The travel lifestyle requires a tremendous amount of planning to do well, and I’m often asked why we chose to bring certain things, and how we’re able to have everything we need to both live and work with us while on the road.

You mean you have to PLAN to minimize your life and head out on the road?!? Oh yeah you do! And it’s a lot more difficult than you might think. I’ll do my best to explain the whys, whats, and hows as I go. Feel free to ask questions in the comments. And without further ado:

Choosing Your Vehicle

If you’re planning to spends many months and or years overseas, then you can probably disregard this whole post. That said, chances are you’ll be spending some of your time in the United States, and having the ‘right’ vehicle can really help.

Living in Southern California Kathy and I had the ‘right’ vehicles for the area. Kathy drove a BMW 325i, and I had a 4-door Jeep Wrangler. These vehicles were great for SoCal – BMW for city trips and Jeep for Camping, Desert Trips, and 4wheeling fun!

Unfortunately neither vehicle was a good choice for driving around the country. Here’s why:

Jeep Wrangler Problems:

• Terrible Fuel Mileage – My Wrangler was a Rubicon with 33″ Mud Terrain Tires. I got 14 city and 19 highway mileage, plus it struggled to hold highway speeds on steep inclines.
• LOUD – Big tires make a lot of noise. It’s tough to hold a conversation in a Wrangler at highway speeds.
• Minimal Cargo Capacity – The Interior of a Wrangler is fairly narrow with a high floor and low roof.
• Poor Security – Jeeps are easy to break into. By design the top and doors come off, and even the hardtop model isn’t very secure. Not good when you have your whole life and business packed inside!

BMW 325i Problems:

• Too Expensive – BMWs are expensive to maintain, especially as they get older. Also, putting tons of miles on a BMW kill the resale value.
• Too Flashy – BMWs attract zero attention on the coasts and in cities, but in the middle of the country they’re a bit unusual and could potentially make you a target for theft.
• No Cargo Capacity – The 325i is a great car, but the trunk is tiny. If you want to bring more than a suitcase, it’s much too small.

Fortunately we were aware of these deficiencies well ahead of time, and set about finding a vehicle that would be the perfect long-term travel companion.

Here were our requirements:

• Low Maintenance & Reliable – We didn’t want to spend any time at ‘the shop’ and didn’t want to have to spend much on maintenance
• Good MPG – My target was 25mpg combined minimum. 30mpg would have been even better.
• Inexpensive – We have no-one to impress. We didn’t want to drive a ‘bucket’ as that would undermine the first point – but considering we were going to put lots of miles on the vehicle, inexpensive is good.
• Cargo Capacity – We brought our entire lives plus our business in the car. We needed some cargo capacity! We also brought a complete set of camping equipment as a way to keep costs down while traveling.
• Low Profile – We didn’t want to attract attention. We bring several thousand dollars worth of computers and electronics with us, plus all of our stuff.

In short we needed an inexpensive SUV or station wagon that got decent mileage. That narrowed our list to just a few vehicles. A Ford Focus Station Wagon (Sorry Mom, but no), A Volkswagon TDI Station Wagon (A great choice, but expensive), or a Honda Element – which is what we chose.

Enter Trekkie

We found our used Honda Element (Trekkie – yes we named him) at Weseloh Honda in San Juan Capistrano. They were easy to work with, and I was very happy with the way they worked with us. They were Low pressure, flexible, and very helpful – I highly recommend working with them if you’re in the area and need a Honda.

At the time (2010) Trekkie was 2 years old, and we purchased him for $16,500. I intentionally targeted the 2008 Honda Element EX as Honda added 10hp and a 5-speed Automatic (vs 4-speed) in the 2008 models.

Hondas are generally considered reliable and low maintenance, and Trekkie has lived up to this reputation. We’ve put 30,000 miles on him and he just goes. Other Good things about the Element:

