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The Virtual Vacation Mexico: Adios Mexico

February 24, 2014 By Laura Davis 10 Comments · · · · · · Read & Respond

photo credit: Tracy the Astonishing via cc

photo credit: Tracy the Astonishing via cc

It’s my last day in Mexico and we’re heading back to San Miguel. We passed once again through Tzintzantzun. We drove through the wonderful gauntlet of huge statues, past the town market, and there the carnival we’d seem disembodied on the road day after day. Now it was all set up and ready for children:

carnival

As Richard was backing up the car, a man stepped out in the street to direct him safely. Richard rolled down his window and gave him a 5 peso coin. “You made his day,” Suzy remarked. Five pesos, apparently was a big tip—the man might have expected half a peso or a peso for his service. “When I first got here,” Suzy said, “I was sometimes annoyed when people would come up to me in the grocery store parking lot and want to carry my bags or help me park my car. But then I realized that this is their job—whatever they earn from tips at the parking lot is what their family has to eat that day. Now we always carry extra coins.”

On our way out of Tzintzantzun, we passed El Charro, the divine lamb taco place and we just couldn’t resist stopping there. It was almost 1 and a perfect place to stop for a few tacos to go. But when we got out of the car to order, the owner was already cleaning his grill and closing up for the day. He apologized and I remarked, “So much for trying to repeat a peak experience the second time.”

That’s something I’ve definitely noticed when traveling—it’s hard to do things twice and also it’s hard to have someone else’s experience. So many times on this little trip—people have said we had to do this or we had to do that, and they’ve given us directions—whether its to a particular potter or to a town or to a place to rent a boat. And invariably, we haven’t found any of it. Some of it is the very loose way people give directions down here—but perhaps we’re all just meant to have our own adventures.

It was a long drive back to San Miguel. On the way we passed a huge truck heaped with 15 feet of plastic bottles contained in a rack built on the back. “Where do they go?” I asked.

That’s when Richard and Suzy explained that they had run out of fuel in San Miguel for the brick-making factory in town and they were actually burning plastic bottles for fuel! Can you imagine the toxic fumes?

Once we arrived at Suzy and Richard’s house, I spent some time figuring out how to pack my treasures and get them home. We wrapped the ears of my black and white pottery dog with newspaper and crammed it in my backpack:

backpack

Let’s hope I get him home in one piece.

Then we went out to dinner at Serena Gorda, the fat mermaid. I guess some good things can be repeated:

sirena gorda

I had two ginger margaritas, two artichokes with two dipping sauces and a chile relleno. Those will probably be my last margaritas until I come back to Mexico next year—I don’t drink tequila at home! It’s probably a good thing, too.

Now it’s 4:30 AM. I woke an hour ago—you know how it is when you know you have to get up early to catch a plane and you can’t sleep? Well that was me an hour ago. I’m all packed and ready to go and the shuttle will be here in half an hour. I’m sad to be leaving Mexico, and am so glad I gave myself this time and this adventure, but I’m also eager to return to my family and my life at home. So adiós readers! I’ll see you on the next Virtual Vacation.

Filed Under: Mexico, The Virtual Vacation Tagged With: creative writing, entrepreneur, marketing, memoir, mexico, teaching, travel, writing practice, writing tips

« Previous Post: The Virtual Vacation Mexico: The Real Mexico
Next Post: Virtual Vacation: Setting Out on A New Journey »

Comments

  1. Petrina says

    February 24, 2014 at 4:14 pm

    “but perhaps we’re all just meant to have our own adventures.”
    yes, i agree!
    in japan we followed a couple of recommendation and they worked out like clockwork and that was great! but some just fell apart and we wondered off to find our own way, leading to our own experiences. i recommend taking everyone’s suggestions with a grain of salt and good walking shoes in the future.
    welcome home!!!!
    oxoxox, p

    Reply
    • Laura Davis says

      February 25, 2014 at 9:17 am

      Thanks, Trina. Yep….I think we’re all meant to have our own adventures and can’t quite repeat someone else’s. Sometimes someone else’s advice is just enough to jump start us and get us going.

      Reply
  2. Charlene Robinson says

    February 24, 2014 at 7:33 pm

    Laura, I noticed when I visited Amanda in Abu Dhabi that she always has extra dirham for gas attendants as well as others who provide services. Many of the workers are on the lowest pay scales (mostly from India and Philippines). It is a very wealthy country, but there is a huge disparity in incomes.

    Again, I have enjoyed following your travels very much. Your descriptions are so vivid I feel as though I can taste and smell everything!

