Accommodation

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Driving Through the Desert on a Bridge With No Name… Guaymas to Camp Verde, AZ

I was in driving mode today, so you get another novel… but no illustrations. I am the worst blogger on the planet. 🙂

It was a pretty good night in Guaymas. I woke up around 3:30, but managed to doze until 5:30ish. I went to the office to check out and get my key and remote control deposit back as well as receive my coupon for a complimentary breakfast. That was running late, so I went next door to Oxxo to get a coffee. By the time I came back, the breakfast room was open. For egg eaters, the breakfast was decent enough — one fried egg with toast and coffee. I asked for just toast and coffee and got three slices since I wasn’t haven an egg. It wasn’t much, but I wasn’t particularly hungry and was happy to not be leaving on an empty stomach. The coffee was okay, but not worth lingering over, so I left about a half cup.

It was 6:40ish when I finally took off. I didn’t need to get fuel just yet, so I was able to get some miles under me. I stopped at the southern end of Hermosillo to put in $400 of fuel. That would get me to the border with about a quarter tank of fuel to spare.

The roads were good, but there were a lot of “desviaciónes,” where you drive in the opposite lanes and only have one going in each direction. So it was pretty slow, albeit steady going. I know I passed my favourite “Puente sin nombre” (bridge with no name) at some point, but didn’t see the sign since I was on the wrong side of the highway. I had a stop or two by the federales where I pretty much just rolled through. I might have had a fruit stop, too, but I can’t remember. If I did, it wasn’t memorable!

I didn’t let the first part of the day lull me into complacency, knowing I had three major roadblocks ahead of me: the big military checkpoint before Santa Ana, the US border, and then the secondary inland customs checkpoint. So I had no motivation to dawdle since I really wanted to get at least as far as Phoenix tonight.

Before I knew it, I was in line for the big military checkpoint, where I was sent to secondary inspection. The officer thoroughly went through everything he could reach without taking too much out of the truck, asking we what such and such was. I didn’t have the words for “external hard drive” so I went with “thing for my computer that has pictures on it.” And I completely blanked on the word for printer and went with, “the thing that puts my computer things on paper.” That one got a laugh. The soldier was just a kid and very nice. I was there about ten minutes total.

Coming into Santa Ana, I remembered, yet again, that I forgot to pick up some powdered milk to take with me to Canada! A bag in Mexico is about 3CAD while the exactly same product is 12CAD at home! I figured Santa Ana would have a  grocery store and, sure enough, I saw a “Super Norte” as I came into town that had to be a grocery store. I missed the turnoff for it, so I circled around the block and parked on the street since the store lot was cramped. The milk was more expensive than at Ley, but only by about $6, still a substantial savings.

It was about 10:30 by this point and I was feeling peckish. I’d just happened to park behind a taco joint, so I went in and ordered just one taco as a snack. I don’t know if “tacos de burro” needs to be taken literally or not, but I’m fairly certain that I wasn’t eating beef… Whatever it was, it was yummy!

I then realised that I was out of money on my phone so I stopped in at an Oxxo to top up. You might find that odd, thinking why do that when I was right on top of the border, but I have the new “sin fronteras” plan, where I can use my phone in the US and Canada at the same rates as in Mexico. I figured that I’d test with just $100 on the phone and if it worked, then I could buy a banda ancha plan to use while in the US, saving me from having to buy a SIM card and deal with AT&T.

Next, came a fourth roadblock I hadn’t anticipated based on my experience last year: the vehicle permit return. Since I was getting cash back, I had to get a photocopy of my passport and driver’s license (on the same sheet of paper) and go to Banjercito. So I was there about a half hour. The process went smoothly and I got two crisp US $100 bills back. It was nice to get that little influx of cash that I won’t have to convert to CAD.

And then, it was time to ignore the GPS and head towards the Mariposa Road crossing rather than Noagales Centro. I had just one final toll booth for the day, the third. I haven’t done the books yet for today, but tolls were around $145, or 11.CAD. Once that last toll was paid, I was left with about $60! Wow, talk about good budgeting on my part! My last withdrawal amount was exactly right, and that’s taking into account all the unexpected splurges my last days on Isla.

The line up for the border started way back this year and moved very slowly. There were only four of twelve lanes open, and no bus or RV lanes! Those of you who follow me on Facebook were treated to my live Facebooking my wait. I waited exactly 40 minutes to finally get to a customs inspector. He asked me a couple of questions, poked through the back of the truck… and sent me on my way! That was not expected!

