Hola a todos.
Your time to read this, your opinions, comments and suggestions will be appreciated.
This is Cato, a traveler holding a Mexican passport. It took me ten years to get a bit closer to uncle Marcos, ( Isabel Allende´s House of the Spirits") - who had the skin though-tend by all the climates of the world (".. El tio Marcos tenía la piel curtida por todos los climas del planeta..."). During these years, I travelled, lived and worked in different countries. From exchanging working hours building bungalows for food and diving time in Egypt to decorating a Guest House in Malaysia, from working as a farmer in Italy to construction in Australia. From being bicycle mechanic in Germany to a street vendor in Japan. (by the way, seven of those ten years i traveled by bicycle).
As Aldous Huxley said "experience is not what happens you, but what you do with what happens to you..". I love travelling and the energy around it, I treasure these years of experience, I am thankful for the opportunity to live this dream.
Now I would like to mix them up together. I would like to create another dream.
I have been working on it for a while. Conceptualizing, learning, training, saving.
The intention of this adventure is to create a small, low-key, friendly and charming Guest House. As you can imagine, i have seen all kinds of accommodation, so i have a pretty good idea about the concept. Besides offering cozy and unique, yet unpretentious and affordable accommodation, "la Casa del Colibri" will offer a space to practice Yoga, meditation and receive Ayurvedic and Thai massages.
Chances are that I will rent (lease ?) an appropriate house, do the renovation myself and then offer one or two small jobs to local people to help me run the place.
The intention is there, the will is there, trust is there, money is there. The situation to resolve is WHERE ?.
Since i returned to Mexico three weeks ago, besides arranging the small-big red tape etc. I have also asked my Mexican friends for their opinions as well as held meetings with the Tourist Associations and information services. However, as a new comer to my own country, i am totally disconnected with the Mexican Backpacker, low impact traveller-tourist scene. I also know that the best advise is always from the real experts, you all, my target customers. Lucky me !
- The ideal location would have and anchor attraction (natural beauty, ruins, colonial city, Mexican culture, language, etc). Customers will come visit, see, experience the anchor attraction, but will like to stay for a few nights on the spot. (week, or longer , great).
- It would be far enough and close enough the "action". (bicycles will be available to customers): Hopefully with the possibility to establish good business relationships with other tourist oriented entrepreneurs. I.e. Alternative, ecotourism, language, Cooking schools, laundry Doña (lady), etc.
- An alternative, wellness, spiritual (?) youngish atmosphere (Mexican and foreign) would be a great plus. (i have heard many "not so nice things" about the gringo impact in San Miguel de Allende).
- Besides Spanish, I get by in English, French, Italian and a bit of German, so i will be oriented to these customer as well. (in order to have a "constant" flow of potential customers. Have you noticed "pockets" of these crowds somwhere?)
- A source of water near by is an important factor. Thermal waters? great!, lake? super, river? good, beach? ok. Water and template forest ? awesome.
Of course my "business plan" is a lot more extensive and explicit , but I hope, this gives you an idea of the kind of location I am looking for. I do my best to stay open, flexible and adaptable to different situations, points of view and opportunities. After reading some of the posts on this branch, i am already taking notes, and hopefully, in a few weeks i will get myself some sort of vehicle (adapted small van) to do some exploration myself, (during a couple of months). This is why your input will be very much appreciated.
If any of you would be interested in sharing some travelling cost by then, i am sure we could arrange something cool.
Muchisimas gracias por su tiempo, comentarios y sugerencias.
Thanks a million for your time suggestions and comments.
You are the trip.
Cato
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<hr> From exchanging working hours building bungalows for food and diving time in Egypt to decorating a Guest House in Malaysia, from working as a farmer in Italy to construction in Australia. From being bicycle mechanic in Germany to a street vendor in Japan.<hr></blockquote>
Can't keep a steady job? Just kidding.
Looks like the Yucatan Peninsula, maybe around Valadolid, Merida or Isla Mujeres. It seems that area of Mexico gets a lot more French,Italian and German tourists, the land is flat so bycicle riding would be easy, with jungle, cenotes and Mayan ruins all over the place seems like a natural. Buy and old hacienda with a cenote on it,build a sauna and your in business...good luck
OMGG!
If I had a nickle for every person met...pursuing your 'dream' on the backs of local people...I'd be filthy rich!
You might make yourself aware, that a growing number of people don't particularly enjoy being exploited in this particular 'way'.
#2, He is a Mexican, even if you did not read his whole post he starts out stating he is on a Mexican Passport....
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<hr> However, as a new comer to my own country, <hr></blockquote>
Hola
Gracias BiggE, yes, the yucatan peninsula is a big contender. I went there once, twelve years ago, different mind frame though.
I have friends, who have moved from el D.F, to live and work around Quinatana Roo and Merida. They say life is better there that in the Cuidad Planeta (mexico D.F). That is where i am at the moment. I will definetly go there and check it out.
Hey Palmera, i do appreciate you concern for the local people. Once when i was in Cambodia, i went to Siam Rep, near Ankor wat. I stayed in a guest house which inspired me big deal. The owner was a Cambodian, who fled the Polpot regime when he was fefteen or so. He came back To Cambodia a few years ago. He started the Guest House and after three years in business, he built a "support project" with one of the several "orphan homes" around Siam Rep. When the orphan kids turn sixteen years old, they are offered a chance to work in the Guest House. I guess that a concerned person like you, will argue that this is just a form of explotation, but when I asked how it worked, i found out that the kids get paid more than the average wage in Cambodia, they get two meals, they get English courses under a cooperation with some westen volunteers and most of all, they get some sort of certificate, like a vocational training thing when they turn eighteen years old. It is then when they kind of "have to" leave the orphan home" and look for a "real job" and start a "real life" (whatever that means) in the tourist industry in Cambodia. I must add that the Guest House, the Horphan Home and the English Classes run on private founds. In countries like Cambodia and Mexico, where the "social net" has too many holes, it is up to the small guys to do the little bit they can. One step at the time.
Chances are that i will not hire sixteen year old kids, but as I am sure you know, there are a lot of people in Mexico who need a job, and i know that many know how to work. In Mexico, many kids have to grow up fast, and you can bet that there are many teenagers quite mature and responsible, and yes, many times they do need to work. I trust I will have the awereness to offer and honest wage for an honest days work. Then, when time is right and the business ready to support it, i will find, develop or cooperate with other people on one sort of "assisting others" project. I call this "Social Wellness".
You Bajadude, thanks for reading the whole thing. Although I am not really into the national pride thing, the us and them, and all that stuff, yes, I am a Mexican. When i write "locals" i mean to reffer to the people living on the particular town. And since I am a Chilango, i know the feeling of being an outsider in Mexico.
Maybe it has happened to you too, that after a trip somewhere, when you return to the country which claims your citizenship, you feel a bit strange, disconnected, a new comer. In a way, this is how i feel, a bit. I mean, during this ten years out side Mexico, i have been, a new comer many, many times. I guess i am kind of use to it, but this time is different, because there are many things that are familiar, but not quite.
It is like they say in Indonesia "Sama-Sama" = "Same-same but Different"
Do you have any suggestion, recomendations on places?
Gracias otra vez a todos. Thank you all again.
Cato
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