G man the comeback!

[Pavati]

Re: G man the comeback!

Thanks for the travel updates, G. We can live vicariously through you.

What IS the street food?

How did your gig go?

Machu Picchu is on my bucket list. So excited for you.

xo

Pav

[Guitarista]

Re: G man the comeback!

Hi Pav and y'all.

Must be day 282! Some street food in Santa marta i encountered were rice, beans, potatoe. meat dishes. Some freshly fried empanada's. Fresh fruit juices. A few sugary chocolatey pancake things. My diet has gone south mainly due to being hungry and just eating the closest available tasty looking dish. Back to mainly veg upon my return! A better option for me might've been to book airnb accom with a kitchen. Then i could have more control and cook up a veggie storm. But the food is great. Lot's of it in Lima Peru. Quite rich. Meat and especially chicken everywhere. The cerviche (fish) dish i had twice it was so good. That was from a little old lady street stall style home cooked in front of you cheap and with love and no frills.

Gig was good. the street gigs are always interesting and fun. Another tonight in a main park/square. In Ecuador now. Still some significant and no doubt eventful travels to come in my last 10 days (meeting chicas).

Take it easy out there.

[Guitarista]

Re: G man the comeback!

Holy moly it's day 285! back in Ecuador after 3 days in troubled Caracas Venezuela. There's almost zero cash there so most folks use a debit card. I was visiting a friend there and i sure needed help to negotiate any sort of purchase including the basics like food. Next 6 days in Guayaquil. Meeting up with a chica tomorrow. See how it goes. The other one didn't work out, but we parted as friends.

Off to do some laundry and eat! Charming host Gloria at the hotel i just checked into. Wrong room, no booking knowledge, dodgy wifi....not what i ordered. But she was so cool and has a can do attitude, so i'm prepared to stay while they make a few adjustments for me. The joint is a little run down, but has a lot of character and old world charm. Kind of like a fallen angel or queen of hotels once upon a time, still out there having a crack. lol.

Comida senor!

[Guitarista]

Re: G man the comeback!

Buenos tardes! Wednesday day 287 i think?!

Found a cool old school gym a few blocks away. 2 bucks a casual session. If i was a local this'd be my gym. No frills no stress. The food is cheap here, and good. 2nd date with chica for lunch shortly. She's nice. I'm not totally sold yet. See what happens. Might head to the coast for a couple of days soon for some surf. Guayaquil is a little inland on a big river. I need an ocean fix, sand under my feet.

Take it easy.

[Guitarista]

Re: G man the comeback!

Top of the saturday morning to you pilgrim.

Day 290 but who's countin'. My last full day in Sth america! Geez, i like it here. I'll be back soon i know it. Spending my last day with a cool chica i've been hanging out with last few days. She's a good woman. Anyway, off for breakfast, then a catch up with her. Tonight i'll hit the streets for a final music performance. Tomorrow it's the long flight home. Some good things about returning, even though i'd like to stay here.

Take it easy.

[abcowboy]

Have a safe trip home my friend!

[Guitarista]

Re: G man the comeback!

Thanks Cowboy. Hope all's good there.

Top of the sunday morning from overcast but very likeable Guayaquil Ecuador. The Ecuadorians appear at first to be possibly a little more conservative than say Colombians who seem to be more outgoing and noisy lol. Noisy as in lots of loud music everywhere. I like it!

It is with a slightly heavy heart that i end my Sth American adventure today. I fly out at lunchtime. The people of Guayaquil, and everywhere i went have taken a piece of my heart, which i give willingly. I feel ok though. It will be important for me to remain aware and focused on remaining AF and maintaining sobriety. It is such a better lifestyle in every way. AF enabled me to come here and make recent guitar albums, and.......look gooooood. No puffy red faced gringo here. No sir. A lean mean cool AF machine. Off to a buffet breakfast at a luxury hotel that doesn't charge a fortune! Then to airport. Close to 300! Day 291 i think.

Let's git it and let's raaawk! Talk soon pilgrims.

[Guitarista]

Re: G man the comeback!

Hola and buenos tardes evabody.

