h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

You say you've hitched from South Mexico to North Canada? That's pretty impressive. I'm visiting Mexico in May as part of a round-the-world trip, and I need to get from Mexico City to Los Angeles for my connecting flight in just under three weeks. Unfortunately, I don't speak more than about ten words of Spanish, and I don't as yet know that much about the potential dangers for travellers, other than Mexico City isn't a good place to be. Any tips?

Well , my knowledge is a bit dated ( did my traveling there about 12 years ago ) but for what it's worth, here goes. Hitching can be fun , but it's not the way to travel unless you (a) have no time constraints , (b) are good at making friends , (c) are desperate and broke , ( d ) can think on your feet , (e) are willing to do alot of walking . ( the more of these that fit , the more likely hitching is for you ) My experiance with trains in Mexico was that they were cheap but slow . There were 4 classes. Coach ( you get a privet compartment for your party ) Priemeria especial ( aircraft style seats and cold air in your face ) Priemeria ( most of the seats aren't broken and most of the windows work , also most of the passengers get a seat ) Secundo ( broken windows , bare bulbs hanging from mwires for light , packed like sardines and 24 hour party , cause what else can you do ). I opted for Priemeria . Bus travel was the major business backbone for the country. There were hotels associated with the bus terminals , generally at a good price and clean. Even when I was hitching I made use of the bus related hotels a few times. ( nice to be able to have a shower etc. ) I've only watched planes take off in Mexico ( I think it was a 30,s vintage Junkers , saw the tail slap the runway on takeoff , can you say overloaded? ). The major carriers in Mexico will be pretty much the same as any other airline , I would take one in a minute given the need to put on miles.
The mexican people I meet were generally friendly , helpful and willing to try to understand my very mangled Spanish ( ok a few of them did burst out laughing ). Rural Mexico has poverty , but most people can make do and help each other out when the need arrises , the cities on the other hand have desperation. The few tourists I meet who had trouble also had an attitude that " You can't do that to me, I'm an american citizen" , this flies about as far in Mexico as it does elsewhere. When in Mexico you have the same rights as a mexican ( guilty till proven innocent ), act accordingly. Wearing twice the average local income around your neck ( cammeras , jewelry etc. ) makes you a target almost anywhere in the world.
Alot of tourists seem to have the attitude that anything goes , this strikes me as a great way to get into trouble.
If you can , check out some of the less touristy small towns , when I was there Barra de Navidad on the west coast was great. I also loved the state of Chiapas , but I expect with the Zappatista,s and the Federallies going at it , that might be a bit tenser then I remember.
Food; I found eating mexican food , where the mexicans were eating it , worked well. Fried chicken is a mainstay ( Pollo Frito ) , along with corn tortillas , beans , rice etc. The beer is good ( try Bohemia ) and the seafood was great. The tourist food is likely to make you sick ( people preparing stuff they have no tradition of eating ) . Be aware , Spanish for eggs is also slang for male reproductive organs , you'll know you made a mistake when the clerk at the store falls over laughing.
If you enter the USA around Nogales , take a run up to the Grand Canyon , well worth seeing. There are also tourist facilities ther including public showers , laundry etc.
Border towns , tend to draw people who live off tourists , travellers etc. I tend to try to pass through them quickly.
I find attitude makes the biggest difference traveling on any terms , there will be good and bad in any trip , if you dwell on the bad , you will come away remembering the long waits , the discomfort etc. and you'll prob. not get along well with most people you meet. If you look for the good , you will recall friendly people , spectacular sceinery , personal accomplishments, and have stories you could write about. Enjoy.

Thanks for taking the time to reply. You sound like you have much the same attitude to travelling as me (i.e. try to act as little like a tourist as possible). You've confirmed what I'd already read about taking buses rather than trains, so I think I'll definitely take that approach to covering the ground. You mention visitng the Grand Canyon - I was under the impression that there was somewhere similar and equally impressive in Mexico, although the name and location escapes me at the moment.

Anyway, if you're interested, I'll be keeping a journal of my travels on my homepage here. Feel free to discuss anything you see there - I'm always up for a bit of friendly advice from people who've been there and done that, so to speak.

Will do , Oh I probably should mention the busses in Mexico have a few interesting features to. Generally on the outside of the bus they advertise , air conditioning, indoor toilets and stereo sound. Well the air might work , the toilets have often been removed to add seats and the stereo is pointed at the driver's head. I've been on a bus that was racing another bus ( with the passengers cheering the driver on ). I've also seen the driver get out , open the cargo bay , wake the spare driver up and trade places . All in all it's a pretty relaxed country , I like it.