Settling into San Pancho, Mexico
Serendipity at its finest.
I don’t know how this whacky synchronistic world works, but it’s done a magical number on me this time.
I met Martina (pictured below on the right) in Cambodia in 2013. We have history. From the moment we met, we knew we were soul sisters. Because of her, I stuck around in Otres Beach for two years.
She helped me buy a backpacker hostel/bar and restart a local children’s project. And when I left for Melbourne, setting up a children’s charity for the poorest kids, which lasted seven years.
Covid and life have kept us apart since 2019, until now.
She’s told me time and time again, “You’ve gotta come see me in San Pancho. It’s a magical place.” It’s been her most-of-the-year home for 2.5 years.
It felt like the most obvious choice to shape my long service leave. Seeing her and my UK family and friends.
Then the magic happened.
Martina looked around for accommodation for me. Her incredible friends came back with an insane offer.
An ocean view apartment with a pool and no other guests for the month. FOR FREE! They would be happy to have me around and pat the dogs.
Guess what street it’s on? Cambodia.
I arrived and met one of the owners and we bonded immediately. She’s a single, sober, wry-humoured 80-year-old who is also a writer. What are the chances?And she’s my kinda woman. She took on the project of building a hotel with her friend, in Mexico, at 60! I swear, I want to be like her when I grow up!
During our fourth deep conversation, she held my hands in hers and asked me, “How can I help you finish this book?” I didn’t get a chance to answer before she said, “Come back after England; the room is yours until you have to go back to Melbourne.”
So, I find myself rewriting my memoir in a divine location, free of financial thoughts and distractions, in a spiritual community.
I didn’t know if I was meant to work on the book whilst away, but it seems God is nudging me to, so I’m putting in the work. And it feels good! Clearly, I’m meant to be here. It’s the ulimate in slow travel. I’m not moving. 😆
What else feels good?
My routine.
It involves waking naturally with the sunrise at around 6 a.m., drinking hot lemon water, meditating, writing a gratitude list and a letter from love, sitting on the day bed on the balcony, listening to the bird calls, and watching a squirrel running up and down a telephone wire.
I work on the book most mornings.
I meet Martina for lunch at a cafe or we cook at mine. I hang out by the pool, read books from the English speaking section of the community libary, and take naps.
I shop at the farmer’s market on Tuesdays and splash out on organic products I wouldn’t ususally buy. $13 for a jar of liquid chocolate and $6 for a bag of the best mustard tasting salad that’s ever crossed my lips. And two doors down from home, there’s $12 sourdough that’s still warm when I spread local honey on it. I shop expensive but dine out cheap. The $5 fish tacos and $9 blue corn quesadillas are to die for.
I sign up for classes to play at things I’m no good at coz I’ve never tried. Like circus training, and acrobatics.
I joined the Mexican gym for $35 a month, and do yoga on Thursday nights.
I had the best sound healing session I’ve ever had. And had my spirit cleansed by a Marakame native man who spat tobacco and earth smelling saliva all over my body and stroked me with a feather before extracting a spell from my gut, sending me off with a special candle to light and a $5 peso piece to throw in the ocean. (I know, not environmentally friendly but I went with the ancient instruction).
There’s so much healing on offer, I could spend every morning and afternoon in a different class or treatment for a month and not get through them all.
Okay, I’ll close with some pictures I took during my first week. I adore the cobbled streets, the cacti, the vibrant colours, the wild ocean (8 men have drowned here this year so far because the undercurrent is so strong so I’m not going in), and the sunsets are spectuacular.
San Pancho is sublime.
If you’re still reading these, thank you.
I’m content to have a record of this special time and to be experimenting with writing as I go.
Much love.
Mwah. 💋
Sounds amazing! Love when the universe works it's magic like that.