Take a break, take... vacation!

I'm back in Mexico 🇲🇽 for 5 weeks for the first time in 2 years! As some of you know, Mexico isn't just a vacation for me, it's also family 😊 So my time is certainly different to the average tourist 😉

 As every trip comes with a lot of adventure, cultural peculiarities, and everyday challenges, I would like to share my personal highlights of my stay so far:

•  Christmas time in Mexico:
  Anyone who thinks that Christmas markets and the Christian Advent season are already very traditional has never been to Mexico in December. Classic for December are the so-called Posadas, which means hostel. A posada represents the search for a hostel by Mary and Joseph. The whole thing traditionally takes place as a kind of role play. This is followed by the tradition of the piñata 🪅. This traditionally has seven points, which represent the seven sins of death. By smashing the piñata, which is often done by children, but also by adults, the sins and thus the bad things in the world are symbolically destroyed - but let's be honest - most people are mainly interested in the sweets in the piñata 😉 At events such as the posada, a ponche navideño is often served - a non-alcoholic punch made mainly from tropical fruits, which has a particularly fruity taste. Gifts are typically given on the morning of December 25th, although in most cases this is more of a small gift-giving event 🧸. The majority of gifts are given to children on the morning of January 6 - after the Three Wise Men have arrived.

• Traveling to Mexico City, Aguascalientes, Guadalajara, Oaxaca City, Teotitlán de Valle, Tehuacán, Cholula:
  We had actually planned a road trip to Dallas/USA 🚗. However, after hearing about an increase in robberies in the north in the first few weeks, it wasn't worth the risk, which is why we opted for the state of Oaxaca. Unfortunately, the border area with the USA is a hot spot and robberies are only the most minor of offenses committed here. Even though I love adventure - I much prefer my life 😉 But the south of Mexico is definitely worth a trip. Oaxaca has an incredible amount of handicrafts to offer - be it woven goods, finely carved alebrijes, jewelry 💍... There is also plenty of culinary delights on offer here: mezcal, honey, chocolate, insects such as grasshoppers 🦗 and worms 🐛... And yes, I actually love eating the latter too 😉

• A visit to the Criollo restaurant:
  The restaurant is special in its own way - and I'm not just talking about the price 😉 Basically, there is no à la carte menu, which means you are in for a surprise. You reserve a seat and are introduced to the concept of the restaurant after sitting down. This is as follows: There are four options:
1. Six courses without drinks
2. Six courses with drinks
3. Three courses without drinks and the plato fuerte (the main course) is shared
4. Three courses with drinks and the plato fuerte (the main course) is shared

• First experiences with a tiny house and glamping:
  Anyone who knows me knows that luxury hotels don't mean anything to me - special experiences are much more important to me 😊 So we treated ourselves to a night in a tiny house and I have to say - apart from the poor insulation and the lack of heating (but in Mexico there is generally no insulation or built-in heating in the houses - so it's completely normal 😄), it was a really great experience!
  
  I can say the same about glamping: if you don't know the term - glamping = glamorous camping means that you don't spend the night in a simple tent 🏕️in a sleeping bag, but in a much more luxurious environment. In our case, it was a yurt furnished with various beds, a fridge, USB charger.... Outside, there was a gas heater to keep out the cold and a barbecue 🔥. As we had been in Oaxaca before, we were well equipped with food 🌮. The absolute highlight of the location was a net stretched over a carport, on which you could lie and look at the stars and even planets in the dark 🌌. The solar-powered outdoor shower was the highlight of the next day 😉

• Meeting friends: The last time I was in Mexico was 2 years ago - so there was a lot to talk about 😉 I was happy to see everyone again in such a short time. However, as the Mexican lifestyle is characterized by a lot of spontaneity, prior appointments are almost impossible - if you are there for a longer period of time, you can handle it very well. However, if you are only there for a short period of time, organizing meetings is actually not that easy. Especially if you have built up a circle of friends during your delegation 👭.

• Photographing street art:
  Mexico City and Oaxaca City in particular are veritable El Dorados when it comes to street art 👩‍🎨👨‍🎨. I love crusing through the city on my partner’s scooter 🛵 and stopping at the most diverse places to take new pictures 📷. These then serve as the basis for my side project Buena Ondita. If you want to see my latest pictures, take a look on Instagram under the account buena.ondita 😉

With this in mind, a happy new year 2024!
Here's to more intercultural experiences and adventures 😊