This is a catch-up blog which is long overdue. I have to admit to 'letting go' of my blog when I started to spend more time concentrating on writing travel articles. Another reason I stopped blogging is because I haven't been travelling as much over the last couple of years. Instead, I was in Brighton, England housesitting pretty much full-time.
Apart from a short break to Rome where I took a food tour of the neighbourhood of Testaccio and a housesit in Cornwall, my adventures have been extremely limited until January this year.
Rome was a revelation. To be honest it was one of those places that I have always felt that I should visit rather than somewhere that I really wanted to go - but I loved it.
In January, I headed to New York City with my partner Teresa for a few days to catch up with some friends. Being mid-winter, I packed warm clothes including a hat, gloves, jacket and lots of layers - only to be greeted by a heatwave! It was unprecedented weather for that time of year and I enjoyed a walk round Central Park in short sleeves. I always love to return to NYC. Having spent a lot of time there many years ago, it's a city that never fails to make me feel a little nostalgic for my early travelling days.
Next up we headed to Baja, somewhere that I have visited briefly in the past, but always wanted to spend more time in. We flew into the party capital of Cabo, where we strolled on the beach, took a boat trip, explored the harbour and indulged in a couple of excellent meals before taking the bus to Todos Santos.
The Arch of Cabo San Lucas
The tiny town of Todos Santos is one of those special places that you come across every now and again on your travels. With an abundance of cute colourful buidlings, galleries, shops and a beautiful plaza, it's a delightful place to spend a few days. Not only is the town a charmer, but it's within walking distance to miles of empty sandy beaches where you can watch whales from the shore! We pretty much decided on the spot that we would like to live in Todos Santos one day!
Street Art. Todos Santos, Baja, Mexico
La Paz on the Bay of Cortez was our next destination. Our accomodation there was in a concrete igloo which had its own toilet, shower and kitchen and was situated in a residential area of the city. It was a fun place to stay and we even made friends with a couple of dogs who lived on the property.
An Igloo in the Desert Paz, Baja
In La Paz, we appropriately enjoyed some chill time in our igloo, cycled along the malecon, visited La Bandera Beach and checked out some of the street art in La Paz. We would loved to have ventured further afield, but you really need your own transport in Baja to get to the hidden bays and beaches. Hopefully we will return again to explore more of the peninsular.
Bandera Beach, Baja
We flew to Mexico City, which has become one of our favourite cities in the world. We spent a week in an apartment near the zocalo. We watched shaman performing cleansing ceremonies and visited Museo de Juguetes, an amazing toy museum in a slightly sketchy part of town. Mexico City has some incredible museums, most of which are either free or a mere few pesos to enter.
A Shaman Cleansing Ceremony at the Zocalo, Mexico City
From Mexico City, we took a bus to Puebla, about an hour south of the metropolis. Puebla has a historical area at its centre, as most Mexican cities do, and we enjoyed exploring its markets, antique stores and lively main plaza.
Whilst there, we took a day trip to nearly Cholula, from where there is a superb view of Popocatepetl. The name of the active volcano had captured my imagination in a geography lesson at school and it was incredible to watch its spewing molten lava into the sky.
Popocatepetl Volcano from Cholula, Mexico
After a few days in Puebla, we took a bus to Queretaro, a city often overlooked by foreign visitors. Again, the historical core of the city was an attractive and interesting area to explore and we enjoyed a week there before returning to Mexico City for our flight to Havana, Cuba.
New Friends in Queretaro, Mexico