Veracruz Hits the News

October 3rd, 2011

Yes, the city of Veracruz sure did get some attention this past week. Killings, Killings, Killings. Dead bodies dumped in the street.

So now the word is,

“Don’t go to Mexico!”

“Don’t go to Veracruz!”

My question is,

“Don’t go WHERE in Mexico?”

“Don’t go WHERE in Veracruz?”

There have been many gang/drug related killings in many cities around the US this past year. So if we read about killings in Chicago, should we declare, “Don’t go to Illinois!” Should we fear for our lives if we travel to Rockford, Springfield, or Champaign? They are all located in Illinois.

“Don’t go anywhere in Illinois man, there were some killings in Chicago.”  Nonsense – right?

It takes a good full day to drive from one end of Illinois to the other. It’s huge! Should you not go to Rockford because of an incident that happened on the west side of Chicago? Of course not. I bet people would even feel safe going to Bartlet, IL, a nearby suburb of Chicago .I think most people will agree that even 35 miles away from where a killing took place is a safe distance.

There is an old saying in the news reporting business, “If it bleeds, it leads.”  The city of Veracruz got a lot of upfront attention in the news. OK, it happened. Life still goes on. Kids still go to school. Moms still go shopping. Friends still meet for lunch. Families still go to the nearby park. Thousands of international tourists still come to Mexico.

The country of Mexico is huge! Almost 3 times the size of Texas. The size of western Europe

Recently there were riots in London. So it must be dangerous in all of western Europe!  Look out! Be careful! I guess you better not even consider going to Madrid or Paris or Zurich or Berlin. Go ahead and laugh, it’s stupid to think that way, I know. But that is exactly what people are thinking when it comes to visiting Mexico.

Yes, there has been a lot of killings in Mexico. Now read the next paragraph so you can get your geography straight and get a sense of perspective.

Arturo Sarukhán is the current Mexico Ambassador to the United States. In an interview recently, he said, “There are a total of 2700 municipalities in Mexico with only 80 reporting violence.”  That’s like .03% of the entire country.

Wow! Better sound the alarm!

.03% of Mexico is under attack!

FYI – There is the city of Veracruz and the state of Veracruz.  The state is over 400 miles long and 100 or so miles wide. That’s a lot of territory!

So do you not visit any part of the state of Veracruz because of what recently happened? Anybody with any intelligence will understand geography and say, “that’s ridiculous!” Anybody with any intelligence will read between the lines of what the news outlets spit out each day and then make their own decisions as to how to interpret what they are hearing.

As for me, I’m going again to various parts of Mexico in a few weeks (I actually just got back a week ago from Mexico City) to do some business and then to do some more exploring. And yes, I will be going to the city of Veracruz too. And no, I am not fearful of going.

The port city of Veracruz is a really cool place to visit. It still has not been overrun with foreign tourists which is a good thing. There is lots of history as this port was the gateway to the new world from Europe, the Caribbean, and Africa. Each evening, blends of Latin, Caribbean, Spanish, and African music permeates throughout the main square.

The eloquence of the past still  lives in Veracruz.

Mexico is an absolutely fascinating place. The history, the colorful festivals, the music, the food, the people, and the drop-dead scenery.

Who would NOT want to go there?

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Disney World vs The Real World

May 30th, 2011

DISNEY WORLD

The TV ad showed the cute smiles of the little kids as they gleamed bright when they were told by mom and dad, “We are all going to Disney World!”

Finally – mom and dad saved up the money for this momentous trip. After all, what decent respected parent would not WANT their kid to experience all the fake glamour that Disney World has to offer? Not to mention that their kids have been bugging them ever since their friend who lives down the block came back with their own autographed Mickey Mouse hat. That their cousins went, many of their classmates went, and of course, the enticing TV ads that show happy happy happy (did I say happy?) kids hugging their mom and dad when they found out they were going.

It almost seems (to me anyway) that the real underlying theme to these ads are, “Hey mom & dad, you will certainly be a jerk to your kids if you DON’T take them to Disney World. Your kids will hate you and look, every other kid your kids know have already been there. Do you want to look bad in the eyes of your neighbors, relatives, friends,and your kids? Do the right thing mom & dad, cough up that credit card and take your kids – NOW! It will be a trip of a lifetime. DO YOU WANT TO DEPRIVE YOUR KIDS OF A TRIP OF A LIFETIME?”

And what will be the results? You will now not be looked down on as “bad parents” because you did the “right thing.” You will have some cute photos and videos of your kids and definitely, you will have more stuff (junk) that you bought for your kids there and now will eventually be sold at your future garage sale for a quarter each.

But what did your kids really get out of it. Time as a family together – yes, and that is important. Any lessons learned? – That Goofy is a cool dude? OK, no – not really.

THE REAL WORLD

What about the idea of taking your kids out of their (and your) comfort zone? What about exposing your children to other ways of living, other cultures, and show them some real outdoor pristine nature areas.

