An Unbelievable Natural Wonder Found In Mexican Mountains

An Unbelievable Natural Wonder Found In Mexican Mountains

CHESCA: If these Maxico roads don’t kill our van, it’ll be a miracle. We are in the middle of our journey from Alaska to Argentina and we’re getting deep into the heart of Mexico now. You’ve seen the challenges we’ve faced already in this crazy country,

And this weak the roads continue to get wilder and the sites even more spectacular. Van life in Mexico is a rollercoaster in every sense imaginable. CHESCA: This doesn’t feel like it’s the right way. Subscribe and join us for the ride with a new video every Sunday.

BEN: Can you get me a bowl of food, please? CHESCA: Welcome back! I don’t think we’ve started a vlog in the evening before, have we? BEN: I would guess we’ve never started a vlog in the evening. And never a vlog so late in the evening as well. CHESCA: I know.

We are still in San Miguel de Allende. We haven’t left this little town. It’s one of those places that is really hard to leave. We are within walking distance of some incredible bars, restaurants, cafes, the prettiest streets we’ve ever seen.

I just went for a walk today with a camera to take some photos and stuff. Went down a street, I hadn’t been down before and it was like I was in a whole new world again. Cobblestone streets, Christmas lights, beautiful little boutiques and courtyards and… Can you tell we like it here?

Tonight’s our last night here. We’re going to a place called Puebla for Christmas. It’s just south of Mexico City. But yeah, tonight is our last night in San Miguel before we head south toward Puebla for Christmas. And we’ve got one thing that I’ve wanted to do

For ages since we’ve been here and haven’t done yet. So, we’re going to go do that tonight, aren’t we? BEN: We are. Yeah. CHESCA: So, we’re only a ten-minute walk into the centre from our little campsite that we’ve been staying at. And I’m going to take Ben through the little

Secret street that I found early on today. Honestly, it was so magical. BEN: Wow. CHESCA: How beautiful is this? It almost looks like something from Hogwards. This cobblestone road, these beautiful Christmas lights, BEN: Looks like something out of Harry Potter. CHESCA: It is. Yeah.

One thing I love about the Christmas lights here as well is they’re not like the tacky shapes of a bell, the shapes of a Christmas tree, half the lights are broken. Every single light is made of this handcrafted metal in the shape of a star, inlaid with multicoloured glass.

All of these lights that you can see. How beautiful is that? BEN: That’s a lot quieter when we were here last, isn’t it? We like this. CHESCA: We came here to watch the Christmas light on in all of the madness and chaos. I didn’t fully appreciate how beautiful this Christmas tree is.

It’s like a work of art. So, unfortunately, at this point, our microphone decided to stop working. But I’ll do my best to reenact the audio. I think Ben is saying, we’ve come to one of the most famous places in town for churros and chocolate.

Literally, come with a giant mug of hot chocolate to dip them in. Here they’re making them and here’s me about to eat them. Mhmm. No more words. Here’s me dipping into the mug, having a good old bite. Oh my God! It’s so soft inside and chewy and perfectly crunchy on the outside.

A little bit moist. As I give a good old swirl in the mug of chocolate. And the best bit is afterwards you get to drink the mug of hot chocolate. What a place. I think I am saying here, you can tell how popular it is because it is packed.

Including the bar, there is not a spare seat in the place. And then, our microphone decided to start working again. BEN: Massive queues to get in there now. We turned up just at the right time. CHESCA: I keep seeing this corn. It’s a street food.

She’s basically lathered it in mayo, I think cheese, some spicy powder and lime. Oh my God. That’s amazing! That sweetcorn is so buttery. Oh, and those toppings are amazing. This is probably the best corn on the cob, of my life. I’m not joking! So good! I love Maxico.

Heading back to the van now. We’ve got an early start tomorrow. Loved our time in San Miguel. BEN: Yeah, we have. CHESCA: So, before we leave tomorrow, let’s have a nice glass of wine with our lovely and crazy French-Canadian neighbours. We’re just having a night cup with our French neighbours.

