Mexico is Not For Everyone
Mexico is Not For Everyone
I say this time and time again and emphasize it every time I lead our “Almost-free Caravan” down to Puerto Vallarta. Mexico is not for everyone. I am an unabashed fan of south of the border, but I recognize what drives people nuts.
If you are the type of person that needs “exact” in your life, well you should look elsewhere for your piece of paradise on this planet. Mexico is a nearly place; a place where mañana means not today and not necessarily tomorrow. If “on time” is your nature, look elsewhere because in business and social occasions it is a rarity here to be on time. In some circumstances it is rude. Getting a car or RV part or something fixed can be more than frustrating experience. Time is a flexible instrument and can be easily altered by attending to kids, doctor’s appointments, a good friend visiting. A watch or calendar is a best guess not a promise.
Of course time IS IMPORTANT to Mexicans when they get behind a wheel of a car. Put a normally laid back Mexican in the driver’s seat and watch out. They drive like they should have been there yesterday. Double solid lines mean speed up to pass and right of way is non existent. You have to be extraordinarily defensive when you drive and anticipate impatient drivers and irrational maneuvers.
If noise bothers you, Mexico’s not for you. It is noisy here. Right now as I write this blog the neighbor is playing his car stereo full blast. Kids laugh and cry, roosters crow and dogs everywhere howl to the moon. In one RV Park in Mazatlan (The California), the music plays in the adjacent bar well into dawn every single night. The last time we visited, the music amplifier was all of 10 feet from our rear bedroom. From all accounts this situation continues today.
There is still poverty in this developing nation. Many gringo’s get annoyed by the street and beach vendors constantly pestering for a sale. Others get annoyed by the garbage and litter. “It’s just not like home” they say.
For me the positives overwhelmingly outweigh the inconveniences and negatives. I love that families are respected as families and individuals can genuinely enjoy an inter-generational get-together. Old people are respected and not tucked away in an old folks home. I like the freedom of being able to ride in the back of a pickup truck and to go for a beach picnic anywhere I feel like. I enjoy the warm weather and warm friendships. I love being “not busy”, not competing with the Jones’s and not caring if I am 15 minutes late. I love that mechanics rebuild things, charge $5 an hour and are proud of their work. Ditto for all kinds of occupations and workers.
Mexico is definitely not for everyone but for those of us who love the place, it has changed our life for the better. After every caravan we are told by the vast majority that “Mexico has changed their life.” This past year one woman explained that she didn’t expect to like it and was essentially dragged down by her husband. “But Mexico changed me,” she said. “I don’t think I like who I was before and I don’t ever want to go back to being that person.” I’d like to hear from you what you love or hat and why Mexico has changed you or your life.
I say this time and time again and emphasize it every time I lead our “Almost-free Caravan” down to Puerto Vallarta. Mexico is not for everyone. I am an unabashed fan of south of the border, but I recognize what drives people nuts.
If you are the type of person that needs “exact” in your life, well you should look elsewhere for your piece of paradise on this planet. Mexico is a nearly place; a place where mañana means not today and not necessarily tomorrow. If “on time” is your nature, look elsewhere because in business and social occasions it is a rarity here to be on time. In some circumstances it is rude. Getting a car or RV part or something fixed can be more than frustrating experience. Time is a flexible instrument and can be easily altered by attending to kids, doctor’s appointments, a good friend visiting. A watch or calendar is a best guess not a promise.
Of course time IS IMPORTANT to Mexicans when they get behind a wheel of a car. Put a normally laid back Mexican in the driver’s seat and watch out. They drive like they should have been there yesterday. Double solid lines mean speed up to pass and right of way is non existent. You have to be extraordinarily defensive when you drive and anticipate impatient drivers and irrational maneuvers.
If noise bothers you, Mexico’s not for you. It is noisy here. Right now as I write this blog the neighbor is playing his car stereo full blast. Kids laugh and cry, roosters crow and dogs everywhere howl to the moon. In one RV Park in Mazatlan (The California), the music plays in the adjacent bar well into dawn every single night. The last time we visited, the music amplifier was all of 10 feet from our rear bedroom. From all accounts this situation continues today.
There is still poverty in this developing nation. Many gringo’s get annoyed by the street and beach vendors constantly pestering for a sale. Others get annoyed by the garbage and litter. “It’s just not like home” they say.
For me the positives overwhelmingly outweigh the inconveniences and negatives. I love that families are respected as families and individuals can genuinely enjoy an inter-generational get-together. Old people are respected and not tucked away in an old folks home. I like the freedom of being able to ride in the back of a pickup truck and to go for a beach picnic anywhere I feel like. I enjoy the warm weather and warm friendships. I love being “not busy”, not competing with the Jones’s and not caring if I am 15 minutes late. I love that mechanics rebuild things, charge $5 an hour and are proud of their work. Ditto for all kinds of occupations and workers.
Mexico is definitely not for everyone but for those of us who love the place, it has changed our life for the better. After every caravan we are told by the vast majority that “Mexico has changed their life.” This past year one woman explained that she didn’t expect to like it and was essentially dragged down by her husband. “But Mexico changed me,” she said. “I don’t think I like who I was before and I don’t ever want to go back to being that person.” I’d like to hear from you what you love or hat and why Mexico has changed you or your life.
