Want to Travel Independently in Mexico? I Promise to Write All About It. FEB 15

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Want to Travel Independently in Mexico? I Promise to Write All About It.

FEB 15

Posted by TC

Hello friends. I’ve written this blog for a few years now, and it’s a real pleasure to see all the visitors I’ve had: where they’re from, what they click on, and what they searched for that brought them to this blog.

My life can be chaotic. I go through periods of lots of work, mostly teaching and translating, often 12+ hours a day, riding all over town on my bike to schools and private lessons and then coming home to big surprise late-night translations.

So it can be hard to find time to write, and I’m not just talking about this blog, but all thetravel and living abroad websites and magazines I submit stories to.

Writing the story is the easy part. Then you have to research the magazine, read back issues to see what kind of stories they publish and what they’ve already published, and finally write that perfect query letter to the editor.

And then wait. And then do it again.

But please don’t think I’m complaining. I get about 4 months a year of vacation from the university, in summer and winter. So I get big chunks of time to travel all over southern Mexico and Central America. Most of the stories on this blog come from those trips.

And although I write all the time while traveling, I don’t bring my laptop with me and I don’t always have Internet access. So I put the blog on the back burner, until I come home with notebooks full of notes, observations, and half-finished stories in my near-illegible handwriting.

But then between these busy times of work or travel, the transition periods are much more chill. A semester may start in one school, but not yet at the other. I may not have so many private English lessons yet. So during these times, like now (I just got back from the Oaxaca coast), I can work on my writing and post to this blog.

A couple days ago I was looking for some information about South Africa. I know nothing about South Africa.

What’s the major airport? Where are some cool places to see in the country – cities and nature? How do you get around, by bus? How much is a cheap hotel?

I found that it wasn’t easy to find the answers to all of these questions in just one place.

Not even Lonely Planet was simple and comprehensive enough for me, the potential traveler looking for the most basic information, someone who doesn’t want to use a travel agency or, much less, the dreaded all-inclusive guided tour.

It made me think about my blog. While about a month ago I compiled a bunch of stories and information about Mexico in one post, Do Not Visit Mexico Until You Read This, it was mostly stories about specific locations in Mexico. There’s a lot more to say about independent travel here.

I realized that I should write what I was looking for about South Africa – a simple explanation of what independent travel in Mexico is like.

Independent travel in Mexico is easy, safe (if you take the right precautions), inexpensive, and vastly rewarding. And, if you are from the U.S. (like me), it’s just one country down, perhaps even closer than another part of the U.S.

Don’t you want to get to know your neighbor?

So, I promise, over the next month or so I will write entries for the following topics:

• When to Go
• Transportation
• Hotels
• Safety
• Money Matters
• Destinations
• Food and Drink
• Culture
• Useful Local Phrases

I may think of more. Any suggestions?

My plan is to eventually have a no-nonsense guide to independent travel to Mexico on this blog.

So please stick around, join my email list, check back in a few weeks, leave a comment, and come visit! You’ll love Mexico, wherever you go or whatever you do while you’re here.

Thanks and keep in touch.

If you are planning on traveling to Cancun or the Mayan Riviera, please take a look at my Cancun and Mayan Riviera 5-Day Itinerary on unanchor.com, or check out the kindle version on Amazon here: Cancun Unanchor Travel Guide – Cancun and Mayan Riviera 5-Day Itinerary

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About TC

TC lives in Mexico and writes about travel, culture, music, food, and mountain biking on No Hay Bronca. https://nohaybronca.wordpress.com/

View all posts by TC »

Posted on February 15, 2014, in Mexico, Travel, Travel in Mexico and tagged blogging, independent travel in mexico, lonely planet, mexico guide, mexico travel, south africa, why I blog, writing. Bookmark thepermalink. 3 Comments.

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Photos of Mexico Part 1 →

Now Really, Is Mexico Safe or Not?

DEC 2

Posted by TC

Also published on the Yucatan Times: Now Really, Is Mexico Safe Or Not?

