10 things about Mexico

 The colours

From the brightly-painted buildings to the Christmas decorations and even people’s clothing, the dry deserts and dusty streets of Mexico are lit up in a dazzling array of colours.

Even hardy, dry-climate plants help to put on the show – bright red and pink bougainvillea flowers are just about everywhere, and even cacti manage to squeeze little bright flowers out from their chubby spines.

The music

You can’t escape the cheery strains of Mariachi music – be it the traditional fanfare with accordians and trumpets, or pop music style. It booms from shops, from taxis and street vendor stands. Even vacant blocks are rigged up with big speakers blasting the stuff.

Music is everywhere you turn in Mexico. Most restaurants have roving musicians pass through them and men walk down the street, whistling their favourite tune. Many simply spontaneously burst into song. Even better, everyone can sing! One hostel we stayed in was in part a works zone during the day, and the dredging noises of construction were drowned out by an immaculately in-tune chorus of building workers.

Ranchero massive!

Clint Eastwood movies might have you thinking that cowboys are an American invention, but surely Mexico was the original Wild West. Rancheros, as they’re called here, enjoy cult status. It’s the height of fashion – just about everyone owns a cowboy hat. Shoe stores have entire walls dedicated to cowboy boots. Some of the best-dressed guys I’ve seen sauntering about town have been clad in big white cowboy hats, tight jeans and long pointy steel caps.

You will never starve

Food. It’s everywhere. From the humble street vendor selling pork crackling chips and hot dogs to taco stands and bustling markets, you will never go hungry in Mexico. The variety, both in flavour and prices, is insane, and varies in each region, even from town to town.

Some of the best food we have tasted was bought for a few measly pesos on street corners and eaten standing up.

Everyone can dance

It doesn’t take much to encourage Mexicans to dance, and any bar that plays music is likely to attract a small crowd busting their moves on the pavement out front. Many towns have dance performances in their main square on weekends, showcasing traditional dances to Mariachi music with the women in full skirts and the guys in sombreros and ponchos.

Unlike Australia, everyone is adept at busting a move, even the oldies. There is no jogging on the spot, or swaying from side to side. People dance the salsa, and couples pull off complex routines they must have practised for hours.

Laaaaaaid back

It’s no accident that the term “Rancho relaxo”  refers to Mexico. From the pace at which locals take to the streets or serve customers in shops, to the rapidity of their speech, it’s clear from the outset that nobody here is in any hurry.

This has an interesting effect on touts – people employed by restaurants, shops and tour operators to attract tourists. Sure, they’ll ask: “hey Senor, what you doing today, need a tour, a taxi? But that’s about all they can manage, and when you say “no gracias”, they’ll either shuffle off quietly or gently mumble a few more things as you walk away. The guy trying to sell us a whale watching tour simply muttered “lotta whaaales” after we’d passed him.

Mexican road rules

First, indicating is optional. Most intersections have no traffic lights and no discernable right of way, unless you count first in, screw everyone else as a road rule. In Baja there is this interesting practice of erecting a stop sign at each way of a four way intersection, but not giving priority to any particular direction.

The willingness of drivers to stop at pedestrian crossings or at ordinary street corners varies. In some places cars stop dead at every intersection and encourage you to walk; in others, they zoom past at top speed.

Gringo love

Mexicans love complaining about their northern neighbours – “get a load of this Gringo, he’s so big and so loud!” But culturally, the US has a firm grip on Mexico.

Mexicans aspire to the big ol’ US of A – the lifestyle, in embracing mall culture and video games, the food, with their love of US burger chains. And of course many aspire to go and live there to earn a higher salary – it’s no accident that border traffic is utterly congested heading north and almost non-existent the other direction.

Annoying and imperialist, yanks may be, but somewhere in their heart all Mexicans have a soft spot for the US.

Law enforcement

If the effectiveness of a police force had anything to do with their visibility in public places, I’m sure Mexico’s cops would win worldwide renown. They are everywhere; directing traffic, cruising up and down in their Policia utes, filling up at taco stands. Municipal or so-called Preventia police – obviously not the ones tasked with reining in the drug trade - are the most visible around town. State police control road blocks around each town, and cruise around on big black motorbikes with M-16s slung over their shoulders. They were searching plenty of cars around town on New Years Eve.

Internet everywhere

The national broadband network has some catching up to do if it is to be as fast and ubiquitous as in Mexico. Even in the tiniest of towns, every single place we have stayed has had free wireless internet, if not in our room, in a common area.

Airports, most cafes and other pubic places also have wifi, and unlike the rip offs in Australian airports and hotels I’ve experienced, it doesn't cost a cent.