May 2024

May Overview – 

In the last week of April, Lorne scheduled Monday/Tuesday (April 29/30) off work as Wednesday (May 1) was a holiday here in Mexico (Labour Day).  This gave him a very nice 5-day mini vacation.  Besides doing a bit of spring cleaning, we spent the time enjoying a little “staycation” and did some fun things around town (which of course for us, includes eating).

On Saturday, we headed out to Tacos Gardenias for some amazing tacos.  We shared three fish tacos, two shrimp tacos, a quesabirria taco, and a chicken burrito.  To drink, Lorne had a Michelada Cubano, and I had a bottle of water.  Total price for lunch:  $665MXN ($54CAD / $40USD).  This is one of our very favourite taco places and they never seem to disappoint.  We spent the rest of the afternoon driving up into Cabo Norte, to explore the area and see some of the little communities.  We stopped at a couple of stores along the way to pick up some fresh produce and treats.

On Monday, we headed into the downtown tourist area to try out some other taco places.  Our first stop was at Taqueria el Paisa.  They were just opening when we arrived at 11am, so not everything on the menu was ready at that time.  We ended up sharing two carne asada tacos and two al pastor tacos.  To drink, Lorne had a Coke Light, and I had a bottle of water.  Total for this stop:  $297MXN ($24CAD / $18USD).  We felt the tacos here were “okay”, but then again, we were too early to try the shrimp or fish tacos.  We may need to give them another try in the future.

Once done, we walked down the street to another popular taco place – La Taquiza.  We shared two shrimp tacos, two cheese crusted carne asada tacos, and some shrimp ceviche.  To drink we each had Topo Chico.  Total for this stop:  $676MXN ($55CAD / $40USD).  The tacos here were quite delicious and the shrimp ceviche was amazing.  We spent the rest of the afternoon driving around some other neighbourhoods, and then wandering through the new Chedraui department store, where we scored some cans of Canada Dry – Zero Sugar Ginger Ale to bring home.

Since Taqueria el Paisa and La Taquiza are right in the heart of the tourist area, their prices are a lot higher than those of Tacos Gardenias, which is just outside the main tourist hub.  So, I guess in the end, we will most likely keep going back to Tacos Gardenias where we consistently get good food and a bigger bang for our peso.  However, it was so much fun to try some new places and to have the time to further explore our area.

Be sure to check out our Snippets (link at bottom) for photos of our taco adventures!

The hot weather has definitely arrived in Cabo!  Our average daytime high for May was 32C (90F), and the nighttime low was 21C (70F).  We only had two days at the beginning of May with a high of less than 30C (86F).  The rest of the month our daytime temperatures were >30C (86F).  By May 20, our daytime temperatures climbed to 35C (95F) and except for May 21 where we hit an extra hot 37C (99F), remained at 35C (95F) for the rest of the month.  May has been our 5^th month without rain this year.

Mexico has been trapped under a heat dome, a weather phenomenon where a ridge of high pressure gets stuck in the atmosphere.  It traps hot ocean air like a lid on a boiling pot.  Hot air expands vertically into the atmosphere and high pressure pushes it toward the ground.  It has nowhere to escape and compresses even more heat underneath.  A heat dome can send temperatures to soar well above what is normal. 

The first two heatwaves (in March/April) were mostly centered in the southern end of mainland Mexico as it came in from Central and South America.  We here in Los Cabos seemed to be spared for these first two heatwaves, as our temperatures March/April were somewhat normal.  

Of course, all this changed for the third heatwave, which we are experiencing now along with the rest of Mexico.  Some of the hottest temperatures ever recorded in this country have been during this month, with a recorded temperature of 49.6C (121.3F) on May 9 in San Luis Potosi, and 48C (118.4F) on May 26 in Oaxaca. 

Mexico has recorded 48 deaths due to the heat since March 17.  The heat has caused nationwide droughts, strained power grids, and affected the wildlife, including the death of nearly 150 howler monkeys, which have been seen dropping from trees amid the high temperatures. Now the heat dome is reaching into the southern United States, currently affecting Florida and Texas.

This heatwave is one of the most extreme Mexico has faced, and predictions are showing even hotter temperatures will continue well into the first week of June.

Retirement

The Reorientation Phase

While the “Disenchanted” phase can be difficult, it does eventually pass and retirees then find themselves moving on into the Reorientation Phase.

This is a crucial period for resetting expectations, adapting to change, and embracing a more realistic outlook on retirement. 

Considered to be the most challenging stage, it occurs after retirees have gone through their retirement to-do list and begin to feel a loss of purpose.  They have experienced the highs and lows of retirement and are now looking for a new sense of purpose in this new life they have created. 

Our jobs often made up a significant part of who we are, and without them we are forced to learn more about ourselves and what truly makes us happy. This is a time for some self-examination, to understand better “Who am I now?”, “What is my purpose at this point?” and “Am I still useful in some capacity?”  Reorientation involves finding ways to enjoy retirement as it’s meant to be enjoyed. We need to find those things that will give us meaningful purpose as well as some fun new activities to enjoy in our daily routine.

If you have been following along, I missed out on the Honeymoon Phase of retirement and, like others, I struggled through the Disenchanted Phase.  The fourth phase of retirement – The Reorientation Phase was necessary for me to reset my life as well as my outlook on retirement.

