Swine Flu is really not that big a deal
Yes, people have died, and for their families it is more than horrible – it sucks. But, let’s put things in perspective. The “regular” flu kills about 36,000 people in the US annually. H1N1 has killed 263 people here to date. Besides, H1N1 has spread all over the world now, so you can get it just as easily in Manhattan as in Mexico City.
Swine Flu was “planted” anyway
Rumors swirled around Mexico City when the outbreak started that swine flu was part of a global plot to distract people from the international economic crisis. My favorite was one claimed that the whole thing was planned at the Global London Summit in April. Ummm – right.
Your dollar goes further
For most of 2008 you could get about 10 Mexican pesos for $1 US. Now that same $1 US gets you 13 to 15 pesos depending on the day. Meaning, that 350 peso bottle of Herradura Tequila doesn’t cost $35 USD anymore, it’s only $23 USD. Cha-ching.
There are tons of deals
There are so many travel deals to be found in Mexico right now it is insane. Airlines and hotels are deeply discounted. If you book a package that combines air and hotel, the markdowns are even steeper. A quick check of the internet just brought up a deal to Cabo for four nights at a four-star all-inclusive hotel (yes, “all-inclusive” means alcohol too) plus airline tickets for $500.
It’s close and easy to get there
There are direct flights to the Mexican tourist areas from almost all of the major cities in the United States. Flight times are so short from much of the country that you barely have time to get sauced on the plane. That’s okay though, because there will be plenty more opportunities for imbibing at that all-inclusive resort.
Every day is Spring Break
OK, not really, but you have a good excuse to turn off your phone and make yourself unreachable – those roaming fees in Mexico will kill you. My friend forgot to turn off her roaming when she went to Puerto Vallarta for a week and had a $500 phone bill. Ouch.
Not all of Mexico is Tijuana
Let’s be frank – there is a State Department travel advisory out about Mexico right now. But making blanket advisories about an entire country is like saying don’t go to Ft. Lauderdale when there are riots in Los Angeles. The areas that most Americans frequent – Cancun, Cozumel, Riviera Maya, Puerto Vallarta, Cabo, etc – are still out of harm’s way and are safer than parts of the United States.
Other Mexico destinations are okay too if you are smart about it
Even away from the tourist centers there are lots of places that are still fine to visit. Just be smart. Don’t take taxis off the street in Mexico City. Don’t wave around a bunch of bling or fistfuls of Franklins. Don’t drive off into the mountains of Sinaloa looking for adventure. I’d probably stay away from TJ, Nogo, and Cuidad Juarez as well, but that’s just me.
No jet lag
Unlike Europe, or even Hawaii, if you go to Mexico you are not going to be more than a couple hours, if any, out of your time zone at home. That means you can hit the ground running.
Delicioso food
Your motto might be “Yo quiero Taco Bell”, but that Taco Bell chihuahua just died of a stroke. When you are in Mexico you should man up and stretch your culinary palate further than tacos and burritos. If you are in Cancun, seek out some cochinita pibil, a slow-roasted pork dish traditional in the Yucatán. Think Mayan barbeque. It’s awesome.
Good beer
Be the Corona commercial. Tecate, Sol, Pacifico, XX-lager and Corona are all light pilsners that do the job when it’s hot outside and you need refreshment. There are some lesser-known regional cervezas that are worth a taste as well. Carta Blanca is popular in the north of the country, Estrella in Jalisco, and Leon is found mostly in the southeast.
Tall-boys, which are actually shaped more like fat-boys in Mexico, are called ballenas (literally “whales”).
Even better tequila
Repeat after me, “ Jose Cuervo Gold is caca.” It is 49% sugar mixed in with fermented agave juice. The sugar gives you really bad hangovers. When you drink tequila, which you should, it needs to be 100% agave. Check the label. If it is 100% agave it will say so. Don’t drink it if it’s not.
By the way, no tequila has a worm in it. That’s mescal.
You don’t have to worry about crowds
Mexico is pretty much wide open right now. There should be availability anywhere you want to go because everybody else is staying home, worried about the aforementioned swine flu and drug wars. What the hell are they thinking?
Cheap plastic surgery
Just kidding. Well, they really do have cheap plastic surgery, but I’m not touting that as a reason to head down there.
Cool stuff to do
You can find just about any type of adventure activity somewhere in Mexico. There are the obvious surfing, diving, and snorkeling at the beach, but most resort areas also offer mountain biking, horseback trips, and zip-lining too. You can even summit 18,490-foot Pico de Orizaba.
Or you can sit on the beach or in a town square and drink beer all day. That works too.
People are in “Party Mode”
When people go to Mexico they tend to really loosen up. You saw the first episode of Entourage Season Five, right? Even Turtle is hooking up. Hombre – what happens en México stays en México.
Interesting ruins and bloody history
Mexico has a ton of cool ruins to explore. You definitely get a kind of visceral reaction from standing on a spot where sacrifices were made hundreds of years ago. Pretty much every state in Mexico has some ruins, so no matter where you go there is really no excuse. Except Cabo – not much there.
Spanglish is a language
Even if you barely passed that year of high school Spanish, you can easily get by in Mexico. Most people in the tourism industry speak at least some English. It’s a nice gesture to try to speak a little Spanish though…hola, gracias, cerveza, and baño will pretty much do the trick.
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There are so many good deals in Mexico right now, and the beach resorts really are safe. I could sure use a trip to the playa myself. And some of that tequila, too.
Great post on why right now is the best time to travel to Mexico. I only have one critique. I visit Tijuana about once a month and have been doing so for the entire duration of this “extreme violence” period beginning in November of 2007. I have not had a single problem and I don’t just remain in the tourist areas all of the time. I am hard pressed to find one case of violence against a tourist not interested in dealing or doing any drugs. The crime rate against tourists is lower in Tijuana than it ever has been. Yes there are an abundant amount of murders on almost a daily basis, but that has nothing to do with tourists. I challenge you, a Mexico traveler, to visit Tijuana and see for yourself. Let me know when you’re there and we will meet for some enchiladas and cerveza. Oh and I love the great prices on tequila bottles!
Great post. I was just in Mexico last month. While hotel/flight deals are enticing. You’ll can also save a boat of money by making your own arrangements. We stayed at a very nice hotel in Guadalajara for about $70 per night. BTW, Guadalajara is a nice (safer) alternative to the slightly intimidating Mexico City.
We also booked a room at a three-star hotel in Puerto Vallarta for about $80. Last year at this time, the same room was well over $100.