17.14-23. Valladolid - traveling solo

I was never nervous about traveling alone. I've had plenty of experience flying and vacationing and I planned to go to places in Mexico that I'd already been once before. I was confident about my ability to express myself in Spanish when I arrived, and my confidence grew in relation to the time on the ground, especially with the Spanish school experiences. Plus, I had family in Cancun in case of emergency, and to visit on a regular basis - I was never completely slone. 

At the beginning of my trip I had no experience with traveling alone - especially at mealtimes. I missed the discussion and compromise associated with deciding what to eat and where. 

Thinking back to my first stop in Isla Mujeres, I now realize what a good opportunity I had to meet new people and talk to the locals.  I remember the first couple I met at an outdoor cafe in mid afternoon when we were both eating at nearby tables. About my age, from Tennessee. We started becsuse the man was working on his Spanish.  The "donde está" questioning was followed by the soon to become familiar  question that I heard many times during my trip:  "Are you traveling alone?"

That question always led to me telling my story of the loss of Mike and my draw to Mexico because of Eric and Claudia.  We talked about getting together again, but I was new at this sort of thing and let that ball drop. 

I traded FaceBook connections with another woman traveling alone in Isla Mujeres. I followed her travels to the same towns I also visited, but our paths never crossed again - at least not during this trip!

In Tulum I traded FaceBook connections with a guy and girl who were traveling together from El Paso to the Spanish school, but were not a couple. They just discovered they were good traveling partners. Interesting concept!  

I think traveling alone opened some doors for me that may not have been open had I been with another person. 

-  I was able to crash the all-inclusive resort on Isla Mujeres for the afternoon, coming in by bicicleta from the road rather than by boat like all the package deal excursion tourists ( see 17.05.17 Last Full Day on the Ilsland) 

-  In Tulum I walked through an exclusive hotel lobby to get to the private beach unquestioned.  

-  the entrance into private Spanish lessons in Valladolid was definitely something that would not have been possible had I not been alone. 

By the time I hit Valladolid I was embracing the traveling alone experience, and looking for opportunities to meet new people. 

-  I met a couple with a young teenage son at Pulpo Hostel and traded FaceBook contacts when we realized we had common interests in Oregon, learning Spanish, traveling by RV and staying in hostels and smaller, more local hotels and AirBNB type places. 

- while at Zentik Project I met a couple on vacation from Cancun and got the "are you traveling alone?" question. Valerie indicated I was "brave" for doing so and sympathetic about my reason for traveling alone - the loss of my partner.  We enjoyed the pool and conversation around dinner and massage appointments during the day. Later that night when we were in the cave enjoying the warm water ( see Valladolid - Cenotes and another unusual water feature). she encouraged me to live in the moment saying "you only have one life " another sentiment I heard from the locals more than once.  Her comments helped me to relax and enjoy the opportunity to meet and practice my Spanish with Daniel 

 

another solo traveler from Mexico City.  

- when I went across the street from my second hotel, Hotel Don Luis, for take out food on a rainy night, I got the "are you traveling alone?" question from Adriana, the restaurant hostess. She spoke very little English - only enough to wait on her customers, but we became friends immediately as a result of my story, and willingness to speak Spanish, and her interest in meeting someone not from around here. I went in once a day for my last four days to eat or meet her for recreation. 

We went for a beverage and guacamole in my favorite restaurant on the a central plaza one night after she got off work.

 

And the next day I took a taxi to her house in the outskirts of town and attended her son Jose's kindergarten graduation dance program at an air conditioned auditorium on the university campus.  

 

I was the only white person in a standing room only ( and therefore pretty hot) crowd.  Afterward we went back to her house and ate tamales her mother prepared. While I was there, her 15 year old son who speaks no English but is learning it in school brought out his homework for me to look at, and also the instruction manual to some PlayStation game. He had the game and the game console, but was not able to advance because he could not read the instructions. I'm not sure I was able to help since I know nothing about fantasy games, but I did read and translate the "concept" of the game as best I could. 

This frienfship with Adriana, the invitations I got from the teachers and the  Spanish instruction I got by crashing the  Eurolsnguage school and the welcome and encouragement I got from many people while trying to communicate with them in their world was  a tremendous experience. 

One of the Tulum Spanish school conversation clasd questions I was asked to respond to was:  "do you like traveling alone or with others best?"  At the time the question was asked, I could only think of one answer:  "I enjoyed traveling with Mike, my love and life partner, and have no experience traveling alone, but I am looking forward to finding out."   Now I can add that while I would definitely rather be traveling with Mike, since that option is no longer on the table, I am confident in my ability to enjoy traveling alone.  The opportunities are limitless!