The People's Guide to Mexico Read online

  The People’s Guide to Mexico

  14th Edition

  Carl Franz and Lorena Havens

  Published by

  Avalon Travel

  a member of the Perseus Books Group

  1700 Fourth Street

  Berkeley, CA 94710, USA

  www.moon.com

  Text © 2012, 2006, 2002, 1998, 1992, 1990, 1988, 1986, 1982, 1979, 1976, 1975, 1974, 1972 by Carl Franz and Lorena Havens.

  Maps © by Avalon Travel.

  All rights reserved.

  Some photos and illustrations are used by permission and are the property of the original copyright owners.

  ISBN-13: 978-1-59880-960-2

  eISBN: 978-1-61238-049-0

  Editor: Sabrina Young

  Acquisitions Director: Grace Fujimoto

  Copy Editor: Justine Rathbun

  Cover and Interior Design and Production: Elizabeth Jang

  Map Editor: Mike Morgenfeld

  Indexer: Greg Jewett

  Proofreader: Cinnamon Hearst

  Illustrator: Glen Strock

  Printing History

  1st Edition — 1972

  14th Edition — October 2012

  5 4 3 2 1

  Distributed by Publishers Group West

  Printed in Canada by Friesens

  Portions of this book were previously published in The People’s Guide to Camping, Backpacking, & Boating in Mexico; The People’s Guide to R.V. Camping in Mexico; The People’s Guide Travel Letter; and The Tour Express Insiders Guide to Mexico and are used here by permission of the authors.

  Avalon Travel is a member of the Perseus Books Group. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be translated or reproduced in any form, except brief extracts by a reviewer for the purpose of a review, without written permission of the copyright owner.

  Although every effort was made to ensure that the information was correct at the time of going to press, the author and publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss or damage caused by errors, omissions, or any potential travel disruption due to labor or financial difficulty, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause.

  Please send all feedback about this book to:

  The People’s Guide to Mexico

  Avalon Travel

  1700 Fourth Street

  Berkeley, CA 94710, USA

  [email protected]

  www.moon.com

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  1. Traveling in Mexico

  Planning Your Trip

  A Travel Routine

  Where to Go

  How to Get There

  Travel Packages: Too Good to Be True?

  Tours

  Traveling with Friends

  Traveling Alone

  Traveling with Kids

  2. The Best of Mexico

  Wherever You Go …

  A Mercifully Brief Lesson in Geography and Climate

  The Seasons

  Baja California

  Copper Canyon

  Pacific Beaches

  Central Mexico: The Colonial Heartland

  The Gulf Coast

  The Indian Highlands: Oaxaca and Chiapas

  The Yucatán Peninsula

  The Ruta Maya

  3. Getting Around

  Buses

  Trains

  Rental Cars

  Taxis

  Colectivos

  Navigating in Mexico City

  Air Service

  Ferries

  Boats and Beasts

  Hitching

  A Ride to Remember

  4. Driving

  Why Drive in Mexico?

  Why Not Drive?

  Driving Overview

  Hazards

  Churpa’s Driving Story

  Road Conditions

  City Driving

  Night Driving

  Traffic Signs

  Toll Roads

  Cops

  Surviving Mexico City

  Steve’s Bypass Operation

  Police Roadblocks and Highway Checkpoints

  Parking

  Finding Your Way

  Ferries

  Green Angels and Breakdowns

  Gas Stations

  Rip-Offs

  Preparing Your Car

  Buying a Car

  Living in Your Vehicle

  Do-It-Yourself Camper

  Car Repairs

  Travels with Woody and Sonny

  5. Accommodations

  Hotels

  Renting a Place

  House Hunting

  Wood-Fired Water Heaters

  Living with Mexicans

  Maids and Gardeners

  6. Camping

  Camping with Children

  RV Motor Homes and Trailers

  RV Caravans

  Van, Pickup and Car Campers

  Rent-a-Car Camping

  What Will It Cost?

