June 2022. Although I have been in Mexico before, the last time was in 1994-1995. Twenty-seven years later, Oriol and I are doing a classic tour of the United Mexican States, featuring Mexico City (CDMX); Palenque in Chiapas; Villahermosa in Tabasco; Uxmal, Mérida, Chichen Itza, Ek’ Balam, Valladolid,  and a few cenotes (waterholes) in Yucatán and Tulum in Quintana Roo. We returned via Cancún to CDMX and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

In Valladolid, we spotted a panel of ‘Amor es amor‘, love is love. Yes, also in Valladolid June is pride month. On the Saturday, there was a Marcha por la Diversidad Sexual Valladolid Yucatán or March for Sexual Diversity. We decided to go look.

When we got to the starting point, I chickened out. There was barely anyone and I felt an intruder. So we went back to the city centre. But a few hours later, I did hear and see the pride parade. Maybe a hundred people and a few cars had gathered. Not a big crowd, but still enthusiastic and cheered on. 

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Close encounters of the queer kind

Of course, Oriol and I explored the seven circles of hell, also known as Grindr. This gay hook-up app seemed popular enough in Mexico. Grindr is not the go-to gay hook-up app everywhere in the world.

There was a big difference between Grindr in CDMX and Grindr outside the capital. In Mexico City, many profiles were open and inviting and showed actual people. 

I didn’t date in CDMX, I was tired in the evenings and didn’t feel like spending negotiation time on Grindr. But I dod talk to some really nice guys. The overall vibe was more friendly than Grindr in Antwerp, where there is palpable arrogance. 

In the other cities, and especially in Valladolid, I did have time to set up some brief encounter. So I did. 

Profiles were often anonymous at first, but users are to quick to share photos. Most are direct. They want to suck (mamar), fuck (coger) or just cuddle (faje). Other important information is your role: top (activo) or bottom (pasivo). There were many pasivos. 

Other important information is con lugar or sin lugar. Can you host or not. Many can’t or won’t host. Including us, as we stayed ad a very strict hotel and we shared the bed. And no we were not up for threesomes. 

As everywhere on dating some negotiations lead to nothing. That’s how it is. Some do, though. 

We were quite in demand even if we do not have the Instagram body and we do not enjoy pretty privilege. That’s the privilege of being able to get and do more and you get away with more because you’re seen as beautiful. 

I think our higher value comes from us being exotic and foreign. Less chance to out the discreet daters as we don’t know people in town. 

As my Spanish is rudimentary and I had to learn the jargon quickly, sometimes it was hard to connect. But I made it work. 

Mexico 2022

1. REVIEW | KLM Amsterdam Schiphol to Mexico City on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner in economy.
2. MEXICO CITY | Zócalo.
3. MEXICO CITY | Templo Mayor.
4. REVIEW | Hotel Carlota in Mexico City.
5. MEXICO | Teotihuacan.
6. MEXICO CITY | National Museum of Anthropology or Museo Nacional de Antropología.
7. FORMULA 1 MEXICO CITY GRAND PRIX | Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
8. MEXICO CITY | Museo Nacional de Historia at Castillo de Chapultepec.
9. MEXICO CITY | Frida Kahlo Museum.
10. MEXICO CITY | Coyoacán.
11. Mexico City 2022.
12. REVIEW | Mexico City – Villahermosa with Volaris.
13. MEXICO | Palenque.
14. REVIEW | Hotel Zyan Rooms in Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico.
15. MEXICO | Villahermosa in Tabasco.
16. REVIEW | Aeroméxico Villahermosa – Mexico City – Mérida on Boeing 737-8 MAX.
17. YUCATÁN | Uxmal.
18. REVIEW | Casa Chaká Boutique Ka’an Room in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico.
19. YUCATÁN | Mérida.
20. YUCATÁN | Chichen Itza.
21. YUCATÁN | Ek’ Balam.
22. REVIEW | Colonté Hotel Origen in Valladolid, Yucatán, Mexico.