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Tale of Seven Showers: Our Last Weeks in Mexico

The shower shack at Laguna Azul campground on Lake Bacalar, Quintana Roo, Mexico.

Hi, my name is Janice, and I’m addicted to showers. I know that I have a problem because my memories of our last three weeks in Mexico don’t revolve around the country’s history, food, culture, or biodiversity. They revolve around showering.

It’s quite disconcerting, really. Gregor and I drove through Chiapas and the Yucatan peninsula – a region full of ancient Mayan ruins, interesting colonial history, and jungles teaming with exotic wildlife. Yet what I remember most about the journey are events related to bathing.

This is the story of seven showers.

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Janice May 8, 2015 Mexico, North America, Pan-American Trail
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Oaxaca (Part 3 of 3): Lucky Gets Some Upgrades

(Click on the links to read Oaxaca Part 1 and Part 2.)

Calvin is an engineering wizard. He has the creativity and know-how to repair, build, and re-build absolutely anything – particularly when it comes to vehicles. We discovered Calvin’s talent while we watched him help other campers at Overlander Oasis to fix and revamp their rigs. So we asked him to provide Lucky with a few upgrades…

Project 1: Build a metal rear-rack cover to replace our homemade plywood one, which was disintegrating from excessive sun and warping from ever-changing humidity conditions. Calvin welded together a sturdy aluminum cover in half a day.

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Janice May 1, 2015 Mexico, North America, Pan-American Trail
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Oaxaca (Part 2 of 3): Culture and Croissants

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Festive streets in Mitla, Oaxaca

(Haven’t read Oaxaca Part 1 yet? Click here.)

After two weeks recovering from the flu, we were finally well enough to hit the road again. We drove a loop from El Tule to the Pacific Coast beaches and back (we had to return to Overlander Oasis to install a Propex propane heater that was being shipped to the campground). We had a great time travelling through Oaxaca state.

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Janice April 28, 2015 Mexico, North America, Pan-American Trail
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Oaxaca (Part 1 of 3): Sick in the Van

When we left Mexico City, Gregor had a slightly sore throat. We thought it was just the pollution, but when we got to Oaxaca state it had turned into a full-blown flu. I asked Gregor if he wanted to recover in a hotel, but his answer was “no”.

“The van is our home now.” Gregor said. “We can’t just run to a hotel every time we feel uncomfortable.”

After that weekend, I caught Gregor’s flu. We were both so sick, but neither of us had the energy to pack up and move the van.

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Janice April 25, 2015 Mexico, North America, Pan-American Trail
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Ups and Downs In and Around Mexico City

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In Plaza de la Constitucion, Mexico City

Before we left for our Pan-American trip, my dad asked me: “Are you going to Mexico City?”

I told him that we weren’t planning to go because we heard that the traffic is absolutely terrible. There are over 21 million people in Greater Mexico City. That’s 21 times the population of Calgary. The traffic in Calgary can be pretty bad, so we figured that navigating through Mexico’s largest metropolis would be a nightmare.

“Papa, I don’t think it would be safe for us to drive there,” I said.

“Oh, ok,” my dad replied. Then he paused, looking pensive. When my dad has this pensive look, I know that he has something else to say.

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Janice April 15, 2015 Mexico, North America, Pan-American Trail
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