Saturday, October 24, 2009

Officially on the Downhill part of my Goal!

So today i offically came over the hill on my trip goals. I have reached the summit and now i start my decent.

My savngs account goal calculator puts me at 51% now... And couple that with less than a year to go.... Things are looking good! Wooooo! Feels awesome!

Friday, October 23, 2009

Damien just said this

"nothing says ur a toolshed like a moped"

"mopeds are like fat grls... Everyone wants to ride onebut they dont want their friends to see"

awesomeness

My Latest Battle

So I found a Youtube video from this developement company planning a large "low impact" developement in one of my favorite pristine parts of Mexico. I have cherished this area and my knowledge of it for quite awhile and Im sad to see this kind of stuff moving in. So... here is an overview of the battle I accidentally started with the company...

Their Video....



The comment I left on their channel...

2far2drive (19 hours ago)
Spam Marked as spam
leave the cabo the way it is! stop ruining mexico and the lives of the mexicans with your desire to live in a mexican locale!


Their reply....

Thank you for your commentary. I am glad you saw the video. Unfortunately, we cannot allow your negative comment to be posted. Please research our company before making such blatant claims about real estate development. We are a Mexican firm with over 35 years in the area. The ENTIRE Mayto area was once Ejido Land (which you should also research) and was sold off by the Ejido Committee over the last 15 years to Spanish, Italian and Canadian companies.

This firm will be the first group to develop the area, where 10,000 people live, almost abandoned by their federal government with no telephones, sporadic electricity, and no paved roads. We will be employing hundreds of local people to construct an eco-friendly minimal ecological footprint development using regional materials and government and local cooperation. We have 100% backing by the municipality of Cabo Corrientes to go through with this project.Please take a moment to research before leaving hateful comments.

Thank you.


MY Reply.........

Thank you for your prompt reply, I didnt think I would hear back so quickly.

Im semi familiar with the situation of the Ejido land in this area and I have read that electricity was brought in around 2004 or thereabouts. I know there is no phone or other utilities availble that far out into the backcountry, mainly radio phone with a local operator.

On my last great Mexico trip I drove out there from where I was camping in Punta Mita (another classic example of Mexicans being overrun by their government at the insitance of foriegn governments and the chance to make a buck) and I entered the Cabo in El Tuito. I was amazed at the rich and lush vegetation and farm land in this area and immediatly fell in love... and wanted to leave it that way. I enjoyed leaving the hussle of Vallarta and all the tourists behind. I made it to Ipala before I had to turn around and get back out before dark to avoid being hopelessly lost. On another trip I camped at Lost Peñitas, which is close to where your developement will be according to your google maps. The rocky outcropping with un faro on top of it? There are many beach palapas and a small shrine for the fisherman and the people there.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/astraltx (pages 1 and 2 are pictures of the Cabo) http://www.flickr.com/photos/astraltx/page10/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/astraltx/page9/ those last 2 are pictures of what I understand to be Los Peñitas,

Im aware that you will be the first, like I said Ive been out there... and I knew as soon as someone got their hands on some of this Ejido land it would be over for one of the last pristine places on the Mexican coastline (Ive driven the ENTIRE pacific hwy 200 from the turnoff to Tepic to Guatemala, and from la frontera en Guatemala to El Salvador). This is one of the last places untouched by modernization and Americans. Being a Mexican firm as you stated, dont you ever get a gut feeling your selling your own country out so rich Americans can play on your land? Sure they want to LIVE in Mexico, but a Mexico without MEXICANS! Your company is enabling this sick mindset. Im sure not all of them are like this but believe me, Im American and they dont want anything to do with you. If this is an American Im repsonding to who is working for a Mexican company then I say stop selling yourself out so you can spend more time south of the border.

When you say that you will be eco-friendly and this will be a minimal eco-footprint development, how do you plan to accomplish these goals? We both know that the beaches of the Cabo are turtle nesting grounds, which you will encourage your owners to tramp over unknowingly. How do you plan on dealing with sewage and garbage facilities? We have both obviously been out there, like you said, there is NOTHING out there.