  Privacy

  Where to Camp

  Is It Safe?

  Where to Be Careful

  Exploring

  Camping and Kitchen Gear

  A Traveling Kitchen

  Food from Home

  Odds and Ends

  Camping Skills

  7. Packing Up

  Clothing

  Travel-Light Packing Suggestions

  The Hidden Pocket

  Health Information and Insurance

  Useful Travel Accessories

  Odds and Ends

  Gifts and Trade Goods

  8. Mexico: A to Z

  AA and 12-Step Meetings

  Addresses

  Banks and Money

  Bank and Legal Holidays

  Bathing

  Bathrooms

  Business Hours

  Computers

  Consulates and Embassies

  Electricity

  Email and Cyber Cafés

  Fuels

  Laundry

  Meditation

  Post Office and Mail

  Taxes—IVA

  Telegraph Service

  Telephones, Cell Phones, Online Calling and Fax Services

  Time and Zones

  Tipping

  Tourist Information

  Vegetables: Purifying

  Volunteer and Aid Groups

  Water

  9. Staying Healthy

  Prevention

  Got Sick Anyway …

  Health and First-Aid Kit

  Remedies and Cures

  Secrets of the Maya Revealed!

  10. Safety

  Is Mexico Safe?

  The Accidental Tourist

  Drinking and Drugs

  Valuables and Rip-Offs

  Swimming and Lifeguards

  Parasailing

  Revolutions and Guerrillas

  11. Red Tape and the Law

  Tourist Cards

  Vehicle Permits: A Step-by-Step Explanation

  Yachts and Private Aircraft

  Pets

  Guns and Hunting

  Fishing Licenses

  Car Insurance

  Accidents

  Official Documents and Checkpoints

  Mexican Customs Inspections

  Tourists and Mexican Law

  12. ¡Viva Mexico!

  Customs and Traditions

  Superstitions

  Celebrations and Fiestas

  Holiday Calendar

  Festivals, Fairs and Circuses

  Beggars and Con Artists

  National Lottery

  Machismo

  Brothels

  The Bullfight

  Mexico: A Brief History

  What th
e Hell Is That?

  Saints’ Days

  13. Shopping

  Shopping and Souvenirs

  Haggling

  Imports: Fortune or Fantasy?

  Shopping for Arts and Crafts

  Steve’s Shopping Tips

  Parrot Fever

  14. Restaurants and Typical Foods

  The Joy of Eating

  Types of Restaurants

  Street Food

  Mexican Fast-Food Tips

  Ordering a Meal

  Paying Up

  Tips

  Vegetarians

  What You’ll Eat

  Beverages

  15. Booze and Cantinas

  Drinking Customs

  Vino or Wine?

  Beer

  Tequila and Mezcal

  Hard Liquors

  Pulque

  Home Brews

  Bars and Cantinas

  16. Markets and Stores

  Markets and Tianguis

  Ins and Outs of Haggling

  Shopping Suggestions

  Stores

  The Shopping List

  A Typical Marketing Trip

  Market Days in Mexico

  Market Days in Guatemala

  17. Our Favorite Mexican Recipes

  Valuable Cooking Tips

  Our Favorite Mexican Recipes

  18. Speaking Spanish

  It’s Worth the Effort

  Greetings and Salutations

  Hand Signals

  Formalities and Titles

  A Typical Polite Letter

  Slang

  Nicknames

  The Mexican Media

  Speaking Spanish: Where Do I Start?

  19. Live or Retire in Mexico

  Don’t Burn Bridges or Make “Pink Cloud” Decisions

  What Will It Really Cost?

  A Few Words from Friends and Readers Living in Mexico

  Disconnecting from the “Real World”

  Can a Tourist or a Foreigner Own Land?

  If You Want to Read More …

  20. Back to the U.S.A.

  Searches

  Is It Legal?

