To say that the year 2020 has been nothing short of insane would be an understatement. However, we continue to go on, day by day, putting on foot in front of the other in hopes that — maybe — we will get back to some sort of normal, if that is even possible.
I have lost a lot of my optimism in the past five months. I feel thin, translucent, a phantom of my former self. So, to combat against total nihilism, I am pushing myself to do something. Here’s where the crazy part comes in….
Five months of solitude
It’s not 100 years, but 5 months is a long time for an extrovert to be in isolation. So, in total denial of the situation, I have booked a trip to Merida. I’ve been planning it for a while now. We are thinking it might be a good city to “retire” to. Now that we are teaching totally online, it doesn’t matter where we live, and Merida is supposed to be lovely city close to the beaches on the Caribbean.
In order to visit, we have to travel by plane — 2 in each direction, and each stopping over in Mexico City. Once there we will have a rental car, but we’re staying in a small boutique hotel near the tourist area of the city. And, of course, we’ll be eating in restaurants and cafes. I plan to bring multiple masks, hand sanitizer and bleach wipes. I hope it will be enough.
I thought it best to stay in the city rather than at the beach, so we can take advantage of the tourist options and get a better feel for the heartbeat of the area. We will, of course, go to the beach, as there are many properties there that we want to look at.
City v. Beach
The beach areas are not like the Riviera Maya beaches of Cancun, Playa del Carmen or Tulum. The remain small fishing villages on the north side of the peninsula that are just now starting to be developed. The prices are good: you can still buy something brand new with a view and a short walk to the sea for under $100,000 US.
I’m expecting the City of Merida to be a bit like Queretaro. It is a colonial city, so it will have similar architecture with lots of color and indigenous elements. Unlike here, however, Merida is known for its food. I’m excited to try something different in that regard. I’ve never been too fond of the local cuisine here. I tend to stick to Italian food when we go out.
The beach towns nearby do not have the same rep as those along the Riviera Maya. But, then again, if we want to live in a tourist town, we would be looking more in that direction. Of course, with the influx of foreigners, those areas have also seen a rapid acceleration in home prices. It seems to me, with the popularity of Mexico and its beaches, that this is the time to make the investment.
At this point we are still looking for something that we can pay cash for, or a short-term loan (3-5 years) to help us alleviate tax issues at home and accommodate our limited budget. I’m not opposed to living in the city, but the real estate prices there are higher overall, which makes the beach area even more attractive. I do love living in the city–being able to walk everywhere and see all the people. But the beach…. The ocean breeze, the bright sunshine glistening off the white sands, the sound of gulls flying and children playing….
I don’t know. What do you think?
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