HMTech.ca

What better way to open your mind and step out of your comfort zone than to immerse yourself in a country with a different culture, climate, and language? Spending time in other countries has shifted not only my perspective of the world, but of my own country as well. Traveling has challenged many of my beliefs.

Which factors weigh the most when considering quality of life? Are people in “rich” countries any happier than those in “poor” countries? Do we accomplish more through order or chaos? In order to ponder these questions objectively, we need to expose ourselves to other societies. St. Augustine once said “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page”.

At the beginning of 2010 I acted on an opportunity to travel to Mexico for a few months. I had been studying Spanish independently for nearly 8 months and I was eager to immerse myself in a Spanish-speaking country. Mexico was close, affordable, and a friend of mine who was living there was willing to help me get setup. Below is a map of Mexico marked with the cities I visited between January and March of 2010. In this post I aim to provide you with an honest account of my personal experience in Mexico and provide tips for travelers who may be considering an adventure through Mexico. I will discuss each destination in more detail below.

Is Mexico really as dangerous as everyone seems to think it is?

Drugs

I’m sure you’ve heard about the violence in Mexico and the drug wars taking place there. Unfortunately these news stories deter a lot of people from traveling through Mexico. They give people the false impression that the entire country is rampant with gunmen killing innocent civilians. Let me put it this way, if the media didn’t exist I wouldn’t have had a clue that there was a drug war going on. Where I traveled, there wasn’t a trace of it. I didn’t see any dead bodies, cars that had exploded, or weapons (besides those of the police)… Hell, I didn’t even see a bar fight. I believe that the media does a very good job of keeping us fearful and locked up in our homes. The truth is that these drug wars affect a very small percentage of the population. If you avoid the cities bordering the United States, there’s very little chance you will run into this type of trouble.

Theft/Kidnapping

Several tourists and even my Mexican friends warned me to watch my belongings, not expose my wallet, and carry small amounts of cash. Even so, I traveled across Mexico with my laptop, digital camera, credit/debit cards, passport, and plenty of pocket change. I used the inter-city buses, public transportation, taxis, as well as the metro in Mexico City. In the Baja, we even hitched a ride a couple times to the beach. Whenever I arrived in a new city, I would feel uneasy/insecure.  However the fear quickly dissipated after I became familiar with my surroundings. The overwhelming majority of Mexicans are harmless, honest, and kind. As with any country/city there are dangerous areas and there are safe areas. You learn about the dangerous areas as you go along, but it’s unlikely that you would happen to stumble upon one. Mexico is overall a safe country for those who travel wisely. As long as you show respect and mind your own business (and don’t walk alone at night), you are highly unlikely to find yourself the victim of attack and/or robbery.

Top Tips:

1. Make friends with some Mexicans to increase your understanding of their language and culture.
2. If you plan to travel outside of the tourist areas, learn some Spanish. In retrospect, I would have listened to Mexican Spanish rather than “Spain Spanish” (Castellano).
3. Call your bank and upgrade to a checking account with unlimited international transactions. ATMs are easy to find and I used them frequently. My bank would have charged me $5.00 for each transaction if I hadn’t upgraded my account.
4. Use BANAMEX ATMS. They only charge one low fee. Scotiabank charged two fees!
5. Buy a pay-as-you-go cell phone when you arrive. It’ll be much cheaper than racking up roaming charges with your current provider. I purchased a very basic Nokia phone for approximately $350.00 pesos (around $30.00) that included talk time through TELCEL. You can refill your balance by visiting an authorized TELCEL retailer. At the end of your journey you can take the phone home with you or give it to a friend.

Interesting Observations:

1. You must pay a small fee (typically 4.00 pesos) to use a washroom at an airport or bus terminal.
2. There is no tax on sales items. You pay exactly what the price tag says.
3. Interactions between friends are very touchy-feely. It’s common to exchange a kiss (on the cheek) between male and female friends.
4. Pirated games, software, and movies galore. If there’s a law against blatant copyright infringement in Mexico, it’s certainly not enforced.
5. People rarely wear their seat belts.
6. Lots of graffiti
7. Plenty of dogs on the street with and without owners.

