"Mexico is dangerous" – Cliché!
Obviously I don't want to minimize the over 12,000 annual deaths related to drug trafficking. Since 2006 and the election of Felipe Calderon as President of the Republic, the army and drug traffickers are in a state of war. The cartels among themselves also use increasingly violent methods in order to extend their influence and territorial control.
But every day, all this violence that appears regularly in our newspapers and in the news cannot not be felt as such in cities or countryside. Man has to be cautious, but it is far from the stereotype of a Mexican to fire and sword, which has a tough life in Europe and especially in the United States. No, there is no risk of being beheaded or cut into small pieces at each street corner. Instead, people are very friendly and come rather naturally to you to offer assistance or help direct you.
"The Mexican wears a plaid shirt, jeans, cowboy boots, a straw hat, and a mustache" – Not a cliché!
You like it or not, it is more in the northern half of the country that men are mustached. As for the reminiscent of Westerns dress code, my explanation is the following: in the nineteenth century, Mexico and the great southwest quarter of the current United States were one. While it is almost uniform for Norteños (people from Northern States), it is not rare to find some also further south. Another elegant masculine dress code: the t-shirt pulled up high over the abdomen. This practice reveals rarely perfect pecs, but seems effective against heat.
"Mexican cuisine? Ah yes, tacos and Tex-Mex!" – Cliché!
For French people, gastronomy is part of our national identity. It is even now listed in Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. We have our regional culinary specialties. We are proud, we love to talk about it and show. Well in Mexico, that's all the same.
Mexican cuisine is also part of the World Heritage. It is very diverse and with many influences. It is about much more than Tex-Mex restaurants, offering specialties from a specific region, between the north-eastern Mexico and Texas. It would be annoying to list everything that I tasted, but here are some benchmarks anyway.
Corn is the basis for many things, starting with the famous tortillas. These flat breads of maize flour are the staple food of Mexican cuisine, the equivalent of baguettes in France. Not to be confused with the Spanish tortilla, which is a delicious omelette with potatoes. Tortillas also serve to make the equally famous tacos, rolled and stuffed with meat, vegetables, cheese, etc.
The chile is served with everything. There are actually about sixty different sorts of chiles. Typical of Mexico, it is very rare to find them in other cuisines, including Latin America. They are more or less long, more or less large, more or less red, green or orange, and above all more or less spicy! Very good for health, they abound particularly vitamins C and A. They are widely used for making sauces (which they use like Ketchup or mayonnaise) but they are also marinated and added in tacos garnishing for example, or just to be eaten as a pickle for the bravest. Never forget that it's spicy at the entrance ... but also at the end of the digesting process!
Other ingredients such as tomatoes, onions, beans and of course avocado, are also widely used. After that, there is a whole arsenal of yummy regional dishes. The list is long, but the most motivated of you can do a little research on the internet. You can easily find examples and pictures.
"The Mexican is never on time" – Not a cliché!
The Mexican (because we can generalize this point, with few exceptions) does not have a sense of punctuality. But changing of perspective help see more generally where it comes from. The time dimension is just another dimension in Mexico. Everything takes longer, and not necessarily because we do things more slowly (although...). It's just that in the meantime, things always happens, sometimes very improbable. And then we start something before finishing previous one(s). Everyone takes its time. There is much discussion before making a decision or start to move. And consequently, when planning a schedule, you can be almost certain it will not be respected. The question remains, according to the people, how long will be the delay. Personal record: 7 hours, equivalent to the jet lag between France and Mexico! A notable exception, so unexpected, almost inexplicable, only buses leave on time. But the arrival time is already more flexible. Positive thing, we end up with an approach to life much more relaxed.
"Mexico is only about fine sand beaches and coconut trees" – Cliché!
First Mexico is a very large country (nearly four times larger than France), bordered by the Pacific Ocean on one side, the Gulf of Mexico on the other. So it is not wrong in itself to consider its vast coastline, and some of its beautiful beaches. But this is overshadowing much of the country inland. And the interior is very varied. Desert in north, tropical in the south. Without forgetting the great plain of the Yucatán peninsula in southeastern, Mexico is very mountainous. It is traversed lengthwise by two major mountain ranges: the Sierra Madre Oriental and the Sierra Madre Occidental, which is extended by the Sierra Madre del Sur. Even a few dozen kilometers from the coast, we are already high in altitude. An quite significant example: Mexico City, the metropolis, is at the same altitude as Val Thorens, the highest ski resort in Europe (2,300 m).
"In Mexico, music is everywhere" – Not a cliché!
Any kind, anywhere, all the time. It's a concept! In bars, in buses, in shops, on the street, at any time of day and night, you can hear music. It is more or less loud, and more or less good music. There is a very strong influence of US music. But of course there is also street orchestras or small groups of Mariachis in traditional costume who come and perform at your restaurant table if you ask for it. This traditional music is part of the World Heritage, as well as gastronomy.
All this is to be added to background noise. Children seem to submit more their vocal chords to regular exercise, including late at night. Men on the first steps of the bus shout destinations to round up clients. Taxis keep horning to show availability. And it seems that people speak loudly in general. Finally only in churches can be found the notion of silence.
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