Last week Rich wrote a post giving his thoughts on what it’s like to live the vagabonding lifestyle. I’ve also been formulating a few thoughts on the subject. So I’ll give you my perspective, along with a brief update on the happenings in our life.
We’ve noticed that spring has arrived in Cancun. About the time that many of our loved ones back east are patiently checking for signs of crocuses, it’s getting noticeably hotter and more humid here. We’re certainly not complaining, but we are glad that our next place in Playa del Carmen is about a block away from the beach. We’re packing up and moving there in a few days, and plan to be there for 6 weeks.
It was Rich’s birthday this week, so we went to our favorite eating place, called Los de Pescado. If you ever get to Cancun, you MUST go there! We had 4 small but tasty fish tacos and 3 beers for about $12. But that wasn’t the best part. The fish is deep-fat fried to a light golden color and placed on a corn tortilla. To top it off, they have all these great sauces, including our favorite -chipotle. Plus you can choose from a variety of toppings such as pico de gallo, coleslaw, cukes, and onions. They’re pretty perfect and there’s nothing like them!
On another note, here’s a lifestyle tip. If you’re considering working an online business while traveling, be sure to think about all the aspects of it. That way maybe you can avoid some of the stress we went through while working the past few months.
You see, we’re planners, and we thought we’d figured out all the angles for running our business from our hotel in Mexico. They advertised reliable internet access, so we were surprised that it went down about 10 times a day. From what our landlord says, in parts of Mexico there seems to be a problem with the data cables. Apparently they get cracked, due to the humidity, and then water seeps in when it gets damp or wet outside. So our productivity definitely suffered.
I feel better though, when I hear about other traveler’s stories. I’ve been reading a blog called R.V. Dreams. It’s entertaining, and this couple works in their R.V. while traveling around the U.S. They talk about how they’re working online and their satellite dish gets hit by a sleet storm that randomly crosses their path. Such is life for all of us. If you plan for these types of unknowns with a financial cushion it helps to keep the stress a little lower.
The other night I decided to be adventurous, and to go to a Spanish-speaking salon for my monthly hair appointment . Now I could have opted for salons in the Hotel Zone, but this one was more cost-effective, and I liked its’ convenient location.
The stylist and I were able to communicate on a basic level, as I’ve been picking up a little Spanish. She asked if I wanted my hair colored, saying, “Tiente?” I proudly responded with, “Si, la carta por favor!” This was me asking for a menu, or a color chart, and the woman understood. Ahaha! So I pointed to a color that appeared to be a dark chestnut color.
Twenty minutes later I was sitting there relaxing and resting my eyes. Then Rich stopped by, and he tapped me, pointing at my hair with this smile on his face. I looked up to see my head full of what appeared to be raspberry mousse. There wasn’t much I could say that she’d understand, so I just sat there and let her finish up. It’s really funny to be in a world where you’re limited by your language skill.
When my hair was fully covered, I watched the stylist pull out about 1/2 a roll’s worth of aluminum foil and begin wrapping it around my head like a mummy. A few minutes later my head was stinging, feeling like a ton of microscopic needles were piercing my skull. Maybe it was an allergic reaction. Now I remember why I usually go to Aveda salons.
I’m happy to report that my hair came out fine – different but fine. I’m trying to go with the flow here and not take myself too seriously. I laughed when I thought about a stylist I went to in Atlanta recently. He took over 21/2 hours weaving colors, highlights, and shades through my hair like a fine art painting. His masterpiece is now covered with this monochromatic wave of rich raspberry hue. Maybe I’ll go back to the weaver in Atlanta in a few more months, but for now this is me!
Here’s the thing about life on the road. Rich mentioned that we’re not on vacation with our vagabonding. He’s right, but to me it’s like this. We live a ‘regular life’ on one hand, yet there’s also an element of vacation to our lives too. Maybe it’s the ever-changing surroundings, and the newness you always feel as a result. In any case, I enjoy the opportunity to explore during our off hours and weekends!.
For instance, the other evening we’d been working late. Around 10pm we decided to take a walk. We noticed this little outdoor bar, which had a cool House Music beat playing. We stopped in, and this waiter brought us a couple of lime-infused cervezas. They were served ice cold, in a glass rimmed in chili powder and salt.
As we kicked back relaxing, along came the entertainment, which consisted of 3 fire dancers. They got out these firey hula hoops and batons, and began dancing effortlessly, swirling them around their waists, and tossing them into the air with ease. The fire, set against the jet black sky, was mesmerizing, and they ended with an acrobatic ballet that kept us entertained even after they left.
Of course we’re pretty busy working on projects much of the time. Tonight we’re soaking our white towels to make sure they’re like new on Tuesday when we turn the room over. Now we’re pretty clean people and would want to leave everything nice anyway, but you do get charged if anything has even a smudge on it. Extended stay here isn’t quite like leaving a normal hotel, but it’s a good rate so that’s okay.
We’re also packing, sorting and trying to figure out what we can take on the ADO bus. It’s about an hour to Playa del Carmen, but juggling luggage around the bus station and up the stairs makes any extra bags a challenge. We haven’t figured out the perfect formula on this one yet.
Tonight on our walk we stopped over at our favorite little park, as we could hear the Salsa music blaring happily. Rich and I tried dancing for a few minutes. He’d promised me that before we left here we’d give it a try, and we did. It was hot and humid so I didn’t need much to get my fix, but it was great fun.
Happy trekking to you, and the next time we write we’ll probably be in our new diggs.
