:: Merida ::

Sitting in a dimly lit courtyard
in the sultry heat ..
enjoying whatever cool breeze i can get

listening to a lonesome guy in the corner
strumming his guitar ..
singing a plaintive Mexican song

His voice echos with melancholy
to the inattentive audience sitting here

I feel strangely awkward for him
to be singing to an unappreciative audience
to bare your soul
but nobody cares

when he ends his song
a silent pregnant pause filled the air
i clapp self-conciously
knowing that its probably not enough of a reward for him
but I am doing what I can

Life is full of such embarrassing little moments
but in time..
I will probably only remember his beautiful voice ..
haunting the night

Merida is full of beautiful colonial buildings
living out their last days of splendor
the peeling paint and dirty walls cannot hide
the beautiful iron lattice work of the grills
nor the ornate cornices and moldings
telling stories of the dreams and aspirations
of the wealthy when building such houses in the past

now .. most of these houses are occupied by laundromats,
auto-shops and internet cafes
which is sad..but inevitable i guess
goes to show that life still goes on
on matter what happens

Hopefully I will get to go snorkel in the Cenotes tomorrow
Limestone caves, carved out by the waves
Sounds and looks beautiful in the brochure
But then they always do
If only life is as simple as a colourful brochure
short , concise and all exciting ..



on the long road to Merida
I know I'm suppose to think and reflect
and find an understanding with myself
however..when forced into such a position
I rather watch the cars zoom by me in repetition
... typical

Like a breeze through San Fran

It is not called the windy city for nothing
Like a breeze through San Fran
We stormed the city .. and left many spinning in our wake..

well... not EXACTLY

How shall or should I begin

Charming as charming can be when I'm freezing my toes off..
>>Would be my most honest statement

While we started out with all those ambitious plans
of places to go and things to do
when it came to the actual execution ..
as usual...
there is no perfect plan ...

Jet-lag is a big culprit
and the constant need to go into a coffee house for a hot drink
to recover from almost-frost-bite would be another big reason
and of course when you have 2 people the the combined attention span of a squirrel
attacked by the constant tendency to go into trigger-happy fits
>> There you go

In the end
out of like 6 places we plan to hit a day..
we end up with like 3 destinations..
all reached through a meandering route
filled with fruitful stop-overs

I guess.. in the end..
We wont really remember much of the Golden Gate Bridge ..
other than it being very big an very red ..(like duh)
And we wont remember much of the Fishermen Wharf ...
other than it being like a Disney theme park..
filled with corny gifts
>> that only the very taste-challenged can think of

But we will vividly remember the long-slow-motioned 2k trod
through the soft sand by the beach

A sunset view enjoyed with great Merlot and feet-tapping jazz..

The little Italian deli that we bumbled into..
authentically decked out, hanging salami and all
and the wonderful beef sandwich and pasta salad
which never the likes have I ever tasted in Singapore before

I can paint many more pretty pictures but I have to stop somewhere
Or Ill be here typing all night
and without much context ..
much is lost in translation
or in this case
>>my lousy narration ;p

The beauty of travel ..is that nothing ever happens as expected ..

Hopefully a sunny Mexico will be awaiting tomorrow..
because if I ever feel that cutting wind through my bones again..
I will have to start burning all the shorts and bikinis
that I bought for this trip to keep myself toasty

The horrors.. !

Well to scorching sun, pesky mosquitoes bites and sand up my butt
>>> Here I come


ready or not ...

Right there waiting

4 days and counting..
finally after talking toot about Mexico for so long..
the talk is finally firming up into reality

Route is set.. well roughly
travel is all about the spontaneity ...
right..? ...
right.. ;p

My first accommodation booked..
And now all I have to do is packed the gigantinomous backpack...
When my friend asked me if I wanted to borrow his 70 liter or 40 liter backpack..
Well the choice is obvious >> ain’t it ??

I need all that space to fill up the goodies..!!!

hmmm..
Maybe I should I just bring my bikinis
And leave even more space for shopping!!
ooooo the dilemma..

