‘Surviving Is a Vacation’: Russian Blogger’s Take on a Mexican Resort

Marina Yershova, a Russian travel blogger exploring Mexico, recently visited a local resort and summed up her experience with a phrase that’s going viral: “Everything is turned off.” In a post on the platform Dzen, she drew a sharp contrast with the all-inclusive resorts of Turkey. “Don’t confuse this with the Turkish ‘all inclusive,’ where they bring you cocktails by the pool and smile for tips,” she joked. “Our format is different: we drove ourselves, parked ourselves, paid ourselves, swam ourselves, watched our phones and bags ourselves. Surviving is already a holiday.” Yershova and her boyfriend traveled to Cascadas de Micos, a scenic spot with waterfalls and a river. They saw people swimming and decided to join in—but not together. Afraid their belongings might be stolen, they took turns. “First one enjoys nature, the other sits like a museum security guard: feet on the backpack, stern Slavic glare, gadgets in hand. Then we switch. Very romantic. Almost a honeymoon, but with a lookout duty,” she wrote. The blogger added that Mexico is beautiful and full of experiences, but keeps you alert. “You can’t completely relax here, but you’re never bored,” she concluded. Earlier, Yershova described the daily life of Mexican women, noting they’ve decided life is too short to “die with a rag in their hands.”