Que Onda, Mae?

October has always been my favorite month. Especially in LA.
Burnt pumpkin, cold winds, etc.
But I left Los Angeles, missing out on burning pumpkins in exchange for say, a more transient thing. So on the 18th at 2:30 AM I flew out over Catalina Island and floated down into San Jose to start my hobo training.
A glimpse:
San Jose aka Chepe, Costa Rica: pineapple breakfasts; clockwork downpours; Bar Chavelona (a mysterious 80's relic complete with pink and purple neon and black formica wraparound bar - the bartender gifted us with Chavelona glasses as souvenirs, the very same kind gas stations and McDonald's used to give away for free, ultimately reconfirming said 80's theme); Bar Chicharronera, full of Chepe hipsters,with the strangest and most wonderful film version of 'Alice' in Wonderland playing in the background -a Kansan, a Canuck and a Tico at my side.

From San Jose went microtripping to La Fortuna: heard the volcano speak while walking through the forest; it was just like an Ent. Town humid, full of rafting guides playing pool and a disco disco disco.
Then to Monteverde, cold and magic. Kicked out of training early in order to get to Mexico City by land. So then San Jose from Monteverde, plane to Guatemala City, microbus to Antigua,shuttle to San Cristobal de Las Casas, 11 hours away, an overnight bus to Oaxaca, another 12 hours. Oaxaca oaxaca oaxaca. Dia de los Muertos, squash blossom quesadillas, a drag show, El Panteon, rum dancing rum.
Oaxaca to Puebla. Puebla to Oaxaca. Oaxaca to San Cristobal de Las Casas: San Juan Chamula and the brain-staining images of its flickering candle-spewn church, the smell of copal, oranges and pine needles, coke bottles in the candlelight, a wave of whispers in Tzotil; Zinacantan, tortillas; Sumidero canyon, yellow iguana, crocodile; Agua Azul, Misol-Ha; Palenque and it's hippies with topknots, panpipes, fire dancers, pizza and jungly goodness; now to Merida. I wait for cenotes!