Hello from sunny Mexico

[dixonge]

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Originally Posted by warrentalbot Glenn, we love to follow you guys and learn about your experiences. We'll be in Mexico by the end of the year and are watching closely your experience to see where to stay for 6 months or so. With luck we'll be able to connect in person for a few cervezas and great discussion. Good luck on the next house-sitting gig and enjoy living your dream.

Warren - that's funny, we love following YOU guys! LOL

Would absolutely LOVE to chat over cervezas some day. We'll be somewhere between Guatemala and Cancun by the end of the year. We definitely need to keep in touch!

[dixonge]

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Originally Posted by ronin Puerto Escondido is very nice. Do you surf?

Unfortunately, no. I did see where there is a surf competition in August - we hope to attend!

[dixonge]

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Originally Posted by Surewhitey Other cities we've visited is Guanajuato, Queretaro, San Cristobal de las Casas; of these, the last was our favorite, but all were nice. VERY green in the south of Mexico. We live(d) in Playa del Carmen and like the beaches and exploring the coast all the way down to Belize.

We love Guanajuato and will be visiting there again in early July. I've been reading/seeing a lot about San Cristobal lately too, definitely on our map!

[dixonge]

I can't believe it's been six months! An update is due (if you haven't been following the blog).

So in July we took a bus and visited several places across Mexico - Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico City, Acapulco, Puerto Escondido. We stayed at least two nights in each location. After landing in Puerto, we made a discovery. We've lived our entire lives in Texas with scorching and humid summers, so we anticipated that we would have no problems adapting to a city on the beach in Mexico.

Uh......NO!

We were miserable, 24/7. Well, ok - maybe not every single hour of the day, but it was rather stifling. And this may be something you won't get in a travel guide book so you might want to make a note. Here is where we miscalculated. While we did indeed live in a similar climate in Texas, we also lived in a culture and society which valued a complete and invasive technological solution to all problems. The fact is that we spent the vast majority of our time in closed spaces which were air conditioned and heated to maintain maximum comfort. All housing, all businesses, all offices, all transportation. Living like this does most definitely *NOT* condition you to the prevailing climate!

In contrast, Mexico does not have any such pervasive climate solutions. Air conditioners are available in hotels if you pay a bit more, but even the rare vehicle (usually a bus) that has A/C is unlikely to use it. The same can be said for heat (more on that in a minute).

So, after a few days we toured our Yoga retreat where we were scheduled to return to in August and housesit. Unfortunately it received a direct hit from a hurricane and the damage still showed. Repairs had been made and it was basically functional but it was no longer the beautiful oasis we had imagined. Additionally, the only room available was open-air with mosquito netting which partially blocked any airflow the ceiling fan may have provided. To make things worse, it was a full 30-minute drive to town for any sort of groceries.

So, we reluctantly bailed out and moved on. A few days later we found ourselves in mild, sunny San Cristobal de las Casas. On July 22 I posted this on Facebook "might stay here another couple of weeks! Really cool town..." We're still here! lol

We've met lots of new friends, most of whom passed through to other places. We are now booked for a flight to Cancun on January 15th. We plan to explore Merida briefly then meet up with friends in Playa del Carmen. After that, some old friends are flying to Belize for diving and we'll spend time with them there for at least 10 days. And after that?

Who knows? Most likely south, but there are also possibilities for Cuba, and even a possible trip to return home to the States for a brief visit, assuming we can get a good price on tickets. And then south. Costa Rica is calling...