Home Mad vs. Travel Mad

I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels like a different (better?) person when I travel. For someone who, in my day-to-day life is a non-stop planner (control freak?) with an endless to-do list, it’s a relief to be forced to slow down and just focus on whatever is immediately in front of me. I have time to stare out of windows, to daydream, to process, and to stop worrying so much about stuff like cleaning the house, entertaining the dog, and whether or not my eyebrows are even (spoiler alert: they never are).

With these alternate realities in mind, I came up with a list of some of the ways “Home Madeleine” is different from “Travel Madeleine”:

Sleep

Home Mad: 5-6 hours/night maximum
Travel Mad: 9-10 hours/night minimum

Beauty Routine

Home Mad: 2+ hour ordeal. Nails on fleek. Bangs on fleek. Lashes on fleek. Eyebrows on fleek.

Travel Mad: 30-60 sweaty minutes. Nails breaking constantly. Eyebrows still on fleek.

Eating

Home Mad: carefully planned meals supplemented with small, protein rich snacks every 2-3 hours

Travel Mad: whatever is available when the tummy gets rumbly. Lime over everything!

Drinking

Home Mad: wine wine vodka wine

Travel Mad: tequila fireball tequila fireball

Workout

Home Mad: 50-90 minutes, 4-6 days/week

Travel Mad: takes the stairs

Weekend Turn-Up

Home Mad: Netflix & chills with the dog

Travel Mad: rages till dawn

Love Life

Home Mad: famine

Travel Mad: feast

Free Time

Home Mad: cleans the floors

Travel Mad: blogs!

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The couch = my happy place at home

The Pros and Cons of Solo Travel

I get a lot of questions and comments about traveling alone. I have traveled with family, with a boyfriend, with friends, and of course alone, and I prefer the latter.

Traveling alone fits me personally for several reasons. Everyone has their own comfort level as far as risk and security go, but I have always been kind of a “high risk/high reward” type of person, and to be honest, I’m not really afraid of anything…except snakes and IV needles, neither of which have posed problems for me abroad. Anyway the times I have been robbed were always when I was with friends, so going in a group does not automatically keep you safe. I am very independent and I am perfectly happy alone or with company. I also am very social and since I stay in hostels, meeting people to go out and about with is never a problem. If you are not a bit of a risk-taker, not comfortable with solitude, and you’re not willing to strike up conversation with new people, traveling alone is not for you. Traveling might not be for you at all, actually.

That being said, I have compiled a list of Pros and Cons on the topic for you to ponder.

Reasons to Travel Alone:

Traveling alone gives you the ultimate autonomy and flexibility. You will never need to compromise with another person on where to go, where to stay, what to do, etc. If you want to spend all day in a park with your feet in a fountain, no one will complain that they’re bored. If you want to speed through 3 museums in one day, no one will complain about being tired. You can go as fast or slow as you want.
When you travel alone, most of the time you are actually choosing your level of solitude. Staying at a hostel, there is pretty much always someone to chat with or grab a beer with, but on the other hand, you’re free to wander aimlessly, or even stay in bed until 6pm. You are as alone as you want to be.
Silence is a huge perk of traveling alone. In your day to day life, how often do you really get to enjoy silence? Travel provides time to lose yourself in thought, daydream, meditate, process, evaluate your existence, and mentally re-calibrate.
I would think this goes without saying, but traveling alone is the best way to make new friends. Would I have formed such close friendships with Hayley, Elena, Nicolas, and the Peruanas, if I had been already locked into a friendship? Maybe, maybe not. I do know that when I was traveling with friends or family, I did not make deep connections with new people the way I have done going alone. And now I can’t imagine my life without them.
Solo travel forces you out of your comfort zone. You have to think on your feet, stay alert, and above all be self-reliant. If you want to become more independent, go alone. If you want to test your sense of adventure, go alone. If you want to grow, go alone. I’m not saying you can’t do these things with a travel buddy; but the experience is MUCH more rewarding and empowering when it’s done as an army of one.
Traveling alone also forces you to interact with strangers, which can lead to some fantastic conversations–the kind of conversations where your soul touches another soul and your brain wants to explode because you’ve reached some new metaphysical plane of intellect that you never knew existed, you never want to leave, and you know can never be repeated. A one-of-a-kind orgasm for your spirit.
Traveling alone, you never have to worry about arguments or tension with your travel partner. If you make a friend and then discover you don’t enjoy their company anymore, you can just part ways, no problem. You’re not stuck with them for god knows how long. I have witnessed so many spats and tense moments between friends or lovers, and of course I have been in the middle of my own drama. If there were any cracks in your friendship or relationship before you left, those cracks will split wide open once you hit the road.
I have found that once I do make friends and decide to go around with them, we fall into a bit of an “interaction bubble,” meaning that we end up mostly talking only to each other, and mostly in English. We don’t push ourselves as hard to communicate in the local language. I am especially guilty of doing this when I make friends who are native Spanish speakers in Latin America–even though my Spanish is excellent, I get lazy and let them do most of the talking.
Finally, when you are alone, your experiences and opinions are not tainted by others’ perceptions. You are tuned in only to your own senses, and I think this creates a more clear, honest, and “raw” memory of the places you go.