Once clear, it was just past 1PM. I was happy to get clear of Nogales and push north. The inland customs checkpoint was open, but the line move smoothly. I was asked if I’m an American citizen and replied Canadian, which got me wave through.

I stopped just past Tucson for a very late lunch. Channeling Tony Stark, all I wanted after my grueling time in the desert was an American cheeseburger, so I decided to try In-N-Out Burger for the first time, having heard so many good things about them. All I can say is meh. Oh, well, at least it hit the spot. I also bought fuel at just 1.899 a gallon! Wow, that’s great price even with a the exchange rate! And I got my stupid phone working on the T-Mobile network after multiple reboots. I just checked my balance and it has barely gone down despite my doing some surfing on the phone, so I know that I can definitely get a banda ancha plan to use in the US. Wow!

I then stopped at the Walmart in Tempe, hoping to find a pair of Earth Spirit sandals I like since I went clear through my pair from the spring over the winter, as expected. As luck would have it, they had both of my favourite styles of the sandals in my size! I grabbed both as well as a couple of tee-shirts.

Then, I tried a couple of motels along my route and the Motel 6 was the best deal for a ridiculous $61 if I wanted internet. I decided to push on a bit. I knew this would be my most expensive hotel night and I didn’t mind splurging, but if I was going to spend 80CAD or more, I wanted some value to my expenditure.

Well, I ended up climbing and climbing and climbing to over 4,000 feet and then descending a bit to land in Camp Verde for the night at an off chain motel (my GPS thought it was a Super 8). The attendant gave me the AAA rate so I paid close to what the Motel 6 would have charged, only I got a pool, a much nicer room, and a semblance of breakfast in the morning. Even though it was past seven by this point, I hit the pool for a few laps then soaked my kinks in the hot tub!

I was peckish by this point, so I went to the Denny’s nearly next door and it was hopping. I knew I would not get out of there quickly unless I did soup, so that’s what I ordered. I’m pretty sure they just open up a tin of store brand cheddar soup and mixed in some frozen broccoli… It really wasn’t great, but it was nourishing and cheap and I got out of there before people who had been ahead of me even got a chance to order their food!

It was a very long haul today, but I only have 600KM to do tomorrow and the hostel in Moab isn’t expecting me till about seven. I plan to leave pretty late (nine) and I have one major stop en route.

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A Year In Mexico… Isla de la Piedra to Guaymas

I woke up at four this morning ahead of a grueling driving day and two and a half hours away from daylight. Unacceptable. I dozed until about 4:30 and then, thankfully, fell back asleep, to wake up eight minutes before my alarm at 5:22. It’s amazing how different I felt after just another 50 minutes of sleep. I got up, dressed, put water on to heat, and then got to work packing up the bedding. Both toppers packed well and quickly. Even after adding them, the dirty laundry tub (topped with sheets and a blanket in a garbage bag), and my pillows, I still had plenty of room to add the bucket after I washed the floors.

I made coffee and while it cooled a tad, I packed my computer bag and got that into the truck. Then, I went through the fridge and freezer one last time and realised that I had six slices of fresh bread and a quarter of a small container of strawberry jam left. I converted that into three jam sandwiches and had one with my coffee. If that doesn’t speak to my state of mind this morning, I don’t know what does — it’s rare for me to have breakfast on a travel day! I knew I would have a very late lunch, so I’d have another sandwich at my morning coffee break and then have a final one a couple of hours before lunch. Perfect; that saved me a stop at Panamá’s. I haven’t been there much this winter, incidentally, not since we got our panaderia on Isla.

By 6:30, it was getting light out and I was done, the house left spotless and the truck neatly packed. It was time to go.

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Yes, I was sad. How could I not be? I had the best year of my life (in two segments) living in this house, in this village. But I was also looking forward to new adventures, and so I was also happy. I have a biological imperative to go. I am unhappy if I don’t heed it and I am unhappy when I do heed it. But I am my best self when I let myself leave, when I accept that this is what my life has to be, constant arrivals and departures, so many hellos and goodbyes, so many shallow and fleeting friendships (and the odd one that really sticks), so much stress about what comes next. It is in this uncertainty that I find myself strong, ambitious, energetic, and productive.

I savoured my time in Mazatlán. I got to know parts of it in ways that I have only ever known one other city in my life. I truly lived in Mexico for a year, dealing daily with the locals for all my needs and speaking their language. I saw all manner of expats, from those who are truly integrated into Mexican life and those who come only for the weather and remain in their Gringo enclaves. My experience was closer to the former and incredibly enriching. I have come to understand things about myself that I have always suspected, but was never able to truly articulate. What I found in Mexico is exactly the same thing I found at my beloved Haven and merits its own post. But I will say now that I have spent but a scant year in Mexico and I have felt more at home in the parts of it that I have seen than I have ever felt anywhere in Canada outside of Haven, and that’s taking into account that the Mexican people are still a mystery to me since I haven’t really befriended any yet. All that to say, I’m ready to move here.

