Author Archives: Flamingo Solo Traveler

Hi from Brazil!

I haven’t posted here in a while, mostly sticking to my Facebook pages. Here’s an update on my travels.

After Merida /Chichen-Itza I spent 2.5 weeks in Mexico City (CDMX). There are some beautiful neighborhoods there, delicious food and very nice people. I found a bookstore/cafe and loved the mole enchiladas. ❤️

Then it was off to Jaco Beach, Costa Rica for three weeks. I was there for dental work, got phase 1 for 3 implants, which are healing well.  It was great being a 1 minute walk to the beach! Watching surfers, making local friends, I loved the down time.

Panama City was next on the list and I spent 6 weeks there. I did take a few days to hop over to the Caribbean side and stay in Bocas del Toro. Lots of islands, easy to get around with water taxis, not a city and you can just hang out at restaurants, read a book and look at the water. Yup, I could have stayed for a few months.  I made some great friends in Panama and miss them already! The canal is amazing!! A friend from home came to visit me and I took him to check out the locks. We saw a cruise ship go through which was amazing! We also found a lot of stray cats, 15, in Costco Viejo which is the old section of town. They were so friendly and adorable. We actually went back and brought them some snacks.

My last day there. I ended up going on a tour to the Monkey Islands and the canal. Our tour guide, Cruz, and the driver, Fernando, were so informative. It was very interesting and fun to be out on a boat in the canal.  There were nine of us all together and we saw and got to feed some really cute monkeys and were on the Lake part of the canal. After the tour four of us ended up getting off in Costco Viejo and going to a cafe and having lunch. It was really nice just to be with these wonderful people.

Off to Rio for Carnival!! I only ended up spending 3 days there and selling my Carnival ticket because something was telling me to just get out of there. Don’t know what it was but I’m glad I did. So I left two days early and went to Sao Paulo, stayed at the Hilton Mumbai which is a beautiful hotel right by the river with delicious food and very friendly staff for two days. Then my daughter-in-law’s family came to pick me up as they live about an hour and a half outside of the city. I am currently immersed in Portuguese and living as a local. Here in Brazil  where they are you have to drive everywhere. There’s nothing really close because they’re not in a city. They’re more in the country, but it’s only a 10-minute drive to the actual city of Sorocaba. I’ll be here until May when I head to Argentina for a month.

More on why my stay has been extended in  these places at the end of March. It has changed my travel plans and I’m probably not going to Chile, Peru (which means no Machu Picchu) or Equador. Probably will still go to Columbia before heading back to Jaco Beach for phase 2 of my dental work. Then it’s back to Cape Cod for July and August.

Stay well my friends! 😘

What an amazing ancient place this is!! To learn about the Mayans, how they created the calendar, lived, died, celebrated and worshiped.

I took the ADO bus from Merida on Friday the 13th of December, 2024. This bus is considered first class. There are curtains in the window, roomy reclining seats with plenty of legroom and a bathroom. It took two hours to get to Chichen-Itzá and it was all highway driving. The bus cost $274mx ($13.61 USD). The station had stores, food, waiting areas, bathrooms, and good free WiFi. There are two waiting areas, one for the ADO bus and one for the regular bus. The station is located at C. 69 554 Centro, Merida.

You get dropped off at the main entrance to Chichen-Itza and have to make your way past lots of vendors and tour guides. Inside are stores for snacks, locker rental ($50 pesos and leave your ID), bathrooms (ladies, be prepared to squat, there are no lids and all tp goes in the trash bin in the stall), ATM machines and it’s very busy. Since I needed to go to my hotel on the back side of the site, I grabbed a taxi for $100 pesos ($5).

He dropped me off 10 minutes later at a side gate and said you’re here (in Spanish). I thought, really? It seemed weird to me, but they know, so I got out and went in. It was so nice inside! Very open and light. I was there a couple hours early but they  checked me right in. My room was so cute and across from the pool! It had 2 beds (1 full, 1 twin), a desk, bathroom (again, no TP in the toilet) and a window to the garden. Fabreezio and I went to the pool for a bit. It was cold but refreshing and after a few minutes it was fine. He sat by the edge or lounged under the cabana while I swam.

