Sorry, love. Not a lot of goodness going around here lately. Planning a wedding and juggling a business at the same time isn't exactly the kind of schedule where a blogging hobby and drinking habit can thrive. Dammit. In the meantime... Here are photos from an Internet photography service called Instagram.
Father John Misty, Live at The Commodore in Vancouver
I'll spare you with the words here. Lately we've had story posts, recipes and travel tips. How about some nice photos for you to digest instead? If you're a frequent visitor of Love & Rum, you'll recognize the image below from a previous post about the J. Tillman / Slowcoustic cover album.
These photos were taken by Tom Nugent at a semi-recent show of Father John Misty's at The Commodore where he opened for The Walkmen (those photos coming later). I love the different looks and stages you get through this small selection of shots. From the top image in this post to the last, you can see the progression happen...
Enjoy!
A Visit to Valladolid, Colonial Yucatán: Parte Uno
The elusive Valladolid. A trip here had been put off for various reasons. Guests, work, this, that. Dammit, we'll make it if we have to bring every excuse with us. Finally, the snap decision came and we took a four day trip over last weekend to Valladolid. The room at Hotel Aurora was booked and the bus left at 6:30pm.
6:10pm — Still at my desk. Work is holding me up. Something had to get done and I couldn't and wouldn't have wanted to be off the radar during the 2hr40min bus ride from Playa del Carmen to Valladolid. "Sorry, we're going to have to postpone, even if just another day."
6:12pm — Flying V! Miracles do happen. I could abandon station at my desk. Katy's a girl scout and was at the ready with everything, organized and sitting at the door, waiting. Waiting. I shouted, "We're making moves!" slammed the laptop shut, tossed it in the bag, jumped into my shoes and headed to the front door, "Wait! Beer."
We threw five Tecates into a cooler bag, hastily over supplied it with ice and ran.
6:16pm — Waiting near our place for a cab, tapping our feet. There are always cabs, always. There were cabs, but they were all full. Call it dinner rush, high season or just shit luck. Every cab that went by had heads in seats. Four minutes is an eternity when you're this determined to make ground and get out of Dodge on a timer.
6:20pm — A cab! He argues about the rate. We don't care. Take the money you son of a bitch, just drive!
6:26pm — We pull into the ADO bus station and Katy hauls ahead to get the tickets while I pull behind with bags in tow. Run you fool! Despite what ADO's listing said online, the bus to Valladolid is leaving from the other station some 10+ zig-zag blocks away. Mother F—
6:27pm — "Taxi, taxi. Vámonos! Rapido!"
6:31pm — Pulling in, she asks, "Have we missed it?"
"There's a good chance of that," I said, "But go, run, I'll deal with this guy and the bags. Get the tickets."
I can see Katy's at the ticket counter behind a family making sense of some map. I run past the ticket guy, using my pale skin to throw him off with the scent of touristic confusion. Now past security (a loose term), I'm able to stop the driver from getting on the bus and closing the door.
6:32pm — Thank whichever Saint it is that makes this place consistently behind schedule, even if sometimes only slightly. The bus was loaded and the driver was eager to get going, but accommodating. The two of us take our seats, look at each other and without having to say it, she knows I mean, "Beer!"
That's the best a can of cold Tecate will ever taste, if such a thing could be said about Tecate. Five empty and a bus ride down, Valladolid, arrived.
What is this place?
Founded in 1543, this little gem of a colonial city is relatively small with a population of roughly 46,000. However, the area included in the population count is 945km², which is far larger than the fifteen square blocks in size that the town feels like.
When you walk around Valladolid you feel like you're in a small town. Some intersections are busy with traffic directors signalling lines of cars left and right, but, others are quiet cobblestone streets. Streets that let you stumble around in the middle without risking the strike of a car, give or take.
Mercado Municipal
The Municipal Market. An authentic Mexican meat market run by men in butcher aprons, cowboy hats and moustaches. A vegetable market with elderly Mayan women as the main proprietors. Possibly husband and wife on either side of the meat/produce division, tending to their respective talents.
The women organize their vegetables, fruits and spices. Watching as you pass by, pointing out their colourful displays. The men work with cleavers and their hands. Behind them, signs identifying their specialty and name. "Ask for Tony, ask for Luis."
Ruben and Manuel looked to not only be the most applied in their work, but had the best cuts and variety. Luis seems to be your man if you're interested in poultry and abandonment.
