↑ “Buenos días señor. ¿Habla español?” “Sí, Sí, pero sólo un poco!” Sketching my Mexico travel route.
Without being picky about definitions, here are some things I think that a backpacker* traveling in Mexico would typically do. This condensed list is based on my experiences in Mexico about which I will write in detail over the next few weeks using a slightly different style than my previous travelogues. I made a feeble attempt at hand drawing the route map.
So, here’s a list of 12 things that might interest the backpacker* in you:
1. Climb pyramids
↑ Sitting in front of the Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan, Hidalgo.
The Mayans, Aztecs, Teotihuacans and other pre-Columbian cultures constructed huge pyramids and elaborate cities with intricate and beautiful artwork. Most of their treasures have been lost – either during the Spanish conquest or simply over time – but some large ones remain. I visited several ruins that had pyramids: Teotihuacan, Xochicalco, Uxmal, Chichen Itza and Ek Balam. In Mexico, a backpacker would certainly spend time exploring these historical sites.
2. See “cultural” shows
↑ “Danza de los Voladores” (Dance of the flyers), being performed outside the Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City.
Mexico has dozens of indigenous traditions and loads of Spanish influence on top. As a result, the culture and arts scene is very rich and diverse. A backpacker, while traveling through various cities, would most certainly stumble upon street artists, dancers, music shows and what not. In the city of Mérida, there was activity around the Zócalo (central plaza) for the entire day: street concerts, music and dance shows, buskers, etc. It was lovely!
3. Dodge tourist traps
↑ Lane in an “Artisan Market” at Cholula, Puebla.
There are always a tons of souvenir shops, artists markets and places to buy trinkets from – their density is especially higher near tourist places such as ruins and city centers. Yucatan is overrun by shorts-wearing camera-wielding resort-going tourists that crowd in a tourist-bus for visits to exclusive art shops. Needless to say, a seasoned backpacker would know how to deal with the “special price for you” type stores.
4. Watch a fight
↑ “Lucha libre” (Free fighting), a wrestling performance that people absolutely love.
After a very religious evening of Fiesta de San Sebastian (Festival of Saint Sebastian) on narrow streets of Taxco, Guerrero, the crowds assembled at the zócalo in front of the cathedral around a fighting arena. There were WWF style matches with loud cheers and kisses from the girls for the winner. The losers get to hang around and get their pictures taken with random people, including backpackers like me.
5. Get bewildered
↑ Stone columns depicting Toltec warriors at Tula, Hidalgo
The sheer magnitude and scale of pyramids and statues like these made me excited and amazed by the artistic and technical skills of the native cultures of Mexico. Granted that one cannot possibly see everything there is in the world to see, a backpacker to Mexico is in for random treats like this one – which go beyond what the guidebooks describe. Get bewildered when you can!
6. Discover strange street food
↑ “Neveria” (ice-cream parlour). Later I had Tequila icecream, with chili sauce ofcourse!
After I got over my initial fear of eating street food in Mexico, there was no going back, literally. Most of my meals were on the road, in markets, on street corners, dingy hole in the wall places. A backpacker will bravely venture out in the real world and taste the grub that’s served on the street… without worrying too much about Montezuma’s revenge (i.e. diarrhea). I did suffer mildly one night though…
7. Participate in a fiesta and a student protest
↑ “Lower tuition fees!” A student demonstration in Puebla, Puebla.
While exploring places, often unaware of local political developments, backpackers may find themselves trapped in random situations. In this instance, the street around Puebla’s zocalo suddenly got overrun with students and demonstrators. They were noisy and ineligible but peaceful nevertheless. In another situation, I emerged out of a lane and found myself in the middle of a Christian religious procession.
8. See colourful houses
↑ Hundreds of brightly coloured houses. This one is from a village called El Chico, Hidalgo.
I was very impressed with houses painted in shades of bright colours. Coming from snowy Toronto, it was therapeutic on the eyes. Even in small towns, places were painted in bold colors, very pretty. Whenever I was taking a picture of such a place, passers by sported a puzzled look.
9. Visit a colonial church or two
↑ A church at Valladolid town plaza, Yucatan. Pretty much a standard city layout.
The fact that there were large number of churches around was very convenient. Everytime you needed a break from the scorching sun or wanted to get away from the crowded street or just sit and relax, little churches and chapels were right there. A backpacker in Bhutan will most likely get tired of visiting the monasteries over and over, just as a backpacker in Peru would feel about visiting the colonial churches there. Church fatigue, for lack of a better word, did kick in after some days.
10. Explore ruins
↑ Decorative facade at Uxmal, Yucatan
For an archeology and history buff, Mexico is a paradise. The art work at various ruins, whatever is left, is superb, intricate and expressive. Lot of the original colour and splendor has been lost, but some elements and detail of the glorious past remain, and are waiting to be explored.
