Hi Mexico-loving friends!

Hi Mexico-loving friends! There are a few positive changes this week as Baja California Sur goes back to "Green" on the traffic light system.  The country is also beginning to see the start of the magical monarch butterfly migration which happens each year, and excitingly, the numbers which have been diminishing in past years, are back up! If you are interested in taking a tour to see this incredible sight, I highly recommend going with Journeys Beyond the Surface. The guides here are outstanding and you'll be able to learn a ton about why and how this happens each year.

Traffic Light Changes

For those that are new around here, last year Mexico's federal government created a traffic light system to help businesses and people understand the risks of Covid-19 in each state around Mexico. It was then up to the state governments to decide how to interpret these traffic light colors. Currently, red means the highest risk of covid and that hospitals are near capacity. It means that capacity at restaurants and hotels is lowered. In some places, it will mean that you will not be able to sit inside a restaurant at all, but only place an order for take-out (unless they have outdoor seating available). For the next two weeks, there will continue to be no states in the high-risk "red" category. Orange is a level below red status and means that there is still a high risk of covid-19 and many restrictions are still in place. The federal government have given control over to the state governments to decide how they implement these colors and what restrictions should be in place. These are the states that will remain in orange with a risk of possibly moving into the red because of continued increases in severe cases and hospitals becoming overrun. There is currently no states in the orange level. Yellow means lower risk level and most places are allowed to have up to 50% capacity. States in yellow are allowed to have fans at sporting events and bars are allowed to be open (in some states clubs are also open in Yellow). Museums and other tourist attractions can be back open with restrictions. Baja California (home to Tijuana and Ensenada), Sonora, Chihuahua, Durango, and Aguascalientes will be yellow this week as case numbers increase in these states. Green means that there is a very low risk of Covid, that many places can have more than 75% capacity and almost all services can resume. Precautions like masks and temperature checks are still being taken, especially when going indoors. There are now four states currently in the green. All other Mexican states including Baja California Sur and Coahuila, who have switched from yellow, will be green this week. You can view the full map on the government website here. Just know that "green" and "yellow" look different in every state and even within every city and small town that you may want to visit in Mexico. Please check below for my list of friends and fellow content creators who live in different parts of Mexico. The best way to know what restrictions are still in place is to get in touch with someone who actually lives in the city or town in which you plan to visit.

What Else is Happening in Mexico?

Some pretty big news for crypto-currency fans is that Elektra has become the first retail chain in Mexico to accept bitcoin as a currency for payment.  Not only are they accepting it as payment, but you will actually receive 20% off of your purchases if you use Bitcoin.  I came across this video on YouTube recently from a couple who didn't realize that they were only given eight short days on their FMM (tourist card that you receive on arrival). I thought the way they handled it was excellent and an interesting peek into what's happening with tourists who think they can simply overstay their visas.  Again, if you have concerns about what's going on with the visa situation - check out Alex from Backpacking Brunette's videos on the subject and you can see as well that the Kinetic Kennons got their residency recently in this video.

Expats & Locals Around Mexico

As always with Mexico, I highly recommend seeking out people who are currently living in the places that you want to visit. With Covid rules changing constantly and safety issues cropping up every now and again, only people who are on the ground there living it every day can share with you what's really happening. For updates about Mexico City, as always I recommend following Ubish Yaren on Instagram. You can also follow Anais of The Curious Mexican for updates on the restaurant and food scene in Mexico City and what is back open. For information about what's going on in and around Puerto Vallarta, be sure to follow along with the Kinetic Kennons on YouTube. For updates about what's going on in Oaxaca, Susan of Brooklyn Tropicali has been sharing her updates of what's going on around the city and state of Oaxaca. For regular updates about life in Merida and around the Yucatan, check out Mexico Cassie who has also recently written a fantastic guide about Traveling Yucatan with Kids. Shelley of Travel Mexico Solo also shares her experiences in Merida and around the Yucatan. Her Instagram is a particularly good resource for what she's seeing at the moment. The Yucatan Times is the local English newspaper in Merida that shares local updates and news reports. To keep up with what's going on in and around Querétaro, follow Alex of the Backpacking Brunette. Vallarta Daily is the local English news there where you can learn about any changes in the situation in Puerto Vallarta and the surrounding Nayarit beach towns as well. Janine Around the World is traveling around the Riviera Maya at the moment sharing her experiences on her blog and Instagram. Riviera Maya News is the local English newspaper there where you can keep up with changes. I believe this is the region that is changing the most in regards to safety at the minute and if you plan to independently travel here (renting a car and exploring without tours or away from resorts), then I highly recommend speaking to someone who is there right now. The Mexican government's Coronavirus website is a huge resource for those that are currently living in Mexico and want to know more about what's happening in their state. As always, a great place to keep up to date with news about what's happening all over Mexico in English is Mexico News Daily.

Visiting Mexico Soon?

If you are planning a trip to Mexico soon, I hope you'll have a browse of the different Mexico guides on my blog or have a search through my YouTube videos to help you plan your trip! If you are planning to spend the holidays in Mexico City, check out my articles about Christmas in Mexico City and New Year in Mexico City.  I also have FOUR extensive guidebooks available for Baja California Sur (brand new and published in July 2021!), Mexico City (updated this year with tons of new content!), Merida, and Guanajuato! If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to email me by simply hitting reply on this email. This will be the last time you hear from me in 2021, so I hope you have a wonderful rest of the year. Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! Znd here's hoping for lots more Mexico travel in 2022. Hope to see you there. Speak soon and safe travels, Laura