meatloafing

Sunday p.m.

Went to Chichen Itza today. Early bus from Merida, then walked around CI for a few hours. Many tourists. Took late-afternoon bus to Tulum. CI was my first ruins site and it’s quite impressive, though I am glad I wasn’t alive then—too many beheadings. Also saw our first cenote but it was roped off. Tomorrow we will swim in one.

Spent the rest of Sunday chilling at Papaya Playa in Tulum. (We took a bus from Chichen Itza and transferred in Valladolid.) First we swam in the ocean and I’m pretty sure I saw a stingray. Todd and I both screamed a lot. He is afraid of seaweed. (Also, he thought Steve Irwin was killed by a crocodile—WTF.) Finally, we decided to risk our lives and we went in. Later while chilling on these hanging beds on the beach, we met a rich Mexican dude who travels all the time. [deleted, NSFW] .. said he’d return with directions to a secret awesome cenote. Never saw him again. I thought he was cute, but Todd thought he was fat and that I just liked him because he was rich. Also saw some topless womyn at Papaya Playa [although there was a sign that specifically said "This is not a topless beach." I guess there was a topless beach a few beaches away or something. I remained topped.]. I saw a guy who looked like Diego Luna [sadly, no pic]. Back in Tulum, I offended some Brits when they overheard me call their friend “Gaybraham.” (more…)

Dear Meatloafing readers,

Although this website focuses mostly on food, self-empowerment, and breaking Midtown news, sometimes we like to hit the open road and explore new places. Here are journal excerpts from my recent trip to the Yucatan down through Guatemala City. —ML

Saturday, August 2: Cancun & Mérida

Yesterday we flew into Cancun (”Nueva Orlando”) and it was a little weird. Ate some delicious fast food—little soft corn pockets filled with assorted meats, cactus, etc.—and then walked around town. After awhile it was too hot and we boarded a bus to Mérida, an old city with the oldest (?) [maybe not, just read the link I guess] cathedral in Yucatán. [It is also the capital of the state of Yucatan.]

The bus ride was charming. We went through all these little towns where we saw folks enjoying their Friday night. Fond memories of a girl on a tire swing and three dudes just chilling under a stop sign. Each home was full of life, bright and welcoming. Our 2nd-class bus stopped a lot so the ride was long, but we (I) slept so oh well. Todd peed in a soda bottle and partially missed and then washed his clothes and blanket in the hotel bathroom. Our room is simple—three single beds [this was common; I think we only had a room with one regular bed less than half the time. Most rooms had 2 or 3 beds. We almost got a room with 4 beds but decided to look elsewhere.] but there is AC and a speedy fan.

I’m tall.

Sunday, August 3: Mérida

Ate an early lunch at a hole-in-the-wall place [El Cangrejito] where the pope ate during his visit in 1984. We had mini tacos with camarones, langousta y papas y lentils (?) or something brown. Heavily doused with lime, these were beautiful and colourful little pieces of art. So fresh and tasty! Fresca!

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We just got this handy little device called the Flip, a really simple and user-friendly video camera. This is our first test video. Sorry if it makes you a little queasy.

One of the few convenience stores in downtown Austin [Ben Lim]

Where to Eat: Cheese, Oysters, and (No)odles

Eating during SXSW is a bit tricky. Long lines and crowds can lead to a dinner of Cheez-Its, a granola bar, and a Frosty (mmmm). Fortunately, we arrived in Austin early to attend the interactive—and much less crowded—portion of the fest.

Our first meal was at the hotel TGI Friday’s, where the broccoli-cheddar soup and half a “club sandwich” (it’s served on an untoasted roll) with avocado met our needs. The soup had a robust cheesy flavor and the sandwich was mediocre ingredient-wise, but the combination really hit it. Grade: C+. Radisson Hotel & Suites, 111 E. Cesar Chavez St. → At Roux, a spacious “Cajun bistro” with memorably odd wall art, we sampled stuffed oysters, a peppercorn-crusted ribeye with fixins, and shrimp in brandy cream sauce—one of the best meals of the trip. (Read about the co–best meal in Part 2.) Grade: B. 214 E. 6th St. → The stark, empty, and depressing Mongolian Grille offered possibly the saddest, least appetizing collection of raw ingredients that has ever existed on a buffet line. The noodles, which they confiscated after realizing they weren’t supposed to be set out during lunch, were merely spaghetti and linguini. Around 20 different types of watered-down sauces—green curry, Asian blend, barely-white coconut milk, and so on—rounded out the selections. Grade: F.

Next: Bodegas Don’t Exist (a.k.a. Nodegas) & ATM Tips

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mwah.

It’s that time of the year again. As the temperature drops, we suggest 10 ways to boost your mood* and stay healthy throughout those troublesome winter months. Act now—before you’re too depressed to do anything about it.

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We’ve heard about the beards, the found-object instruments, and the fancy new record label. But Parts & Labor are also just dorks who enjoy drunken video chatting at 3 a.m. In the midst of a European tour, BJ Warshaw, the sometimes-spokesperson for P&L—“Brooklyn’s Sweethearts”—sat down (kind of) for an impromptu IM-terview.

9:36 PM
BJ: I’m playing Wii in England. Dan says hi.
Mollie: Hello. tell him I saw the pic of him on the nudist vacation
BJ: He says, “augh!”
BJ: We’re gonna kill zombies now.
Mollie: I want to interview you for meatloafing
BJ: Resident Evil IV is totally calling.
BJ: This is the interview. Now. Start. Go. Ask.

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