Settling Into My New Home

After a redeye daze of connected flights across the continent, I arrive to Puerto Escondido a little after noon and was ready to continue the journey. Begin? Continue. Sure. I pick up a taxi from the airport who did not speak much English and so I was already forced to practice my Spanish which is going to need some improvement and I plan on doing so. I had to explain that the location on Maps was different than the location from the Airbnb address, which was somewhere down the street from where I was actually staying. Keep in mind, I did not have service because my carrier charges $60 a gig for data internationally, I’m all good. Seemingly maybe a little done with me, he pulls over and says, “This is where the map brings us, is this good?” I concede.

Now, I am walking up and down Calle Tercera Poniente, sticking out like a sore thumb being very white, over 6 foot, and having red hair. Oh, and a back pack... and a front pack. So, I walk up and down the street pretty much during the heat of the day with two backpacks, a grey hoodie, as well as a grey pair of sweatpants (otherwise known as a groutfit). It is hot. People mostly smile as I pass but I can’t help but feel some eyes on me and just overall feel a little out of place. I finally see the gate which matches the picture I have from my host, and I see a passcode on the door. I walk into the hallway next door which has “Hotel” in large painted block letters down the wall. I thought maybe this was connected to my rental. It was not, the man I talked to spoke no English once again and I was informed I was in the wrong spot.

I am not able to text my host because I do not have service yet, so I ask someone if they know where the nearest Oxxo is (basically like 7/11, and on every corner in Mexico). Again, no English, and she did not know what I was saying, which means my Spanish is worse than I thought. I end up asking a couple more people about getting a cellphone plan and finally am directed to a little tech shop where believe it or not, they did not speak English. Almost like I am in a different country or something, funny. So I speak to the two girls in the shop, who couldn’t have been more than 14 or 15 years old, and after some struggle, I am now on TELCEL, and have a Mexican area code. Only $4 to activate a card with unlimited talk and text and two gigs of data by the way.

So from here, things start to smooth out. I am able to contact my host for my Airbnb and make my way through the gate. I am greeted by a very nice woman who spoke both English and Spanish. We stuck to Spanish, but then again, she did most of the talking. This is the moment I am able to relax and feel the full effect. I unpack my bags, and set up my room to be my very own living space for the months to come. From now on, it is how I want to spend my time, each and every day. I take some time to decompress and charge my phone, and then head out back on the town, now thankfully in shorts, a t-shirt, and a very light backpack. I decide to just eat at the very first place I encounter, and do not regret that decision whatsoever. For 95 Pesos, or about $4.75 USD, I got 6 flour tortillas, beans, rice, a small salad of lettuce, onion, tomato, and avocado, as well as a cut of tasajo de rez, and a bottled water. I had never tried Tasajo and was told by a lady who did not speak English, it was carne de rez. I understood it was beef and decided to give it a shot, and enjoyed myself thoroughly. I am sure I will be back within the week.

At this point, the only thing which I absolutely still needed to do on my first day was get a good look at the ocean, and this did not disappoint either. I took probably about a 25 minute walk down to the beach which gave me some time to take in some of the chaos going on around me, and appreciate just how different the day to day proceeds are from mine, with old cars from the 80s and 90s on tiny wheels and tires and every color of headlights except for white or yellow, driving over giant speed bumps also known as topes. There are taxis driving people around, and many cars driving with 3 people more than there are seatbelts in the car. Small shops with no doors, one after the other, line the streets looking to sell clothes, jewelry, electronics, you name it.

As I get closer to the beach, there is less tourism and more locals, and then as I get even closer to the beach, there are very large houses, and very few locals. The ocean was breathtaking and expansive, which I always seem to forget, and I sit and take it all in for a while. I get to watch the sun fall down across the sky, moving the cycle along of the world, nearing another day to come. From there, I head back to my apartment, picking up a large 5L jug of water beforehand to keep me hydrated. We don’t drink the sink water around here.

Returning to my place, I notice there is a pretty great view of the sunset and decide to go up the second flight of stairs, thinking it led to a couple more rooms and a small balcony. In reality, I am led to the roof, which is set up with a table and chairs, two hammocks, and a lawn chair. There was really no other option, and I decide to spend the remainder of my day here, catching up with some of my family and friends over the phone, while watching the sky burn in many hues. As I am getting ready to wrap things up and get to sleep, a man walks up and informs me he is one of the other renters in an adjacent room, and we end up having a long talk, sharing some of our life experience and discussing many different topics. He also is able to provide with me a good amount of insight on various things in the town since he has been here for a few months now. At this point, I am beginning to see the absolute beauty of coming to a destination like Puerto Escondido, and doing what I am doing. Seeking a journey out like this, gives me opportunities to meet like minded individuals with similar interests and curiosities, with similar outlooks, and I am just very excited to continue to meet impacting people that are living their lives, the way they want to, and trying things which are out of their comfort zone.

One last thing, I must include. On my final flight of the day from Ciudad de Mexico, to Puerto Escondido, I sit next to a lady who is nice and friendly, and we talk for a good portion of the plane ride. As we are departing, I make a joke about seeing her at her son’s wedding which was her reason for visiting, in a couple of days. I really didn’t say this with intention of attending, but to my surprise, I get an invite to a wedding in a couple days. Surely it would be rude to pass up an offer like this, right? Well, I didn’t bring wedding clothes, but I am sure I can figure something out! Thank you all.