11. Hang out at local hotspots
↑ Eating a Gordita on a busy intersection, somewhere around Cuernavaca, Morelos.
If a backpacker sticks around central plazas or street corners and such local hangouts, s/he is bound to experience something that a person on a tour bus will never do. Maybe someone will ask you about snow in Toronto, or someone will offer you a glass of jugos (juice) and yet others will ask you why Indians wear a mark on their forehead, but at the end, you will be left with delightful smiles and wonderful memories.
12. Get lost… or just end up somewhere unplanned…
↑ Signs or no signs, angels or not, one is bound to get lost.
For those who don’t religiously follow a guidebook, getting lost is nothing new – I missed a stop because the driver forgot to tell me, or I got wrong directions, hitchhiked to an unknown place or I simply assumed a certain street will lead to somewhere. Well, it depends on the definition of being “lost.” Strictly, I was never lost, I was just “exploring” unplanned, haha. Afterall, how can one get lost? Its not in the middle of Amazon or Sahara. Seasoned backpackers are very likely to be master navigators and are firmly aware of their place (and be a smart ass about it, as you just read).
Now tell me!
Several traits described here are universal and relate to a certain philosophy of travel. Tell me, what kind of behaviours among those listed here do you exhibit, and what else do you do?
* Note: After reading the comments, I must clarify that I had no intention of making this sound like an ‘exclusive’ backpacker list at all (regardless of the definition of that term).
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by retrotraveller, Priyank Thatte. Priyank Thatte said: The things backpackers do in Mexico http://bit.ly/dLfc3x via @finaltransit […]
Nice article, although I find it amusing that implicitly, one needs to be a backpacker, not just a regular traveler. 😛
Regarding your final question about travel philosophy, why not just simply try to have fun? Why even care whether one is a backpacker or not, whether one is a better traveler than the other simply because one uses backpacks and the other uses suitcases? What’s wrong with visiting souvenir shops and buying trinkets?
I guess what I am trying to say is that as much as I understand the idea that there’s a guided-tour way of traveling and an independent way of traveling, and that the latter fosters ideas of haha I was able to do this on my own but not you, but what’s wrong with doing the other thing? I suppose every traveler has its own personal needs, and I don’t see an inherent defect in being the person who books a comprehensive tour.
That being said, I still like to do things independently, not because I see something wrong with not doing so, but because I enjoy the planning aspect of things.
I wholeheartedly agree with everything you say. This post is based solely on my personal travel experiences and I don’t want to make judgments about a superior/inferior or inclusive/exclusive style of travel. If I sounded snobbish (it sounded from your comment that I did), I’m sorry, that wasn’t the intent at all.
Oh it’s fine to be snobbish, I myself do that! What I find fascinating/interesting/intriguing is the idea that there seems to be a right and wrong way of traveling, with backpackers making the most noise about doing the right thing to see the real [insert destination here]. Reading articles and forums on independent travel gives off that idea. It’s a subculture, that sometimes I find ironic because in their search to find the real [insert destination here], they write guidebooks and articles for other members of the subculture to follow, who then follow it, but then when they reach the destination, all they stumble upon are fellow travelers who followed the same directions. Whatever happened to the real [insert destination here]? It’s the banana pancake phenomenon all over again.
Well, human beings love comparisons and the sense of superiority using various parameters they create. Cyclists think they are better than people driving cars. Musicians think they are better than those who just listen to music and chefs will critise microwave dinners. 🙂
I wasn’t aware that there is an idea of right and wrong way of traveling. People have likes and dislikes but who’s to say its right or wrong?
You visited Mexico?? Wow! It’s so beautiful over there 🙂 and I love your new blog look!
Thank you Kiran!
Hey Priyank excellent guides, but I don’t know if I ever make to Mexico, lol. I wouldn’t mind to see the pyramids though. In fact what I have seen on your photos, Mexico is a must eventually, one day in the future. Hope you are doing well otherwise. Anna 🙂
Hi Anna, it may happen before you know it! Get a vacation deal during winter, there are lots of them and its quite affordable too!
Hey Priyank,
Great Post, but I have to agree with the first comment. You don’t have to be a backpacker to do all of those things…just an independent traveler. I would probably do all of the above (except for participate in a student protest:) and I never backpack.
How long was your trip? Looks like a great trip. I love the pictures of those statues/pyramids.
Closest I went to a Mayan pyramid was in Belize. I am kicking myself for not visiting central and South America when i lived in the US
Hi Vamsee, Somehow my post is (unintentionally) giving the impression that ONLY backpackers can do this. As you said, anyone can – someone living in Mexico or someone taking a planned tour, just anyone.
