by Jean Sutherland

If you have never traveled to Mexico City before, getting around can be a bit overwhelming. There are many ways to travel within Mexico City, and the methods, rules and day-to-day getting from Point A to Point B can be frustrating.

This article will give you the necessary information you require to get around in Mexico City, while ensuring your travel plans are still pleasant, exciting and fruitful. So let’s get started! It’s an exciting journey you are about to embark upon.

Traveling in Mexico City, a General Overview

The naming conventions used for Mexico City’s streets and neighborhoods can be very exasperating to the out of town traveler if you aren’t sure what everything means. The most important thing to remember when trying to find a certain location is: Patience. Many times, streets that ‘should’ be in a certain place, just aren’t.

Numbered streets are usually (but not always) designated as North/South (norte/sur) or East/West (oriente/poneinte). A block can be numbered, depending on how far it is from an arbitrary starting point. However, you’ll notice during your travels that many Mexican addresses have only “s/n” (sin número) listed after the street name, which means, literally, “no number”. And yet other addresses have a kilometer designation in the address, indicating that they are located a certain number of kilometers down a major street, such as a highway.

All addresses in Mexico City are written with the street name at the start, then the street number. The postal code (código postal) is listed before the name of the city, not after. Apdo., or apartado, means box, and Postal, or A.P. means post-office box number. And finally, most addresses include the neighborhood (colonia, or col.) that the residence is in.

Traveling in Mexico City, By Bus

The bus system in Mexico City is used extensively by locals and travelers to the area. It is often crowded, and pickpockets are an issue. Never show a wallet on the bus, and make sure to carry change with you if you plan on using this method of transportation.

When boarding the bus, tell the driver where you plan on going, and the driver will tell you the fare. Sometimes bus stops will have signs above them, telling you where you are; many times, you’ll know it’s a stop only because there are people waiting by the side of the road. Buses are rarely on time in Mexico City; if you plan on traveling later in the day or at night, alternate methods of transportation are recommended.

Traveling in Mexico City, By Car

Driving through Mexico City’s streets, especially for the traveler, can be a harrowing experience. One way streets abound, and rush hour is like nothing you’ve ever seen before. Millions of people, literally, are sharing the road with you.

Renting a car is possible in Mexico City, but poses different risks for the out of town traveler. Driving on Mexico City roads is not only dangerous because of the lack of skill used for travelers (many get their license not by taking a test, but by paying someone off), but treacherous because of the unusual and poorly maintained roads.

Another option is to hire a taxi, or limousine, to chauffeur you around. Ask the travel hotel you are staying at in Mexico City for recommendations, or for the closest cab stand (sitio).

About the Author

Jean Sutherland is the owner of the informative website http://www.spasoftheworld.com & http://www.spasoftheworld.com/spas. She has worked in the travel industry for over 10 years. She also lived in Mexico for 3 years.

by John Metcalfe

Being our next door neighbor, Mexico can sometimes be forgotten about when it comes to choosing a cruising vacation. After all, why go to Mexico when the tropical paradise of the Caribbean is right on our doorstep? If these are your very thoughts, then why not take some time out to uncover the delights that await you on a Mexico cruise. What you discover will surprise and fascinate you…I guarantee it!

The majority of cruise lines operate Mexico cruise round-trips from the ports of Los Angeles and San Diego. The main points of interest (cruise-wise) in Mexico are to be found down the western coastline. Mexican cruise destinations on the Gulf of Mexico side are catered for by Caribbean-oriented cruise vacations departing from Galveston, New Orleans and some ports in Florida.

From the Californian ports a wide choice of Mexico cruises are available through several different cruise lines. These vary from a short 3-night cruise that takes in one Mexican port of call – Ensenada – before heading back, to 14-night cruises down to Acapulco and back.

Ensenada is in Baja California. It is less than 100kms from San Diego and is the third largest city on the Baja Peninsula of Mexico. The city is a tourist hotspot, attracting many people from all over the world to its shops, restaurants, beaches and wineries. One ‘must-see’ attraction here is the La Bufadora natural blowhole, which spouts ocean water a full 35ft into the air!

Further down the coast on the Mexican mainland is Mazatlan. Miles of beautiful golden sands lined with palm trees await at this port of call, aptly named as the Pearl of the Pacific. Fine restaurants, nightlife and shopping can be enjoyed in Mazatlan, as well as a whole host of watersports and land-based sports activities.

Puerto Vallarta is another popular port of call on a Mexico cruise, where more excellent beaches and fine restaurants await. From this port, shore excursions up into the spectacular mountains behind the city can be taken. The city of Guadalajara and its fine Mexican heritage can easily be reached from Puerto Vallarta.

The furthest point that most cruise lines will sail to on a round-trip is the dream destination of Acapulco. Known as the ‘Hollywood’ of Mexico, Acapulco has everything from water parks and balloon rides over the city, to rock diving and a complete raft of watersports activities. There are excellent restaurants, great shopping opportunities and a buzzing nightlife to enjoy too. Be warned though, once you’ve visited Acapulco you may become addicted to the place!

With all this to enjoy, and much more besides, Mexico really is a top cruise destination that should be on everyone’s travel itinerary. Just kick off those work shoes and enjoy the good life!

John Metcalfe is the webmaster for A to Z Cruises which is the No 1 resource for Mexico Cruise related Information on the Internet. Be sure to visit his site here: Mexico Cruise

by Rosana Hart

“There are only twenty million of us!” a friend of mine from Mexico City said to me one day not long ago. That number — which is still rising — puts Mexico City among the great cities of the world.

Mexico City has enough tourism sites to keep you busy indefinitely! Museums, art galleries, sports teams of all sorts, great shopping, a beautiful historic downtown area, wonderful parks… there is no limit to the things you can do in Mexico City. Here are a few:

The Museum of Anthropology is famous worldwide for its extensive collection on Mexican archaeology and history.

The Bosque de Chapultepec is a huge park in the city, with many things to do within it: museums, cafes, etc. And the people-watching is great.

In the downtown area, the Zocalo is one of the largest plazas in the world, with the cathedral, the presidential palace, and much more in the vicinity. Beautiful historic buildings!

The floating gardens of Xochimilco

Art, including great murals and paintings of Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, and many others

Before you pack your bags for a vacation there, do consider pollution, congestion, and crime.

Pollution: The air quality is terrible, as the geography of the valley that Mexico City sits in combines with the heavy traffic to create a thick stew instead of the air your lungs would prefer. At about a mile high, the city’s air is thinner to begin with anyway.

