Hi Mexico-loving friends,
It's been a while since I sent you all an update on what's been happening here in Mexico.
That's mostly because I've been on the move a little bit more than usual, so I haven't had a chance until now to sit down and catch you all up on what the country has been looking like.
I finished my short-term sublet in a beautiful apartment in Escandón, a small central neighborhood in Mexico City, which I showed off in this YouTube video that you can check out here .
What Jalisco Looks Like Right Now
Luke and I spent a week exploring the area around Guadalajara and eating all of the delicious things that Jalisco has to offer.
We'd had this trip booked for about a month and just two days before we left, the governor of Jalisco pressed the "emergency button."
This is something that was created a few months ago in the event that the state government of Jalisco needed to shut things temporarily as a way to bring case numbers back down to a more manageable place.
In Guadalajara, this meant that there was a 7pm curfew on all restaurants and bars from Monday to Friday and on weekends nothing could open fully for service. After 7pm you could still get things "to-go" but you could not sit inside a restaurant. This included our hotel restaurant, so we could only get Uber Eats or room service after 7pm.
However, during the day, nothing else changed.
The rules varied slightly across the state. For example, in Puerto Vallarta the curfew was slightly later. Beaches were allowed to be open, but only until about 3pm (as I was told by a reader recently).
These restrictions are only meant to last for two weeks, so they should be over before the end of November, if not sooner.
You can see some of the videos that I've made about my experience there here:
There are three more videos coming out next week from this trip, including what Tequila and Chapala were like, so be sure you're subscribed to the channel so you don't miss those!
What Chihuahua Looks Like Right Now
If you've been following along with my travels on Instagram , you'll know I just finished a blissful week exploring Copper Canyon.
This network of seven canyons is one of the most majestic, awe-inspiring places I've ever been in my life, not only in Mexico but in the world.
We spent a quick night in Chihuahua before heading to Creel. The initial plan was to go on a different hike each day for about two days and then to get on the famous El Chepe train and head to the coast.
But the moment we arrived in Creel we knew we needed to stay longer. We ended up staying in Creel for five nights and then taking the bus further into the canyon to a little town called Areponápuchi where we stayed for another three nights. We hiked almost every day. We fell asleep exhausted each night no later than 9pm and we were up with the sun around 6:30 each morning. I haven't felt so invigorated in so long and it was exactly the trip I didn't know I needed.
After a week we finally booked ourselves onto the train and it felt like utter luxury compared to our week of dusty shoes and cold showers. There are many videos to come from this trip and I hope you'll stick around with me to see how incredible this place is.
The state of Chihuahua is currently in the "red." This is the strictest restrictions a state can have at the moment and for us it meant you cannot go into restaurants at all - everything must be take-out. Everything shuts at 7pm. You can only buy alcohol on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays until 6pm. Absolutely everything is shut on the weekends, including supermarkets (this last one seemed to only exist in Chihuahua City). All tourist attractions, including museums, were closed. Hotels could only work at a 15% capacity. Masks must be worn inside all buildings and on any buses or trains.
What Sinaloa Looks Like Right Now
After being on the road for just over two weeks nonstop, I now write this email to you from our current apartment rental in Mazatlan.
We were trying to decide whether we should base ourselves in Baja California or along our beloved west coast and as always, the west coast won. Because Mostly of costs (it seems Baja Sur is still enjoying a high season at the moment!).
I've never been to Mazatlan before, but I've always heard such wonderful things. So until Christmas, you'll find me here exploring, catching up on editing and eating lots of ceviche.
Sinaloa recently went from the "yellow" stoplight to "orange." However the state has also implemented its own rating system based on municipality, so while the capital of the state, Culiacán, remains in "red," other places like Mazatlan or El Fuerte are closer to "yellow," which has meant they have fewer restrictions placed on them. From what I have seen in the brief time we've been here, you have to wear a mask inside any establishments, although they all appear to be open as normal, including bars and restaurants. They just have a lower capacity allowed in at any given time. They are taking temperatures in most places before you enter and giving hand sanitizer as well.
What Mexico City Looks Like Right Now
Shortly after we left Mexico City, the mayor brought in a few more restrictions. Capacity in restaurants and bars has been reduced and they will be closing slightly earlier than they were before (it used to be 10:30 and I believe now it is at 9pm).
According to this article , it's possible that before the end of 2020, Mexico City could fall back into the "red."
For more visuals about what the city is looking like right now, I recorded a couple of videos about what life looks like in Mexico City shortly before I left which you can also check out here:
As always, if you have any other questions, please feel free to hit reply and ask away.
Until next time,
Laura