    Reply
    • Laura Davis says

      February 25, 2014 at 9:18 am

      Thanks Charlene. I hope to get to that part of the world someday.

      Reply
  3. joyce says

    February 24, 2014 at 8:45 pm

    I have so enjoyed your descriptions.
    Thank you do much for taking the time to share your days.
    Joyce

    Reply
    • Laura Davis says

      February 25, 2014 at 9:19 am

      You’re welcome. Of course! I like doing it because it helps me fine-tune my senses and notice more. And it’s sharpens my writer’s mind. I like going through my day searching for stories. It gets me out of my own head.

      Reply
  4. Lilith Rogers says

    February 24, 2014 at 9:05 pm

    Oh, adios to Mexico–it’s been really wonderful taking this journey with you, Laura.

    Welcome home,

    Lilith

    Reply
    • Laura Davis says

      February 25, 2014 at 9:19 am

      Thanks, Lilith. Glad to have you along.

      Reply
  5. Mary Bucklew says

    February 24, 2014 at 9:19 pm

    It really is folly, most times, trying to recreate a very special adventure in a place you’ve revisited. And the few times I have taken suggestions on where to go or what to see/eat/do, I found it lost something in translation.

    But Laura, I love your take-away: Perhaps we are meant to see and experience a place with our own eyes, sans expectation.

    Welcome back!

    Reply
    • Laura Davis says

      February 25, 2014 at 9:20 am

      Thanks Mary…it’s good to be home, but I’m happy having had the adventure. It’s amazing how very quickly life at home swallowed me whole!

      Reply

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Like this Virtual Vacation?

You can also read about Laura’s travels to:

Peru 2017

In which Laura and Karyn and 18 writers explore Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley of Peru.

Serbia 2017

In which Laura leads a workshop at the Incest Trauma Center.

Greece 2016

In which Laura explores the wonders of Crete and Santorini with a wide-eyed group of Write, Travel, Transform adventurers.

Vietnam 2015/16

In which Laura, who grew up during the Vietnam War, goes to Southeast Asia and finds out what Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia are really like today.

Commonweal 2015

A journey toward healing loss and grief in a magnificent Northern California setting.

Scotland 2015

In which Laura returns to Scotland with a new group for another jaunt through the wonders of the Scottish Highlands.

Scotland 2013

In which Laura attends the Edinburgh theatre festival and leads 14 writers to a magical retreat in the highlands of Northern Scotland.

Bali 2013

In which Laura visits Australia, and spends three weeks diving, exploring, and teaching in three regions of Bali.

Florida 2014

A journey into old age in America in which Laura brings her 86-year-old mother to Florida so she can see her last surviving sister one final time.

Mexico 2014

In which Laura attends the San Miguel Writer’s Conference and explores the artistic towns around Patzcuaro.

About Laura Davis

In the course of my career as a communicator, I have also worked as a columnist, talk show host, radio reporter, radio producer, blogger, editor, and speaker. Words have always been at the core of my work and my self-expression. Read More . . .

Photo taken by Jason Ritchey

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Retreating with Laura: Julie Sheehan

Julie Sheehan

For many years I put off my dream of writing and traveling. I told myself the kids were too little, my husband could never survive without me, that I couldn't possibly be so selfish. I couldn't imagine realistically stepping out of all of my responsibilities and roles. Then I started attending Laura’s summer retreat at Commonweal in northern California and that became an annual gift to myself for the next three years.

When the opportunity to travel with Laura internationally came up, my Land of Later mentality said I could never pull it off. But when my friend got cancer at age 39, I decided to stop taking life and it's endless opportunities to grow, live, nurture and explore myself for granted.

My children were 6 and 9 when I began allowing myself the luxurious pleasure of taking 10 days to two weeks each year to travel abroad with Laura, to spend time with like minded, soul searching people who share a passion for living and writing, to have all my meals prepared for me, to have the space and freedom to stretch out of my cage and check in with who I am, what I want, and how best to get there.

Laura is a skilled and nurturing teacher who encourages her students to take risks, to grow as human beings, and to be vulnerable. She has provided me with a forum where I can gain all my CEUs and learn techniques on how to become a more engaging writer, all while completing yearly emotional rehab.

I return home from each of Laura’s trip a little wiser, a little more open, and a lot more compassionate. I greet my family, friends and daily life with sparkly, clean energy and a renewed patience, brought about by way of re-writing old stories that I needed to let go of. I come home ready to move forward in my life.

A retreat with Laura Davis is one of the best gifts I ever received and gave myself. It took many years to realize that I was worth the time and financial investment, but now there is no looking back.

Julie Sheehan, Livermore California

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