Hasta La Vista Highgate! Mexico here I come ........

Hola mis amigos, he vuelto!! (Hopefully translated as 'Hello my friends, I am back!' But if not I apologise should I have actually said anything offensive;  please blame it on the Spanish/English translator on my ipad!?)

Yes, once again it is that time of year!! The time of year when "I pack up my troubles in my old kit bag and ..."  fly off somewhere exotic and exciting and preferably much hotter and drier than over here!!!

Previously, I have vicariously taken you East, through a few countries in Asia, but this time round we are going WEST!!! To the continent of America.

We fly out tomorrow to spend a couple of days in Mexico City, with the intention of squeezing in a few sights in the largest city in the world before meeting up with a group of 14 other fellow travellers and spending the next three weeks travelling with them through Southern Mexico, into Belize and finishing in Guatemala.

After which, everyone goes on their merry way and I fly back up to Mexico, to spend a few days chilling out on a beach and drinking Tequila!!

But who am I going away with this year? I hear you ask. Well my partner in crime has asked to remain anonymous and would like to be referred to as 'The Girl with the Golden Curls'!! However, I feel that may be a tad too much to keep typing, so from here on in she will be known as 'Travel Companion' or 'TC' for short - (Suffice it to say, those of you that travelled with me through my blog in India two years ago, may well recognise my feisty little Travel Companion and her little idiosyncrasies - need I say more)!

I feel I should also point out, that whilst I was happily planning on returning to Asia and exploring some more of that amazing continent, it was 'TC' who suggested going to Mexico instead, just like she had chosen to go to India the last time we travelled together. And just like that last time, she has been quite adamant that she will be unrecognisable during the said travelling, by promising a new stress free attitude to life, as well as ensuring to remain in complete control of her OCD issues ... but dear reader, you and I have heard this all before haven't we? And we all KNOW what happened in India!

Since last I blogged, the year has been a whirlwind of ups and downs, tears and laughter, fun and follicks and accidents and emergencies (a trip to the hospital on a tiny Island in Greece in order to retrieve a rogue ear plug stuck down my lughole this summer was an hysterical experience). 

The highlight of the year was my sister's wedding!! It was such an amazing day that will be etched in my memory for ever more - particularly when the Groom's mobile phone rang just after the Registrar asked if anyone had anything to say against them becoming man and wife - but luckily it was just the AA and apparently they had a special offer on that day!!!??

Sadly the lowest point of the year was a few months back with the news that my lovely dad has Motor Neurone Disease. Understandably devastating to all of us. And yet again the love and support we are receiving from family and friends has been overwhelming and amazing and I thank you all.

My mum has told me not to cancel this trip, in her words 'Don't you dare, I want you to travel the world and do as much with your life as you can - while you can!'.

And so I  have packed my brand new ruck sack (unfortunately I couldn't find a pink one), put my passport in it's new protective cover (yes a pink one) and strapped on my new walking boots (yes you got it, partially pink), I am now excited and raring to go.

Whilst travelling through India two years ago, I received an email from my dad. He had never really been one for expressing gushy sentiment, but instead will always have a joke and a story to tell. So this particular email kind of took me by surprise and because of that I wanted to share it with you:

My darling Rosalie,
You astound me. Your writings are magnificent I honestly believe you could  have a new career writing.
My love we miss you like mad but it's lovely to know you are having such a  fantastic time.
My love to you both and Ros, keep up the fab blogs.  Keep up the good work and enjoying yourselves so much.
All my love
Dad

This time round, I am dedicating my blog to my wonderful father Melvyn, who I hope manages to read this years installment and if so 'Dad, it seems I have inherited your ability to tell a story and laugh at an awkward situation - as well as myself -  and that has been my saviour in so many ways. I love you too'!!!

And so now back to 'the story' ...

My Travel Companion is fluent in Spanish (as well as French and Russian!) and I have asked her to be aware that I only know two Spanish phrases: 'Donde esta la mantequilla', which means 'Where is the butter' - I don't know why I know that phrase, I just like how it sounds!!! And 'Quien es tu papi?!', which means 'Who's your daddy?!' Don't ask me how I know that phrase, but suffice it to say I went out with a Mexican many years ago and apparently it's generally ill advised to go using it out on the streets of Mexico - it kinda gives out the wrong impression!

I promised TC that I would try and learn some more Spanish if I possibly could and tried to explain that unlike her, learning languages has never been something that I have found easy or in fact possible. To which she replied:

"Well I don't understand why, I mean you picked up English pretty well".

Ho, hum ... we have a long journey ahead ...