LA PAZ (“The Peace”)

Observations:

1. People don’t stop at the stop signs.
2. Medicare: $30.00 pesos for a consultation.

I landed in San Jose Del Cabo, at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. In the line-up to customs and immigration I encountered a well-traveled Brit in his sixties. He was the type of person who wouldn’t stop talking after you gave him an opening. After explaining to him that this was my first time in Mexico he begin to lecture me on the do’s and dont’s of the country. He advised me to never open my wallet in public or to trust a local offering advice. You always meet interesting people on your travels. Sometimes their advice is handy and other times it’s irrelevant.

As the bus from San Jose pulled into the city of La Paz I immediately noticed the poor condition of the cars, roads, and buildings. Nearly every structure was covered with graffiti and several of the buildings were deteriorating. There was a lot of garbage on the roads and many of the cars were scratched, dented, and possibly missing a fender/bumper. The mentality seemed to be as long as the car works and gets you from A to B, why concern yourself over the appearance of it. At the bus station I purchased a calling card and made my way to the nearest phone booth. Unable to dial the number correctly (I was forgetting to add 54 before the number), a considerate young Mexican couple helped me to enter the number correctly. I waited outside for the arrival of my two Mexican friends (one of whom I originally met in Canada 9 months earlier).

The first couple of nights I stayed in a house of a friend of a friend. In Mexico people are more willing to lend their car (and even their house) to friends. Favors pay for favors. The following week, we managed to find a family-owned business that was renting out five small rooms to students. For the price of 1500.00 pesos per month (approx $125.00 CAD) I rented a room that included a small bed, dresser, and plastic “Coca-Cola” card table. Electricity & Internet were also included. Check out its location on Google Maps here. In Canada I was paying six times that amount for almost the same thing (minus the furniture)!  All of my neighbors were helpful, introduced me to new friends, and showed me new areas of the city. We shared an outdoor kitchen, and as a result, we all became good friends.

My favorite area of La Paz was the Malecon, a long boardwalk that runs for several kilometers beside the bay. At night, it wasn’t uncommon for people to drive slowly, blare their music, and shout comments (offensive or not) at pedestrians. On weekends and holidays, especially at night, it’s teeming with adolescents (some adults too) on skateboards, bikes, and roller blades. During the weekdays it’s not so busy and you can enjoy a peaceful walk along the ocean. There were two shops where you could go to rent bikes or rollerblades ($30.00 pesos/hour). Several events are held along the Malecon including “carnaval” which occurs annually in mid-February for six days. During Carnaval the roadway alongside the Malecon is blocked and filled with small shops selling food, crafts, stuffed animals, and other assorted crap. There are also electronic rides and several stages (sometimes improvised) where live bands play. During carnaval, public drinking is legal (and highly encouraged).

If you follow the Malecon east to the marina, turn right and climb a small hill called “Cerro de la Calavera” (you can see it in the above picture). The path that leads to the top is surrounded by various types of cactus, so try not to fall while climbing it. From the top there is an spectacular view of La Paz. Try to hike up there in time to see the sunset and make sure you return before dusk, when the snakes come out!

There was quite a strong military presence in La Paz. A government building, just a couple blocks from my room, was patrolled daily by an intimidating soldier with an automatic weapon. I was never sure if I should wish him good day or avoid eye contact. I usually took a different route home. It was common to see numerous armed soldiers in trucks patrolling the streets. There were military check points setup on the highways outside of the city. There were armed soldiers in pillboxes ready to lay out spike strips and open fire on any escaping vehicles. I can only assume the military presence was there to prevent illegal drug activity. Most of my Mexican friends did not trust in the military or police presence within the city. For some reason I had blind faith in them. They never bothered me.

My diet in La Paz consisted mainly of quesadillas, tamales, burritos, tacos, hamburgers and hot dogs. Some days I would venture three blocks to a grocery store to buy poor quality fruit (bananas and oranges), cheese, ham, and tortillas. The cheese and ham is MUCH cheaper in Mexico than in Canada. There was a stand outside the grocery store that would sell tamales for 13.00 pesos. At night the various food stands around La Paz would open and sell hot dogs (13.00), hamburgers(25.00-30.00), or burritos(25.00-30.00). There is a wide selection of outdoor bars and clubs along the Malecon. Our favorite was one called Salsipuedes (in this general area) which offered two-for-one drink specials on Wednesday and Friday. A Corona cost 25.00 pesos while mixed drinks were around 60.00.

