Home! March 15, 2020

Well, my 2019 - 2020 winter trip is over.  I enjoyed four and a half months in western and northern Mexico.  I saw a lot:  beaches, canyons, the inside of buses, Colonial architecture, Air BNBs, beaches, Oxxos, mercados, street food restaurants, bars, museums and did I say beaches?

I stayed in 24 different places, rode in luxury coaches, old retired school buses and mini vans, in the back of pickups, in planes, trains, Uber and subways.

I fried a lot of omelettes and camarones, drank a lot of beer and spent way too much time in the sun.

My favourite place was Zihuatanejo and La Ropa Beach, however the interior Colonial towns: Zacatecas, Guanajuato, Queratero, San Luis de Potosí.... were beautiful too.  

I met so many interesting people along the way - new ones everyday and occasionally old friends.  

My Spanish improved to the point I could go on a Spanish speaking tour and understand.  

I enjoyed travelling alone again, I never once felt lonely - bored maybe but never alone.  

Will I go back?  Most definitely.  Mexico is a hidden gem: it’s a five hour flight from home, the dollar is very strong to the peso, the food is unbeatable, the Spanish is excellent, as is the climate, the culture and the people.  The public transportation might just be the best in the world: it’s convenient, frequent and cheap.  

Next winter I’m seriously considering staying home.  I have a couple of larger trips still in my head but I’ve been away for 6 years and had a great run.  I think maybe I’m missing out too much on watching my grandchildren grow up - Nico’s already 4!  So, that’s what I’m thinking right now but when it hits -40 next winter, I might be booking the next fight south!  For now, I’m looking forward to being at home, visiting with family and friends, meeting a new grandchild the end of April, golfing, motorcycling and being grateful for the life I have.

I am a bit confused by the fuss over the Coronavirus that has more or less shut down the world. I am supposed to be self isolating for the next 14 days because I have just returned from somewhere else. It’s quite unbelievable really.  Fear has gripped the world and it’s going to be interesting to see how this all plays out.  

P.S.  
We celebrated March birthdays in Saskatoon today.  My Dad was 90 on March 9, Nico was 4 on March 3rd and Andi will be 2 on March 26th-

Jane and I went to Costco and when we came back, Andi had crashed on the living room floor-

I’m looking forward to spending time with these two little rats!