Inspirational Wednesdays: Cyrus Sutton, surfer and activist guru

As a surfer I got to heard about Cyrus Sutton a little bit around. He's from San Diego, and a lot of excellent surfers and other personalities come out of this part of the world.
I knew him just as a surfer and filmaker. I know he was very talented, but I've got to know more about him last year, when I was doing my California Vision project.

By the time I was working at Surfrider Foundation in Europe and when in San Diego, me and my friend stayed at Cardiff with Dan & Danielle (happily married now and both pro active at Surfrider), who were from my travel, one of the most amazing couples I've got to pass time with.

Totally random we were in Encinitas, and we got to assist to the Premiere of newest Cyrus Sutton's film at the time: Compassing (filmed along Mexico), and then crashed his post celebration party.

Since then I became more interested about his life and projects, discovering he's a truly down to earth person, worried about the environment and specially very well documented on sustainable agriculture till the point to start an "instagram" war against Monsanto and their killing practices for our soils and our health.
Thanks to his tenacity and compromise, we all surfers get inspired everyday by people like him, having the force to live their lives fully according with their believes.

At the moment he's in Hawaii to shoot a documentary on sustainable agriculture looking to profile some gardens, forest or farms for this purpose. Give him a shout if you know some of these and follow him for more inspiration here: Facebook profile

Here are some pics I took for my project, and other silly ones from the party!

Marquee of La Paloma theatre

Me and Cyrus at his party. I just noticed we have both big teeth!

The lovely couple Dan&Danielle. That silly guy behind us is Tate, even though his face, he's now a dad!

The peeps at the party

Found this mobile-home outside the party

I looked inside and I found a board to be shaped, maybe Cyrus's?

La Paloma theatre, such a legend. Pic part of my California vision project

Welcome to Encinitas. Pic part of my California vision project

Swamis beach. Pic part of my California vision project

Fisherman in Swamis. Pic part of my California vision project

More Swamis

Monumental Yucatán, México

A lot of you know about this part of Mexico probably because you've heard about Cancún.
As a Mexican I had my cliches too and since I was 4 I didn't want to go back there, mainly due to all the spring breakers visiting the zone. Then lately as an adult a lot of my travels are surf purpose.
Anyway, I had the opportunity to go back pushed by my sister a year ago in May. I really forgot about all the richness this area of my country has.
My experience was awesome re-exploring my country, going to Isla Mujeres, a small island about 13 kilometers northeast of Cancnún in the Caribbean Sea.  It was beautiful to find that this little town still preserves its identity with a few of little local hotels and small business for those allergic to resorts. Walking around we found beautiful sceneries, and the craziest sunset clouds I've witnessed.

My other favorite thing in this trip was going to Chichen Itzá, ancient ruins of the Mayan civilization just 200 km away from Cancún, going towards Merida.
I remember from my last time there, people were able to go inside the pyramids but now is not allowed. Apparently some stupid tourist years ago painted on the pyramids "Johny was here". Honestly I can't imagine how people are that stupid not to appreciate how special is this place.
This is one of most ancient civilizations on earth, and is always shocking to remember how advanced they were to their time being excellent astrologers, mathematicians and architects, building these monuments so carefully planed, to be aligned with some astrological events like the summer solstice at the Kukulcan's temple. If you want to know more about this phenomenon go here, and don't forget to visit this place if you have the opportunity! Good day to everyone!!

Stairway to heaven, Playa del Carmen, Mexico

Fisherman boats, Isla Mujeres, Mexico

The dock and some fisherman working on the catch of the day at Isla Mujeres

Crystal blue waters of the Caribbean, Isla Mujeres, Mexico

The sunset going towards Cancun from Isla Mujeres

Crazy colors and clouds of the sunset at the Caribbean

The observatory temple, Chichen Itzá

Magnificent Kukulcan's temple, Chichen Itzá

Friend observing the greatness

Monday quote and how I fell in love with a tree

Roots are important. Roots are essential!, specially when you're traveling.

When you're getting impregnated with other cultures, habits and different ways to see life, is important to be able to go back to your inner roots to remember who you are.
If I learned something about traveling, was to have an open mind and heart, to really discover and enjoy the "unknown; but then in important to be enough intelligent to know what is a keeper and what 's not from the experience.

