The People's Guide to Mexico
768
The People's Guide to Mexico
768Paperback(14th Edition)
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Overview
Features include:
Advice on planning your trip, where to go, and how to get around once you're there
Practical tips to help you stay healthy and safe, deal with red tape, change money, send email, letters and packages, use the telephone, do laundry, order food, speak like a local, and more
Well-informed insight into Mexican culture, and hints for enjoying traditional fiestas and celebrations
The most complete information available on Mexican Internet resources, book and map reviews, and other info sources for travelers
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781598809602 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Avalon Publishing |
| Publication date: | 10/02/2012 |
| Series: | People's Guide to Mexico |
| Edition description: | 14th Edition |
| Pages: | 768 |
| Sales rank: | 830,920 |
| Product dimensions: | 8.40(w) x 5.50(h) x 1.10(d) |
About the Author
Felisa Churpa Rosa Rogers grew up on the back roads of Mexico. Previous readers of The People's Guide to Mexico will recognize Churpa as the daughter of Steve Rogers, Carl and Lorena's much-loved coauthor. Churpa grew up in Mexico, under the tutelage of Steve and Tina Rosa, and inherited her father's legendary affection for good food, hot chiles and offbeat adventure. She now combines these qualities with a delightfully twisted sense of humor and a very serious talent for writing. When not working on People’s Guide projects, she writes for Salon.com and other publications. She and her husband Rich live in Oregon's Coast Range. You can find more of Churpa's writing on www.thepeoplesguidetomexico.com.
Read an Excerpt
The People's Guide to Mexico
By Carl Franz
Avalon Travel Publishing
Copyright © 2012 Carl FranzAll right reserved.
ISBN: 9781598809602
Exploring Mexico with Carl Franz & Lorena Havens
1. This is the 14th edition of The People's Guide to Mexico. Please tell us the story of how this book came to be.
The People’s Guide to Mexico began on a Mexican beach in 1970 as a series of detailed letters to friends in Alaska who were eager to join up with Lorena, Steve and myself on our first major van odyssey through Mexico. It developed further through storytelling around countless campfires as we travelled on to Guatemala, El Salvador and Belize.
There were no guidebooks at the time that explained how to travel in Mexico and Central America in more than general terms. Our friends and other travelers constantly peppered us with practical questions—how to take a local bus, where to eat cheaply, how to find a budget hotel room and more. With Steve looking over my shoulder and contributing his vast personal experience, I started hammering away on my Olympia portable typewriter. I was easily bored, however, and tended to drift off-topic into stories about our current adventures. Lorena applied her organizational skills in an attempt to keep me focused.
In a small house overlooking Lake Atitlan the manuscript piled beside me eventually reached over one thousand typewritten pages. It became apparent that things had gotten out of hand. Was it a book? Everyone we asked said the answer was obviously, “No!” Who would possibly publish an unknown author writing about off-beat Mexico?
On our slow return northward, we visited John and Eve Muir in San Miguel de Allende. John’s book, “How To Keep Your Volkswagen Alive” was selling like crazy and he’d decided to start his own publishing company. He and Eve took a quick look at our manuscript—the rest, as they say, is history.
2. How has traveling in Mexico changed since the 70's and how is the travel experience the same?
There is no aspect of travelling in Mexico that hasn’t changed dramatically since the seventies, at least in a practical sense. In those days, for example, there were almost no road or directional signs, even on major highways. It wasn’t just easy to get lost and confused, it was inevitable; an integral part of the Mexican experience.
People weren’t used to seeing foreign travelers outside of the most obvious tourist attractions and resorts. Anyone who didn’t look like the typical gringo resort-hopping tourist drew a lot of attention, some of it definitely unwanted (especially from the police).
Mexico’s public service infrastructure was very weak and unreliable—it often took hours and a lot of pesos to make an international phone call. Changing traveler’s checks was a drag.
Of all the changes we’ve seen, however, I don’t think anything can top the arrival of the internet and cell phones. Second on the list would be the tremendous improvement in highways and transportation.
What hasn’t changed in Mexico, or not as much? The hospitality and generosity of the Mexican people, as well as their incredible sense of humor.
