Preconceptions of Mexico

It´s only natural that before you travel to or visit a new place, you will form some preconceptions or notions of that said place.  The media bombards us with information about countries, cultures, people, a lot of which is true but at the same time, a lot of which isn´t.  Mexico is a country that I believe comes off particularly badly when it comes to media portrayal.  I know that before I studied or learnt anything about the country I am living in now, I had a few preconceptions or had formed stereotypes of the culture.  However, after having lived here on two separate occasions for extended periods of time, not everything was as it initially seemed.

1. Violence

Perhaps the most unsettling image of Mexico projected to the rest of the world is that it is a country full of violence, kidnappings, corruption.  Sadly, no one can deny that it is a country that does have its problems, and they are very serious and worrying problems but they are not the be all and end all of Mexico. Living here, I have not experienced any violent drug related crime (touch wood) and I feel just as safe as I do when I'm in any other big city. Of course, there are areas of the country/city that people tell me are fairly dangerous and to stay away, so I do. But again, places in England make me feel vulnerable and uneasy. I take as few risks as possible, don't wear flashy jewellery, or walk alone in the early hours of the morning and involve myself in anything dubious. Once again, behaving how I behave anywhere. 

In addition to this, Mexicans are generally warm and friendly people. They are proud of their country and it hurts them to see such violence here. But as a temporary resident, I think the press is very misleading. You can easily live a peaceful,fulfilling life, full of happiness and enjoyment. I'm not trying to downplay the problems here, nor do I think they should be ignored. However, Mexico consistently receives bad press and taints the reputation of what is a beautiful, warm, fascinating and open country. 

2. Mexicans only eat nachos, fajitas and burritos. 

So many people I have spoken to assume that Mexican food is equivalent to the Old El Paso meal kits you can buy in the UK or Taco Bell. How wrong they are! Mexican food is, frankly, delicious. Mexican cuisine is so wide and so diverse that I come across a new dish when I go to a new restaurant or visit a different state. It's a lot more than just tacos (soft flour or corn tortillas of course, and honestly, amazing) and fajitas and chilli con carne simply don't exist here. Pozole, tamales, mole, tortas ahogadas, chilaquiles... There is a different dish for every occasion and all are bursting with flavour: a spicy kick from the chilli, zingy freshness from freshly squeezed lime, fresh coriander to balance out the intense flavours, or perfectly cooked, melt in the mouth meat, tantalising your taste buds with every bite. Even the Coca Cola tastes better here! Ice cold in a glass bottle, delicious. What's more, you have little food and drink stalls lining the streets where ever you go... Selling chopped fresh fruit pots (with chilli, lime and salt if you are a true Mexican), agua frescas: a soft drink made with different fruit flavours or rice milk, raspados: crushed ice mixed with a syrup made of fresh fruit, sugar and honey, or churros, coated with sugar and cinnamon. I could talk forever about the food, it's so much better than I could ever describe here! 

3. Mexico is full of spring breakers and drunk tourists. 

Cancún is probably the best known Mexican destination for British tourists and it already has a reputation as a party city. If you're an American spring breaker, perhaps you will visit Los Cabos or Puerto Vallarta. These destinations conjure up an image of drunk young people stumbling from bar to club to club, partying all night and roasting themselves red during the day. In fact, these tourist laden destinations even have hotels just for the spring breakers. For me, an intimidating thought! Although there is no getting around the fact these cities are extremely popular with tourists, geared towards tourists and is quite different from the "traditional" Mexican culture, you can enjoy these spots for the beautiful places they are. If you want to step off the beaten track, there are plenty of secluded beaches, with hammocks for the sleeping arrangements or plenty of beautiful towns and cities where dollars are not accepted, English is rarely spoken, and show the epitome of Mexican culture. Mexico is a diverse culture that pretty much caters for every want or need, you just have to take the time to look for it. 

4. Mexico is a third world country. 

As I stated earlier, Mexico has a lot of complex issues that are not resolved, and require a difficult to find solution. However, there is also an idea that Mexico is a third world country, complete with no sanitation, no drinking water, no education. There is no denying that the gap between rich and poor is horrifyingly extreme, but that's not to say that Mexico is akin to the out backs of Africa or remote areas of India. I obviously cannot speak on behalf of all the country, I have only visited the smallest portion and I have witnessed heartbreaking poverty. On the other hand, I have seen more Starbucks, exclusive malls and boutiques than I ever come across at home. If you lived in a Mexican city, you could live how you live in Europe (if you wanted to, of course); you could shop at Walmart, get your morning coffee from Starbucks, grab fast food at McDonald's or Subway, shop at H&M, Zara, Forever 21. Of course, if you come to a country as fascinating as Mexico, I'm definitely not suggesting you do that! Guadalajara, for example, has an extensive public transport system, is fairly clean, and has a rich/poor divide like London. Indeed, some parts of Mexico are struggling, some are very affluent, some live like "developed" countries and some live in the indigenous way. But to say that all of Mexico is a third world country? Never. 

Like I mentioned, I'm not by any means an expert, and please correct me if I'm wrong, but these are my experiences from living here. If I could, I would explain to everyone I meet that Mexico is not just what we see in the news or read in the papers. It's so much more than that.