San Miguel de Allende – A Beautiful Baroque City That Lacks Only One Thing

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Having spent a month and a half in San Miguel de Allende, I’m still not sure what to make of it. A beautifully preserved monument of history and architecture? A seductive refuge for artists? Or an overhyped expat colonia? Probably a little bit of each.

Becoming almost a ghost town in the beginning of 20th century, the town began to attract artists and writers in the 30’s and 40’s. After the WWII many U.S. veterans came to study in San Miguel’s art schools. Over the years, the city has become a sort of art colony in the heart of Mexico.

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Dogtooth (Greece, 2009)

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My movie score: 4 (out of 5)    Rotten Tomatoes: 92%

Dogtooth is probably the first Greek movie I’ve ever watched, and although there is nothing particularly Greek about it, the sound of an unfamiliar language adds additional layer of oddity to it. Not that there isn’t enough oddity in the movie as it is.

Ever since they were born, three teenagers are confined by their uber-controlling parents to their secluded villa. Everything they believe about the world is filtered and carefully constructed by the parents. Continue reading “Dogtooth (Greece, 2009)”

Queretaro, Probably The Most Underrated City in Mexico

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After almost 2 months in Yucatan, we were ready to get back to central Mexico. Landing in Mexico City airport, the plan was to take a bus to San Miguel de Allende, and stay there for a month as the next anchor in our slow traveling drift. But the bus takes almost 5 hours to get there, so instead we decided to make a weekend stop in Queretaro, a city that lies right on the way to San Miguel de Allende. For some reason travel guides don’t mention it among Mexico’s highlights, but this one-time capital turned out to be one of the most stunningly beautiful cities we have visited in Mexico. Continue reading “Queretaro, Probably The Most Underrated City in Mexico”

Wandering Shadows (Colombia, 2004)

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My movie score: 4 (out of 5)    IMDB: 7.1

Two men meet in downtown Bogotá. One is Mañe, an older man missing a leg and the means to survive in a city that couldn’t care less. The other is a “silletero”, a man with a chair on his back, who carries people around for money. Their strange friendship slowly takes them to the exact place from which both tried to escape: their past. Continue reading “Wandering Shadows (Colombia, 2004)”

The Grim Truth About Living in Latin America

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Life in Latin America is easy, if you are an expat. The people are nice and friendly, the culture is rich and vibrant and living is usually cheap and with higher standards than those you are used to. But there are also grim sides to the Latin American story, that no one is talking about. Well it’s time someone broke the silence and told the truth.

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Celestun – Flamingos and Mangroves on the coast of Yucatan

Mike

On our last weekend before leaving Yucatan, we took a bus from Merida to Celestun, to visit the Celestun Biosphere Reserve, where flocks of pink flamingos come for the winter. While every hostel and tour agency offers a tour to Celestun, there is really no reason to take them. These tours are usually pricey, and don’t offer anything of extra value. Instead, we took a regular bus from the Noreste bus station in the center of Merida, where the buses leave every hour. Continue reading “Celestun – Flamingos and Mangroves on the coast of Yucatan”

The Rose Seller (Colombia, 1998)

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My movie score: 4.5 (out of 5)    IMDB: 7.4

Hillside comunas of Medellin. Children trying to earn some money on the streets, girls fending off casual abuse from their mothers’ drunk boyfriends, boys waging guns, everyone getting high on glue fumes.

Monica, a 13-year-old girl with a bouquet of roses and a cherished memory of her mother and grandmother lives on these streets. Continue reading “The Rose Seller (Colombia, 1998)”

Yucatan Less Traveled: Yellow Izamal and Cenotes of Homun

Mike

“I can show you a little bit of my Yucatan. Where do you stay?” This was the message I received from Luis Fernando, a young yucateco that replied me on Couchsurfing, where I was looking for locals to meet and befriend. A few days later we were speeding in his car outside of Merida on our way to Izamal, a pre-hispanic city, known today for its yellow buildings. Continue reading “Yucatan Less Traveled: Yellow Izamal and Cenotes of Homun”

White Sands, Mayan Ruins and Underground Rivers: One Day on the Caribbean in Yucatan

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White sands and turquoise waters of the Caribbean, ancient Maya city of Tulum, underground rivers, and freshwater caves of Sac Actun. It’s all here, on the Caribbean coast of Yucatan, a result of an astonishing collaboration of circumstances, nature, and pre-hispanic Maya culture. Continue reading “White Sands, Mayan Ruins and Underground Rivers: One Day on the Caribbean in Yucatan”

On The Road in Yucatan: Colonial Valladolid and Mayan Coba

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Having made Merida our base in Yucatan, for the first few weeks we limited ourselves to short day trips to Chichen Itza, Uxmal and Kabah. But it was time to venture farther east – where the white sands and turquoise waters of the Caribbean sea are the spectacular setting for an ancient Mayan city of Tulum. So Saturday morning we rented a car and headed to Quintana Roo for a long weekend on the Caribbean. Continue reading “On The Road in Yucatan: Colonial Valladolid and Mayan Coba”

Uxmal, The Ancient Maya City You Have To See to Believe

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As everyone else visiting Yucatan, Chichen Itza was our first encounter with Mayan civilization. Advertising works – if something is recognized as a New World Wonder, you are going to go there first, no matter what. But while Chichen Itza may be the most famous Mayan site, the less-known Uxmal, in my view, is even more breathtaking. Continue reading “Uxmal, The Ancient Maya City You Have To See to Believe”

The Unexpected Side Effects of Traveling Slow

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For the first time in my life I don’t have a physical home to return to. All the stuff that I ever owned is either in my suitcase, at my parents house or sold and given away. For 6 months now I don’t pay any monthly bills. I don’t have long-term rental contracts. I don’t receive spam calls – an unexpected benefit of changing the sim card every now and then. Continue reading “The Unexpected Side Effects of Traveling Slow”

Merida, The Colonial Capital in the Land of the Maya

Mike14 Comments

After 2 months in Guadalajara, coming to Mérida was almost like visiting another country. Different people, different food, in some places even signs in a different language. On our way from the airport, the driver was telling me that his father is Maya while his mother is a mestizo. “Did your father speak Maya with you?”, I asked him. “No, my mother wouldn’t let him speak Maya in the house”. Continue reading “Merida, The Colonial Capital in the Land of the Maya”