2aroundtheworld said:
efuentes
I feel a bit sorry sometimes for people having such a bad image/impression a Mexico.
A few years ago I rode my motorcycle all over the country for the whole summer.
We went from Matamoros all the way down to Guatamala City through Chiapas (which had just reopened after V. Fox had taken power) and back up through Palenque and Veracruz.
All I have are positives souvenirs - great people, excellent food, awesome sceneries. Of course the border towns are always a bit dodgy and there were a couple of more "disturbing" situations but it would not be a true adventure without.
We feel in love with this country and I can't wait to go back.
+1 again with nearly an identical trip on a European bike.
One time I left my bike unattended while I went inside a bank in Orizaba. I was in the bank for quite some time, enough for an opportunist to start getting curious at least about the tank bag. Everybody, and I mean everybody, passed my bike without so much as batting an eye.
The bad reputation about Mexico is earned by the people of the border zone, the 5 miles north and south of the border that for the most part is a separate country in and of itself. Once down into the real Mexico, people are friendly, gracious, honest and hardworking, IME.
And as for the Estatales (state police) and the federal checkpoints, I always get the VIP treatment. If you're any type of a public servant that wears patches at work, take a handfull of patches and you'll be fine at the checkpoints.
I'm sure the fact that I speak fluent Spanish helps a bit, too
.