Reasons to Travel With a Buddy:

Eating alone can feel uncomfortable. It’s nice to have someone to share meals with. And someone to split food with, like pizza, dessert, or a carafe of wine.
Solitude is lovely, but sharing experiences with someone you care about is also lovely. Creating unique shared memories, and especially inside jokes, is probably the best part of traveling with someone.
Traveling in a duo or group can be cheaper, especially when sharing transportation such as taxis, or food and beverages, as mentioned above. Also, with a small group, you have some leverage when bargaining for tour prices.
Sometimes I feel self-conscious traveling alone, especially when I stand out as a woman or a foreigner. Traveling with someone can reduce or eliminate the feeling that I don’t belong there. You can “not belong” together.
It is nice to bounce ideas off of your travel partner and to have someone around for a second opinion. A travel buddy can be a great sounding board or co-decision-maker. Does it make more sense to take the early colectivo, or to get extra sleep in the morning? Which shirt looks nicer? Is this guy into me, or is he biding his time so he can rob me? An extra brain full of common sense is always useful, especially if you, like me, are prone to spontaneity.
Your travel buddy is your built-in photographer. Welcome to the end of selfies. If you’re really lucky, as I was in Europe with BJ or in Guatemala with Nicolas, your travel buddy will even have a nice professional camera and will share their gorgeous photos with you to enhance your blog.
Traveling with someone you trust is generally much safer than traveling alone. As we learned in Playa del Carmen, you can still get robbed in a group, but the chances are reduced significantly. You can keep an eye on each others’ stuff, provide support if someone is bothering you, and it’s just nice to have someone to check in with now and then.
Travel buddies stave off boredom and loneliness. These can be real issues, especially on long rides on transportation. I would have had a psychological breakdown if I had been alone without Nicolas on the bus ride from Livingston to Antigua, where the bus completely stopped in traffic for 7 hours, turning a 4 hour ride into an 11 hour nightmare. If nothing else, it’s nice to have someone to commiserate with over the inevitable bumps in the road.

As you can see, for me, the Pros outweigh the Cons. What inspires you to travel alone?

* * *

Making moves

Playa del Carmen, pt. 2/2

On New Years Day, the Peruanas and I dragged ourselves out of bed around 2pm and went straight to eat.

Salsas

Tacos al pastores y arracheras

We made it to the beach by 4pm, accompanied by our Brazilian friend William.

William, Mad, Stephanie, Karen

Happy feet

Playa del Carmen in the late afternoon

Of course, we woke up that day saying, “We need a quiet night.” Especially me, who had been out late and crazy two nights in a row. But as the day wore on, it was suggested that we at least “go to dinner and check out the vibe…see if anything is going on.” Which is what let to the craziest night of my Mexican vacation.

Beginning of the night selfie – business as usual

Club Abolengo, where they pile glasses high and then light them up. Quite the spectacle.

The Peruanas and I hopped from spot to spot, drinking and dancing the night away. I met a cute Mexican boy named Carlos…

…and then turned around and met this motherfucker:

His name was Alan, originally from Guadalajara, now living in Playa, and his friends were friends with my friends. We all ended up at a remote beach in the wee hours.

Just another sunrise over Playa

Sunrise with Alan

Pimp face at dawn

We got home at 10am, slept till 2pm, then hit the beach. Much to our dismay, it was lousy, cloudy weather.

When it started to rain, we found a beach bar that had swings in lieu of seats. I ordered a Michelada.

That evening – same thing – “Let’s have a quiet night…” “Let’s just see what the vibe is…” And before you know it, we were back on the town.

Beginning of the night selfies

Fourth night at Dolores – found some Uruguayans

3am pizza break

I never said I was classy

Recovery chilaquiles rojos con pollo y huevo & agua de piña

Karen & I at the beach – we lost one

Glowing so hard

In a nutshell, what happened next is that I went to Tulum, but didn’t see or do anything interesting there, except for spend time with my dear Elena from Antigua.