3. The People’s Guide to Mexico is often cited as one of the books that launched the independent travel movement. What is your reaction to this?
Since the People’s Guide was first published in 1972, we’ve received thousands of letters, emails and personal testimonials from people who say that the book gave them the confidence and tools they needed to visit Mexico. So, yes, in that sense we did inspire others to grab a backpack or a suitcase and head out. It isn’t easy to remember, but in the sixties and early seventies tourism outside of the U.S. was almost exclusively for people with money. The People’s Guide was for the rest of us—“independents” with more time than money, along with a strong curiosity and appreciation for the “real” Mexico.
As an aside, one of the most gratifying compliments we heard in the book’s early days was from travelers who recommended it for travel to India and Asia. “The People’s Guide is the best guidebook to travel in the Third World.” was the way one person put it.
4. What's the one site/activity/experience in Mexico that should be on a traveler's "bucket list"?
My “bucket list” tends to be filled with apparently ordinary experiences that travelers ordinarily do not think of when away from home. For example, I’ve had haircuts in small town barbershops in Mexico, India and other countries. It’s an experience I don’t necessarily want to repeat but one I seldom forget.
If you are near a beach, there’s nothing more Mexican than spending an entire afternoon in a seaside restaurant, eating and drinking your way through the menu, one delicious dish after another. Hire a taxi for an hour in any mid-sized city and ask the driver to show you the sights. I can’t pass up a Mexican hardware store or street market without looking for handmade tools and ingenious mouse traps.
Lorena’s suggestion is to take a morning bus to a small town you’ve never heard of, eat breakfast there, have your shoes shined and wander the streets. Lorena looks for yarn and interesting little gifts as an excuse to poke her head in small shops. Smile a lot.
Continues...
Excerpted from The People's Guide to Mexico by Carl Franz Copyright © 2012 by Carl Franz. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
1 Traveling in Mexico 21
Planning Your Trip
A Travel Routine
Where to Go
How to Get There
Travel Packages: Too Good to Be True?
Tours
Traveling with Friends
Traveling Alone
Traveling with Kids
2 The Best of Mexico 51
Wherever You Go …
A Mercifully Brief Lesson in Geography and Climate
The Seasons
Baja California
Copper Canyon
Pacific Beaches
Central Mexico: The Colonial Heartland
The Gulf Coast
The Indian Highlands: Oaxaca and Chiapas
The Yucatán Peninsula
The Ruta Maya
3 Getting Around 114
Buses
Trains
Rental Cars
Taxis
Colectivos
Navigating in Mexico City
Air Service
Ferries
Boats and Beasts
Hitching
A Ride to Remember
4 Driving 147
Why Drive in Mexico?
Why Not Drive?
Driving Overview
Hazards
Churpa's Driving Story
Road Conditions
City Driving
Night Driving
Traffic Signs
Toll Roads
Cops
Surviving Mexico City
Steve's Bypass Operation
Police Roadblocks and Highway Checkpoints
Parking
Finding Your Way
Ferries
Green Angels and Breakdowns
Gas Stations
Rip-Offs
Preparing Your Car
Buying a Car
Living in Your Vehicle
Do-It-Yourself Camper
Car Repairs
Travels with Woody and Sonny
5 Accommodations 206
Hotels
Renting a Place
House Hunting
Wood-Fired Water Heaters
Living with Mexicans
Maids and Gardeners
6 Camping 246
Camping with Children
RV Motor Homes and Trailers
RV Caravans
Van, Pickup and Car Campers
Rent-a-Car Camping
What Will It Cost?
Privacy
Where to Camp
Is It Safe?
Where to Be Careful
Exploring
Camping and Kitchen Gear
A Traveling Kitchen
Food from Home
Odds and Ends
Camping Skills
7 Packing Up 280
Clothing
Travel-Light Packing Suggestions
The Hidden Pocket
Health Information and Insurance
Useful Travel Accessories
Odds and Ends
Gifts and Trade Goods
8 Mexico: A to Z 295
AA and 12-Step Meetings
Addresses
Banks and Money
Bank and Legal Holidays
Bathing
Bathrooms
Business Hours
Computers
Consulates and Embassies
Electricity
Email and Cyber Cafes
Fuels
Laundry
Meditation
Post Office and Mail
Taxes-IVA
Telegraph Service
Telephones, Cell Phones, Online Calling and Fax Services.
