Pretty much no matter in which area we told someone that our trip leads us through Mexico, we were made aware of all the dangers that would lurk there.
Also on the homepage of the Austrian, German or (even worse) many other foreign ministry pages it reads partly, as if one would drive into a war zone and your last hour had already struck.
Everywhere it is advised not to travel by private vehicle off the highways, and many areas should be avoided altogether. There is talk of robberies, murders, kidnappings, shootings, cartels, gangs, corruption and many similar criminal acts.
In this article we want to summarize our experience of Mexico and why we were disappointed beyond measure and still stayed more than 5 months (our visas were only valid for 6 months).
Disappointment # 1: Corrupt authorities
"In every public office, every policeman or official down to the ordinary people - everyone is corrupt and cheating!"
Just before Christmas 2022, we entered Mexico from the USA through the border town of Tecate. In order to get all our documents, we had to park our motorcycles after the border to walk back to the border again. The Baja Peninsula is a special zone and normally you don't have to deal with any border formalities when entering by land. Unless you travel on to the mainland. As two ignorant tourists we parked in the first hour in Mexico in the absolute no stopping zone and directly next to the only hydrant (which we had unfortunately overlooked). The good-humored police gave us several minutes of instruction about Mexican traffic rules and many good tips for Kerstin. Andreas was busy with his documents at the border post.
So it actually went on through whole Mexico for us. At almost all roadblocks, whether by the local police, the military, the navy or the Guardia Civil, we were mostly just waved through in a friendly manner. Two times we were actually stopped. The first time the control lasted about 10 minutes. In the first 2 minutes Andreas showed his documents - those of Kerstin were then no longer interesting. The other 8 minutes we talked about our trip and showed the policemen our photos. The second time we were waved out of traffic only because we stood out with our equipment. The police congratulated us on our protective gear and were very interested in it, and one officer really wanted a photo of us together.
Otherwise, the interactions were limited to a friendly hello and once we even had the pleasure of a soldier dancing to indicate that we should move on. We can only say that this soldier is very agile and has a great sense of tact!
Disappointment # 2: Cartels
„If you travel to Mexico, you inevitably encounter a cartel and then you're dead or kidnapped!"
Any ministry advises against leaving highways and tourist centers. However, these are exactly the places we always try to avoid and didn't particularly like in Mexico either. After all, we wanted to get to know the "real country". After several reports from other motorcycle travelers and conversations with locals we decided to drive through the Copper Canyon (retreat of the Sinaloa Cartel). This canyon is like the "Grand Canyon" of Mexico and a scenic wonder.
Driving through the canyon is only possible on a bad gravel road and there is also only one village with about 40 inhabitants on 160 km. On this stretch we also encountered a cartel patrol as we struggled over a sandy stretch. A friendly "Hola" and a short wave, then a "buon dia" and everyone drove on. We must also add at this point that we did not film or take pictures.
Also in Chiapas we were stopped at a roadblock by the cartel. They only asked us to put away our cameras and not to take any pictures. Then they explained that we couldn´t drive through here and we turned around. No threats or other demands for money.
Roadblocks are not only from the government or cartels, but also from villagers, school children, road workers, etc.. However, they do not want to harm you, but usually block the road with a rope and hold a donation box under your nose. The money is collected for all kinds of things, e.g. school uniforms, street renovation or for a better water supply. A smile and a certain "no gracias" and they let us through without having to throw anything into the donation box.
Disappointment # 3: Eating at taco stands
"You should avoid eating at local stands at all costs. The hygienic conditions there are bad and you will catch the diverse diseases."
This is advised everywhere and is also written in various travel guides.
In fact, we caught a proper gastrointestinal upset twice. Both times in restaurants in pure tourist zones. Exactly, there, where one should go nevertheless actually! We rarely went to restaurants and almost always bought our food from the 'evil' little stands (where all the locals ate too). Only, they just wouldn't do us the favor of letting us get sick.
By the way, as much effort as there is in food stands throughout Mexico to keep everything sanitary and clean, we wish there was in Austrian restaurants. We are definitely more than impressed with the cleanliness and hygiene in this country. We saw on many occasions that both floors and tables were cleaned several times a day!
