New Year in a New Place

     Almost two years after leaving as the pandemic began, I am back in Progreso for the winter--at least, unless some hideous new variant arises and travelers are called home again, or Mexico decides to throw all the snowbirds out. And honestly, I would not blame them. Cases are up 600% in the last two weeks (coinciding with the arrival of massive numbers of winter refugees from the US and Canada), though some of that increase may be due to holiday gatherings, when I suspect most people did not socially distance. Despite the spike, the infection rate here is less than one-tenth that of my rural Ohio county. The likely reasons for that are a whole 'nother subject.

    This time I am trying a different neighborhood, about five miles west of the elegant beach house rented with friends the first two years. Most of the homes there had been built by well-to-do residents of nearby Merida, who use them only in the summer and rent them out in the winter to clueless gringos who do not realize that no one swims in the Gulf before Easter (shades of my Florida girlhood). This is an ordinary neighborhood of mostly year-round residents, though some enterprising souls (like the delightful young couple from whom I am renting) have created accessory dwelling units to bring in extra income. Not elegant, but centrally located for exploring places I have never been.

The lure of this particular apartment, however, is its exact location.  At the end of our short side street, a right turn leads to the International Malecon, a paved biking/jogging trail that meanders along the dunes, now being revegetated, to downtown Progreso and ends at a favorite beach club. (Once in a while one wishes to sit under a palapa and have nice people bring fruity drinks.), A left turn leads along the calle playa, a sand road that eventually narrows to a path leading to a sea turtle nesting area and eventually, the city marina and yacht club. 

While both are useful, anyone who knows me can probably imagine which I prefer for non-utilitarian purposes.

My plan for this winter is to explore different neighborhoods, but for now, a picture of some of the neighbors, out and about on New Year's morning.

Stay tuned for further adventures.