07/19/2021
02/14/2019
0
a case of the bacalar blues
mexico untouched
The stars seemed to align to bring me to a town in southeastern Mexico near the Belize border called Bacalar.
Prior to my arrival in the bliss filled Bacalar I had met a woman from Peru, also staying at my Airbnb in Tulum, who had just spent eight nights in this mysterious Bacalar and said that I absolutely had to go.
I hadn’t even heard of Bacalar before, but should I be surprised? As embarrassing as this is to admit, I’d done little research prior to my travels in the last year (with the exception of India, that was my baby – I pretty much slept with the lonely planet book and had 7-10 various India related web browsers going at all times for about a month before I left!).
But back to Mexico and winging it; I loved getting first hand recommendations so I did some googling.
The pictures were stunning, people were saying it was the Tulum of 30 years ago, and it was slow and quiet, I was more than sold.
I boarded a 3hr bus ride straight south of Tulum and arrived on the side of a dusty hot highway with still hours to sunset and began the ever curious trek to find my airbnb.
I felt an immediate sense of comfort when I eventually arrived at a small house surrounded by bushes and coconut trees just a five minute stroll from the water, and was met by the lovely Laura who welcomed me warmly into her home.
As I walked into town that first day to scope out avocados (obviously), I was filled with a sense of light and contentedness that I hadn’t felt since India. Like a blend of the peaceful remote quiet of Munroe Island in Kerala, and the small town flutter of Pondicherry aka The French Quarter.
seven shades of blue
If you google Bacalar you will see that it’s on Lake Bacalar, also called the Lagoon (Laguna in Spanish) of Seven Colors, and you will also likely find it referred to as ‘magical’. I’ve since heard this description being used in many contexts as it relates to Bacalar, but for me it’s become a place of the ‘magical healing waters’. The tour guides on my sunrise-stand-up-paddle-board tour took some time to explain to the group the history and importance of the laguna in which they’d made the decision to call home.
The laguna was first home to thousand year old photosynthesizing microbes layered to form Estromatolitos (or Stromatolites). Estromatolitos in fossil form are recorded as ancient life on Earth. They can be found in hypersaline lakes like in Western Australia, or in freshwater lagoons like Bacalar, to name just a couple. The mineral content is so high that it makes it almost impossible for most wildlife to survive, which protects the Estromatolitos from being destroyed and allows them to continue to release an abundance of oxygen into the water.
mermaid goals and dream herb
I’d had three days swimming in the ‘magical healing waters’, and I started seeing an incredible improvement in my Psoriasis, which had been starting to flare up over the last few months.
Needless to say I tried to spend as much time as I could in the water, and would literally be in the lagoon until after sunset some days, watching the sky change color and trying to soak up all the minerals I could. Growing up (and still to this day) my Mom had always said I was like a fish in water. I excelled at swim lessons, loved spending summers on the lakes, and I still love being by and in the water.
With the laguna being fresh water it was easy on the eyes to be under water and I spent so much time completely submerged. I wound’t be surprised, with the amount that went into my ears and nose, if my water content was now half laguna agua!
The water was shallow enough to stand, and I found myself diving down over and over and instinctively practicing my mermaid tail kicks..for real. I was having flash backs of the Little Mermaid movie adaptation recently released on Netflix that I had just watched, and was out there so long without a soul around I think I actually thought I WAS a mermaid. Or maybe I was subconsciously tapping into dreams I might have had the previous night after smoking the dream herb (calea zacatechichi) with my host Laura.
Wait, pause, what?
Yeah I know, I was just as surprised when this sweet, gorgeous, life coach, nature loving, composting, Mexican mother of an 18 year old asked me after dinner one night if I wanted to smoke or drink the herb with her. After getting over my surprise, I googled it for awhile before agreeing – feeling like there was no way this beautiful hippie who had lived with the indigenous people in the Mexican mountains could lead me astray.
Laura and I had become quite close considering I had just been there a couple days, and I felt like I could trust her. When she lived in the mountains they used nothing but plants for food, nutrition and medicine, and this was when she was exposed to the dream herb. So we rolled some herb and sat in the dark in the garden under the stars smoking a very very bitter tasting plant.
Anxieties relieved, I felt nothing but slightly tired, and packed it in for an early (as usual) night. Many people use the dream herb to get answers to questions they find themselves plagued with, so I was hopeful yet trying not to put too much pressure on this one smoke to reveal to me the meaning of life, or anything quite that substantial. I didn’t end up having any lucid dreams but I thought maybe that’s where part of my mermaid manifestation could have come from, in combination with the movie.
There’s a funny meme out there with a photo of a mermaid with the text saying:
‘If your thighs are touching then you’re one step closer to being a mermaid, so who’s the real winner here’
It’s always spoken to me!
So there I was, half lagoon water, half mermaid.
Moving on.
saying goodbye
I continued to ride the ebb and flow of this place in life I have found myself. Not quite certain what feeling or adventure would be around the corner. I would go from moments of utter content and cheerfulness in Bacalar to unannounced pangs of longing and confusion. But the ‘emptiness’ of the days had welcomed ideas and growth to fill it’s space.
Yesterday I discovered I think I’d be really good at copy writing, and thought it would make a good side hustle. One more idea that will likely sit and marinate for awhile. But you know what they say, the more you put it out there the more likely is it to continue to take space in your world and expose itself to your accountability.
My days at the laguna were lazy and relaxing yet full and productive at the same time. I felt safe there and I didn’t want to move. But I know I needed to move on, see more, and take more in. With two unplanned weeks ahead of me a feeling of overwhelm had settled in. With no more than the names of three cities in mind to visit, and a page of recommended places within these cities that needed researching, accommodations and transportation that needed to be figured out and booked, I knew this required my immediate attention. As did the laundry that was piling up! Of course the lavanderia closes early on Sundays so that was to remain a Monday task.
I feared I would l regret leaving the laguna. Leaving the routine I had settled into in the little jungle house I ended up having all to myself.
A routine of quiet mornings soaked in coffee, followed by yoga and swimming, reading, researching, web designing, and creating and curating With Love From Lina Instagram (IG) content. Which, as it relates to the latter, has begun to feel like a bit of a double edged sword. So I encourage myself to tread lightly in the paradoxically connecting and disconnecting social online waters, to continue to use it to support my vision for my website and blog, to keep sharing from my heart, but not to get caught up in needing acceptance or validation from it.
As I explore the ancient ruins of Palenque in 40 degree February heat I look back fondly on Bacalar and it’s magnificent seven hues of blue. Not with regret or sadness for leaving, though I do miss it already, but with gratitude for finding it.
As for the Bacalar blues?! How can I be blue, it’s Valentines day!
And I’ve been lucky witness to many displays of sweet gestures and affections around this new town today, and it’s made me smile to see all the love in action.
Sending much love to all of you on this day, and hoping yours is filled with all the love you deserve.
Sign-up to our Community
Enjoy following my travel adventures and want to be notified when new blogs are posted? Complete the form below & subscribe to our mailing list where you can receive regular blog notifications, insights & information about featured products, events and other things Loved by Lina!
stay on topic
11/15/2020
English