Each sign is hand painted and appears to hold sponsorship by Zapaterias Ivan, a shoe store in town. Ivan the entrepreneur, or: Ivan the conglomerate.
Outside of the market is a strip of other small shops, shoemakers and a couple of dated, mini arcades. The market is not a polished star on a map, it's where locals come to get their fixings. This isn't a tourist attraction, although we're clearly tourists and attracted to the sight of butchers and organized chaos. That's the thing about Valladolid at this point in its history. It isn't a tourist attraction. The entire town functions on an economy outside of tourism unlike that of nearby Tulum, Playa del Carmen or Cancun, none of which would likely exist without.
It's a real piece of Mexico, only a short distance inland from the Caribbean coast. A collection of businesses and families otherwise unspoiled by price hikes, taking tourists for what they're worth, hawking wares at passersby and all of the other trappings.
How long can a magical little world like this exist without the tourbus of a visitor's economy finding it? It may not be long. Looks like local tour group and makeshift Disneyland, Xcaret, has already got its sights set. Included in their tours around to local ruins, cenotes and other archeological sites is a lunch stop in Valladolid. The tourbus stops midday out front of a restaurant that, aside from it being a little too polished, you'd otherwise expect to be local. It's an Xcaret manufactured colonial courtyard, and it's the only place like it in a town of authenticity and beauty. Out come the fanny packs and Birkenstocks.
Not that we can say much, we're not locals. We're tourists, just the same as the Tommy Bahamas walking around. Although, something about group travel, timed stops and planted attractions takes the heart out of a place, you know?
Aside from that, at the moment, the rest of the town is yours to wander and feel lost in a different world, even a different time in a way.
More to come...
To shorten the length of each post, I'll end this one here. We have at least one or two more worth of content about dining, drinking, antiquing and general wandering.
On the Road in Mexico with Herschel Supply Co.
Our pals over at Herschel Supply Co. are good folks. They stocked us up with some bags, which we use for anything from packing books and bottles for a beach day to everything we need for road trips to the south.
This red canvas Little America bag is our most used and retails for about $140. That price seems fair considering the thing is going to go along with you on all your adventures for the next few years. Treat yourself!
You can see it's a pretty simple, classic design, which is what you want to aim for in your go-to bag. The thing will stand the test of time in style and durability. It feels nice and sturdy, has a deep main pocket with plenty of room for rum, limes, a few books, accessories, camera and whatever else you're bringing around with you. It also comes with a padded laptop sleeve so you can still check Facebook from the beach.
Since this bag can fit lots, they've outfitted it with padded straps for those long walks on the beach you always talk so much about.
Most recently we loaded up our bags and hit up Mahahual. Tomorrow? Tulum! Check out some photos below.
The Streets of San Miguel de Allende & Guanajuato, Mexico
Taryn Baxter is an old friend who I know originally from Whineo's, my most cherished and long since shuttered bar in Vancouver. Taryn is a Vancouver based photographer whose focus is primarily wedding and engagement shoots, although as you scroll through this post you'll see that she's not limited to either. Diversify!
Travel Photography... With Real Film?
Last fall, Taryn grabbed a flight from Vancouver to San Miguel de Allende and hit the streets with her Hasselblad. Below are images from what came of it, and what she had to say.
“My favourite way to explore a new place is to walk the streets alone with my camera. Because I shoot film on a completely manual camera, I’m forced to slow down and really observe what’s going on around me. I believe it’s an essential part of street photography, as it opens your eyes to the beauty and intricacies of where you are and the people who live there.”
Click any image to enlarge and use your left/right arrow keys to navigate.
“San Miguel is a quaint but vibrant town with a thriving arts community. The colours are magnificent and the people are some of the friendliest I’ve met. It’s been said that San Miguel is the most beautiful town in Mexico, and I wouldn’t disagree.”
“A two hour car ride away is Guanajuato, an old silver mining town in a picturesque valley. Between the cobblestone alleyways, museums, markets and cafes, it feels distinctly European, yet the town is full of Mexican culture.”
If you're thinking of traveling to Mexico and would prefer cobblestone streets and cafés over the usual choice of beaches and bars, you should know that as well as looking beautiful, San Miguel de Allende and its surrounding area is one of the safest and friendliest in the country.
Taryn shot all of these beauties on her Hasselblad 500cm with Portra 160 and 400 film. You should check out Taryn Baxter's photography website and then follow her on Facebook to add some colour and life to your newsfeed.
