Our Three Month Journey Through Mexico

My wife and I just completed a three month trip in our van through Mexico. It was one of the best trips we've ever taken and it exposed us to a much different country than the one seen by most tourists traveling to Mexico. The Mexico we saw was a culturally rich country that welcomed us with open arms, treated us to an incredibly diverse and varied experience and left us wanting to return soon to continue our adventure and education in Mexican culture and history.

Our experience differed from most visitors to Mexico on several fronts. First of all, we intentionally avoided most tourist traps like Cabo, Puerto Vallarta and Cancun and instead visited cities that are lesser known but far more interesting (keep your eyes peeled for a blog I will be writing soon on our favorite 10 cities that we visited in Mexico). Secondly, our form of travel (van travel with no set itinerary) provided us with the ultimate flexibility to go where we wanted and stay for as long as we wanted. This was a great way to travel as we would often get tips from locals and these places ended up being some of the best places we visited.  Lastly, we always tried our best to travel in a culturally sensitive manner by understanding the culture and speaking Spanish with the locals...we are visitors in their country after all! Not only do we feel better traveling following this ethos but we also find that people are much more welcoming and helpful to us as travelers.     

In discussing our trip with others, the number one thing that we get asked is 'Did we feel safe in Mexico?' or 'Was it dangerous traveling by van in Mexico?' I understand where this is coming from as virtually all entities from the media to the US State Department paint a picture of constant cartel violence and rampant corruption in Mexico. I also realize that most of this information is true but while this scares many people away from visiting Mexico, we carried on with our trip and really never felt unsafe during our entire three months in Mexico. Part of why we felt safe was that we had done our homework and were traveling to relatively safe places and also doing so in a conscientious and prudent manner. For example, we never drove at night, tried to reach our destination fairly early so that we could find a good campsite and were always keeping our 'ears to the ground' so that we were aware of what was going on around us.     

We absolutely loved traveling in Mexico and are grateful to have been able to experience Mexico's vibrant culture from the beautiful architecture to the amazing cuisine. I've been studying Spanish since I was in high school so I really enjoyed having the opportunity to practice my Spanish on a daily basis. Halfway through the trip, we stayed in Oaxaca for three weeks and I took intensive Spanish lessons which helped tremendously. I found that on my own I just wasn't getting enough opportunities to speak Spanish each day but that by taking four hours of Spanish classes every day, I really started to make significant progress towards my goal of becoming a fluent Spanish speaker. Oaxaca and San Miguel de Allende both have numerous Spanish schools if you're interested in brushing up on the language. 

I will write another blog post specifically on Mexican breakfasts but it's no secret that Mexico has some of the best cuisine in the entire world. Food really is central to Mexican culture and can be found on almost every street corner. In fact, Mexican food is really the original fast food as many items are designed to be eaten on the fly such as tacos, tamales and tortas. While tortillas, beans, cheese, salsas and chili peppers are core ingredients to many dishes, there are significant variations in the local cuisine throughout the country. Seafood dishes are of course readily available in Mexico's many coastal regions. Mole is a traditional sauce originating from the states of Puebla and Oaxaca that consists of nuts or seeds, chili peppers and dried spices. In Oaxaca, there are actually seven different moles although the mole poblano is the best known and most readily available.  Thinking back on the many meals that we had, I would say the gorditas in Querétaro was among the best street food that we had. Chilaquiles was our go-to breakfast option that rarely disappointed. And one of the best meals of the trip was a vegetarian chile relleno that I had in Ajijic, south of Guadalajara.

It was very affordable to travel via van throughout Mexico. As Americans, we benefited from a strong dollar with an exchange rate which fluctuated between 20 and 21 pesos to the dollar during our visit.  My wife and I spent an average of $3,000 a month which included gas, tolls, lodging, food, cell phone plans and vehicle and traveler's insurance. We found that with lower costs in Mexico, we could afford to eat out more than we would have in the US. We also wanted to take advantage of being in Mexico so we prioritized cultural experiences such as going to museums, visiting ruins and going on other excursions to beautiful waterfalls, hot springs and volcanoes. We thought our whole trip was quite affordable while we were doing it and now that we're back in the US, it seems even more affordable considering how expensive things have become in recent months. By traveling in our van, we definitely saved quite a lot of money on accommodation as it was fairly infrequent that we stayed in a hotel or AirBnB.     

If you're considering an extended visit to Mexico, I would strongly recommend it! Traveling in a van through Mexico was a great way for my wife and I to experience the beauty, charm and diversity of the country.  Regardless of how you decide to travel through Mexico, here are my five tips for having a great trip: 

1. Do Your Homework - by researching visa and insurance requirements in advance, you'll be well prepared for your visit and avoid potential problems during your trip. I also recommend joining Facebook groups that are dedicated to Mexican travel such as On The Road in Mexico or RV Mexico as they are great resources full of firsthand knowledge from people who are doing exactly what you are planning. I also recommend researching the areas that you're planning to visit to learn more about them and to make sure that you're comfortable with the safety in the area.  
2. Stay Flexible - we found that our best experiences were those that were recommended by locals. With this in mind, I would recommend that you keep your itinerary fairly loose so that you have the flexibility to go to the places recommended by the people you meet along your travels. Flexibility also provides you with the ability to slow down and linger a while if you really like the area that you're visiting. Conversely, you can speed things up and move on to your next destination if you're just not feeling it and are ready for a change.    
3. When in Rome - by being respectful and conscientious travelers, we were treated similarly by those we met along the way. Since you're not in your home country, life will be different and you'll love many of the differences and there may be other things that you could do without. Isn't that the beauty of traveling in a foreign country? Do your best to speak Spanish even if you only have limited vocabulary. I wish I was fluent but by constantly practicing my Spanish, not only did I improve my Spanish but I also was able to communicate and connect with people much better.  
4. Buen Provecho! - as mentioned above, the food alone is worth the trip to Mexico. So bring your appetite and don't be afraid to try new things. Chapulines (grasshoppers toasted on a comal) are a popular snack in many parts of Mexico that you may want to try if you're feeling adventurous!  
5. Spread the word about Mexico - tourism is a significant economic sector in Mexico and is certainly not helped by the cartel violence and related media coverage. So if you enjoy your travels to Mexico, share your experience with others to help dispel the prevailing sentiments that Mexico is too dangerous to visit.