Today I booked my hotel in Barrow, Alaska for the nights of December 19th, 20th, and the 21st. The woman on the phone sounded like she was from Alabama. When I asked her how Decembers were in Barrow she told me to “dress warm.” That’s literally the only advice she gave me. Not “Barrow has the lowest average temperature in the United States” or “There’s a 67% chance you will be greeted off the plane by the open jaws of a narwhal, just “Dress warm.”
When I booked the trip to Barrow the amount I would be spending there seemed horribly short — about three days — but the more I think about it it’s starting to sound like an eternity. For three days, I will not see the sun rise. When I go to sleep, it will be dark; when I wake up, it will be dark; when I eat lunch, it will be dark; when I have afternoon tea, it will be dark; when I have dinner, it will be dark; and when I go back to the Airport Inn where I’m staying to beat my head against the wall in desperation, it will be dark. It will be very interesting to see what kind of effect this darkness will have on me (though I think I touched on it). I already complain about there not being enough sunlight in Seattle, running to the quad every time there’s a few minutes of sun so I can soak up as much precious vitamin D as possible, so what will happen when this sun ceases to exist altogether? Will I survive?
I’m so excited for this trip to Barrow. I’m so excited to travel. I want to travel as much as possible for the rest of my days. This winter break it’s Barrow, and maybe also Southern California after Christmas and before New Years. Then I want to go somewhere in January, and also February. I’m thinking Vegas, Hawaii, or Nashville. Then for Spring Break I want to get fucking gnarly. I want to road trip through Northern Mexico or go to Mexico City or maybe the Deep South. Then in the summer I want to get even gnarlier. I want to go to Finland and Russia and maybe, like I’ve mentioned before, study French in Quebec. I also for some reason have a strong urge to go the Maritimes (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, etc.). I think part of me is convinced I’ll meet Ellen Page in Nova Scotia and settle down with her and live a quiet yet extremely happy domesticated life in the far Northeastern reaches of Canada.
But anyway. The point is that I’m excited to travel. I’m excited for Barrow. I’m excited for winter. I’m excited for cold. I’m excited for it all.
This entry was written by , posted on December 9, 2009 at 3:02 am, filed under Alaska and tagged aeromexico, airport inn, Alaska, barrow, canada, el DF, ellen paige, mexico city, seviglius. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
El Cenote Azul is one of the cooler hostels I’ve ever stayed at. The bottom is a bar/café with rad hanging seating areas with tons of pillows always full of students and the top two floors have various rooms with bunk beds.
One of the hanging seating areas as seen from the roof terrace.
The majority of the clientele comes from the nearby National Autonomous University of Mexico (la UNAM), the biggest in Latin America with over 200,000 students. At any given time you can walk through the grassy areas of la UNAM and see about 60 different couples lying on the grass and making out vigorously. I guess that’s what happens in a place where everyone lives with their parents until they graduate college.
One of the grassy areas. Not too many people making out. Just a juggler and a dude looking at me like I was being creepy. Note la biblioteca central in the background. A huevo.
El Cenote Azul is definitely a “chill” place, but surprisingly it’s not completely chock-full of dirty stinking hippies. There are a few, of course, and plenty of reggae gets played, as is happening as I type these very words. But a majority of the customers actually seem to be from the medical school, as can be noted by the white pants and coats they insist on wearing everyday to class to distinguish them from the “other” students.
As for the people staying in the hostel, like I said, it’s full of fucking rockers. Everywhere here is a student at the nearby music school and plays guitar:
El pinche Alan.
or “produces” or “rocks” in some way or another. They love Guns ‘n Roses, they love Pink Floyd, and they love Depeche Mode. I have no idea why this last one is, since Depeche Mode is generally acknowledged to be one of the worst bands alive (at least by me). But Mexicans love it, much like they love U2, and much like, according to an article I once read by Chuck Klosterman, many love The Smiths and Morrissey.
But anyway. Today will be another day of chilling. Another day of learning ways to say that things are “cool.” Another day of walking around trying not to spill salsa on my white T. Another day of gazing happily at the bougainvilleas that spill over the walls and into the streets. Another day of rad.
This entry was written by , posted on May 21, 2009 at 10:46 am, filed under Travels and tagged a huevo, chido, chingon, el cenote azul, el DF, la peda, la unam. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.