Author: BOLT

BOLT = Black Old Lesbians Traveling Our mission is to inspire fearless, serendipitous and penniless travel. We are Kathy and Marci Halili Akoma, two retired African-Americans. Join us as we share our travels with you. We hope to hear about yours. Contact us at boltraveling@gmail.com. Like us on www.facebook.com/pages/bolt. Follow us @boltraveling THE WORLD IS OURS...SEE YOU THERE!

A visit to the Fez (Fes) Medina

by BOLT, posted in African American, Fez Morocco, Lesbian, Long term travel, Medina of Fez, Morocco, retirement, Travel, UNESCO world heritage sites, walking

The medina (walled city) in Fez is the oldest and largest one in Morocco. We spent over 6 hours there today, exploring the narrow streets, admiring the beautiful goods for sale and enjoying a day amidst the hustle and bustle of a Saturday in Fez. Everyone was very friendly although some of the sellers were a little pushy. Our guide, Mohammed, was very informative about this UNESCO world heritage site, built in the 9th century.

We visited the ancient Jewish quarter of the Medina. There is a rich history of Judaism in Morroco, although sadly not very many Jews remain.

The medina is home to the oldest university in the world. It is an indescribable feeling to stand in such an ancient place.

We entered the medina through the famous Blue Gate. You can see that the exiting side is green.

Another highlight, although quite smelly, was a visit to the tannery. There, over 600 families ply their centuries old craft of turning goat, cow and camel hide into leather goods. Although smelly, the view from the top was awesome!

We also saw the river that used to divide the medina into 2 sections (Spanish and Tunisian) but is now connected by a bridge.

A visit to the medina of Fez is a must if you are here. Be sure to have good walking shoes and water. Have questions about our visit to Fez? Please email us at boltraveling@gmail.com

Transatlantic Cruise

by BOLT, posted in Travel

We are currently on a 14 day transatlantic cruise. We left from Fort Lauderdale Florida and will end in Barcelona Spain. There are 8 long days at sea before our first port call, which will be in the Canary Islands. I’m loving long days at sea, lots of trivia, music, good food and spending time with my beloved and my best friend

Sunrise
Sunset
BOLT!
Best Friend in the Whole Wide World!

Bolt: Residents of Mexico

by BOLT, posted in Travel

Congratulations to us! We are now official residents of Mexico. We have our green cards and can come in and out as we please. We no longer have to get tourist visas to enter. At this time we have a 4 year temporary residency. We intend to apply for permanent residency at the end of those 4 years.

This is the program that we were qualified under. https://mexicorelocationguide.com/special-residency-program-in-mexico/

If you are not in Mexico you can apply for residency at any Mexican Consulate but the process is much more complicated (but still doable).

It was very helpful to have Vikki and Carlos of Mexican Expat Services assist us, every step of the way. If you have questions or are interested in applying for Mexican residency, they can help. Contact them through WhatsApp at +52 999 112 4795. They also have a wonderful Facebook page .

It gives us a lot of peace of mind to have residency. We are very happy in our Mexican home!

A Trip to Motul

by BOLT, posted in Travel

About 30 minutes from Merida is the charming little town of Motul. It’s a great place for a day trip. The town is the birthplace of Huevos Motulenos. This is a delicious dish of egg, tortilla and beans, covered with a tomato sauce. We ate at the famous Done Evelia’s and then enjoyed a delightful morning of shopping and exploring the town. Enjoy the pictures.

15 Best Things To Do in Merida Mexico 2022: Guide & Tips

by BOLT, posted in African American, Black, cenotes, Long term travel, Merida, Mexico, Mexico, Santa Barbara Cenote, Yucatán, Mexico, Travel

This is a pretty good article about visiting Merida. Living here means we can take our time and visit ALL the things.

https://www.roamingaroundtheworld.com/top-5-things-to-do-in-merida-mexico/

So far we have taken the walking tour which was great. We really enjoyed Pok Ta Pok and I wrote a short blog about it.

We have visited and biked Paseo Montejo as well as several of the plazas.

We’ve enjoyed several day trips, most memorably Chichén Itza and the Santa Barbara Cenotes.

Everything else on the list we are still looking forward to. We will proceed with caution as COVID is still s very real and present danger!

This is an example of what under $500 USD can get in Merida, Mexico! We are very happy in our new place.

by BOLT, posted in African American, Black, Long term travel, Merida, Mexico, Mexico, Old, retirement
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This is an example of what under $500 USD can get in Merida, Mexico! We are very happy in our new place.

Celebrating A Year in Merida!

by BOLT, posted in African American, Black, Lesbian, Merida, Mexico, Mexico

We have really come to love this city! A year passed by really quickly! Lots of good adventures, wonderful new friends made and just another wonderful year for Black Old Lesbians Traveling!

Traveling to Merida

by BOLT, posted in Travel

There are so many helpful videos on YouTube about traveling! This is a good one about travel to Merida. For this week’s post I thought I’d just share it.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LQPqcyabmqk&feature=youtu.be

Do you have a great YouTube video to share? Please let us know at boltraveling@gmail.com.

Pok Ta Pok!

by BOLT, posted in African American, Black, Merida, Mexico, Mexico, Yucatán

Pok-Ta–Pok is an ancient Mayan ball game, that was played thousands of years ago as part of a sacred, sacrificial ceremony, pitting good against evil. The general belief is that the ball, five pounds of solid rubber, could only be hit with forearms and thighs. The goal of the game was to maneuver the ball through a stone hoop extending from a wall. It is said that the winner of the game was sacrificed, supposedly a high honor.

Pok-Ta-Pok ball courts can still be found at Mayan archeological sites, such as Chichen Itza, and Uxmal.

You can now experience this ancient game right here in Merida.

The show is held Wednesdays at 8 p.m, in front of the Merida Cathedral in Centro.

Entrance is free but assigned seating is limited. We had a great, safe time!

While Covid infections are on the rise here in Merida it is important to find outdoor, socially distanced and masked events to attend. We’d love to hear your suggestions.