Mexico

Mexico

 

Mexico is a fascinating country that has it all. The variety in topography includes wide white sand beaches on the Caribbean and wild deserted beaches on the Pacific Ocean, Volcanoes, desert landscapes, national parks and other protected natural areas with tremendous biodiversity and many more. Mexico's big cities are much more welcoming and interesting than other big Central America's cities. The food is tasty and fairly varied and if you had the thought that you really know what Mexican food is, you might be surprised. Just remember this: "No Picante". These words ("not spicy") might save your day, because there are places you'll get your morning omelet with Tabasco J
Mexico is a country full of history. Indian (all epochs) ruins are to be found all over the country so to ones who love archeology, Mexico is one of the best living museums of the world.
The local people are nice and ready to help especially at the less touristic spots.
The mixture of European (mainly Spanish) and the unique Central American cultures and the way modern and traditional are brought together, make Mexico very attractive and one of the top tourist destinations worldwide.

 

Capital City – Mexico City.

 

Borders –

• USA from the north – the border runs along the USA States: California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, and the Mexican states: Baja California, Sonora, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas with dozens of border crossing points.
• Guatemala from the southeast (Frontera Corozal crossing a river or Ciudad Cuauhtémoc or Tapachula).
• Belize from the southeast (Chetumal).

 

Language – Spanish is the official language. Indigenous dialects are spoken at some parts.  In the touristic parts people speak also English.

 

Currency – Mexican Pesos.

 

Weather – Mexico is large and its topography ranges and so does the weather.
It is more related to altitude than the seasons in Mexico.
Much of interior Mexico lies in high elevation so even in summer time it might get cold at night. But in general, winter is moderate almost everywhere in Mexico but it gets cold the higher you stay.
Summer might get really hot everywhere especially on the coastline, though the coast has cooling breezes.
Know that all over the Caribbean coastline in September and October there is danger of Hurricanes and storms. Usually it is not a problem and a lot of people travel in September & October, just check from time to time on the media if a storm arrives to the area and decide if it suits you or not – in here tropical storms is a fact of life.

 

Transportation – Unlike other Central America countries, Mexico's road system is mainly westernized and except roads to small little villages, all the road are paved and there is a large variety on Bus classes. Moreover, the Buses timetables are usually correct and reliable.

There are few international airports in Mexico, the main ones for backpackers are:

1. Benito Juárez international Airport in Mexico City.
2. Cancun International Airport.

 

Health – It is recommended to have vaccinations of: hepatitis A+B, typhoid fever.
Consider taking mosquito repellent with you.

 

Money & Costs:

Hostel – 10-15$ per night.

Meal – 3-5$ at local restaurants with typical food.

Long buses are usually expensive. 10-12 hours bus can cost 40-50$.
Outdoor activities can be very expensive on backpackers' measures.

 

 

Special tips:

It's freezing in the Buses and it's almost impossible to convince the drivers to change the AC temperature so take with you a fleece coat or a jumper, especially at night buses.