The Mexico Plan

As I stare at the rainy grey sky outside, I can't help but feel a bit smug that I am soon going to be hopping on a plane and flying to a nice and sunny place.

I'm not even bothered about missing the British summer, what with its grey skies and nautical innuendos

Until now the planning for the trip has, however, been rather vague. When asked where I would be going, I would generally point to the map, and grunt.



UG. Why is that not specific enough for you and the travel insurance company, Mum?!

But no more! I have made a plan for the first half of the trip at least. The US leg of the trip will, in all probability, need to be planned in reverse, as the only concrete dates I have so far for it are the dates I need to be in Canada by, and the dates of the BSA National Jamboree (oh, didn't I mention that to you yet? You'll have to wait for another post for that, I'm afraid!). It's easier to work backwards from there than start from the still flexible date for leaving Mexico. But in Mexico, the only set date I have is the date that I arrive - 1st May - and so it makes far more sense to attack it in that order, though when I say 'attack it', I am of course referring to trip planning, and not to Mexico itself (Scouts are generally peaceable and friendly folk, unless another patrol has stolen their woodpile, in which case they can turn bloodthirsty and warlike at a moments' notice).

May 1st - 8th: Cancun / Playa del Carmen

I will spend the first few days in a hostel (which I MUST get around to booking!) in Cancun, where I am flying to, so that I can get used to the time difference, climate and moustaches.

My grandfather has been trying to help me acclimatise at home, but I suspect the reality will be less photoshopped and more tanned

Cancun itself is quite a beautiful place to look around, by all accounts, but my Mexican friend on the ground tells me that the place to go is Playa del Carmen, a village about an hour south of the city that is frequented by travellers and is a bit more 'Mexican', so that has to be worth a look - in fact, I'm spending twice the time there as I am in Cancun. It does have a vibrant, "eclectic" (according to Bing Travel) beach scene, so I need to remember to pack my snorkel!

9th - 17th: Mayan ruins extravaganza

The bus from Playa del Carmen takes roughly a billion hours to get to Mexico city, where I am meeting Miguel (my Mexican friend on the ground), and since I don't HAVE a billion hours to be spending on a bus, I thought I would break up the journey by visiting some of the fantastic Mayan ruins dotted around the Yucatan. I acquired a love of the Mayan ruins during my GCSE revision sessions, where I would pretend to stare at whatever book was on my lap while absorbing every show the Discovery Channel could throw at me about Pyramids, Mayans, and Aztecs.

Not forgetting that documentary about ancient jumper fashion, Time Team (source)

I will be visiting Chichen Itza, which is one of the largest Mayan cities around, as well as Palenque, which has some of the most beautiful carvings and sculpture to be found in Mexico. From there I will be visiting Cholula and its Great Pyramid, which according to various websites is in fact the largest pyramid in the world by volume.

Sit down, Egypt (source)

I will also, when I get to Mexico City, be visiting Teotihuacan, a huge sprawling ancient city about 30 miles north of...

17th-22nd: Mexico City

Although I have to deduct points for an unimaginative name for Mexico's capital, it was of course inevitable that I would end up here. Not only will I be meeting Miguel and visiting Teotihuacan, but the city itself should be a voyage of discovery (Miguel has told me that it "will be good" for me to see Mexico city!). Given its size, and the amount that I am told there is to see, I have given myself a whole week to see it, before Me and Miguel hop in a car and head north(ish) to...

23rd - 26th: Celaya

This is where the trip starts to get a bit hazy. Miguel and I know each other because we were both staff at Kandersteg International Scout Centre (KISC). We're the two in the middle, ie not girls!

No, of course this isn't a picture of us working. This is a picture of us training for work! (source)

However, Miguel was not the first Mexican to walk through the Alpine doors of KISC. A girl by the name of Odie worked there back in 2010, and she has graciously offered to show us around the area of Celaya ("Good!" Miguel told me, "Celaya is very Mexican. You will love it!"). The only slight problem is that I do not know how long Odie is able to spend with us to show us around (I will be asking her tonight!) so the plan might have to change slightly if it turns out that he has an important meeting/holiday/has had enough of us sooner than the 26th! However, all things being equal, we will see the sights before...

27th - 29th: Guadalajara

Guadalajara is Miguel's hometown, so I am looking forward to him showing me around all the best that the area has to offer. I don't know much about it yet, so I'll have to let you know afterwards!

30th - June 2nd: Saltillo, Monterrey, and the US

Now I am definitely a little bit uncertain about this part. About an hour after the article in my local paper went up online, a chap posted offering me a bed in Saltillo, northern Mexico. Quite what he was doing reading the Advertiser is beyond me, but I asked Miguel to call him (having just paid for my flights, I didn't have funds to make an international call!) and he has assured me that he is a nice guy, so once I have emailed him (once Miguel gives me his email address!) I will be up there like a shot. After a few days in Saltillo, it's on to Monterrey, there to get a plane, either to Los Angeles or to Houston, Texas. It all depends on price, and on who is based where in Texas. I have maybe three contacts in Texas who might be able to host me for a bit, and Houston is much nearer Monterrey than Los Angeles is, but despite that LA seems to have the cheaper flights so it might make more sense to go that way since I have to stop off in LA to see some family (it would just be plain rude to be on the same continent and not say hello, after all. It's a tough call!

So there you have it! That is the first month of my trip planned out! Stay tuned as I try to work out how to cross the most densely populated country (by Americans) in the WORLD!