(Post 257 of 263)

I flew to Canada carry-on only primarily because I did not trust Canadian airlines with my luggage. I think that was a smart move. Air Canada could have probably gotten my suitcase from Regina to Montreal, but with Westjet having fallen into absolute chaos and rerouting me through Edmonton, I bet I would have arrived in Regina to find my suitcase had been forwarded to Halifax. But I wanted to come home to Mexico with a checked bag so I could do some shopping in Canada. So I only considered Aeroméxico to come home, finding a great flight that needed me at YUL at 7AM to walk in the door at home by 7PM, so a 15-hour day door-to-door counting the time change, and that included a nearly 2-hour layover in CDMX, but with no terminal change, like last time. I did some math and discovered it was barely more expensive to upgrade my economy ticket to business class than it was to add a couple of checked bags!

Come from a country where I’ve always had to live frugally, the idea of one day flying better than economy just wasn’t on my radar. So this was quite a surprise, and I jumped on the opportunity! I did some research about the expected perks and they included lounge access at both YUL and CDMX, priority boarding, larger seats, and a meal on the longer leg. Lounge access! I was finally going to see how the other half travel! But I was disappointed to learn that the Air France lounge at YUL has a history of not honouring a lounge reciprocity agreement with Aeroméxico, turning away travellers with a right to use the lounge. So I prepared myself to be denied entry. Bit disappointing, but I was glad to know this ahead of time.

My mother and I left for Dorval at 6AM on July 2nd, getting me to YUL by 7AM in plenty of time for my 10:15M flight. I was able to go to the head of the check-in line to drop my bags. All my interactions at baggage drop-off were made with the assumption I’d want to do them in Spanish, and that did not change when my accent was revealed. I was pleased to learn that my bags would go to Mérida on there own, no need to recheck them in CDMX. The final thing I was told was that I could have access to the “VIP room” at Gate 57 and that the Air France nonsense had been “dealt with.” Ooh!

Security was mad with wait times estimated at 20 minutes. I was again able to skip the queue and be processed immediately and without fuss. My ticket was already feeling like a huge bargain.

I schlepped to Gate 57 and stepped into the entrance for the Air France lounge. The attendant scanned my ticket saying only “Aeroméxico.” Was that a tone of disdain? LOL Who cares? I headed upstairs to find a beautiful quiet space with comfy chairs by huge windows to watch planes take off and land. I was promptly greeted and walked through the buffet options and how to make coffee.

Potatoes and sausage at the YUL Air France Lounge

There was going to be another meal on the plane, so I only made a small plate and a delicious Americano, then sat down to brag about my situation on Facebook. I then made a second coffee and couldn’t resist another small apple Danish to go with it, before moving to a lounge chair. What luxury to wait a few hours for your flight in a quiet place where you can leave your bags while you use the washroom! They all have a huge shower in them. Imagine if Westjet had given travellers access to a space like this to spend the night in Edmonton…

I headed down to my gate at about 9:30. Boarding started quickly, and I was one of the first on the plane, with my seat being in the very front row and by TWO windows. There was nowhere to stow my backpack and I was never asked to put it in a bin, so I was able to have access to the contents for the whole flight. With the seat came a blanket and pillow, both of which came in handy. A flight attendant promptly offered me a juice or water before takeoff.

Once in the air, I was brought my in-flight meal. I’d been offered a few days before by email a choice of frittata, bagel with smoked salmon, or waffles. Since I’d already had smoked salmon in the previous week, I chose waffles. I couldn’t believe how good the meal was, everything cooked to perfection, with some lovely fresh fruit as well. The coffee was served in a real cup as well.

The bacon was perfectly cooked, so good. The jam went into the yogurt for my third course. 🙂

The tiny china salt and pepper shakers cracked me up.

I fell asleep after breakfast, but woke up for the second beverage service. They they did not have apple soda, my usual go-to on Mexican flights, so I had regular apple juice, also in a real glass. The “Ciel” is my neighbour’s mineral water.

Flying over the mountains.

Amazing shot, if I do say so myself.