My days in Mexico were numbered. Alan came to visit me in Tulum the next day, and we had a great time, all lovey dovey, all the way back to Playa. All of a sudden, while dancing back at Dolores, my phone was gone, Stephanie’s phone was gone, and Alan and his friend were gone. Steph and I were devastated that our phones had been stolen, and my feelings were very hurt. However once we both got home safely and easily replaced our phones, we chalked it up to a learning experience. It was a stark reminder to never let our guard down.

Playa del Carmen, pt. 1/2

I guess this is the part where I attempt to explain the sheer raging madness that is Playa del Carmen…without incriminating myself?

I arrived in Playa on December 30 with a plan. Traveling alone, I essentially had 24 hours to implement some sort of epic New Years attack. Using only my charm and willpower, I was determined to go all out.

As luck would have it, immediately upon arriving to my hostel in Playa from the airport in Cancun, I discovered that I was rooming with not one but two like-minded Brazilian boys.

Guilherme & William

First glimpse of the mean streets of Playa

Electro club Dolores, where I ended up every night

Brasileiros fazem melhor

Thanks to a plethora of mescal shots, I ended up in bed till 4pm the next day. And when I got up, it was only for this…

Recovery quesadilla

…then back to bed until 7pm.

At some point that day, a couple of Peruvian girls had checked in and were rooming with us as well. They had just arrived from California & New York and expressed a desire to hit the town. It was New Year’s Eve, after all. I, being the experienced resident, offered to give them a tour of what I’d seen the night before.

First stop: Playa’s iconic Portal Maya monument

Confetti at midnight

Happy New Year from Stephanie, Karen, & Mad

We spent a big chunk of our evening at Dolores, partly because we liked the music, and partly because the streets were insane and every time we tried to leave, we gave up and went back in.

Dolores, again

Madness on the streets of Playa

Mad overlooking the madness

Finally around 3:30am, the streets cleared enough for us to attempt a venture out. I thought maybe my Peruanas were going to tap out, but oh no–“The plan is to watch the sunrise at the beach,” Stephanie assured me.

“I need Latin music!” cried Karen.

Before I knew it, we were pounding Fireball shots…

…and I was swept off my feet by a fun Argentine named Facundo. ¡Facundo! No photos, please.

We eventually made our way to the beach, which was packed even at 6am. However, we spontaneously decided to get tortas and watch the sunrise from the comfort of our hostel’s balcony.

Happy New Year, World

Making 7am look good

If you’re wondering what I look like after partying all night, well here it is:

Sumidero Canyon

I’m sure you’ve noticed by now that Chiapas’ chief appeal is its natural beauty. A few days after the tour that took me to El Chiflón & Montebello, I scooted off to take a boat through Sumidero Canyon.

Here is what I found:

Happy Madeleine in a canyon

Cool looking plants growing out of the canyon wall

Small Catholic altar in a cave

“Christmas tree” growing from the side of the canyon

An electricity plant

Crocodiles!

Little island

Crema de leche con vainilla y plátano

Do(n’t) go chasing waterfalls – El Chiflón & Montebello

If you just love waterfalls and clear blue water the way I do–and, ahem, who doesn’t enjoy a nice waterfall and crystalline waters–then Chiapas is the place for you.

Introducing: Cascadas El Chiflón & Lagunas de Montebello

Located in the enormous Lacandon jungle, El Chiflón is a series of breathtaking waterfalls that spill into a lazy turquoise river.

Gorgeousness

It remains my intense regret that my tour did not allow time to plunge into these magnificent pools. Still, it was wonderful to hike up and see the many waterfalls that make up El Chiflón.

First up – Cascada El Suspiro

Next – Cascada Ala de Angel

Happy Madeleine chasing waterfalls

Inspirational signs along the steep path

I can’t get enough of this intense beauty

Getting closer to the top…!

Cascada Velo de Novia – fed by Cascadas Arcoiris & Quinceañera – is the crown jewel of El Chiflón

Happy Madeleine getting sprayed by Velo de Novia

View from the top

Refreshing snack after the hike

Now, I know what you’re thinking: what a wonderful day! Time to relax.

But no, the tour was only halfway done. From El Chiflón, we headed to Lagunas de Montebello, a park famous for its series of sparkling blue lakes (59 in all). To our great dismay, the weather turned cloudy and dismal, so we had to “imagine” the renowned vibrant colors.