• Cargo Capacity – Behind the front seats the Element holds 75 cubic feet worth of stuff. That’s very decent for a vehicle it’s size – and he swallowed everything we put in him – although we had to downsize our stuff a few times to make it easier to get at everything.
• Decent MPG – My best tank was just over 29mpg, and I don’t think I’ve ever gotten worse than 20mpg. On average while traveling we got 26.5mpg, and while living in a city and commuting in city traffic closer to 22mpg.
• Cheap to Repair – Trekkie was in an accident while we were in Mexico (driven by someone else), but considering his headlight was broken and the front bumper was half ripped off, he was only $1500 to repair.
• Low Profile – While brightly-colored and plastic body paneled Elements stand out, our grey/beige fully painted EX does not. Most people don’t even look at it twice – plus the factory tint is perfect for hiding the fact that our Element is full of stuff.
• Good Visibility & Easy to Drive – A big consideration when traveling is visibility. Kathy’s BMW was very low to the ground, and in traffic you couldn’t see past the car in front of you. I wanted to be able to see! Also, the Element is super easy to drive, with good power even when full of stuff.
• Other Great Features – The ‘shelf’ that runs the length of the dashboard is great for putting stuff like cell phones, cameras, and loose change. The charger plug and audio port (for ipods) is in a good spot. Plastic floors are easy to clean, and no worry about getting carpet dirty. Flat load floor when rear seats are up. The rear seats fold out of the way – or can be removed easily.

Overall I think we made an excellent choice. We’ve had trekkie for nearly 2 years now, and have taken him all over the USA, and he’s never let us down. There are certainly other vehicles that would be a good fit for long-term travel, but I don’t think you can go wrong to chose a Honda Element as we did.

FYI – no, this is not a Honda sponsored post even though it sounds that way.

Next post I’ll dig into some of the ‘stuff’ that we brought with us. Until next time, happy trekking!

original post: Efficient Travel Tips Part 1 – Choosing Your Vehicle

One of the main dishes that is associated with Mexican food is a burrito. These are made up of a soft wheat flour tortilla which is wrapped around the delicious inside filling. The main fillings are made up of meat and refried beans. The rest of the filling varies, but can include rice, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, lettuce and cheese.

Another typical Mexican dish is enchiladas. These also feature tortilla wraps, as do most Mexican dishes, but this time, they are baked in the oven. Before this, the tortilla is wrapped around a filling that is usually made up of meat, cheese, beans and a spicy, tomato chilli sauce. This same sauce, plus some cheese, is sprinkled over the enchiladas and they are then baked in the oven to crisp everything up and melt the cheese. This food is great to eat on a cold evening, when you just want to chill out and play Party Poker. It is easy to make and it tastes oh-so-good. Of course, you can vary the ingredients depending on your tastes, and vegetarians can fill the tasty packages with vegetables and the sauce.

Last, but by no means least, we have the glorious taco. These are usually made from a stiff, corn tortilla that is filled with beef, chicken, or vegetables, plus cheese, salsa, guacamole and sour cream. The tortillas here are not wrapped around the whole filling, but instead are folded in half to support the tasty treats you place inside. They are eaten with your hands and can again feature a wide variety of ingredients.

original post: Three of our Favourite Mexican Dishes

We left off somewhere near the Blue Ridge Parkway last June – so what have we been doing the past 5 months, and why did we stop posting?

First I’ll (quickly) fill you in

We drove the full Blue Ridge and loved it. The Blue Ridge Parkway is outstanding! We spent the summer in New England – 6 weeks in Worcester MA, then 4 weeks in Orange MA. Watched my brother get married, spent time in Boston, NYC, Providence, Acadia NP and more.

We spent the first week of October dog sitting in Groton MA, then hit the road October 8th to see my sister graduate from coastguard FS school (food services) in Petaluma, CA – north of San Francisco.

Finally we headed down the coast to Orange County, rented an apartment for 4 months, and got our stuff out of storage. That brings us to a week ago. Whew!

Why did we stop posting?

Other than being tired and incredibly busy, the real reason we stopped posting is because our site is a travel log, and travel logs are boring!

Our initial intent with this site was to write a travel blog – but more than that it was to inspire people to do what they want with their lives. Clearly we’re failing in a big way on the second point, and yet that point is the more important and significant message we want to promote.

What are we planning to write about going forward?

We certainly haven’t given up on this site, and if you’re reading this I encourage you to subscribe to our feed, as we’re planning to refocus this site and our energy into helping others break out of their cage and live life the way it’s meant to be lived.

I used a mushroom as the main photo for this post, as mushrooms and fungi grow from the decay around them – they literally harvest unused energy and turn it into something positive.

I’d like to think I can do the same thing with this site.

Of course, actions speak louder than words – so stay tuned.

original post: So What Happened?

Everything should have been easily doable in 2 weeks, except for one little detail. Kathy took on a last minute freelance job that required both phone and internet access at fairly regular intervals.

I figured we could make it work as phone and internet access are easy to find on the east coast. Of course, they’re a bit more touch and go on the Blue Ridge Parkway and in National Parks, but we’ve learned to take it one step at a time, and I figured it would work out.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The Smokies are only a few hours from Atlanta, and we were thrilled to find them cool and fairly dry. We setup our tent at Smokemont Campground on the east side of the park, and set off for a quick hike before dinner.

