Of Monkeys and Mezcal: Lessons from the Journey

On travel, perspective, and the unexpected magic of looking closer to home

I often repeat a phrase to friends when we talk about travel: “The more you travel, the less you know.” I’m not sure if I read it somewhere or coined it myself, but I stand by it. At first, travel can feel like a checklist—passport stamps, bucket-list destinations, pins on a giant map in your living room. But over time, you begin to realize that simply being in a country is just the beginning. You learn to connect with its cities, its neighborhoods, even the streets and sounds.

Travel humbles you. It reveals how small our place in the universe really is. And yet, as I was telling my son this morning while driving him to school, life is shaped by the options we are given—and the choices we make with them. Some have more options than others, but all of us grow through the decisions we take. For me, one of those decisions has always been to travel, as Jules Verne famously said:"Ah! Young people, travel if you can, and if you cannot—travel all the same!"

The Ventanilla Mangroves & the kids searching for Crocs

The idea for this blog came to me last night over a glass of mezcal with JJ, a friend of my brother’s who had just returned from Papua New Guinea. Not long ago, he’d also made it to Antarctica. He thanked me for recommending Alfred Lansing’s Endurance (a suggestion I didn’t even remember making, but it did sound like me). And as we reminisced about places far and wide, our conversation took an unexpected turn—back home, to Mexico.

That’s when I asked him, “Have you ever been to Cambodia… in Mexico?”He looked at me, puzzled. “What are you talking about?”

Here’s what I meant:

Twenty years ago, I visited Siem Reap on a trip I joined without doing a lick of research. I was simply tagging along with my brother. When I found myself on top of one of Angkor’s towering temples (you were still allowed to climb them back then), I made a quiet vow: to always research my destinations, but to also leave room for the personal, the spontaneous, the things no guidebook can tell you.

Fast forward fifteen years. My wife and I, along with another couple, were road-tripping through Chiapas in southern Mexico. We were determined to reach the Yaxchilán temples, only accessible by boat along the Usumacinta River—the natural border between Mexico and Guatemala. We were running late, low on camera battery, and a tropical storm was closing in fast.

Still, we found a boatman willing to take us upriver. “Hurry,” he said, “this storm will be a perra.” We disembarked into the jungle temple complex just as the first gusts of wind hit. And suddenly, there I was—back in Cambodia. The dense foliage, the stone structures lost to time, the haunting call of howler monkeys (which, if you’ve heard them, sound more like lions). It all brought me back.

We had 45 minutes to explore before the rain let loose. The boat ride back, in near darkness and heavy storm, was one of the most hair-raising experiences I’ve had—made even more real by the thought of crocodiles in the river below.

The Yaxchilan temple complex, and its majestic nature

I haven’t returned to Yaxchilán yet, but I’ve made it a point to recommend it often, along with many other off-the-beaten-path destinations for those who want to experience the real, non-resort Mexico.

Yes, our country boasts some of the world’s most luxurious resorts. But there’s so much more waiting just outside that comfort zone—places that will stay with you long after your tan fades.

At Casa Descalza, this is what we encourage. Stories. Books. Meals. Memories. A slower pace. A deeper connection. You’ll hear the waves. You’ll have time to think. Maybe even time to plan that wild, 20-hour road trip to Yaxchilán.

Because whether it's just around the corner—or 1,200 km away—some of the world’s greatest journeys start with the simple decision to go.

Casa Descalza, on the southern state of Oaxaca, is a perfect destination to wind up a trip to Mexico.

About Casa Descalza:

Casa Descalza, an oceanfront private villa in Santa Maria Colotepec, Oaxaca, Mexico, offers an exquisite retreat for those seeking luxury and tranquility. This single-level, 18,000-square-foot comfortably accommodates up to 18 guests. The villa’s interior is a masterpiece of design, seamlessly blending modern amenities with traditional Mexican craftsmanship.

Puerto Escondido and its surrounding areas offer a wealth of activities and attractions for visitors. Playa Zicatela, renowned for its world-class surfing waves, is a must-visit for water sports enthusiasts, and savoring traditional Oaxacan cuisine at home ensures a memorable vacation for every guest at Casa Descalza.