Last year my friend and her boyfriend took a Caribbean cruise. The boat made stops at tropical ports where passengers got off to have a look around and get a taste of life in paradise.

Two men with black body armor and big guns stood at the end of the dock in Cozumel. My friend got scared.

“We wanted to turn around,” she told me. She, like many Americans, had heard a lot about danger in Mexico: kidnappings, robbery, the drug war! Who were these unsmiling men with machine guns?

Finally she hustled past and spent a nice day on the beach. Later, back on the boat, she asked who the men were. As she suspected, they were private security officers.

They were there to protect the tourists, not kill them.

So Why Go?

Police with machine guns, escalating violence and a drug war – so why go to Mexico in the first place?

Well, what are you looking for? Beaches? The Caribbean coast has turquoise water, perfect white sand, and well-developed tourism, while the Pacific coast has surfing, virgin beaches, and low-key, low-budget small towns.

You want culture? Mexico is a mix of pre-Hispanic, colonial, and modern, often on the same city block. A great diversity of festivals, music, dance, art, museums, food, clothing, language, and people, often regionally unique, provides endless discoveries for the open-minded tourist.

Add scenic colonial cities, ecosystems from desert to jungle and everything in between, and cheerful, fun-loving people, and Mexico lives up to its reputation as one of the world’s best tourist destinations.

Yes, parts of Mexico are more dangerous than Afghanistan, but in general the country is safe for tourists. But, three factors will affect your level of safety in Mexico: Where you go, who you are, and how you behave.

Where You Go

In general, crime in Mexico involves petty street crime or drug-related gang violence. These are connected, as petty crime often funds the drug trade.

The drug war makes the headlines, but for the moment it doesn’t affect tourists nearly as much as Mexican citizens. Your chances of getting caught in the crossfire are greater in the north of Mexico, near the U.S. border, where the drug war rages out in the open.

As a big generalization, Mexico City and all points south are relatively safe, the middle of the country has some sketchy parts (ask at your hotel), and the north is by far the most dangerous part of the country.

Major tourist destinations in Mexico are safe, especially in the south: the Yucatan and the Mayan Riviera (Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Chichen Itza), Chiapas, and Oaxaca, which happen to be some of the nicest parts of Mexico anyway.

Colonial cities in the center of Mexico are mostly safe, like Puebla and Queretaro. Popular tourist destinations like Guadalajara and Acapulco are becoming more dangerous, though there’s no reason to cancel your trip. You can visit, but be careful. Follow the advice of locals and other travelers.

Mexico City has plenty of crime, but compared to other big cities in the country there is less drug violence. Some parts of the city you should never enter, like Tepito, but Mexico City’s many tourist destinations are safe.

However, be careful calling down taxis on the street. There’s a chance, however small, of getting robbed, or worse, driven around to various ATMs where the thieves force you at knifepoint to empty your bank account.

Wherever you go in Mexico, ask about the taxi situation at your hotel. Most hotels have a taxi service that they trust and can call for you.

Who You Are

Do you plan to travel to Mexico independently or as part of a package tour?

Package tours typically include the hotel, meals, and some trips or activities. These are safe, but if you stray away from the group, it can be more dangerous than traveling independently.

The camera around your neck, the tourist sombrero, and the novelty t-shirt will give you away faster than if you were sober and dressed like a normal person.

If you want to ditch the tour and do your own thing, try to blend in. Look how Mexicans dress – usually in jeans and a nice shirt. Save the flip-flops for the beach and leave the safari gear at home.

If you decide to travel independently in Mexico, then ask yourself these questions: How much experience do you have as an independent world traveler? Do you speak Spanish? Will you stay in one place or travel around?

Will you be backpacking – seeking out the cheapest buses, hotels and hostels – or will you take first class buses and stay in the nice part of town?

Robbery is the most common crime against tourists. Take the same precautions you would in any big city. Keep your wallet in your front pocket. Don’t wear expensive jewelry. Don’t pull out a map on the street.

