The Luck of the Irish

KINGSBRIDGE, ENGLAND. Lucky, at least in my case that is, to live in Yucatan, where winter weather is something that happens somewhere else. Since my last dispatch from Dublin, the weather deteriorated. I relocated to the UK, where cool temperatures, heavy rain, and strong winds have prevailed for the last 2 weeks. As I write, the sun is shining, but it is cold, and once again is the proverbial calm before the storm, since tonight, more heavy rain and winds of 50 km/hour are expected, with similar conditions continuing over the next few days. Temperatures will range between 2°c at night, to highs around 9°c or 10°c.

A glance at the weather forecast for Merida for the next few days shows sunny conditions, lows around 20°c and highs around 28°c. More perfect conditions are hard to imagine, and once again I find myself thanking providence for bringing me to Yucatan, and wondering why more northern Europeans haven’t realized what a great option our state represents, both in terms of weather and cost of living. I was reminded of this last week, when taking a 15 minute bus ride in Torquay, a resort town on the Devon coast. The cost was £2.90 (approx. $62 pesos). In Bristol, the one way journey (of around 30 minutes) from the airport to the city center is £7.00 (approx. $150 pesos). In Dublin (again around 30 minutes), €6.00 (approx. $110 pesos). Bear in mind, we are talking about public buses here, not private transfers. Housing and utility costs in the UK are also astronomical, with heating costs taking up a large part of many household budgets. Again, I encourage anyone looking for a cheaper, more pleasant or warmer lifestyle to look towards Yucatan!

Meanwhile, back in Merida, people are recovering from the festivities of ‘Noche Buena’ and looking forward to New Year’s Eve. Over in Tizimin, the Feria de Reyes runs until January 19, and is well worth a visit, as is the city itself. More information is available here: http://tizimin.gob.mx/expo-feria-de-reyes-2014/

In Merida itself, the Merida Fest (formerly known as the Festival de la Ciudad) will run from January 5 to 31, and the program is available here: http://www.merida.gob.mx/cultura/contenido/festival_programa.html

Since this will be my final dispatch of 2013, I would like to take the opportunity to say thank you to my readers, and to wish you “Athbhliain faoi mhaise dhaoibh”, or, more commonly used in Merida, “feliz año nuevo!!” I’ll be heading home to Merida myself next week, looking forward to an excellent year ahead.