Smokemont is outstanding and one of my favorite National Park campgrounds. The sites are well spaced out, the RVs and tents are separated (no generator noise), every tent site has a large flat tent pad with good drainage, and every night the lightning bugs put on a light show.

And yes, we tent camp here and there. At some point we plan to buy an RV, but for now we tent camp in National Parks, and we both enjoy the sights and sounds of the wilderness.

Clingman’s Dome

I love waking up to the sounds and smells of a campground. We enjoyed a quick morning hike, then headed to Clingman’s Dome to take in the highest view the Smokies have to offer.

Clingman’s Dome is one of the more popular attractions in the Smoky Mountains as there’s a tower at the top that gives you a tremendous view in every direction.

What they don’t tell you is that you have to hike a half-mile from the parking lot to reach the tower, and the entire hike from the parking lot to the tower is relatively steep.

As a result, the steep paved trail is full of extensively laboring rather large people. When I say large, I’d guess the average weight at over 300 pounds, and when I say extensively laboring, I mean I’m surprised they don’t keep paramedics handy.

You’ll also notice on the hike up that there are literally thousands of dead trees everywhere.

The Smoky Mountains are under attack by forest-depleting critters such as the balsam woolly adelgid and the hemlock woolly adelgid, which are small insects that are destroying the Fraser Fir and Hemlock tree populations respectively.

It’s a real shame, and the bigger shame is that relatively little is being done about it. The best thing we can do is don’t transport wood – as that spreads tree-killing bugs.

The visibility from the top of Clingman’s Dome is usually poor – partly due to the air quality along the eastern seaboard, and partly because the Smoky Mountains are smoky. That is to say that mist and clouds and evaporating moisture give the Smokies their name – while blocking your visibility.

Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge

Both Kathy and I have read Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods, and one of the more memorable parts is where Bryson steps off the Appalachian trail and visits Gatlinburg – and is in shock at the touristy uglyness of the whole thing.

Let me be the first to tell you that while Gatlinburg is touristy (mini golf and pancakes anyone?), it’s downright charming compared to Pigeon Forge.

Yes, the same Pigeon Forge that’s home to Dollywood is also the ticky tackiest town I’ve ever been to.

Don’t get me wrong, I like minigolf, go carts, family fun centers, and buildings shaped like the Titanic hitting an iceberg as much as the next guy, I just don’t need an entire town full of only those things.

Well practically only those things. Pigeon Forge is also home to a very decent Starbucks where Kathy was able to get some work done. Remember that project I told you about? Yep, ya gotta do what ya gotta do when you live the lifestyle we live.

As such, we had to leave the relative cool of the Smokies to spend our afternoon in 95 degree heat in Pigeon Forge.

Starbucks really is a great place to get a few hours of work done when you’re on the road. I know McDonalds has WiFi too, but it’s also full of dozens of noisy kids and very few power outlets, so it’s no-where near as good.

We spent another night in the Smoky Mountains, and took a quick morning visit to the Mountain Farm Museum and the Mingus Mill in the morning.

I love the Mountain Farm Museum in particular. It’s setup like a real farm with growing vegetables and real animals. It’s in a beautiful spot right next to a river, and easy to take a quick walk around. If you’re in the area I recommend it!

From there we hopped the Blue Ridge Parkway and headed to Brevard NC and the Pisgah Forest, but I’ll leave that for my next post. Until next time, keep on trekking!

original post: Great Smoky Mountains National Park

We’ve been from Mexico to Southern California, then back to Atlanta. After Atlanta we headed north through the Smoky Mountains, then hopped the Blue Ridge Parkway to Asheville and Brevard NC. Finally we’re heading to Shenandoah National Park, Lancaster County PA, and back to Massachusetts to watch our cat, Gracie, for the summer.

FYI – I’m writing this post from Roanoke VA, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Mexico to California

We ended up making an unexpected detour to California this spring, and that threw us off just a bit.

The short version is that every few renewals the California DMV requires that you renew in person. Had we known this prior to leaving California we would have renewed and saved ourselves the extra trip, but such is life and it was great to catch up with our friends on the west coast.

It was also fun to see our old hangouts and eat at our one-time favorite restaurants, but the traffic and hustle and bustle of California is still very much there, and neither of us miss that aspect of Orange County. We were also both in major culture and price-shock hitting the OC right out of Mexico. The USA is expensive!

