Crowne Plaza Hotel Xalapa, Ver Jalapa

... very similar to Oaxacan red - rich but not hot. Needed that fortification, I later discovered, for the walk to the waterfalls - the tourist had told me it was 1km from main road to falls (actually at least two) but also as falls on edge of town ended up walking at least another 2k from the top of town - most of it cobbled road with no pavements passing through banana plantations & fruit liquer sellers - they insisted on giving me ...

I heard about couch surfing dot com so I decided to try it out. It's a bunch of people that are willing to let random people sleep on their couches. It's a pretty cool idea but it's a little sketchy at times and you never really know what you are going to get. Fortunately I ended up with some really cool people the first time so ...

... ab** natu**lich nicht so gut wie das Original, ganz klar) und machen es uns fu** eine Weile im Teehaus gemuetlich. Waehrend wir die v**schiedenen Teesorten durchprobi**en, schauen etwas beim Konz**t zu und fallen schliesslich muede genug in uns** gut beschalltes Bett. Am naechsten Tag geht es nach dem Fruehstueck weit** nach Papantla, und damit mitten ins Anbaugebiet d** Vanille. Papantla ist auss**dem die Ausgangsbasis fu** El Tajin und das Zuhause d** Voladores (davon ...

Written from Jalcomulco, Mexico: A phone call was just received directly from Jordan at 19:35 our time. Joel is awake and recognizes his brother as well as other friends and family. He has little memory of the incident but is making jokes and talking about kayaking. One lung continues to labour but the doctors plan to take him out of the ICU tomorrow. The family will be sending us further updates as they come along.

... sedated he has fine motor skills which indicate brain function.... but it is too early to tell exactly where that stands until he is free of sedation. This morning Joel was taken off the respirator and was breathing on his own with a non-rebreather mask. He was briefly taken off the sedation where he proved his ability to move and how strong he currently is. He was then sedated again for transport from Xalapa to the airport in Veracruz where he was met by a ...

... while kayaking on the Antigua river 5 km from Jalcolmulco, Veracruz - Mexico. He apparently capsized in a relatively calm section of the river and it is believed that he didn't hit any rocks while upside down. His brother, Jordan was kayaking near him and pulled him from his kayak and swam him to shore attempting to keep his head above water as much as possible.



Joel was pulled to shore where ...

... a much steeper path than the way into Chopilapa, and also up some more ladders. We hiked back to the same level that we had walked earlier in the morning so we were really hot and tired by the time we reached the top, but there was, of course, another great view. After reaching Buena Vista we got back in the van and drove towards Jalcomulco, scouting a route for a new cycle tour which Esprit might run. On the way ...

... independencia" from the balcony of the town hall. Fireworks and mariachis followed. We ate "elotes" (corn on the cob covered with mayo, shredded cheese and chilli powder) and drove back to my cousin's home. Day 4 We prepared "dobladas de mole" for breakfast, walked around the plantations and headed back to Mexico City.

... been very exciting and I feel my spanish already starting to improve as well as my sense of direction around the cluster F of the Xalapan streets. Here are a few pics taken on a 2 hour lost journey from city centro to my mom cousin (Byrons) house, it should have taken no more than 20 mins. Tomorrow I am going on a 40km bike ride with a bunch of locals and will tell y´all about that as well as post pictures next time ...

... like baseball hats, a few soccer balls, some baseball mitts, tote bags filled with goodies for new mothers, and all kinds of stuff. I saw the community transformed as all of a sudden everyone was Baptist and had no problem asking for things. I had people I didn't even know coming up to my home asking me for things... which NEVER happened before. There were only a few in this group that spoke Spanish so many of my Murrain friends wanted me to ask for things for them ...