Enttäuschung #4: Mexiko ist intolerant
"No alcohol in public, no flashing of any part of a female breast, homosexuals not daring to come out, and much more - all this only exists in the "land of the free!"
In Mexico, everyone has an image of a saint or a statue of a saint dangling somewhere, but we no longer had to hide the alcohol we bought in a brown paper bag or pour our beer into thermos cups to be allowed to go outside. We saw women in restaurants and public places breastfeeding their children and it bothered absolutely no one. The last doubt about this prejudice was destroyed by an openly homosexual Frenchman who had already emigrated from France to Mexico 20 years ago because he feels safer in the Mexican villages than at home. Even after him, we met many same-sex couples who were perfectly integrated.
Disappointment # 5: Mexico is technologically backward
"Bad internet, no phone reception, cash only - get ready for it to be like it was 50 years ago!"
Want a Mexican sim card? You can buy them at every corner and they work without problems already two minutes later. Phone connection and internet reception we had almost all over the country. Getting only 3G contracts or being without network connection for days never happened to us in Mexico. In Canada there are still official contracts with 3G as well as contracts with 500 MB around 15 can. Dollar per month. Days without mobile internet was not uncommon in the USA and Canada (and not somewhere in Alaska!).
Paying with credit card is possible in almost every store and if you buy something and you have to pay a deposit, you don't have to give away your complete credit card data including secure code over the phone in Mexico. You get a link in Mexico and can pay the bill at one of hundreds of stores.
In addition, the Mexicans know again how to handle credit cards properly. The waiter doesn't walk around with it for minutes, and no hotel or business stores all the data somewhere in a Word file or Dos booking system.
Also, when it comes to using apps or social media, you feel in Mexico that you have arrived in the digital age. There are apps for almost everything, everyone uses Whatsapp, and almost all businesses advertise on Facebook and Instagram. If you didn't have an account here, you'd definitely be in the wrong country. We were also surprised by the fact that you can scan a QR code in a restaurant or store and then read the menu or price list. Especially since this is not only common practice in the cities, but also in many of the smaller villages, it clearly shows how high the acceptance of digital media is.
Conclusion
In any case, we can say one thing: Mexico has impressed US extremely! We thought at first that we will not stay longer than 3 months in Mexico. However, in the end it only became 5, because we finally had to travel on due to the rainy season. Along the way we met exceptionally nice, accommodating, helpful and polite people. The landscape, culture, language, food is extremely different from one part of the country to another but worth seeing everywhere. We have made many friends and hope to meet them again soon somewhere!
All our experiences should not hide the fact that there are still many problems in Mexico. Especially corruption, cartels, lack of education and violence are still a big problem. Violence in most areas is not directed against individuals and especially not against tourists. It mainly takes place between rival groups and state units. When something does happen, the saying "wrong place at the wrong time" tends to apply.
However, with common sense, a smile, and adherence to a few basic rules, you can significantly minimize your risk.
During inspections and interactions with police, military or cartels, you should put your cameras away as quickly as possible or at least turn them off (or have them turned off). These all have something against unsolicited photos and can become aggressive relatively quickly when you try. Roadblocks and checkpoints can usually be seen from a distance and there is time enough to stop at the side of the road and turn off and stow your cameras.
Before traveling to certain areas, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with them and also talk to the local people. There are plenty of nice people in every area who will honestly help you out. And if you are seriously advised not to go to an area, you should take such advice to heart.
Learning a few words in the local language is always helpful. If you make an effort, language or grammatical errors usually result in a smile from the other person. However, the effort will be highly appreciated. Politeness also pays off - if you start a sentence with, "Excuse me, I have a question," people take more time and are usually more patient in listening!
Knowing a little about local customs is not only helpful, but often necessary. If you encounter 3 men with machetes in the countryside in Chiapas, this is no reason to get nervous. Here, almost everyone carries a machete because they have to fight their way through the weeds along the way. However, it is different with 3 men with machetes in a big city. Here you should quickly look for the distance!
We would travel to Mexico again at any time and let ourselves be "disappointed" once more!
When was the last time you were "let down"?