2020 Tour Diary

This year’s Michigan Rugby spring break trip (aka tour) took place from February 28 to March 8. You can read about the details of the trip here. We documented our travels through daily diary entries written by different members of the team. Enjoy!

February 28

George Janke, freshman hooker:

Hi everybody! Cesar Orozco didn’t feel comfortable writing about such a boring day, so I’ll do the first diary entry. Everyone got to DTW around noon, and our flight left around 2pm. We had a layover in Monterrey (surprisingly scenic when we flew in) and got into Guadalajara at 9pm. The trip went pretty smoothly, although I did have a little snafu with a security guard in Monterrey because I didn’t understand her… After we got to the hostel we’re staying at, everyone went out to find dinner. We found a pretty good taco stand; four tacos cost less than $2! Tomorrow will be more fun. We have a XVs game against a local team.

February 29

Tanner Visco, senior flyhalf:

The day started with the team going grocery shopping and walking around the surrounding area. We headed for the local rugby stadium where we faced The Rhinos, a local men’s team.

The air was hot and dry and the grounds were dusty and rough. The first half started off slow but Jack Vecchio opened up the scoring with a try in the 19th minute. Right before the half Davis Grimm punched a try in to make the score 12-0. After a nice break out of the sun, the maize and blue came out swinging with four quick tries from Chris Hanlon, Bryce Watson, Jordan Perez and Henry Silverman. We ended up winning 34-7.

After the match the teams got together to share pork tacos and trade rugby memorabilia. The man of the match, Henry, got a nice traditional slap on the back by both teams. The team then headed to the Tlaquepaque market where we walked around, shopped for gifts, and enjoyed some street food. To finish the night we met up with some of the players from the Rhinos at a local restaurant and danced the night away.

March 1

Justin Metti, sophomore wing:

Yesterday we went to thermal spas on Lake Chapala where went through five different spas which included a tea, mineral, coffee, oat, and finally a mud bath. Following the mud bath those with stronger wills endured a very hot stream room. Afterwards we went to the city of Chapala to explore the churches, the coast, live music, and some delicious food. After returning to Guadalajara, many of us took naps and rested to get ready to go see a mariachi band to cap off the night.

March 2

Jack Vecchio, senior center:

Rise and Shine! Today we were up at the crack of dawn, ready to board the cramped and tiny bus to make the long bus ride to Tapalpa. Now I’m not really sure how, but in classic Justin Malin (tour manager) fashion a “two hour ride max” turned to four as his navigational skills proved to be subpar. But nonetheless it was a beautiful sunny day as we began our hike along the ridge of a mountain gorge, hoping to get knee deep in the water somewhere at a waterfall that at this point I was only 25% sure existed. After a long, rocky descent, our fancies were tickled as we reached the first, smaller waterfall, with the promise of paradise just shortly ahead.

Much to everyone’s surprise, the hike did not disappoint, the beautiful waterfall lead to an abundance of photo ops, many of which will definitely been seen scrolling the Instagram feed. After a bit of relaxation it was time for a classic bit of hidden fitness as the trek back up the mountain proved to be an exhausting one.

The bus ride back, although, again longer than originally suggested, proved to be an interesting one as we witnessed five incorrect prankster accusals, including one from yours truly.

At night we were set to experience a Mexican cooking class where we learned to make guacamole, sopes, and arroz con leche. The cooking was bit without set backs as coach managed to break down part of the kitchen tossing an avocado across the room (honestly just poor kitchen etiquette). The night was concluded with the devouring of the feast we had prepared.

March 3

Chris Hanlon, junior center:

Our fourth full day in Mexico, and our last in Guadalajara, began with a trip to Michin Aquarium. We saw fish, reptiles, and birds from all over the world. A couple of standouts to mention are the eels and the otter. Especially the otter. He stole the show. The aquarium proved to be more than just a zoo, as we were able to play laser tag and jump in a bounce house after seeing all of the animals. Standouts to mention are Truman Stovall in laser tag and Matt Trenary (should I pick someone else?) in the bounce house.

Following the aquarium, we walked about half a mile towards The Plaza, a buzzing and historic downtown square, to grab a bite to eat. The luches and sandwiches at K Sabrosos were exceptional.

