For those of you who don't know, I have a habit of chatting with random people on public transit, or just in public places in general. Friends of mine have occasionally questioned me as to how/why I do this, and express amazement at my willingness to to talk to random strangers. The reason is that I often meet interesting people this way and, though the interactions are usually fleeting, sometimes they're not. When I informed my friend Shayna that I met my previous boyfriend at a bus stop, she shook her head and responded: "Of course you did."
Tonight was one of those fleeting experiences. In general, I've found Uber drivers here to be rather quiet, but my driver this evening was talkative. I was on my way home from Coyoacán when he asked me where I'm from. When I told him that I'm Canadian, he informed me that he had heard my new government was going to change the laws to make it easier for Mexicans to get into Canada. "Is that true?" he asked. "Ojalá," I replied. God willing. But even if the laws change, I told him, I don't expect it will be much easier for Mexicans to migrate. This led to a lengthy conversation about migration, which kept my driver talking for the entire 20 minute drive home. He told me about the last time he illegally crossed into the US, when his pollero (smuggler) left he and his wife in the Arizona desert, where they wandered for a day and a half without food or water. After twelve years in Mexico, they want to go back to the US, but his wife is now disabled and she can't make the crossing. Maybe they'll try their luck in Canada.
Years later, he was working as a cab driver in the Estado de México when one day he was approached by 8 Honduran migrants looking for a ride. Like him, they too had been abandoned by their pollero and had no idea how to get across Mexico to the US border. The driver took the migrants, who were ragged and hungry, back to his house where he and his wife gave them food, soap, and a place to sleep for the night. When he found them a new pollero to get them to the border, the man asked how much the driver wanted for them. With a going rate of $8,000/head to cross into the US, they were worth a lot of money: $64,000, in fact. Disgusted at the idea of selling people "like animals," the driver explained that he didn't want any money. Like the Hondurans, he knew what it was like to be undocumented and abandoned in a foreign country. "Solidarity," I said. "Solidarity," he replied.
This is why I talk to strangers.
Monday, February 29, 2016
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Return to Los Mapaches
As usual, I'm late posting this. Unless otherwise stated, you can all safely assume that everything I post on this site happened at least a week or two in the past. I'm just going to put that out there and stop apologizing for my tardiness from here on out.
Anyway...two weeks ago I arrived back in Tulúm for the first time in seven years. SEVEN YEARS! Oh, how time flies. The area itself has changed a fair amount since I was last there. You can definitely feel the creep of Playa del Carmen as it spreads down the beach. Don't get me wrong: Tulúm is still super chill compared to Cancun (which is just two hours up the road), but it's noticeably busier. The upside of this is that there's now a pretty good selection of food--though not all of it is cheap. One place that amazed us with both price and quality, however, was a little no-frills comedor called El Rincón Chiapaneco. Upon the recommendation of our host, my friends and I ate there multiple times. It seems to be a favorite among the locals, as it's always packed...with Mexicans. Having grown accustomed to Mexico myself (and thus not surprised by prices), I took great joy in witnessing my friend Maria freak out over the bill every time it came. She'd convert the price to US$ and spend a full ten minutes shaking her head at how much amazing food we just ate for under $10. For three or four people.
The downside of Tulúm's development is that some of the best spots are now swarming with people, many of whom catch a bus down from Playa for the day. On one of the two days that it didn't rain, we went to Cenote Dos Ojos. Last time I was there, there was nothing more than a shack on the side of the road where you paid admission; then you walked half an hour up a dirt road to the cenotes themselves. That shack has been replaced by a proper building and guides wearing official uniforms who offer you a number of different package deals, depending on how much time and money you have to spend. Since we took the cheap option, we still got to walk a half hour up the dirt road. Apparently a ride to the caves is reserved for those who buy the deluxe package. Even more off-putting was the fact that the entrance to the caves now boasts not one, but two bars/restaurants, and an assortment of businesses selling t-shirts, snorkel gear, etc. The morning we visited, they were preparing to host an electronic dance party later that night, and the place was swarming with tourists decked out in full scuba gear, preparing to go deep into the caves. I didn't even recognize the place.
But here's the thing about Tulúm that hasn't changed, and it's the reason I wanted to write this post in the first place: Posada Los Mapaches. I first visited Los Mapaches when I was backpacking around Central America and Southern Mexico, and it was far and away my favorite place that I stayed on that trip. In fact, I've yet to stay in any guesthouse that comes close to my experience there. When the idea of going to back to Tulúm for a few days came up, my first thought was of Los Mapaches. I quickly went online to see how much the price had gone up...only to find that it hadn't! I began bombarding Pete and Maria (my partners in crime) with photos of thatched-roof cabanas and Chelo's amazing breakfasts. As we knocked on the door, I was worried that I had oversold the place. I mean, how often does the quality of something great not decline after seven years? Much to my delight, Los Mapaches was exactly the same! We were given our bikes and told to wear our headlamps; we enjoyed the company of the resident pets; and after so many years of increasing coffee snobbery, I was still amazed at how good the coffee was. And the breakfasts! Oh, the breakfasts! Like clockwork, every day around 5 pm, Pete and I would look at each other and ask: "I wonder what's for breakfast tomorrow?" The most amazing thing of all: Chelo and Daniel remembered me, after seven years and countless guests. How is that for service?