  Declare Your Purchases

  Duty-Free Limits

  Mail It Home

  Pets and Plants

  Last but Not Least

  A Typical Border Crossing?

  21. For More Information: Websites and Book Reviews

  Mexico Guidebooks and General Information

  People’s Guide to Mexico Website Highlights

  Discuss Mexico and Latin America Online

  The Best of Mexico: From Baja to Central America

  Archaeology, Anthropology and Ethnology

  Booksellers and Sources

  Border Crossing: Before Leaving Home

  Border Crossing: Mexico (Red Tape)

  Border Crossing: U.S.A. (Back to the U.S.A.)

  Children

  Culture: ¡Viva Mexico!

  Driving

  Food and Recipes

  Gay and Lesbian

  Health

  History, Novels and Nonfiction

  Hostels

  Live or Retire in Mexico and Central America

  Maps and Sources

  Media

  Meditation

  Money

  Movies

  Music

  Natural History

  Newsletters

  Outdoor Activities

  Packing Up: Travel Accessories and Gear

  Pets

  Phones

  Photography and Photo Galleries

  Public Transportation: Getting Around

  Real Estate, Rentals, Vacation Properties

  Research, Archives and Libraries

  RV and Camping

  Shopping

  Spanish Study

  TV and Radio

  Volunteer and Social Action Groups

  Weather, Climate and Hurricanes

  Women

  Working in Mexico

  Appendices

  Index

  Acknowledgments

  Editing and research: Lorena Havens, Steve Rogers, Felisa Churpa Rosa Rogers, Linda Reybine, Lety Hall, Stephanie Hopkinson, David “El Codo” Eidell, Beatriz, Vee Webber, Bill and Claire Gray, Paul Balbin, Robert Heston and many others.

  As we celebrate this book’s 40th birthday in 2012, we want to extend a very warm abrazo and special acknowledgment to Avalon Travel. Grace Fujimoto has supported us with great patience through many editions, never once resorting to arm-twisting or other dramatics when we miss yet another deadline. Updating a book of this size and complexity is no small task. For all of their fine work, we offer special thanks to Sabrina Young and Elizabeth Jang.

  Encouragement, suggestions, criticism and more: Ken and Barbara Luboff, John and Eve Muir, Susan Fiksdal, Tom Scott, Dr. Matt Kelly, Lic. Napoleon Negrete, Nacho and Teresa Espinosa, Mauro Lopez, Felicia and family, Martha Brewster, Stephanie Hopkinson, Kimberly Brown.

  Design: Lorena Havens.

  Lorena and I sincerely thank those of you who have taken the time to write us about your travels in Mexico. Your letters and emails not only provide much appreciated moral support, but they also contribute valuable information that we pass on to other readers through regular revisions of this book and The People’s Guide to Mexico websites, www.thepeoplesguidetomexico.com. “¡Qué le vaya bien!” to you all.

  Cover, Illustrations and Graphics:

  Glen Strock

  Special Thanks:

  Toby Williams for contributions marked TW,

  Peter Aschwanden for Day of the Dead cartoons and

  Nancy Gale for Mayan temple, Chichen Itza

  Introduction to the 14th Edition, 2012

  We can scarcely believe it ourselves, but this edition marks the 40th anniversary of The People’s Guide to Mexico. To say that it has been an amazing journey is certainly an understatement. We’ve seen tremendous changes in Mexico over the years, but like so many of our readers, our long love affair with the country and deep respect for its people are as strong as ever.

  This edition, like all the others before it, required many hundreds of updates and corrections, both small and large. The least agreeable of these has been the need to expand our warnings about personal safety because of the increase in narco violence. Tourists are seldom directly involved in the conflict between the drug cartels and Mexican law enforcement, but it isn’t easy to ignore the worrisome presence of the Army and special police units, especially in northern Mexico and along the U.S.-Mexico border.

