Shannon Larratt is Zentastic

Rachel and I have been scouting potential locations for BMEfest 2005 (which will probably be at the end of June, although I won't be specific until it's confirmed). My current and still rather uninformed “first choice” (although there are many choices available) is the beach you see below. It's small enough that we could rent the whole thing, but still amazing. Flights down here are in the $300 range from much of North America, and of course the cost of staying here is a fraction of Toronto.

Before anyone up north starts complaining about the location being too far away, first, I'll repeat that I strongly believe that with the exception of people driving, this BMEfest will cost less and be extremely rewarding. But second, and equally importantly, I'd like to point out that it's not as if the many Mexican members spent the last five years whining about Toronto — or Tweed — being too far away!

In any case, I figure by making the location something that people have to put some extra effort into (you'll have to get your passport ready), it rules out the people who really don't care very much about the event and are only coming if it's close… I want BMEfest to be for the people who really care about BME, and the more people who come that have that mindset, the more wonderful it is. I also think that when people leave Mexico, they'll be leaving as different people, having seen something that changes them for the better. And I don't just mean the tripod suspension on the beach.

Let me tempt you with some more photos — I took a break for about two hours to go to the beach (I've got more work than time, as always, so I traded a beach trip for a meal). This is about half an hour down the road from La Paz I'd say (the beach above is about fifteen minutes). And, yes, it's the same shirt I had on yesterday, although I am wearing pants. Sue me, I'm in Mexico.

I know it's a little bit tourista to be taking travel photos with cacti on the Baja, but like I said, I'm from Canada and until I saw them in Arizona, I had about as much expectation that I'd meet a thirty foot high cactus as I did of meeting a unicorn. They don't even look real to me.