Do you plan on improving the quality of life for the people who live on this desolate coast? Do you plan on paving and improving the road in from Tuito or from the Peñitas turn off? And of course you have the backing from the local municipality, how much did you pay them and how much money in taxes will this bring in? They dont worry about the effects this might have on the culture and the environment, they probably just want to be a part of the Vallarta and especially the North Banderas Bay (think Mita to La Cruz) housing boom.

I know most of my arguments are based on opinion and I know there is no stopping this housing developement.... but you will find it very very hard to change my opinions about foriegners buying and living in little communities designed for them in other countries. You are catering to the American disease.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Today is my Bday!

Yeeeeeeeeaaa!!!! I made it to 25!!

My Bday!

Today is my bday! Yeaaaaa!!!!!!

So I havent written in quite awhile yeta again and I hate that. I have been mobile blogging from my phone but when I just checked today its obvious the emails have not been making it, so now I get to figure out that mess. Yay.

Hahaha... so what has been going on you may ask? Well... nothing lol. Same shit! Riding the bike, working, saving money. thats about it.

I did goto Bandera again after the sailboat race that we lost. We had to withdraw along with 74 other boats, 1 boat sank and a trimaran lost its mast. It was a heck of a storm that nailed us out there, a very strong early season cold front.

Ive hit a new high in my savings and its looking AWESOME! Lets just say... half way there baby!

Ive been looking at vans for my trip and I almost bought one last weekend but I didnt like some of the things that were wrong with it. Ive kind of settled on a Chevy custom van from the 90s , early 90s. Think a-team almost but that was 80s, they all look the same. I want to strip the back and build it out the way I want. Im talking solar panels, mobile wind gen im trying to build and a nice place to live. Im really excited about this project and I feel like this whole thing, now 2 years in the making, is finally starting to come together.

Thursday, October 01, 2009

Heading down the houston ship channel

yeeehaw

Pre-Harvest Moon Breakfast

We are chowing down at Skippers in Clear lake Shores. Excited like you have noooooooo idea! Im ready to go! T win this thing! Ill write later if i can.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Eeesh... Fell Off Again

Ok well... damn I have to stop that, this whole falling off and not blogging or finishing a story type of thing. I made it home from that ride that night and it sucked bad, especially after a huge buck decided to try and take me out about 5 miles from my house. I did make it home around 12am or so and slept for like 14 hours to try and recoup. It was a long but immensly fun ride and I cant wait to do it again.

About that ticket, I paid it already and I got them to drop a the no motorcycle endorsement charge. The speeding 90 in a 60 and the passing in a no passing came to the whopping amount of $551 bux and that pissed me off. This thing is really starting to eat into my money and I need to be more careful because this is valuable trip money im blowing here! That $550 was basically a months worth of living on the road accoriding to my budget!!!!

Lately there hasn't been too much going on except some sailing here and there. I was going to do the Harvest Moon Regatta (sailboat race) again this year but my work cut me off with a planned network upgrade for that weekend. Well... the good news (for me anyways) is that Cisco, a huge networking company, delayed all of our core equipment until november or early december! Soooo... Im headed to Kemah wed night (sept 30th) because the race starts on Oct 1st. We will be racing 150 miles south to Port Aransas and expect to be there saturday at the latest. Then its parrrrttyyyy time! This year I also got the time off to help bring the boat back so I will be sailing back with Greg (double handed) on monday morning. Im super excited this year and Im hoping we will have a good chance because we wont be 40 minutes late for our start this time! Im also hoping we will have equally amazing winds like we did last year (20kts from the NW, making it a very broad reach, surfing at 10kts) and we will stomp the competition.

Anyways.. this has been my catch up blog. Ill write some more later... thats all I can muster right now.

Sunday, September 06, 2009

Outside of san antonio

Im 160 miles from houston and im hurting. Th twisted sisters really took it out of me and thn i rode for almost an hour in pouring rain, i was incredibly soaked and extreamly cold. I got nailed with a ticket outside Leakey, cnt remember if i mentioned it already or not but 93 in a 65, no moto license, and passing in a no passing zone lol. Soo... Thats gonna hurt but what the fuck ever. Just dollars right?