I set off at 6:30 and the Road was, of course, paved except for the last few metres. There were now topes at the houses midway and even speed limit signs (60KPH!). I look forward to reports of how the paving changes Isla over the next few years.

I’d only been driving a few minutes when I realised that my odo and speedo metres weren’t working! I pulled over in front of Estrella del Mar to check my manual and see if they are on the same fuse. Yes. So that was probably the issue, a very inexpensive fix, and one not worth worrying about. I prefer to use my GPS as a speedometre anyway, although I was concerned about not clocking the mileage on the engine. I hadn’t realised it was that easy to turn off and now wonder if the previous owner ever did that and my truck has more mileage than I thought? Ah, no sense worrying. Even though I haven’t driven since the end of November, Moya started up perfectly and was purring.

It was super early, so traffic was light coming into Mazatlán. I pulled into a Pemex at the northern end of town for a final bathroom break and asked the attendant to wash my windows. I also asked if she knew where I could buy a fuse and she told me I was out of luck until stuff opened around eight or 8:30. It was seven and this really wasn’t pressing (I had my turn signals and brake light) so I decided to just stop at the AutoZone in Navojoa near the end of my day.

Because of the increased amount of violence around Maz in the last few months, including several carjackings north and south of the city I made the decision to take the cuota (toll road) all the way, a decision cemented by the fact that numerous people told me to not take the libre no matter how safe I’ve felt taking it in the past. So the first part of my day was very boring, not particularly scenic, and very expensive toll-wise. The most exciting thing that happened was that I got an amazing coffee at the Oxxo 100KM south of Culicán. Second to that was the stop by the federales right after the coffee break, with the very fatherly officer telling me I really should be traveling with a dog or cat! I also had a couple of fruit stops, but they went quickly. Oh, and it rained hard most of the way from just south of Culiacán to just south of Los Mochis… and I discovered that my dead fuse also controls my windshield wipers! That was… “fun.” 🙂

This was my first time doing the cuota to Los Mochis and it really didn’t feel any faster than taking the libre, on top of not being able to go through the pueblos. It’s definitely not my favourite way to travel and the day just draaaaaaagged. I stopped at a Pemex at one point to put in more fuel (I always put in just $500 at a time to force me to stop more often) and had to pay with $50s, which I counted out. The attendant was shocked that I could count to ten in Spanish. Not the most amazing thing I’ve ever learned! Most expats I know who struggle with the language know that… He asked if I was going to Maz because he had some sort of coupon for a hotel, but I told him I was going way, way, way north!

There was a military checkpoint just before the Sonora border, where I got sent to secondary inspection, where I was told to exit the vehicle and go stand by the big dude with the huge gun (my description). My heart sank at the thought that they were going to empty out everything, like they were doing with the class B from California next to me. An officer opened just the canopy and rummaged through what he could reach, including the dirty laundry (*laughs*) and going into two tubs and unwrapping some things in one of them (keyboard and external hard drive). He then said I could lock up and follow him to the front so I could move the driver’s seat ahead so he could see what I was carrying behind it. I told him there is a rear door, so he opened that himself and rummaged through the two totes there. Then he asked me the usual questions of where I was coming from and where I was going before telling me I could go. I was there about 20 very long minutes!

Then, came the Sonora border, the really bad bit of road right around it, and another fruit inspection. This one also went very quickly. It was around here that I realised that I was going to “gain” an hour today, thanks to my GPS. I didn’t use a GPS last year and am pretty sure that I didn’t clue into this because I didn’t note gaining an hour until I crossed into Arizona. So that was a surprise, neither good nor bad.

It was slow going from the border to Navojoa because of construction meaning there was only one lane in both directions and I got stuck behind a semi. So by the time I reached Navojoa, I was just done and ready to call it a night! If I didn’t have that reservation on Monday night, I just might have done that! But, instead, I decided to have a proper lunch break. The last two times I passed through Navajoa, I noted one taco joint in particular (there are a lot of them on Mex-15 through the city!) that has al pastor tacos, Don Amable, in front of the Chevrolet dealership. I decided that I would stop there if they were open and I could find parking.

