General thoughts and observations on Mexico today

Despite all the excited news stories Mexico remains much as always. It is more militarized. In my last months traveling around the country I have been through a wide variety of roadblocks, military, police, special police, drug enforcement and my favorite, fruit and vegetable inspections. To a one I was treated with respect, even courtesy as they would look through the van. The funniest one occured in Oaxaca. An ice cream hand cart was just leaving the military shelter as I entered. All the armed troops had their automatic weapons in one hand and ice cream cones in the other. They of course waved me through rather than put down their ice cream cones. As I drove through they were all smiling and laughing amongst themselves and I realized they were children. Teenagers who were still anticipating first dates and pleasures  that a teen anywhere dreams of.
The country is under the thumbs of the military but most people I met were going about life as always.
I was in one of those great old barber shops having a shave when I saw a picture of Andres Obrador on the wall. This was the second time I heard that he was the real winner of the last election. He is a socialist and many Mexicans I met believe that he won the election and the gringoes put in Calderon as they would do anything to keep a Chavez like government out of Mexico. This story was repeated many times. Obrador will run again in 2012.
All in all I was treated with the warmth and generosity I have always encountered in Mexico.

Last Mexican history lesson


Malinche: Malinche was Cortez' native concubine. She is considered a great traitor in Mexico. She also began a curious assimilation between Spanish and native Mexicans. The Spanish bred freely with the natives. One result of this was that an estimated population of 25 million Native Mexicans at the time of conquest was reduced to 1 million 2 years later. Mostly through disease.

Lastly,  Mexico prevails.

Tepic

The US government has an extreme travel warning against  any travel toTepic. Also some Mexicans I know warned me that it was a very violent place and I should never go to Tepic. So I went to Tepic. This wasn't some kind of danger quest. The Toll road I wanted to take lies ten k north of Tepic. I thought I would  just find a way to go around the town to my road.  As it turns out this was not possible. In my attempt to find a way around Tepic I briefly found myself driving the wrong way on a one way street. The first car coming the other way was a police car. He stopped me. Now these guys are not like cops you see in other places. They are very heavily armed and well trained. I rolled down my window and said. Very sorry about that but I am lost. I thought to myself I really don't want to see the Tepic jail. They started telling me I was on a one way street. I said I realized that and thats' why I turned down this street. They asked me where I was going and I said "Mazatlan" They gave me directions and wished me a good day. Three blocks later I am headed straight downtown. I hear sirens and 4 pickup trucks with four cops in the back of each came wheeling around the corner with automatic weapons drawn. They were clearly looking for someone as they pointed weapons at the people  who always crowd a Mexican street, They pulled into a light manufacturing plant and joined 3 similar trucks as they continued to aim around as if on a rabbit hunt. I was stuck at an eternally red light. It turned green before the suspects were found.  Dodged another bullet. Now in the centre of the town I've been so correctly warned about I find myself in a police road block.  These police were special forces called Fuerzas contra la corrupcion.  I thought wow a police force looking for corrupt politicians. But of course they are another anti crime outfit. They waved me trough.
Finally I see the sign to Mazatlan. I was very happy when I hit the toll booth. After 2 months of bouncing around mountain roads and pot hole filled little towns I am on a super highway northward bound.

I always talk to the people I shoot but this one was hard. 

Church in San Cristobal

Always use your sunblock