Goodbye Zihuatanejo-Hello Chiapas

Dear readers of Believe It Ohr Not:

We had a swell two months in Zihuatenejo, Mexico and now it’s coming to a close. The weather was particularly lovely. For some reason, this year it felt much cooler than normal. Sure, we sweated a lot–one always sweats in Zihuatanejo, but we were also treated to some relatively cool, tropical days, with lovely ocean breezes.

The best part of being in Zihuatanejo was being able to spend time with my mom. We went to the beach, we hung out at her condo, and we just enjoyed being together. While we didn’t get the privilege of hugging, (we still both need vaccines) it was nice to be in socially distant proximity to her.

I enjoyed going to the beach with Andy and my mom

New Adventures Await Us!

Now, after two months in Z town, it’s time to amscray. The weather is getting hotter and hotter and mask wearing will surely not be very good when the crowds descend for Easter. We’ve noticed mask-wearing here is particularly bad on weekends and holidays when people from other locations in Mexico come beachside. We would have enjoyed staying here for Easter, but didn’t feel particularly safe so we decided to leave.

But first..tomorrow we’re heading to a beautiful resort in Ixtapa for two nights! We just made the booking today. Because it’s a Monday, we expect capacity at the lovely Las Brisas Ixtapa to be very, very low. We read that the Ixtapa Las Brisas, has very good Covid protocols in place and because we know the resort is gigantic, we think we can ensure social distancing easily. We got the all-inclusive rate of just $135 per night for us both! It’s a steal! The beach there is private, large and incredibly beautiful and the food is pretty good to boot. They have a regular non all-inclusive option too, which we did last year, but this year we’ll try something different.

Hello Morelia and Mexico City

Then on March 31, we’re going to rent a car and make the five hour drive to Morelia, Mexico. I’ll see my oncologist for a six month check up, and we’ll both go to see our dentist. After a short two night stay in Morelia at this cool boutique hotel, we’re going to drive to Mexico City and stay at an Airbnb for three nights. Then we’re flying to Chiapas!

Chiapas, Mexico

We’ve heard great things about Chiapas, Mexico. Chiapas is a state in Mexico located in the south of the country. We’ve heard the nature scene is incredible and that the city of San Christobal de Las Casas is really nice. It’s also safe as they have had very few cases of Covid and they are now in the Mexico “green tier.” Some of you might have heard about the indigenous fighting that plagued Chiapas in the 1990’s.

On January 1, 1994, a small band of people know as the Zapatista’s Army of National Liberation came to the world’s attention. Forces occupied and took over the towns of San Cristobal de las Casas, Las Margaritas, Altamirano and Ocosingo. The army laid siege to a nearby military base, capturing weapons and released many prisoners from jails. Thankfully, this fighting is a thing of the past, so Chiapas here we come. The first five nights we’re staying at a hostel with a private room and bath for a whooping $11 a night. While we’re at the hostel, we’ll check out some Airbnb’s and explore other housing options.

I hope we get to experience some natural wonders in Chiapas.

San Christobal de Las Casas will be our home for at least one month, perhaps longer.

We plan on staying in Chiapas for 4-6 weeks. Our time spent in Chiapas will depend on two major factors:

1. Can we get the Covid vaccine there?
2. If not, when will our health provider in California, allow us to get vaccinated?

We have heard through several reliable sources, that Mexico will allow people on tourist visas (180 days) to get vaccinated and will not discriminate against us for not having permanent or temporary residency. We hope this is the case.

Hello Midwest

After Chiapas, we hope to visit my dad, mom and sister in Michigan. It’s been a long time since I have seen them–I think over two years.

Then, we hope to return to Morelia or maybe Oaxaca at least for the summer and fall. In December our plans are open. We’re going to be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary, so perhaps we will do something special towards the end of December, depending on Covid 19 and the general health of the world.

Then it’s back to Zihuatanejo for January/February.

Have you ever been to Chiapas? Tell us more!

I will write again when we get to Chiapas, if not sooner.