For me, this phase happened kind of naturally.  About six months after moving here, we had dealt with all the urgent things we had to do (obtain residency, set up a home office, open a bank account, buy a car etc) and we were finally settling into our new life.  While Lorne worked during the day, I had to quickly figure out what I wanted to do with all this time I now had on my hands.

Being a creature of habit, I thrive well with routine, so I’m not surprised that my retirement would become routine based as well. My mornings all start all the same – I pour myself a big cup of coffee, grab my sunglasses and my phone and head out to the patio.  I spend the time catching up on the latest news and watching our little community come alive.  Hands down, this is my favourite part of retirement – being able to relax and slowly drink my morning coffee instead of running out the door with it so I won’t be late for work.

After my coffee is finished, I usually head into our home office to start my day.  I have a schedule of things I need to take care of on a weekly basis, so each day I tackle whatever is on the list for that day.  I also spend this time connecting with family either on social media, email or by phone.  This is another perk of retirement for me, having the time to connect with our kids.  Even though we live so far apart, I love that we can keep current on what is happening in each other’s lives as if we were still living near them.  And of course, our blog has become an amazing creative outlet for me, as well as a project that Lorne and I enjoy working on together.

These things, along with some Netflix in the afternoon, keep me very busy and I am never bored. I enjoy the projects and even the weekly chores.  At this point, I feel truly at peace with my retirement.   

Reorienting your lifestyle and creating that important new identity can be challenging, but by making the effort to discover new interests, you will begin to find true fulfillment in retirement. 

A friend shared something she had heard once – that one should “retire to” something, not “retire from” something.  These are very wise words to remember!

In our upcoming blog posts, I will continue to share my experience of how the five stages of retirement applied to me.  Next up is the fifth and final stage:  The Reconciliation Phase.  Stay tuned!

May in Review

Labour Day
Día del Trabajo is celebrated annually on May 1 in Mexico, and, except for a short list of countries, most of the world actually celebrates Labour Day on May 1 (which is linked to International Workers Day).  Canada and the US both celebrate Labour Day the first Monday of September. 

The Mexican Constitution was put into place in 1917, which laid out a significant number of social reforms and human rights changes that affected labourers across Mexico.   To celebrate these changes, the Labour Day holiday was created in 1923, to serve as a time to commemorate the struggles that Mexican workers faced.  Most people have a day off and spend it resting or with family and friends.

Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo is an annual celebration held in the Mexican state of Puebla, to honour Mexico’s victory over the Second French Empire at the Battle of Puebla in 1862.  Except for the state of Puebla, the rest of Mexico does not celebrate Cinco de Mayo – instead they honour Mexico’s Independence Day on September 16. 

In the United States, Cinco de Mayo has become a huge celebration of the Mexican American culture.  It was first celebrated in California a few weeks after the 1862 Battle of Puebla, and eventually extended from California across the entire USA.  In 2005, The United States Congress made Cinco de Mayo an official US holiday; however, it is not a federal holiday, and so banks, schools, and businesses stay open for the day.

Mother’s Day
Dia de la Madre is celebrated in Mexico on a fixed date – May 10, regardless of the day of the week.  In Canada and the US, Mother’s Day is always the second Sunday in May.

The first official Mothers’ Day celebration in Mexico was held on May 10, 1922. The celebration soon took on religious undertones and, these days, Mother’s Day in Mexico reflects the familial and religious values of its Catholic heritage.  Mothers are celebrated on this day with food, flowers, and song and family gatherings to honour them.

2024 Hurricane Season Begins
Our 2024 Eastern Pacific Hurricane season officially started May 15 and will end November 30.

Last year, the predictions for our 2023 storm season indicated there would be 16 named storms that would include:

• 9 hurricanes (4 would be major hurricanes of Cat 3 or higher)
• 7 tropical storms

Our actual 2023 storm season included 17 named storms that presented as:

• 10 hurricanes (8 were major hurricanes of Cat 3 or higher)
• 7 tropical storms

The 2023 storm season was the costliest hurricane season in the Eastern Pacific, and in Mexican history, coming in at $13 -17 billion in damages ($12 -16 billion resulting from Hurricane Otis that decimated Acapulco).  The previously costliest season was 2013 at $4.5 billion.

From the massive damage and fatalities caused by both Hurricane Dora (Cat 4) and Hurricane Otis (Cat 5), the World Meteorological Organization retired both names, never to be used again in this region.  They will be replaced with Debora and Otilio, for the 2029 season.

(While Hurricane Dora (Cat 4) did not directly hit the Hawaiian Islands, her hurricane force winds added speed/gusts to the existing winds that fanned the flames over the wildfires of Maui, which became the deadliest natural disaster in the recorded Hawaiian history.)

The predictions for our 2024 storm season indicate we should expect 15-18 named storms that will include:

• 7-9 hurricanes (3-4 being major hurricanes of Cat 3 or higher)
• 8-9 tropical storms

The predictions for this year seem to lean towards an average year, however El Niño is still hanging around since his arrival late last year, and the oceans have been heating up earlier than usual, due to his presence.  It is predicted that La Niña should arrive mid-summer, and if she does, then we may get by with only the average number of storms as predicted this year.  We are keeping our fingers crossed!

ps…  Don’t forget to check out the latest Snippets!