Mangomitas and Machetes~

My favorite thing in Mexico were the Mangomitas or Mangos Enchilados, dried mangos covered in chile powder and lime. You can find them in any of the open air markets or at the OXXO(like 7-11) convenient store. Towards the end, every time I saw an OXXO, I’d point and yell, “mangomitas.”

The flavors and textures and small details in the Mexican cuisine rocked my world. Everyday, every meal was so rich and tasty I felt like a little kid again. Another favorite food was the Chilaquiles, nachos covered in a green or red salsa (more saucy and savory then the typical salsa), covered in grated cheese and usually with beans, avocado, eggs or whatever type of meat one desires. I was blown away that this is an accepted “meal” for breakfast, or anytime of the day. Imagining waking up in the US and deciding to eat a full serving of Nachos for breakfast. Awesome! And definitely made me feel giddy, all smiley and happy to start off the day.

Justin and I were hosted graciously straight out of the airport. Alejandro Quiyono, the local Mexican AcroYoga teacher, sent a chauffer to pick us up and bring us to his apartment. We wanted typical Mexican food, so instead of our usual request for a sushi dinner, he brought us out and introduced us to Chilaquiles right from the get-go. I remember eating so much, and feeling like I wouldn’t need another meal for at least 24hrs…So this is Mexico!

I’d always imagined Mexico City as full of people walking everywhere, pollution, and really dangerous. I’m constantly amazed how, while traveling in the yoga scene, the places I’m brought to are similar no matter where I am. Alejandro’s apartment is super sweet and everything and more than a traveling yoga teacher could ask for. The traffic, although at peak times, was slow moving, was orderly rhythmic, and the streets and buses well taken care of and on schedule. I felt the contrast from living in Colombia, where the order feels more like disorder, and most moments I’m in awe of everyone’s ability to get out of each other’s way. In Mexico, the pace of the tr….

A segway…I just arrived to Guayaquil, Ecuador and while writing this was waiting in the airport for Justin to fly in from Colombia. He just showed up early with a gift, one last Mangomita from OXXO. We left Mexico 2 weeks ago. That’s what I call a solid co-teacher and a sweet friend…THANK YOU JUSTIN!

Anyhow, the traffic in Mexico, was like a soft bzzzzz…

We left Alejandro’s to travel to Querétaro, a colonial city 3 hours to the north. Took the bus, which was super clean and cozy and arrived to be picked up by our next host. Paloma was organizing our weekend of workshops and was super excited to be bringing AcroYoga and Us to the up-and-coming yoga scene. She brought us to an all natural restaurant, Casa Verde, to dine with our the owners of the Taekwondo studio where the workshop was going to take place. Pablo and Marisol also invited us to stay in their house. The food was gourmet and fresh and super yummy. This was within the first 24hrs of Mexico and I was still amazed by all the different names and varieties that were available. My mouth was having a party.

Justin ate ant eggs with tortilla and guacamole. He loved it. I tried one ant egg...

After dinner, Paloma and hubby Luis drove us to the small colonial town of artists and retired expats, San Miguel de Allende. They lent us their apartment there for the next five days in a gated community with outdoor swimming pool, steam room and lots of sun during the day and freezing cold at night. It was the first time in over 5 weeks that we had full on sun. In Colombia, the invierno (winter) had left us with out a day without rain for our whole time there, even changing cities.

San Miguel de Allende is the kind of town where you can wonder down any alleyway and you will find a treasure of a small restaurant, archway of flowers, antique hacienda, artisan shop or beautiful view of the whole town- cathedral, winding streets. The mix of the old colonial with the liberal and new, gives the whole town a smooth and spicy feel.

We wandered around the botanical gardens above San Miguel, expecting large areas of grass to fly on and beautiful flowers and trees. It was a shock to be reminded that we were in semi-arid desert, and I was blown away by the creativity of the landscape of cactus, desert flowers, secret spaces, and a lagoon with colorful birds and bamboo. From the botanical gardens we continued strolling down the mountain towards the town center. First passing huge elaborate mansions and grey haired expats walking their dogs. Then we hit the outskirts of town, the working class, one house plastered to the other balancing almost diagonally on the steep street, and courageous motorcycles blasting their way home. Grandmas, señores, kids out and about, selling their goods, buying produce, sharing the latest chisme (gossip) around the dogs and vehicles. The downhill leads us to the central market, colorful fruits, veggies and meat in one building, winding down to another with tapestries, statues, jewelry. I comment to Justin, how so many people would “die” to be in this scene. How for me, when I first came to Mexico, and visited markets in many other countries, this was my dream. And now, 11 years later, it feels almost normal, and a lot less mysterious.

