Mexico [1] 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.
Regions
See also: List of Mexican states CitiesMexico has many cities; these are eleven of the most travelled:
Other destinationsArchaeological Sites in Yucatan:
UnderstandClimateVaries from desertic on the north side of the country (and cities like Monterrey or Los Cabos); semiarid on the Bajio region (cities like Guadalajara and Zacatecas); temperate forest in the middle part of the country (Mexico City) and tropical forest in the south and southeast regions (Cancun). LandscapeHigh, rugged mountains; low coastal plains; high plateaus; desert; tropical rainforests in the south and Yucatán Peninsula. Holidays
Get inFrom the United StatesKeep your visa documents when leaving the United States of America
By trainBy carThe Transport and Communications Secretariat website [2] has free downloadable road maps. By busBy boat
Get aroundTravelling in Mexico is most practical by bus, car, or air. Passenger transport by train is almost nonexistent. By carDue to a government scheme in the early 90's to create infrastructure, the best roads are toll roads. Toll roads can be relatively costly, 400-800 pesos is not uncommon on longer trips, but are much faster and better maintained. Buses generally travel by toll roads (and the toll is obviously included in the ticket price). When travelling on Mexican roads, especially near the borders with the United States and Guatemala, one will probably encounter several checkpoints operated by the Mexican Army searching for illegal weapons and drugs. If you are coming from the United States, you may not be used to this, and it can be intimidating. However, these are rarely a problem for honest people. Simply do what the soldiers tell you to do, and treat them with respect. The best way to show respect when entering a checkpoint is to turn your music down, lift sunglasses from your face, and be prepared to roll your window down. They should treat you with respect as well, and they usually do. International driver's licenses are recognized and recommended. Speeding tickets are common, and to ensure your presence at the hearing, the officer may choose to keep your license. He is within his rights to do so. Despite crackdowns on bribery in the country, this is one place where it is useful to have 200-300 pesos handy, as sometimes the officer will allow you to "pay your ticket" directly to him and continue on your way. By airDomestic air travel will be via a Mexican airline or private plane, as international airlines are prohibited from operating domestic flights. Mexicana [3] and AeroMexico are the two main carriers along with Aviacsa and Aerolineas Aztecas. Many discount airlines launched in late 2005 and the number keeps growing. Due to a lack of space at Mexico City's main airport, several of these new carriers are based in nearby Toluca, including Interjet and Volaris. Avolar mainly flies from Tijuana and Alma de Mexico from Guadalajara. By busIf travelling by bus, be sure to take the express buses, if available (they are called directo). Other buses often stop at many smaller stations along the way, making the trip a lot longer. If you have experience with Greyhound buses in the US, you're in for a pleasant surprise. Book direct travel within Mexico on ejecutivo buses departing in the evening. You'll be able to sleep on luxury buses with as few as 18 seats. Some even have complimentary beer. With the advent of NAFTA, some bus companies are now offering service from US cities. By thumbHitchhiking possibilities vary according to region. Mexican culture is often accepting of hitchhiking and it's a common practice among Mexican youngsters going to the beach in Easter vacations, though in some cases a money contribution is expected for gas because of its relatively high prices. You should make it clear that you have no money to offer before accepting the ride, if this is the case. Hitchhiking is considered fairly safe and easy in the Yucatan Peninsula. The region near Mexico City should be more difficult to obtain a free hitchhike, as private cars don't stop to help hitchhickers for security reasons and buses that do stop expect a fee for the ride. Get outOver Tenosique, La Palma, by boat on the river Rio San Pedro to Naranja (Guatemala). This route is not used by many and still has a touch of adventure. Stay firm when negotiating over the price. Absolutely important! Make sure you get your passport stamped before you leave Naranja or you might catch one of the rare buses back and take a walk through the jungle as the emigrations office is part up the river between the Mexican border and the village. TalkSpanish is the main language. You can get by with English in most major cities or tourist destinations, but much of the country is monolingual. Mexican Spanish is slightly different from both the Castilian Spanish spoken in most of Spain and the Spanish spoken in South American countries. All three are mutually intelligible -- it's about the same as the differences in English spoken in various countries -- but you can expect some funny looks if you speak only Castilian. (In particular, unlike Castilian, the z and the soft c should be pronounced like an s.) Mexican Spanish is the variant most often taught in the United States of America, so if you learned Spanish there, you should be OK. In some regions, native languages such as Mayan or Nahuatl are still widely spoken. There are Spanish languages schools throughout Mexico. The city with the most schools is Cuernavaca, with more than 50 schools. Oaxaca, San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuato also offer a number schools to choose from. Prices vary, however, most schools are very reasonably priced. Many schools can arrange homestays with local Mexican families. See also: Spanish phrasebook BuyThe currency of Mexico is the peso (MXN). The symbol for pesos is the same as for US dollars, which can be slightly confusing. Prices in dollars (in tourist areas) are labeled "US$". As of July 2006 the exchange rate hovers around $11 MXN to $1 USD. ATMs are easy to come by. Bank of America customers can aviod ATM fees by using Santander Serfin ATMs. Other banks may have similar policies, check with your respective institution. Otherwise, do not be surprised to find yourself with a $5 fee for each withdrawal. EatTraditional Mexican food can often be very spicy; if you are not used to peppers, always ask if your food includes it. (¿Esto tiene chile?).
