Australian couple travelling in a van stuck in Mexican town because of COVID-19 lockdown
An Australian couple stranded in Mexico after the country went into COVID-19 lockdown said they know of travellers getting chased out of towns with machetes by locals. They have found a safe haven but their luck may soon be running out.
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An Australian couple living their travel dreams in a van are in limbo in Mexico with their visas and vehicle permit due to expire next month.
Chris Beer, 29, a mechanical plumber from Vermont South in Melbourne, and Mietta Feery, 28, a registered nurse from Rowville, set off on the trip of a lifetime in March 2019 travelling through the US and Canada in a van before reaching Mexico. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
Instead of heeding the Australian government’s advice to return home, the couple chose to stay put in a country where there are 31,522 cases of coronavirus and 3160 confirmed deaths. And that’s not even the real number with the government saying infections and deaths are much higher than figures show.
“Mietta and I sat down and talked through our situation and all our options and realised we were trying to plan for something that literally could not be planned for. We don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, so being patient, taking it day by day and trying to make the most of the situation we’re in was obviously our best option,” Chris said.
Plus the couple saved for three years of travelling so they were determined to see their trip through.
“Now we’re not spending anything because we can’t move. So our budget is essentially accumulating,” Chris told News Corp.
Following advice from a friend with plenty of first-hand knowledge of Mexico the couple sought isolation at the seaside Rancho B RV park in the village of San Telmo in the state of Michoacán at a time when other #vanlifers were being rejected.
“Being on a ranch with a private beach, the coolest host family and a mad crew of dogs, sheep and cat, we feel pretty lucky to be spending our lockdown here,” Chris said.
“Other RV parks are being told to space the guest out and if they can’t the guest must leave, there are road blockages put up by locals to prevent people travelling and we’ve heard of travellers getting chased out of towns with machetes by the locals … CRAZY!.”
“With everything said we’re safe and sound and will remain where we are until this is all over! Stay tuned though anything can happen … things might get interesting.”
Although beaches have closed throughout Mexico, and are now being patrolled by the military, the couple are situated on one with private access, meaning no people and no patrolling.
But the couple’s luck may be running out of with their visas and the permit for their van named ‘Vince’ set to expire next month unless the Mexican Government extends them or lockdown is lifted.
“Visas are for six months, so are temporary import permits for cars, to renew or extend these we’ll have to travel to the border to do so,” Chris told News Corp.
While the small town they are staying in has escaped a hit from the coronavirus, the couple is fully aware it’s around them.
“We hear of stories of it happening around us but are yet to witness anything and of course hope we don’t have to,” Chris said.
And while their photos and videos paint a picture of bliss, Chris admits he and Mietta “haven’t been feeling our best in recent weeks”.
“Of course any of our social media outlets would say otherwise, but the simple reason for us not posting about our issues is not because we want to portray the perfect little life but because we don’t try not advertise any negativity and we like to keep a lot of things personal,” Chris said.
“We feel very lucky to be spending our lockdown at such a beautiful place with such an incredible family. But the truth is, there’s a lot about the situation we’re in that isn’t all butterflies and daisies and it can play on your mind and really make you depressed and unmotivated. It can also make things a little tense between one other. Especially when you can’t just walk to the other room when you’re in an argument because you’re living in a van.”
Originally published as Australian couple travelling in a van stuck in Mexican town because of COVID-19 lockdown