Here I am at a cenote with a high waterfall cascading down from its rim
My First Impressions of Mexico
As of this Wednesday, March 9th, I’ve been traveling around Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula for six entire weeks, but have yet to write a single post about this amazing country.
That is not due to a lack of things to say. In fact, I’ve posted near-daily updates and photos on FB of all the wonderful places I’ve been exploring.
I’ve simply been too busy enjoying all of Yucatan’s beautiful nature, charming towns and exceptionally interesting people I’ve been meeting here to sit down and write. I have edited dozens of photos to showcase Yucatan on FB ( And no doubt I’ll be organizing them into some photo galleries quite soon).
So in this post I am finally speaking up about Mexico, from the perspective of a first-time visitor to this seemingly magical country that I had no idea was nearly so fabulous. Without further ado, here are my first impressions of Mexico. (Yucatan Peninsula, I should say more accurately)
my impressions of MExico include this large residential neighborhood in Chetumal – Mexico
Everything is HUGE!
The very first thing I noticed about Mexico – the moment I crossed the border from Belize – were the huge roads and highways. They were so massive that I was totally stunned, sitting on my bus from Corozal, mouth agape, eyes bulged out.
No doubt my shock was a result of having traveled around Guatemala for two months then Belize for one month. Both Guatemala and Belize are tiny, only somewhat developed countries which have narrow roads to match their scale of development. Perspective, perspective, perspective!
For instance, in Belize, the more developed of the two countries, the main north-south highway is comparable to a minor rural road in some remote region of the US – one lane, no berm, barely any lane markings. And that was one of the most modern roads I traveled during the three months prior to entering Mexico.
After that, Mexico came as a shock. Suddenly I was thrust onto four-lane super highways and overhead roads. It was very much like traveling through the US. In fact, I’m quite sure that Americans and Canadians would not even bat an eye upon arrival in Mexico.
But it quickly became apparent to me that ‘huge’ in Mexico is not only about roads and highways. Vast tracts of land stretch out in all directions. Houses are massive. Supermarkets are massive.
Chetumal, the first city I reached, is so large and spacious that it would take at least one full hour to walk across in any direction. Wide city streets with two lanes in each direction and divided roads are the norm throughout the city, even in residential neighborhoods.
Which brings me to my next observation:
Plaza of the Americas shopping mall – Chetumal
Mexico is extremely modern and well-developed.
Mexico has huge shopping malls! Walmarts! Office Depos. MacDonald’s. Pizza Huts. Multi-plex cinemas, complete with the latest Hollywood movies.
I’ve found Lindt chocolate bars, luxury perfumes, designer sunglasses and beauty supply shops selling bleach, toners and top-line hair products.
I realize that none of this might register by Americans, Canadians or Europeans as anything to make note of. Coming from any 1st world country, all of this might simply appear as de rigour.
But coming from neighboring countries in Central America, Mexico is glaringly modern, offering hundreds of luxuries & commodities entirely un-available in next-door countries.
hanging out at an open air restaurant with locals and travelers
It’s surprisingly safe.
Growing up in the USA, you’d be hard pressed to believe anything about our southern neighbor other than ‘Mexico is a very dangerous country’. As a result, even I, the well-seasoned traveler, had a few vague uncertainties about the safety of my possessions and person in Mexico. How could I help it, as that notion had been emotionally & intellectually ingrained in me from youth.
But now that I’m here in Mexico, and have been here one and a half months, and have explored numerous places in Yucatan, what I have to say about all that upbringing is, “Pa! What a crock of sh*t.”
I still have little doubt that there surely must be some places in Mexico that are dangerous. A few spots where drug production, distribution and smuggling are issues. A few poverty-stricken inner-city ghettos in the main cities. But I can say the exact same thing about the US.
And in truth, I can only write about the Yucatan Peninsula since that’s the only part of Mexico I’ve explored. What I can say about this region of Mexico is that it is surprisingly safe. I mean as safe as all the SE Asian countries I’ve traveled around. Perhaps even safer, as amazing as that seems.
For instance, here in Yucatan dorm rooms are left unlocked! Not only that, but the dorm room doors are often left wide open all day, sometimes all night.
In every single place I’ve visited in Yucatan thus far – Chetumal, Bacalar, Mahahual, Valladolid and Merida – it’s safe to walk around at night. Alone as a single woman.
Public transportation seems equally safe. On all the many buses, shared taxis and collectivos I’ve taken, I’ve never felt the least threat or concern to protect my valuables.
What’s more, I’ve even bicycled alone on empty country roads and through tiny villages.
incredible sky near Chetumal
The sky is gorgeous.