California to Atlanta

Then it was back to Atlanta to see family and get our Honda Element for the trip north. As always it was great to see family in the ATL.

I got to introduce some of the cuisine that we’d been eating down in the Yucatan (we both love to cook), and it was fun to try out our new-found recipes on family.

It was also a MAJOR project to go through our ‘stuff’ before we hit the road. When we left California the first time we knew we had too much stuff with us, but we were so tired from moving in the first place that we just went with it.

Fast Forward to this spring and it was much easier to cut down our stuff. While in Mexico for 4 months we didn’t need much to get by – just 2 bags and a backpack, and that shift in perspective made it easy.

We removed about 6 bags worth of clothes and gear from the car, and everything is much more manageable now.

North from Atlanta

I’ve wanted to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway since I first saw it’s entry next to Great Smoky Mountains NP with my Mom a few years back.

For those who don’t know, the Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway that runs along the Appalachian Mountains from the Smoky Mountains in the south, to Shenandoah NP in the north – a total of 469 miles.

Our plan was to visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, then to drive the Blue Ridge to Shenandoah with stops along the way. After Shenandoah Kathy wanted to see Lancaster County PA, and then on to Worcester MA for the summer.

In my next post I’ll show photos of the Smoky Mountains, and cover the first leg of our drive. I’ll follow up soon!

original post: Mexico to California to Atlanta

A Brief Culinary Background

We both grew up in New England which is more of a ‘meat and potatoes’ type place. My Mom is a good cook, but most meals in New England require salt and butter to taste like much, and I don’t think I ate something even as spicy as a Jalapeno until I moved to California.

The first time I experienced ‘real’ Mexican food was when Kathy and I moved to California back in 1998. Of course New England has Tex-Mex restaurants, and Taco Bell is everywhere, but if you’ve never had real Mexican Food then let me tell you it’s night and day different.

For me the first few times I ate it I simply didn’t like it. I wasn’t used to the flavors – Cilantro certainly takes getting used to. I also was taken aback by the raw onions, the spice, and the soft-shell tortillas. Where were the crispy shells like at Taco Bell?

I was especially bewildered by fish tacos. I mean who puts fish in a taco? Of course fish tacos are everywhere in Southern California so I had plenty of chances to try them – but it took me a couple years to get on board with the idea.

Fast forward to today and I love Mexican food – including fish tacos. Kathy can tell you that I light up like a christmas tree when I have a hot plate of fresh Mexican food in front of me. Yummy!

This is one of the advantages to being in one place for a while. Repeated exposure to something can completely change your impression of it. This is why I tell friends and family to keep trying new things – because you never know when you’ll find something you absolutely love – even though you hated it the first time.

I think Kathy can attest to this, as when I met her she wouldn’t even eat fish – and now she loves fish tacos even more than I do!

What Makes Mexican Food Taste So Good?

In my opinion the difference between Mexican food and standard American food is flavor. In the United States when you want to make something taste good you add fat – usually in the form of butter – salt (lots of salt!), and sugar which is in everything these days.

Mexican food is flavored by hot peppers, salsa, onions, garlic, fresh-squeezed lime, and cilantro. Of course there’s some salt in there too, but you’d be surprised by how much less salt you need when you have the flavors of freshly diced green onions, garlic, limes, and spicy peppers!

The wide variety of peppers, and the variety of spices used in Mexican food can challenge your palate at first, but after eating if for a while you begin to appreciate just how much flavor each mouthful of food can contain. What makes it even better is that it’s not just a bunch of salt and fat – there’s real veggies in there.

Our Favorite Restaurants in Playa Del Carmen

Most tourist in Playa Del Carmen eat at the restaurants on 5th Ave. This makes sense as there are lots of places to eat and you can find all different varieties of food here – everything from Pizza and Burgers to Mexican, Italian, Chinese and so on.

The problem with this theory is that while there are certainly some good restaurants on 5th, there are also plenty of substandard places too – and all of the places on 5th are overpriced for what you get.

If you never leave the tourist area you may not know the difference, but if you come to Cancun or Playa I strongly recommend you follow my lead and break out of the box! Your mouth and your wallet will thank me.

The first night we arrived in Playa Del Carmen we ate at a restaurant down the way. We had a couple of celebratory drinks and a mixed plate of standard mexican food – enchiladas, fajitas and so on. We left the place $50 lighter and the food was pretty substandard.