We sit on a street corner near the main church, which is famous for it’s pastel and multicolored façade, we people watch and talk story.

Our days in San Miguel were filled with yummy food, AcroYoga demoing in the gazebo in the main plaza surrounded by school children on their lunch break, attending a sweet bilingual yoga class and nighttime salsa class and flying the teachers, being showed around by new friends and practicing lots of yoga and chanting on our rooftop in the sun.

When it was time to head back to Querétaro, we took another cozy bus and were déjà-vu picked up by Paloma and taken to meet Marisol and Pablo at a Mexican fusion- sushi restaurant. The veggie sushi in Mexico I have decided is consistently the best in the world (I’ve never been to Japan). They always have avocado, spicy sauces and are sometimes wrapped in maduros (plantains). Marisol and Pablo brought us home with them and we instantly felt adopted, as they led us to our separate rooms, and asked us what we wanted to eat in the morning. This trend continued throughout the weekend, as they constantly fed us the most delicious and healthy vegetarian cuisine and cared for us down to every little detail. My favorite dish was hands down the Huitlacoche, a mushroom that grows on the head of corn, and is marinated in spices and tossed in a tortilla sometimes with queso y aguacate and hot sauce!

The 15 hours of AcroYoga were well received, as a lot of the students hadn’t had any idea of what the practice was, and just showed up because we were highly recommended. So we all experienced a weekend of transition, ending with the students being able to guide and support each other and smoothly complete complicated flying sequences. After many hugs and filling our suitcases with gifted books, we got back on the bus to Mexico City en route to assist the founder of AcroYoga ,Jason, and another sweet sister, Ale, in Puerto Vallarta.

In few words, the AcroYoga immersion was BLISS, LOVE, SHAKTI~! I stayed with Ale in the Best Western where the workshops were held, with 3 pools, white sand beach, and spectacular sunsets. Just being in the presence of the teachers and their precise and fun teaching style, and supporting this beautiful group of talented students, opened up my world. Dear friends came for the immersion too; Andy Bemis, a soul brother, who led with me this last July for Global Routes, who I hadn’t seen for over 4 months, Aaron Lindt, an inspiring yoga teacher from New Orleans, who came with a whole posse of students/friends, and Aya, a sweet sister who I had shared magical space with in Thailand before I was a certified AY teacher and was teaching donation classes for a local refugee school in the park. It was beautiful to see the cross-cultural bilingual interactions throughout the 5 immersion days, a true living example of world peace.

Afterwards, I winded down in serious chill mudra style in Yelapa, a small beach an hour boat ride away. Quaint and quiet. With one yummy taco restaurant, waterfalls, and little winding streets with red flowers and lanterns in the nighttime. We saw whales and dolphins swam under and around our boat. Pure Mexican magic…

I took a boat, taxi, 3 airplanes, friends car, taxi, bus and motorbike to reach EcoVillage Atlantida outside of Cali, Colombia and celebrate with friends their finishing of a vision quest, where they are alone in the woods without food or water for 4 days. It actually took 3 and a half years to arrive. One of those places where you get there when you are supposed to get there, as Atlantida had been recommended by many dear friends from around the world. Re-connecting with the land in Colombia, grounded me and made me even more excited to be there for a “long-er” term.

A few days after returning to Cali, I was invited to another eco-village, Villa Maga, where I slept on the porch under the stars and in the morning opened my eyes to a pink orchid also waking up with a back drop of green mountains and valleys. Carlitos, Paolo and I bushwhacked with machetes a new trail that lead us to La Cascada de Purificacion (Waterfall of Purification). A 75 meter waterfall that is one of 3 inside primary tropical rainforest.

In love,

Samantha