So, are you traveling a bit this easter? Enjoy your vacations, and remember to go out of your comfort zone! That's where all the fun begins :)

Just a little word about this pic.
I took this pic in Apollo Bay in Australia while exploring the Great Ocean Road. I can't tell you how impressed I was about all the nature there, specially about these Cypresses. Where I come from in Mexico is pretty dry, so apart from cactuses, I never get to see these kind of majestic trees.
I fell in love with them, and since then I fell in love with many more around the world!!

Cypresses, Apollo Bay, VIC, Australia

Friday movie suggest: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Hey guys, this Friday I will recommend you a movie I just watched the other day, the name is "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" starring Ben Stiller.
This is such a nice movie, about our very intimate desires, going out of our comfort zone and follow our lead. The movie is very well done with a lot of scenes in Iceland; a country I really want to see because of its raw landscapes.
I have to say that the performance of Ben Stiller is really great. In fact I was a little surprised about this fact, as he's always doing so mainstream movies (in my opinion of course). Plus the soundtrack is beautiful with music of "Of Monsters and Men"

Here's the trailer! Go to the movies this weekend if you can and let me know what you think about the movie.

Surfing pic of the day, Friday SUPper

What's for dinner tonight mum? - Waves son, sunset waves!

I took this pic at Maderas around December or so. I started to document the amazing surf of a group of 4-5 suppers that came to the beach for about 2 weeks.
A lot of people tend to believe that SUP is for small waves. They're wrong! These guys were surfing waves from 3ft to 8-12 ft with such an impressive style. These guys got barreled every time they could, and yes, with such a monster board. Pretty cool to watch indeed.

Sunset supper at Maderas

Throwback thursday pic: Dream ride, Santa Barbara, California

This is probably one of my favorite pics of all times. I took it last year in summer when me and my friend Megan were cruising all over California through the 101 trying to get to San Francisco in one day. We obviously didn't get to San Fran in one day, but I had a hell of nice pics for the project I was doing at the moment: California Vision Project. I remember we just entered in Santa Barbara to eat (mexican again), and we saw a restaurant called La Paloma or something like that.
When parking I just see the perfect pic! The ride of my dreams and the palm trees! Woah! It looks so old style, I just love it ;)

Dream ride and palm trees

Inspirational Wednesdays: Alanna, The Latitude Project and the girls of Maderas

I get to meet Alanna Tynan just a few weeks before ending my stay in Nicaragua. She arrived to do some volunteering work together with her sister, around small communities. At the beginning she didn't explain me how beautiful project she and her sister were developing.

The Latitude Project is for me the perfect project where traveling and exploring the world meets with caring (the real caring). So, she and her sister, a natural born explorers founded this rad project, funded 100% by donations. No administration involved or any other. Just money from people who actually live their dreams towards them and their so many friends supporting the projects.

The real cool thing about it, is that their projects are based on the needs expressed to them by the local communities. Not what they think it will be better to a place. They work hand to hand with the communities in order to build something that really matters for everyone.

They team up with a lot of talented people, and they recently teamed up with another great inspirational girl we met in Nicaragua; the super talented photographer Kayla Rocca.
Be sure to go to their site to check out this deal, and donate, donate! http://www.thelatitudeproject.com

On the other hand, speaking about my personal experience with Alanna, I regret very much I couldn't go with them at the time to help them with their projects, and also for not having enough time to pass with this wonderful soul. It's funny how I met her so little time, and how that little time was enough to miss her very much. She is just so open, funny and energetic person; and how I love when she speaks in Spanish! She definitively cracked me up all the time.

I made her a few pics on my last week at Maderas. We use to hang with other girls of the Village to have long walks at the beach whenever she finished her daily work.
I hope you can feel too, through the pictures, the wonderful souls of everyone of these girls, all of them inspirational in so many ways… but those are different stories I will tell you in the future ;)

Alanna's portrait, enjoying the beach

Alanna at the sunset

The girls sharing loving moments. Aga, the Yogi from Polland at left, and Kayla the cool Canadian photographer 
in the right 

Alana, all smiles!

The girls want to see Nikki's pictures. Nikki is in charge of all the magic around the brand of Maderas Village, also rad photographer and my beloved surfer buddy. I miss this South African very much!! Oh, she's the blond at left