El Fogon

A week later we found El Fogon. El Fogon is up near the Mega grocery store on 30th ave, 5 blocks from the tourist zone.

At El Fogon you’re served piping hot food that was just taken off the grill with very spicy salsa and ice cold beer. The food is wonderful – and Kathy and I can eat and drink to our hearts content for around $25 there. If you’re conservative you can easily eat a great meal at El Fogon for less than $20 – and I mean a GREAT meal!

They have Tacos al Pastor for 8 pesos each (about 70 cents), Alhambras de Arrachera – or Kathy’s favorite Alhambras de Vegeterianos – which are stir fried veggies and meats or just stir fried veggies with pineapple served on a plate with hot sauce and tortillas on the side.

Kathy gets a Papa al Carbon – that’s a Baked Potato, and mixes her veggies on top with some crema (sour cream) and salsa. I alternate between the Tacos al Pastor and stir fried veggies with either steak or chicken.

For those who don’t know, al pastor is the large stack of meat you see in front of some Mexican restaurants. It’s usually layered slices of meat with a pineapple on top, and rotates in front of burners or hot coals. The pineapple juice drips on the meat and flavors the whole stack, and the chef slices thin layers of meat off the stack as it cooks on a big spit, and places the meat on soft tortillas with onions, cilantro, and a slice of pineapple.

The resulting tacos are VERY tasty – and for all intensive purposes are probably junk food. At the very least I eat mine with lots of salsa fresca and hot salsa on top – and the picture at the top of the article is a Taco Al Pastor.

We’ve found several similar local places – including our favorite fish taco joint Las Pescadillas – that have wonderful food for cheap prices. Most of them will bring you a bucket of beer (5 cervezas in ice) for 100 pesos ($8.50) and have great food – and yet very few tourists eat at any of these restaurants.

Trust me when I say that they (and you if you’re one of them) are missing out big time! I know the menu is in spanish and most of the waiters don’t speak english, but break out of the box and enjoy some real Mexican food!

Magnum Bars

Rejoice America! Unilever has finally decided to bring Magnum Ice Cream Bars to the United States. I first discovered Magnum Bars in Mexico, and if you like ice cream you will absolutely LOVE Magnum Bars!

Not a week goes by that Kathy and I don’t buy Magnum Bars and bring them down to the beach to be enjoyed. They have the quality of a Haagen Daaz bar, but cost considerably less – and somehow Unilever has figured out how to make ice cream and chocolate that is smooth and creamy at any temperature.

I’ve read that the Magnum bars in Mexico have added vegetable oil – so I’m sure they’re not very good for you, but wow do they taste amazing. I believe the new bars released in the US are all ice cream, so it will be interesting to see if they taste the same or not. In another week I’ll be finding out.

Well, enough talk about food as I’m making myself hungry. Time to go to El Fogon for one last meal. I wish that I could bring El Fogon with me back to the United States, but I’ll have to settle for trying to duplicate their food on my own. Not sure if my family will like it or be able to handle the spice, but I’ll give them the chance to try.

Until next time, keep on trekking!

original post: We Love Mexican Food!

That isn’t to say we’ve been bored, as last weekend was Easter, and the week leading up to it was Santa Semana – or the holy week. In many countries this is probably a somber time of reflection, but in Mexico – or at least in Playa Del Carmen – this was just another reason to party.

One of the things I’ve grown to appreciate about Mexican culture is that the Mexican people love to have fun. I realize this is a generalization, and we ARE in a resort town, so perhaps it’s just here – but I’ve spent plenty of time in resort towns in the United States, and the typical US family is much more serious and conservative. Latin Americans always seem to be having a better time.

Personally I think this has to do with our Nanny-State mentality. Not to get on a soap box, but the US is very litigious, and we’re always worried that something could happen to us. There are fences and signs everywhere stopping us from doing something or anything that could result in injury.

On the flip side in Mexico you can stand 10 feet away from Fire Dancers that are spinning ropes dipped in Gasoline around in circles. This would require some serious insurance and barriers in the States – but down here I’m quite sure if you get burned it’s all on you. A bit dangerous? Sure – but also a heck of a lot more fun!

Speaking of which, here’s my video of the fire dancers that perform nightly at the Blue Parrot. This show takes place at 1am and is located on 12th Street and the beach (calle 12 norte). If you visit Playa Del Carmen area then I recommend you check it out. It’s fun to watch, and the dancers are talented – Just don’t stand too close and definitely don’t try it at home!