Congestion means that travel around the city is slow and tedious. The traffic is so frustrating, and parking so difficult, that rental cars aren’t generally recommended. See more on the page about travel to Mexico City and within it.

Crime: In the 1990s, Mexico suffered economic problems that left many of its people destitute. Some of these people used a lot of ingenuity in figuring out ways to separate richer people from their goods. Today, tourist guidebooks on Mexico generally explain the situation in detail. Here are some general guidelines: Carry little cash with you, and be very alert to your surroundings. Stay out of places where there are few people. Don’t necessarily trust the police, as in some cases they are involved in crime too. Don’t hail a taxi on the street, as some of the roaming cab drivers are involved in robbery. Taxis at your hotel or in official cab stands are much better. While other parts of the country may have seen some increase in crime, it’s in Mexico City that it’s reached the highest levels. All in all, a hefty dose of thoughtful preparation (making photocopies of your passport, leaving your fancy jewelry at home, that sort of thing) and vigilant common sense are called for.

But do these drawbacks mean you should avoid Mexico City as a tourism destination? It all depends on what you want. Many people love the vibrancy of the city. There may be something you particularly want to do or see there. You may love big cities and want to experience the unique flavor of this one. But if you are just looking for a laid-back, relaxing vacation, you will be happier somewhere else in Mexico. People go to Mexico City for business. With about a quarter of the entire population of Mexico, and with government and industry offices centered there, “the city” (la ciudad) as it’s called, is where a lot of things happen. Many of the hotels in Mexico City offer suites for business travelers to use as offices while they conduct their business.

If your business takes you there, or if you decide to live or retire there, you will do the same thing that most of the other twenty million do: make the best of any drawbacks and enjoy the many wonderful aspects of the city. If you might be there for a long time, see the page on real estate in Mexico City.

I’ve been there several times, and I have happy memories of fascinating hours in the Anthropology Museum, international restaurants, staying in ultramodern hotels and in intimate little places, the friendliness of people I met, and much more. I will spare you my unhappier memories, but none were really bad. It’s unlikely I will return, as nowadays I like my cities on a smaller scale. But everyone’s tastes are different, and you may love it. It’s truly a phenomenon, Mexico City!

Rosana Hart has traveled to Mexico many times. Her website, www.mexico-with-heart.com, contains the full text of a book she wrote about traveling in Mexico, as well as information and travel tips on a variety of Mexican cities popular with tourists.

by Mike Yeager

Cancun vacations offer white sandy beaches, warm tropical sun and beautiful blue water. Some of the finest Mexico resorts can be found in Cancun. One of the great things about Cancun vacations is the short time it takes to get there to travel Mexico. Only a couple of hours flying time and you can be staying at one of many Mexico resorts offering you the chance to relax, tan and even travel Mexico.

When you decide on one of several Cancun vacations you’ll find that even though you’re in a foreign country, there are many familiar U.S. hotels and restaurants. Cancun Vacations, beautiful Mexico resorts, beautiful beaches and people are all waiting for you.

Cancun vacations at lush Mexico resorts can easily be found on the internet. Imagine snorkeling in warm, blue water in the afternoon. Renting some jet ski’s and feeling the spray of the surf splash your face as you frolic like a kid with a new toy. Have you ever felt the thrill of being lifted into the air under a big, billowy parasail? What an experience! Imagine the breathtaking view you would have as you floated above the sun, the sand and surf with the warm tropical breeze blowing through your hair. All this and more is yours when you choose to “get away from it all” in Cancun.

About the Author

Mike Yeager
Publisher
http://www.a1-travel-4u.com

by David B. Wix

For me, living in Morelia was a very rewarding experience. It was certainly far different than what I had been used to in the United States. When I went there in 1997, technology existed, however, technicians were at times limited in their knowledge compared to their counterparts in the United States. Therefore, on occasion, computer equipment did not work as well as what I had been accustomed to. And, computer services were much more limited. For instance, when I first arrived at Centro Mexicano Internacional (CMI, my school in Morelia), there was one computer available 10 to 30 minutes a day to students for email services. If I wanted additional time and services, I had to go rent one of the two or three available computers at a local cyber café a few blocks down the street from CMI.

Now, I could have felt disheartened like some of the American students at my school, however, I viewed it as an interesting challenge. Instead of reading emails during my available computer time, I would download them, print them, and read them later. Then, I would hand write out any replies I wanted to send, type them up on a non-internet computer in Microsoft Word. Afterwards, I saved them to a disk, and the next day cut and paste my replies into my emails and sent them during my 10 to 30 minutes of computer time.

Morelia’s Transportation System

Welcome to the world of the Combi, Morelia’s at times challenging bus system! Consisting of a fleet of VW buses, the normal capacity is 15-18 people. However, it was not unusual to see more than 20 people sandwiched into every nook and cranny of the Combi. It was times like that that I really hoped everyone had used their deodorant. The nice thing is that Combis went virtually everywhere and one never had to wait very long for another in the event of missing the previous one. And, with such closeness, it was impossible not to get to know fellow passengers. I met many wonderful people that way. There were times, however, I must admit I broke down and took a taxi when I felt I needed my space. That was alright too, though, because as long as one negotiates the price prior to starting out, most trips are quite reasonable. For instance, in 1997, I could ride pretty much anywhere in El Centro (downtown) for anywhere between $2 and $3. Even longer trips across town were generally never more than $8 to $10.

Most generally, I felt safe riding in either mode of transportation. One Combi experience I had, however, was a bit tense (funny now, not too much then). I decided to take a scenic tour around town one day. For most of the trip, there was one other person besides me and the bus driver. He sat up in the front seat with the driver and got into an intense political discussion that eventually turned to the subject of Gringos. It was obvious neither of them cared much for the fact that Gringos were living “south of the border.” I sat quietly listening, hoping that I was dark skinned enough to resemble one of them. By that time, my Spanish was good enough that I could hold my ground in most conversations. I felt tremendously relieved, though, when the driver looked over at me and said “you are from Brazil, right?” I didn’t actually say yes, but I managed a quick remark in my limited vocabulary of Portuguese, enough to satisfy him and his friend at least. After that, I confined my Combi trips to shorter runs and more crowded buses.