Arrival in CDMX was a bit confusing as I’d been given the impression I would not have to go through security again, so I kept thinking I was going to the wrong place. But everyone I asked told me I was going the correct way for a transfer to Mérida, so I just followed the indications. First stop was, of course, border control. Like last time, I was directed to take the much shorter citizens’ line rather than the very long queue for tourists. I forgot to mention that when I left Cancún, all I needed to exit was a stamp in my passport, unlike last time when I had to fill out a form to hang on to and return at entry. To reenter, I just got a reentry stamp. It’s fantastic to see such processes being streamlined! Entry was just like last time, a stamp and a welcome home.

Security at CDMX was intense. You couldn’t take anything through in your hands, not even your passport, and they made me put my phone and Watch out in the open in a tray, where I’d been able to leave my phone in my purse and my Watch on my wrist through all the other security checks of my trip. There was then a delay to get through the scanner, so I was worried about having items stolen, relaxing when I saw how tightly controlled the process was and that they were only passing items through the x-ray once the owner had gone through the scanner.

Once through security, I was let into the main part of terminal 2 and started to look at my lunch options when I realised that I probably had access to a lounge there as well! Sure enough, I found the Aeroméxico lounge upstairs, and it was very busy. I didn’t feel comfortable taking any photos. There were some modest food offerings, but lots of drinks, including nearly any kind of beer you could want. I put together a plate that included a surprisingly good cold pesto pasta and was happy to add a cold beer. Since this lounge was so busy, I didn’t mind as much that I had to leave quickly. It was still a better place to spend an hour than by my gate.

I was in the second row for my next flight, so I got a footrest instead of a wall. The footrest was a bit better than the wall, but too high to be really comfortable. First row passengers were required to put away their bags, but I was able to get my backpack tucked away enough that I could keep it. I did not find the second row nearly as roomy as the first.

This flight was very quick. I just had a water for my beverage while the guy next to me put away a couple of beers. I noticed several business class flyers taking multiple snacks from the offered basket and repeatedly ordering beverages. I didn’t feel that was necessary, but I’ll keep it in mind for any future longer flights.

what the heck is this?

La ciudad blanca

Like at CDMX, I was one of the first off the plane, so luxurious! However, I had quite a long wait for my bags. I’d grabbed a luggage attendant upon arrival at the luggage retrieval hall, so he was standing by ready with a trolley.

A taxi to get home is now a whopping 400 pesos. I don’t care what a great job the driver does, I don’t tip. This is extortion. A friend recently landed in Helsinki and couldn’t believe it cost her 30 euro to do the 20KM trip from the airport, then calmed down when she learned I spend 20 euro to do the 10KM trip home. I couldn’t believe the water on the streets as we pushed north from the airport. There’s been unprecedented flooding.

I got in just past 7:00 pm, and my sitters were waiting with a really good lasagna, a perfect end to a very special and nearly perfect travel day. Gracias, Aeroméxico!

(Post 254 of 263 – please scroll down for the May highlights posts as I doubled-posted on July 3rd.)

I did about 6 weeks of work in 3 weeks in June and somehow managed to completely deep clean my entire house (right down to emptying all closets and cleaning inside) in preparation for my housesitters arriving. My house cleaner only ever did surface cleaning, so this was a much overdo project to make sure the house felt fresh for them.

For that project, I decided to invest in a Dyson vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter as I knew that would do a better job at deep cleaning than the usual wipedown. I can’t believe I’m going to share this pic, but I am just to show you how worthwhile it is to invest in good tools for your home. 🫣

Major rain was incoming by departure time, so I was smart and did all my laundry well ahead of my sitters arriving so I could set up their suite. They said they were delighted by the HUGE bedroom and how clean everything was. The guest bathroom really needs a full gut as I find it feels a bit “grotty,” but a brand-new cabinet made a surprising impact.

The pineapple lamps in the guest room never fail to crack me up.

I had a bunch of errands to run in the neighbourhood one morning, so I treated myself to breakfast at the market here in Chuburná. You know you’re a local when the server brings your order and a giant bowl of picante with a comment of “So you won’t have to ask for more.”

On the subject of local food, I found a taquería, Sagrada Parilla, that has what I think might be the best nachos in the city. They use high quality ingredients (the cheese is especially good) and do a northern-style al pastor without achiote. The salsas are incredible. The red one in this photo is tamarind based and that perfect mix of salty, sweet, and spicy. Pineapple is extra, but necessary.