12 Comments:
We really enjoyed reading your article. We personally LOVE south of the border for all the reasons you gave and many more. But, in the last paragraph there is a mis-spelled word. I think you mean hate not hat.
By Diane Kleinsmith, at June 14, 2007 8:26 AM
No I mean hat. It is an Aztec word that means dislike...similar to the English hate but with a distinctively latio twist...
Thanks
By Bill and Dot Bell, at June 21, 2007 8:43 AM
if you really meant 'hat' an Aztec word, shouldn't you have said it? kindness, etc.
when we went to mexico years ago, my son who was about 10, was very upset by the young children always demanding that we buy their chiclets. He has never wanted to visit again, until someone talked him into going to Egypt and he found the same thing again. So when we said come to England, he was not for it, but when he got there, maybe travel wasn't so bad after all.
I agree with the Egyptian and the Mexican view, but partly because we have been warned so often about the police needing bribes and the liklihood of going to jail if you have a fender bender.
By Anonymous, at June 23, 2007 4:35 AM
Great article! Love Mexico, love the laid back attitude, used to be that way in Florida 30 years ago.
When you go, you just have to relax and not try to rush anyone or get impatient, after a while you find you become more laid back and put off today, tomorrow and next week, whatever you can.
As for the poverty, have you been to some of the areas in the U.S. where people live in sub-standard conditions?
Rving in 29' class C Dutchmen
By Anonymous, at June 23, 2007 8:18 AM
"No I mean hat. It is an Aztec word that means dislike...similar to the English hate but with a distinctively latio twist"
LOL, nice try.
By Anonymous, at June 23, 2007 8:30 AM
Living in San Diego we hear constantly of crime across the border. There are executions, mass automatic weapon events, kidnappings, etc. And the police are often the perpetrators. If you think our government is corrupt, Mexico is much much worse. I never go across the border, period. There are plenty of great places in the US. Stay here.
By Anonymous, at June 24, 2007 8:13 AM
If you go, bring a scrabble board and seek out people who don't speak english but want to learn. They play in spanish and you play in english. You will have a good laugh and make new friends. Travel with love and respect!
Baja Califoria is poised to have tens of millions of people migrate there on the "Escalera Nautica" I pray that planners and developers can avoid making it into an extention of Los Angeles/Mexico City. A rail network could go a long way towards that goal.
By Austin, at June 24, 2007 2:24 PM
My husband and I sailed our 45 ft. sailboat from Long Beach to Barra de Navidad (200 miles below Puerto Vallarta) and lived there, on our boat, for three years. We love, love, love Mexico and particularly the Costa Alegre. In my humble opinion, border towns are not Mexico. We left the boat in Barra, and then drove down through Mexico about 20 times- never any problems except one traffic cop in PV who nicked my husband for $40 for not wearing a seat belt. I figure "mordita" is just a Mexican version of all the fines, permit fees, etc we pay up here in the States. Don't get me wrong, I love living in the U.S. We just bought an RV park in Wellington, Nevada. We sold the boat three years ago, bought a 34 ft. Airstream and have been RVing ever since. We haven't made our way down to Mexico yet, but we will!
By Michelle, at June 24, 2007 10:31 PM
My wife and son and I went to Mexico 2 yrs. ago and while paying for a meal at a resturant it they took my credit card into the back room and didn't come back for quit awhile when I got back to the US I went to pay for our room at the Sheriton and found that I had no money in my account both my credit card had been maxed out and my 10,000 line of credit was gone. My bank called and asked if I had chartered a bus to Guadulahar and of corse I'd never been there fortunately the bank replaced the money. On 9/ll when the planes flew into the towers we were in San Luis, Mexico and two of the people who worked in the hotel got up and cheered one of them said America is going down. So much for Mexico the kidnap capital of the world.
By Anonymous, at June 29, 2007 3:22 PM
There's always someone who manages to take Mexico down as a holiday place. The article mentions poverty in Mexico. Poverty anywhere is relative. there are many mexican families whom we know who live in less than clean areas who would be flabbergasted to hear they are poor! One observer who claims to be a Mexican veteran should not be listened to for his personal opinions. GO TO MEXICO with an open mind; remember you are in someone else's country, abide by the unique rules and enjoy!!! They are very nice people and like Gringos; they will take advantage of fools! Be honest and respect them; they will respect you!!!
By Anonymous, at July 2, 2007 10:45 PM
I can't believe this, such a wonderful article and someone wastes all this space for a stupid discussion about hat or hate, you people definitely should not cross the border, it would be a waste of your time.
Loved the article, it's exactly how it is. Manana manana if I don't come today, I might come tomorrow.
Off course it's a poor country and you should not roam the streets, showing off your video equipment or jewlery, the same as in certain areas of our American cities. You would be careful too.
By Anonymous, at November 12, 2007 5:34 PM
To the blogger whose credit card got stolen and who visited Mexico on 911 I would like to say, sorry that you had the experience.
Unfortunately it is a given fact that not all foreigners like the american way, especially the politics. That doesn't mean they don't like the american people.
By Anonymous, at November 13, 2007 6:30 PM
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