Tuesday, must be day 293? Home safe and sound, though 30 + hours of travel, airports and no sleep has me feeling slooow, chilled and kinda relaxed. It's good to be home. I have the rest of the week off to catch up on rest and sleep. All in all, a good adventure. One affect i am noticing is in the realms of 'perspective'. I think i have a renewed respect and appreciation of life after seeing people on the streets in heat and humidity all day selling everything from bottles of Agua, small packs of AA batteries, cookies, sweets, lollies, treats, cakes, ice cream, Small plastic wallets for I.D. street stands selling chicken, meat rice dishes cheap, soups, boot polish operators, wristbands, simple jewelry, anything you can imagine, someone is walking up and down the street selling it. etc...etc. There is no social security system that i can see in the main in a lot of Sth america where i went, so you've gotta either beg, or find a niche product and get out there and make it happen. Knife sharpening for restaurants, Magnifying glasses for reading..... What am i gonna complain about?!

So if u catch me whinging about a little bit of wind getting in through a crack there, or a little rain creeping in here as i wander around my 1st world house, slap me!

Go git it.

[Guitarista]

Re: G man the comeback!

Top of the wednesday morning to you pilgrim from the internationally renowned and multi award winning beach pad as featured on CNN and Vogue magazine March 2014 vol 7, no 3 issue.

Holy cookie craving cardinals, it must be day 294?!

I may've fluked and bucked the jet lag body clock situ. I was up half the night but slept and rested a little awaking around 7 this morning. If i can stay awake for most of the day, some normality could return sooner rather than later. Cool. Just taking it easy today. Will need to fire up the car and git some supplies and that's about it. Resting and chilling today and this week.

Not feeling sorry for myself or craving to get numb. This is very good. Travel can come with emotional highs and lows, but i'm sitting with them and letting things be. All is good here.

Go git it Pilgrim.

[Guitarista]

Re: G man the comeback!

Just ordered pizza rather than heading out shopping and negotiating traffic! I'm still in the twilight zone and a couple of big pizza's are just what the doc ordered today. I'll face the world tomorrow after a day of rest and hopefully nice sleep tonight. A touch fluey from plane aircon and no sleep, but all's good.

[Guitarista]

Re: G man the comeback!

Thursday morning july 4. Day 295!

I do believe it's another year AF for Mick! Congratulations mate.

And happy July 4 to my Americano friends. Sleep is still upside down but we'll get there. I have a little music session tomorrow morning so getting myself along to that should help the body clock adjust. Either way, no stress 'round here. Worry and stress are totz overrated don't u know?

Do what u love. Go git it.

[techie]

Re: G man the comeback!

Hope you had a wonderful trip, G’ster. Fantastic progress on the grog front. Life is good!

[Guitarista]

Re: G man the comeback!

Yo, great to see you Techie! How are things?

Top of the friday morning pilgrims from the beach pad. It's mid winter here, but the sun is a shinin' beautifully. Right on Ref! Body clock still askew but slowly returning to current time zone after some reasonable naps. All is good here. The feeling is very good. Now i have better control over what i eat! Back to healthier fare i.e. heaps more veggies.

It must be around day 296! (Edit: No G man, it's 297 today! 300 this monday. woohoo!) I may've lost or gained a day during my travels. lol. Don't matter. I ain't too precious. Except when it comes to my sobriety which i protect. One thing that occurred to me during my adventures, particularly out in the wilds of nature was - Nature and her inherent natural beauty, sheer power and awesomeness, trumps any social anxiety or drinking fantasies by a mile!

Do what u love right now pilgrim. Go git it.

[Guitarista]

Re: G man the comeback!

Top of the saturday morning from the beach pad. 7C and fresh, but temp should reach 18C partly cloudy. Cool with me whatever the weather does. I can't control nature, i can only control how i feel about exterior forces.

Day 298! This is the longest i've been sober since my 2.5 yrs AF which i ceased in 2011. Sheesh! It's taken me awhile to work it out. Such is the drugs insidious nature. But doing what i love does not include booze. Why? Coz then i dont do what i love. That's the simple equation for me.

Have a beaut weekend. Go git it!

[Guitarista]

Re: G man the comeback!

Top of the sunday morning to you pilgrims.

Day 299!!! Whaaa?? Say no more. Do or do not. Cloudy, grey skies, 13C. Who cares? Today will be a great day. Because within me, i am the boss. I say what goes, and how i feel. And i feel goooooood. The light flu i picked up on the long trip home is starting to lift along with my spirits.

Funny, i just noticed reading 299 back that i'm starting to feel proud of myself. Like hey....you're really doing this. Almost a year and a serious bona fide contender at actually living and having a full, satisfying, content life where dreams can come true. Starting to really see and believe that there are NO limits. What's my biggest dream/dreams? I know, i see the way, and i'm going for it.

Go git it my friend. Because you can. Do something you love today. Yes, i'm talkin to you.