Getting Used To Living On “Mexico Time”

The first time I taught an English class on a Saturday, I was exposed to the concept of doing things on “Mexico time.” Saturdays classes were always a bit more relaxed than ones during the week as most school administrators were gone. Students as well as teachers let their hair down a bit more than usual. I generally was not as strict about breaks as I had to be during the week, so, 5 minute breaks on occasion turned to 10-15 minute ones. It was alright, though, because we almost always got through all of our assigned material. Now, lunch break was a different matter. The first time I let my class take off for lunch, they went off by themselves. It was supposed to be a one hour lunch break, of course. Well, 1:00 PM turned into 1:30, 1:45, 2:00. Finally, a little after 2:00 my class returned. When I asked one of the students what happened, one of them said “sorry teacher, we were just on Mexico time today.” So, after that, I went to lunch with my class and kept them together as a group. Instead of feeling penalized, they loved it. And, I used the time to teach a few lessons not in the book.

My Students

While at CMI, I taught classes of all levels, from beginner to advanced, from niños (children) to adultos (adults). I even got called upon to teach a class in linguistics to a group of teachers. My favorite class of all, I must say, was a group of 10 to 12 year olds. At first, I was not sure I would survive with all the antics that they pulled on me. Most of them wanted to play in class and rarely ever do their homework. Now how does one appeal to a 10 year old to get them to stay to task? Well, I commended them for how intelligent they were. Then, with the more difficult ones, I mentioned how nice it would be to meet their parents and report on their “progress” in my class. Now, the latter choice worked. After that, I never had a bit of trouble. In one of our last classes I asked each of my young charges to write about their favorite place, person, or thing. One of the girls, about 11 at the time, really touched my heart. She got up to describe her favorite person. “My favorite person is my English teacher David. His Spanish is not always the best. But, he is a good teacher and I love him.” I think I had a lump in my throat about a mile long that day.

Shopping Conditions

Just like with the buses of Morelia, shopping areas can be overcrowded and a challenge. There was more than one occasion I experienced pushing and shoving (never violent though) to get through to a counter to purchase food or other items. A Mercado (Mexican market) is nothing like the grocery stores I had been used to in the United States. Of course, there are a few supermarket style grocery stores in Morelia that are similar, but, they aren’t near as much fun to go to as the Mercados. As I mentioned in one of my previous articles – one can purchase almost anything in a Mercado (hopefully all legal). I used to spend a lot of my free time walking all over El Centro to the various shops and Mercados. I remember buying things from CDs to leather goods to delightful foods I had never experienced before. At my favorite clothing store, Milano’s, I was able to buy an entire new wardrobe for less than $150. I found leather jackets and coats at a stall not far from the downtown library for $50 to $75 that would easily cost $400 to $500 in the United States. Morelia has some of the best bargains I have ever found if one is willing to spend the time and energy to look.

Conclusion

Living in a different country with a different language and different customs is not for the faint of heart. This is my point – living in Morelia is different than where you live right now. Some of Morelia is quite modern, other parts are not. One cannot expect conditions to be exactly the same as in the United States or other more modernized countries. But, if you have a sense of adventure and use common sense, you can have a wonderful time and some marvelous experiences. I did. I have memories that will last a lifetime. I met people, saw places and things, learned new things, lived and experienced things that I will always treasure.

When you go to Morelia, go with an open mind. Be willing to learn, live a different lifestyle, experience new things. Above all, use common sense and have humility. If you do, you will have fond, priceless, unique memories that will always hold special meaning for you.

About The Author

The author, David Wix, lived, worked, and traveled extensively in Mexico during 1997 and has degrees in history and languages. Currently he is working as an insurance broker in California. He has had articles published in his areas of expertise and is currently working on a couple of books to be published in the near future. Author’s website: http://www.dave-wix.com and http://www.travelwriters.com/davewix.
dave@dave-wix.com

by Gareth Powell

I am sitting on a low wooden bench in the railway station of Ciudad Juarez. There is very little to keep me company except for the flies. The ticket office is shut. I have been traveling almost non-stop for 32 hours. I have not eaten for the last twelve. I am so tired I ache.

What, I ask myself, am I doing here? The answer is that I have come to go for a train ride; but such a train ride. Through an area as dramatic as the Grand Canyon (but bigger) with a linked system of six canyons. If you are, like me, fascinated by trains then a ride through some of the most awesome scenery in the world cannot be resisted.

The trip is not for everyone. If you insist on Pullman service and superb in-train dining then you will be far better off on the Blue Train in South Africa or the Orient Express. This Copper Canyon train is of a different breed. Not inferior. Not a whit less enjoyable. Just different.

I have been to Mexico on four previous occasions and found Acapulco exhilarating, Jalisco exciting, Mexico City a great worry and Cancun not to my taste.

I knew little of the Copper Canyon and the ride from Chihuahua to Los Mochis. I first came across it while reading Fodor’s Guide to Mexico. The book described the train ride as ‘the world’s most scenic rail ride’. Which is why I have now arrived at the deserted station of Ciudad Juarez.

I had flown to Los Angeles. From there I had to get myself to the Copper Canyon and its railroad.

I came into Mexico by an unorthodox route.

I flew by an overnight ‘red eye’ to El Paso in Texas by way of Las Vegas and Albuquerque. From El Paso I took a taxi to Ciudad Juarez, the sister city of El Paso. Juarez is just across the Rio Grande and you need a $US17 tourist card. I have since found it is better to walk across and get a taxi on the other side. From there I took the train to Chihuahua.

A piece of advice. Do not take the bus. The bus station is clean and comfortable and the bus ticket is only $15. But the bus travels 380 km to get there and this is a seriously tiring journey. I had been warned about this and so took the train.

Juarez railway station is not jolly although it is being improved. Today, as I sit here and write this it is a concrete structure open to the air on one side, like a bomb shelter. Low, dirty, dilapidated benches on which to sit; a lavatory I dare not investigate for the smell would choke a horse; and nothing else. Nothing at all. No soft drink machine. No news-stand. Nothing.

Except for flies. (They tell me that it has now been cleaned-up and redecorated. When I see it I will believe it.)

This is the lowest point of the trip. As I get on the train that will take me to Chihuahua everything improves dramatically. The six o’clock train for which I buy a first class reserved ticket is of a very high standard. The ticket costs around $15. This for a journey of around 400 kilometers.

The train is nothing like the station. The carriage is blessedly air-conditioned. It is squeaky clean and the seats recline aircraft-style. I laugh aloud with relief. The train goes first through the suburbs, the poor suburbs, of Juarez. Now we are traveling across a flat plain with dry vegetation. Very similar to Australia.

