Watched Sex and the City yesterday - bet you thought I'd have made reference to it earlier, given the shoe thing, hey? Not bad, true to form, mostly. Not in the mood to review the whole thing. Anyway, the Mexico scenes brought back some memories from a recent trip (Charlotte accidentaly drinks the water there and tummy consequences follow...).
It really is true, DON'T drink the water. NO ONE is Mexico seems to be brave enough to drink the water - including many of the locals I spoke to. Also don't eat anything fresh - at least not anywhere that isn't 5 star. Which isn't really a problem as I came to learn - vegetables are not often on the menu and if they are, think fried onions and whole fried jalepenos (OUCH! Seriously.) Seems weird for such a not-so-backward country, but who am I to talk. South Africa can learn a few lessons from the Mexicalis I tell you. For one, they know how to do tourism - well, they know who their market is (Americans) and they know how to cater to them (include everything and make sure about the Burger King and Starbucks on every corner). I am not kidding. Cancun, for all its beautiful beaches (and they are, pity that every square foot is covered by someone's resort) looks like a little America - its a very confused place, as my boyfriend very astutely observed, they really don't know if they are Mexican, Carribean or resort America. Its quite sad really, given that tourism (to my mind) should include getting in touch with the local culture - then again, I guess I did just that. At the Starbucks, caffe americano (con leche) in hand.
Speaking of which, thank heavens for the Starbucks. If your body is on a timezone 8 hours ahead and refuses point blank to accept the reality of daylight when it wants to go to bed, a grande caffe americano (con leche - if you can make yourself understood) is a godsend. Four or five of those a day and I was hooked. When is Starbucks opening in South Africa?! We have everything else...come on guys!
Anyway, if you manage to get past the Americanisation of the place, it really is quite a trip. Think Mexico City, sprawling with no end in sight (even from the air as the plane descends), vibey (very loud) and filled with lots and lots of colour. A true explorer's paradise (but stay in the safe zones - don't be a naive tourist) with bustling markets (haggle at the silver trader's market in Zona Rosa - its too much fun!), mariachi's for hire (seriously, you can hire one to serenade your loved on at their window) and amazing food (nachos grade at the Spur...pwah!).
Chichen Itza (like chicken pizza, kind of), recently named one of the new seven wonders of the world, takes a while to sink in. It is unfortunate that the Aztec culture has become almost caricatured, with the familiar zig zag lines of the mayan pyramids imprinted on every mind, thanks to Tex Mex as a cultural bridge. As a result, Chichen Itza does not at first inspire and awe - you've seen the pictures a thousand times. But walk amount the countless ruins there, keep reminding yourself that they are hundrends if not thousands of years old and that as a tourist, you only get to see 20% of it all (the rest is unaccesible, still being researched and guarded by the government - according to our tour guide anyway) and after a while the immensity of it all sets it. We think we're so smart, us modern humans. R..i..g..h..t.
It really is true, DON'T drink the water. NO ONE is Mexico seems to be brave enough to drink the water - including many of the locals I spoke to. Also don't eat anything fresh - at least not anywhere that isn't 5 star. Which isn't really a problem as I came to learn - vegetables are not often on the menu and if they are, think fried onions and whole fried jalepenos (OUCH! Seriously.) Seems weird for such a not-so-backward country, but who am I to talk. South Africa can learn a few lessons from the Mexicalis I tell you. For one, they know how to do tourism - well, they know who their market is (Americans) and they know how to cater to them (include everything and make sure about the Burger King and Starbucks on every corner). I am not kidding. Cancun, for all its beautiful beaches (and they are, pity that every square foot is covered by someone's resort) looks like a little America - its a very confused place, as my boyfriend very astutely observed, they really don't know if they are Mexican, Carribean or resort America. Its quite sad really, given that tourism (to my mind) should include getting in touch with the local culture - then again, I guess I did just that. At the Starbucks, caffe americano (con leche) in hand.
Speaking of which, thank heavens for the Starbucks. If your body is on a timezone 8 hours ahead and refuses point blank to accept the reality of daylight when it wants to go to bed, a grande caffe americano (con leche - if you can make yourself understood) is a godsend. Four or five of those a day and I was hooked. When is Starbucks opening in South Africa?! We have everything else...come on guys!
Anyway, if you manage to get past the Americanisation of the place, it really is quite a trip. Think Mexico City, sprawling with no end in sight (even from the air as the plane descends), vibey (very loud) and filled with lots and lots of colour. A true explorer's paradise (but stay in the safe zones - don't be a naive tourist) with bustling markets (haggle at the silver trader's market in Zona Rosa - its too much fun!), mariachi's for hire (seriously, you can hire one to serenade your loved on at their window) and amazing food (nachos grade at the Spur...pwah!).
Chichen Itza (like chicken pizza, kind of), recently named one of the new seven wonders of the world, takes a while to sink in. It is unfortunate that the Aztec culture has become almost caricatured, with the familiar zig zag lines of the mayan pyramids imprinted on every mind, thanks to Tex Mex as a cultural bridge. As a result, Chichen Itza does not at first inspire and awe - you've seen the pictures a thousand times. But walk amount the countless ruins there, keep reminding yourself that they are hundrends if not thousands of years old and that as a tourist, you only get to see 20% of it all (the rest is unaccesible, still being researched and guarded by the government - according to our tour guide anyway) and after a while the immensity of it all sets it. We think we're so smart, us modern humans. R..i..g..h..t.
But the best thing you can do, if you ever find yourself in Mexico, is to get in touch with nature. Explore a cenote (underground river/lake - you've seen the pictures), travel along a river or snorkel at one of the few places where these amazingly unique underground rivers emerge from the porous volcanic rock that surrounds these regions and you'll understand some of the magic that ruled the ancient civilisations.
I didn't even buy one pair of shoes.
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