Difference between revisions of "Mexico"

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In some mid-sized cities like Tampico, Oaxaca, and Pachuca there are no transit roads and you have to cross the city. Taking a bus makes things easier.
 
In some mid-sized cities like Tampico, Oaxaca, and Pachuca there are no transit roads and you have to cross the city. Taking a bus makes things easier.
 
  
 
== * Note on mexican peninsula ==
 
== * Note on mexican peninsula ==
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* [[Oaxaca]]
 
* [[Oaxaca]]
  
== Hitchhiking in Mexico for Single Women ==
+
== Personal experience ==
One of the great things of hitchhiking in Mexico is that even if you travel alone, you rarely have to hitch-hike alone, because hitchhiking is such a common activity among locals. For single females, joining the colourfully clothed “crowds” of locals when they jump on the back of a pick-up truck not only adds to the fun, but also your safety.
+
''"In 10 months and tens of thousands of km covered by thumb, my only "bad" experience was between Pto Angel and Oaxaca City (a notorious drug route, as I later learned). The driver asked me to drive and once I was behind the wheel informed me that the van was full of Colombia's finest. I nearly shat myself, but the experience turned out to be quite interesting, as we were forced to make several detours to avoid police checkpoints, taking me through beautiful and remote parts of the Oaxacan mountains I otherwise never would have discovered. Be careful not to get set up. A very, very, rare occurance, but one that can happen."''
This is especially handy as in certain areas -like in the North, around Chihuahua- men will take you for a prostitute (no matter if you have a large bag and totally look like a foreigner).
 
  
 
== Gallery ==
 
== Gallery ==
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</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
== Personal experience ==
 
  
''"In 10 months and tens of thousands of km covered by thumb, my only "bad" experience was between Pto Angel and Oaxaca City (a notorious drug route, as I later learned). The driver asked me to drive and once I was behind the wheel informed me that the van was full of Colombia's finest. I nearly shat myself, but the experience turned out to be quite interesting, as we were forced to make several detours to avoid police checkpoints, taking me through beautiful and remote parts of the Oaxacan mountains I otherwise never would have discovered. Be careful not to get set up. A very, very, rare occurance, but one that can happen."''
 
  
 
{{States Mexico}}
 
{{States Mexico}}

Revision as of 20:27, 11 July 2011

Flag of Mexico Mexico
Information
Language: Spanish
Capital: Mexico City
Population: 108,700,891
Currency: Peso (MXN)
Hitchability: Verygood.png (very good)
Meet fellow hitchhikers on Trustroots
<map lat='23' lng='-102' zoom='4' view='0' float='right' />

Mexico is a country in North America. Hitching in Mexico is extremely easy*. In many places, locals hitch to get home from the grocery store, etc. You'll likely ride in a the back of a lot of pick-ups, and many people will offer you food and drinks, especially Coca Cola!

In rural parts of Mexico it's common to see whole families hitchhiking together, or for a pick-up to stop for several different groups of hitchers until the back of the truck is completely full. Because pick-up trucks are the vehicle of choice, it's quite easy to get rides just outside of any small town (knock on the back window when you're ready to get out).

Useful Spanish words are "ride" and "aventon", both meaning a lift. Near the Guatemalan border the word "jalon" is used.

Where to hike?

The best place to get a ride is not on the side of the road or an on-ramp, like in many other countries, but at petrol stations or exits from shopping centers, in truck stops or at the restaurants where truckers eat. Some petrol stations in the north don't allow people to do that, but you can try to speak with the manager, it works sometime. Otherwise, just stay by the cashier of the petrol station, or at the door of the store or anything else (they can't forbid you that), and ask. Nevertheless if you don't ask people and stick out your thumb you can still make good distance.

Warning!

It is not recommendable to take drugs or weapons with you, especially as of 2010 since the mexican government, backed by the US ADA who are actually present in Mexico (!!) have decides to crack down on narco and weapon trafficking. Therefor you likely will be checked by one of the numerous check points, especially in the north as you near the US border. But it's also good to know that the soldiers hardly ever search all the way through a large back-pack, unless you answer their questions really bad. If the vehicle you're riding in does get stopped just stay calm, show your passport, say the magic words "turista" ("tourist") and "de passeo nada mas" ("just passing"), and if they ask to see your stuff open you bag and show them that it's all clothes and stuff.

Also, in the south, you rides might ask you about you immigration status and advise you of immigration check points.

In some mid-sized cities like Tampico, Oaxaca, and Pachuca there are no transit roads and you have to cross the city. Taking a bus makes things easier.

* Note on mexican peninsula

It may be extremely easy to hitch in mainland Mexico, but in the Baja California peninsula, it's a completely different story! In Baja California, there is only one road, the HWY 1, which isn't hell to hitchhike on but requires a lot of patience: there are often large distances in between cities (which are barely even cities, rather a few ranches and cactus farms) and even larger distances between petrol stations (example: El Rosario is the last one before Guerrero Negro, about 360 km further down in Baja California Sur). Getting stuck in the middle of the desert is NOT fun, and many people can only take you from town to town as it is local traffic or gringos doing one of the many races down in the Baja. Also, unless you are planning on staying in Baja and going back up towards the USA-Mexico border, you should hitchhike from Mexicali south.. If you plan on heading to mainland Mexico from the Baja, you must take a ferry in either La Paz or Cabo towards Mazatlan, which costs about 80$ USD.

The Yucatan Penninsula, on the other hand, outshines all Mexico for its ease and amiability of hitchhiking. You might not even fall victim to Moctezuma revenge eating old papaya slushies and bean burritos out of the trash in some of those tourist strips. Hey!

Map

The Guia Roji road atlas with the maps of the major cities is maybe worth the 100 Pesos, but people tend to know the roads so if you ask lots of questions you can also get around without one.

Cities

Personal experience

"In 10 months and tens of thousands of km covered by thumb, my only "bad" experience was between Pto Angel and Oaxaca City (a notorious drug route, as I later learned). The driver asked me to drive and once I was behind the wheel informed me that the van was full of Colombia's finest. I nearly shat myself, but the experience turned out to be quite interesting, as we were forced to make several detours to avoid police checkpoints, taking me through beautiful and remote parts of the Oaxacan mountains I otherwise never would have discovered. Be careful not to get set up. A very, very, rare occurance, but one that can happen."

Gallery


trash:Mexico