The conductor — immaculately dressed as are all the staff on the train — comes through the train and announces dinner. There are few takers. Foolhardy to the end, I walk through to the dining car and face a pre-set dinner. A small plastic cup of Coca-Cola. A plastic plate with four potato crisps, two Saltine biscuits, a spoonful of cold macaroni, a small portion of shredded dry fish.

As a meal this neither inspires nor encourages me.

The train pulls into Chihuahua station. A fleet of taxis, rapacious hawks to a man, lie in ambush. They want 10,000 pesos to take me to a hotel. Brisk haggling gets this down to 6,000 pesos. This hotel, the Exelaris, was once a Hyatt. No longer.

That night I wander into a bar called El Pantera Rosso which appears to have little to do with any Pink Panther. On a previous visit to Chihuahua I had gone to the museum which was once the house of Pancho Villa. There I had met a lady who was said to have been the wife of that great revolutionary. But he appears to have had many, many wives. Not always with benefit of wedding ceremony.

On this visit I skip sightseeing and I arrange for a wake-up call at 5.30 am so that I can catch the train to Los Mochis. Out to the station and claim my seat on the Chihuahua-Pacific railway which covers the 640 kilometers to Los Mochis.

Important to know I booked ahead. You will find advice elsewhere on the Internet to say you can just take a chance. This is not good advice. Book. I am in first classwhich costs $US125 return. Second, which I would have booked if I had known how to do it, is only $53. First class is super with airliner-type reclining seats.

Practical details

This is not a cheap trip to take through a package tour. Some of the tours starting from El Paso cost between $US1,600 and $2,000 per person. This is truly daft when you consider the price is normally around $US126 return and that is in first class. Move down to second class — the coaches were first class a few years ago — and it can be just over half of that.

You will be told that the second class train goes more slowly and you will miss the scenery. If you are doing the return trip this is not the case.

Times of departure — in Spanish and priced in Mexican dollars — are here:
http://www.chihuahua.gob.mx/turismoweb/transporte_tren.html

Prices and a booking telephone number and other good things: http://www.nativetrails.com/train/train.htm

We leave Chihuahua and the scenery is flat, almost Australian, not riveting. This was the country most fiercely fought for in the Revolution, and the breeding ground for Pancho Villa’s División del Norte. Then the train starts climbing in a series of snaking turns to Creel which is a timber town.

After Creel we keep climbing and the air turns distinctly brisk. Desert slowly changes and becomes pine forest. It is two in the afternoon.

Just before the Copper Canyon itself is Divisadero where the train stops for a quarter of an hour. At Divisadero the canyon floor is nearly two km beneath your feet with views that on a clear day reach forever. Tarahumara Indians on the platform sell souvenirs to the tourists. Their people originally occupied the high plateau but during the Spanish invasion were had to move into the canyons in order to avoid forced labor in the mines and on farms. Colonists have a lot to answer for.

Copper Canyon covers over 65,000 sq. km of extremely rugged mountains and canyons. Formed by five major river systems, these barrancas — canyons — are four times larger than the Grand Canyon of the Colorado. Before the completion of the Chihuahua al Pacifico railroad in 1961, the only access into the area was by foot or horse. Now the train magically makes it all accessible.

The scenery is, the only word for it, astounding. In another country I once took a sightseeing flight with the Hallelujah Chorus played as each canyon came into sight. The Chorus is precisely what this trip deserves. Fortissimo.

After Divisadero the train passes through several tunnels and over high narrow iron truss bridges as it loops over the various side branches of the canyon. The train approaches Temoris where you need to find a good position by a window. Here the tracks pass over themselves three times.

As I look out of the train window I can see over there, on the opposite side, another railway going in the opposite direction. What is this railway? Where is it going?

It is, of course, the rail that I ride, doubling back on itself to get around the canyon walls. Indeed, at one stage the track does a complete 180 degree turn — within a tunnel.

The track turns, loops, twists, gyrates. The train snaking as it seeks the way to go. The train passes 100 meters above the Chinipas River.

From the window I cannot see the bridge. I am suspended in space. I am slightly afflicted by vertigo and sweat and stare in wild surmise. My hands grip knuckle-white.

Eventually I relax, get blase — this is, after all, a ten-hour trip.

I start to inspect my fellow passengers, pause to drink a beer, talk to the person sitting next to me. Yet always the scenery drags me back.

It was dark when we got into Los Mochis so that I missed some of the spectacular scenery on the run to the Sea of Cortez. No matter. The next day I arose early again and took the train back to Chihuahua. This time I took the slow train. Mexico is not a place where one wishes to rush things.

Gareth Powell is the author of several travel books, has been the travel editor of two metropolitan newspapers and has a travel website – http://www.travelhopefully.com

by David B. Wix

As the sun set on my first evening in Morelia, I found myself reflecting on the day’s events and my initial impressions of this old colonial style city that would be my home for the next several months.

After arriving by air into Guadalajara, my bus trip from there to Morelia with Primera Plus, one of Mexico’s first class bus systems, had taken about three or three and one-half hours over the fairly new autopista (freeway) that connects Guadalajara and Morelia with Mexico City. The ride had been a marvelous, comfortable experience when compared to riding Greyhound buses in the United States. In addition to a good meal and a new release movie, one of my fellow passengers shared many of the interesting things about Morelia that I would be able to see and do once we arrived. This helped me relax a little and feel more at ease. Even so, nothing would quite prepare me for what I would experience right after we arrived.

The trip from Morelia’s central bus station to El Centro (downtown) normally takes fewer than five minutes and is less than a ten-block distance away. That is, unless you take a taxi ride with a driver that knows you are in unfamiliar territory and gives you a scenic, roundabout tour in order to capture more of a fare than he is entitled to. A trip that should have cost me 10 to 12 pesos (1 – 2 $USD) at the most, ended up costing about 250 pesos (25 – 30 $USD). Needless to say, one of my first purchases in Morelia was a city map. That way, I would know for sure where I was at all times and not be taken for a “ride” ever again.

My evening meal and hotel room more than made up for any disappointment and anger I may have felt initially, however. I honestly don’t remember the name of the first restaurant I ate at in Morelia, but the food was wonderful. My room at the Mintzicuri hotel was only a surprising sum of $8 a night. Now how good could that possibly be at such a low rate? Not only was it comfortably furnished and clean, it even had cable TV!

