Why Mexico Is My Favourite Country.docx

WHY MEXICO IS MY FAVOURITE COUNTRY When people ask me what my favourite country is they always seem puzzled when I answer Mexico. Then come the questions. Isn’t it so touristy and spoiled? Isn’t Mexico one of the most dangerous countries in the world? Don’t people get kidnapped, beheaded or killed in Mexico? Every time I hear this it makes me cringe a little. People know so little about Mexico and judge it because of what they hear in the media. I am not saying that those things never happen. Sadly they do in some areas; but not everywhere. Much of Mexico is quite safe and in fact safer than some major cities in the US or Europe. While drug cartels do cause a lot of problems in some areas, they also tend to bother each other. If you are not involved with the cartels or drug dealing the chances of you getting killed are extremely low! On my return from another wonderful trip to Mexico, someone asked me, “weren’t you scared that you might be dragged into an alleyway and have your liver stolen?”. It made me laugh! I quickly replied, “I am not worried about anyone stealing my liver, especially not after this holiday and all the margaritas I drunk!”. People will believe just about anything. Is Mexico overly touristy? Well yes, some parts of Mexico are very touristy and spoiled; Cancun for example. You will find all-inclusive resorts where people simply hit the beach and clubs for their entire trip and don’t make the most of being in Mexico. But that’s not at all what Mexico is about. There is so much more to do in Mexico than lazing around on its pristine white sandy beaches. Have I ever stayed at an all-inclusive resort in Mexico? No, and I am pretty sure I never will! I think I have always been in love with Mexico, I certainly was in love with it before I even set foot there. Was I Mexican in a previous life? Maybe! Mexican culture has always interested me and Mexican food has always been my favourite. But of course, each visit to Mexico has made me fall more in love with this country. So why do I love it so much? THE CULTURE The Mexican and Mayan cultures are just fascinating. Learning about their complex history and visiting ancient Mayan ruins has always been one of my favourites things to do while in Mexico. Learning the history behind those ruins is really interesting. There are so many ruins to check out, some much more impressive than others but all certainly worth a visit. Our all time favourite was Teotihuacan near Mexico City. Teotihuacan is a huge archaeologic complex with some amazing pyramids. Two of those, the Pyramid of the Moon and the Pyramid of the Sun provide you with breathtaking views over the entire complex from their summits. If you visit just one temple in Mexico it should be this one. Mexican culture places a strong emphasis on religion. Even if like us you are not religious, you can still enjoy visiting the many beautiful and colourful churches around the country. If you happen to be around for Easter then you are in for a treat

with all the celebrations that take place during the “Semana Santa”. They put so much work into it and the processions are spectacular. THE FOOD As I said Mexican food is my favourite and I love everything about it (except for the ants and worms; not that I have tried them!) tacos, chilaquiles, street corns, huevos rancheros, tamales, guacamole. I am salivating just thinking about them all! The flavours are so amazing and I love how they can make some of the most simple food taste so wonderful. In Mexico, you can get a delicious meal anywhere, from street vendors to small family-run restaurants, through to expensive restaurants serving authentic, traditional cuisine. Of course, each region has it’s own specialities as well. If like us you come from a westernised country, then the Mexican food that you’re familiar with is probably nothing like the real Mexican food. Visit Mexico for a few days and you’ll quickly figure that out! THE BEACHES Mexico has some of the nicest beaches in the world, particularly in the Yucatan region. With turquoise blue water and fine white sand, there is nothing better than spending the day lazing on one of the beautiful Mexican beaches with a Margarita in your hand! But of course, don’t make your holiday in Mexico just about the beaches. As nice as they are you’d be missing out on all the other incredible things to do in this awesome country. THE COLOURS Mexico is so bright and colourful! The houses, the food, the traditional clothes that the indigenous people wear, the colonial buildings; everything is a rainbow of colours! Visit a market and you will be blinded by all the vivid fabrics, beautiful fresh fruit and vegetables, and the beautiful handcrafts. Stunning! THE WILDLIFE Mexico has lots of interesting wildlife and sea-life. Meeting an Iguana while exploring the many temples is a common experience in Mexico. These big lizards love to laze around the dry temple grounds. Another favourite activity of ours was swimming with sea turtles just of the shore in Akumal. In Akumal bay, the sea turtles are so used to tourists that they happily go about their business eating sea grass off the ocean floor even while surrounded by onlookers. Every year Whale sharks can also be seen close to the shore of the Yucatan and you can even go swimming with the biggest fish in the ocean!