APRIL 2023: One Full Month of Mexico
I started the month on the banks of Lake Chapala in Ajijic, searching for some trace of my great uncle who once lived there, but with no luck. Now I’m ending the month in Santiago de Querétaro, the capital of the Mexican state of Querétaro, right in the center of Mexico. Literally. The Pueblo Mágico, Tequisquiapan, just an hour from Santiago de Querétaro is fabled to be the precise center of Mexico. With a monument and a pendulum to mark its place. How this is decided without Mexico being an exact circle or square, I do not know. I just pass on the legends to you.
JOURNEY FROM AJIJIC TO QUERÉTARO
Starting the month in Ajijic was a dream. It is a popular place for retired North Americans and Europeans, and I understand why. It’s small but has everything you need. It’s quiet and calm but close enough to a big city (Guadalajara) if you need Costco. While it is obvious that there is a large retired community, it doesn’t feel like it takes over the town. Ajijic still retains its pueblo mágico charm, full of cobblestone streets, local markets, and even dive bars.
After 5 peaceful days in Ajijic, I went back up to San Agustin, a small town just outside Guadalajara to stay with my friends Court and Ruben. I spent a few days there doing laundry, editing videos, writing blog posts, and laughing at our high school yearbook. Court and I graduated together from high school in the year 2000, and this was the first time we’d seen each other in the past 23 years. We had lots of laughs to catch up on.
From there, I took a BlaBlaCar (like Uber but between cities) to Santiago de Querétaro. I have another good friend here. He was in my volleyball friend group from back in my Miami days. He’s now back in Mexico, being a doctor, studying for a specialty in glaucoma, and letting me stay in his extra room. This extra room has honestly been a savior for me. I can use this as a base as I venture out to other parts of the state and nearby cities. It also gives me a quiet place to work on the days I don’t feel like being under the sun or getting in my 10,000 steps.
From Santiago de Querétaro, I’ve been to a few other Pueblo Mágicos in the state- Bernal, which is famous for a giant rock monolith, and Tequisquiapan, which is famous for being the center of Mexico. I went to Bernal without really any clue of what it would be like or what to do. Quickly I found out you can climb up (not to the top but pretty far) the monolith. I can’t say no to a good hike, even if I am wearing huaraches (leather sandals). Even with bad footwear, I made it! It took about an hour up, and at the top, I met a girl from Algeria who introduced me to my next travel obsession- a desert trek in the south of Algeria. Have any of you done this?
I also ventured out of Santiago de Querétaro to do an 8-day trip in the neighboring state of Guanajuato. I split the trip in half between San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuato. Twenty percent of the population of San Miguel de Allende is foreign retirees. As you can imagine, this has created gentrification on a massive scale. Overpriced fusion restaurants and trendy rooftop bars. It’s a cross between southern Florida and Casa Bonita.
After 4 days of Boca Raton Disneylandia, I was relieved and surprised by Guanajuato. It’s an amazing city. Full of twists, turns, alleyways, brightly painted buildings, hills, and big energy, Guanajuato was a joy to exist in. I even loved my cozy Airbnb. I walked the streets and went to museums, including Diego Rivera’s childhood home. I took the funicular to the top of the hill and looked down over the city from the head of El Pipila.
I’m now back in Santiago de Querétaro, catching up on writing, editing, and laundry once again. In just 2 days, I’ll be heading to my final destination to conclude these two months in Mexico: CDMX. Ciudad Mexico. The big capital city. The 5th biggest city in the world. I won’t lie, this city overwhelms me and I haven’t even been yet. But I’m excited at the same time.
WHAT’S COMING UP
After two weeks in CDMX, I’m headed to San Juan, Puerto Rico for a week, where I’m attending the Women in Travel Summit (WITS). It’s my first travel event like this, so I’m excited to see what it’s all about. After that, I’ve got a two-day layover in Miami where I’ll reunite with some old friends before continuing to Colorado. While I haven’t lived there in years, it’s still where my official address is, and this girl has a passport to renew. My family will also be flying in at the same time, so I’m looking forward to that.
EXCITING NEWS
Brand Partnership: Lindoda
I did my first real brand partnership this month with an online language school called Lingoda. Have you heard of it? They offer lessons in German, Spanish, French, English, and Business English. Classes are available 24/7 so you can easily find a course that fits your needs.
What is cool about Lingoda is that they offer something called a Sprint, which allows you to both learn quickly AND potentially get your money back. If you do the regular Sprint, you would sign up for 15 classes per month for 2 months. If you complete 100% (30 classes) of the lessons, then you get 50% of your money back. If you do the Super Sprint, you would sign up for 30 classes per month, for 2 months. If you complete 100% (60 classes) of the lessons, then you get 100% of your money back. You can also select whether you want that money back or if you would like to continue and use the money towards more lessons (which are actually of a higher value than the cash).
I took several Lingoda classes to practice my conversational Spanish and was happy. Coincidentally, all my teachers were from Argentina, which was a fun surprise!
If you’re interested in learning a language fast, click on the button below to get $25 USD off your registration. Use code NICKI2023.
Buenos Aires City Guide on Amazon
I have now sold 145 copies (both Kindle and print) of my Buenos Aires travel guide, which is very exciting. When I decided to write this book, I had all of you in mind. The people who watch my videos and read my blog posts. I wanted to make travel to Argentina easier and feel more accessible. It’s an amazing place, but a unique place to travel as everything is just a little bit different. So it is truly thrilling to see this book selling copies, knowing that I am contributing to someone’s Argentina experience. If you have read the book, I would love it so much if you could leave a review.
Buenos Aires Guides on Thatch
The Revolución de Mayo is coming up May 25. This is a huge holiday in Argentina as it marks the start of Argentina’s independence in 1810. In honor of this holiday, I’m going to offer ALL of my Argentina guides on the Thatch app at 25% off. ONLY ON MAY 25. So if you’re interested in purchasing one of these guides- mark it on the calendar. You can also subscribe to my Thatch page and save the guides you’re interested in. If you’re subscribed, you’ll get updates any time I publish a new guide or make changes. Use code 25MAYO on May 25 to get 25% off.
TRAVEL TIP
Have you ever heard of WayAway Plus? It’s a flight aggregator as well as a travel planner. It costs $99/year, but you can get CASH BACK when you make your reservations through their portal. You can get cash back (like actual cash, not just credit) when you book accommodation through booking.com, HostelWorld, or Klook; you can also get cash back when you book tours, get a rental car, or even when you get an e-sim with Airalo. Because of the cashback, it’s totally possible to pay for your membership within the year. WayAway Plus even offers 24/hr travel assistance if you’ve got any questions. You can get 10% off your yearly membership by clicking the button below.
THANK YOU
As always, thank you to all of you who support me and my work. Thank you for reading my words and watching my videos. Buying me coffee and donating to my blog. My travels are self-funded, and I truly appreciate all your continued support and encouragement.