This is Deni and Rinee. These guys have been travelling from Canada to Mexico for the past twenty-two years. They have a wealth of information and an excellent company. CHESCA: Cheers. DENI: Cheers. It is very… It’s unique, it’s unique. CHESCA: So demanding. Hey buddy. Ow ow ow.

Good morning. We’re up bright and early today. We’ve got a big day ahead of us. Today, we’re going to do something that I’ve been looking forward to doing, ever since we’ve come to Mexico and I found out that this thing happens here. And it is on our route.

But it’s quite a big drive away and it is also very weather dependent. We need sunshine. Some of you might be able to guess what it is from that alone. So, the guys that run this place do up old VW beetles. There is one over here. You actually see them all over Mexico.

And this one is being turned into cool dune buggy. But what I wanted to show you, Does anybody recognise that number plate or that style of number plate? It’s a British one! All the way here in a little campsite in Mexico. We haven’t actually seen a lot of Brits over here,

So to see these little reminders of home is really really nice. This is River’s boyfriend. Everyone say bye. Bye Bye. Bye. What a nice little spot this has been. BEN: This has been really nice and amazing company as well. Really enjoyed that.

CHESCA: What is funny is that if you saw last week’s video, you’d have seen that we were driving all the narrow tiny cobblestone back streets to get to that campsite. And actually, it is just down the main road then a right turn in there. It’s actually really easy and simple to find.

We didn’t have to take all those roads. That was a Google Maps route. Back on the main road already? We’ve got about a three-hour drive ahead of us right now, we really needed it to be sunny with what we’re going to go and see today.

When we left San Miguel, it was kind of rainy and grey. And as we’re driving south, the blue sky is coming out. Just keep your fingers crossed for us, that the sun is shining and the skies are clear. CHESCA: So we’ve driven a couple of hours south now.

The road that we’re just on is really really rough there are so many potholes. It is slow going. And there’s five or six lorries all doing about 5 mph. And everyone is trying to get past them. BEN: Clouds have come over, and it’s starting to rain.

We’re about an hour and a half away from where we need to be. This is not the weather we needed. CHESCA: But it’s absolutely beautiful to drive up through the mountains. It is so lush and green. Going through all these little Villages, they’ve got horses and sheep out in their gardens.

It’s really really pretty up here. This doesn’t feel like it’s the right way. BEN: I’m not looking forward to driving back down this road. CHESCA: This doesn’t feel like it’s the right way, it’s so narrow and twisty. But all of the road signs are pointing this way.

Google bought us this way and looking at Google, this is one of two ways. And the other way looks just the same. If these Maxico roads don’t kill our van, it’ll be a miracle. They are so intense. BEN: It’s that rough. It knocked the sliding door off its locked hatch.

So, it’s slightly open. God. CHESCA: Look how high up we are. BEN: I know. We just came to this little mountain village. It’s a bit of a rough road driving up here. I’m perfectly honest. I don’t know how the tour buses if tour buses even come here this way.

CHESCA: Maybe we’ve taken the wrong route. BEN: I probably should have gone through the other route. CHESCA: Mexican traffic jam, some stray dogs and some horses. BEN: Dogs running there. CHESCA: Go away, little dog. BEN: He’s still running. CHESCA: Yeah, honestly. BEN: These roads are rough and steep.

CHESCA: I think this is the top parking lot, we think this is the smaller one. There’s really not much space or anything. So, we’ve seen on Google Maps, the space is further down. Not 100% sure this is the parking lot but we’re going to give it a go anyway.

CHESCA: This looks a bit more like it. BEN: There we go. Much much more room. Looks like bloody a Scout. It’s like a little Scout. CHESCA: Oh, Hello. Hello. Oh, you’re a little puppy. BEN: Can you get me a bowl of food, please? She is starving.