The skies are strikingly, eye-catchingly gorgeous. I can’t recall ever seeing skies so captivating. Anywhere. These are the brightest, clearest blue skies imaginable. And they are often punctuated by equally stunning cloud formations.
Nearly every day my attention is drawn upward to the perplexingly beautiful skies.
I can only theorize that it’s due to a lack of pollution. These are actual CLEAN skies. The way Earth’s skies used to look everywhere. At least that’s my hypothesis.
Whatever the reason, Yucatan’s skies are stunning.
Laguna Bacaral
Water colors are insane.
It was down in Belize that I first laid eyes on the incredible colors of the Caribbean Sea. All shades of turquoise, teal, aquamarine and blue.
Those same incredible water colors are here in the Yucatan as well. All along the Caribbean coast at beaches like Mahahual, Tulum, Playa del Carmen and Cozumel Island, the Caribbean Sea gleams under bright blue skies.
But those same gorgeous water colors are found inland as well, all over Yucatan Peninsula. At Lake Bacalar. In hundreds of cenotes (fresh water holes filling below-ground caves, caverns and sinkholes).
And, crazy as it is, a group of saline flats near Rio Lagartos even has naturally-colored pink water. I kid you not! The color is produced by tiny micro-organisms living in the super saline water.
Street singers in Mahahual – Mexico
Local people are very laid-back and unimposing.
I’ve found the Mexican people here in Yucatan to be calm, rather quiet and nonplussed by travelers, one way or the other. They’re all just going about their daily lives. They seem to interact with foreigners much the same way they do with locals – at least from what I’ve seen in shops, restaurants, public transportation and out in public.
They’re not overly, gregariously friendly like people in several SE Asian countries. But they’re friendly enough, helpful when it’s called for and certainly not pushy or over-imposing. Even sales people and street vendors are rather non-assertive about sales, which is a relief.
People here seem quite peaceful, non-violent and honest. They’ve been quoting me local prices in shops, restaurants, markets and even in taxis. I’ve never felt any danger or threat to myself or my possessions, either on public transportation or out in the streets of cities and towns.
Come to think of it, I have pretty much the same impression of locals here as I did in Guatemala. And that’s interesting because both Yucatan and Guatemala have large populations of Mayans. I’m not sure if that’s the reason, but it certainly could be.
In any event, the local people of Yucatan are pleasant people to deal with, and that’s always a bonus when traveling.
Valladolid – Mexico
Mexico is amazingly diverse.
I don’t know about you, but my main perception of Mexico is that of an extremely arid country full of flat, scorchingly hot desert full of cacti, stretching in all directions. A desert punctuated here and there by quaint dusty villages of white stucco buildings trimmed in dark wood, drunken men wavering along the roads at all hours of day and nigh,t and poor local farmers trying to scrape a living from the harsh land.
Perhaps that vision describes some locations in Mexico. However, I’ve quickly learned that Mexico is infinitely more diverse than that. Yucatan Peninsula alone has much more diversity.
In 1 ½ months here I’ve experienced all of the following:
I’ve suntanned on powdery-white beaches at Mahahual while gazing at the nearby reef, set in an aquamarine Caribbean Sea. I’ve climbed Mayan temple ruins reclaimed from dense forest. I’ve driven for hours through scrubby brush and boated for an hour through a lush mangrove river system at Rio Lagartos.
Flock of Flamingos – Rio Lagartos
I’ve been swimming in frigid cenote waters. Admired stunning colonial Spanish architecture in Valladolid town and Merida city. Visited museums featuring Mayan history, modern Mexican art, a wealthy historic Renaissance home, huge murals and archaeology.
I’ve seen tiny rural Mayan homes built of clay walls and thatched roofs. Marveled at the most surreal lake water I’ve ever seen in my life at Laguna Bacalar. Strolled past hundreds of tiny fishing boats in quaint Rio Lagartos town.
In the wild I’ve seen large tree lizards, pink flamingos, many other species of birds and a crocodile.
And I’ve only seen half the Yucatan Peninsula, which is itself only one of Mexico’s 32 states and takes up perhaps 1/14tth of Mexico’s total land area. Beyond Yucatan, Mexico presents even more diversity in topography, climate zones, cultures and living conditions. So much more to explore!
Looks like I’ll just have to come back to experience the rest of Mexico.
For now I’m taking 2-3 months to fully explore the very impressive Yucatan Peninsula. More coming soon!
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Hi! I'm Lash, an American nomadic world traveler who's been traveling solo since 1998. I’m passionate about traveling the world nomadically and then sharing it all with you. I hope to inspire you to travel the world, to entertain you with tales from the road, and to help you reach your travel dreams. Welcome! 
