Our Get Away

The Cuota road cuts a straight path through the jungle of The Yucatan Peninsula from Merida to Cancun. The divided highway with steep tolls is a quick if not a little boring route, missing all the charm of the pueblos and activity you would find on the Libre road, however it offers a quick and easy path to the enchanting Mayan Riviera! We took this route cutting off at the Cancun Airport exit over to Highway 307, which traverses the Caribbean coast from Cancun to Chetumal. Our destination for the night is charming Hacienda Paradise, a pet friendly hotel near Playa del Carmen’s Fifth Avenue. We have always enjoyed Playa and have fond memories of walking the pedestrian only tourist area and the sugary sand beaches to the west in Playacar. Playa is seductive, luring you with clean white powder beaches, crystal turquoise water and a bohemian international appeal. Across the channel, you can watch ships seeking port at Isla Cozumel. After you have had enough sand and sea, you can find a sidewalk café for a good meal and people watching. Hurricane Wilma furiously changed the once rustic “Playa” to an upscale and fun place to vacation. Strolling the newly cobblestoned Fifth Avenue makes for easy window-shopping, the stores wares spilling out onto the sidewalk enticing you to spend your American dollars and Euros on their many upscale items. You will most likely see more Europeans than Americans. We settle into our room and Gringa Dog inspects the “Doggie Welcome Basket” filled with treats and toys, the hotel has provided a doggie bed plus water and food bowls. After a leisurely walk on Playa’s north beach we have a scrumptious meal at the famous “Blue Lobster”, while the splurge was pricey the meal was delicious.

Note to self: Insert neat pictures of Playa del Carmen here the next time you go and remember to take pictures.

Early the next morning Ty steered the car onto “307” with Tulum just an hour away we figured why not! It really is not an attractive stretch of road, passing scrub jungle, construction sights and elaborate walled all-inclusive resort entrances, as dull as it is you know just a few meters away are what must be the most beautiful beaches in the world.

Traveling down the road, you pass the exits for Xcaret, which would be the Yucatan’s version of Disneyland, signs for various cenotes, Xelha and countless other tourist sights. Even though Gringa Dog was in tow we decided to check out the visitor center at Tulum ruins, arriving well before the tour buses we found we almost had the place to ourselves, for a while anyway. The vendors petted Adie, ask her name and she was welcome everywhere but The Ruins. Did you know there are three Tulum’s; Tulum Pueblo, Tulum Ruins and the hotel zone, you really need a car to get around here, as it is some distance between the three areas. Turning left onto the Boca Paila road, which winds its way through the Sian Ka’an Biosphere, ending in Punta Allen, we drive the narrow road past one EcoChic Hotel after another and believe me an EcoChic room with no A/C and a mosquito net does not come cheap in Tulum, but the view is mesmerizing.


 We are limited to the only Gringa Dog friendly hotel around, just steps from the water’s edge we will be spending the night in a simple beachfront cabana at “Zamas”.



 

Adie loves the beach



We nestle our butts in hammocks under the palapa-covered porch, drinking cold beer from our styro chest watching Adie play in the sand. In the evening, we sat on the porch and enjoyed the sounds of the waves as a local band cranked out tunes from the stage of “Que Fresco”, Zama’s beachfront restaurant.

The sunrise over the ocean lures me from under the mosquito net and reality sets in, we must head back to Merida, Casa Sur and that blasted JACKHAMMER. This short Caribbean getaway was a much needed shot in the arm to get us through the remaining months of construction.

Yes, that is a ''ceiling fan'' under the mosquito net. Pretty neat

While Playa del Carmen and Tulum are great places to visit, they are of course, very ''Touristy''. There are just as nice beaches, cheaper hotels, and great restaurants in the area if you are willing to go just a little more ''local''.

Little Seaside Pueblo

The road to Sisal weaves its way through the jungle, past henequen fields, crumbling haciendas, quaint pueblos, and century old churches spilling us onto the sugary beach and the west coast of the Yucatan Peninsula.