Easter Weekend

On Easter Sunday Kathy and I decided to seek out the ‘big’ church in the northern part of Playa that was mentioned to us by a waiter we chat with at our favorite fish taco restaurant (Las Pescadillas).

We walked up to the main drag, and then walked the mile or so through town and found the beautiful open-air church. Of course we were much too late to catch the Easter morning service – and much too early for the evening service, but we went inside to check it out.

The inside was as pretty as the outside – and the most notable thing was how open the church really was. Many of the windows are completely open – or just covered in lattice-work. The ventilation was certainly appreciated, and I liked the openness – instead of sterilizing the church from the outside.

After sitting in church we took a walk up through the local neighborhoods of Playa Del Carmen. It’s a bit shocking to see the disparity between the haves and have nots – even in a resort town like Playa.

Most of the homes are constructed of cement blocks – and very few even have windows or air conditioners. As a result everyone has their door propped open by a fan, and you can easily peek inside their meager homes.

It’s a bit shocking to see people living in true 3rd world conditions. It’s also easy to see why a lot of Mexicans head to the United States to seek out a better life – as a family living in a 20′ x 20′ cement block structure is no way to live at all. FYI – the home in this pic is MUCH nicer than the average home.

That said, the people here make full use of the outdoors, the parks, and the beach, so perhaps my initial impression is wrong.

In the United States we spend a LOT of time in our home. Our home is more than just a place to sleep – it also where we eat, work, get entertained, and so on.

I think that’s different in Mexico. Here a home is a place to sleep – but the town is the place to live, eat, work, and get entertained. The weather certainly plays a role in this, as it’s almost always nice out here – but it’s also a cultural thing.

Either way, I really appreciate the spirit of the Mexican people. Considering their living circumstances, they’re very upbeat, enterprising, fun-loving, and friendly. When I first got here I was a bit suspicious of their positivity, but now I recognize it for what it is – they really are enjoying life more than we are!

The Club Scene

I actually thought that the club scene would chill out over Easter weekend, but again was way wrong. I think that Easter weekend was the busiest (and loudest) since we’ve been here. The streets were absolutely packed!

I grew up in a religious family, and even though we had an Easter egg hunt, Easter was a time to wear your best clothes – shiny shoes and a tie – and to have Easter dinner and all that. It was fairly somber.

In Mexico Easter is a party! They celebrate the rebirth of Christ with gusto – which frankly makes a lot of sense if you’re a believer. After all, the death and rebirth of Christ is what christianity is all about, and is what allows sinners to go to Heaven, so if you’re Christian there’s no better reason to celebrate.

As we mentioned before our condo is (unfortunately) right near the clubs on 12th street. Kat and I are both late-night people, but the clubs here take late-night to a whole other level as they keep the music pumping until 4am or later (earlier?).

I figured I’d take a video of the street scene so you can all check it out. I was holding the camera against my shoulder, so it’s a bumpy ride, but gives you a pretty realistic view of the nightlife in Playa Del Carmen.

Where to From Here?

Kathy and I are leaving Mexico on May 10th, and we have a lot to do between now and then. We still plan to visit a Cenote, see the ruins in Tulum, and take the ferry to Cozumel to go snorkeling.

Sounds like a lot – but we actually have 8 days in which to do it, which is a lot more time than most people spend here, so I figure we should be ok if we get on it.

I’m a bit stressed out actually, as I’m so used to being in one place, and over the next month we’re doing a LOT of traveling. First we’re flying to California for a week, then back to Atlanta to get our car. We’re planning to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway and see the Smokies and Shenandoah NP on our way north, and ultimately arrive in Massachusetts on or around June 3rd.

We should be posting quite a bit during that time, so stay tuned for updates. Until next time, keep on trekking!

original post: Easter & Fire Dancers & Clubbing, Oh My!

Partly it’s because we rent a condo at a monthly rate – around $750/mo, even though we’re only a block from the beach. And partly it’s because we mostly cook and eat at ‘home’, and groceries are inexpensive in Mexico.

But it’s also because we do tourist activities for a lot less than what most tourists pay. This past weekend, we visited the Mayan Ruins in Coba and climbed the famous Nohoch Mul Pyramid. We had a great time, and I want to illustrate the difference in cost (and fun) of taking a trip with or without hiring a tour company.

Coba Mayan Ruins – Tourist Style

Get up early and get outside! The tour bus can pick you up any time after 7am. Actually get picked up at 7:30am. You’ll be greeted by your very friendly tour guide and hopefully feel excited! Spend the next 30 minutes stopping at other hotels and resorts picking up other tourists until your bus is nice and full. Drive for about an hour, then take a restroom break at a Mayan Tourist Shop.