When we got to the Plaza, we had an hour of free time to explore the city. Most of us, if not all, walked inside the Guadalajara Cathedral. Built in the 1500s, it was beautiful, and converted all of us to Catholicism on the spot. Standouts include Martín Casillas, the architect, and San Juan.

At about 4 pm we ventured into the Mueso Cabanas. The ceilings and walls in the main chapel were full of profound murals by the artist José Clemente Orozco. Many of us chose to enjoy the sun and relax in the middle of the main patio. The obvious standout here was José Clemente Orozco.

We ubered home and had just enough time to shower and eat before walking to an English restaurant before the wrestling match. The standout at the restaurant was the atmosphere. It was fantastic and the weather was perfect.

From the restaurant to the match we took a red double decker bus. We made it alive to the match, and had the experience of a lifetime. We sat about thirty rows back and we were right next to the stage, so if one of us wanted to high five the wrestlers, we could. We saw women and men fight for about two hours. We chanted and cheered and were inspired. Afterwards, we took a picture in front of the ring and partook in the after-match festivities in the parking lot. Standouts include the announcer, who often gets over looked, and the man sitting in front of Sam Glasburg, who told us what chants to say in Spanish.

On the way back I sat next to a man from Canada, which is fitting considering Guadalajara was actually founded by the Canadians. According to a tour guide I eavesdropped in on during the Mueso, back when colonizing was in style, the king of Canada, Collin, decided he wanted to get in on some action. He was cold in Canada and wanted a place to go for the winter, but he did not want to destroy any communities or overthrow indigenous tribes. He wanted somewhere rural and untouched, and through the labors of his travel agent, he got word of uninhibited land in the middle of Mexico. So King Collin journeyed down through the great continent of North America and, after so much walking and hiking, finally arrived to the land that we now know as Guadalajara.

As the first settlers in this land, they brought it upon themselves to name their new town. No one could decide on a name so they decided to put letters into a hat and pull them out, and whatever they pulled out, in that order, would be the name.
King Collin drew out the first two letters at once. The G and the U were stuck together, so he told his scribe “G U eh.” And so his scribe wrote it down. He then pulled out a D. “D eh” he said, and his scribe wrote it down. “L eh.” “J eh.” And finally, “R eh.”

And that is how the name Guadalajara came about.

Besides the name, there is little Canadian influence on Guadalajara. In fact, there is absolutely none. The reason for this is because the Canadians left soon after naming the town. They never even built a shelter, as they slept in their sleeping bags for the two nights they were there. On the third day, King Collin stepped on a cactus. They had left the first aid kit at home, so they had no choice but to leave their new winter vacation land and return to Canada. All they left behind was a sign that named the land and when the Mayans found it later, they liked the name and decided to keep it as their own. King Collin wanted to return to Mexico, but once he heard his land was reclaimed, he was devastated. But in friendly Canadian fashion, he decided he was not going to go down and recolonilize the land that was stolen from him, but instead, let the Mayans live there.

And we are all thankful that he did, because Guadalajara is great the way it is. We are glad to be here.

March 4

Nate Orlowski, senior flanker:

The day started earlier than any of us wanted, but for good reason. We took a bus (with enough seats for all of us!) to see the circular pyramids of the Guachimontones. Despite Jordan Perez and Davis Grimm’s grumbling, it was really interesting to see pyramids in such a rare form—concentric circular discs with decreasing radii as they stacked on top of each other.

Next we had a seafood lunch where Jamie Demers got way too excited about the fish eyeballs. After, we finally made it to the promised land—Tequila city—where we toured a tequila distillery. We learned much about the process, even getting to suckle roasted agave fiber—very nice. The guide, “tequila-master” Simon, showed us everything we needed to know.

Finally we began a five hour journey to Puerto Vallarta, testing our knowledge of memes by watching Se7en and X-men Origins: Wolverine. At the hostel, we unwinded on the roof before getting a great night’s rest in preparation for boat day this morning.

Also it was Jake Bodner’s birthday.

