Mexico

My trip to Mexico was met with modest concern and surprise by almost everyone I mentioned it to. It has a reputation for being unsafe that I was overlooking when planning for it.

While parts of it our unsafe what people overlook are - It has a large economy, 5th largest by 2050. Sixth largest oils exporter. A vibrant automobiles industry, electronics industry. Top greenhouse emitter. Most of all it’s the 6th most visited country for tourism!

Yet despite this, most people don’t really feel its safe going there. The cartel’s perception is so strong that they make you feel you’re more likely to get murdered than have a good time. Uncles warned me of not walking alone at night, of how a tourist was murdered for not knowing Spanish.

These are outliers..

I felt quite safe. Mexico City felt safer than most parts of India. I was walking alone at 11 in the night (in safe Neighbourhoods), I saw women walking alone (you hardly see this here). I did not feel scared in most places i visited. Cancun can feel a little scary but its mostly because of it being touristy. And its the fear of losing your money.

Although perhaps there is some truth to it? I saw for example police and traffic police wear bulletproof vests and carry rifles which is unlike other places. 

I was there for a week and visited Cancun and Mexico City.

Cancun was touristy and expensive. It felt as though they are trying to extract money out of you. The whole place seemed to be designed to extract American dollars. The most shocking is the ridiculous taxi fares that they charge at the Cancun airport. 40 usd for a 20 min, 11-15 KM trip. They make uber so inconvenient to get that they have provided no area for boarding passengers and you have to make your way to the departures section to find them indirectly. On the way there, there’s a sign a guard holds saying that these companies are unsafe and they will steal your credit card information. They really don’t want them there. But it was sort of true in fact.

The uber I booked, came and started the ride before I could get in the car. He drove off without me and I got charged (which later got reversed)! Perhaps these are the shenanigans of the taxi cartel? The trip started off on this bad foot but was smooth for the rest of it.

The good parts of Cancun are the beaches, beautiful clean blue water and white sands. Although not good for surfing. I spent a fruitless afternoon trying. It has a nice party and fun vibe. Coco bongo is popular show and it did not disappoint. I recommend checking it out. Cancun is a party hub for the Americans mostly and they come in a good number (for some things). I was offered a tity show, cocaine, mariguna by random men at night so i suppose there is demand for these. But it didn’t feel as party like as Thailand. It felt empty at places.

I noticed High BMI and fat people in Cancun but in Mexico city there were fitness enthusiasts going for 7 am runs. 

As mentioned before Cancun is very aggressive with getting money from you by selling stuff, tips, upselling. Organised Tours felt that way. Avoid buying anything while on Tours or at popular tourist hotspots. They charge quite a lot which you can get for cheaper in the city.

There are hidden charges to many things. From the flight to the tours to the sellers in chichen itza. They will quote $1 or a lower price and not reveal the full information. Its only when you start talking you realise its not really a dollar. On one tour, the AC was at 24 to save fuel but they call it “a temperature comfortable to all”. Its how most tourists hotspots are..

A great experience there is going to Chichen Itza to see the wonderful of world. I was amazed at the acoustics, the backstory and its definitely worth the visit.

There’s no alcohol sold after a certain time (11PM?) in a convienece store but ok to provide in bars. I wonder why. And if you ever wonder why it’s mostly to extract more money?

There were a lot of Latin American tourists. Perhaps Mexico is a safe travel destination for them? A lot of Americans too. It felt like the average American is afraid of entering the water. I remember visiting the Cenote after Chichen Itza and noticed not all enter it and the ones that don’t swim. There’s a fear that’s crept in that’s restricting them that was unlike something i’d expect. I’d always assumed they are more risk taking and daring. But many Americans seemed scared of entering the water. I was the only person swimming and covering every inch of the cenote. Even in the beaches, there’s a small portion that enters the water and it’s mostly non-Americans. Is it because it’s too cold for a swim? Is this the risk aversion that’s crept into the Country that Peter Thiel talks about?

I was surprised to see Japanese tourists here. Quite a handful of them and I’m not sure how. I was also surprised to see their presence in Finland. 

Overall Cancun has good beaches, a party vibe, Chichen Itza but it’s overrated and touristy.

Mexicot city I enjoyed more. After 4 days at Cancun, I headed to the City. The food scene is really good. In Alcohol they are known for their Mezacal and Tequila. Mezcal is strong but I enjoyed the taste and the cocktails made out of it were some of the best i’ve had. Mexico city was great for cocktails. I visited two bars and both were amazing. 

A big highlight from this trip was using AI. I would’ve suffered if not for it. From helping me translate from Spanish to helping me understand more about cultural context, to history, to recommendations, it was far more helpful than i had anticipated. It was like having a personal travel agent with you all time. Travel will never be the same. Its like having a local friend with you that you can ask questions to and get insider info. I expect travel to foreign countries will expand a lot of because of these AI assisted services (for those brave enough to use it)

Is there more hidden context in non-verbal communication in Indians? For most of my mexico and America trip, there was a directness to communication. An absence of hidden, indirect communication. Generally there’s status games and communication through the eyes that i don’t find in other countries. Or is it because I’m unfamiliar with them? There’s more that’s unsaid than said in India.

Work ethic was better in Mexico than what i would have anticipated for smaller jobs. For a late night cancun to mexico city flight, I found the air hostesses really passionate in a doing a good job. They seem like kids who for the first time are given a big important task to complete. They seem very new to this but driven. A late night flight like this would show a disinterested air staff back here. Although it is improving in parts and there’s more ambition.

Another very obvious difference is the women’s freedom. The gaze of society is not felt by women. Like most parts of the western world, they seemed more confident and unconcerned. India really needs to go a long way to make it better for Women. The more I travel, the more i realise how horrible it is for women in India.

For me, the best part of the Mexico trip was the food. I simply loved it. The food that stood out were the tlacoyos, tacqueria, gortida, Guava roll from Panadería Rosetta. The bakery scene is pretty good over there. I liked the Guava roll so much i went for round 2. Eschomole (ant eggs) at El Cardenal was amazing. Horchata, Churros were also good. The fruit Mamey sapote was fantastic. The only food that I did not like as much that was praised was the moles. Regardless, Mexico had the best food of all countries I’ve been to in my view. 

Traffic is quite bad in Meixco City, worse than Delhi but better than Bangalore. 

Art is very dynamic and creative. Mix of aztec, mayan influences with catholics. Art & Music scene is much better than i anticipated. Its more dynamic, in the centre there’s Street bands playing music, street performers. Quite a vibrant street life. Check out the Art even if you don’t know anything about it. If you look closely, you will feel something. I find that it might be because of the Aztec and Colonial fusion that we get good food and art (just a hypothesis)

Lot of morning runners in Mexico City. Dogs. Yoga. Hip neighbourhoods of Roma and Condesa seem quite influenced by California. I believe that’s the trend for most places? Yoga, Dogs, Artsy Cafés, Veganism?

Less touristy spots are usually better and mexico city met that expectation. Another under rated spot was Oman.

When you enter a new country, your image, your status changes. You no longer hold the same status & context. You hold the status of the group you belong to, which is the country you belong to. People look at you differently and their gaze is new.

In summary, I recommend the food, the art, Chichen Itza, the cocktails, the neighbourhoods of Roma and Condesa. Keep the Cancun trip short and spend more time in Mexico City.