Im hurtng bad right now. My shoulders nd throttl hand are on fire and im still over 2 hours from home. Ugh, i shoulda just camped in bandera again. I swung by and said goodbye to th indians again and they gave me a beautiful necklce as a parting gift from my (apache brothers). I was very moved by this and i cant wait to see them again in novemer when they come to traders village in houston.

Ok, ima finish my wtburger ndget on the road. Ohh, one last complaint, my damn MP3 player just went dead lol. arrrggggg

Saturday, September 05, 2009

Some pics from my ride and the campsite

Bandera, Texas

Wel i made it to bandera alive. sh16 was totally fucking crazy with twists and turns and super steep grades, I mean i wasin heaven. I saw signs in kerrville for trucks to take a different route and thats when i got pumped! I rode through Medina and on into bandera. I had plans to return to a ranch outside kerrville tha i stopped at along the way. There is a folk/hippy fest going on and i wanted to check that out but as i wasgetting back on the road the rain set in. SH16 is no road to ride in the rain so i headedback into bandera and found a campsite along the river in the town park. This is where im staying tonight and i later i think ill walk up the street and check out the bars. Earlier it rained here and i took refuge under a tree and i dunno, maybe the sound of the rain but all of a sudden i got super tired. So i leaned across my tank bag and passedout for an hour!

Lunch in Fredericksburg

I just finished lunch and now im about to hit hwy 16 ad blast towards kerrville. Update later.

In Luckenbach!!

This place is awesome! I wish i could stick around for the hippy country jam fest but ive got to make it to bandera tonight and find somewhere to sleep. The ride so far has been beautiful and id love to do it again as soon as i get the chance. But... Thenext time im out here, i will be partying in luckenbach

San Marcos

I forgot to write yesterday because as soon as i got to san marcos i headed out to canyon lake nd went sailing with some friends. We had a great sail and i showed them a few small tricks. Shane is becoming a pretty good sailor and im happy to see him just rush into it. Its a pretty small lake so as long as he is decently careful he should be fine, in summer anyways lol. Hes even taken it out without and engine before but ended up having to be towed back!

He let me crash on his couch lst night and that was awesome because i didnt have to camp. I love being back in the hill country and ill try and take some pics today. K gotta hit the road im running late. More later.

Friday, September 04, 2009

In Giddings!

Well, im having a blast so far! I rode my fav. Route and i just blasted it!! Its so beautiful out here in this part of texas and i dont think there is anything that beats seeing by motorcycle, especially a sport tourer. I was pushing corners semi hard but would just blast the gas on exit and go from 65 to 100 in a matter of seconds. With no cars or police, u have nothing to worry about. My favorite part is a sweeping right hand turn that at 50 will have u banked hard, and u go up hill... Boom straighten out for 40yards then back downhill in a sweeping left.

Im running late to be in san marcos though, i got a super late start! Im not pushingmyself or the bike too hard, just enjoying the ride. More later....

In navasota

Well i just finished the 149 route through the forest to navasota via 90/105 outa Anderson. Its been raining but now finally clearing and drying out. Good thing too because i was getting a little cold back there. Im stopped to top off my tank and grab some grub and then im back on the road.

Heading out

Hitting the road :)

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

Pics of the bike - Post 149 forrest run

Here are some pics I took of the bike while taking a break on the side of 1375 and I45 in New Waverly. I rode the forest after work but I never make it to Anderson due to the animals. Tooo many deer!

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Run to Burton

The other weekend we did one of our now famous "Burton Runs" and we invited some friends.
From L to R

1. Wesley (my stepdad) - Yamaha Vmax
2. Juan (neighbor) - 75 Honda 750four
3. Greg - Yamaha FZ1
4. Rami - Yamaha R1
5. Josh - Kawasaki ZX6-R
6. David (me) - Suzuki Bandit 1200S

Realized i forgot the pic