June cat pics:

The sitters said they would have a rental car, so I needed a place for them to park, a reason for needing to get rid of Moya as I’m storing a friend’s truck in the other covered bay. When Moya left in May, I discovered that the automatic door for the bay in which she was stored wasn’t closing correctly. It would hit something at closure and think there was an obstacle, so it would reopen. So I had to make sure maintenance was done on it ahead of the sitters’ arrival. There’s a place just up the street from me that services my door motors, but they were absolutely impossible to get ahold of. I tried all the phone numbers and even rang the bell at the business, but no one answered. I asked my neighbourhood Facebook group if anyone had any recommendations and all I got was those guys “but good luck getting ahold of them.” So I branched out and asked in an expat group. Several people responded with the same guy, who is across town from me. I was getting a bit desperate, so I messaged him anyway. He replied immediately, “I’m literally around the corner from you. Can I come right now?” 😲 In less than 45 minutes from posting my question, the work was done, and that included my racing to Walmart to get some cash as he doesn’t take transfers. There was no repair to do, just basic maintenance, and all it cost was 700 pesos! I’m so pleased to have a “garage guy” in my contacts now as I have two other doors that need maintenance!

The most interesting thing that happened to me in June pre-trip is I got new glasses for the first time in 12 years!!! I had been getting checkups regularly, but didn’t have enough change in my vision to justify getting new glasses, especially since I had so many pairs to use up. Now that I was down to a final pair with no backups and that I needed new prescription sunglasses, in addition to having some problems with transitioning between near and far vision developing in the last few months, it felt time to change. I also planned to drive on my vacation for the first time in three years, so I wanted to make sure my vision was healthy enough to do that.

I was of course a little bit last minute for this project, so I went to Gran Plaza, where there were several optometrists, and picked one that could take me right away, had affordable frames, and could guarantee my glasses within a week. I was delighted to learn that a huge part of my new vision changes is I no longer need glasses for close-up vision! But there is just enough change in my far vision that the optometrist felt it would be good to upgrade my prescription to reduce the work my eye muscles have to do to go from near to far vision. He was spot on. I ended up not having the usual adjustment period with the new glasses. He was also very respectful of my budget and suggested this lightweight frame with clip-on sunglasses. Clip-ons have come a long way. These attach magnetically and you can’t tell that the sun lenses are removable. There wasn’t a lot of choice in this model, but I found a pair I loved.

Ahead of my trip, I got a haircut and treated myself to a manicure. I love these dark colours, but they just don’t last on the fingers, so I’ll go with a lighter, more natural, shade next time. The salon is just around the corner street from me, so I’m on strict orders to make this kind of pampering a more regular event!

This takes us to June 17th. Take out your passport for the next couple of posts!

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This May post is going to be very boring, but come back tomorrow for the onslaught of June travel posts!

The most interesting thing that happened in May is that I said goodbye to my trusty Ford Ranger Moya. As a permanent resident, I’m not allowed to drive a Canadian-plated vehicle here, so I always knew I’d have to let her go. That really felt like I was closing a chapter in my life.

With the new buses, it’s much easier to be spontaneous. One night, I decided I wanted to go out. I walked around La Plancha for a bit and then ambled up to El lucero del alba for beer, botanas, and shrimp tacos. Unfortunately, the changes since the “corridor gastronomico” was constructed meant this popular cantina just isn’t what it once was. 🙁

Unless I’m at one of my usual spots, I have to request “picante.” This one was exceptionally good and I ate the entire amount!

This ad is at the bus stop across from me. Talk about understanding the culture in which you are advertising! Always makes me laugh.

One of the most exciting things to happen in May was the new ie-Tram route near-ish me came online. No pictures as I went after dark. It is a fancy electric bus that runs on smooth new roads. I did not know it was possible to travel so comfortable in Mérida! It is a 20-minute walk to catch it, but then I get easier access to some parts of Centro than I do by taking the regular bus.

I rode to the end of the line and walked a few blocks west to Little India MID where I had one of my best meals in Mérida ever. I love that they had a tasting plate (thali) so I was able to try things like beef vindaloo without committing to a whole portion (the heat level was surprisingly fine on that, but I’m not a huge fan of beef).

Obligatory May cat pics:

With vacation coming up, my clients SLAMMED me starting about mid-May straight through to two days before departure. That included seven days of a “real time” trial in May, so those are very long days and pretty much consume my life.