There are many food carts on the streets of Mexican cities and towns. Travelers are advised to eat from these carts with caution, as hygienic preparation practices are not always reliable. Drink
There are also several Mexican beers, several of which are available outside Mexico, these include:
In some places you will find beer served as a prepared drink called michelada. The formula varies depending on the place, but it's usually beer mixed with lime juice (yellow lemon is difficult to find throughout the country), Clamato cocktail, soybean sauce, salt and a little bit of hot sauce. The legal drinking age in Mexico is 18, but not strictly enforced. In many places, consumption of alcohol in public ("open container") is illegal and usually punishable by a day in jail. LearnSome Mexican universities are very important, such as UNAM (ranked 95° worldwide), and most of them have programs for foreigners. Foreigners can take a course to learn Spanish, or even study a whole career. Also, there are some other courses where you can learn traditional Mexican activities such as handcrafts. Another important university is ITESM (Instituto Tecnologico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey), located in Monterrey but in many other mexican cities, too. The EGADE Master Business School in Monterrey is ranked No.68 of MBA schools worldwide, the first in Latin America. WorkNative English speakers can pick up work, as always, as English teachers. This may require a work visa, which is difficult to get if you just want to freelance for a short time, so you might have to work illegally. The upside is that English speakers with no knowledge of Spanish are sought after, because they will force their students to practice English. The downside is that salaries are very low. SleepA number of hotel chains are available throughout Mexico, including Best Western, Holiday Inn, Fiesta Inn, Fairmont, Hilton, Ritz, Starwood (Sheraton, W, Westin, Four Points) and many others. All offer reasonable rates, and mostly clean accomodations, good for business travelers, but not necessarily for those wanting to experience Mexico itself. Smaller hotels and motels along the roadside may not be safe or comfortable. Boutique hotels are found all over the country; price range varies but all of them are rich in Mexican traditions, elegance and charm, the perfect way to experience the cultural heritage of each state. A great source of information is Melba Levick's book Mexicasa, found in many libraries and online bookstores. There are also many all-inclusive resorts for those visiting the major beach destinations. Stay safeSome Mexican border towns are extremely dangerous, especially at night. Never drive above the speed limit or run stop signs/red lights as Mexican police will use any excuse to pull over tourists and demand a bribe. If pulled over by a police officer soliciting a bribe, do not pay the amount requested, but pull out US$30 or 300 pesos, and explain that it is all you have. This technique has worked in the past. When in major cities – especially Mexico City – play it safe with taxis. Never pick up a cab in the street unless the locals have told you they can be trusted; always request that your hotel or restaurant call a taxi for you. Carry money in multiple locations, especially when driving a car. As in any city, do not wave cash or credit cards around. Use them discretely and put them away as quickly as possible. The Mexican legal system is under Napoleonic code, meaning suspects can be considered guilty until proven innocent (the reverse of the USA). Keep that in mind before contemplating flouting the law. If driving in from the USA, always purchase Mexican liability insurance before crossing the border. Even if your American (or Canadian, etc.) insurance covers your vehicle in Mexico, it cannot (by Mexican law) cover liability (i.e. hitting something or injuring someone). You will probably spend time in a Mexican jail if you have an accident without it. And even if your own insurance does (in theory) provide liability coverage in Mexico -- you'll be filing your claim from behind bars! Don't risk it, get Mexican auto insurance. Stay healthyDrinking water out of the tap is generally a bad idea, but some areas are okay. Check with locals, but treat their reassurances with some skepticism, as they may be resistant to local strains of bacteria that your body is not prepared for. Even safe, purified water could pass through clay or lead pipes before reaching your sink. Likewise, avoid raw vegetables and fruits unless they have been washed in an iodine or other disinfecting solution. In addition to diseases that could be picked up from the soil where they are grown, some of the pesticides in use in Mexico are considered unsafe. Your body is not used to these chemicals and will rebel. If you start to show symptoms of food poisoning, visit a doctor as soon as possible. There is medicine available that will counter the bacteria and save you much suffering. Respect
ContactYou can call from public phones using prepaid tel. cards tarjetas ladatel, bought at magazine stalls. Cards can be purchased in 50 or 100 peso denominations. The rate to call the US is roughly equivalent to $0.50 per minute. Beware these are different than tarjetas amigo, viva, or unefon: they are for cellphones. Some areas have only a few internet cafes; in others, they are plentiful. Common fees vary from 8 pesos/hour to 15 pesos/hour.
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