A Gringo in Mexico

By Rick Dudgeon

First, lest anyone be offended, let me start by saying that gringo is not an epithet in Mexico.  If they use it at all, it is used affectionately.  But they really don’t. The title is an homage to my wife’s first article, A Chilanga in Wisconsin.

I was one of those timid Americans who swore he’d never travel to Mexico.  I’d heard too many stories about Montezuma’s revenge and police abuses to believe that I would ever feel safe there.  It took true love for me to finally overcome my fears.  Can you guess where my wife is from?

Since then, I’ve traveled to Cancun; the Mexican Riviera; Morelia, Michoacán; the biggest city in the world, Mexico City; and even that poor cousin Tijuana.  I still have a lot of Mexico left to explore.  But I may have accumulated enough experience to maybe be helpful to the uninitiated.  And I’ve never encountered abusive police or Montezuma’s revenge.

First, don’t stress about the language barrier.  If you travel to Mexico, and you know any Spanish at all, use it. Most Mexicans will appreciate your attempt to use their language, and will patiently try to understand what you are trying to say.  If you know no Spanish at all, don’t despair.  While everyone you meet might not speak conversational English, English is taught in most schools in Mexico from an early age.  It might take some effort and maybe some sign language, but you can usually make yourself understood.  The Mexican people are very hospitable and will generally be very patient with your attempts to communicate.

If you travel to one of the more popular tourist destinations, like Cancun, English is almost as common as Spanish.  But practice your Spanish.  It’s fun!

One of the hardest things for me in Mexico is the exchange rate.  Today, one peso is the equivalent of 8 cents US, or, going the other way, one US dollar is a little more than 12.5 pesos.  I try to remember that 20 bucks is about 250 pesos.  So if a restaurant bill is around 500 pesos, that’s about $40 US.  It sounds simple, but take some time to think about it.  I have paid $5 when I thought I was paying 50 cents.  This rate changes every day, so check before you go.

Spending money gets especially tricky when traveling to the tourist hotspots.  Here, some shops will post their prices in US dollars.  Others will have their prices in pesos.  I’ve even seen both in the same shop.  And they use the same $ symbol!  So $200 might be two hundred dollars, or two hundred pesos, about 16 dollars.  So always ask, and if you’re using a credit card, look carefully before you sign.  I once saw a watch I loved in a shop in Playa del Carmen.  The price tag said $800, so I thought I was buying it for 800 pesos, about 65 dollars.  But the price was already in US dollars.  If I hadn’t asked, I would have had a very large shock when I got my credit card statement.

I love driving in Mexico.  It’s an adventure.  When I arrive safely at my destination, I feel like I’ve just won the Indi 500.  But my advice is, don’t do it, especially in the urban areas.  I think the driving laws are very similar there.  But in practice, they are very different.  Lines on the road are suggestions.  A red light means slow down.  And people don’t even notice stop signs.  Even one-way street signs are frequently ignored.  At a minimum, make sure you’ve observed a lot of driving there before you try it yourself.  If you rent a car in Mexico, you will pay more for the insurance than you will for the car.  And it’s worth it.  So be careful about jumping at advertised rental rates.  They are not the price you will actually pay.

Just like in the US, most Mexicans are honest and decent people.  But, just like in the US, there are some bad elements.  And there are some bad areas to avoid, just like in New York City or Milwaukee.  Before travelling to Mexico or any other country, I highly recommend visiting the US State Department website and reading the country specific travel information.  It has very detailed advice about many subjects, from which taxis to take, to which beaches to avoid.