Tom said:
Steve, why not share those opinions here for the benefit of others? The fact that some folks are a little gun shy of going to MX right now is a good reason to share your insights and experience. Help educate/recalibrate us all.
Okay Tom, here goes, but bear in mind that these are my own opinions created by my experiences down there, yours may be different, some folks will love Mexico, some will swear they?ll never go back. I?m probably going to go overboard on this, it will be a long one.
I?m not familiar with western Mexico and Baja, most of my crossings were at Brownsville/Matamoros, and once at Nogales and once at Juarez/El Paso. First, change some dollars into pesos on the American side, you?ll get a good rate, but shop around (I?ve actually made money on exchanges by buying pesos at 10:1 in from the money changes at the border in southern Mexico and selling them in the U.S for 10.5:1 and up). Make sure all your paperwork is correct and you know what steps you need to take to clear in (Passports, vehicle title, and pet papers (Belize is especially picky about this, a $50 fine if you show up without having an import permit for your pet already in your hand).
If you?re heading into Belize or Guatemala, you?ll need to change your pesos or dollars for Belizean Dollars or Guatemala Quetzales, and this is usually done at the border (unless you have the foresight to take care of this in advance which requires a trip to a bank). If you don?t know where to change your money at the border, don?t worry, the money changers will find you, you?ll stick out like a pink kangaroo. But be careful! Some of these guys are honest, and some will swindle you in a heartbeat. Don?t forget, you?ll be dealing with a new currency you?re not familiar with (color and denomination), and the man you?re dealing with will be counting very fast. Often the changers will be counting and separating the bills into small piles so fast that you will have trouble keeping up and by the time you get to count your money and realize you?ve been taken the changer is long gone. The combination of the changer?s speed and your unfamiliarity with the currency works against you, and the money changer knows that. To combat this, NEVER hand over your dollars first, make the changer give you his stack first, he can wait till you?re satisfied with the count for his payment. Second, make sure that you have settled on an exchange rate before he starts counting?usually 10:1 (dollars to pesos), and 2:1 (dollars to Belizean dollars), and 7.6:1 (for dollars to Quetzales). Some changers will quote you one price and then pay you off in a lesser price claiming that they didn?t understand you if you catch them. But the truth is, they meant to do that, so be careful. They do this by offering ?X? amount of pesos (I?m using this as an example because I ran across this trick on the Mexico/Guatemala border, on the Mexican side) for ?Y? amount of U.S. dollars, and then handing you less than the agreed on amount while showing you on a calculator that same amount. Don?t let someone get away with this. Ask to see his calculator if you must and show him. He?s not stupid, but he may be feigning stupidity to cover his tail when he?s caught. If you?re having a problem call a policeman, there?s usually one close by (we?re talking right at the border, right in front of the Customs and Immigration offices is where this will likely take place), and you might be surprised how quickly the changer gives you the right amount. There?s no way to tell a honest from a dishonest changer, you just have to take a chance. On a final note, before leaving a country, make sure you have some of the local currency left in case there is a departure fee.
Border towns have a unique notoriety, all type of shysters and heisters wind up there due to the influx of dollars heading south and their desire to tap into that flow. Everywhere, but most particularly in border towns, you?ll run across people who are trying to get as much money for as little effort as possible, whether it be out and out armed robbery, to simply calling you a cab and wanting a tip for providing that service. I try to spend a minimum of time in border towns, and then only in the busiest, safest looking places.
Border towns by nature can be lively and loud, with lots of street vendors competing for your money, and while they?re great if you?re just coming over for the day, I?d skip them if I?m heading further south. If shopping is your thing, enjoy yourself, but remember that for every vendor you see in a border town, you?ll find hundreds more further south in every small town and community, so don?t spend all your money at the border, besides the best deals are not to be found at the border. Haggling is a way of life so don?t be embarrassed to bargain, it?s expected. I usually offer 25% of the initial asking price and after a period of back and forth banter settle at around 50%-75% of the starting price (bear in mind that what I just wrote is NOT set in concrete, be flexible and don?t forget that you can always raise your offer, but you can?t lower it so start LOW-from my experience some of the Mayan women are the toughest hagglers). Remember to keep your sense of humor at all times.