Just a short drive from the bustling city of Mérida we find the small peaceful village, the decaying colonial buildings stand in testament to what was once ‘The Port” for henequen exportation. The building of the Progreso pier sealed the fate of Sisal and the once bustling shipping town took its lumps with grace. When the henequen arrived at ports on distant shores the bales were stamped SISAL, so the name of this tiny town is known around the world as the unofficial name for henequen.

The salty gulf air makes us hungry for fresh seafood so we seek out a beachfront palapa covered restaurant and feast on shrimp dinners washed down with cold cerveza and coca light. With our toes in the sand we know it is days just like this one that we dreamed about for so long.

Run in with the law



What would I be doing now if my life had not changed so drastically? I check the weather for Midland, Texas and I know exactly what I would be doing. The aroma of stew in my big copper pot would fill the air and my well-seasoned black skillet would be steaming with golden cornbread. I would be curled on the end of my sofa cuddled up with Adie, knitting Ty’s other sock.  I sat on the terrace in the cool gray dawn, Iguanas clicking to their mates and considered the events of yesterday.

The tenants here at Casa Rosa had decided to meet for breakfast at Taco Maya, a great little expat owned café which serves up mouthwatering breakfast burritos.  I decided to walk and flag down a passing Collectivo (used primarily by locals)because I also needed to stop at the Mercado for some fruit. While this seemed like a good idea I discover the fully loaded vans race by and a blonde Gringa flapping her arms doesn’t seem to faze the drivers.

I greet other pedestrians with a friendly Buenos Dias, including a young Mayan couple with two small boys so close in size they may have been twins. I smile and tousle the hair of one, his black eyes smile back as he flashes me a toothy grin as I wipe the moisture off my brow. To my left I realize a black double cab pickup is pulling alongside me then cuts me off as it pulls onto the shoulder. The uniformed police officers greet me with Buenos Dias , using a mixture of hand gestures, Spanglish and English I explain I am meeting mi amigas for breakfast at Taco Maya, I hold up my small colorful shopping bag  “Mercado, fruitas” I say.. The driver smiles and motions to the back seat, I nod as the policeman in the passenger seat exits the vehicle and gentlemanly opens the rear door. Reaching inside he begins to shift the clutter around, making room for me to sit. I climb in next to the bullet proof vests and automatic weapons, we continue our friendly conversation as I am chauffeured to El Mercado by officers Jose’ and Jose’.

Taco Maya in Chelem



A Seashore of Condoms

Sadly, Ty left this morning for 2 weeks back in the U.S.. Adie and I stood on the sand street in the dark and waited with him for the driver. I'm all stocked up on groceries and neccesitos, diet coke, smokes and coffee. At dawn I watched not one but two large white cruise ships anchor at the tip of Progreso's long pier. The Carnival is in town.

Later, Adie and I headed out for our morning beach combing. After the strong waves of the Norte the beach is completely different than a day ago. Crossing over the jetty I spied what appeared to be a bright blue condom, attached to the sand and blowing in the breeze. As I scanned the shore I could see the beach was littered with electric blue condoms.

We continued on our search for shells and sea glass, being ever so mindful of the transparent blue bulges on the beach. We walked further and explored the new mounds of shells. Adie braves the chilly water to bite at the waves as we continue our walk. Soon I bend to pick up a pretty shell, hoping it has made the journey, tumbling through the waves unbroken. The shell was broken , but resting under it was a smooth and frosty piece of turquoise sea glass. I think often we reach for something in our life but come up with something better.

 

Ok, back to the electric blue condoms. Come to find out they are not the result of an oversexed cruise party; they are Portuguese Man of Wars. What is a west Texas girl to think when I'm used to seeing tumbleweeds in the sand.



Beach Dog



Casa Rosa

Our home in Mexico will be Mérida but when we arrived we felt like some beach time and relaxation was in order so our home for the month of January will be with Karen in a quaint oceanfront apartment. Karen purchased a rundown property and has been renovating and working her magic to make it a wonderful place to enjoy Yucatan’s North Gulf Coast. The accommodations are simple and clean. We have the second story apartment with a wall of windows facing the sea. Karen is an on sight owner from England; it is a pleasure getting to know her. The other apartments have been rented for shorter stays by folks escaping the harsh cold of the northern United States. The view out our window is in a constant state of change. Morning wakes cool as clouds hug the turquoise horizon.We watch in the early morning light as the first fishing boats head out for the catch of the day. A trio of pelicans flies overhead on their way to breakfast. The tide is out and I can see from the terrace the seashore littered with tumbled shells. There is a constant breeze, well sometimes more than a breeze.






