More Work For Stay
The Road Chose Me Volume 2 OUT NOW!!
The Road Chose Me Volume 2: Three years and 54,000 miles around Africa
Caroline and I make great progress on the new website and I really enjoy working so closely with a ‘customer’. It’s great to know Caroline will get exactly the website she wants. I continue to have a fruit smoothie for breakfast every day with about six or eight fresh local ingredients, swim, run and workout alternating days and generally soak in the amazing atmosphere of Caroline’s paradise.
Sunset over the Pacific at my ocean paradise
The local market in Puerto Escondido is very well known and we venture in to re-supply on fresh fruits and vegetables. It is very crowded, with stalls crammed in to every possible space. Most have items hanging very low from the roof and I have to constantly duck and weave to avoid them. Combined with the heat, humidity and level of background noise I feel like I’m exploring through some kind of urban jungle.
The colours of the market
The stalls selling fresh produce are stacked with every kind of fruit and vegetable I have ever seen, and a whole lot I have not. Everything is amazingly fresh and cheap, with most things probably having been picked earlier in the day. Mango season is over, making them hard to come by right now. We find only one stall selling them and we pay a few dollars for five huge ones. This is the highest price Caroline has ever paid and she mentions how in season they are practically free there are so many.
Fruit and vegetables in every colour
The area selling meat and fish is a sight to behold – almost all the stalls have their entire stock just sitting on the open counter for sale, without a fridge in sight. There are all manner of chicken, fish, beef and pork pieces, some in various stages of being dried for unknown reasons. Shopkeepers sit and wave sticks to keep the ever-present flies at bay, while others with glazed eyes have clearly given that up hours ago. Of course the smell is overpowering and at times I struggle to keep a smile on my face. Everyone else seems to think it’s perfectly normal.
These insects are apparently for eating...
A couple of stalls are selling small insects that look like grasshoppers. I can’t figure out if they are for eating and the shopkeepers don’t want to talk to me as soon as they realize I’m not buying anything. Other stalls have beautiful hand woven baskets, hammocks & rugs/blankets in every bright color imaginable.
The beach at Puerto Escondido
Living in paradise and exploring the area is fantastic, though we’ve nearly finished the website and I feel the urge to move south to new adventures.
I'm reminded of Pterodactyls when I see these birds
-Dan
It doesn’t get much fresher than “picked this morning” does it? One of my fondest food memories of Mexico is the great number of fruit “cocktails” I’ve eaten – generally jicama, melon and mango with salt, chili powder and squeezed lime purchased from cart vendors on the street……… I imagine you’ve had your chance at these as well!
David
Hey David – there are so many crazy combinations here I can not remember what I have tried and what I have not anymore
Safe to say pretty much everything has chilli of some kind or other.. if in doubt, add more chilli.
Finally got caught up on all your entries! I first found out about your blog from Murray at Explore North.
Glad to hear you’re exploring Puerto Escondido. I know I enjoyed it when I visited! Have you been down to Playa Carrizalillo yet? Definitely worth a visit and a nice little spot for a bit of snorkeling.
Just thinking about the food there has me craving an Arrachera steak. Drool….
Hey Michael, I didn´t make it down to Playa Carrizalillo, I didn´t hear about it. Puerto Escondido is a really great spot for sure. I´ve been eating a ton of local food lately and loving it. Rice & beans, beans & rice. haha
Hey Dan! Merry Christmas!! I hope you had a fabulous hot holiday! Take care- Jen and fam
Thanks Jen – huge Merry Xmas to you and the clan! have a great NYE too.
I first found your blog looking for info about the Magic Bus (I’m finally reading the Into the Wild book after having been fascinated the movie since it came out)…
I’m a young french girl spending the year in Minnesota and taking the opportunity to see more of the USA…reading your blog really makes me want to travel the wildest parts of the country; and hit the road…
Thanks for making me want to live my dreams !
Go for it! glad to hear I inspired you. The USA is huge and every where you go has beautiful countryside.
Hey-o
Steve and I are gunna hit ‘the peak’ tomorrow. Let me know if/when you have an address that I can send something to…
Good luck on that one. I´ll email you
So why is the word “customer” in quotes on your post? Hmm….
Oh no, no reason, it´s just that in Software Engineering we would usually refer to such a person as a customer, but this case is a little different seeings I was getting room and board for pay.
Suuuuurrre. That is what they all say.
Wow this shows great info and an inspiration also, hope you post more Dan