Already there is a growing list from people on what I have get/do in Mexico
1. Find out why they put the legendary lemon wedge in the all-famous beer
2. Jumping beans >> well Im sure its even more hilarious when you are drunk..
3. The hottest chili in Mexico >> and I do not mean the girls
4. The ever coveted ipod..>> well I AM stopping by the US
5. To taste all the fantastic Mexican cuisine >> their grasshoppers, their mole
AND their men*..
* well a certain source** told me that Mexican men aren’t very good
**I assume he had tried them before..so maybe I might just give them a miss

But who knows...
I just might do it all in the name of adventure ..
If lucky I mind find a Ronaldo look-alike (the Man Utd one.. not the buck-toothed one)
Who has strayed up far from home..
Hmmm…

In view of all the re-fried beans and guacamole I will be eating in the coming 2 weeks
I had foolishly believed that I can make it good by going for an epic run..
While I know most guys will roll their eyes..
Saying that eating is not like Maths.. >> there is no perfect balanced equation.
The cupcake you just ate, won’t miraculously disappear after a gym session
The cupcake will be STILL on your HIPs
The exercise just moved the fats around a bit ;p

Well ..with my female logic foolishly pushing me on
I had embarked on a prodigious run ..
The one same route that I had taken before>> and gave up halfway the last time..
Dying for a drink..I had turned around to head back home for some life-saving agua..

Well I survived it..
Enjoyed my first sunset in a long time..
Pat some cute babes and even cuter doggies
Listened to the birds chirping and missed stepping on a snail or 2 by just this much..
Out-run the some fat kid on a bike and a Gurka (well only for a very short distance..right at the start)

All in all it was a very ..well satisfying run..
I managed to half-run-limp-crawl back.. with an almost-butt-cramp
And the full-moon in the darkening skies laughing down at me.
Reminding me that inside this 25 yr-old body,
There are 50 yr old knees..and probably 40 yr old kidneys..

But all the while.. these images were going through my mind..

>> white sandy beaches..


>>ancient ruins


>> and all the tequila I can drink..
Well.. I WAS thirsty from the run..


Right now .. I am reading the wonderful ‘The Art of Travel’..
And while it says that the anticipation of travel will always bring disappointment in reality..
I on the other hand believe to never expect anything
Then.. every experience will be new and exciting..
It might not be the most fun…nor the most idealized.. but it will different 

In my heart.. I still believe in the romance of travel
The mysticism of lands unexplored..
The trill of trying something total foreign..
And the friends made along the way..

This is to travel.
I toast to thee
...with all the tequila I can drink :)

The Oldest Game On Earth

The place was appropriately dim
And the beer was flowing freely
There we sat in our front row seats..
Just in time to catch the match being played at the bar

And so it begins..
Opposition won the toss..

Starts out smoothly.. Posturing and all
First..He invades her private space..
Whispering close to her ear..
all the while gazing into her eyes..

Ooh ...
but a clever deflection from the home side!
She placed her glass in front of her
In between them..
Defending her space well. .. and laughing as she did so

Looks like a tough match tonight…
Both sides are experienced at the game and raring to go..

The Opposition gets frustrated.. flustered even
At the lack a goal in sight..

But he preservers on
Buying her another drink and another …

This time he tries a different tactic..
First he sneaks quick touches at her elbow
As he talked animatedly..
Disguising it all as part of the story-telling

And she unwittingly let that pass..
Preoccupied with her drink and the story unfolding..

Suddenly..
he starts touching her shoulder...
Success! As he moved past the first level of defence

She smiles on..
perhaps defences weakening
Losing stamina (or just the alcohol working)

Sensing a slack in the defence ..
He moves in for the kill
With a flourish..he ends his story
And while she tilts her head back to laugh..
He angles himself in ..
Catches the back of her head and he brushes in a kiss..

Score!!...
1 - nil

As suddenly as it began..
The whistle is blown..
HALF TIME

Well… That’s about all I saw of that match
Didn’t stay long enough to watch the second half being played out

But I guess..
Only those involved in the match would have known the final score
Perhaps both side won..
Perhpas it was a loosing game..

Its amazing the things you see ..
If you open your eyes..
And there I was.. just hoping for a margarita and a decent DJ

But with a name like Gypsy Bar..
One might expect some magic to happen that night..

KL has its charms.
And it was a wonderful birthday
I cant believe I have actually survived for 25 year ..

I keep expecting myself to be having some sort of quarter-life-crisis..
Perhaps … I more well-adjusted than I thought..

Perhaps its all the wonderful people around me
That make life too fun to worry about the little things

Like growing old.. ;p

Cheers