It
was more than 20 months ago that I first step over the Mexican border
from Belize. I had spent the previous night on a beautiful,
Belizean island. I caught the boat back to Belize City and then
it was an interesting bus ride to the "frontera".
It's
funny because Mexico wasn't like the Mexico I was expecting. I guess
the most vivid imagine I had of it came from the movies. However, I discovered it wasn't
all deserts and cactuses, yes it was hot, but it was also green and
full of life.
Another
false impression I had was the food. The food wasn't the same as the
food they serve in the Mexican restaurants in Australia (I spent a
year in Mexico before I had my first burrito). The tacos, for
example, are mostly soft tortillas, filled with a delicious meat
and you put on your own sauce. I like both takes on Mexican
food- Australian Mexican food and the original. This may sound a bit
dumb to say, but they are quite different and both great tasting.
I
also love mexico because I like to be challenged by trying
to speak another language. I found it what difficult having never
learned a second language before. To improve my Spanish I spent two
weeks in Copán Ruines, Honduras going to Spanish school during the
day, and staying with a local family. I also attended another Spanish
school in Guatemala at Panajachel. To build
my vocabulary I used this program, which I am still using
today.
At
the moment I base myself in Mexico City. It's a great city with lots
to offer. The pros include many great places including Museo
Nacional de Antropología, or museums housing the works Frieda
Kahlo or Remedios Varo. The cons include the amount of cars and all
the air pollution that they generate.
I
have many more stories to share about Mexico but they will have wait
for the following chapters.