Apartment living, the neighborhoods, and the people

While I won’t say that everything I experienced was pleasant, for the most part I truly enjoyed the places that I lived and the people that were my neighbors. At first, a few of the local people in the area around my apartment on Padre Lloreda were a little antagonistic toward me because I was a foreigner, an outsider. I remember on occasion being called “guero” which, near as I can tell or remember means “white boy” or “white- faced boy” or something to that effect. Now that I think back, it is kind of funny – I was very white-faced for the first few weeks I was there! Then, thankfully, my skin started to darken and my Spanish greatly improved.

Right from the start, I became well acquainted with the local people by going out on the streets around my apartment and getting to know the stores and the people that owned them or shopped in them. One such place was the local grocery store that was about a block away from where I lived. The man that ran it and his niece quickly became good friends to me. The local corner grocery store in Morelia is much more than just a place to shop – it is a gathering place for friends that want to socialize. At least, that one was. One day, one of my name callers came in and asked ‘guero, why are you here? These are all my friends!’ Alma, the store owner’s niece quickly spoke up and said ‘they are all his friends too! So, why don’t you just be quiet or go away?’ That was the last time I ever had a problem with anyone in that neighborhood. Even my name caller became more pleasant and almost friendly.

In appreciation for Alma’s great act of kindness, I offered to tutor her in English during my off hours from teaching and studying at CMI (Centro Mexicano Internacional). She proved to be an excellent student. Sometimes, Spanish speakers have problems with certain sounds in English. The “th” sound, as in “thank you”, is one of the most difficult to learn. Alma was determined, though! One night, we sat for at least 3 hours doing word exercises to grasp the sound. I even had Alma watch my mouth carefully to imitate the way I held my teeth and lips to form the “th” sound. It would come out more like ‘fank you’. Alma never did get it that night, however, one day as I turned to leave the store; she called out a resounding thank you! She had been practicing.

My next apartment was at least a couple of miles away down the side street from Padre Lloreda on Calle Vincente Santa Maria. My favorite person there was my landlady Amparo, affectionately known as “Amparito” to all of her “boys” in her apartment-rooms. She was warm and kind, but at the same time let you know the “house rules.” There never was any loud music, wild parties, or any funny stuff going on, at least not in that house! Our neighbor just north of us, however, liked to get a bit sauced and sing loudly until the wee hours of the morning occasionally.

This neighborhood was very welcoming. I had 3 corner style grocery stores, a beer store, a tortilla factory, a barbershop, a restaurant, and a laundry within a four or five block radius. I wasted no time in getting to know most of the people on a first name basis, and I never experienced prejudice of any kind.

Shopping – mercado style

I did most of my shopping for clothes, food, and household things at Mercado Independencia on Avenida Lazaro Cardenas next to Vincente Santa Maria or at other stores in the immediate area. This mercado occupies a huge city block area – more like 3 or 4 blocks here in the U. S. I have never experienced anything so unique as shopping mercado style. Everything under the sun seems to be here. I could go and get fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats here, eat a restaurant style meal at one of the many food stands, buy leather goods, get my school supplies, etc. The food stands are basically a long counter with chairs and cooking facilities. The meals are simple and nourishing and generally cost around $2, never more than $3 or $4.

One of the funniest experiences I had in Morelia was at this mercado one afternoon during a break in my classes. I had decided to purchase a couple of ears of corn to go along with my spaghetti dinner that evening. Now, I had always learned the Spanish word for corn to be maiz (my-eece). When I first asked for some maiz, one of the vendors went and got me a can of cut corn from a neighboring vendor. Then, I tried drawing ears of corn and explaining what they were by means of gestures and other descriptive words – to no avail. Finally, one of the young children looked up at me with big eyes and said – “elote, elote!” Si! Elote! I really was not sure what elote was; however, I figured it was worth a try. So, the little girl brought me back, yes – thankfully, an ear of corn. I have never forgotten the Spanish word elote.

Another time, when I was doing my shopping at the mercado, I got another lesson in Spanish that I will more than likely remember for the rest of my life as well. I had said something to one of the young women in the shop that I thought for some reason had embarrassed her from the response she gave me. I had no idea what I might have said, but I tried to ask what it was and apologize. So, I tried to think of what the Spanish word for embarrass could be. Now, a lot of Spanish words are similar to their English counterparts. To make a word end in ed (embarrass – embarrassed) you add ado. So, I added ado to embarrass and asked the lady if I made her embarasado, to which she adamantly said – “No, no señor!” Her face said differently, or, so I thought. I asked again – “No, no señor!” came her immediate reply. Now, I was really confused. I dug through my backpack and found my pocket dictionary. Imagine my horror – I had been asking if I had made her pregnant. Thankfully, she realized I was stumbling over my words and we both had a good laugh. Incidentally, the Spanish word for embarrassed is averganzado. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that word either.

One of my favorite stores in Morelia, Milano’s Men’s Clothing, was right across the street from Mercado Independencia on Avenida Lazaro Cardenas. I never paid more than $10 for any of the shirts and pants I purchased there. Within a couple of months of moving to Morelia, I lost over 40 pounds from all the exercise I got every day in walking back and forth to my school and around the city. So, I bought a new wardrobe. The quality of clothes at Milano’s was wonderful and at prices I could easily afford. I even had my own personal clothes-shopping assistant that would meet me and help me to match colors on my outfits.

The sounds of Morelia

One of the other things I came to appreciate about Morelia was its sounds. From the roosters crowing all over town at the crack of dawn heralding the beginning of a new day to the vendors and various service providers on the streets, each would have their own sound. For instance, the garbage man had a unique sounding whistle that he would blow as he wound through the neighborhood streets. Generally, when you heard the first hint of the whistle, there would be about 5 minutes or less to make sure any unwanted trash was at curbside for pickup. Trucks loaded with bottles of gas for cooking and heating had a special horn sound. And, on most weekdays, the streets teemed with sounds of traffic and people as they hustled about busily involved in their day’s activities. Weekends would bring the music of fiestas (parties) as people would get together and socialize. When Morelia’s futbol (soccer) team played a neighboring city’s team and won, sounds of jubilation could be heard as people drove up and down the street blowing whistles or making other noises and shouting “Morelia, Morelia” at the top of their lungs.

