Monday, November 4, 2013

Getting to Guadalajara

First class bus rides are so worth it. 


Well, we made it to Guadalajara, a five-hour bus ride through some gorgeous farmland complete with blue patches of agave fields and silvery aqueducts, and I didn't even go into labor on the bus, unlike our good friends at Water-log. That might have been a funny coincidence after the fact, but during the event, eh, not so much.

Though I have to say, if you're going to go into labor on a bus, the ETN bus from Puerto Vallarta to Guadalajara would be the one to pick. This thing was swank - seats with more leg room than I could use, personal televisions with the occasional English language movie and recliner-style seating with leg rests. Not your average chicken bus.

And we are loving our little world in Guadalajara, or our vacation from our vacation as I keep referring to it. Though in reality, as any of you currently cruising know, living and traveling via boat is exciting and fun and full of all kinds of new experiences, but it's not exactly a vacation. There's down time, for sure, and it's slower paced, no doubt. But it ain't all mai tais. In fact, there's relentless upkeep. There's planning and navigating and actually moving your boat and then fixing all the stuff that broke because you moved it. There's the constant search for parts and grocery runs that take all day and the occasional errand that would take 5 minutes in the States but takes you three hours in Panama. Or three days.

It can even be, dare I say it, stressful. Here in Guadalajara, though, we have none of that. The weather is gorgeous - low humidity with temperatures in the 80s (I no longer have to hide in the air-conditioning!!). We have nothing to do except the dishes. Cafes and little shops and bookstores abound.  We even had coffee yesterday morning in an outdoor cafe in front of the cathedral. Tre chic! (And, yes, I have been drinking a half a cup of coffee a day for the past month, and I love it, despite Vlad's judging eyes.)

We will give you more of our thoughts about the city soon. Until then, three cheers to inland travel and cool weather!

5 comments:

  1. So glad you made it with baby still 'on board'! Also, I hold no judgment of you and coffee. The little bean will be fine. Mama has needs, too. And don't forget it.
    Just reading over your friend's blog and their adventures getting their little Rocket into Canada. Will your baby be a U.S. citizen or have dual citizenship? The horrors of international travel when being a citizen of a country frowned upon by others came home to us when we hosted a couple of sailors, one of whom hails from South Africa. The horror! How dare she come from SA! Canada is stalling on letting her in to see her new grandbaby and it's just a shame. Wondered how your situation would be with a babe born south of the border?

    ReplyDelete
  2. It's pretty crazy about the visa situation. Our friends can't even change planes in the United States until their daughter gets her British passport because of the visa issue, and Canada evidently has a similar policy.

    We will be getting our baby boy dual citizenship and two passports because otherwise getting him home with us on just a Mexican passport would be a nightmare! However, we can get his U.S. passport while we are in Mexico from any U.S. consulate, so it shouldn't be a problem. I hope, that is. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Glad to hear you're doing well, and getting a reprieve from the heat and grind. I check the blog daily for updates, so it's always fun to see a new picture. That bus sounds a lot better than my last plane flight. It's getting so I'd rather ship myself somewhere in a cardboard box than take a plane. I'm sure it would be more comfortable! Wish we had buses like that here.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, that bus was a little extravagant. Much better than flying, I think. Vlad says he's going to call you soon because we have an actual phone at our apartment!! We miss you.

      Delete
  4. Enjoy your restful time in Guad!! If you haven't discovered it already, go for a walk at the Panteo de Belen (even better if you can find a guide): http://cultura.guadalajara.gob.mx/?q=espacios/museo/museo-panteon-de-belen

    Also, love the Gandhi Bookstore. There is a cafe at the top where I used to do all my homework: https://foursquare.com/explore?mode=url&near=Guadalajara%2C%20Mexico&q=Bookstore

    ReplyDelete