You tour guide will tell you how poor the indigenous people of the Yucatan are and recommend that you buy something. He won’t mention that this particular tourist shop gives kick backs to the tour company – or more likely is owned by the tour company – but you’ll probably notice that they sell the same stuff available everywhere in the Yucatan, except that it’s all double the price.

Next stop, an early lunch at an ‘authentic’ Mayan restaurant, where they serve bland rice, beans, meat, and iceberg lettuce cafeteria style. With luck the food will be hot and the drinks cold, but it is what it is.

Finally you’ll be taken to the Coba Mayan Ruins, where you’ll spend the next 30 minutes listening to the tour guide. I like info as much as the next person, but I’d rather read about Coba on Wikipedia in air conditioning on my laptop, then listen to a tour guide standing in the sun in 90 degree heat with high humidity – but that’s just me.

Then you’ll walk and walk and walk. The main tourist attraction in Coba is the Nohoch Mul Pyramid, and it’s a good mile walk. Before you get there you’ll have plenty of chances to listen to your tour guide talk about other assorted buildings – some of which are very cool (ball courts and the cross road temple), and some that are underwhelming (most of the Stelae). During this time you’ll start to find your tour guide and your fellow tourists annoying.

Reach Nohoch Mul, and climb to the top – this whole trip was worth it! Once everyone else in your tour group is on top too, wish that you weren’t, so climb back down. Once everyone’s down, head back to the tour bus (a good mile back). Ride for 2 hours back to your resort town on a bus packed full of sweaty and tired tourists. Spend 30 minutes dropping other tourists off before you reach your hotel. Swear that you’ll never take a tour again!

Cost $85 each – or $170 for 2 people!

Now how do we know all this? Because we made the mistake of hiring a tour company to visit Chichen Itza – the most famous Mayan site – back in 2006 on our first visit to Cancun. I think that set us back more than $100 EACH! On the bus ride home I swore I’d never do THAT again.

Coba Mayan Ruins – Rich & Kat Style

Sleep late – finally get up at 8am and have coffee. Head to the bus station at around 8:30am, and catch the mostly-empty 9am bus to Coba. Stop a few times on the way down to pick up and drop people off, and catch a bathroom break at Tulum. Head into the jungle and get dropped off at Coba (the town)

Ask for directions in bad spanish to the archeological zone – and get pointed in the right direction. Walk the 1/4 mile to the Coba Mayan Ruins, and buy our tickets. Once inside the ruins, view the buildings near the entrance, then rent 2 bikes to ride into the Nohoch Mul Pyramid.

Stop along the way and view the other cool buildings – including the 2 ball courts and the Cross Road Temple, and wish tourists wouldn’t keep getting in my photos (kidding).

Arrive at Nohoch Mul and climb to the top – Yes! Take our time, as we don’t have a group waiting for us. Head back down, and ride around the ruins some more – including seeing some of the ruins where the tourists don’t go as they’re almost a mile in the other direction. No big deal on a bike, but not worth it if you’re walking.

Leave the ruins when we’re ready, and head back into town. Find an authentic Yucatan restaurant and feast on Panuchos (open-faced Yucatan sandwiches – spicy and very tasty), Enchiladas, amazing pico de gallo and chips, and 2 ice-cold Sol Cervezas each – with lime of course.

Catch a nearly empty bus back to town, grab a row of seats each, and sleep the whole way home. Arrive in town and walk the 5 blocks back to our place.

Cost $31 each – or $62 for 2 people.

Note that we could have done it for less by skipping the bike rental ($6 total) and the 4 beers ($8 total). Now which would you rather do?

I know that setting off in a foreign country on your own can be a little intimidating, but I’ve found that it’s also a heck of a lot more fun. People in Mexico are very friendly and are always willing to point you in the right direction, and worst-case there’s always a bus, collectivo (a small van bus), or taxi to take you back to civilization if you get lost.

Until next time, keep on trekking!

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original post: Visit Coba Mayan Ruins for Less

We’d scheduled a time to meet the Art Deco Suites (our Cancun home) manager at 9am on Tuesday morning, to turn the room over. Everything was looking good, and we saw him out front on time as expected, but he didn’t seem to be in a hurry to see us. Hmm. We’d grown to appreciate the relaxed way in which business is sometimes conducted in the Yucatan, but we had a bus to catch.