Making Morelia my home

I never wanted Morelia to be just a place to visit, study, and work. Right from the beginning, it became my home. I knew I had to learn to communicate effectively to fit in and do well. The teachers at my school, CMI, played a big part in helping me to learn to conjugate Spanish verbs, but it was the people I came into contact with on a daily basis, however, that helped me to build my vocabulary of words and learn to communicate well. Very few of them knew English. So, to eat, do my shopping and other day-to-day activities, I had to speak Spanish well enough to be understood. It took me between one and two months of trial and error to learn to converse freely.

My students were another part of what made me feel at home in Morelia. I have never seen people so eager to learn. English opens up a whole new world to many of them. For many, traveling to, living and working in the United States was a dream or goal. I tried to remember this while teaching practical language usages that would make it easier for them to adapt to a new culture and land. A lot of my students loved to read books and magazines, surf the Internet, and listen to American music. So, I would use each of these avenues to make learning enjoyable for them. Learning is a two-way street. My students could always sense that I really cared. To this day, though, I feel that they taught and helped me more than I ever did them.

Learn the language, make mistakes, but keep your sense of humor

So, you want to live in Morelia, eh? The best encouragement I can give you, then, is learn the language to the best of your ability, surround yourself with good friends, keep a strong positive attitude, and try not to lose your sense of humor when you make mistakes. And, though you do not want to be tied to your dictionary or other language aids – keep them handy just in case you encounter a word or words you are unsure of.

If you enjoy history, culture, adventure, and people, by all means – go to Morelia!

About The Author

The author, David Wix, lived, worked, and traveled extensively in Mexico during 1997 and has degrees in history and languages. Currently he is working as an insurance broker in California. He has had articles published in his areas of expertise and is currently working on a couple of books to be published in the near future. Author’s website: http://www.dave-wix.com and http://www.travelwriters.com/davewix.
dave@dave-wix.com

by Robert Bruce Baird

It was a ‘heady’ time in my life. I knew I had some insights that would be helpful from history and I knew something big had happened and was in process spiritually.

Here I was ‘head over heels’ with a young woman who was teaching me about empathy and demonstrating her willingness and ability to grow, as much as I could have hoped for. I was ‘in tune’ and waiting for the next ‘event’. Barbi and I headed for Cancun, where I could take a side trip and see my first Pyramid, at Chichen Itza. I expected something big to happen! And I could remember the re-incarnated Mayor of Old Sacramento who I had met some twenty years earlier. He said he had discovered many Mayan sites in his previous life.

The trip was prepaid, including hotel, but when we arrived at the Mayaland Hotel they had no record of our reservation. Barbi was upset which can easily happen if you expect efficiency in México. I on the other hand, began to feel my body hair ‘stand and quiver’. Fate was smiling on me but Barbi wasn’t. My explanations about what was ‘intended’ just added to her frustration. She commanded that I should, “Get the owner! And straighten this out.”

It was no problem except that they had no rooms at The Mayaland that evening. The owner was quite pleasant and said she’d arrange a place for us at the ‘Club Med’ property up the road. Barbi wanted to be sure we could come back for the entertainment at the Mayaland and asked if I had ascertained how this had happened? I replied that it wasn’t anyone’s fault and that she would soon see we were the better off for it. I didn’t need any intuition to feel her mounting disgust with my arrogant certainty that it was about to happen. There had been other events of synchronicity and weirdness in our time together for the previous thirteen months and I had told her that her energy had been very important all of these things that had happened. I was ‘in the flow’ and she couldn’t relate to my elation. The ‘Villas Archaeologique’ was the place that the people who had excavated the site a hundred years or so ago, had stayed in.

Upon walking into the courtyard, I was even more certain something ‘special’ was going on! The place was like a museum in a jungle gazebo and even smelled the way it should. I was looking at all the artifacts and carved rocks in their displays or among the plants. The earlier statues were much more refined and Greek looking. Why had no one mentioned this in any of the literature? I was absolutely ‘stoked’! The more recent Mayan statues had this gargoylish long-tongued creature that Barbi had told me during the week in Cancun that reminded her of me. I was so sure anyone could easily see the degradation of a society over many millennia. Barbi said it could have been her Greek ancestors who had come to Central America. The dates on the statues would make that fit my ‘traveler’ theory as well.

I was certain that anyone could see the work of Churchward and MacDari might be vindicated by this art alone. Churchward claimed Mu had a higher culture and technology and Barbi had to agree the older artistry was in every way superior. “I wish MacDari and Churchward had met here to compare their notes.” I enthused. “Just as the Kelts (Toltecs) and Lemurians did.”

“Well if they met here they probably met in the Indus and became the Phoenicians as you say, too. But we need to get to the temple or pyramid, Bob!”

I was trying to ‘feel’ the presence of ‘The Red-Headed League’ (of Megalith Builders) that my early-life literary friend Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes had turned me on to. The scientific branch of their unified organization or original League of Nations called the Tuatha de Danaan seemed more likely the makers of these fine works of art. I forget how long it was before Barbi took me by the hand and brought me back to the reason we were there in the first place. She was into that almost as much as I was grooving on the Etruscan/Phoenician or Mu/Kelt connection to this part of the world. It had taken me by surprise but still I felt there was more, and off to the room we went. It was cooler in the small room, and as we freshened up I pestered Barbi for a celebration.

“Bob, we don’t have time for all of that.”

“Just a ‘quickie!” I pleaded.

“You don’t know the meaning of the word.” She joked as she ran away from me and out the door.

As we rounded the first corner of the courtyard I saw the manager in front of us, talking to a group of ‘turistas’. I waited anxiously as Barbi tried to push or pull me towards the exit. At what appeared to be an ‘opening’ in their conversation I brazenly asked, “Can you direct me to what is really important here? I’m not interested in the ‘official’ Mexican government position that the tour provides!?”

He responded in his best English combined with a calming French type accent. “I don’t know what you mean, Sir?!”

“I mean I know the Mexicans and their Franciscan forbears aren’t interested in having the Mayan people of Chiapas and elsewhere getting to know the degree of pride they should have in their heritage.”

He looked at me and shrugged his shoulders as he looked at Barbi tugging on my arm. I was sure he knew more than he was allowed or willing to tell me. I was convinced I wasn’t going to get any encouragement from him, so I followed Barbi who was into her ‘mall walk’ that I always joked about. Her small legs were quite powerful and when she wanted she sure knew how to use them, like when shopping.

“You know, I might learn more if we took the tour.” Barbi said in a half-hearted manner with full knowledge that I was not going to listen to their lies which included the Mayans not having existed before the time of Christ. Barbi remarked with conviction. “You know everyone isn’t into the same things you are.”

