ACAPULCO | CANCUN | CHICHEN ITZA | COPPER CANYON | GUADALAJARA | MAZATLAN | MEXICO CITY | MONTERREY | TIJUANA |
Mexico is a country in North America, lying between the United States of America to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast. Its extensive coastlines include the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Mexico has nice and warm people, unique food, art and archeology, pyramids, museums, Haciendas, 6,000 miles of shoreline, superb architecture and 21 century cities, weather from snow mountains in the Sierras, to rainy jungles in the Southeast and desert in the Northwest, lots of golf courses throughout the country, excellent fishing, world top destinations like Acapulco, Cancun, Cozumel, Los Cabos, and Patzcuaro. Mexico is ranked 7th major destination for foreigner visitors, according to WTO.
Mexico is one of the most popular tourist countries on earth (over 20 million foreign visitors last year). Much of the tourist industry is centered around the beach resorts as well as the altiplano in the central part of the country. Visiting the northern interior allows visitors to get off the beaten path a bit. American tourists tend to predominate on the Baja peninsula and the more modernized beach resorts (Cancun, Puerto Vallarta), while European tourists congegrate around the smaller resort areas in the south like Playa del Carmen and San Cristobal de las Casas.
HOW TO REACH
By plane - -from Australia- The cheapest way to fly to Mexico from Australia is via Hawaii (i.e. with Jetstar) and then onward to LA Hawaiian Airlines . Direct flights (or via New Zealand) are also available but cost two to four times as much.
By train - There is at least one place where Mexico is accessible via rail and a short walk - south of San Diego. The San Diego Trolley can be taken from downtown San Diego (which Amtrak serves) to the California-Baja California border. (note: El Paso/Juarez is also well served by Amtrak, the station is within a stones throw of the rio grande).
By car - American automobile insurance is not accepted in Mexico, however it is easy to obtain short-term or long-term tourist policies that include the mandatory liability coverage, theft and accident coverage for your vehicle, and often, legal assistance coverage. Should you decide to drive to Mexico, the Transport and Communications Secretariat website has free downloadable road maps.
Foreign-plated vehicles must obtain necessary permits before being allowed into the interior of Mexico. This can be done at the border checkpoints by showing your vehicle title or registration, as well as immigration documents and a valid credit card. It is now possible to apply for your vehicle import permit online.
By bus - The Mexican bus system is reportedly the most efficient in the world. There are many different independent companies but all use a central computerized ticketing system. Rates per mile are generally comparable to those of Greyhound in the U.S., but there are more departures and the system serves much smaller villages than its American counterpart. There are many bus companies based in Mexico with branch offices in major U.S. cities. A ticket to a major Mexican city from the U.S. can be bought for as little as $60 roundtrip (San Antonio TX to Monterrey N.L.). These companies, however, do cater to mostly Hispanics or Mexican Nationals living in the U.S. and operate mostly in Spanish.
STAY SAFE
In most of the cities, location is very important as security changes from place to place. Areas close to downtown (centro) are safer to walk at night, especially on the "Plaza", "Zocalo" or "Jardin" (main square) and areas nearby. Stay in populated areas, avoid poor neighborhoods, especially at night, and don't walk there at any time if you are alone.
Understand that the country is going through a transitionary period. Since Felipe Calderon came to power, he has waged war on the drug cartels, and they have waged war back on the whole country. Ciudad Juarez has never been considered safe, but the situation in 2008 deteriorated with more than 1500 murders within the year. Most El Pasoans who used to cross the border on the weekends for shopping and nightlife now abstain from doing so. Please do not consume drugs while you are in Mexico, the punishment for this is jail for 5 years or more, and you will also be supporting the very thing the country is at war with itself about.
Some Mexican border cities such as Tijuana, Nogales, Nuevo Laredo, and Juarez can be dangerous in some areas for somebody who is unaware, especially at night. Most crime in the northern border cities is related to the drug trade and/or police corruption. Mexican northern non-border cities relatively very safe; such as Monterrey, Saltillo, etc. However, exercize caution in any major city, especially at night or in high crime areas.
Never drive above the speed limit or run stop signs/red lights as Mexican police will use any excuse to pull over tourists and give you a ticket. If pulled over by a police officer soliciting a bribe, do not pay the amount requested, but pull out USD$30 or MXN$300 pesos, and explain that it is all you have. This technique has worked in the past (but it does not work in Mexico City), but is corruption. Corruption also is a crime in Mexico, so make a conscious choice. The fine for speeding could be as much as US$100, depending on the city. Criminals may pose as police so stay in a visible place, in public, and in your car.
RESPECT
Mexicans have a somewhat relaxed sense of time, so be patient. Arriving 15 minutes later than scheduled is often the norm.
The overwhelming majority of the population is and traditionally has been Roman Catholic, which results in many Mexicans being deeply religious and conservative in character, especially outside of the main cities.
Mexicans do not typically have a relaxed view on LGBT issues unless you are in a tourist destination such as a beach or the capital.
When entering churches, always take off any sunglasses, caps or hats. Wearing shorts is not a problem at all, but it's suggested to tie a sweatshirt or sweater to your waist so to avoid showing too much skin, which could be disrespectful in such places. However, away from the beaches, or northern areas, shorts are very rarely worn by Mexicans on the street and thus will attract more attention to you and make you stand out as a foreigner.
Respect Mexico's laws. Some foreigners feel that Mexico is a place where laws can be broken and the police bribed at all times. Corruption may be common among Mexican police and public figures, but since it is a problem that Mexican society has recently recognized and has been trying hard to fix, when foreign nationals behave in a manner which shows expectancy of this easy bribery, it is considered extremely disrespectful, and so it could be used as excuse for the police to give you "a respect lesson". Remember, offering a bribe to an official could get you into trouble.
Like in other countries; politics, economics and history are very delicate issues, yet in México they are also considered good conversation pieces when conversing with foreigners. To avoid getting into sticky and uncomfortable discussions, ask as many questions as you like, but avoid rushing into uneducated statements. People have no problems talking about the PRI period, and --despite the occasional economic diffulties-- are often nostalgic about the struggles, trends and transformations that happened through its many different administrations.
Do not be offended to be called a "güero(a)" (blonde) and its diminutive form "güerito(a)" (blondie), as its a common way for the average Mexican citizens to refer mostly to caucasian people. The words "gringo" and its synonym "gabacho" are used regardless of the actual nationality of the tourists and are not meant, nor should they be taken as offensive nouns. Actually, they're often used as terms of affection.
If you're East Asian, you'll be referred to as "Chino(a)" (Chinese) and it's diminuitive form "chinito(a)" regardless of whether you are Thai, Vietnamese, Filipino, Korean, etc. Exceptions are in the capital, and in Monterrey, where a decent Korean community does exist.