I would highly recommend La Paz to anyone seeking an authentic Mexican experience in a peaceful, yet vibrant city. Although I liked La Paz, I couldn’t see myself staying there for the entire 3 months.

Tips:

1. Check out the Grey Whales in Lopez Mateos.

GUADALAJARA

Guadalajara is the second largest city in Mexico with approximately four million people. A Mexican friend of mine, who I had met in La Paz, was staying there and offered to introduce me to the city.

I booked my flight to Guadalajara (GDL) online through vivaaerobus, one of several Mexican airlines. On their website, they advertised the ticket price as $24.00USD. However, after taxes and fees the total came out to around $100.00USD.

After landing in GDL, I wasn’t sure where to go to catch the bus I needed. In broken Spanish, I managed to converse with a fellow passenger who led me to the airport bus terminal. From there I was able to take a bus downtown.  It cost only 6.00 pesos compared to the 200.00 pesos I would have paid for a taxi. The route the bus took through Guadalajara reminded me of the first day I arrived in La Paz. A lot of graffiti,  crumbling buildings, garbage, and stray dogs.

The center of the city was something else. The creative architecture and cleanliness caught my attention. The buildings were immense and very impressive. The walking areas were open, clear, and spacious. The fountains and trimmed trees gave it a majestic feel. The cathedral towered above everything.  Walking through this area I thought to myself how different it was compared to everywhere else I had been in the Baja. I was so glad that I made the decision to come see it.

I stayed just blocks away from the cathedral in “Hostel Degollado“. It’s new, clean, spacious, and affordable at $155.00 pesos/night (per person). I highly recommend it!

Based on my experience, downtown is by far the most interesting area of the city. We also took a bus to an area in the south called “Tlaquepaque”, a colorful area with lots to see.

GUANAJUATO/DOLOREZ/SAN MIGUEL

Guanajuato, a city full of history, is nested in the mountains between Guadalajara and Mexico City.  The town is worth seeing if only for the colorful houses that cover the hillsides. Walking through the narrow streets it felt as though I were in Europe, even though I’ve never traveled there before.

Exiting the bus, we were approached by a tourism officer. Assuming he was just going to try to get us to spend more money, I wanted to avoid him. However he was quite persistent (a trait common among Mexican salesmen) and escorted us to his office. We explained that we wanted to stay in a hostel for two nights for no more than 150.00 pesos/person. He said he could find us a private room for 300.00 pesos that would be much more comfortable. We agreed to check it out. After discovering that the room he was thinking of was already taken, we ended up paying 300.00 pesos for a room that normally cost 650.00 pesos/night!

The tourism officer also sold us two tickets (200.00 pesos each) for a full-day bus tour of Dolorez and San Miguel, two historical towns just east of Guanajuato.

The curves from Guanajuato to Dolorez are nauseating, especially for someone who gets car sick. The towns themselves are interesting for those people who would like to learn more about the history of Mexico.  We visited a colorful cemetery in Dolorez where the famous Mexican musician Jose Alfredo Jimenez was buried. We also visited various museums, churches, and monuments before returning to Guanajuato. The tour was given entirely in Spanish, so don’t expect to absorb much if you haven’t been practicing!

MEXICO CITY (Second largest city in the WORLD)

We arrived in Mexico City (District Federal – “D.F.”) via bus from Guanajuato.  As we were entering the city, my friend warned me to keep an eye on my laptop bag and to refrain from pulling out my wallet in public. Instead, she suggested that I take out what I needed and put it in my pocket. Now, when a Mexican starts to warn you about potential trouble in a city that has a reputation for being the new kidnap capital of the world, you take the advice seriously. When we pulled into the northern city bus terminal, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t apprehensive. Exiting the terminal and making our way to the Metro station a taxi driver shouted “Taxi! Fast and SECURE!”. I tried to ignore the remark.

Mexico City has the second largest Metro in all of North America (next to New York City).  You should definitely bring a map of it with you. Making my way through the metro system was one of the most frustrating experiences I had while in Mexico. Some people would walk too slow, other people would cut you off, and you would get stuck behind and in between people. Sometimes not everyone would fit into the carriages and we’d have to wait for the next train. Although it was annoying, it never felt dangerous.

