Probably the cheekiest edit from the entire journey. By now, I had built enough confidence to step closer and point the camera directly at newly acquainted humans. Filming the women making fresh tortillas, I briefly felt like I was tagging along with Anthony Bourdain’s crew. I also leaned somewhat uncomfortably into fully zoomed-in frames, and was grateful to rediscover them in the edit. They added an unexpected sense of depth and intimacy. Closing the night in a soft haze, carried by groovy cumbia music. The cat couldn't resist it. How could I? 

Where better for serendipity than Oaxaca City? What began with uncertainty, learning we might not get there from Puerto Escondido due to a highway accident — unfolded into a small adventure: a local sketching directions in sand. We went with it and soon found ourselves in the Oaxaca town center, surrounded by the sound of Mariachi. Somehow, it all came together. One of the best things about meeting old friends is realizing that the good old times never really stop. 

Akash shared that when he’s around wild animals, his awareness locks fully into the present. That stayed with me and I witnessed it firsthand as the Mexican jaguar approached us. These beings demand a kind of presence that goes beyond words. Our guide, Enrique, at Santuario del Jaguar Yaguar Xoo, told us that the facility is the only one of it's kind in Mexico dedicated to reintegrating the big cats back into their ecosystems. Not all can return; some carry habit changes shaped by human contact or health conditions. We left with deeper awareness and respect for the quiet importance of this work. 

I returned to this section many times in the edit, chasing an intensity that didn’t quite belong to what came before or after. Only when it finally felt right did I recognize that the montage was describing my experience with the Temazcal ceremony in San José del Pacífico. The final clip of a friend moving through the same passage was added with permission. Sitting alone in the dome, often described as Mother Earth’s womb, I felt like the fighter in the ring, the dancer in trance, the jaguar’s prey- stirred, vaporized, dissolved. Not an ending. More like a beginning again.

After stumbling into a forest with fireflies (see if you catch it in the first frame), I was rubbing my eyes in disbelief. It already felt magical enough — no handpan needed. But after carrying it uphill for the last hour, I felt obliged. I almost always play spontaneously and lean on the elements around me for inspiration. Here, I was in awe of what came through. I'm glad I had a friend (and this video) to verify that this happend. 

The air was crisp, and the handpan felt like a block of ice on my lap. Playing fast became less of a choice and more of a response to the cold, until the rising sun slowly thawed me. A few moments from the University Museum of Contemporary Art in Mexico City and the cabin wove in naturally, sound and image finding their way into the same rhythm. 

Saving the best for the last.

-India vs Mexico: 3v3 street football friendly in Zócalo.

-A reminder that language barriers often offer memorable (and hilarious) moments of connection. The café had live music, and it couldn’t have fit the scene any better.

-Seeing friends off, and only later realizing that I might have a Takis problem