  On a far more positive note, with this edition Lorena and I are very happy to introduce Churpa Rosa Rogers as our “official” coeditor and contributing author. Previous readers of The People’s Guide to Mexico will recognize Churpa as the daughter of Steve Rogers, our much loved but long departed coauthor. Churpa not only grew up while traveling in Mexico but also inherited her father’s now legendary affection for good food, hot chilies and offbeat adventure. To top it off, she combines these with a delightfully twisted sense of humor and a very serious talent for writing. In addition to an increasing presence in future editions of this book, you will find much more of Churpa’s writing on our website,www.thepeoplesguidetomexico.com.

  Introduction to the 13th Edition, 2006

  Have you heard the expression “The more things change, the more they stay the same”? There have been many changes in Mexico and also in the lives of the authors since the last edition of this book was published in 2002. Fortunately, however, it takes far more to alter the true heart and soul of Mexico than a chain of superstores and golden arches.

  Back in the so-called good old days, when it could easily take all day to make a long-distance phone call from Mexico, we used to say that wintering in Mexico and spending the summer up north was the best of both worlds. That is still a highly desirable routine, but to be quite honest, the changes we’ve seen on both sides of the border in the past few years make it tempting to stay even longer in Mexico.

&nbsp
; To begin with, many practical aspects of living and traveling in Mexico continue to get easier and more convenient. Highways around the country are being built and improved, airports are modernizing and communications have improved drastically. Internet access is now taken for granted virtually everywhere, and cell phone service is widespread and affordable. Discount airlines are also just starting to take off, offering fares within Mexico in direct competition with buses. There’s even a chance that passenger trains will eventually return.

  Don’t let me forget Wal-Mart. In the interests of full disclosure, I have to admit that I am drawn to their extra-virgin olive oil and shelves of hot sauces like a moth to a flame. I bemoan the impact that this form of “progress” has on small Mexican businesses, but like many others we occasionally take advantage of their bargains and selection.

  Not too many years ago the principal sources of information on travel in Mexico were limited to guidebooks and a few knowledgeable travel agents. We’ll discuss this in far greater detail later in this book, but it is worth mentioning that the Internet now offers a wealth of information about Mexico. This includes everything from personal travelogues, blogs, message boards and podcasts to homemade travel videos. Unfortunately, some of this stuff is published quite raw, without being fact-checked or reviewed by a sharp-eyed editor. Be very careful.

  Now that this book is well into its fourth decade, it is fair to ask if our “People’s Guide” style of travel is still possible in modern Mexico. Based on our own travels and that of many readers who send us detailed accounts of their experiences, the answer is an emphatic “yes.” It doesn’t matter if you’re traveling on a starvation budget or with a platinum Visa, the best of Mexico is available to everyone. I’ll try to boil it down to just a few words: Travel slowly, spend your money wisely and don’t be afraid to suddenly change your itinerary. One more thing: Swallow your embarrassment and make an effort to speak Spanish. The rewards are tremendous.

  As for those personal changes I mentioned earlier, Lorena and I have returned to our original routine of traveling back and forth between our cabin in northwest Washington and Mexico, after living full time in Mexico for several years.

  That long-promised People’s Guide book on retiring, living and working in Mexico is still a work in progress, but Lorena assures me that we are indeed making progress! Thanks to a painful misadventure with a horse, I can no longer guide hikes in the Copper Canyon and Sierra Madre. Between trips to Mexico, Lorena continues to devote a great deal of time to www.thepeoplesguidetomexico.com, our ever-expanding People’s Guide to Mexico website.

  In closing, Lorena and I would like to acknowledge the truly inspirational support we’ve been given by Avalon Travel and our publisher, Bill Newlin, editor Grace Fujimoto and production director Jane Musser. The People’s Guide to Mexico has traveled a long road since its first publication in 1972. A great deal of the credit for its continued success is due to our publishers and most especially, to you, our readers. We deeply appreciate your help!