Hawkers would enter the train at one stop, holler the description and price of their product (be it gum, mini toys, chocolate bars) while pushing their way through the carriage, then exit at the following stop and repeat. Many people were selling pirated CDs and DVDs. They would wear a backpack containing speakers and play various tracks of the CD while the train was in motion. The most shocking demonstration was a young guy (late teens, maybe twenties) who entered the train with a blanket full of broken glass. He was shirtless and his back was completely covered with scabs and scars. He would ask for people to clear the way, then lay the blanket of broken glass on the floor of the carriage. Then, hoisting himself up upon the rails, he would do a back flip and land heavily on the broken glass. After the show he would request spare change from the spectators. It’s kind of sad to see the kinds of things people will do for so little money.

Walking down a busy street near our hotel I was approached by hawkers selling pirated copies of games, software, and movies. They all had small stands, one after another, and they were all trying to sell me similar material. I’m sure the Mexican authorities know that people are selling pirated software throughout the city in broad daylight, but for some reason they do nothing about it. Perhaps copyright law isn’t enforced in Mexico because most people can’t afford to pay the price of genuine software?

Downtown was impressive and loaded with (too many) people. Zocalo and the cathedral were a pleasure to walk through and see. Other attractions worth checking out are Chapultepec Castle and Polanco. If you’re lucky, from the castle you’ll see through the smog to the volcanoes Iztaccíhuatl and Popocatépetl (or “popo” for short).  Polanco is an upscale neighborhood just northwest of the castle and worth seeing if you enjoy shopping at fancy malls (Antara) or looking at expensive cars.

The only time I didn’t feel secure walking through downtown Mexico City was at night when there were few people around. During the day on the Metro, walking through the markets, the parks, and other attractions I felt completely safe. I did get some awkward stares in the metro and I was approached by men more than once for money (sometimes after a lengthy tale of how they were deported from the U.S.), but I was never threatened or robbed by anyone – cheers to that!

We stayed in “Hotel Cuba” for 250.00 pesos/night including private bathroom, television, and wireless Internet that reached all rooms.   It was clean, new, and affordable so I highly recommend it.

Last but certainly not least, if you ever happen to be in Mexico City do not miss the chance to go see the massive pyramids to the northeast in Teotihuacan. You can take a bus from the northern terminal to Teotihuacan for around 38.00 pesos. The entrance fee into the city is 51.00 pesos. As you enter the ancient city, be prepared to either purchase a lot of stuff or say “no thank you” about fifty times to the merchants who will approach you and try to sell you their hand crafts.

On our way to the pyramids, we passed through northeastern Mexico City:

On the ride back to Mexico City the bus was stopped at a random police check point. Through the window I noticed an officer motioning for me to exit the bus. We were patted down by one officer while the others stood casually with their shotguns and automatic assault rifles. Another officer entered the bus to search bags and pat down the females. They were looking for drugs. Fortunately, nobody had any so they let us continue on our way.

OAXACA

Observations:

1. People tossing garbage out the window of moving vehicles.

Originally my plan was to see Cancun and the wonders of the Caribbean, but after some research it became clear that an adventure all the way to Cancun would be too expensive and probably not very educational either. Oaxaca was my second choice because it too had nice beaches and an indigenous population to boot. Oaxaca is the second-poorest state in Mexico and even my Mexican land-lady in La Paz, who didn’t speak a word of English, recommended that I exercise caution and carry very little cash while traveling there. A friend in La Paz told me that some of the small towns outside of the capital can be dangerous.

Before we could board the bus to Oaxaca from Mexico City, we had to pass through a metal detector. They also frisked me for weapons and patted down my laptop bag. I guess they’ve had problems with armed robbery on buses?

From the terminal in Oaxaca we took a public bus to the center. With our gear, we hiked up and down the roads in an effort to find a decent hostel. Even after all the searching we did online, we ended up staying in a hostel near downtown called “Posada Tanguyuu“. It had private rooms for 200.00 pesos/night (cheaper than most of the hostels). It offered a shared kitchen, a terrace, and free filtered water! You have to search by foot to find the good deals that go unadvertised.

Oaxaca did have a slightly different feel to it. The architecture was different and the people had a more laid-back kind of attitude. It certainly didn’t feel any more dangerous than Mexico City. Again, the temples, churches, and museums were fun to see, but the most impressive site was Monte Alban, the archeological ruins outside of the city. It almost felt like a spiritual journey climbing the mountain (by mini-bus) and exploring this two-thousand year old site. It also felt like a good setting for a first-person shooter video game (I played too much Unreal Tournament as a teenager).

