Destination - Mexico

“We do not need to understand other people and their customs fully to interact with them and learn in the process; it is making the effort to interact without knowing all the rules, improvising certain situations, which allows us to grow.”
Mary Catherine Bateson

Cabo San Lucas

Downtown Cozumel

Mexico is a foreign country, but it is right next door.  It seems more foreign than Canada, because they speak another language, plus their culture is so different from ours.  Mexico has its problems with drugs, and violence, so there are certainly some areas you should avoid.  In the past few years we've heard a lot more about that, and it has scared off some of their tourism.  If you decide to go to Mexico, just remember that some places are safer than others.  I would avoid the border areas, they have never been that representative of the rest of the country anyway.  The most popular tourist areas are , of course, the coastal cities.  But Guadalajara and Mexico City are also well worth exploring.  Mexico City is the capital of Mexico and its largest city as well as its most important political, cultural, and financial center.  Guadalajara is Mexico's second largest city. It has historic buildings, wide avenues, and lovely parks.  

Harbor area - Ensenada

Since I live in the San Diego area, I am very near the Mexican border.  We can see the lights of Tijuana at night.  Mexico affects our  lives every day, from the pollution in the Tijuana River, to the illegal aliens, to the fear that our borders are not secure and terrorists may come across.  Few of us ever venture across the borders anymore, we’ve been there and there is no reason to go back across.  And it is no longer as easy to cross the border.  We used to drive back and forth with just our drivers licence. Now you have to have either a border crossing card or a passport, and the lines to cross have become longer.  This has been a good thing on cutting down on the teens who used to cross the border every week-end  in order to drink, and to quite often get into trouble.  But just because we drive across the border less, that does not mean that we don't go to Mexico, there is a lot more to Mexico than the border areas, and Mexico is worth exploring.

Cabo San Lucas

Driving to Mexico has become less popular in the past few years because of the drug cartels and the violence.  When I worked at AAA we sold Mexican insurance for drivers going into Mexico.  From the San Diego area they were primarily going to Baja, some only a short distance, such as Ensenada or San Felipe, others would drive all the way to Cabo.  The Cabo drive would take several days, and we would advise not driving at night or getting into isolated areas.  But most the time people drove in Baja with no problems.  The past few years we saw the decline in the Mexican insurance sales, but there are still those hardy souls who do the drive and enjoy it.  If you decide to go this way, just use common sense and stay in hotels at night and drive during the day.  Do not camp out on isolated beaches. 

Cruise ships leave from San Diego every week, heading for the Mexican Riviera – Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo, Ixtapa, Zihuatanejo, and Acapulco.  They also leave from Florida, heading for the Caribbean, which have stops in Cozumel and Cancun.  All of those places have wonderful beaches and all the beach activities that go with them.  A Mexican cruise is a good way to see that area.  You are not in any one place for long, but you can get a quick look at each, and then if you find a favorite place you can go back and spend more time there.  All of the beach towns are considered safe places to travel.

Park in Guadalajara City

I am not going to go into each area of Mexico and talk about them.  I have never been to any of the interior areas of Mexico, so I do not feel I could really do those areas justice.  I have always wanted to go to Guadalajara, as I have heard it is quite beautiful.  When I was in high school there was a summer trip organized by my Spanish teacher to live with families in Guadalajara, and I begged to go.  Unfortunately, my parents could not afford to send me.  I know they would have if they had felt they had the money.  So it is a place I have always wanted to see.  But it is a big world out there, and there are so many places I want to see, and I have not made it there yet, but hopefully someday.

Puerto Vallarta

I have been to most of the beach resorts on the Pacific side, and they are all very nice.  We did a cruise that started in Acapalco and stopped in Ixtapa, Zihuatanejo, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatalan and Cabo.   We also own a timeshare in Mazatlan, so have visited there several times.  My favorite place on the west coast is Puerta Vallarta.  Not for its beaches, but the city itself is quite lovely.  There are nice beaches nearby.  And I liked Cabo San Lucas in Baja, it is a fun stop, a place to let your hair down, and probably the best snorkeling on the Pacific side, which still wasn’t as good as other places I have snorkeled, but it was okay.