Many people would agree with her criticism of my often intense social behaviour. “I make no apologies for being willing to question authority and act in a right and growth oriented or ‘open’ manner. You are getting pretty good at it yourself lately, you know!” I said as I squeezed her hand.

At that time Barbi and I were living apart, but we had lived together for about six months during the time we had known each other. Her sexual abuse issues had been faced but the character and programming of behaviour that had been her life for so many years were still being evaluated. She had just turned twenty five and I was forty three years old.

I had read about the buildings on the site more than once and I was most interested in seeing the ‘Pelota’ where they had played a game with a big ball. The winner of this game got to choose who would die! Thus I figured, it was likely that sometimes the winners chose death. You wouldn’t imagine that a team with ten players would make this kind of decision without some major motivation. I told Barbi that the Persian roots of the game Parcheesi were not necessarily the real origin, by saying. “The early MesoAmerican Indians played a game just like Parcheesi that some historian/anthropologists said was Persian.”

“Is that the game like hook and ladders?” She replied as she saw some Greek looking columns up ahead.

I had read Carlos Castaneda a lot and always had wondered about his teacher/brujho’s claim that he was the last Toltec. I presume he was claiming to be the last pure Toltec and since the time I was at Chichen Itza I have discovered more sources that indicate they were not indigenous people but most likely Ovates of the Keltic tradition. The teachings of Don Juan as reported by Carlos and then performed by him, include dimensional shifts and time or immortality issues, that I felt were connected with this game in the ‘Pelota’. Barbi had heard my theory a few times I guess and wanted to have ‘fun’ egging me on to explain why some teams of winners might choose death.

Carlos Castaneda had been a UCLA anthropology student when he began his association with the ‘cult hero’ Don Juan and his sorcerer friends like Don Gennaro. The rumor was that Carlos did no longer exist in this physical frame of reference and that the journalists who waited to interview him at his publisher’s offices had always been frustrated. He would deliver his books from time to time and the journalists or paparazzi would chase after him. When he would duck into a stairwell and they would converge on him from above and below he wouldn’t be there anymore. I didn’t think any journalist who really understood his work would be interested in being a journalist once he was an adept. The Castaneda debunkers have their position that they understand everything he writes but I am sure they don’t.

It requires a great deal of right thought and attunement to shift physical dimensions or dematerialize. Barbi and I had been watching a cable access show called Tootlevision after its host Harry Tootle. We had seen Al Bielek describing his work as a physicist dealing with the nature of Time and its seven levels of a helical nature. The universe seems to expand, with the logical progression from lesser to greater cardinalities playing the role of time. I knew that ‘viewing’ time through the Philosopher’s Stone had given many people like the priestly Michel Nostradamus the insight to his confusing quatrains. The work of David Ovason in Secrets of Nostradamus is the best I have found on that matter.

I had met some people who had more than just premonitions and I had had a couple of them myself. It seemed to me that parallel or alternate universes had a part to play in the confusion. I think deja vu is a very common time frame feeling that is at the earliest stage of the helical structure of time.

The pyramid that you always see pictures of, in reference to Chichen Itza, dominates a plaza or field of immense proportions with large spaces between each of the main buildings. The Observatory or Caracol was being worked on and was unavailable for entry at the time of our visit. I found the Parthenon like columns of interest after having seen the statues at the ‘Villas’, and we walked among them first. It was getting hotter by the minute and it was very humid.

“Bob, I’ll race you to the top of the Pyramid!” Barbi called to me as she came running up beside me. It wasn’t going to get any cooler and August in Mexico is always hot. I guess I would have asked her to do it herself and tell me what she was able to see from the small altar room at the top, if she hadn’t challenged me in this way.

“When have you ever beaten me at anything physical, Short Stuff?” It didn’t matter to me, whether this was the famous Kukulcan jaguar cults’ pride and joy or not, by the time I reached the top. It was my primary concern to not breathe too hard so that my younger lady wouldn’t think I was too old or something like that. She was excited and rushed to me with news that she had gone under the altar and had been able to see the original temple structure below.

The Popul Vuh is the Bible of the Mayan peoples, or I guess I should say what the Bible purports to be. The historical and legendary traditions and laws of their ancestors; had mentioned the current temple was built around an earlier one that the jaguar cult of Kukulcan had built. It says that three brothers from across the ocean to the west; designed and led their ancestors to build this structure.

I think the very existence of the Mayans had been presented as a no longer existing factor at some time in the twentieth century: it was because they intended to wipe them out. I know in Mexico that many in the government wishes that were the case, and I know the Mayans had successfully kept away from the Spanish for many centuries since the Franciscans came to rob and ridicule them. Their mercenary brethren like Cortez had tried their damndest to ‘make it so’. At this time I was not sure I had really met a Mayan except at Fritz’s once, a few months earlier. I found out more about these things later in an extended visit that included living in Belize for about five months. The Mayans had been much more than their primitive Aztec conquerors. In fact the Aztecs held the Mayans in very high esteem and basically plagiarized the Mayan calendar and anything else they could. The Mayan still have a racial purity that makes them look like their original ancestors from the Orient or Mu.

As I re-energized, Barbi and I hugged in the presence of a vista once shared by a priesthood of austere and unproven origin who I was sure we could learn a lot from. The Mayans have a saying that can be expressed in many different ways that goes like this: “Don’t put yourself in front of your Self!” The soul is our true nature for sure; I mused as I saw Barbi’s wide-eyed excitement and shared her awe of this beautiful view. I felt vindicated in my zeal or often apparently ludicrous pursuit of something others only gave a modicum of care about; but much more was ‘in store’ for us that wonderful and ‘freaky’ day.

“Bob, I actually feel that I am somewhat responsible for bringing some of these things into your life. The truth is you bring them or make them a reality for me, in ways that no one else could. I don’t tell you that I love you enough, do I?”

“Yes, Barbi, you do. But, I always love to hear it.” We kissed before beginning the more difficult journey down the side of the pyramid.

It was so steep going down that it was amazing to both of us that they allowed old and infirm tourists to do it alone. Barbi probably made some crack about me having to do it on hands and knees some time in the near future. There were some old people and even some who weren’t so young who did this at some tricky points on the descent to ‘terra firma’. I was still naive enough to think the Mexican government and its fifty extended Spanish families that owned everything, had some kind of ethic. This illusion was rudely and totally corrected in my next visit to this land where might is still right.

