Centro in Mazatlan would fit the definition. With just a pedal bike I was able to get everything I need (except for good surfing, lol). Great local markets, great farmers markets, transit system was quite good too.

I could run along the Malecon and up through the hills toward the lighthouse, then up to the top. To find running elevation so close to the center of a city is very unusual.

Internet was pretty good in most cafes and the “capacity for excellent was in place” at rental apartments. This is a nice way of saying you could have 200GBs every day but the power could go out or the internet might drop for 20 minutes or so. That said, uptime was around 90%. I had no problem working but lengthy Zoom calls sometimes dropped.

Speaking of rental apartments, we found places from 12000 pesos up to 25000 pesos. It was a little cheaper that other places we looked and the density of the grid pattern means there are hundreds of options within a 15 min walk.

It’s one of my top places but very little surf culture and support, and the breaks were not logistically accessible without a car. And my life is better when I surf.

What is your travel knife sharpener? I think I’ve decide to remove the measuring cups because I can just weigh everything if I bring a small scale. But if it’s a cute pig set? Maybe there is room, haha

I like that. Quality of life items. That’s exactly what it is. I love to cook and enjoy the act prepping food. During the hot afternoons, having something to do other than staring at my phone is helpful. And the other benefit is health and great eats!

Nice, I feel like this is an evolved solution. What type of plastic bags? I’ve been bringing biodegradable doggie bags for my organic waste. Because of the ants, I keep all organic waste in the freezer and this bags are cheap, theoretically better for the environment and very packable.

Forgot about cutting boards, great point. My apartment now has a glass one. WTF. There is almost no sound more grating than the knife hitting the glass each time and I’m sure it’s dulling the blade.

I think it was only about $35 each way but even at $75 it might be worth it. That said, I already carry a 75 litre backpack and a carry on (with my computer gear). Juggling even that much through large airports is annoying and I can’t say I’m excited about having a rolling kitchen as well, haha.

Thanks for the info!

I tend to not use AirBNB. It’s always more expensive and in the places I travel, it seems to cater to people who are not price conscious over the short term. Although often I can negotiate for longer term, many properties are already rented on the big holidays for extremely high prices and therefor cannot go 6 months without gaps.

I will usually stay at a hostel for the first 2 weeks while I walk the streets and meet people to find a locally priced apartment. I never know what I’m gonna get and if the difference is only a poorly equipped kitchen to save hundreds (and sometimes thousands) of dollars a month, it makes sense to me.