Spending a month traveling in Mexico during the pandemic
More than a little frustrated by the ongoing events surrounding the pandemic, I packed my bags, sold everything, left Seattle and hit the road to travel – not knowing how long and where all I will be heading. In the unpredictable, life had become predictable in Seattle. Leaving was an act of rebellion against things totally out of my control. I didn’t know how time on the road will be – especially with so much uncertainty in the air, and continuously evolving travel policies. Although I knew it wouldn’t be easy, I was determined to navigate the seemingly endless travel policies. Was it foolish to plan indefinite travels during the pandemic? Perhaps, yes.
In the unpredictable, life had become predictable
I am currently writing this from a cafe in the old part of Zagreb, Croatia but I started my travel in Mexico, where I spent a month before getting here. I had traveled for a short while in Mexico once before during the pandemic, and had a general sense of the traveling conditions from my friends there, so it seemed like a great way to ease into my travels.
Traveling in Mexico during the pandemic
Mexico wasn’t particularly doing great in terms of Covid cases in October, but they were welcoming travelers nonetheless. I landed there the first week of November, with a rough plan to stay until the Day of the Dead celebrations – something which I had wanted to experience for a while now. Overall, the pandemic situation was very dynamic, and most states were swiftly moving between green/orange/red zones, so it was no use planning a whole lot.
Hotels were back open again, so were most restaurants, and other businesses in the states I visited – Mexico, Jalisco, Nayarit, Puebla, Veracruz, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Querétaro, Michoacán. Most large beaches and popular tourism places were closed . Usual measures included having the hotels open with 50% occupancy, using masks indoors, and arbitrarily getting your full body sanitized. In general, there was no consistency to the rules anywhere – for e.g. the pyramids of Monte Alban in Oaxaca were completely off limits, whereas the hot springs in Tolantongo where choc-a-bloc with people. Places like the Teotihuacan pyramids were open but with early closure at 3 p.m. I generally went with the flow, and never had any dearth of things to do.
If you are wondering whether to travel to Mexico right now, here are my quick thoughts:
Day of the dead celebrations called off
Day of the dead, a day of deep cultural and spiritual significance to the Mexicans, especially in states such as Michoacán, Oaxaca, Mexico, San Luis Potosi, were also called off. For the first time in most people’s lives, cemeteries were kept closed during the important days i.e. 1st and 2nd November. Most celebrations moved indoors inside people’s houses. I was fortunate to visit a small celebration in Tzintzuntzan, which looked like the only village around the Patzcuaro lake where cemeteries were allowed to be kept open.
Well managed PCR testing experience
With most countries requiring a recent negative PCR test for entry, I had to figure out a relatively quick and affordable way to get tested in Mexico. Multiple locals pointed me to Salud Digna, a private hospital chain. With tests at 1000 Mexican pesos (approximately $50 USD), guaranteed test results online within 48 hours, I was surprised how easy, efficient and predictable everything was. I got my test done on Saturday, and flew to Croatia on Monday, same day as I got my results.
I am finishing this post up from a Sri Lankan restaurant getting my travel to Tanzania in order, pretending things are back to normal.
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