At 5pm, I went to dinner at the hotel restaurant. Pork chops with salad and fries and bananas foster for dessert, Yucatan style with lime in the caramel. Very different but good. I was planning on going to the light show at the temple and chose this hotel because it’s a 5 minute walk to the back entrance which the Chichen-Itza website said was open, but it’s not. 😕 Besides, walking that road at night, even only 5 minutes is scary because it’s pitch black in the jungle and who knows what animals are there, so I stayed in. Fabreezio settled into the twin bed and fell fast asleep.

Breakfast (included) the next morning at 7:15 was fresh fruit, eggs with bacon (scrambled into the eggs), warm rolls, juice, coffee or tea. I checked out, they called a taxi for me and by 8:15 I was at the main gate. Grabbed a tour guide and my entry ticket for $100 USD.

Manuel, my guide, was part Mayan and taught me some words, that I don’t remember now 😄. Sadly Fabreezio wasn’t allowed in (no toys), so he sat in a locker with my other stuff. You are allowed to bring food and water. The tour was an hour and highlighted the main buildings: the pyramid of El Castillo (which is really 2 pyramids, one inside the other), the Temple de los Guerrero’s, where they did their sacrifices to the rain god, and the arena where the Mayan sport was played.

The Mayan game could last weeks or months depending on how well people scored. They had a rubber ball, about the size of a small soccer ball but heavier. There were 7 players and a Captain on each team. The goal was to get the ball through the hole in the wall (see above photo). Difficult as the ball wasn’t much smaller and they could only use their hips, knees or shoulders. The High priest sat on one side of the field (above photo far end) and the King at the other.

In the arena, if you cup your hands and clap, you’ll hear an echo 14 times. That meant the King and High Priest could talk at normal voice levels,  even across the field.

There were also five referees at the corners of the two side viewing platforms. The winning team’s captain was honored by being beheaded and sacrificed to the rain god.

Sacrifices were done twice a year, March and September. There were three each time but only if they didn’t get rain, but it was always the winner of the game. The next was a woman who had her heart carefully cut out while she was alive, then a prisoner who had his chest brutally cut open and his heart ripped out. *Yes, I know, of course I was very interested in this*. A sacrifice was done every 15 days (total of 45) if no rain.

The wall of skulls represented the winners of the games, there are thousands on this wall.

The pyramid: Impressive! Two sides are restored and the corners have snake heads at the bottom with feathers going up. Twice a year at the equinox, thousands gather to see the sun when it rises or sets (depending on time of year) to see the serpent on the pyramid.

When you stand in front of the castle and clap your hands, the sound travels up then down the stairs and sounds like a bird. That was fun to do. But on the non restored side, the sound only goes up and sounds like a clap.

Seven years ago they discovered a hidden foundation all around the pyramid to help keep it stable.

The temple where they did the sacrifices, represented both the jaguar and eagle. It’s surrounded by square pillars representing the eagles and  next to it are the round columns for the jaguars (the warriors). It’s known as the temple of 1000 columns, but only has 875.

Walk past the columns and there’s a large area that was used for a variety of things, market, gatherings, etc. I took a few minutes to sit on a fallen column in the shade and imagine what it must have been like in 600 AD.

Wandering further into the woods, there was a gate, place of worship and a sacred cenote.

Apparently there were other buildings, but I didn’t find them.

Overall, this was fascinating!! I’ve always been interested in ancient cultures and this was my first up close experience! 😁

For the ride back to my Airbnb, I took the regular bus for $150 pesos ($7.50 USD). It was almost three hours and stopped in many small pueblos (towns) on the way which was nice to see. Many homes were left unfinished. Here are some pictures from the bus.

Have you been to Chichen-Itza? Please tell me about your experience.

I’m off to Mexico City (CDMX) next. Bom dia mi amigos! 💋

My last week in Puerto Vallarta I got sick with chest congestion (still battling 1.5 weeks later), cough, cold symptoms so I didn’t do too much. However…I met new friends for breakfast at Mar Y Vino in Zona Romantica. This restaurant is on the second floor of a hotel on the beach. We actually sat with our feet in a pool!! The Oreo coffee was like a shake and delicious!!