I got a red light before the Soriana coming into Navojoa and two boys took the time to wash my windshield. They couldn’t have been at it more than fifteen seconds, really, and did an amazing job — there wasn’t a streak or bug left! How do they do that with just a water bottle and a squeegee?! I love the window washers in Mexico, even if I sometimes get irked when I get my windshield done and one block later, another guy decides to do it again and won’t take no for an answer! In that case, he gets $1 instead of $5 (pesos!).

Before lunch, I stopped at AutoZone and wasted ten minutes. I found my fuses in under thirty seconds and then went to the till to pay. A few people lined up behind me and when a cashier finally came after a whole ten minutes of waiting, she called to the guy behind me! I said no, I was there first and she replied that they were there first, the five men in line behind me and that I could wait till they’d paid! What the hell?! Needless to say, I dropped my fuses right there and left. No, I did not misunderstand what she said.

Too hungry to be annoyed, I continued on a few blocks and found Don Amable open, with ample street parking across from it on my side of the highway. It’s just a normal taco joint, nothing special in terms of decor. I sat and a gentleman came to welcome me and take my order. I asked for two al pastor tacos with everything and he asked me to specify corn or wheat tortillas! Apparently, the look on my face said it all because he burst out laughing and said “Corn it is!” without my having to say anything. LOL!!! They came quickly with heaps of extras to pile on them!

Here they are naked:

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And semi-dressed:

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I kept adding stuff as I ate. I went light on the hot red sauces, but went through a lot of the salsa mexicana, guacamole, pickled onion, and shredded cabbage. I love cabbage on tacos, but have never had it on al pastor ones! I was done with my first taco when I started regretting not ordering something to drink. Just as I was about to look around for a server, one materialised to ask if I wanted anything to drink! Really! He was about to recite a list of beverages, but I cut him off and asked if they had Fresca. Yes! And it came in a glass bottle! How quaint!

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I couldn’t feel my tongue when I came out of there and decided that it was fate that there just happened to be a Thrifty’s ice cream across the street… One choco brownie cone later, my tastebuds were restored and I was ready to do the final stretch to Guaymas.

Dull as the day had been, it had been a good one thus far. Now that have three Mexican cities under my belt and have driven away from this Mex-15 stretch, I feel that I have more general Mexico experience and am so much more comfortable in new situations. I did well going north last year, but I still felt that I needed to stick to familiar places. Now, I have a good idea of where to get things outside of chain stores and I’m not nervous about asking for what I need. I’ll definitely be able to hit the ground running when I move to Mérida and focus on the more advanced things I need to learn.

And so, I kept driving, and running into toll booths. There were exactly ten today, for a total of $677 (52.13CAD). OUCH. But I have to say that with my not being budgeted as tightly as I was last year, it wasn’t distressing, just profoundly annoying when you’d get to a toll booth only a few kilometres after the last one!

I finally got off the cuota at Guaymas. Traffic was light going through the city. I knew the AutoZone was on the “wrong” side of the highway, so I turned off before it so I could go in the back way. I love knowing little things like that! If I’d had to make the left-hand turn, I don’t think I would have bothered because I was knackered and just wanted to get off the road!

My experience at the Guaymas AutoZone was the completely opposite of that in Navojoa — I was out the door in under a minute! And as I opened my front door wide to put the new fuse in, an employee came to ask if I needed help! Wow! No, I didn’t need help. I pulled out the old fuse using a very handy little tool mounted right into the fuse box and then popped in the new one. I did a couple of checks and confirmed that my problem was solved. Easy peasy! Only cost me 2CAD and not an ounce of worry. I had to buy a package of fuses so I have a few extra. They’re 10A and I tend to go through at least one 10A fuse a season with one of my inverters in the RV, so the extras will be used up.

I was glad that I’d made the decision to stop in Guaymas rather than San Carlos tonight because I was just done as I left the city limits on the other side. I’d found a decently rated cheap motel, the Malibu, in front of the Walmart and headed there to see if they had a room.

It wound up being just past the Walmart and I had to do a U-turn:

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Yes, they had a vacancy, and the room was $40 more than on the website. I lost that argument, but at $450 pesos, it was still a good deal. Well, as the check-in process moved on, the clerk and I chatted and she finally said, “You know what? I’m going to give you that $410 rate!” Wow. What happened?! So $410, plus a $100 key and remote deposit, with breakfast included. I was already doing better than at Totonaka!

The room is equivalent in terms of amenities and age, but marginally cleaner and the bed a touch softer. I like that the only window is in the bathroom, meaning that once the bathroom door is shut, the room is dark. I also like that there are multiple signs stating that people are here to sleep and that music and other loud noises will not be tolerated. Okay. I’m starting to like this place! I do miss not having that last view of the Sea of Cortez, though. But here are the red hills I’m going to be seeing a lot of in the next several days!

