Hola, los surfistas!

Hola, internet! I’m still here, but here is not Iowa for the moment. I’m way down south of the border in the city of Juchitan, Mexico. Sounds exotic, doesn’t it? Hoo-chee-tan. In the state of Oaxaca. Wa-ha-ca. Man, that really does sound exotic! Well, I could lie and say it’s a little known, hidden paradise, but I strive not to mislead you. It’s less than idyllic here. Oh, it’s beautiful in some places and the people seem friendly, but it’s also kind of poor and there seems to be garbage most places that you look. It makes me appreciate even more the standard of living that I’m used to in the Estados Unidos. But how did I get here?

I work for a wind energy company that designs and manufactures large, utility scale wind turbines. This area of Mexico has ridiculously high sustained winds funneling out of the mountains, across the plains and out to sea. My company has 2 wind farms down here and I’m here for a few weeks to assist with technical training for the local maintenance folks. I have never been this deep into Mexico, so I see it as a good opportunity for a new experience.

I flew into Huatulco, Mexico from Houston a few days ago. On the flight down, we passed the tallest peak in Mexico, a volcano called Pico de Orizaba. It was amazing how it dominated everything else around it, and it’s the 3rd highest peak in North America at over 18,000 feet. It was beautiful. We flew above mountain peaks for the rest of the journey, up until we began out descent into Huatulco. For a brief moment looking out the window, I felt like Wile E. Coyote when he runs off the cliff and is suspended in midair before plummeting to the ground. Suddenly the mountains that had been just below us fell away and we were 25,000 feet above the ground as we started to slow down. I love air travel.

I left Iowa with snow on the ground and more than a chill in the air, and arrived on the Pacific coast of Mexico to be greeted with 84 degrees and a breeze. Those that know me are aware of my aversion to hot weather. Well, I was not averse to it in the slightest this time. I’ve been cold all winter and haven’t been able to get used to it. My trip started with the realization that my driver’s license had expired a week previous, so I would be relying on my traveling partner to drive the rental car by himself for the next couple of weeks. I felt like a complete moron, but what could I do? Drink a beer seemed like a reasonable answer. I love beer.

We spent the night in Huatulco, then made a 4 hour drive to Juchitan. We only had to stop at a single Army checkpoint on the way. We found a soldier that spoke a tiny bit of English, so we were able to tell him that we would just stand over there and he was more than welcome to search the car. The checks were cursory at best, so I’m not sure what he was looking for but we apparently didn’t have it. We were on our way!!! I love vehicle searches in foreign countries.

Now I am in the Gran Hotel Santo Domingo in Juchitan. It is a decent hotel, with bottled water available for brushing my teeth. Earlier, I went to the Bodega Aurrera next door to buy some Powerade and juice and cookies. It’s owned by Wal-Mart, so occasionally you find Great Value item on the shelves. Kind of funny. I’m spending the day in, blogging and working, and trying to recover from the sunburn I got yesterday while exploring the beaches around Salina Cruz. The wind speed and direction, coupled with the large hills that rise up right at the waters edge, create these sand dunes that climb the side of the hill and just beg to be climbed. I did that yesterday, and took a swim in the Pacific. It was awesome and refreshing and my skin is paying for it now. I love deciding against sunscreen.

So, that’s it. I’ll be here for another 2 weeks and I’ll try to keep documenting the trip. The food will get it’s own entry. It’s…interesting. I love mystery meat.

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