We walked over the swinging bridge to “cat island”. There weren’t many cats, at least no where we were. Wandering through the flea market, where everything is sold, I bought a ring, we tried fresh roasted candied pecans then we went back to the island and sat by the river at the Circle Bar. A popular spot with expats. Delicious drinks! We had lots of laughs and a great day!

The next few days I only went out to go to the farmacia or food.

Tuesday was the pirate ship tour that I had a ticket for. So I medicated up and went. It was SO MUCH FUN!! Each group of 4-5 had a pirate just for them. Ours was Alvin, but all groups loved Alligator (he was very good looking). They had a band, open bar, dinner, which was amazing, a show, fireworks and dancing. It was 5 hours total. I highly recommend going if you’re in PV. There is also a family friendly day trip.

Wednesday was my last music bingo at El Soñodor and last chance to see my new friends.

Friday I found myself at the beach in the morning. That water is so healing. ❤️.  Packed Saturday and had dinner at a small cafe around the corner from my Airbnb. Shrimp burrita, yum!!

PV had ocean and mountains, Mexico City, where I had a short layover, was surrounded by mountains, now in Merida on the northern part of the Yucatan, is so flat. This city has paved roads, farmacias and OXXO aren’t on every street corner, there aren’t sidewalk food vendors. The wild dogs are bigger, about 30-50 pounds (PV had Chihuahuas). My Airbnb is an apartment all to myself!! FYI, when you’re told the place is on the 1st floor, it’s up a flight of stairs. 😆

It’s definitely hotter here, high 80s, but in the 70s at night which is great for sleeping. I visited the Mayan World Museum and lost myself there for a couple of hours. Friday I’m going to Chichen Itza for a couple days. So excited!! 😁  Oh, lime Lays chips?? Can’t eat just one!! 🍋‍🟩

This week flew by!! Wish I was staying longer, but there’s so much else to see!

The week started off with a yacht cruise with a group of Gen X expats. Star is organizing these monthly and it’s so fun!! Food, bar, swimming, snorkeling, paddle boards, making new friends, seeing whales, dolphins, sting rays jumping out of the water, diving birds and just relaxing, having a great time on this yacht. Their next outing is New Years Eve!! If you’re in Puerto Vallarta, it’ll definitely be a fun time! thanks to Amanda for the wildlife pics! ❤️

Monday I went to music bingo at Monzón Brewery, was disappointed, not much fun but I did meet a guy from Boston that was visiting his friend that relocated here. Small world! My friends Lanie and Joel met me there and we ended up going to Kooky, a karaoke bar. We had so much fun, and I got up to sing 3 times!! (Granted, it was always with others). This guy from LA had a voice like butter! Swoon! Plus he was good looking! Him and his partner were so fun to talk to! 🏳️‍🌈❤️

Tuesday was a down day, did laundry and hung out at the Airbnb. Don’t forget to do this!! No need to always be outside, at the beach, doing touristy stuff.

Wednesday I was back at Playa Camarones in the morning, I love that it’s 3 streets down from me, just a 5 minute walk. Nice and quiet in the morning until about 10:30/11 when people really start showing up, then it’s time to leave. I usually go hang back at the apartment during the heat of the day. That night was music bingo at El Sonodor in Zona Romantica. It’s where I initially met some of the people from the Gen X expat group. There was a good showing this week and lots of laughs.

Happy Thanksgiving 🦃!!

Whiskey Kitchen is where I ended up going. American owned with a yummy assortment of food! Turkey with a white gravy, pork roast, Green bean casserole, corn, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, salad bar and dessert bar. All very good! The desserts were peach, cobbler, pumpkin pie, and whiskey bread. Oh that whiskey bread was amazing! And the pumpkin pie was so rich. I’ve never had one so flavorful before. Hope you all had a wonderful day! Here are a couple of the food pics. 😀

All of a sudden it’s Friday!! Went for a walk in the morning to the grocery store for snackies, then back to my place to rest. This was the beginning of that “I think I’m getting a cold” feeling.  Have I been to the Farmacia yet? Nope, will go in the morning (Sunday).

