Writings By Date| Musings On Mexico | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
Mexico is obviously quite poor. We drove through many small villages, a lot without even streetlights. Sanitation was adequate at best. I can't imagine anything other than blue-collar labor here: we must have seen dozens of large pickup trucks trundling along on highways packed with workers in the back, but I'll be damned if I saw a single person anywhere — even in the big cities — with a briefcase.
But you gotta love how cheap things are, as an American or European tourist, compared to home — even in the places where it's comparatively "expensive". The rule doesn't apply to anything distinctly American (Domino's, Levis, or Kodak film) , or to gasoline, but almost everthing else is at prices 10 years back from the US. Unfortunately, many of these ethings, including the food, were probably made that long ago, too.
Imagine what it would be like to eat at your favorite Mexican restaurant every night for a week. Now imagine going there for breakfast and lunch, too. That's Mexico.
And you know, this was even okay by us. But it's hard to get your stomach used to the spices and ingredients they use three times a day. Even things like eggs are typically cooked with mexican flavors, and there's always rice and tortillas somewhere nearby. Hotcakes could be found on one out of every three breakfast menus, but how many maple trees do you think are grown in Mexico? (That's why they serve them with honey instead, but lemme tell you: it ain't nearly the same.) I will give them credit for the fresh-squeezed orange juice you can easily find in cities. A liter bottle of 100% pure juice — no concentrate — can be picked up for about seven pesos (roughly 75 cents).
We found Italian food and pizza in very touristy areas and in Mèrida, but it was adequate at best. Chinese food, sushi, thai food — forget it. You have to try hard even just to find a hamburger. Now, bacon-wrapped hot dogs, on the other hand: those are easily found among street vendors just about anywhere you go. Just don't ask what's in 'em.
Speaking of food, what everyone has told us is true: yes, you will get diarrhea. I got it on day four, and Miss Stomach-of-Steel Erin followed me on day seven. We've learned to take an Immodium AD and just ignore it. It helps in that this is truly a wonder drug: it behaves absolutely and totally like shoving a cement wall up your ass for a day. Unfortuantely, it also leaves you feeling bloated and constipated for about three days after, but it's still worth it. Sure, it will probably help if you don't drink the water or eat the lettuce, which we tried doing. But sooner or later, you can't avoid a sliver of lettuce in your burrito, or a few drops of water on your toothbrush or in the shower. We figure we won't be "regular" anytime between now and New Zealand, and that's just the way it goes.
Note: One week after leaving Mexico, I am now amending this section. Yes, you will get diarrhea...if you're lucky. If you're less lucky, you'll experience one of Mexico's lesser known native forms of cuisine: E. Coli. When this happens, taking an Immodium AD is like locking the doors to a frat party so nobody can leave...the bacterial fun just keeps going and going, all night long. The one positive thing about the experience is that, thankfully, there's no shortage of Cipro here in Belize, so not only can I get rid of my E. Coli, I'll be safe from anthrax for at least a week.
