Mexico

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

JohNyx, I just got a passport for the first time in my whole entire life. I desire to go to Mexico, because it is a place that it not within this shithole country and it is close enough that I can possibly afford it even though I am a bitch-ass broke single mother. Are there any locations you particularly recommend? Or others you particularly suggest I avoid?

I am considering Mexico City because it is bigger than any city I have ever been to in my life, but I kind of also want to see water and maybe some of the holy shit insane ancient ruins.

Also note that I have no use for luxury and will likely be traveling with only a backpack. High among my priorities are not getting raped or kidnapped, other than that I don't really care.

Thanks in advance!

[The Johnny]

The ruins as far as i know are located starting from the middle towards the south east area.

Baja California Norte is idiosyncratic in its own way (i was born there) since its bordering with California and has some hybrid Mexican-American culture and is a beach city, but its not exactly beautiful...

Ive lived in the past at Querétaro for about total 13 years, and i visit family each 2-3 weeks, its a safe city where most everything is within an hours walking range, has a preserved historical city centre, one can safely walk the streets at night...

Guadalajara ive visited a couple of times, its pretty and 2nd place in size compared to Mexico City, has a lot of preserved architecture...

My personal favourite for just slacking is Guanajuato, it is very similar to San Miguel de Allende, but its not a "bar city" per se, its similitudes are pre-modern architecture, long windy streets that go up and down (i love that)...

San Miguel de Allende is sort of a retirement city for USA people, and i consider it a "party town" for as far as i know, its "industry" is just alcohol consumption.

Now, about Distrito Federal (Mexico City)... its sort of hard to explain... in terms of population, its 20 million... in terms of size, to get to the almost northernmost part, from my almost southernmost area, its a 15 minute taxi ride and a 45 minutes Metro ride, id say the same in terms of west-east... there sure are a lot of "rabbit-hole" places, which i personally fear, but theres also a lot of interesting safe places... Cuernavaca is nearby (30-40 minutes) which is a sort of vacational rural place...

Now, places to avoid? Sinaloa, Sonora, Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima, Michoacán (which ironically is a pretty place), Chihuahua (do NOT go to Juarez, highest rate of feminicide in the world)...

If you come to DF i can offer you a place to stay. And if its during my school vacations (which has an offbeat calendar) i can show you other cities.

[AFK]

I've been to Cozumel, Mexico which was a pretty cool place to visit.  Granted, it was via a Royal Carribean Cruise Ship.  But there was a little bit of everything there.  Mayan ruins, nice beaches, good food (as long as you avoid the tourist traps).  Nice place. 

[Kai]

If you go to DF, Teotihuacan is very close. Something I've always wanted to see.

In fact, when I was in middle school I began taking Spanish in preparation for archeology in central america, and Teotihuacan was one of the sites foremost in my mind.

[East Coast Hustle]

Honestly cannot see why anyone would want to go to Mexico.

All my neighbors, who expended serious time, energy and risked life and limb trying to escape from mexiico have been telling me horror stories about Government death squads, warring drug lords and rampant poverty.

Sounds like Somalia to me.

sounds like most American cities to me.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

JohNyx, when I come down I will certainly hit you up for tour guidance and maybe even a place to stay, thank you!

[Triple Zero]

Honestly cannot see why anyone would want to go to Mexico.

All my neighbors, who expended serious time, energy and risked life and limb trying to escape from mexiico have been telling me horror stories about Government death squads, warring drug lords and rampant poverty.

Sounds like Somalia to me.

I suppose it's kind of different if you go there with the means, and intent to return?

[The Johnny]

Honestly cannot see why anyone would want to go to Mexico.

All my neighbors, who expended serious time, energy and risked life and limb trying to escape from mexiico have been telling me horror stories about Government death squads, warring drug lords and rampant poverty.

Sounds like Somalia to me.

Poverty is common, but the drug war zones are pretty much the ones i said Nigel shouldnt visit.

Of course theres many places that people will mug you for $20, but one shouldnt be there in the first place.

Walking the streets after 11pm is ok in most small cities; shouldnt do that in cities with more population than 2 million people do.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Among reasons to go:

1. Unbelievable beauty
2. Warmer weather
3. Cheap enough that even I can afford it
4. Some of the most amazing historical and prehistorical ruins in the world
5. Animals I will never see outside of zoos
6. Food I will never eat anywhere else
7. Distinct and unique cultures that don't exist anywhere else

I am sure there are many more reasons.

[East Coast Hustle]

you forgot:

8. Donkey shows

[The Johnny]

Here's 3 newspapers if any of you are interested in seeing the current situation:


Leftie: http://www.jornada.unam.mx/ultimas/

Center: http://www.eluniversal.com.mx

Righty: http://www.reforma.com


But if no spanish skills, then youll need to use google page translator or something like it.

[Kai]

Here's 3 newspapers if any of you are interested in seeing the current situation:


Leftie: http://www.jornada.unam.mx/ultimas/

Center: http://www.eluniversal.com.mx

Righty: http://www.reforma.com


But if no spanish skills, then youll need to use google page translator or something like it.

There's also Newsmap's Mexico tab.

http://newsmap.jp/#/b,m,n,t,w/es_mx/view/

[The Johnny]

There's also Newsmap's Mexico tab.

http://newsmap.jp/#/b,m,n,t,w/es_mx/view/

Thats an interesting interface, but by which criterion it picks what to display? Seems the sources are diverse.

[Kai]

There's also Newsmap's Mexico tab.

http://newsmap.jp/#/b,m,n,t,w/es_mx/view/

Thats an interesting interface, but by which criterion it picks what to display? Seems the sources are diverse.

It interfaces directly with Google News. Whatever comes up in the most hits is what gets displayed, IOW, the most read stories are up there. It's remarkably good at showing what is of interest at the moment, as well as the /bias/ in reporting (whats not being reported on).

[East Coast Hustle]

Here's 3 newspapers if any of you are interested in seeing the current situation:


Leftie: http://www.jornada.unam.mx/ultimas/

Center: http://www.eluniversal.com.mx

Righty: http://www.reforma.com


But if no spanish skills, then youll need to use google page translator or something like it.

good links. My spanish outside of the kitchen isn't very good and my Mexican is even worse, but I think I can get the gist of it with some patience.