I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I’ve never been to Mexico.
It seems like, along with Cuba or the Dominican Republic (two other places I have never been), Mexico is the default holiday destination for sun-seeking North Americans looking to escape to a resort or an all-inclusive. As a result, pretty much everyone I know has been there. And they tend to look at me funny when I explain that, yes, I’ve been to over 40 countries but not to the country occupying one third of our continent.
Of course, you know me by now: I’m not exactly the sun-seeking package holiday type. Winter, for me, is more about finding the fresh snow and enjoying the cold weather. The sun turns me red as a lobster; the beach bores me to tears. I’ve never been tempted by the all-inclusive offers even once.
Why am I going to Mexico, then? Well, because I have it on good authority that once you get away from the package holiday resorts, the country is a pretty amazing place. Ancient ruins and modern cities, scenery and history, music and culture and and food. Far too much to see in just two weeks, of course, but that’s kind of a common theme for my holidays.
I did have to take a few things into account, though: For one thing, I’m going to be travelling over Christmas in a country that takes Christmas very, very seriously. For another, despite a college class, hours of podcasts and my best efforts, my Spanish is somewhere between “beginner” and “nonexistent”. And after all the unexpected organizational headaches that sadly happened during my Baltics trip this summer, I’m feeling a bit tired and burnt out on travel planning.
So, all that to say, I’ve decided to do a tour. Yes, really. I usually prefer independent travel for a variety of reasons. But this time I’m being super lazy. I just want to go and enjoy without having to plan or organize anything.
In other words, I may not be the all-inclusive type, but even I need a break sometimes.
Anyway, I’m pretty excited about this trip. Mexico is a huge country, but this is sure to give me a pretty nice overview of what I’m told are some pretty nice places. I’ll be spending two weeks travelling overland from Mexico City to Playa del Carmen, with lots of interesting stops along the way.
Follow along with me, why don’t ya?