05.09.20

We’ve been in Mexico for six weeks now and like many of you, kind of “stuck” and unable to go anywhere. The original plan was to be here two weeks, then back to the US for a business trip, then back ‘cross the pond to Greece or Croatia. Plan B now…

My 40 years of living in Southern California did not lure me into living in Mexico, but I knew that the border towns of Tijuana and Rosarito are truly not representative of what the country was like. A few trips to Cabo San Lucas decades ago, along with Puerta Vallarta once did not sway me either, even though I knew there was a HUGE draw for Americans to live here. Since I was not looking to “live” anywhere, I stayed on the Europe and Far East Asia side of the world and liked it just fine. As a man with Eastern European roots and Mother, that felt comfortably uncomfortable. Affordable, nice weather, great people and access to water hit all my needs.

Then COVID.

Were it not for a wedding in Ohio in March I would now probably be in Europe somewhere, but since we were coming to the States, followed by a business trip to Florida, the plan was to move along quickly. Kathleen had friends in Puerto Morelos, about 30 minutes south of Cancun, and we were due to hang out here for two weeks. Now two weeks is six and six weeks will surely turn into six MONTHS, maybe longer. I am getting to like Mexico, and maybe even more. Here’s why.

• The Water (Ocean). Aside from the beach being CLOSED, which is only temporary, it’s still just a 20-minute bike ride away or a $1.25 taxi ride. The water here is the most radiant turquoise I have ever seen in person, and I have seen many beaches over the past few years. The water temp has JUST enough cool to make it fun, but it will get warmer as we get into summer. I am told NO jellyfish and no sea urchins, so that’s a big plus! We’re pretty far south and the water temperature doesn’t fluctuate more than a few degrees all year, ditto the length of days. Sunrise happens between 6:11 and 6:39 (approx.) all year, and sunset fluctuates about an hour on both sides of 7:00 p.m. They do not “spring forward” so we are permanently on Eastern time, but NOW, it’s equal to Central time.
• The Cost of Living. We stayed in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Serbia, Poland and a few other very affordable places in the world, but this is actually better than all of them. Grocery food (and alcohol) is very affordable, along with utilities and rent. We were aware of the water issue, so we get a 20 liter bottle every 10 days or so, and that is less than $4.00 with a tip. I had to get front and rear brakes on a bike I bought for $40 and the cost was about $6.50, which would have been many times that in the states.
• The People and Language. Let’s face it, these are trying times, but I sense no bad juju from any of the locals. They are quick to smile, and many have a basic understanding of English, which helps a lot. Forty years in So Cal gives ME a rudimentary Spanish vocabulary and I waiver back and forth on taking my Duolingo lessons. Truth is, I really don’t have the passion or desire to LEARN, even though I have the desire to SPEAK. We’ll see which one wins that battle. But since we can’t go OUT to eat we have a list of delivery places and they communicate well on WhatsApp, the worldwide phone and text app of choice, so that’s a plus. Every meal we’ve had has been great including an amazing Sweet & Sour Chinese food dish that I got three meals out of. The price? Cheaper than a Starbucks coffee, which thank goodness they do not have here.

Along with that, there are lots of Canadians here and lots of Americans, too. We haven’t been able to socialize with many yet, but we will.

• The Weather. It’s hot, even warm, and humid, about 70%, so that’s an adjustment. But we dealt with the same thing in the Far East. Here we are blessed to have a decent breeze most of the days and so far just a few insect issues. They seem to find Kathleen tastier than me, so I guess they don’t want Kosher! We see monkeys playing in the trees several times a week, including from our bedroom window, which is cool, and iguanas rule here, too, though I’ve only seen a few. There is a morning chorus of birds just before sunrise and that is a great melody to wake up to.
• Getting in Shape. It’s not Mexico that is giving me time, but since we are warned to STAY HOME, we do, though I do a nice bike ride several days a week on a fairly flat road and about 0630 the temp is still good. We have a second bedroom which is now a gym, so I do daily workouts along with daily meditation, so I’m staying Zen. My blood pressure had been an issue for several years and I was on statins. I still take them but my BP is down 30 points. Sweet!
• History at our back door. This is the land of the Mayans, Aztecs and Incas, who created amazing civilizations and buildings many centuries ago. They can compare to Egypt, Rome and Greece as to the things they built without modern tools and technology. Mind blowing. Plus there are dozens of “cenotes” just a few miles from us, which are underground caves filled with water for swimming and snorkeling.

Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans, so I guess that’s what happening here. Our “plans” got sidetracked, but it now opens up Central and South America and we’re close enough to the US to have friends visit, so it’s all good, plus just eight hours from Europe and five hours from California, both great options.

Be safe and healthy, and as the Most Interesting Man in the World says of his Dos Equis cerveza, “Stay thirsty my friends.” #mexico, #puertomorelos, #mexicobeaches