(Post 252 of 263)

I really don’t know where April went, but boy did it feel long!

About midway through the month, I finally replaced by nearly 5.5-year-old computer. It was just time, now that we were on the other side of the whole M chip storm. Windows and my work software were finally working on the new Macs and I wanted to be portable again. Buying the computer stretched my Spanish skills almost to their breaking point. My purchase was denied at the cash register, and I had to spend almost 1.5 hours on the phone with my bank to convince them that I was really and truly at the store and that this was not a fraudulent transaction! And I was only at the store because they kept denying me online purchases despite hours on the phone and promises that the transaction was no longer blocked! This was definitely not BBVA’s finest hour. The connection to the bank was very poor, I got disconnected at least once, and there were some impressive technological gymnastics to do to go between my bank app and the phone call. It was mortifying, but the authorization finally went through and I was able to make my purchase, and in 20 equal no-interest payments to boot. This let me get a computer with slightly better specs than I would have otherwise, and more quickly, since I was able to buy what was in stock that day instead of waiting for the model I’d chosen to be restocked.

My new computer was so easy to set up that I was working with it a day later. Of course, the Mac side just meant restoring from my last backup and walking away for a few hours. The Windows side had to be done manually, but since I only use one software, it wasn’t too bad, although I’m still getting rid of bloatware. The only thing that isn’t working is my brand-new printer, which is very frustrating, especially since it has printed a couple of pages, so it’s a case of it choosing not to print rather than not being able to print. I can’t believe it’s 2024 and printers haven’t improved. I miss my old dot matrix!

I was overdue for a day off, so I spent extra time at the mall, getting lunch and browsing the Gandhi bookstore. I really wanted some very pricy comprehensive Lebanese and Indian cookbooks, but reason held out and I brought home these very reasonably priced tomes instead.

Gals at a pop-up Ipanema sandal stand said they got the easiest sale of their lives when I came upon them. I loved my “dressy flip-flops” when I was in Europe — and still use them! — but I definitely was due for a refreshed pair. This is what they had for “chanclas de vestir” (don’t come at my Spanish if that isn’t exactly right because they perfectly understood what I was looking for!)  in my size, and the price was so much more reasonable than what I’d paid for my Ipanemas back in Canada in 2016!

I managed to finish early one night and decided to treat myself to one of my favourite restaurants, Miyabi. I’d never been on my own. The restaurant is really beautiful with an inside terrace that is also an outside terrace, and there is a river that runs through it with fish.

I started with their mixed tempura, which includes ginormous shrimp:

And then I had some octopus nigiri and a spicy tuna roll (NO CREAM CHEESE!!!). This is my go-to Miyabi order and it is always fresh and delicious. I also always have a Sapporo beer.

Near the end of the month, I went to a wine tasting and pairing event near my house. Like the gardening class, this was a very targeted ad by Instagram, which gets data from chats in Facebook Messenger as well as conversations through Gmail. Annoying, but I do need to get out of the house more and this gets me out of the house!

There was a brown husky at the event. Such a good boy, very friendly!

We literally painted with wine and coffee.

We were supposed to paint cacti. Inspired by the Mexican flag, I wanted to add an eagle and a snake…

I’m not much of a wine drinker, but all the wines of the night were to my taste! We started with a bubbly, then a rosé, then a couple of reds.

We got some nibbles. The honey drizzled into the hummus left me with mixed feelings, but, really, everything was delicious!

I was pretty pleased with most of my painting except for the eagle.

Said eagle looked more like a duck and was the highlight of the night.

I received some help to fix it!

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March was even less interesting than February as I was making up for several slow months of work. My schedule continued to revolve around Pilates. I really started to break through some walls, finding myself stronger than I ever have in my life. I have so much to say about how hard it is to be an eagle in a world that only values hummingbirds, but that is a post for another day.

The only thing of note for March is I bought my plane tickets for my trip to Canada in June. In January, I’d made contact with housesitters in France, so I’d just been waiting for the budget to reset itself to make firm plans for my trip. It will be very strange to go back.

This was my favourite photo from March. I was just roasting some chiles for salsa when I noticed that my habanero was literal fire!

I finished the Beartown trilogy by Fredrik Backman and my heart still has not recovered.

Finally, Dodger decided she wanted to get more information about scoping but ultimately decided it was not for her.