Friday night a bunch of expats friends were going to Awaysis to see a band. I stopped at a taco place for dinner, can’t go wrong with $2 chicken tacos!! FYI…they are just marinated cooked chicken pieces in a soft corn tortilla. No cheese (it’s an American thing). But it did come with fresh pico de gallo, and, three different sauces to choose from. Look! A soda in a glass bottle!

After dinner I walked down to the venue, kind of a sketchy neighborhood (my own feeling ) and I would not feel safe there at night. And that’s not just because of the awful sidewalks. It was right near the river which was very peaceful.

So my friends showed up and I met a couple new people and some other people I didn’t even know were going to be there showed as well. The band was fantastic! ’80s music all the way! They do. Serve food but because I had already eaten all I got was some tater tots. My friends ended up getting these hot dogs, which apparently they’re known for. I guess in Texas they call them crispy dogs because they are deep fried.

When the band took their break at 9:00, my friends Kristen and Tripp went up to do a quick fire show. What they do is really remarkable and beautiful to watch.

And all of a sudden it’s Saturday morning! Lanie, Joel and I met at Mar Y Vino for breakfast in a pool! It was on the second floor, and first class all the way. They give you a bag to put your shoes in. There’s even a place to sit down to take your shoes off. You walk into the water. They have a stand so you can hang your bags, and we overlooked the ocean. The water goes up not even mid calf but it was nice and cooling. We saw a. Whale, we had these Oreo coffee drinks to start and they had tequila and some other kind of alcohol in them but they were so good! It was like dessert. The food I couldn’t even finish mine because it was so much. But I had like a chicken burrito for breakfast and Joel had french toast which was kind of like a creme brulee with chocolate mousse too, and Lanie had some kind of enchilada with a green sauce. Everything was fabulous!

We then wandered to try to find cat Island. Which we did, but we couldn’t see any cats. So we crossed the swaying wooden plank bridge (I don’t like it!) and went to the flea market where I bought a new ring having lost all my jewelry on the way here. After walking around for a bit, we ended up going back over to the island to the circle bar where there’s a ton of alcohol hanging over the bar. It’s actually pretty cool. We sat outside by the river, which was very dried up at this time of year, had a few drinks, had a bunch of laughs and it was just really nice hanging out with my new friends! ❤️

Tomorrow, I am taking it easy! 🤣

I hope you’re enjoying my blog so far, I plan on doing one post a week for right now. If there’s something you want me to do or see or are curious about, please reach out and let me know. I’m always open to experiencing new things.

Met up with friends at music bingo, then we headed to Kooky, a karaoke Bar. It was SO fun!! Met a couple of guys from LA, one of them had a voice to swoon over! More expat friends joined us, and I actually sang! Three times!! Granted, it was always with one or two others. Zona Romantica is such a lively fun place in PV! 🏳️‍🌈

We, Fabreezio 🦩 and I, arrived in PV on Monday. Got suckered at the airport to go see a vacation club (similar but different to a timeshare) the next day. They paid my taxi to my Airbnb plus gave me some mini margaritas. I was exhausted from traveling so stayed in and relaxed. Dinner was a protein bar. 😄

The place picked me up the next morning, gave me breakfast when I got there with my guide/salesperson, Carlos (adorable!! ❤️) The place is absolutely beautiful, and do I think it’s a great deal? Yes, but newly retired, trying to figure out my travel budget, not for me. So they bring over the woman who does the numbers and I have to tell her no as well. She offered me a one-year trial, very much in my budget so that I can try this out. I can actually rent out the room using Expedia and make money to fund my traveling. So, I said yes to that. I still have to wait 15 to 30 days for them to officially approve my application. Although they took my money right away….. I did talk them into letting me use the facilities while I was here, pool and Beach access. They granted me that. They also gave me a massage which I did yesterday and that was wonderful. And 70% off certain tours so I’m going to do that next week.

