Live Like a Local

Mar 18

Life on the Road – The Business of Travel Blogging

Posted by T.W. Anderson | Blogging, Entrepreneur, Live Like a Local, Writing | 2 Comments

Is finally here!

After three months of hard work, we’re finally publishing our latest book: Life on the Road – The Business of Travel Blogging.

Forget the Photoshopped and filtered photos and videos that show up as the final result in blog posts. These are the nuts and bolts of blogging that are normally completely behind the scenes; the 6 a.m. until 10 p.m. grind, the morning edits, emails, social media routines, article planning, drafting, editing, photo shoots, planning for video shoots, mosquitoes and sweaty jungle-crawling, blisters from riding a pack-mule through the mountains for three days, scheduling, nightmare rides at night in rickety vans through the mountains, proposals, press tours, press kits, meetings, presentations, negotiations, film shoots, editing film and photos, cutting and splicing, processing and uploading, sharing and networking, public relations and beyond. Read More

Jan 13

How Living Abroad Made Me More Frugal

Posted by T.W. Anderson | Live Like a Local, Quality of Life, Traveling Tips | 33 Comments

(Or Becoming the Cheap Bastard My Friends Love to Tease)

One of the recurring themes throughout all of my publications (and most other “how to live a life abroad” posts, articles and books by other travel bloggers) is how to live cheaply. I’ve talked about it in regards to transportation, in regards to open markets, in regards to negotiating for accommodations, using discount days at the supermarkets, discount days at restaurants, and two for one days at the movie theaters.

I’ve picked up a lot of these habits over the years, which have led me to leading a frugal, down-to-earth existence where I don’t purchase things unless they are absolutely necessary, and even then, only doing so if I can get the best deal…even if I can afford to buy it at full price. Consequently, this has also led to me becoming known as the “cheap bastard” to some of my friends, and the “white Mexican” to others, and “mexicano” to my wife and Mexican family/friends. Read More

Dec 04

Streets of Cancun – Local Neighborhoods

Posted by T.W. Anderson | Cancun, Live Like a Local, Mexico | 9 Comments

As I’m fond of saying, if you do a Google search of Cancun the only thing that shows up in the search results are pictures of naked people shit-faced drunk on the beach celebrating Spring Break, as well as plenty of photos of the beaches and all-inclusive resorts, condos and hotels. But what about the mainland, the city that exists beyond the pristine walls of the all-inclusive compounds and their English-speaking staff and American restaurants, plazas and Starbucks?

We live in the real Cancun. That is, the city beyond the tourist attractions. The mainland city where the workers who keep the all-inclusive zone functioning live and breathe and where hundreds of thousands of everyday, middle-class Mexicans have homes, cars, schools, hospitals, grocery stores, parks, plazas and yes, even subdivisions and mortgages and the same style of life that every other Western civilization has. Today’s article takes a look at the local streets and neighborhoods that make up the actual pueblo that has become renowned the world over as one of the top beach destinations for vacation. Read More

Dec 03

Ya Estas! In Cancun

Posted by T.W. Anderson | Cancun, culture, Food, Live Like a Local, Mexico | 8 Comments

There’s good, bad, expensive, cheap, greasy, organic, home-style and chain restaurants to choose from when visiting Cancun. If you stick to the Hotel Zone you’ll only ever come across the American-style chains like the Hard Rock Cafe, Outback Steakhouse or Applebees – tired options that you can have any day of the week while back home. If you are looking for real Mexican food while enjoying a vacation in the tropics, you have to get out of the tourist zone and enjoy some of the places that we eat on a daily basis since we live here. Such as Ya Estas! here in the heart of downtown Centro. Read More

Nov 22

Market 23 in Cancun

Posted by T.W. Anderson | Cancun, culture, Food, Live Like a Local, Mexico | 2 Comments

Fresh fruits and vegetables, spices and herbs, fish, pork, beef, chicken, duck, farm-fresh eggs, hand-made goods, soaps and shampoos, cheeses and beyond, Market 23 is the only open-air local market in Cancun. While it’s located in Centro and is sometimes frequented by tourists, the vast majority of daily traffic here comes from the locals. If you are looking for fresh produce for the table, this is the only place you want to be. Read More