Dreary Montebello

The deep green foliage brought back fond memories of Guatemala, but still–where is the blueness?

I made friends with a fun-spirited couple from DF, Daniela & Alejandro. They had the idea to take a raft out on the water.

On the water with Alejandro & Daniela

Greenery & whatnot

Very excited to finally find a hint of blue!

Blue just at the edges

This land formation looks like a sitting gorilla

Checked out one more colorless lake…

…and then headed back to San Cristóbal.

San Cristóbal de las Casas

Many of you know that I’ve been basically obsessed with Chiapas, the southernmost Mexican state, for several years. In truth, this entire trip was planned around my desire to see this place. I booked 5 nights in San Cristóbal, which is the touristy-but-charming cultural center of the state, and which serves as an excellent jumping-off point to explore the many natural wonders of the Chiapan landscape.

La Iguana hostel in San Cris

Out and about in San Cris

Pretty candy cart

I don’t know what this is but I want it

If you can tell me what the round spiky fruits are, I’ll give you a fist-bump

More corn with lime & picante

Finally tried crickets…

My little bag of edible bugs, dressed with lime, picante, and ketchup

Yes I really ate them…

…all but the soggy ones at the bottom of the bag, anyway.

Quesadilla stand

Quesadilla that I ate two nights in a row. Not sure what type of meat it contained. Definitely not pollo, carnitas, chorizo, or carne asada…hmmm.

Had to see if churros here are better than the ones in California

I’m a sucker for shiny glowy stuff…

…and drinking with hottie morenos.

While the central of San Cristóbal is clearly well-kept, I think it’s worth noting that on my first day, I accidentally walked a ways in the wrong direction. Much to my dismay, I came upon a trash-ridden river, complete with people picking through the heap. Just a reminder that for all the beauty to be found in Mexico, it is not without its problems.

The other side of Mex

Oaxaca City

Aside from visiting Monte Albán and Hierve el Agua, mostly I took photos around town and ate. And ate.

The state of Oaxaca is a known culinary center of Mexico. It’s famous for, among other things, dozens of types of mescal (similar to, but much better than, tequila) and mole. It’s also known for its regional cheeses and crickets (yes as in the bugs).

My first meal in Oaxaca: Cactus leaves stuffed with oozing Oaxacan cheese and sides of guacamole and crickets. I only ate one of the sides…guess which…?

Mescal flight served with orange slices and three types of salt.

Enchiladas with red and black mole – by far the most scrumptious meal I’ve had in Mex.

Tlayuda con mole

Out & about in Oaxaca City

The Zocalo was crackin for Christmas

Gorgeous center

These crazies selfied it up while I was in the restroom.

There’s a nice story that goes with this last pic. My last night in Oaxaca, we went to a nice-ish dinner in the center. Vanessa saw a small boy sitting in the doorway of the ice cream shop next to us. She asked him if he’d like her to buy him an ice cream, and he replied, “No thank you, I’m freezing!” Without hesitation, Vanessa pulled her coat off and gave it to him. Then, she ordered a huge cup of hot chocolate for him and invited him to sit at our table and visit with us while he enjoyed his treat.

Vanessa and Jose

I could put a lot of values on this episode for you but I think you can do it yourself.

Hierve el Agua

Yesterday I went to Hierve el Agua with some friends.

We took a walk to a bus to a truck, into the back of which we were stuffed.

Adrian, Daniela, & Peter in the back of the truck

Vanessa and I on the other side

Squished a few more people in at the last minute

After 45 very bumpy minutes in the back of the truck, we arrived at Hierve el Agua.

Hierve el Agua is a set of natural rock formations that resemble waterfalls. They are not actually water falls; instead, the white “cascades” consist of oversaturated calcium carbonate and other minerals (thank you, Wikipedia, for that succinct description).

I was surprised that there was actually some commerce up there, since the main attraction is up a very long steep hill in the middle of nowhere.

You won’t go hungry or thirsty around here

First views of the magnificent pools and mountains

Of course I wanted to immediately jump in, but there is a trail behind the pools that leads to a second cascade, so I checked that out first.

The second cascade

Magestic Oaxacan scenery

The main cascades from a distance

Taking it all in

Back to the pools – time to frolic

I’m sure it goes without saying that Hierve el Agua was one of the coolest places I’ve ever seen in my life.

Monte Albán

Now I am in Oaxaca. With only two full days planned here, I first headed to explore the ancient Zapotec city of Monte Albán, which is situated majestically on a hill overlooking the Oaxacan Valley.

Here are the pictures I took: