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Indigenous Drug Dealing

This is Eduino. He is a 54 year old father of 6 and a Kuna Indian. But unlike most middle aged dads he lives in the San Blas Islands and makes a living selling cocaine to the tourist in the passing boats. It’s actually pretty crazy how it works.

The San Blas Island are a bunch of tiny, sand and palm tree covered islands off the coast of southern Panama, there location is significant because this area is something like a drug superhighway for illegal substances heading north from Columbia. As a mater of fact there are so many drugs moving through these waters that whole bunches of cocaine will just wash up on the shore of the islands to be collected, cut and sold by the Kuna. A sort gift from the gods instantly enriching the residents. And we’re not talking small amounts here, Eduino told me that he has found everything between 15 and 50 Kilograms of cocaine washed up. That’s over a hundred and ten pounds in one find.

The finds don’t make them as fabulously rich as they would in Europe or the States considering that a 1/2 gram sells for about $2-4 in the San Blas compared to 5-10 times that price farther north. But Eduino was telling me that some of the Kuna will still make $50,000 in no time and then go on to spend every cent within just a couple months.

Eduino said he put the money into his families house and land instead of spending it on boats, women and alcohol. I was a little surprise when he agreed to let me take his photo after talking to him. But I don’t think he has anything to fear, the government has bigger fish to fry apparently.

How I ended up in the San Blas

This is Portobelo, meaning Beautiful Port and so named by Christopher Columbus apparently. But anyways I was camping here because the boat I booked to take me to columbia is out there in the harbor it’s actually directly in front of my motorbike.  I decided on a boat in favor of a plane because it ended up saving me about 250 dollars. But to tell you the truth, the first day when I was on the boat I would have gladly paid any amount  under $500 to get the hell off that pitching, wet, vomit inducing machine. I have never felt that nauseous before, continually vomiting for 14 hours straight is no fun.
Luckily we made it here to this island during the night on the first day and I was given a break from the constant nausea and actually got to  go snorkeling and see coral for the first time.  Our captain, who happens to be equal parts crazy, funny and sweet. Really great guy. Fritz-The-Cat. 

  The whole experience was one of those things that I am glad I did but would not willingly repeat. But I think a lot of great adventures are that way though.

The whole thing might have been worth it just to get to talk to Eduino. It’s such a different lifestyle and that is what this trip is all about for me. Meeting people and situations that make me stop and think.

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4 Months Ago – Unsolicited Kindness

I took these images almost 4 months ago exactly. But these two guys are still clearly visible in my memory. The guy below is a caretaker at a school in Arizona. I was sleeping in the baseball field dugout when he showed up the next morning and asked me what I was doing on his field. I explained that I needed a place to sleep for a few hours. Instead of kicking me off he helped me load my bike and gave me a few dollars for coffee. I was really surprised and to be honest humbled. Why would someone who obviously makes so little money give some to me?

Immediately after leaving the baseball dugout with my coffee money in hand I ran into the motorcyclist above and we talked at length about traveling and the people you meet. I ended up giving the coffee money to him seeing how he was heading in for a coffee.

I’ve been the recipient of so much random kindness, especially recently in the mountains of Guatemala when I really did need help to repair my bike or have a place to sleep.

Every I time receive this kind of random unsolicited help it feels like a personal challenge to me. A challenge to be worthy of the kindness and to realize that we all have the ability to touch other peoples lives. Even if we only help in a small way, it matters and just maybe it will reverberate with them.

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Faces of Mexico – A Photo Story

Mexico!

In almost 2 months in Mexico I had the pleasure of meeting people from so many different walks of life. And If I walked away with one feeling from Mexico it would be this.

I feel so very very lucky.

• Lucky to have been welcomed so graciously into so many peoples’ homes.
• Lucky to have help when my Motorcycle broke down.
• Lucky to have made so many friends.

But perhaps why I really feel so lucky is because I have this opportunity to explore the world at all. So many people are stuck in survival mode. In a world where the medium income is globally averaged at $7,000 with billions earning far far less, we truly are lucky.

So without further rambling. Here are the photos - Mexico – A Photo Story

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Love Yourself

One of my good friends asked me the other day, “What is the number 1 thing you’ve learned so far?”.  And it took me nearly a week to come up with an answer I think is honest.

The number one thing I’ve learned in the past three months is really quite simple. Everyone knows it, I I knew it. But now I think I finally understand what it entails.

I’ve finally learned how to love myself.

It’s a work in progress but I have had to realize that, quite simply…I. am. enough. I gotta be OK with just being me, whatever that might mean exactly.

I may never be able to realize 100 percent of my potential or revolutionize the globe. I may not even be able to keep this blog perfectly up to date. But that’s OK, I’m only human after all. What I think really matters is making a commitment to finding and pursuing something that matters, every single day. I think that kind of consistency can pull far more weight than an obsession with perfection.

And the reason I am writing all this under this little guy’s face is because I met him the morning these thoughts really hit me.

And I have to be honest, I really like this kid. He tried to act so tough. He kept punching buttons on his dads phone while I was talking to him. When I asked for a photo he demanded money, but after a few minutes he relented and let me take a few images.

The reason I like him so much is that his tough guy face and tough guy act is just a facade. He’s a sweet kid who I think isn’t sure who he should be or how he should act. I think it’s really hard to honestly look at yourself, see your own vulnerability, and be ok with that. Accepting who you are, failures and imperfections all, that’s not easy. It’s much easier to pretend that you don’t really have any problems or failures for that matter.

I think there is a kinder and gentler philosophy of life and success, and at the very basis of that is acceptance. Acceptance of who you really are and complete honesty about who you really want to be.

- – - – I am still in San Pedro Guatemala Learning spanish. I am going to do one more week here to finish out a month of study and then head to Belize. I am working on a post that pulls together all my favorite images from Mexico. So stay tuned, I’ve got a lot to share.

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Expat Lifestyle – Faces & Places in Real De Catorce

This is Christoph he’s a swiss expat living and working in Real De Catorce, Mexico. Of all the places in world why Real De Catorce you ask? Well let me show you…

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The Story of a One Legged Motorcyclist

It’s been two weeks. Actually it’s been more than two weeks since I crossed the border into Mexico and found myself face to face with this one legged motorcyclist, Hersus.

Hersus is one of those people that I rarely get to hang with. The people I usually hang with are just like me, thoughtful, polite and oh so cautious. Hersus on the other hand is one of those hard charging, say anything, consequences be damned kinda guy. And that is why 2 weeks later I am still thinking about this experience…

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10 Lessons on Life Travel & Art from Nicasio Romero

Nicasio Romero is an artist, scholar and world traveler. He started the El Ancon sculpture park, he helped found the New Mexico Acequia Association and has been featured in publications from the Smithsonian and Sculpture magazine as well as countless others.

Over the past 40 years Nicasio has built a literal compound of several south western style houses and 10s if not 100s of art installations. He has built everything from straw bail houses to a 25’ tall tower made of adobe bricks which he kiln-fired himself.

This compound of his is all the more surprising and charming because it is unexpected. I came to Ribera New Mexcio, a tiny town nearly 50 miles from Santa Fe to visit my friends Josh & Elle. I was expecting pretty desert scenery but discovering that they lived in a sculpture park was far more exciting.

Luckily I was introduced to Nicasio almost immediately and the hours of conversation that followed touched on everything from his philosophy as an artist and father to what it all will mean when he’s gone.

This is what I learned from Nicasio Romero…