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There is just one restaurant within walking distance, literally beside the hotel. And it’s Arbolitos de Cajeme! I didn’t realise they are a chain! I’ve been there a few times in San Carlos (they’re right next to Totonaka). In fact, if I had gone to San Carlos tonight, I would have going there and had the octopus pasta I had in November of 2014…

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Needless to say, I barely glanced at the menu after I was seated tonight. 😀 I had the pasta with an icy cold XX and skipped the totopos and garlic bread. So yummy! I mean, Parmesan, fresh basil, red and yellow peppers, and tons of shrimp and octopus. Yum!!! It looks different from what I was served in San Carlos in that there, the Parmesan, basil, and oil are served as pesto while here, the ingredients are separate and you get the whole basil leaves. Both versions are great and are generous with the octopus.

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There was an ad on the table for their freshly made ice cream so even though I really didn’t need dessert, I asked if they had the mango one. No. But they did have a bunch of other flavours and I decided to try the pineapple… which wound up being $69… and worth every peso for the presentation. I burst out laughing when this was placed in front of me!

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Seriously?! I’m still laughing at how unexpected this was. The server says that the ice cream was made from the pulp of that miniature pineapple. Hmm… Well, the serving was very generous, but I got through it. 🙂

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This was really good quality ice cream, very “pineapple-y,” and the perfect cap to a good meal. Dinner was $275 with the tip, a lot more than I normally spend on a meal in Mexico, but absolutely worth every centavo in terms of the quality and even gourmet nature of my meal. This was a 20CAD meal. You don’t get food like this for 20 bucks in Canada!

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I was done for the day after that. I came in and had a tepid shower (perfect temperature), then crawled into bed to check out the wifi (a bit slow, but it works!!!!). It’s only eight local time, but nine my time and I’m almost at the point of needing to prop my eyelids open with toothpicks! Breakfast starts at six and sunrise is at six, so I might as well turn in early and get an early start. My ambitious plan for tomorrow is to get through Phoenix! I’ll know how realistic that is when I get through the border…

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Little Moments of Joy

April is turning into a distressingly slow month for work. I’m doing what comes in and working leads. Thank goodness I have really good reserves, although I’m not looking forward having to tap into them very soon! Anyway, these things ebb and flow. I’m learning not to freak out over the quiet moments since they never last.

Today, I did a small job then spent a few hours refreshing my professional site and also creating a Facebook page for my transcription and proofreading services. Around 3:30, I shut down and headed to the beach for a walk.

Well, I had no sooner reached the RV park that there was a dog running up to me and dropping his ball at my feet! I doggy sat him, Cody, a few weeks back and I must have made an impression. Cody’s dad confirmed that I could take him out so off Cody and I went to the water’s edge so I could throw the ball into the ocean and Cody would swim out to get it. He’s a really good dog and listens well, a real joy to play with, and I couldn’t help but laugh with joy at just how happy Cody was to play. After some time, he let me know he’d had enough by grabbing his ball and heading back to the RV park. There, I hosed him off and then accepted a beer from his dad before sitting to chat for a bit. What a way to spend an hour!

I came in and did some chores before going out for dinner. I have had “yardmates” for a few weeks now living in the little suite next to mine, M&S. They’re a young American couple and absolutely lovely. Sharing the yard and laundry with them has not been a hardship like it was sharing with the crazy woman last year. They’d asked me to go to dinner tonight, so we headed to Che’s around 6:30. There, we had a fantastic, and funny, meal since our saucey shrimp came with the heads on them and we had a lot of work to (and mess to clean up) to get to our food! They’re trying to figure out their lives and partook of some of my “being there, did the questioning, here was my solution” experience.

The beach was very dark as we walked home. It’s really peaceful at that time of night, especially with the sound of the surf. I’ve never had any concerns walking when I can barely see a few inches in front of me.

We came in our respective doors and, unbeknownst to me, M was putting together a surprise for me as I was putting out my water bottle. She showed up at my door with a huge slice of “guava pie,” which is basically a cheesecake (complete with Graham cracker crust) with chopped guava over top and caramel. I was rather craving something sweet after all that garlic so it’s hitting the spot! Not bad neighbours, huh?

Days like today are numbered and I’m savouring them!