Before I wrap this up, I have to say there is one thing that's changed at Los Mapaches, and it was the source of hours of entertainment. Three years ago, the municipal government installed a GIANT speedbump directly in front of the posada. Despite the warning signs, probably one in every four cars fails to slow down until the last minute. Every few minutes, the peace and quite is punctuated by the sound of squealing tires, the occasional sound of a car's undercarriage smashing down onto the asphalt, and then--when it's really serious--the sound of doors closing and people conferring about how much damage was done. Most times we only got to listen in on this, but one night we were coming home from dinner and watched a car catch air. A lot of air. Although it could be disturbing at night, we mostly found this strange new quirk of the posada to be rather amusing, and certainly memorable.
Many thanks to Pete, Maria, and Sandra for their good company and, most of all, to Chelo and Daniel for their hospitality. Espero que nos vemos pronto!
Anyway...two weeks ago I arrived back in Tulúm for the first time in seven years. SEVEN YEARS! Oh, how time flies. The area itself has changed a fair amount since I was last there. You can definitely feel the creep of Playa del Carmen as it spreads down the beach. Don't get me wrong: Tulúm is still super chill compared to Cancun (which is just two hours up the road), but it's noticeably busier. The upside of this is that there's now a pretty good selection of food--though not all of it is cheap. One place that amazed us with both price and quality, however, was a little no-frills comedor called El Rincón Chiapaneco. Upon the recommendation of our host, my friends and I ate there multiple times. It seems to be a favorite among the locals, as it's always packed...with Mexicans. Having grown accustomed to Mexico myself (and thus not surprised by prices), I took great joy in witnessing my friend Maria freak out over the bill every time it came. She'd convert the price to US$ and spend a full ten minutes shaking her head at how much amazing food we just ate for under $10. For three or four people.
The downside of Tulúm's development is that some of the best spots are now swarming with people, many of whom catch a bus down from Playa for the day. On one of the two days that it didn't rain, we went to Cenote Dos Ojos. Last time I was there, there was nothing more than a shack on the side of the road where you paid admission; then you walked half an hour up a dirt road to the cenotes themselves. That shack has been replaced by a proper building and guides wearing official uniforms who offer you a number of different package deals, depending on how much time and money you have to spend. Since we took the cheap option, we still got to walk a half hour up the dirt road. Apparently a ride to the caves is reserved for those who buy the deluxe package. Even more off-putting was the fact that the entrance to the caves now boasts not one, but two bars/restaurants, and an assortment of businesses selling t-shirts, snorkel gear, etc. The morning we visited, they were preparing to host an electronic dance party later that night, and the place was swarming with tourists decked out in full scuba gear, preparing to go deep into the caves. I didn't even recognize the place.
But here's the thing about Tulúm that hasn't changed, and it's the reason I wanted to write this post in the first place: Posada Los Mapaches. I first visited Los Mapaches when I was backpacking around Central America and Southern Mexico, and it was far and away my favorite place that I stayed on that trip. In fact, I've yet to stay in any guesthouse that comes close to my experience there. When the idea of going to back to Tulúm for a few days came up, my first thought was of Los Mapaches. I quickly went online to see how much the price had gone up...only to find that it hadn't! I began bombarding Pete and Maria (my partners in crime) with photos of thatched-roof cabanas and Chelo's amazing breakfasts. As we knocked on the door, I was worried that I had oversold the place. I mean, how often does the quality of something great not decline after seven years? Much to my delight, Los Mapaches was exactly the same! We were given our bikes and told to wear our headlamps; we enjoyed the company of the resident pets; and after so many years of increasing coffee snobbery, I was still amazed at how good the coffee was. And the breakfasts! Oh, the breakfasts! Like clockwork, every day around 5 pm, Pete and I would look at each other and ask: "I wonder what's for breakfast tomorrow?" The most amazing thing of all: Chelo and Daniel remembered me, after seven years and countless guests. How is that for service?Before I wrap this up, I have to say there is one thing that's changed at Los Mapaches, and it was the source of hours of entertainment. Three years ago, the municipal government installed a GIANT speedbump directly in front of the posada. Despite the warning signs, probably one in every four cars fails to slow down until the last minute. Every few minutes, the peace and quite is punctuated by the sound of squealing tires, the occasional sound of a car's undercarriage smashing down onto the asphalt, and then--when it's really serious--the sound of doors closing and people conferring about how much damage was done. Most times we only got to listen in on this, but one night we were coming home from dinner and watched a car catch air. A lot of air. Although it could be disturbing at night, we mostly found this strange new quirk of the posada to be rather amusing, and certainly memorable.
Many thanks to Pete, Maria, and Sandra for their good company and, most of all, to Chelo and Daniel for their hospitality. Espero que nos vemos pronto!
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