06 SEP 2017: Here we go again! It’s the season when some of your clients are worried about going to Mexico, because it is “so dangerous.” Funnily enough, it’s the clients who never ask the right questions. It’s the ones who want to know where to buy “the good stuff” and they don’t mean silver bracelets. It’s the ones who want to know which all-inclusive serves the best shooters.  I’m getting a lot of comments these days, and I’ll bet you are too.

Of course, I’m going back, and back and back and then again. I love Mexico, and I love the Mexicans I meet on my journeys. And journey through Mexico I have. Press Trips, Fam trips, solo trips and holidays with my husband where we live like locals. I tried to add it all up, and stopped at more than a year and a half. I have never felt frightened, have never had anything stolen out of the more than 350 hotel rooms I’ve stayed in.

Here are the 10 rules we set out for ourselves when travelling (and not just Mexico):

1. Leave good jewelry at home. Who are we going to impress anyway? Leave jewelry that looks like it might be real at home. Junk is good. Leave the designer watches at home too.
2. We dress to fit in, and appropriately for our surroundings. And a fanny pack screams tourist.
3. We do not flash money around. You’d be amazed at how many tourists do. “Look at this, it looks like monopoly money” said a Canadian tourist in Cancun recently. Keep enough for the day in one pocket, and not one that can be accessed easily by a pickpocket, and that includes a money belt, and then put more in a different pocket. We put as much as we can on our credit card, and use our debit card. This is the best exchange rate. Have lots of smaller pesos, as the little vendors won’t be able to make change. Men should keep their wallet and money clip in a front pocket.
4. Use the ATM in the daytime, and inside the bank, not on a street corner.
5. Carry a copy of a visa and passport. Much safer than carrying the originals. After locking the safe, we run our fingers over every number. A hotel manager once advised me to do this.
6. The expensive DSL camera goes into a camera bag. And we chose a bag that is sturdy but doesn’t look expensive. A small padlock for a backpack is a good idea. Leave your expensive devices in the hotel safe, and take pictures with a cheaper digital camera. Having said, that Tom left his brand new iPhone on the bus in Playa del Carmen. When we rushed back an hour later a security person with a big grin said “You looking for this?”
7. Take public transit in the daylight, use a cab at night. Tom and I had the best time, and made many new pals on the collective minibuses in Quintana Roo. It cost a $1.00 a trip. For longer distances we went to the bus station and got a coach. Be sure the cab is a legitimate one. We’ve had good luck with Uber.

We went to Merida from Cancun City last winter, and had a great trip, at a very reasonable price. Their coaches are much better than ours, run on time, and have air conditioning and movies. We also took a coach from Cancun City to Playa del Carmen, and from Merida to Tulum.

8. Learn a few words of Spanish. People are so pleased that we’ve made the effort. Tell clients to put an app on their phone, or carry a small phrase book.
9. When you’re dubious about an area ask. And every area can be dubious at 3am.
10. We smile, and say “Please” and “Thank you” a lot, along with a tip of course.

Over the 25 years I’ve been working and playing in Mexico, I’ve seen a lot of it. Chihuahua and the Copper Canyon to the North, all the beach destinations except for Ixtapa. Santa Clara del Cobre in Michocan, Veracruz, Tampico, and Campeche on the Gulf.

“So, what is your very favourite place” asks everyone.

My very favourite place is Tepoztlan, an hour out of Mexico City. This small town has a well-preserved historic centre and is surrounded by soaring jagged cliffs. According to Mesoamerican legend, it was the birthplace of Quetzalcoatl, the serpent God of the Aztecs over 1200 years ago. Tepoztlán is a major Náhuatl center and a mecca for New Agers who believe the area has a creative energy. Before that the 60’s psychedelic crowd had moved in, thinking it had creative energy too.

Tepoztlan is a magic town with an impressive pyramid you can walk to, The Church of the Nativity in the centre of the town, an amazing crafts market, and great restaurants and hotels.

I spent a week taking a course at Posada del Tepozteco. I never wanted to leave, and it didn’t even have an ocean to swim in.

The hotel was built 60 years ago as a home, in fact the bar was the living room. And that’s the way it feels – like a wonderful large house. The view out of every window is stunning, the food delicious, and staff very attentive.

It indeed was magic, and gets great reviews. It was perfect. It would make a great weekend destination for your clients visiting Mexico City.