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Uneventful Trip to Mazatlán From Mérida

My flight was scheduled for 8:25 this morning, so I wanted to be at the airport by 6:15. I woke up without an alarm at just past 5:00 and it took me about 20 minutes to finalise my packing (almost had to sit on my suitcase for it to close, even though I didn’t have anything extra!). I didn’t bother with coffee since I could surely get some at the airport. Once packed, I made certain I got everything and that the apartment was tidy. There is a cleaning fee included in Airbnb bookings, so I don’t go overboard, but I make sure the trash is out, dishes are done, the bathroom counter is wiped off, the floor is swept, etc.

When I booked the apartment, I was disappointed that my Mérida home base was going to be such a bland space, based on the pictures. Funny how the walled courtyard, spiral staircase, and balcony made it into a very special home, and one I will miss! I intend to rent there for a full month when I return to Mérida for good to give me ample time to house hunt.

It was a quick and easy walk to Paseo de Montejo, even with my luggage. I really need a better second bag for flying than my tote so that I can hang it from my wheeled suitcase because the tote is very heavy to hang from the shoulder. Well, I do have such a bag, but a laptop doesn’t fit in it. My luggage suited the purpose for which it was bought originally, but now needs to be reconsidered. But I digress.

There was a taxi waiting at the Conquistador Hotel, just as my host had told me there would be. $180 to the airport, versus the $270 to get from there! This was expected, actually. There is a special contract to go from the airport, but not to. A tip is to actually walk out of the airport to a city street and grab a cab from there. I will do that if I land in daylight next time. I was at the airport in record time, just past 6:00 a.m., and no one was working the InterJet desk… I ended up waiting until almost 6:30 to check in. Well, better early than late!

I suspected, correctly might I add, that I would not be able to get a decent coffee after security, so I did that first. A decent coffee was a reasonable airport price of $40. But I was so shocked by the price of $55 for some coffee cake that I didn’t have the wherewithal to tell them to forget it! I thought Canadian airport prices were insane!

Security was a joke, I’m sorry to say. I didn’t speak to anyone other than to be told to go back through the metal detector after I made it beep the first time. No one even checked my paperwork.

The only thing open on the other side was a kiosk that tried to sell me 200mL of water for $38. I declined. Sometime later, another kiosk opened and I got 1L for $35. Still highway robbery, but I had water for the day (in fact, I just finished it). I think TelCel has upped their prices because I have been burning through pesos this week and I ran out of money on my account again while waiting for my flight. I didn’t trust the kiosk to not have a markup on adding TelCel time, so I didn’t buy any (I’ve only so far encountered one place with a commission, in Mérida, and it was $1, which wasn’t worth complaining about).

My wait in Mérida went by quickly and we boarded on time. The flight to Mexico City was uneventful and I think we even landed early. Beverage service was a cereal bar (yuck) and an apple juice (very yum — I haven’t had it in ages and forgot how much I love it!). Deplaning took forever, though. I had a window seat in the very last row with two people between me and the aisle, so I knew I wasn’t getting off that plane anytime soon even when the line got moving. I finally had to give in to my bladder and ask the other two ladies to move so I could use the on board washroom. They were very put upon and I heard someone across the aisle whisper to them to be kinder as I must have been desperate to put on such a show. Indeed! It’s amazing how much more easily one can deal with being stuck on the tarmac for an extra 10 minutes with an empty bladder. 😀

We finally deplaned and I headed straight for the food court area to get a coffee, pausing only at a TelCel kiosk to add $100 to my account. It was too early to get my gate info for the next leg of my trip anyway since I had a nearly 3.5-hour layover. Starbucks was the coffee place with the shortest lineup and a short was a reasonable (by airport standards) $29. I even interrupted the barista to ask for milk since there was none at the condiment bar and specified skim. I’m getting more comfortable with some uncomfortable aspects of Mexican culture, like elbowing your way to what you want!

I did a bit of work while enjoying my coffee, but it was awkward without a mouse, so I gave up and went off to hunt for some lunch. Food prices were outrageous, of course, so I decided against a sit down meal and instead had a slice of pizza. Still pricy, but the slices were large. It and a tiny bag of Frito-type things with the plane beverage service got me through the next eight hours, so it was actually pretty good value. I declined the ketchup I was offered to go with it, but accepted the Valentina “hot” sauce to dip my crusts into!

Lunch done, I plonked myself down and watch an episode of Defiance on my iPad (how did I ever travel pre-iPad — so much entertainment in the profile and weight of a thick magazine or slim paperback!). By the time that was done, it was past 1:00 and we were supposed to board around 1:30, so I went off in search of gate info. My flight was marked as on time, but with no gate number, same as my delayed flight to Mérida had been, so I had a bad feeling. I went to the info kiosk to ask and was told gate two and that the flight was on time. Yay!

