Exploring Abroad: A Rough Start in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

Cynthia:  Transitions from one expat destination to the next are always our most difficult days, but the trip to San Miguel de Allende got off to an especially rough start.

Edd:  Beginning before we even got to the Cancun airport. We checked out of our Airbnb early to give ourselves plenty of time. It’s a good thing we did because an accident caused a massive traffic backup. Our 15-minute ride took more than an hour.

C:  We had a choice of two airports to fly into—Querétaro or León-Bajío. They’re both just over an hour’s drive from San Miguel. We took the second choice because it was cheaper, but can’t give high marks to our first experience with Viva Air.

E:  This airline is one of those low-cost carriers where the flight is inexpensive, but the add-ons can, well, add up. The agent at the ticket counter was trying to nickel-and-dime us with stuff like, “Your bag’s too heavy—your bag’s too big—if you don’t pay me now it will be much more expensive at the gate.” 

C:  This wasn’t our first rodeo with carry-on luggage. After arguing back and forth with the guy for what felt like an eternity, we basically said, “No thanks. We’ll take our chances.” As we expected there was zero hassle at the gate, and the flight itself was perfectly fine. 

E:  Our intention had been to get through security early and buy some lunch to take with us since we knew nothing would be served on the plane. Because of the traffic delay and rigamarole at the ticket counter, they were already boarding when we showed up at the gate. 

C:  So we had to hustle aboard with no food. Thank goodness I brought along some random snacks that got us by. You’re not a very pleasant person when you get too hungry. 

E:  Or when I’m pushed too far. When we arrived in León I called for an Uber ride. A driver immediately messaged saying something about how he couldn’t pick us up directly from the terminal. 

C:  Then you texted, “We know nothing about this airport. Tell us where to go.” He came back with a message that the Uber rates were too low, but said he was right there and would take us to San Miguel for almost the same price. 

E:  He can’t be there but he is there. I skipped the texting and called him to ask what the heck he was talking about.

C:  But we were outside the terminal so you couldn’t hear him that well. Plus his English wasn’t great. I was watching your frustration level rise.

E:  I was already aggravated from that attempted shakedown in Cancun and our scraps for lunch. And I was definitely not in the mood for another round of monkey business. It was obvious this guy was trying to cut Uber out of the fare. But we were tired and just wanted to go. So we agreed on the charge, got in the car, and off we went.

C:  I wish this was, “And we lived happily ever after” time, but the story continues…

E:  We get to San Miguel and are rattling along narrow cobblestone streets. Going up and down impossibly steep hills. Of course, we have no idea where we are but it's a good thing the GPS always knows. Finally, we arrive at our address.

C:  We’d told our host when we’d be there and were pretty much right on time. So we ring the bell and smile as we wait for the door to open. Nothing. We ring again. Nada. We knock—loudly. Nothing.

E:  I have his number and call. No answer. I text repeatedly. No response. Here we are standing on a street with all our luggage somewhere in a place we’ve never been. So exhausted. So frustrated. It was a very helpless feeling. 

C:  We were about to the point of going online to look for a hotel. Then out of nowhere our host drives up. 

E:  Talk about mixed emotions. I simultaneously wanted to hug and punch him. He claimed he hadn’t gotten our distress signals, which seemed unlikely. But we were past arguing and thankful he was finally there.

C:  After showing us our room, he did kindly tell us about a bar right down the street where we could get some dinner. What a gem that turned out to be.

E:  El Manantial looks like a total dive. Swinging doors like in the old westerns. Tiny and crowded inside. But the food was incredible. And ridiculously cheap. 

C:  Plus, it just happened to be 2x1 margarita night. After delicious meals and a few rounds of drinks, our day was definitely ending on a better note.

E:  We crashed early hoping the rest of our stay in San Miguel would be much more enjoyable than it started.