Keep your camera in a pocket or a backpack, not hanging around your neck. Ladies, try not to carry a purse, and if you do, empty it of unnecessary things. Be careful where you set it down.

When you get to your hotel, ask the receptionist what the neighborhood is like. After what time is it dangerous to be outside? Are there any parts of town to avoid?

Between cities, try to pack light so when on public transport you can keep your bag at your feet, not under or on top of the bus. Carry the essentials – passport, debit cards, and any backup cash – in a money belt or a small pouch that hangs around your neck, inside you shirt.

If you stay in hostels, sleeping in a big room full of bunk beds, be extra careful. Don’t automatically trust your fellow travelers. Don’t leave your valuables sitting on the bed. Stay in hostels that provide lockers.

How You Act

Before you leave your hotel, imagine getting robbed. How would you react? What would the thieves get?

It seems obvious, but I’ll repeat this here: Never resist a robbery. Give them what they want, and as fast as possible.

About that money belt: There’s no point in having all that money hidden if you have nothing else to give a robber. You’ll end up yanking out the money belt to appease him.

When I’m in dangerous places, I carry money on me in three spots. The essentials and whatever I’m sure I won’t need is in the money belt, which I only take out of my hotel if I’m changing cities.

Whatever I will use that day is in small bills in my front pocket, in a wallet or not. And whatever backup cash I might need, I stuff into my socks.

Sounds paranoid? Think about what it’s like getting robbed. What does the robber want? He wants a foreigner’s wallet stuffed with bills (even if they are all small bills) and a quick getaway. Make sure that you can provide it.

So, when you go out for the day or night, don’t bring anything irreplaceable. Leave jewelry and credit cards in your hotel. Don’t carry large amounts of cash.

The most important rule is that no matter where you are or what you are doing, trust your feelings. If someone seems strange, don’t feel bad about getting away from him as soon as possible.

If someone calls out to you on the street, ignore him. Many people have been robbed (or worse) because they didn’t want to be rude to a stranger.

And, finally, lots of foreigners come to Mexico to get drunk and party. They might do things they would never do back home, drunk or sober.

Try to keep it under control. You might not get robbed or kidnapped, but at least you could be overcharged – not to mention making a fool of yourself.

The Final Word

If you want to go to Mexico, go to Mexico. Your chances of being the victim of a crime are low to begin with, and if keep your eyes open and follow basic common-sense precautions, you can reduce that chance to almost zero.

That satisfying feeling of setting your worries aside and discovering a fascinating country will overcome all the fear that has been driven into your head by years of bad news coming out of Mexico.

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About TC

TC lives in Mexico and writes about travel, culture, music, food, and mountain biking on No Hay Bronca. https://nohaybronca.wordpress.com/

View all posts by TC »

Posted on December 2, 2014, in Mexico, safety in mexico, Travel, Travel in Mexico and tagged crime, drug violence, Mexico City, mexico safe, mexico tips, mexico travel. Bookmark the permalink. 5 Comments.

Photos of Mexico Part 1 by TC Hello friend, subscriber, visitor - I am flattered and honored and pleased that you visit my blog, and I want to thank you from the deepest recess of my gratitude gland, buried within the reptile brain, a.k.a. cerebellum. In my quest to Be A Writer, I am happy to report that I've been selling my […]

← Now Really, Is Mexico Safe or Not?

Photos of Mexico Part 1

JAN 9

Posted by TC

Hello friend, subscriber, visitor – I am flattered and honored and pleased that you visit my blog, and I want to thank you from the deepest recess of my gratitude gland, buried within the reptile brain, a.k.a. cerebellum.

In my quest to Be A Writer, I am happy to report that I’ve been selling my stories. So they will not appear on this blog until I link to them once they are published.

In the meantime, allow me to share some of my favorite photos of Mexico.

Here’s a fun game – if you recognize something in one of the photos, please tell us in the comments.

Please check back for Part 2, coming soon!