Reminds you so much of Scout. Just a little soft, like people’s face. CHESCA: People’s face? BEN: Yeah. BEN: She is very thin. It’s a lot of street dogs here. They are everywhere here. CHESCA: Oh! Look at that rain. BEN: Oh my God! CHESCA: So, if you’re wondering,

Why we are driving those crazy roads through the mountains to get here. We are coming to see the Monarch butterfly migration. I’ve wanted to see this for so long. I actually thought it happened in the Amazon. And then when I was researching Mexico,

I found out that it happens here and it is on our route south. Every year, millions and millions of Monarch butterflies, migrate from the Great Lakes region of the US and Canada, 4500 miles. They’re the only insect to do that, the only butterfly to do that.

They only fly when the sun is out. If it’s cloudy, they kind of cling to the trees. And as you can see, these skies are not looking very clear. Apparently, tomorrow is meant to be much sunnier. So, I think we’re going to stay here tonight,

Rest after that big crazy drive and it’s still like an hour’s hike into the forest. So, fingers crossed, tomorrow we get to see one of Nature’s most incredible spectacles. Looks like I’m matching the skies today. What a good job we waited. This is the perfect condition to see the butterflies.

Oh, what a difference to the rainclouds of yesterday. BEN: I know, it’s beautiful, isn’t it here? CHESCA: Here, in the mountains of central Mexico, you can find one of Nature’s greatest wonders and one of her greatest mysteries. Each year as winter draws in, millions of Monarch butterflies arrive to these forests.

This little butterfly is one such arrival. She has just undertaken one of the greatest journeys in the animal kingdom. Flying from the far north of the US and Canada down to the mountains of central Mexico. Over 4500 thousand miles. But she won’t make the journey again. But her legacy will continue.

Her offspring will be born here and in the spring, they’ll begin a new journey north, back to where their parents left from. But they won’t make it all the way. They’ll only live for six weeks and their offspring will do the same. Flying north for six weeks until they too die.

That is until we reach the fourth generation. For reasons we don’t yet understand, the great-great-grandchild of our little butterfly here will not live for six weeks. But for nine months. She will be the one to fly south to Mexico. Just like her great-great-grandmother before her.

This incredible journey is not undertaken by any other butterfly on earth. We don’t know why they return only to these forests, nor how they do it. But somehow every year, millions of these monarch butterflies return to these sacred groves in Mexico. It truly is one of the great natural wonders of the world.

So, probably what should be one of the seven natural wonders of the world. What were your expectations? BEN: My expectations were like the scene in Batman Begins. When he finds his cave and he’s stood there and he stands up and all the bats

Flying past him and I thought I was going to be stood there with butterflies on me. They’d just whosh and pass, get slapped in the face with wings. That was my expectation. Seriously. I honestly thought they’d be everywhere like this. CHESCA: They were everywhere.

But the reality is that you’re kind of behind a barrier. obviously to protect the butterflies. But they’re up 50 feet in the canopy. The clumps that they form on the trees, they do look incredible. Everyone has to be quiet that whole time.

So the whole the in the forest there’s all these signs for everyone not to talk. And obviously not to disturb them. And what it means is that when the butterflies do fly off in there, in there like thousands of them. You can just hear their wings. It’s so delicate.

It’s such a cool sound, you can just hear the rustling of their wings. And there are millions of them who come down here every year from the Great Lakes area of the US or Canada. I mean it blows my mind that…

So the butterflies that are here, they will have offspring here and they will die here. And they somehow four generations apart know exactly where to go to this area of Mexico. BEN: They all carry a little map. It’s rolled up under their wing

Look at that. Oh! We should have turned left to Boston. I would just say, to bear in mind that you’ll be behind the barrier, the butterflies are up above you, rather than around you. But once you get over that and you get over the fact that you’re not David Attenborough.

Then it was still a spectacle to see. Wasn’t it? BEN: It was. Yeah. CHESCA: Now we need to get off this mountain. BEN: Yeah. Oh God, here we go. Right. We’re going to go down the way that the tour busses came up from the way that Google Maps told us not to go.

CHESCA: Yeah, if you remember we said there were two ways up and we’re like, oh, we’ll go this way. Obviously, we went the wrong way. So, the tour buses… and apparently, it’s all paved that way BEN: So, we’re going that way. CHESCA: Let’s see what this road looks like.

