TRAVELMEXICO -
AboutMexico
Mexico is a Spanish-speaking
country about three times the size of Texas, consisting of 31 states
and one federal district. The capital is Mexico City. Mexico
has a rapidly developing economy, ranked by the World Bank as the
twelfth largest in the world. Learn
Spanish |
Travel Agents and Cheap Tickets
The climate ranges from tropical to
desert, and the terrain consists of coastal lowlands, central high
plateaus, and mountains of up to 18,000 feet.
Many cities throughout Mexico are popular tourist destinations.
Although the majority of visitors to Mexico thoroughly enjoy their
stay, a small number experience difficulties and serious
inconveniences.
Private Jet Travel |
TravelBC - Travel Canada Staying safe in
Mexico.
When traveling in major Mexican
cities - especially Mexico City - play it safe with taxis.
|
 |
Travel Mexico - Stay
healthy
Drinking water out of the tap is
generally a bad idea, but some areas are okay. Check with locals, but
treat their reassurances with some skepticism, as they may be
resistant to local strains of bacteria that your body is not prepared
for.
TravelChannel |
More Travel Articles |
China Travel |
International Calling Cards
The currency of Mexico is the peso (MXN).
The symbol for pesos is the same as for US dollars, which can be
slightly confusing. Prices in dollars (in tourist areas) are labeled
"US$".
The legal drinking age in Mexico is 18. In many places, consumption of
alcohol in public ("open container") is illegal and usually punishable
by a day in jail.
Travel Mexico -
Respect
The overwhelming majority of the
population is Roman Catholic, and many Mexicans are deeply religious
and conservative in character. Be careful when you bring up issues
such as homosexuality; many, especially those outside of Mexico City,
are not very tolerant about it.
- If you're a female traveler, be
mindful that the country still experiences a high rate of
machismo. In particular, wearing shorts outside of large,
metropolitan areas is a bad idea and may lead to uncomfortable
attention.
- Mexicans have a somewhat relaxed
sense of time, so be patient with them. Don't lose your temper if
they arrive 15 minutes later than scheduled. However, if it's more
than 30 minutes, you should be concerned.
- Respect Mexico's laws. Some
foreigners feel that Mexico is a place where laws can be broken
and the police bribed. While corruption may be common amongst
Mexican police, it is extremely disrespectful for foreign
nationals to behave in such a manner, and in some cases offering a
bribe to an official could get you into even more trouble.
Popular tourist destinations are: Cancun, Tulum, Playa Del
Carmen, Mexico City and Acapulco
TravelMexico - Crime
and Poverty
Although normally regarded as a third world country,
Mexico is in fact
a developing nation. It is the 12th largest economy in the world,
according to the World Bank, and the fourth largest oil producer
worldwide. There is a great economic polarization between the rich and
the poor which has greatly contributed to the high crime rates in
Mexico.
Digital Photo Printing |
DailyComedy
Mexican drug cartels deliver more than half of the
methamphetamine supply into the United States. The persistence of
corruption at certain levels of the administration and the police has
prevented effective crime control efforts. Most Mexican officers,
nevertheless, are honest people.
A major detraction of Mexico City is its perceived crime rate.
In
reference specifically to Mexico City, street crime and kidnappings fill
the inhabitants with fear on a daily basis. It is estimated that there
are between 2000-3000 crimes committed on the street every day.
Approximately 600 are reported (2000 average). Most of these are
muggings, although the breakdown of the figures runs the gamut of
criminal activity. Curiously for such a violent atmosphere, murders
are not a significant part of the problem. These average around 2.5
per day which, given the size of the population is relatively few. To
put it in context, Washington, D.C. has a murder rate per capita
around 5 times higher.
TravelMexico -
Travelling in Mexico is most practical by bus, car, or air.
Passenger transport by train is
almost nonexistent.
Due to a government scheme in the early 90's to create infrastructure,
the best roads are toll roads. Toll roads can be relatively costly,
400-800 pesos is not uncommon on longer trips, but are much faster and
better maintained. Buses generally travel by toll roads (and the toll
is obviously included in the ticket price).
When traveling on Mexican roads, especially near the borders
with the United States and Guatemala, one will probably encounter
several checkpoints operated by the Mexican Army searching for illegal
weapons and drugs. If you are coming from the United States, you may
not be used to this, and it can be intimidating. However, these are
rarely a problem for honest people. Simply do what the soldiers tell
you to do, and treat them with respect. They should treat you with
respect as well, and they usually do.
TravelMexico -
Cancun and Other Resort Areas
Over 3 million Americans travel to
Cancun and other Mexican beach resorts each year, including as many as
120,000 during "spring break" season, which normally begins in
mid-February and runs about two months. Excessive alcohol consumption,
especially by Americans under the legal U.S. drinking age, is a
significant problem. The legal drinking age in Mexico is 18, but it is
not uniformly enforced.
Mexico
thrives on tourism. Traveling in Mexico
will be a vacation you won't forget. The Mexican people are, for the
most part very helpful Especially if you try to learn Spanish.
|