My favorite place in Mexico is Cozumel, which I have visited twice.The town is not as touristy as some, but does become quite crowded if a cruise ship is in port.  I am a snorkler and Cozumel is a really great place to snorkel, as well as being a beautiful area with a lovely town.  There is a park just outside of town which has a great beach, Chankanaab National Park.  The snorkeling is great at the park and there are statues underwater to see while you are snorkeling.  You can rent snorkling equipment and there are beach chairs and refreshments available.  There was a list published a few years ago by a diving magazine, listing the top 10 diving and snorkeling places in the world, and Cozumel was on that list.  The water is so clear and beautiful.

Underground River in Xcaret

Cozumel is an island, and there is a ferry that connects it to the mainland, where the town of Playa de Carmen is, and there are many fine resorts on the mainland.  The Mayan ruins of Tulum are right there.  They are different from other Mayan ruins because they are on a cliff above the ocean, and the ruins are in excellent condition.  The Xcaret water park is nearby.  It has a lagoon for snorkeling and Mayan ruins also.  But the best thing to do at Xcaret is to get in an inner-tube and float through their underground river.  It is cooler underground, so a chance to get away from the intense Caribbean heat and cool off, and it is great fun.  It is not entirely underground, there are plenty of open areas, so I don’t think anyone would feel too claustrophobic.

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza is not too far from Cozumel.  You can take a day trip to it from there.  Many people prefer to stay in the more glitzy and commercial Cancun, and then visit Chichen Itza from there.  The ruins at Chichen Itza are the most famous of the Mayan ruins and are quite well preserved.  They are not in a coastal area, so the inland areas are much hotter and dryer.  Make sure you take plenty of water with you for a trip to these ruins.

There are cruises that also cover these areas of Mexico.  We took a Caribbean cruise a few years ago that left from Port Canaveral, Florida.  It made stops in Key West, Cozumel, Belize City and then Progresso (which is the town closest to Chichen Itza. and tours were offered from the ship).  So if you wanted to see the area and just get a quick overview of that area, a cruise would be a possibility.

Copper Canyon area

Another area of Mexico that would certainly be worth exploring is the Copper Canyon.  I have not personally done this trip, but have had quite a few clients who have, and everyone loved it. There are plenty of tours to be booked to the Copper Canyon.  But the most popular way to go is by train.  Most of the tours do include the train trip, so make sure you book one that does.  Or go on your own, but make sure you make reservations in advance. The train takes you from sea level at Los Mochis and rises to around 2500 metres before descending into Chihuahua City.  The train hugs the edges of mountains and crosses deep ravines on its bridges – there are 39 bridges and 86 tunnels on the route.  The journey takes 14 hours total, but there are 7 stops along the way and you can elect to stay at any of the places the train stops, for a night or two, before continuing on the journey.  The views are spectacular.

Another way to see the Copper Canyon is to take a Mexican Riviera cruise that stops in Topolobampo.  The cruise ship offers all day trips that take you to the Copper Canyon from there.  However, you leave the ship at around 5AM and are gone all day.  And you won’t see the Copper Canyon as well as you would from the train.  People who have taken that excursion have told me they were disappointed.

Me, snorkeling in the warm
 Mexican waters

Mexico has a lot to offer.  Don't be afraid to go, but use common sense, and don't go into areas that are known for having problems, such as some of the border towns.  And check for alerts before you go, to see if there are any areas you should avoid.  In general, the beach cities on both the Pacific and Caribbean sides are safe.  The large cities, such as Guadalajara and Mexico City are like any large city in the world, they have areas that are safe and some that are not, so use caution, and travel safely.