Big City, Epic Festival, and 7 Beaches…
Yet another sad hiatus here amid the dusty halls of TL. Nary a single mot published here since I managed to peck a review of my month+ adventures skipping all over Italy more than 5 months ago.
But I’m soon off on yet another adventure (in less than 2 weeks – yikes!), so I thought I’d at least pop in here and drop a few of the prep details, as well as – officially bid a fond farewell to the passing of one of my closest travel companions…
‘Tis truly a sad tale to tell, of the recent passing of my beloved “Purple Rollie”. Amazingly, I nabbed it (a “High Sierra” w/ zip-off rucksack and hidden convertible backpack straps) for just $10 at a *Goodwill* in Seattle more than 15 years ago! And that sweetheart has since served my carry-on-only nomadic packing needs through more than 30 different countries!
Only recently did it finally give-up-the-ghost when the sliding handle broke (blessedly as I gripped the LAST boarding pass for my flight from Spain back home to Ecuador!) I tried (in vain!) to get it fixed here in Cuenca, but as the handle was aluminum, there was no way to solder it back together. So…
R.I.P. sweet Purple Rollie – thanks for the memories!
Though I’m not likely to ever find such a uniquely colorful, long lasting rollie, I did manage to unearth a new wanderlust side-kick here on this 8,400+ ft. mountain-top in Cuenca (in the diminutive 22″x14″x9″ size required by most airlines for carry-on). Albeit not in the sweet deep purple of its trusty ancestor (rather, a humdrum ordinary black). But my new travel sherpa does have spiffy new quad “spinner” wheels, plus a nifty built in TSA security lock – so I’m once again good-to-GO!
And GO I shall! In little more than a week. Not even 6 months since my month adventure in Spain and Italy – next week I’m again hopping on a silver cigar-tube to fulfill a long dormant wanderlust bucket-list wanna-do *SOMEDAY* item:
Witness “Día de los Muertos” (“Day of the Dead”) IN the land that spawned it hundreds of years ago…
MEXICO!!!
Three weeks. I’ve learned that a month or more is pushing it for this dodderin’. After about 20 days or so – everything just begins to blur together, and I rather lose my appreciation for what I’m seeing.
So 3 weeks for this adventure it is: a week to dive head-long into the astonishing array of unique sights and (especially) the FOOOOD that Mexico City has to offer; followed by a week in Oaxaca (said to be THE best locale in all of Mexico for celebrating La Dia Muertos); and to top it off – a final week wiggling toes in warm sand along the beach at Puerto Escondido.
Mexico isn’t new for me (this will be my 5th visit – my most recent, a short pilgrimage simply to gawk at those wondrous Monarch butterflies – literally – DRIPPING from the trees amid the Michoacan forests 5 years ago). But it’s the first I’ll have time to more earnestly explore Mexico’s capital: CDMX (Ciudad de Mexico) – the largest city in North America (pop. 21+ million). With more than 150 museums and an uncountable number of taco stands and other street-eats – a week surely won’t be enough to even scratch the surface of this 700 year old megalopolis. Ah but trust that I shall give it my best shot! 😉
And Oaxaca? Said to be the “Foodie Capital” of Mexico, this southern city is noted for its variety of the classics: mole (7 different kinds!), tlayudas, enfrijoladas, nieve, chocolate, younameiit. And I fully intend to stuff my face with as much of it as I can in 7 days. Add to that, as Mexico’s preeminent hub for celebrating Día de los Muertos (with bountiful parades, sand-paintings on the cobbled streets, a bazillion fresh marigolds piled on thousands of candle-lit alters, et al) – my week there promises to be a most amazing experience.
And finally – choosing a playa to wiggle my toes in – Puerto Escondido has verily SEVEN of them! That, plus a far more laid-back vibe than the touted (and pricey) tourist-traps of Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Los Cabos, Tulum, etc. In short, much more the TravelnLass’ cuppa-playa-tea.
So do stay tuned. What with a brand new TL “Negra Rollie” to christen, plus another air ticket (or three) in my pocket – there’s bound to be plenty of Mexico adventures to share here at TL Central.
P.S. New here and curious who I am? Check my bio to learn more! Better yet, subscribe to my email list (so you never miss a single post) and get a pdf of my 30+ Best Travel Tips (trust me, at least one is sure to be a revelation).
About the Author
Dyanne Off-the-beaten-path travel is my passion,and I’ve always lived life “like-a-kid-in-a-candy-store” – eager to sample as many flavors as I can. Indeed, my life motto has long been: This ain’t a dress rehearsal, folks!
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Mexico Trifecta! (Chapter Three: Puerto Escondido) →
Día de los Muertos in Oaxaca →
MEXICO Trifecta! (Chapter One: Mexico City) →
Off-the-beaten-path travel is my passion, and I’ve always lived life “like a kid in a candy store” – eager to sample as many flavors as I can. Indeed, my life motto has long been:
I’m so sorry for the loss of your beloved purple rollie. May your new rollie serve you well. Buen provecho y disfruta!
Gracias chica, for your kind condolences. ‘Tis truly a tragic loss. A small part of my wanderlust heart will surely miss having Ms. PR ever by my nomadic side. Hopefully Señor NR will likewise see me through another 30 countries! 😉