No Wrong Turns: Emos Attacked in Mexico and Chile

by Kelsey Mulyk on

According to NME, “emo” kids in Mexico and Chile have recently been attacked by other music subcultures — punks, metalheads and even the rockabilly set.

“Emo” refers to a youth subculture which involves a punk-meets-geek approach to fashion, angst-driven “emotional” music, and a general depressive nature. It is often regarded as a watered down version of the punk movement, much to the emo kid’s dismay.

Daniel Hernandez, of LA Weekly, who has been covering the recent attacks, blames the hostility towards the emos on two things: the fact that Mexicans generally regard the emo movement as a joke, and that a certain Televisa personality, Kristoff, recently spewed out his emo hatred on national television. This clip includes a few choice swear words in English. (It is in Spanish but you will get the gist of it.)

Obviously there is a lot of controversy about the attacks and both sides are responding by looking for someone to blame. Some have chosen to blame the lack of opportunities for the youth stating, “in Latin America, there are nearly 30 million young people who have no opportunity to study or work,” and so they are turning to drugs, crime or even taking it out on those not directly involved.

Hostility towards the emo subculture in Mexico has hit chat rooms, message boards and social networking sites. On March 7th in Queretaro, a state in central Mexico, around 800 youths gathered in the city’s Centro Historico district looking to pick a fight with the emo kids who regularly hangout there. Judging by the videos circulating on YouTube, they certainly found the fight they were looking for. The following week the same thing happened in Mexico City, check out the video below to take a look.

When asked why the recent violence has occurred, a young emo guy said he believed it was because the punks and metal-heads felt that emos were ‘posers’. But, basically from the news I can find (in Spanish mostly) there doesn’t seem to be any clear indication of why this specific group has been targeted.

Kristoff has apparently called off the attack but whether this will quell the violence remains to be seen. The Mexican government wants to point the finger at someone and should Televisa be held accountable, Kristoff might be feeling a little emotional himself.

“No Wrong Turns” chronicles Kelsey and her husband’s road trip — in real time — from Canada to the southern tip of South America in their trusty red VW Golf named Marlin.

No Wrong Turns: Buying or Renting a Surfboard in the Baja

by Kelsey Mulyk on

Tom is a huge surfer and I have always wanted to learn. So when we set off on this adventure surfing was a definite part of the plan. I have tried a couple times on other vacations but since we have been living in Calgary (which is smack in the middle of the Canadian prairies) I have never had enough time to really learn how…until now.

Baja California Sur is a huge surfing destination. Many of the ex-pat locals are surfers who found a killer surf break, bought a bit of land (when it was cheap) and never left. From Todos Santos all the way down the coast past San Jose Del Cabo you can find anything from mini waves to learn on to massive breaks for the advanced. But you need a board, and maybe a few lessons, before you can ride the waves.

We knew we needed boards and, unfortunately did not listen to a good piece of advice we received about where to purchase a board. The best place to get a board is in the States. Most of the boards in Mexico are imported from the US making them more expensive to buy. We were rushing to get into Mexico and looking back it would have been smarter to shop around for boards in the US.

Ah well, live and learn. On a surfboard mission we ran into Andy, a surfer from way back who manages the San Pedrito Surf Hotel, his recommendation was to try Costa Azul Surf Shop in San Jose Del Cabo. We headed there and managed to buy pretty decent used boards. Tom ended up with a Lost board, and the one I now own (but cannot stand up on) is an Olea, a locally made brand by Alejandro Olea, Costa Azul’s owner.

Costa Azul offers rentals at a pretty decent rate, rates start around $20 US per day, wet suit not included (I suggest getting one, the water is pretty chilly!). They also rent skim boards, body boards and snorkeling equipment for those not into surfing. Lessons for $55 US include a board, rashguard and hour-long lesson with an instructor. Two other locations, Todos Santos and Los Cerritos, offer rentals and lessons for those looking to catch a wave.

“No Wrong Turns” chronicles Kelsey and her husband’s road trip — in real time — from Canada to the southern tip of South America in their trusty red VW Golf named Marlin.

No Wrong Turns: Live Rent Free in Mexico

by Kelsey Mulyk on

Baja California draws thousands of vacationers each year who fork out wads of cash to stay in cookie-cutter hotels. I prefer to stay in more low-key places for two reasons: number one, I usually don’t have the cash to live the lux life and number two, I’d rather experience more of the culture than see another typical hotel lobby. But, if the opportunity came up to stay in a nicer place and experience the culture all for a decent price I’d be up for it . And it might just be possible, in fact, it just might be free… which happens to be right in my price range.

How’d you like to visit Mexico and stay for free in your own place?
Seriously….for free.

If you have a couple of weeks on hand, the money to pay for a flight or the desire to drive yourself down you could have yourself an inexpensive and amazingly beautiful vacation. How you ask? Become a housesitter.

Since we arrived in Mexico, many of the folks we’ve met have managed to stay here for months on end just by taking care of homes and picking up odd jobs here and there.

Many homeowners in Mexico are Americans and Canadians who spend half the year chilling out in Mexico and the other half at home. Understandably, a major concern for them is leaving their homes empty for months at a time. They are looking for trustworthy and reliable people to take care of their homes, keep their plants alive, babysit pets and discourage theft. When all is said and done, it’s a pretty easy job, and somebody’s got to do it.

Ads for housesitters in the Baja run in many of the local publications like the Gringo Gazette (I know…the name really is awesome) and the El Calendario de Todos Santos. Being a green thumb, pet-lover, or fixer-upper type can help to secure a position and a solid reference will do wonders. Housesitting is a great way to check out Mexico and the most you have to worry about are utilities and food.