As you head into Mexico and leave the border behind be prepared for mucho speedbumps, topes, as they?re everywhere, particularly in the state of Veracruz. You will be heading down a two lane road well away from a town of any sort and all of a sudden you?ll come across speedbumps (topes or vibradores-normally a minimum of 4, 2 each way entering and leaving) with just a few shacks around. And there?s usually someone there to sell you a cold beverage or some other item you might want. I?ve often joked that these people must petition the government to build a topes in front of their home just so they can sell to the people in the cars (remember that this is a very poor country when you get out of the city, some folks have no electricity and have to cut firewood to cook).
So besides the topes what other problems might you encounter?well, slow trucks running tandems, but not the shorter tandems that they?ll haul in the US, but full sized trailers! Crazy chicken bus drivers flying around curves and passing on hills! Animals in the middle of the road whether it be a herd or a loner, never drive in Mexico at night! Police that want to cite you for something you didn?t do simply because you have money and they don?t! Gas station attendants who will try to shortchange you! Litter almost everywhere! Toll roads (which are the best roads to take), can often be as bad as the free roads that you try to avoid, but you can bet you?ll want to take the toll road over the free road every time! Roadblocks and delays as you get out of your rig and let the officials check you for drugs or guns. You might, at any time, come across a roadblock set up by the Policia, Customs (Aduana), Immigracion, and the Military (with guns), on any road, and they?re not particular about who they stop. You?ll get stopped more frequently heading north from Chiapas, a rebel hotbed) and in southern Mexico in general. But the searches are conducted formally and very carefully, and I?ve never had a complaint. Sometimes they?ll flag you down, sometimes they?ll let you pass, I haven?t figured out why yet, it?s certainly not just my gringo tags.
By now you?re probably thinking, why in heaven?s name would I want to go to Mexico? Well, first I had to paint you the worst picture possible, the reality of traveling in Mexico has some drawbacks, but it has some very good attributes as well. One thing I like is that the roads are pretty darn well marked, it can be difficult to get lost until you get in the city.
Scenery. Some of the loveliest country in North America can be found in Mexico. There?s a mountain road between Tuxtla Guitierrez and San Cristobal de las Casas that scares the beejesus out of me. I can look over and see sky, and I can look down and still see sky! And I?m scared of heights so it?s a white knuckle trip for me. If you look on the internet you?ll find all sorts of interesting destinations besides tourist traps like Acapulco and Cancun. Places like Copper Canyon, the mountain lakes north of Tuxtla, old town Veracruz, and the list goes on. Mayan ruins! The Mayans were becoming an advanced civilization in Central America a thousand years before Christ! The ruins at Palenque and Chichen Itza are not to be missed, especially the Pyramid of Kukulk?n (where thousands of tourists congregate at the equinoxes to watch as the shadow of the mid-afternoon sun playing on the NE angle of the pyramid creates the illusion of a snake descending the steps of the temple).
The cuisine. No, it?s not like the Mexican food you?ll find at El Toro de Mexico at the local strip mall in Denver, far from it. The food is more colorful, more flavorful, and much, much more varied! Be prepared for a gastronomic system shock as you eat beans with your eggs for breakfast (desayuno) and eggs with your steak for dinner (cena). The custom in Mexico is to eat the heaviest meal of the day between 1300-1600 and many restaurants serve a set lunch at this time. And don?t forget the to take a siesta after lunch, everybody else will be. Most tourist haunts serve a light supper between 2100-2300 as well. One thing I love about dining in Mexico is that the staff considers it rude to present you with your bill before you ask for it. Be sure to say ?La cuenta por favor? when you?re ready to settle. And lest I forget?don?t drink the water, order bottled water (Aqua Pura). Never eat anything from a street vendor that hasn?t been cooked, no grapes, no lettuce, no fruit or veggies, wash them first!
The people. Everywhere you go you?ll find people, good and bad, and Mexico is no different. Even the poorest, oldest, most toothless old crone hobbling down the street will have a smile and a ?Buenos dias? for you, they are a warm people with family being of utmost importance (you?ll notice that there are very few old folks homes in Mexico, the old stay with the family). Religion and family are the most important of qualities. The graveyards. In America, our cemeteries, to me, appear as just a landscape of dull gray. In Mexico, the tombs are painted lively, bright pastels, with flowers and pictures everywhere. Death is not to be feared and downplayed, their cemeteries are a celebration of life itself! Even along the highway there are small concrete shrines where loved ones have died. In the US these would have been destroyed by vandals in no time, in Mexico that is unthinkable. We could learn a lot from these simple people!
By the way, it helps to know a little Spanish, or at least carry a phrase book and try to speak the language, when the people there see you trying they really open up to you and try to help.
Okay, I?ve been rambling a bit, but I hope this helps.
Steve
