The crowing woke me first. Soon after the garbage trucks begam to rumble by, the dogs began to bark, the birds to chirp, and the music to play. Ahhhh, the symphony of Mexico.

Recently someone in one of my facebook groups posed the question, “Are their a lot of dogs in Mexico? I don’t think I’d like all the barking.”. Well, to that I say empathetically YES, there are a lot of dogs in Mexico and YES, they pretty much bark all of the time. But for anyone thinking only dogs will cause sleep disruption south of the border, it’s time to think again!

The symphony of Mexico is loud and varied. Dogs bark, roosters crow, vehicles rattle down cobbled and pot-holed streets, children play, and music often goes on until the wee hours of the morning. The culture of this country is colorful! The Mexican people fully embrace life and each day is a tribute to being alive.It is a sound we have come to love.

Always a good sleeper, I knew going in that the noises around me wouldn’t be an issue. Jim, a much lighter sleeper, had his ear plugs at the ready but has had no need for them. We have been relishing slowly awaking from a sound night sleep to hear the day waking around us as Jim smiles and says “oh yes, the symphony of Mexico”.

Now sitting in San Diego awaiting our camper repairs, we are finding our sleep disturbed. Freeway noise and power tools have replaced the roosters and dogs and our sense of “home” is feeling displaced. Soon, soon, we will be back across the border, back to the symphony we love.