The flight was almost empty, so it boarded and took off very quickly. I’m not a nervous flier, but the airplane shook and rattled so much as we took off that it actually made me nervous. The flight was a bit bumpy and the landing rather rattly. Some folks actually clapped when we came to a stop in Maz! Too funny since I have been on rougher flights than this one. It was nice to have the aisle to myself. I can’t believe it costs me twice as much to fly across Canada in a sardine can as it costs to fly across Mexico with elbow and knee room!

It’s quite a distance from the terminal to the exit at the Maz airport, so I got a workout, avoiding everyone offering me hotel transport. I went to the taxi desk (similar setup to Mérida where you pay a set price) and forked over $550 to get home straight to Isla. The alternative was $380 to go to the embarcadero, $8 to get on the lancha, and $30 for a taxi on this side. When you consider that it’s about $400 to go to Centro from the airport, $550 to Isla really isn’t that terrible considering the odds of getting a passenger back is unlikely. This is a new service now that the road is mostly paved and what isn’t is well graded. I much preferred to spend that money and get home in 20 minutes or so than to save a few bucks and take over an hour to get home.

The driver asked me what hotel I’m at on the beach. I said that I’m not at a hotel, but my house is near the beach. His eyes went round and he gasped out, “I hope you know where you’re going because I won’t be able to find it!” I laughed and reassured him that I was going “home” and knew where we were headed!

Ah, loco Mazatlán drivers… We almost hit I don’t know how many obstacles between the airport and home, including what I think was a very sickly dog, a guy on a bicycle, a few topes, two coconuts, a bus, and a couple on a motorcycle. But soon, I could see Icebox Hill. Home, home at last!

I have directions pretty well down pat, left here, right there, a bit further, etc. so we made the few turns to my house without any issues. My driver was surprised by how big and nice my house is. I made sure he knew how to get back to the main road (it’s easier to go around a different way than get the car turned around and go back the way he came) and then headed in.

Phew, the house smelled musty! I immediately threw open the windows and turned the fans on high, then Febreezed the hell out of all the fabric! I then impressed myself by unpacking everything, but didn’t put on laundry since it wouldn’t have time to dry. I went out some time later to watch the sunset on the beach (which I missed more than I thought I would!) and was struck again by how noisy Isla is. I don’t know how many people have told me that “Mexico is noisy.” Horse hockey. Some parts of it are noisy, yes, but I’ve been to two cities now that aren’t and one that is so it seems that that generalisation is false.

My cupboards were barer than Mother Hubbard’s, so I went to Miguel’s for dinner. I’m pretty much “meated out” after all the rich greasy Yucatán food, so shrimp burritos were very appealing and hit the spot. I don’t see myself having any pork or beef for quite a bit! Miguel overheard me saying how light Yucatán cuisine is on produce and gave me extra salad and roasted onions, bless him. Angela was interested in how much shopping I did. Luis (their school-age server) was mostly interested in the contrasts been Maz and Mérida and why I’d rather be there than here on a more permanent basis.

Among my reasons, I gave language immersion and he said that my Spanish is “sufficient.” I argued that sufficient isn’t enough for me, I want fluency, and for that, I need to get away from ex-pats and really immerse myself. I think the only day last week where I actually spoke any amount of English was Tuesday on my ruins tour, as well as speaking French that evening. Like Durango, it was a very intensive immersion experience and I know I came out of it with more vocabulary and capacity for understanding oral Spanish.

I can get by on sufficient in Maz, but I’m not sure it will be enough for living in Mérida unless I stick to the expat zone, which goes against the point of why I want to live in Mexico in the first place. I am not delusional enough to think that my language skills are enough to actually thrive in a Spanish-speaking community yet. I haven’t had to deal with a real emergency, like a car or medical accident, nor have I had to negotiate and sign a legally-binding rental agreement, figure out vehicle licensing requirements, make an insurance claim, open utility accounts and dispute charges, etc. I still can’t enjoy a Spanish movie or TV show without Spanish subtitles and the radio is still pretty much bla bla bla. I’m lazy and I won’t make the effort to get past sufficient if my very survival doesn’t depend on it. Maz just isn’t big enough for me to get away from English.