We headed directly for the ‘Pelota’ after reaching the ground. This building was ominous, and we saw the royal box looming high above the field where the ‘little people’ played out their life and death game or struggle.

About the Author

Author of Diverse Druids
Columnist for The ES Press Magazine
Guest ‘expert’ at World-Mysteries.com

This article appeared in New Age Travel with pictures and a little more content.

by Barry deCocq

Travelers who are looking for a fantastic all-inclusive resort destination that is priced far below most tropical destinations in and around the Caribbean should look into Mexico’s Riviera Maya. This area has fast become a very popular tropical vacation getaway for travelers from around the world. The Riviera Maya is located on the Caribbean side of Mexico and encompasses the stretch of coastline ranging from about 5 miles to 60 miles south of Cancun.

Don’t be misled into thinking that because you fly into Cancun to get to the Riviera Maya that it is anything like Cancun and its spring break, party-like atmosphere…it is far from it. The Riviera Maya has been set aside by the Mexican government as a semi-protected area, and as such it cannot become the touristy, high-rise resort type of destination you find in the Cancun hotel zone. Resorts can only be built 3-stories or less in height and they have to be constructed to embrace the surrounding vegetation, wildlife, and topography. It is a much more family-friendly and romantic vacation destination.

Resorts in the Riviera Maya are primarily all-inclusive properties. Because of the remote locations of many of the properties there are very few offsite dining areas. All-inclusive resorts give the traveler the benefit of having everything paid for prior to their arrival. All meals, drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), non-motorized watersports, and other amenities are included in package prices. The more upscale all-inclusive resorts of 4-star and higher quality typically have many different restaurant options ranging from buffet to world-class a la carte cuisine….all-included! Some of the more popular resort chains in the Riviera Maya include Iberostar Resorts, Palace Resorts, and Secrets Resorts & Spas. Resorts run anywhere from more family-related types of properties or resorts for the budget-minded to very upscale adults-only spa resorts.

One of the best reasons to choose the Mexico Riviera Maya for your next vacation is not just for the superb quality resorts and great value, but also for the fantastic tours and excursions that are available in around the Yucatan Peninsula region. This area is teeming with Mayan ruins and ancient architecture that are very popular with tourists. The most majestic of the local Mayan ruins are the pyramids of Chichen Itza. These incredibly preserved pyramids date back to 400AD and this awe-inspiring tour will leave with you many wonderful memories. There are many other Mayan ruins tours you can take as well. In addition to ruins you can also experience many eco-based tours that take you to game and marine preserves where you will find amazing wildlife and snorkeling that is nothing short of amazing. Another popular day-trip for those staying in the Riviera Maya region is the island of Cozumel. You can reach this quaint island by ferry from the town of Playa del Carmen located in the heart of the Riviera Maya. It is a short 45 minute ferry ride and once there you will find duty-free shopping, great dining, and some of the world’s best SCUBA diving and snorkeling.

If you have taken tropical vacations in the Caribbean or Hawaii and are looking for a new destination to go to the Riviera Maya is an excellent choice that will definitely impress and have you ready to come back to again and again.

About The Author

Barry deCocq is a co-owner and managing director of Tropical Sands Vacations (http://www.tropicalSands.com), a discount Mexico and Caribbean travel brokerage specializing in all-inclusive resorts. Contact at info@tropicalsands.com.

by Rosana Hart

Going by air

Flying to Mexico is the most common way to go to the main resort and tourist destinations. Major U.S. airlines offer non-stop or direct flights to a wide variety of Mexican cities. You can work with a travel agent or you can book your flight over the internet. There is a tremendous variety in price, so it’s worth doing some homework. Booking way ahead sometimes gives you a bargain price — but you can also sometimes get very good prices if you have an impulse to go right away, or within a week or two. Look for U.S. or Mexican airlines.

Charter flights can offer rock bottom prices at times, but do be aware that the charter operator may have the right to cancel the flight if it doesn’t fill, and they can do this up to about 10 days before the flight. However, if you want to cancel your reservation with them it may not be possible.

Vacation packages to Mexico

Combined airfare and hotel packages can offer you very good value. The hotels may not be the best known, but sometimes they are. And in this internet era, it’s easy enough to do a search on the name of the hotel and town. Especially if you are traveling to Cancun, Acapulco, Ixtapa, or any of the many other vacation type destinations in Mexico, vacation package deals are well worth exploring.

Another kind of package is the guided tour, often of several cities and typically with hotels and transportation included. This can be very good for people who haven’t explored Mexico much or who speak little or no Spanish.

Cruises to Mexico

Cruises leave from both coasts of the U.S., and vary in how long they last. The shorter cruises can be very economical. Cruises will only give you a taste of Mexico compared to other vacation choices, but that might be just the thing to whet your appetite!

Mexican buses

Mexico has an incredibly good network of buses going between cities. Most foreign travelers prefer the deluxe buses or the first-class ones, which typically offer movies, comfortable seating, rest rooms, and an easy schedule of many departures a day. Between the smaller towns you may get retired school buses from the U.S. and more rigorous conditions.

Driving

Driving conditions vary considerably from one Mexican highway to another. Some are slow, while the relatively expensive toll roads usually have light traffic due to their prices. Don’t drive between Mexican cities at night. There are tales of robberies, but more common hazards include livestock lying on the road (enjoying the warmth of the pavement) and vehicles driving without good headlights.

A Few Thoughts on Safety

If you travel in Mexico, do be aware of safety and theft issues. If you carry a purse, think about how easily it could be snatched and perhaps carry your passport and credit cards in your clothing close to your body, even in a pouch under your clothes.

There is much publicity in the U.S. about the occasional dramatic crimes that happen to tourists abroad. If you keep in mind that people are poorer and that you appear wealthy to them (even if that idea is laughable to you), you will make the best choices.

As for health concerns, Mexico is much improved from the past, but do be prudent about what you eat. Most drinking water you will be served is purified now, but it does no harm to ask. Other factors under your control are how much alcohol you drink and how long you stay out in the tropical sun.

Use common sense, and be aware that common sense is different from one country to another. Don’t worry too much. The vast majority of travelers to Mexico have a safe and delightful trip.

Rosana Hart has traveled to Mexico many times. Her website, www.mexico-with-heart.com, contains the full text of a book she wrote about traveling in Mexico, as well as information and travel tips on a variety of Mexican cities popular with tourists.