When he came in and looked around, he was pleased with the room. But then I noticed that our white sheets had several light streaks on them, which looked suspiciously like that red hair color of mine. Since it would cost us about $90 US to replace them, Rich and I spent the next half hour scrubbing them out – resigned to the idea that we’d miss our bus. If you do a long-term rental in Mexico, make sure to read your rental agreement.

As we checked out at last, we learned something funny. Our landlord happened to mention the time, and we realized that our clock was off by an hour. How can you function in a place for a whole month and not know what time it is? Well, when you work like we do online, you can. They’re not big on clocks down here, in fact I haven’t seen a single clock in a public place. Anyway, since that day we’ve had conflicting info about the time, so we’ve given up and put ourselves on Mountain Time. Something to watch for when you’ve got a flight to catch!

So we ended up on an early bus after all, and finally relaxed on the hour long ride to Playa del Carmen. It’s pretty much the opposite of downtown Cancun, and according to Wikipedia, it could be referred to as a balneario, or seaside spa town. Originally a fishing village, it retains some of its’ original feel today. And even with a population of 125,000 and growing, it still feels like a small town with pleasant parks, crisp white churches, and even a stylized lighthouse.

You can feel the jet-set, euro vibe the minute you step off the bus, as the smells of Italian, Mexican, and other international flavors welcome you into this exclusive scene. There’s an air of affluence that appears untouched by recession, drug wars, or any other pesky tourist deterrents. Playa Del Carmen is the fastest growing city in the Mayan Riveria, and I noticed the property development office is always bustling. (I did read that the swine flu has hurt Playa some, but it’s not evident to the casual observer.)

The high-end boutiques, polished jewelry stores, and tourist outlets are busy, too. They’re surrounded by Argentinian steak houses, tapas bars, latte shops, and gelato bistros. Great-looking  globetrotters lounge around there, musing over the endless possibilities for spending their cash. Now I’m from Southern California and I’ve seen my share of tanned beach bodies, but there’s an unusual abundance of people who could be swimsuit models here!

Our gated condo is on the swanky 5th Avenue, and tucked in discreetly between these boutiques and eateries. It’s a cozy and efficient Studio, with ivory walls, dark beams and traditional Mayan accents. We have a full kitchen, and really appreciate having a stove top to cook on! The best thing is the gorgeous view of condos that sit directly across from us. They’re designed like beach palapas with grass rooftops, with curvy, rounded, ivory walls.

Our own four story condos have a private sunroof with lounge chairs and a nice view of the ocean. We’re plopped right into the middle of this urban oasis – surrounded by pools, palm trees, eucalyptus and a tropical lushness. Plus there are these two cenotes, or underground pools, with some friendly box turtles swimming in them.

Once  settled in, the first thing we did was to check out the world famous beach. We sauntered along the powdery white sands, enjoying the gentle Caribbean waters that gently lap onto you. We’re accustomed to the more aggressive surf of Cancun’s beaches, but I like these waves better, since I’m a bit wimpy in ocean currents. Of course the water was just the right temperature, so we hung out there for awhile.

Lots of the prime beachfront here is owned by beach clubs, bars and private associations, which require some type of payment or membership if you want to sit there. That said, you can lay on a towel in front because all Mexican beaches are public. I hear they just spent a small fortune trucking in new sand here due to erosion.

We celebrated our move that night with a Mexican dinner on 5th. Rich and I shared a mix of quesadillas, fajitas, and a long-awaited chili rellano, complete with a margarita and cerveca. With a nice spot all to ourselves, we listened to a retro-singing musician playing his tunes in a nearby window. Pretty nice meal, but we weren’t happy to see that the waiter added the tip, or ‘propina’ onto the bill for us. Apparently, even though it’s illegal, restaurants sometimes do this in Playa – so watch your bill.

That night as we settled into bed Rich told me to look out our window. The quaint condos across the way were lighting up like a village you’d see in a Tolkien film (Mexican-style). A little later as I started to fall asleep, I did notice a downside to this slice of paradise; Playa is definitely a party town! We already knew this, but didn’t realize the level of volume that the clubs of nearby 12th street create. They turn it up around 11pm, and it stays super loud until 4am.

Well, I’ll get my earplugs or IPod out tomorrow. Like anywhere, location is everything – and there are several sides to location! In the big scheme of things, it’s no  big deal. As any of us who travel know, it does require some adjusting.  I’ll attempt to doze off for now – and buenos noches until next time!

original post: Our New Home in Playa del Carmen

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.

original post: Happenings in our Vagabonding Lifestyle