Casa Rosa is the pink building on the right. This is the ''street'' view

 


The Gulf during a ''Norte''



 


The Gulf view during normal times

Chelém is a real, Mexican fishing village, with a small square where families gather in the evening, deserted houses line the sand streets, used by Mexican families during Semana Santa (Easter) and the hot summer months. Expats have found Chelém offers a tranquil and inexpensive alternative to life in the United States.

This is the town square or Plaza in Chelém and also the front of the mercado

The owner of the property is having a pool built and every day the workers come, men of small build and dark skin with bright white smiles. I watched one of the men cut a perfect circle in the concrete using a hammer and chisel. Another man in artisan fashion applies play dough blue concrete to the inside of the pool. I listen to the Mayan chatter, very distinctly not Spanish. I watch these men artistically doing menial labor and think of their ancestors creating a calendar more accurate than the one we used to count down our departure for Mexico.

Traveling to Paradise

We drove a total of 2054 miles through thirteen states in six days.

Texas, Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, San Luis Potosi, Guanajuato, Queretaro, Estado de Mexico, Puebla, Veracruz, Tabasco, Hidalgo, Campeche and Yucatan.

We spent $303 USD in fuel and $395 USD in accommodations.

We spent $164 USD in tolls for the privilege of interstate type highways.

We left Midland in frigid 12 degree F. weather on January 11, 2011, the coldest temperature in Mexico was in Monterrey at 32 degrees F., arriving in Merida to a comfortable 82 degrees F. on January 16^th.

We passed through arid valleys, high mountain passes, small villages and bustling cities, fields of prickly pear, mountainsides covered with coffee plants, majestic volcanoes, lowland pineapple and banana plantations, marshes, salt grasses, and the emerald waters of the Gulf of Mexico.



Peña de Bernal



We ventured off the highway a few miles near Querétaro to see the colonial pueblo of Bernal. It was founded in 1642 and is dubbed by Mexico as a Pueblo Mágico. The Peña de Bernal is the 3rd highest monolith in the world. We had a hard time finding a hotel that would accept our little dog but finally found a place where a family had built a couple rooms behind their house that they were renting for the night. They were very clean and had a great view of the town. We walked into town in the evening and had a great meal and did some looking around.

Downtown Bernal





On the border between Puebla and Veracruz is ''Pico de Orizaba''. It is the highest peak in Mexico and the highest volcanoe in North America (18,619'/ 5675 meters). It is ''dormant'' but not extinct. The last time it erupted was in 1846.



The first road sign we saw with ''Mérida''




Sunset on Isla Aquada, Campeche


Of course, there's alot more that we saw and we have a ton of pictures. I'm sure Sara will be writing more about our trip in the future.

On our trip we never felt threatened in any way, never paid off a cop, and never witnessed any violence. Could it happen, yes, but we always felt perfectly safe. Bad things can happen anywhere any time. What we experienced were good roads, clean accomodations, and warm friendly people who love their families and their country.

Pulling Away From the Curb

 Tears well up in both our eyes, we kiss, and smiles cross our faces. Ty lifts his hand and turns the key, shifts the car into drive and slowly pulls away from the curb. We are relieved to be on our way. Tasks and ‘’to do’’ lists are behind us now, some things left undone. What started four years ago with “Yes, it would be cool to live in Mexico” was now becoming a reality.                                                                  

 One morning a few months before, we had hammered a “For Sale by Owner “sign into the freshly mowed front yard of our house in Midland. Within thirty days we would walk the empty rooms, with lumps in our throats, recalling all the happy times we had shared with our family and friends within those walls. We were waiting for the new owner to arrive for the final walk thru. What we hadn’t sold or given away or packed in our little SUV was neatly boxed, inventoried, and stacked in storage. We had enjoyed a wonderful holiday season, and our daughter had cooked her first Thanksgiving Dinner while we were waiting for the sale to close and getting everything in order. It would be the last holidays with family for awhile and Ashley made it memorable.