So after talking about my scouting trip to Mérida for some time, it has come to an end. Now, the grunt work begins. And this is where I announce that I am more likely than not postponing my move to Mérida to next spring, maybe even the summer. I intend to go to Eastern Europe for the summer and what’s expensive is getting there, not being there. It makes no sense to pay all that money to go for just three months. I’m thinking of doing my allowed three months in Bulgaria, then perhaps three months in Greece (which I’m told is cheap…) after a few weeks in Turkey, and then flying back to North America from North Africa…

Moreover, my passport expires in March of 2017 and most places require your passport to be valid at least six months beyond the end of your trip. This means that I would have to be back to Canada by the middle of September. So it makes sense to get home and deal with my passport renewal before I do anything else. Then, I can take time to really think through what I need to do to get myself set for Mérida (like consult that tax accountant I still haven’t found), including whether or not I should be selling Haven, before jetting off to Europe.

Coming back to Canada next spring would mean I’d be packing up and closing Haven in warmer weather, even if it means landing in Mérida at the peak of the hot season. I just don’t see myself packing up Haven in November or even as late as December, as I had planned to do. Haven just isn’t set up for winter living, and I don’t think I want it to be!

The move to Mérida is a huge deal and not something I’m willing to do on a whim. I want to do this right and will take the time it takes. Knowing where I’m going and that I have a good home base waiting for me when I’m ready for it takes off a lot of pressure. Mérida is concrete to me now and therefore one less thing I need to think about. Onward!

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Dinner at La Chaya Maya, Mérida

I wanted to try Yucatán cuisine while I’m here (duh!) and yesterday Buzzfeed Mexico helpfully published a list of 12 of the best Yucatán restaurants in Mérida. Number two on the list, La Chaya Maya, was about 2KM away and really well reviewed, so I decided to go there for dinner. I must have walked close to 20km today, btw!

I’ve passed these former beauties several times today:

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There are two Chaya Mayas and the best reviewed is this one at the corner of Calles 62 and 57.

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I was given an English menu. It was actually pretty well translated, but not particularly helpful. I gave up trying to imagine what anything tastes like and zeroed in on this “Flavours of the Yucatán” deal that would give me four different items for just $95! I ordered it as “sabores del Yucatán,” though. 😉

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I ordered a XX beer, but the server said that the bartender wouldn’t sell me one because they weren’t cold enough. Dinner was off to a good start! I picked a beer at random, Montejo, and discovered that I have a new favourite Mexican beer! It is a pale lager that is incredibly smooth. I could have downed several of those!

Beer came with totopos, two kinds of refried beans, habanero sauce, and salsa mexicana (“pico de gallo”). The habanero sauce took out a layer of my taste buds. The brown beans had a strange flavour that was okay, but not really to my taste. The black beans were awesome and the salsa mexicana had an extra ingredient in it, possibly sweetened vinegar, that made it addictive!

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So here’s my meal. Isn’t it pretty?!

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The turkey on the left was soaked in a black sauce reminiscent of squid ink in appearance only. The middle one was also turkey and I’m pretty sure the other two were pork. Yucatán is not an agricultural state like Sinaloa and so the cuisine is very meat-heavy.

Using their online menu and my incredible powers of deduction, I think I had:

Top: vaporcito (not on the menu). It’s shredded meat with masa around it and a red sauce over top.

Bottom Left: relleno negro taco (black-filled taco). The black apparently comes from a mixture of a bunch of spices and chiles…

Bottom Middle: panucho (black beans smeared on a tortilla) with shredded turkey and veggies.

Bottom Right: cochinita (pulled pork marinated in sour orange and other things) and topped with purple stuff.

Everything was just delicious (and nothing was even remotely spicy!). It was all foreign to me and I’m having a hard time remembering what each individual thing tasted like. I know the panucho turkey tasted like a well roasted turkey that had been brined, but had no other seasoning. It was the best plain fowl I’ve had in Mexico. The black stuff was my favourite. I sampled everything, then worked my way around the plate to finish with the black taco. I left one and a half tortillas and the egg behind, but otherwise gobbled up everything. I really need to go back and try each thing individually. But, hey, now I know there are four things on the menu that I like!

The bill had a cute presentation:

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I found the beer very pricy at $31 (and I ordered off the cheap menu!), but even with a generous tip, my dinner came to only $150, or 12.35CAD. I know! If that’s the going rate for a gourmet meal in Mérida, I’ll be able to eat out like this every night!

Needless to say, I’d recommend La Chaya Maya!

I was pretty stuffed and actually looked forward to my walk home after. But I did mull over whether that was a good idea. I’m in a very residential neighbourhood that is very dark and quiet at night. It is well kept up, though, and the bulk of my walk was up a street with buses passing frequently, so I decided I was okay to walk. I passed three people on my walk home and they were all women about my age walking alone. There you go!

Not only does Mérida have street name signs and addresses, it actually let’s drivers know they are turning on a one-way street and which direction to go. *squints at Guamúchil*

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