Air Quality and Environmental Health in Comayagüela: A Digital Nomad’s Take (with 30% More Caffeine Than You Need)

i’m not here to preach. i’m here to tell you that comayaguela’s air smells like a mix of old taco trucks and the faintest hint of concrete dust. you know, the kind of air that makes your eyes water if you glance too long at the horizon. i moved here three months ago, thinking it’d be a breath of fresh air. turns out, it’s more like a breath of… whatever’s floating in the sky when that giant industrial complex down the road starts belching again. nah, i’m not making it up. i saw a photo on tripadvisor of a family wearing masks at a street fair. how is that a thing?

let’s talk data. sure, the city’s crime rate is low-i mean, i’ve never seen a robbery, but i did see a guy in a hoodie staring at my laptop for 10 minutes while i worked. but the real stats? rent is insane. a one-bedroom apartment near the old train station? $600 a month. which, for context, is like paying $3 for a latte twice a day. which i don’t. i’m a digital nomad. i don’t need a latte. i need a stable internet connection. which, fun fact, is spotty. i’ve had to spend $200 on a portable wifi hotspot because the café downtown was literally broadcasting a podcast about 1990s weather patterns.

but here’s the kicker: the job market. yes, comayaguela is a satellite town for mexico city, so there are tech jobs. but they’re all in mexico city. here, it’s mostly construction workers, street vendors, and people who fix my internet. i tried to apply for a remote coding job once. the application asked for my ‘social security number.’ i don’t have one. i don’t even have a permanent address. the recruiter ghosted me.

now, about the environment. i’m not a scientist, but i’ve noticed things. the plants here are… resilient. my neighbor’s garden has a cactus that looks like it survived a nuclear winter. and the air? sometimes it’s fine. sometimes it’s like breathing through a cheese grater. i asked a local about it. he said, ‘it’s the ozone layer, kid. it’s a thing.’ then he sold me a bottle of agua de jamaica for $2. which i later realized was just squash juice.

here’s the thing about comayaguela’s neighbors: they’re not the friendly type. they’re the ‘i’ll judge you for existing’ type. i told my neighbor i was worried about the air. she looked at me like i’d suggested we all move to a cave. ‘if you’re so worried, just move to polanco,’ she said. polanco? that’s a 45-minute drive. or a 10-minute flight. which, honestly, sounds better. but i can’t afford a plane ticket. or a car. or anything.

listen, i’ve heard rumors. some say the air quality is better in the mornings. others say it’s worse during rush hour. and then there’s the whole thing about the river. the one that’s supposed to be clean? i saw a video of it on youtube where a guy was picking up bottle caps. it’s not a river, it’s a dumping ground. i don’t know if that’s true. but the subreddit for comayaguela has 47 posts about ‘why my plants are dying.’ which is… concerning.

i asked a yoga instructor about the air. she said, ‘i don’t think about it. i just breathe whatever comes my way.’ i respect that. but i can’t do that. i’m a digital nomad. i need to work, not die. so i’ve started taking allergy shots. which cost $50 a shot. and i still have a headache.

here’s the weird part: the weather. it’s not hot. it’s not cold. it’s like a million degrees and also 10 degrees. i don’t understand. but the sun is always there. which is good for taking photos. which is why i’m a freelance photographer. i take pictures of things that don’t look right. like a statue with a crack down its side or a bus stop with a sign that says ‘no smoking’ but there’s a guy smoking outside.

i’ve seen people argue about the air. some say it’s the cars. others say it’s the factories. and then there’s the guy who just stands in the park and says, ‘it’s the government.’ he’s been there for 20 years. i don’t know if he’s right. but he’s got a good story.

i looked up some reviews. one guy on tripcasstraveller said, ‘i came here to escape pollution. instead, i inhaled a sandwich.’ another on yelp wrote, ‘the air is so bad, i had to cancel my flight. which is ironic because i was flying to comayaguela to avoid the air.’ and then there’s this one on a local forum: ‘my dog died last week. i think it was the air.’ i didn’t tell anyone.

so what’s the solution? i don’t know. some people say switch to electric cars. others say plant more trees. i say plant more trees and also stop letting that factory exist. but how? i’m a digital nomad. i don’t have a vote. i don’t have a opinion. i just have a laptop and a lot of questions.

i found a map of comayaguela online. it shows the industrial zone, the river, and the ‘quiet’ neighborhoods. which, honestly, look the same. here’s the link:

i also took some photos. one of me sitting on a bench with a coffee, another of the river looking like a giant gutter. you can see them here:

if you’re thinking of moving here, i say go. but bring a mask. and a sense of humor. and maybe a lawyer. because nothing here is as it seems.

you can check the air quality yourself on the local subreddit: r/Comayagüela. or look at the air quality index on airnow.gov. or just take my word for it. i’ve been here long enough to know when something’s wrong. which is almost always.

and one last thing: if you see a guy in a hoodie staring at your laptop, don’t trust him. he might be a robot. or a spy. or just really bored. probably the last one.

stay safe. stay dumb. stay in comayaguela. even if the air sucks. because what’s life without a little mystery?

Air Quality and Environmental Health in Comayagüela: A Digital Nomad’s Take (with 30% More Caffeine Than You Need)

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About the author: Aria Bennett

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