Ty navigated the familiar streets of Midland with ease as we left town, both of us quiet, in our own thoughts. Excited, as we both knew, nothing would be familiar to us for a long, long time.

 At the end of our first day of traveling, we had reached Laredo, Texas. On the balcony at the Historic La Posada Hotel, overlooking the Rio Grande, we watched a very large Mexican flag wave on the other side of the river. It seemed so close, yet another world away. The bridge was busy with cars going both ways. The next morning, we would cross that bridge, headed south, receive our Tourist Visas and car permit, and head on down the road…......

Is This All There Is?

 Why would we want to leave the comforts of a land we know and a family we love to go to a land we love and people we don’t know?

Being a typical American couple, we have worked our way up the American dream ladder. We have spent our lives raising our three children, working, sacrificing, saving, and always reaching for the next rung. A better education for our children, a newer car, a larger home, a better neighborhood, nicer furnishings and great vacations. We eventually found ourselves living the American Dream.

We had great family gatherings, swimming in the pool in summer, billiard tournaments in winter, great family feasts and wonderful holiday celebrations. Life was good.

Through hard work we attained more than we really had ever thought possible. However, always in the back of our minds was the nagging question “Is this all there is?”

Achieving the American Dream was one thing; however, maintaining our lifestyle had lost its luster.

So, on a trip to Yucatan we became convinced we should move to Mexico!

Truth is we’ve always loved Mexico. We grew up along the Texas border of Mexico making our way across the Rio Grande whenever we could. We visited the border towns of Cuidad Acuna, Juarez, Piedras Negras, Monterrey and Nuevo Laredo; we loved the music, the sights, the sounds, the people and never seemed to want to go home.  In the eighties, we toyed with the idea of moving to the colonial heartland. We vacationed along the Mayan Riviera at all-inclusive resorts. Wanting a more authentic experience we began to venture further into the Yucatan Peninsula. Always talking about how much we loved Mexico. We seemed to feel at home when our feet were on Mexican soil. Alas, we would return to Texas and stay status quo, grasping each rung and reaching for the next one.





Isla Holbox

    On the secluded beaches of Isla Holbox, a then almost undiscovered island where the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean waters mingle, nestled in a Mayan style thatch roof bungalow there was no doubt in our hearts and minds we should take the plunge.

Four years of dreaming, research, hours spent on the internet reading every blog and website we could find, research trips and a couple more vacations and we felt we were ready.  Sell our home, scale down our belongings, and head south of the border.

 When we were lounging under that thatch roofed palapa, our toes dusted with white sugary sand, watching pelicans dive into the turquoise water, dreaming of living in this tropical paradise, we were not thinking of details. We quickly found out the details are many; one detail would unearth three more details. I often felt overwhelmed and mentally exhausted but we never second guessed our decision. As with any dream or goal, you must keep your eye on the prize,not on the details or the hurdles. The hardest part of the move would be being away from our family.

Merida scored highest on our checklist. We love the colonial heartland, but we wanted to be in close proximity to the ocean, Merida is thirty minutes to the Gulf of Mexico and 3 1/2 hours to the Caribbean. We wanted colonial architecture; Merida is second only to Mexico City in that department. We needed an International Airport; a 1 1/2 hour flight to Houston ain’t bad!  We are only going to get older so good medical care was a must; Merida has some of the best in Mexico. Merida passed the test on having a thriving expat community while retaining true authenticity.

What exactly are we hoping to find?

Of course we dream of hammock siestas, fresh seafood, walking cobblestone streets, gawking at colonial architecture, standing in awe of Mayan ruins, cold beer, salty margaritas and our toes in the sand…….

Truth is, we expect cold showers, spotty communications, a language barrier, driving mania, power outages, culture shock, trash and homesickness.

Our greatest hope is to embrace a country and culture with respect and genuine curiosity.

Join us on our journey.............