This looks like a bit of a normal road. What do you say? BEN: Yeah, much more normal. Look at it. Yeah, two lanes of traffic. I think Chesca set me up last time. Because this drive back down has been double lanes, you can easily get two buses going through this place.

Rather than the horrendous mountain pass hanging off the edge of the cliff. CHESCA: And so we left behind the butterfly mountains and made our way south to find somewhere to camp for the night. Passing by hundreds of Poinsettia farms. You know the Christmas flower your mum has dug out from the attic

Every Christmas since 1980? Anyway, we arrived at a lake spot, paying 200 pesos to the land owner to safely camp for the night. We are ready for a rest. Well, that was a bit of a longer drive down the mountain to the lake than I thought. BEN: Yes. A lot longer.

CHESCA: But I was just looking back at some of the footage of the butterflies and I’m so glad we got to see that. BEN: Well, it was a really impressive thing to see. CHESCA: It was amazing. I’m so glad we got to see that. What a way to round up the year.

BEN: Yeah. We made it down to this lake. And our Christmas holiday officially starts…now. CHESCA: Bye. BEN: Off we go. We are few ours outside of Puebla. Which is where we’ve got an Airbnb for Christmas and New Year. Which we’re very much looking forward to. Aren’t we?

So, yeah. Our Christmas holiday starts now. Yeah, it’s much needed. A lot of you have said, guys take a break. You need it. And we’re going to be taking a break over Christmas. We’re going to be back the first or second week in January. We’re not sure yet.

We are doing a Patreon Christmas Zoom party. Over on our Patreon on the 23rd of December, Saturday the 23rd. So, there’s still time to join if you want to join us for that. But if not, we’ll be back on January 1st or the second week.

Next year is going to be intense. We’re going to be heading into South America. Got my fingers crossed, that we should be getting into Argentina. And as soon as we get back in January, we’re going to be heading into South South Mexico, Guatemala and Belize. It’s all kicking off.

BEN: Would you believe it? CHESCA: Would you believe it? But yeah, thank you so much everyone for your support and for joining us over the past year. You’ve been with us all the way up to Alaska, all the way down to Mexico and it is just going to get even better from here.

Thank you so much for your love, for your support, and wish you the most amazing Christmas and New Year. CHESCA: And we shall catch you, BEN: Next year. CHESCA: In 2024. BEN: Bye. CHESCA: Bye.

We’re taking our UK campervan deep into the heart of Mexico and having spent a civilised week in San Miguel de Allende, enjoying all the bars, restaurants and street food the place can offer, we flip 180 and drive our van into the mountains of Michoacan, in search of one of nature’s greatest wonders. Van life in Mexico is getting wilder and we’re bumping along, sometimes wondering “how the hell did we get here?”

↡ SAVE FOR YOUR OWN TRAVELS! ↡
📍 San Miguel de Allende (https://maps.app.goo.gl/t6DzjFie6qry2yzR8)
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↠ IN THIS VIDEO
00:00 – 02:00 – We can’t leave this place!
02:01 – 03:18 – San Migeul de Allende by night
03:19 – 06:06 – We had to do this before we left
06:07 – 09:29 – Preparing for a new adventure
09:30 – 11:48 – Deep in the mountains, but this is the wrong road
11:49 – 12:46 – The hardest part of van life in Mexico 😢
12:46 – 13:48 – Why we drove these crazy mountain roads
13:49 – 18:37 – Witnessing the Monarch Butterfly Migration
18:38 – It’s Time to Rest ✨

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↠ WANT TO WATCH MORE?
Van Life France to Sicily Series
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Van Life UK Series
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Van Life Portugal Series
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Van Life Spain Series
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↠ A BIT ABOUT US
We’re Chesca and Ben, and with our two pups River & Scout (🐶 🐶 ) we live and travel full-time in our self converted sprinter van, Sophia. We spent the past 2 years road tripping as much of Europe as we could, from the wild coasts of Portugal to the Syrian border in Turkey, tackling lockdowns and a van re-build along the way. But now, we’re feeling like a new challenge. In the summer of 2022, we’ll be shipping our van from the UK to Canada, on a mission to drive her all the way to Argentina!

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