last half of the last game of the World Series game. But it was cancelled for a day. So we decided to head to the bar for a beer. Well one thing led to another and we ended up in this bar which was taking our requests for any song we wanted to hear. They would find it on the internet and play it for us. Well this went on for a few hours and we finally got out of there around 3 am. We staggered back to the hostel and I slept in an hammock in the open area cuz it was like 30 C or 83F in our room last night even with a fan on. So the next morning I had to check out and catch my bus early in th am. The others were pretty drunk and this girl had to teach English today and another was the owner of the hostel so he had to work. The 4th member was really drunk but he had no plans today and it seems this is a common occurrence for him. Well anyway I made it up and even walked 1/2 hr to the bus station. Lucky for me the bus was nice and cool so I could sleep.

Boy was it a refreshing change to get to Morelia. It´s a really pretty city with some nice old buildings and churches. It´s been designated as a UN Historical Site city.




I came to Morelia cuz this city is the near the town of Patzecuro where the best Day of the Dead Festival is held in Mexico. So I made the visit and checked into the local hostel and found it quite empty as I guess most ppl prefer to stay in Patzecuro. But I decided to stay 45 km away in Morelia cuz it´s easier to get a place plus it´s cheaper. So I`ll take a bus to Patzecuro on Nov 1 & 2 for the festival.
You may notice the decorated memorials that people build for some of their deceased family members. I will post some more pics after I attend the actual Festival on Nov 1 & 2 in Patzecuro.

As I mentioned the hostel dorm had only myself and Augusto (Argentinian guy) staying there. He had just returned from spending 8 months travelling and working in Europe. He´s on his way back to Argentina so of course is sort of on the same path as me. The only difference is he is planning to spend a month or 2 surfing, playing his guitar and smoking weed in Puerta Enscondido.

So it appeared we have a lot in common unfortunately his English is a lot better than my Spanish. So guess what we´re speaking together? So of course we went for a beer last night and going for a beer again tonight. It´s kind of nice to hang with a Spanish speaker but it doesn´t help my understanding. But he´s leaving to go to Mexico City so I´ll be on my own to visit the festival. I did meet some ppl in the Zihuatanejo hostel also going to Patzacuro for the festival but doubt if I´ll run into them as it´ll be crowded.

I have to go have a beer so I´ll be adding to this posting either tomorrow, Sat or Sun.

There were 3 Mexican chicks (on some course in town) staying at the hostel. So they invited Augusto (Argentinian mate) and I to this local watering hole. Well this was a bit of a happening place as it had 2 shaking floors due to a live band. The volume in the bar put us all on a level playing field. Cuz then none of us could understand what the others were saying. But by the end of the night hey I had a conversation with ppl for 5 mins and neither of us understood what the other said. But yeah we had to leave by 2 am cuz the hostel closes for the night. Unfortunately the custodians of the hostel are kind of sticklers for rules (a-holes). Can u imagine ppl working at a hostel that weren´t more chilled and easy going. Plus it didn´t help that they didn´t speak English cuz being so monolingual so far I`ve become quite good with sign language and charades!

Poor Augosto he was leaving for Mexico City in the moring to meet some mates there for the Day of the Dead. He also kept saying he has to wash clothes to go to the big city! Unfortunately e didn´t get it done but at least made it out of the hostel by noon! Hope to meet up with him again either at Puerto Escondido (down by Oaxaca) or Buenos Aires.

So thought I´d spend Fri chilling on the hammock in the courtyard with my mp3 and a bottle of $6 red wine and whatever else was available. Then Julian an Aussie guy shows up in the evening so met another mate to hang out with for the Day of the Dead!

One of the odd occurrence on my visit here coincides with the migration of the Monarch to just north of Morelia where I am. There was a guy who did see it aand took some pics of them. It´s interesting to read and find out about their migration.



Notice all of them in the trees in the pic. The Monarch butterflies cannot survive a long cold winter. Instead, they spend the winter in roosting spots. Monarchs west of the Rocky Mountains travel to small groves of trees along the California coast. Those east of the Rocky Mountains fly farther south to the forests high in the mountains of Mexico. The monarch's migration is driven by seasonal changes. Daylength and temperature changes influence the movement of the Monarch. The monarch's flight to Mexico has been compared to the migration habits of birds flying south for the winter. It is the only insect that can fly 2,500 miles to a warmer climate. Their unique wing structure and yearly life cycle makes it possible for the fall generation monarchs to travel thousands of miles (on those amazing little wings) to the warm nesting grounds of Mexico

http://www.monarchwatch.org/tagmig/fallmap.htm

They are the only butterflies to make such a long, two way migration every year. Amazingly, they fly in masses to the same winter roosts, often to the exact same trees. Their migration is more the type we expect from birds or whales. However, unlike birds and whales, individuals only make the round-trip once. It is their children's grandchildren that return south the following fall.