How great is that? You could live rent-free for months in Mexico (sweet!), possibly in a really swanky pad (even sweeter) How could it get any better?

HouseSitMexico.com connects housesitters with homeowners all over Mexico. Housesitters-to-be can register for $20US (only until March 31st and then it will go to $30) to place an ad about their availability and qualifications. Access to the database of homeowners looking for help is granted once registered.

I don’t know about you guys but I am signing up right now!

Has anyone house-sat in Mexico before? I’d love to hear how it went.

“No Wrong Turns” chronicles Kelsey and her husband’s road trip — in real time — from Canada to the southern tip of South America in their trusty red VW Golf named Marlin.

No Wrong Turns: Easter in Mexico….No Mini Eggs Here

by Kelsey Mulyk on

You won’t find any pastel colored eggs, chocolates or fuzzy white rabbits in Mexico during Easter. In fact, there isn’t a speck of the materialistic, Cadbury-bunny-laced Easter we have come to know and love at home. And, believe me, I looked for those addictive Mini Eggs everywhere.

Mexicans are predominantly Catholic and Holy Week, or “Semana Santa” as it is known here, is the most important religious holiday of the year. Kids get the week before and after Easter Sunday off and it is a time for family and church. These two weeks off are equivalent to our Spring Break so travelers can expect beaches and hotels to be crowded…make your reservations early.

Tom and I caught a little bit of the celebration on Good Friday (Viernes Santo). The devout congregate in groups all over the city, each outfitted with a large cross. These groups walk throughout the neighborhoods towards the church, stopping at homes to perform prayers and blessings. Eventually all the groups meet at the church for the service. In other parts of the country, the crucifixion is reenacted and passion plays are performed. One of the biggest celebrations is held in Iztapalapa, just south of Mexico City.

“Sabado de Gloria”, Holy Saturday, tells the story of the betrayal of Jesus by Judas. Papier mache Judases are created and then burned or destroyed as part of the ceremony. The service we attended was not so inclined and instead included readings by from both the Mexican and English community. People just kept piling in and eventually all the seats were taken leaving latecomers standing in the aisles. Women were hanging onto restless children, statues of the Virgen de Guadalupe were clutched tightly in hand, thousands of candles were lit and re-lit, bottles of water were raised for blessing and children, trussed up in their best clothes, were baptized and welcomed as members to the Catholic church. The evening ended with a shower of bright fireworks that could be seen from all over town.

Two words of advice on attending a church service:

Many Mexicans turn up casually dressed, but it is wise to be respectful and dress appropriately. Women should have their shoulders covered and men should wear a nice shirt and pants.

It is worth bringing your own candle so you can participate in the service. A ton of candles are lit during this event…it is like one big bonfire waiting to happen, so make sure you know where the closest exit is or sit near someone with a big bottle of water.

On Easter Sunday, Domingo de Pascua, Mexicans attend Mass and then spend the rest of the day enjoying the company of family and friends, sadly for me, it is not filled with bunny trails or chocolates either, sigh.
Anyone want to send some Mini Eggs my way?

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“No Wrong Turns” chronicles Kelsey and her husband’s road trip — in real time — from Canada to the southern tip of South America in their trusty red VW Golf named Marlin.

No Wrong Turns: Insurance for a Road Trip

by Kelsey Mulyk on

Before we left on this trip, I just about had a nervous breakdown when it seemed like no insurance company would cover us. Most places won’t insure for more than 6 months at a time and when I mentioned we were driving to South America the usual response was silence followed by an incredulous “You’re driving?”
Turned out the insurance options are quite limited for a long road trip…who knew?

The company we chose, or I guess I should say they chose us since they agreed to insure us, is STA Travel. Unlike the average insurance company, they are focused on the backpacking set and they offer travel insurance for up to 13 months. STA offers assistance to backpackers in numerous countries.

I chatted with a very helpful customer service agent who walked me though their standard plan. Not only will they cover up to $1500 of lost or stolen baggage but, if you upgrade your plan for a measly $5.50, you can apply this chunk of cash to electronics such as laptops, ipods, cameras, etc. The majority of travel insurance companies refuse to cover these types of items at all. But if you have homeowners insurance your personal computer is covered under it and American citizens can insure their computers with a company called Safeware.

STA also offers Adventure Sports Coverage, a great option for those into extreme sports. Thrill-seekers should be sure to read the fine print as not all adventure sports are covered. According to Justin, my STA buddy, one stipulation is that you must be attached to the ground. For instance, if you bungee jump you are covered because technically you are attached to the ground but, if you want to skydive (why you’d jump out of a plane at 13,000 feet is beyond me) you would be out of luck since you are hurtling towards the ground rather than being attached to it. Either way it is imperative that travelers fully understand what their insurance plans will cover-no one wants to end up in a foreign hospital with a shwackload of medical bills to pay. On that note you can also upgrade your medical coverage, again for a mere $5.50, to provide emergency evacuation.

Since we live in a rather precarious time with terrorist acts becoming more common, I inquired about coverage related to terrorism should something unpredictable happen. Apparently, you can purchase the Protection Plan, which covers your evacuation costs if this type of incident occurred. But any trouble due to an “act of war” is not covered. So if you see tanks rolling in my suggestion would be to roll yourself right out of there.

“No Wrong Turns” chronicles Kelsey and her husband’s road trip — in real time — from Canada to the southern tip of South America in their trusty red VW Golf named Marlin.