I have wandered around the 5 Deciembre neighborhood where I’m staying. Very authentic Mexico. Crazy uneven sidewalks with steps. Lots of hills and steps here. NOT HC friendly. The roads are all cobblestone, 2 lanes with parking on both sides. Streets are barely marked and I will not drive here! 😱 Lots of local shops, today I found a smoothie bowl restaurant at the end of my street. Found the market and a beautiful cemetery.

The Maracon (seaside walkway) is about a 15 minute walk from here and I was surprised the Catrina was still up!! She is the largest in the world at 74.4 feet! Had a great dinner while watching the sunset then went to Zona Romantica to meet other expats for music bingo, and I won the 2nd round!! 300 pesos (about $14.50). It covered my games, 100mx each, and my drinks, 40mx each. I’ll go explore that region on Saturday, it’s very LGBTQ with lots of gay bars and one is called Mr. Flamingo. So you know I have to go there!! Many don’t open until 9pm and start hopping about 10:30. I better take a nap that day! LoL

That’s it for now. Need to decide where I should go next. Will you help me? The options are: Mexico City or Tulum.

Vote here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DLzGN764j/?mibextid=oFDknk

Thursday, November 14, 2024 began my new nomadic lifestyle. I have a 24″ suitcase, a 40L backpack, my cross body bag and another small bag for under the plane seat (snacks, headphones, Fabreezio).

First stop was Albuquerque, NM to visit my sister and her hubby. It’s been great catching up and seeing the sites. We took the tram to the top of Sandia mountain (where a TWA plane crashed in the 50s). Incredible views!! There was some snow, plus it was cold and windy, bbbrrrrr….🥶. We popped into the restaurant, Ten 3, for an app and drink.

We found our way to a speakeasy, Founders. Actually had to give a password to the guy in the liquor store, then he left you through a walk in cooler door to the basement. Very fun! They only serve drinks, and they are very unusual. I had the Stoned Grunter. This drink was layered with all kinds of different flavors. Your mouth just popped! We’re going back tonight because we liked it so much.we’re going back tonight because we liked it so much.

Yesterday we drove around looking at very interesting architecture and then a ghost tour at night in Old Town. Tonight we’re going to the Church Street Cafe, after Founders🍸, which was the last stop on the ghost door.

Tomorrow is Puerto Vallarta, Mexico!! I’m excited and nervous. Also, I really don’t think I need everything I have.  So doing more editing today!

Embarking on this new solo travel lifestyle I’ve chosen, people always ask what my “Bucket List” places are. It would be cool to see the 7 Wonders of the World (old and new), but here are my four, yes, that’s it, only four travel bucket list places:

• #4: Ride the Orient Express. There are multiple routes these days, I’d like to do the original from Paris to Istanbul if possible. 🚃🛤️

• #3: Walk on the Great Wall of China. Most people access the wall near Bejing, which is what I planned on doing. Chatting with friends from China, I should go to a less touristy spot, so that’s what will happen! This will be October 2025. Along with the Bailong Elevator in Zhangiajie, and Terracotta Army….and of course PANDAS!! 🖤🤍🐼

• #2: Spend the night at Bran Castle in Romania. 🏰 That’s “Dracula’s Castle in Transylvania for those that don’t know. 🧛🏻‍♂️ Also referred to as Vlad the Impaler’s castle although there’s no proof he was ever there. This is tentatively scheduled for Halloween 2026!! But only a night tour and dinner.

• #1….EGYPT!! It’s on many a list. I have always been fascinated with ancient Egypt, the people, the culture, the architecture, and more. I am so excited to be spending the month of May 2026 for my 60th birthday! Come and join me at the end of the month for a Cruise on the Nile!! I would love to find somebody to do an Agatha. Christie, Hercule Poirot, Death on the Nile. Think murder mystery dinner but over multiple days. 🕵🏻‍♂️🤓🛳️

Have you been to any of these places? If yes, please tell me about it, good, bad and beautiful.

Do you want to go? Company is always welcome.

What are some of your Travel Bucket List places?