It used to be that when you traveled to Mexico, everything was different than at home. And although families did travel together, it was only the wealthy that took long trips. Today, jet planes and package travel have put Mexico within the reach of many families. But with travel geared more toward individuals, whether alone or together, it's hard to know just where to go, where to stay, and, most importantly, what to do as a family. This book will help with all those things.
Unlike the glitzy new beach resorts found along Mexico's coasts, the culture found in its cities and towns is family based. Sure, you'll see American discount stores and fast-food restaurants, but even though they may look like the ones at home, they're different. That's because most of the people who patronize them do so as families.
Mexico is a complex culture. Not only is it different, for the most part, from what you're used to at home, it's different from other cultures in that it goes down many levels into history. Today's Mexicans, no matter whether they're talking on a cell phone or tapping on a laptop computer, carry on traditions of their ancient past — even if it's only in the food they eat. They've created a special culture, a blend of European Spanish and Mesoamerican Indian, that celebrates its past in so many ways. You'll find a little piece of it just about anywhere.
Go to the main square of any Mexican town, and you'll experience Mexico. It's there that everyone comes to wait, to meet, to do business, and to relax. You'll see children running around the fountains while their proud parents discuss the latest news with friends. Or stroll through any Mexican market — with aisle after aisle filled with sweet-smelling baskets of breads, golden deep-fried pork rinds, herbs of all kinds, tropical fruits by the truckload, and an endless selection of handicrafts — and you'll experience Mexico.
Even though the title of this book is
If you're going to travel to Mexico, you should look beyond the luxurious beach resorts and search for the real Mexico — the Mexico that, in many instances, has been hidden by a veneer of modern innovations. You'll find it in the faces of the Indians of the countryside, the