Time and Zones
Tipping
Tourist Information
Vegetables: Purifying
Volunteer and Aid Groups
Water
9 Staying Healthy 324
Prevention
Got Sick Anyway…
Health and First-Aid Kit
Remedies and Cures
Secrets of the Maya Revealed!
10 Safety 360
Is Mexico Safe?
The Accidental Tourist
Drinking and Drugs
Valuables and Rip-Offs
Swimming and Lifeguards
Parasailing
Revolutions and Guerrillas
11 Red Tape and the Law 370
Tourist Cards
Vehicle Permits: A Step-by-Step Explanation
Yachts and Private Aircraft
Pets
Guns and Hunting
Fishing Licenses
Car Insurance
Accidents
Official Documents and Checkpoints
Mexican Customs Inspections
Tourists and Mexican Law
12 !Viva Mexico! 401
Customs and Traditions
Superstitions
Celebrations and Fiestas
Holiday Calendar
Festivals, Fairs and Circuses
Beggars and Con Artists
National Lottery
Machismo
Brothels
The Bullfight
Mexico: A Brief History
What the Hell Is That?
Saints' Days
13 Shopping 454
Shopping and Souvenirs
Haggling
Imports: Fortune or Fantasy?
Shopping for Arts and Crafts
Steve's Shopping Tips
Parrot Fever
14 Restaurants and Typical Foods 478
The Joy of Eating
Types of Restaurants
Street Food
Mexican Fast-Food Tips
Ordering a Meal
Paying Up
Tips
Vegetarians
What You'll Eat
Beverages
15 Booze and Cantinas 521
Drinking Customs
Vino or Wine?
Beer
Tequila and Mezcal
Hard Liquors
Pulque
Home Brews
Bars and Cantinas
16 Markets and Stores 538
Markets and Tianguis
Ins and Outs of Haggling
Shopping Suggestions
Stores
The Shopping List
A Typical Marketing Trip
Market Days in Mexico
Market Days in Guatemala
17 Our Favorite Mexican Recipes 588
Valuable Cooking Tips
Our Favorite Mexican Recipes
18 Speaking Spanish 619
It's Worth the Effort
Greetings and Salutations
Hand Signals
Formalities and Titles
A Typical Polite Letter
Slang
Nicknames
The Mexican Media
Speaking Spanish: Where Do I Start?
19 Live or Retire in Mexico 645
Don't Burn Bridges or Make "Pink Cloud" Decisions
What Will It Really Cost?
A Few Words from Friends and Readers Living in Mexico
Disconnecting from the "Real World"
Can a Tourist or a Foreigner Own Land?
If You Want to Read More …
20 Back to the U.S.A 659
Searches
Is It Legal?
Declare Your Purchases
Duty-Free Limits
Mail It Home
Pets and Plants
Last but Not Least
A Typical
Border Crossing?
21 For More Information: Websites and Book Reviews 672
Mexico Guidebooks and General Information
People's Guide to Mexico Website Highlights
Discuss Mexico and Latin America Online
The Best of Mexico: From Baja to Central America
Archaeology, Anthropology and Ethnology
Booksellers and Sources
Border Crossing: Before Leaving Home
Border Crossing: Mexico (Red Tape)
Border Crossing: U.S.A. (Back to the U.S.A.)
Children
Culture: !Viva Mexico!
Driving
Food and Recipes
Gay and Lesbian
Health
History, Novels and Nonfiction
Hostels
Live or Retire in Mexico and Central America
Maps and Sources
Media
Meditation
Money
Movies
Music
Natural History Newsletters
Outdoor Activities
Packing Up: Travel Accessories and Gear
Pets
Phones
Photography and Photo Galleries
Public Transportation: Getting Around
Real Estate, Rentals, Vacation Properties
Research, Archives and Libraries
RV and Camping
Shopping
Spanish Study
TV and Radio
Volunteer and Social Action Groups
Weather, Climate and Hurricanes
Women
Working in Mexico
Appendices 734
Index 747