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Polaroid of the week: Escaping hurricane Ernesto in Mexico

Polaroid of the week: Escaping hurricane Ernesto in Mexico

Last Updated on February 22, 2021

polaroid of the week mexico 2012 hurricane ernesto palm treesIt seems to be a reoccurring theme in our travels – every summer since we hit the road in 2010, we found ourselves in a hurricane. Two years ago we were on the little island of Ambergris Caye off the coast of Belize and just as we arrived, we were informed that there was a hurricane on the way. Our first day and a half on the island were spent watching locals board up and talking about the ferry services that had been suspended. After all the hype, luckily, Matthew had been downgraded to a tropical depression by the time it hit Belize, and we waited it out in our hotel room. Last year on our road trip from New York to New Orleans, hurricane Irene forced us to make a huge detour through the Blue Ridge Mountains instead of driving down the coast of North Carolina.  How else would we have discovered Asheville, a town we really loved?

This year we found ourselves in our little beach house on Mexico’s Caribbean coast and the warnings around then-Tropical Storm Ernesto indicated that it would turn into a hurricane right as the storm hit exactly our sleepy little middle of nowhere town. We boarded up the house, packed our bags and the dog and left – just as the first frightening thunderstorms, forerunners of Ernesto, arrived. Five hours later we pulled into Playa Del Carmen, and even here, 200 miles north, the powerful storm and rains whipped through the streets.

We have heard that our house has survived just fine, so we’re heading back south tomorrow after two (not unwelcome) days back ‘in civilization’ – with unlimited high-speed internet, hot showers, air-conditioning, good coffee and ice cream. We have three weeks left in Mexico, but hopefully we have met our hurricane quota for 2012!

Colleen

Sunday 12th of August 2012

That photo is amazing! Glad the two of you (and your pup) got out of town -- that was a smart decision!

Jess

Tuesday 14th of August 2012

Hey Colleen, thanks! It was definitely an intense storm, some speculate a Category 2 hurricane where we were. Some of the local expats stayed home, but we felt confident that getting out was the best thing to do.

Erica

Sunday 12th of August 2012

Good lord that is some interesting "luck". We got a hurricane in Honduras and that was enough excitement for me.

Dani

Sunday 12th of August 2012

We weren't brave enough to sit it out even though we knew other expats who have houses here were staying - but what we got from the hurricane 200 miles north of the eye (storm and rain) was enough excitement for us!

Ryan at Travel and Graphs

Thursday 9th of August 2012

Yikes! Even though I love storms, there is a point where I think "ok seriously, this is kind of freaking me out."

Glad you have made it out each time!

Dani

Sunday 12th of August 2012

You are right, Ryan - they are fascinating, but then there's the point when it gets too crazy for our liking. Just driving through the thunderstorms that arrived with Ernesto was scary enough for us :D

Andi of My Beautiful Adventures

Thursday 9th of August 2012

Thank goodness everything is okay, what an awesome shot!

Dani

Sunday 12th of August 2012

Thanks Andi :) Yes, we were pretty happy to return to our house and find that there was no major damage - yay!