Why not let your kids experience – icy cold mountain stream water on their face, to run down tall mountainous sand dunes in giant leaps, to eat local indigenous foods they have never seen before, to play football (soccer) with kids from another country (on their field in their country), to visit places where internet is not available, to experience the uncomfortableness of being in a country where the people all around them speak a different language, to learn how to make handmade tortillas, to go out with a local fisherman and learn how to throw a net to catch fish, to watch the awesome scenery along the shores of places like the Amazon River, the Nile River, the Mississippi River, to experience what it is like to breathe thin air high up in alpine mountains of the west US, Canada, and many places in the world, to camp under the stars, to see animals in their natural environment (without cages) – you get the idea.

Traveling to non-commercialized areas of the world is the best classroom and may also turn out to be the best vacation experiences you can ever have with your kids.

You will still get great photos and videos of your family, but unlike Disney World, your kids may make international friends along the way, you will have exposed them to a better understanding and respect for the differences in people and their cultures, and you will have shared unique family travel experiences that even your neighbors and friends may never ever have.

Disney World or the Real World.

OK Mom & Dad – you decide.

For more information on a fun 7 day family vacation mixed with cultural and outdoor fun adventures , click here – Tropical Veracruz Family Adventure Vacation.

 

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The Veracruz Version of “Dunkin Donuts”

May 1st, 2011

I am staying at my friend’s hotel in the small seaside town (pop. 600) of Chachalacas, Veracruz.

FYI – here you will find several miles of wide sandy beach along the Gulf of México complimented with very tall sand dunes. It’s a perfect place to swim, body surf, take an ATV dunes ride, and just relax under a palapa-style local family owned restaurant.

In the early evening today some of the hotel workers and friends were sitting outside the hotel watching the cars and people go by. A medium sized car with music playing is slowly coming down the street. There are no signs on the car but everyone knows who they are. The couple in the car have traveled 1.5 hours to sell the goods they have in the back seat and in their trunk.

One of our group jumps up and stops the car. Immediately, the couple gets out and quickly opens the trunk. In place of a spare tire and the usual items found there, they literally have dozens of donuts and sweet breads for sale; called, postres. Yes, it’s a Dunkin Donuts on Wheels. What a concept. Curbside donuts ready to eat. OK, so they were not exactly soft and fresh, but hey; for someone with a sweet tooth like me, one or two of them sure hit the spot. And considering there is not a bakery to be found in this entire seaside town, this couple probably does a nice business traversing the streets.

At least, I hope they make enough to pay for the gas it takes to travel back to their home.

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Mexico’s Forgotten Tropical Coast

April 22nd, 2011

When most people imagine vacationing in México, their immediate thoughts are to go to sun and sand places such as Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Maya Riviera, Cabo San Lucas, Acapulco, and Mazatlan to name some of the biggies. Of course, we think of these places because travel agents, cruise ships, roadside billboards, the Sunday travel section, radio and TV ads all bombard us with these very fine tropical locations.

Massive continuous advertising does work! Last year alone, some 22.5 million foreign tourists headed to these areas of México.

Of course, the lure of a tropical México vacation has always been a favorite, especially for US and Canadian folks. The Pacific west coast and the clear waters of the Caribbean found adjacent to the far east coast of Mexico really are very attractive, especially for a quick getaway in the dead of winter.

So, it stands to reason that huge commercial tourism enterprises have sprung up in and around the cities mentioned above. The gigantic gated and well guarded seaside resorts, highrise condos, chain restaurants, spiffy nightclubs and tequila bars dominate what were once sleepy Mexican fishing villages. Those fisherman might now be the hotel pool cleaners.

The large companies running these tourist establishments have bent over backwards to make it so that when you come to this foreign country called México, you will not really be exposed to too much of the Mexican culture.

At these major resort locations, you probably won’t hear the roosters crowing, see the men early in the morning on motor scooters selling tortillas from a box strapped atop the back fender, or get a chance to watch the local children in their always clean school uniforms walk hand-in-hand with their mom or older sibling or best friend.

In fact, it is very possible with the airport shuttle service whisking tourists quickly to the gated properties after arrival, that foreign vacationers might not ever hear a word of Spanish spoken during their stay because all the resort workers are required to know English.

THEN . . . there is México’s Tropical Forgotten Coast.

It is a long tropical and sometimes, rocky coastline where the warm Gulf of México waters gently roll up along miles and miles of semi-deserted sandy beaches with coconut palm trees for shade. Small roughly constructed locally owned palapa-style restaurants can sometimes be found steps from the water; the seafood entrees caught by the owner’s brother only hours ago. The beers might be less than $2 US. The nearby clean and comfortable 5-20 room hotels with a little pool will probably run you under $50 US per night. Rustic cabanas might cost under $15 US.

FYI – Pretty much everyone will only be speaking in Spanish.

Care to step outside your normal “comfort zone” and experience a different kind of México vacation where peace, nature, and the local culture surrounds you? Are you ready to explore an area where you might very well be the only foreigners in almost every place you go?

Mexico’s Tropical Forgotten Coast can be found in the state of Veracruz.

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