March 5

Sam Glasberg, senior flanker:

Thursday began with an early rise where the team boarded a boat with sunscreen and refreshments in tow. We cruised to Los Arcos, a natural rock formation and reef system that lies not too far off the sandy, coastal beaches. With rusty sea legs, mis-fitting bright orange life jackets, and a goofy mask and snorkel, we plopped into the water one by one and were shocked at the schools of fish, unfazed to our presence. The sun rose higher, music grew louder, and skin got redder on our day of relaxation on the Bahía de Banderas.

After returning back to land, and scurrying right past a sunbathing 10-foot alligator, we finally got to do some sunbathing of our own. In a stark contrast to the leafless trees and snow-covered sidewalks of Ann Arbor, the big waves of the warm Pacific Ocean provided much entertainment for the rest of the day. We split between exploring the beaches, pools, and plentiful restaurant options lying a stone’s throw from the sea.

Friday would bring an early wake up and another exciting day in Puerto Vallarta.

March 6

AJ Nasharr, freshman fullback:

At 5:00 am, we scrambled out of the hostel to go paddle boarding. It was still dark when we got on our boards and paddled off into the Pacific Ocean. We followed the red lights of our guides, which looked less eerie as the daylight crept over the mountains behind us. It was slow going, as many of us discovered how poor our balance was and fell off our boards.

The sun was just peering over the mountains as we arrived to three rocky islands. We paddled through rock arches and snorkeled in a reef. Not being constrained by life jackets, we were able to dive down to the colorful fish and test their ability to swim away. We returned to the bay to find platters of fruit and mugs of Mexican-style hot chocolate laid out for us, which we gladly grazed on before setting off on our hike at around 11:00 am.

After a ride on one of Puerto Vallarta’s public buses, we set off into the jungle, led by our fearless guides. We followed a stream that zig-zagged through thousands of boulders, and finally turned a corner to see the first waterfall. A few of us climbed a rocky cliff to the side and jumped at least thirty feet into the clear pool below—it was just deep enough.

After we got our fill of defying death, our guides led us up another path which quickly became very precarious. The path hugged the cliffside, and we could gaze at the two hundred foot drop just a slip and a slide away. We breathed easy again when we stopped at a series of waterfalls and pools. There, several guys and I jumped a forty or fifty foot drop, where you needed a running start in order to miss the rocks below and land in the just-deep-enough jungle pool. I don’t think I would’ve been able to do the jump if I had gotten a full eight hours of sleep.

Upon returning to the hosteI at 6pm, I decided to lay down for a twenty minute nap. I woke up twelve hours later.

March 7

Conor Egan, sophomore wing:

After a good night’s sleep, the Wolverines awoke and shortly began preparing for a 10s match against a local Puerto Vallarta team, who were kind enough to drive us to the field. PV’s numbers were a bit low, so we had to donate a few players for the match throughout the excruciatingly hot 70 minutes. Thanks to the extra space to run that 10s allows, combined with the lengthy game clock when compared to sevens, tries were scored left and right. The final score was a whopping 84-51, Wolverines. It’s worth noting that due to the borrowed players, 133 of the 135 points were scored by Michigan players. I think it’s safe to say that the Men of Meat put on quite the show this Spring break.

Notable highlights of the game include freshman Henry Silverman, who continued his tour breakout with four more tries. Bryce Watson had the most elegant try of the game by kicking the ball all the way down the field, making a tackle near the try-zone, poaching the ball, and then scoring. Tour Manager Justin Malin displayed a beautiful comeback performance—this time against his alma matter—scoring try after try and keeping Puerto Vallarta in the game.

After the match, we visited a restaurant on the beach with members of the Puerto Vallarta team, enjoying great food, weather, and company. After some swimming, the boys departed to prepare for their last night in Mexico. After destroying Maui, our tour piñata, we hit the town one last time.

March 8

Jordan Perez, junior scrum half:

After a long week, our Mexico tour has finally come to an end. With a draining travel day ahead, a lot of the guys went to grab breakfast at the hostel or a nearby place, or to get some last minute souvenirs. We left PV to our connection in Chicago, and surprisingly everyone had their passports with them. Huge thanks to Justin Malin for planning this tour for us; we all definitely bonded as a group and had a ton of fun over the course of the week.