Tula has been toward the top of my list of places to visit for some time now and I really have no good excuse for not having made it there yet – I’m in Mexico City so it’s literally so close! I’m also quite good at getting lost, and in doing so have ended up in the middle of more than one protest – they’re so frequent here that they’re often tough to avoid. 😉
Hello Laura,
Welcome to my blog and thanks for the comment! I think the reason you haven’t been to Tula yet is BECAUSE you live in Mexico City, that’s normal isn’t it… haha but when you visit it, it will be worth it. Stop by the zocalo church too, it has quite an interesting painting of Jesus Christ. 🙂
That’s excellent that you saw a Lucha Libre match! The one I saw in Mexico City was a highlight of my trip. I even bought the mask of Ultimo Guerrero and wore it as I walked through a dangerous part of the city to get back to my hotel. Everyone thought I was a local and nobody bothered me.
And gorditas…yum! Ahh…now I’m really missing this wonderful country.
Hello Earl,
Thank you for the comment and welcome to my blog! I saw the fight in little Taxco in the a plaza and it was a funny experience. Seeing my DSLR, people pushed me forward and I ended up on the front row. After the match, atleast 6 kids wanted a picture with me and the fighters. Very cute!
Wow…Mexico through your eyes, thanks for sharing the pictures. My style of travel is similar to yours. Looking forward to reading your new travelogues in slightly different style than previous.
Hello Celine, and thanks for the encouragement! I’m glad you liked the pictures I took too many of them, lol. 🙂
May I say, I am thrilled I can translate the one line of spanish under the 1st photo? think all of this sounds like my cups of tea except may be for the street food part (simply cos i am veggie and i tend to be more careful for that reason)! but no reason to say no to icecream!
haha, your Spanish is much better than mine I bet! It is not impossible to be a vegetarian, most places will gladly substitute beans, mushrooms or cheese for meat.
Looks like there are a lot of fun things to do there, I’d love to try that Tequila icecream with chili sauce!
Hi Sofia! Yes I think Mexico has quite diverse options to offer for everyone. I wish I could have that icecream rightnow!
this post is so true and so cool!
this is not spam.
Thanks. Not spam? 😀
Feng is the climber (his name actually means “peak of the mountain” in Chinese, I should have had a clue!) so we always climb something. Pyramids, yes, we climbed a lot. And as the French left-wing gal, I always manage to drag him to some protests. Did that too.
Eating strange food? Always! Going to unplanned places? Well, we really don’t plan anything so yes again 😆
Yummy… I miss gorditas! I loved them. I like Latin America food in general.
I found Thailand was full of scammers, from what I remember, Mexico isn’t too bad although we must have dodged some tourist traps in the Yucatan.
Lovely pictures!
Hi Zhu! So nice to see you back. Ofcourse you have done all these things, you’ve been on the road for far too long, haha. Yucatan was excessively touristy, I was kinda shocked!
I did many of the same things while I was in Mexico. Visiting the central parks/cathedrals in each city is starting to get redundant these days…
Hello Matt and welcome to my blog!
Yeah these things are on pretty much a standard theme. I did get church fatigue after a while, lol, too frequent and too similar.
The wrestling looks so over the top it’s got to be a good show 🙂
Hi Anil, Yes it was! Despite the fact that it was all a performance, that didn’t deter crows from cheering…. in the first fight, the guy in blue suit was defeated. but then in the next match he won. miracles!
Tequila icecream with chili sauce? That has to be the weirdest combination I have heard in a while 🙂 Was it any good? Great photos 🙂
Hi Tijmen, welcome to my blog!
Yeah, it sounds like a weird combo doesn’t it? But I was surprised how lovely it tasted with the hot and tangy zing!
EEEEE! That makes me super excited. The cities you have been to almost matches what we’re looking to go to in a few weeks. We fly into Puerto Vallarta and are making our way where the wind takes us.
I am TOTALLY looking forward to lucha.
Hey Erica, Welcome to my website and thanks for stopping by! I’m so jealous of your trip now, I miss Mexico a lot! If you have any questions, do let me know. 🙂
[…] go directly to the site on a painfully long journey through numerous villages on the way. Among the sites I visited in central Mexico and Yucatan, this was the least touristic place so it definitely ranks high on my […]
Getting lost is one of the best parts of traveling…. to a degree 😛
I love your pictures! I’m also envious about you seeing the wrestling match, that’s on the top of my list for my return trips to Mexico.
Hi Stuart, welcome to my website!
You’ll love the lucha libre matches. More than the game, its the people (spectators) that fascinate me 🙂
I found your blog helpful in planning my upcoming Mexico trip. Thanks! 😀