We discussed our plan to visit the small coastal villages of Puerto Angel and Zipolite with two of our neighbors (A middle-aged Venezuelan man his girlfriend, an American ex-pat from San Francisco).  They warned us of the intense drug scene in Zipolite and potential for violence towards foreigners. Apparently, two weeks prior to our arrival in Oaxaca, a couple Canadians were murdered around Zipolite. The details weren’t clear, but one of the victims was supposedly homosexual and killed for sleeping with younger men. The other was a business owner. So instead, the couple recommended Mazunte, a “safer” beach further west of Zipolite. After the news, we considered avoiding the coast altogether. But the original purpose of the journey was to spend time on the beaches so we decided to take their advice, avoid Zipolite, and travel directly to Mazunte.

THE BEACHES

We took an overnight bus to Pochutla, a city about 10km inland from the coast, as there was no bus that went directly to Mazunte. The ride consisted of nearly seven hours of sharp turns and curves, accelerating and decelerating through the mountainous terrain. I had been prepared for it, but I didn’t sleep a wink. We arrived earlier than expected at about 5:30AM. The bus basically dropped us off on the street – there was no terminal. We parked ourselves on the sidewalk and waited for a bus destined for Mazunte. Several taxis offered us a ride to the beach, but they were charging ten times what a bus would cost. I felt a little insecure sitting there in the dark, in a strange town in Oaxaca, with all our valuables strapped to our backs. Within a half hour, a “mini-bus” (pickup-truck) arrived and offered us a ride to Mazunte for 10.00 pesos. We shared the back with four friendly locals who seemed to be on their way to work.

When we arrived in Mazunte the passengers helped us gather our bags and pointed us towards the beach. The sight of the Pacific Ocean and its waves crashing upon the beach re-energized me. After questioning some early-risers on the beach we found our way to “Hotel Agujón”, accommodation recommended by the couple we met in Oaxaca. The owner wasn’t available to check us into our room shack for about 45 minutes (it was too early). Finally when she arrived we climbed what seemed like 100 steep stairs to our wooden/palm tree hut that cost $250.00 pesos/night . It was stifling hot, mosquito ridden, and the fan didn’t work! Not impressed by our accommodation or the town (dirty, dusty, falling apart), the following day we moved 75KM west to Puerto Escondido.

Puerto Escondido is well known for it’s huge waves and surfer community. Neither of us were surfers so it was a rather random decision. As soon as we arrived, we knew we would enjoy it much more than Mazunte. It felt more like a small city with paved roads, decent looking shops, and reasonably priced hotels. After a quick search we stumbled upon a hotel called “La Casa Vieja“, 300 feet from the beach. A nice-looking room with a king-sized bed, private bathroom, and daily room service cost 200.00 pesos/night (we sacrificed TV and A/C for the deal), less than what we paid for our shack in Mazunte. The beach, located in a cove safe for swimming, was a mere 5 minute walk from the hotel. They released baby turtles twice along Zicatela (the longer beach) which was really fun to watch. The sunsets were also amazing. We decided to stay for a week before making the return journey to La Paz.

Mexico wasn’t dangerous, for me.

Mexico may be statistically more dangerous than say, Canada or New Zealand, but if you take the proper precautions, you’re likely to escape unscathed.  Traveling with someone from Mexico will certainly make the journey easier, and possibly more safe. The majority of people who travel to Mexico return home unharmed. Unfortunately, those who run into trouble are the ones who get the most attention.

I believe that the longer we stay cooped up in our homes watching television, feeding off the fear fed to us by the media, the more afraid of the world we become. From my experience, more often than not, it’s not only safe but friendly too.

I won’t say that Mexico is 100% safe for everyone, but I will say that from my own personal experience it’s not as dangerous as the media paints it.

You’ll never know for sure unless you see it for yourself.

Related Posts

• Preparing For Mexico
• Taking Your Spanish To The Next Level
• Learn Spanish on the Internet
• Thailand Slide Show Presentation
• Escape To Thailand

Tags: Mexico, Spanish, Travel

2 Responses to “Mexico, is it really that dangerous?”

Leave a Reply

Name (required)

Mail (will not be published) (required)

Website