Vagabondette

Posada 5, San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico

by vagabondette on June 10, 2009

I walked past Posada 5 several times on my way to/from Backpackers/Na Bolom before I stopped in.  I was getting sick of dorm life and since Posada 5 had gotten some good reviews I thought I’d see how much a private room was.

The Posada is fairly small with 5-6 private rooms and a dorm with 10-12 beds.  The kitchen is not as nice as the Backpackers Hostel and there really isn’t a central sitting area besides the kitchen but the prices more than make up for it.  Dorm beds (single level, not bunk) are only 50 MXN/night which is 1/2 the cost of the cheapest dorm at Backpackers.  My single room was 75 MXN/night.  It’s the cheapest because there is no window but even the one with a window was only 85 MXN/night.  If there are two it’s even cheaper.  They also allow camping for, I think, 40 MXN/night.

The bed I slept in (queen size) was very comfey though the other bed in the room (single) was NOT.

One of the best things about Posada 5 (aside from the cheap prices) was the view.  It’s situated on top of a hill and the back patio overlooks a large, grassy back yard with swing set and a couple of run-down hammocks but what really grabs you is the view.  From the top of the yard you can look over the main downtown area and across the valley to the mountains on the other side.  The view is just beautiful and I would have loved to have seen last night’s lightening storm from the patio.

The Posada seems to be more geared towards couples and families so if meeting lots of other young travelers and going out partying is your goal the Backpackers is probably a better option.  But, if you’re ready for some alone time and a private room to call your own I think Posada 5 is a great option.

Ch-ch-changes

by vagabondette on June 8, 2009

One of the best things about not being on a schedule is that when opportuniities come up I’m able to take advantage of them.

As I wrote a few days ago, I’ve begun volunteering at Na Bolom a local non-profit that has just a ton of stuff going on.  I was brought on by my friend Julio to re-design the website and, if I had time, offer some suggestions for operational improvements.

Things have been going well and I’ve very much enjoyed working with Fernando and Julio but I thought it best to finally have a chat with the president of the Board to get her take on the project - and it’s a good thing I did.

She has a very detailed, very involved viewpoint of what they want the new Na Bolom web presence to be and it was nothing like what I am currently designing.  It will also take much much longer than the original 2 weeks.  In fact, it will probably take closer to 6 months - so it looks like I’ll be returning to San Cristobal after a few side trips.

This was something I had already been contemplating as there are some operational improvements that could really make their lives easier and I just wasn’t sure how I would be able to get it all done in time.  But now it’s official.  Fer also mentioned something today about maybe getting paid in addition to the free room and board but we’ll see how that goes.  I’ll be satisfied without the paycheck just because of the new skills I’ll be learning, new friends I’ll be making and the great addition to my resume and portfolio.

The New Plan:

I will leave San Cris @ the 22nd of June and start making my way back to Cancun via Palenque, Merida and maybe Chichen Itza.  I will then fly be in the US from July 1-7 before I fly to Guatemala City.  I will most likely stay in Guate for several weeks taking Spanish classes as most of the people I’ll be working with on this expanded project have limited English skills.  I will then return to San Cris to finish the project.

Finally Using My Skills for Good Instead Of Evil

by vagabondette on June 1, 2009

While having drinks with my friend Julio the other night we got on the topic of volunteering and it turns out that the organization that he works for not only runs a volunteer program but is also looking to have their website redesigned. So, after a great meeting this morning with Julio and the Marketing Director today I will now be spending the next three weeks developing a new website and online marketing plan for Na Bolom.

This changes my plans to do a loop around southern Chiapas but I’m really excited about this project and if it goes well, I may actually return to San Cris from Guatemala in June and do some more work with them building some relationships with other international organizations.

Feels good to be using my skills to help others again rather than just to help myself.

I’ve Joined the Revolution

by vagabondette on May 31, 2009

Bar Revolution is one of the most famous bars in San Cristobal - and for good reason.  I’ve been twice now and had two different, but enjoyable experiences.

The first time I went with a group from the Backpackers Hostel we saw a band called Fraktal who played some of the most unique music I’ve ever heard.  A combo of Cello, Guitar, Voice, Drum, Accordion, Keyboard and more, some of their songs had hints of Rusted Root but most were 100% unusual.  Strange as they were, the entire group loved them and we all purchased copies of their CDs.  Take a listen:

The second time I went was with my from Julio from the party in Tuxtla and there was a jazz band which was good but who I only heard for a few minutes before their set was done.

Before all the stupid swine flu crap they used to do two shows each night at Revolution but these days, since crowds are down, they only have one show a night.  Hopefully it’ll go back to normal soon when people realize that the swine flu is not really the big problem that the media has turned it into.

On the second trip to Revolution I discovered the upstairs bar which was nice (and probably a bit more quiet) and has a nice row of padded seats.  I also learned that while they close their doors at midnight, if you’re in you can continue drinking until 1 am and hang out until they kick you out.

If you’re looking for a good group of locals and tourists it’s definitely the place to be.