How getting sick in Mexico City changed this trip

Hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc

The original title for this photoset was ‘Hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc’. The entire purpose of this trip was for me to hike the Tour du Mont Blanc. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to successfully do the trail, but I wanted to try. I booked accomodation months in advance, only to stay in my room searching for a doctor. Getting sick in Mexico City turned this trip upside down, to say the least. Every day before the hike was a chance for me to get better but I never did. I had to call off the hike and come to the realization that I had to find a doctor. Finding a doctor and being prescribed antibiotics was the saving grace for this trip. I felt much better the following day, and I was able to continue the trip. However, the hike was over at this point because I had to start June 15th.

The trip was transformed into exploring the South of France and Spain. A good trip overall, but not the trip I had originally planned.

Taquería El Califa de León

1 Michelin Star

The Michelin Guide recently recognized Mexico, a country with world renowned cuisine with a guide of their own. Many well-respected restaurants in the city made the list, but one in particular did capture my attention, Taquería El Califa de León.

El Califa de León is a taco stand, like many others in the city. The difference with this one is they won a Michelin star. Restaurants with a Michelin star are meant to highlight the best of cuisine and deliver a culinary experience. To this day I don’t know why they won a star. The tacos were good, but they weren’t special. The salsas were good, but the salsas were great at every other taco stand I visited when I was in Mexico City. If you’re in the city, stop for tacos here. They’re good, they’re just not Michelin good.

It was probably the water

I don’t know what made me sick in Mexico City. It could’ve been the water, or maybe it was something I ate. Getting sick before a trip I had planned for a year was not part of the plan. I wasn’t violently sick but there was no way I was going to be able to hike 100 miles in 10 days. I always hoped I would get better, but I never did. I ultimately had to find a doctor and have antibiotics prescribed. 70€ later and some anti-biotics was all I needed to be back. Unfortunately it was too late to start the hike, due to the dates I had accommodation for.

Arriving in Chamonix

I arrived to Chamonix on a cold and cloudy day. I made my way to a pizzeria that served great pizza, had dinner and went to bed. It was a tough night, spending most of It in the restroom. This is when I realized this trip I had been planning for almost a year had to be called off and I had to find a doctor.

Leaving Chamonix without starting the TMB

Leaving Chamonix was hard emotionally. I felt defeated in my hike, not by a strenuous climb that continues for miles with the blaring sun, but by a bug in my stomach. I ultimately had to abandon the hike and modify the trip, something that was costly to say the least. In January I booked refugees along the trail, and it was nearly 700€ in total, most of it went to waste. I did however send someone on the trail my reservations and he did use a few.

Now, more than ever I must go back and do the TMB. The area is among the most beautiful places I have ever been to. This trip was in June, and I will modify it going forward. June is still a bit early for the TMB, as there’s quite a bit of snow. Aiming for September of next year, as it’s still summer but the trail tends to be less trafficked.

Annecy or Geneva

As I was leaving Chamonix, I had to decide where I wanted to go. Do I want to go to Geneva and spend 500 CHF on a hotel or do I want to visit Annecy. I have been to other Swiss cities before, and I wasn’t interested in spending that kind of money to see Geneva.

Annecy is beautiful and further reinforced the idea that France is so much more than Paris. I was in Annecy for a day, before departing for Lyon, Moulins and eventually the south of France.

Moulins, France

In recent writings, I have expressed my shift in sentiment regarding what defines a trip. When I first started traveling, small things like first class travel or an old bottle of champagne was what made me happy and giddy. I feel like I am past that and have been for a while. To reinforce the sentiment in previous writings, trips are entirely about the people you spend time with.

The simple act of sharing a meal

The trip to Moulins was a spontaneous decision I made as I was sitting in Lyon, having dinner by myself. As much as I love traveling, having dinner by yourself sucks. I messaged someone I met in Singapore and asked if she was free the following day. She was, and it was her birthday the following day, which was even more of a reason to go.

We had dinner at Le Bivouak Moulins, a beautiful restaurant by the river. We both had duck, which was fabulous, along with a bottle of chardonnay and a crème brûlée to finish the night. Hours passed, full of incredible conversation and laughter. These are the moments that define what makes a great trip.

Marseille was my favorite city in the South of France

The change of plans meant I had more time to dedicate to the South of France. I visited Marseille, Cannes and Nice. Marseille was easily, my favorite city— followed by Nice and lastly Cannes.

Marseille in the summer has an energy that I didn’t sense in any other French city. This energy was emphasized by being in Marseille on the first day of summer. The French will celebrate with Fête de la Musique. Fête de la Musique is a celebration of the first day of summer with large groups playing music in the street.

Marseille had a lot to offer in terms of music, culture and food. However, architecturally— Marseille is gorgeous. There’s a blend of architecture encompassing medieval buildings to modern designs, incorporating culture roots and the landscape.

Cathédrale Sainte-Marie-Majeure de Marseille perfectly integrates medieval design, influenced by the Byzantine. Cathédrale Sainte-Marie-Majeure fuses domes, often used in the middle east to Moorish touches used in Europe.

I was not a fan of Cannes

Cannes was my least favorite out of this trip and ultimately convinced me to stop at Nice and head back to Spain. Cannes felt artificial, the same way Las Vegas feels artificial. Cannes screams new-money and I was turned off by it. I’m glad I was only in Cannes for a night.

Finishing up my time in France

With enough time traveling, something inevitably goes wrong. It was bound to happen, and I had to make the best with the situation I was in. I did enjoy myself in Europe for the month of June. However, the trend of me traveling alone is coming to an end, I feel. Part of what makes a trip a marvelous experience, full of joy is the people you share moments with. I had those experiences on this trip, but I look forward to including other people on my trips.