A brief one...

Yep, still in San Cristobal de las Casas, where I will one day rent an apartment for a year two. And you will all have to come visit me, and you will understand why I have to live here. Every concert has been unforgettable, every meal absurdly delicious (lies, I had this one burger. . . shit was wafer thin and slathered in mustard), every person friendly and warm and full of good conversation.

All that said, I'm leaving tomorrow for Palenque, these gorgeous Mayan ruins, and then a spot of camping at Aguas Azules after that. And then! Terribly excited, I'm a hop on a river boat and cross into Guatemala, which I am ridiculous excited about. I've met a few million travellers coming north, and all of them have said that Guatemala was life changing amazing beautiful unforgettable etc. ALL of them.

I will miss Mexico very much, in just a month it has altered me profoundly as a person. I will forever be happier for what I have seen heard and done in this country.

Walking about San Cristobal today, I saw a little white church atop a hill, a ridiculous huge stone stairwell both allowing and preventing access. It was such a hell of a hike up that I felt as though the stairs were challenging me. Well, I thought, if I have to, and started climbing. I got to the top and the pretty li'l church was locked up, closed. I bust up laughing, which then prompted a fit of coughing, seeing as how I was way winded from the climb. A waste, I thought, of time and energy. When I turned around to climb back down, I was blown away by the view of this city that I've so quickly come to love. Red tile roofs, plazas, narrow streets, all of them rolling down the valley and then up the hills on the opposite side, all of it surrounded by thick green forest. I stayed up there for at least half an hour, staring, thinking 10 years? 5? What is an appropriate time to wait, before coming back to this place, getting an apartment and a regular table at Cafe Revolución?

Yes, well, and anyways. The Sharks are playing the Dallas Stars at home tonight, opening up the second round of the playoffs. For those of you who have tickets, fuck you. I am crazy jealous. As it is, I will be watching on the computer at my hostel, which has this unfortunate green tint to the monitor. Scream for 'em, bay area people.