moisheh wrote: Recent posts from Bobofthenorth inspired me to write this post. Mr. Evans constantly refers to parts of Mexico as “ Mexico Light”. He especially uses this term to describe Kino. I admit at first I was offended but this post is not in response to his dislike of Kino ( and maybe me as well!) but rather is a post about the “ REAL MEXICO”.
Moisheh
Methinks the lady doth protest too much. Of course Moisheh's post is a response to my posts. If it weren't, why mention my name? And who cares if it is a response to me? Maybe I should be flattered that my opinion matters so much.
As usual Moisheh has missed the point of my references to Mexico-light. A gated community in Kino or Chapala is no more representative of how 99% of Mexicans live than Las Vegas is representative of how 99% of Americans live. To suggest otherwise is just silly and the content of Moisheh's post merely confirms that.
And, for the record, I have no particular dislike of Mexico-light destinations - if that is your desire then hop to it and visit those locations. I just want potential Mexican visitors to understand that those locations present a gringo version of Mexico that is atypical of how most Mexicans live.
I agree most Americans would not want to live in the real Mexico where most Mexicans do. I do not see many Americans risking life and limb crossing into Mexico illiaglly because they can not find a job in the USA.
Several years ago Westinghouse Electric sent me to Naco Mexico to work on a motor generator set. I assure you I could not believe the conditions that people live in. Now this was a border town but the people in Naco told me it was typical of most small out of the way towns in Mexico. I was never so glad to get back into the United States.
That's the whole point of this thread. Mexico comes in different flavors. I don't live in Cabo, a glitzy compound of Americans, nor do I live in a shack. But my everyday life takes me to all of those. It doesn't have to be one or the other. My neighbors live in cabins, go to one room schools, one lives in a mansion and I live in a plain old house that used to be someone's summer home. Sounds like living in San Antonio where I spent 10 years.
BTW, part of the reason I came to work in Mexico was to escape the issue of always being denied promotions at work because of the fact I was a single white male and the company had quotas to fill. And that isn't b.s. either.
Moisheh, if you think this might jeoperdize your thread let me know and I will delete it.
Chris: Bring it on. I am glad that most people understand the point of my post. I was not suggesting that any one of the places I mentioned is the Real Mexico. ALL of those places make up the Real Mexico. Sometimes it is nice to experience more than just the cultural places. We love Oaxaca: the villages, the markets, the food and the friendly people. But we also like to visit PV. Have a great meal at Pipi's and maybe a few too many Margaritas. It is all part of the Mexico experience. I would like for Mr. Evans to provide some data on how he knows how the typical Mexican lives. Has he ever been to Old Kino and seen the cardboard shacks? Has he ever been to Hermosillo and gone to the Mexican gated communities or even the ones in Guad. These are all typical. Mr. Evans likes Alamos. Is that typical of how Mexicans live? Is Alamos Mexico Heavy?
I agree most Americans would not want to live in the real Mexico where most Mexicans do. I do not see many Americans risking life and limb crossing into Mexico illiaglly because they can not find a job in the USA.
Several years ago Westinghouse Electric sent me to Naco Mexico to work on a motor generator set. I assure you I could not believe the conditions that people live in. Now this was a border town but the people in Naco told me it was typical of most small out of the way towns in Mexico. I was never so glad to get back into the United States.
Sure are a lot of Americans moving to Mexico and not all of them retired nor moving to gringo enclaves.
The word typical keeps coming up and I am not sure what that means? While there are only a very small percentage of Mexicans who live in mansions, there are lots who live in what anyone would consider a nice home, others who live in ones that are not quite finished and may never be finished, others are in wood houses---some quite nice, and others a shack. Then there are the real poor in the cardboard places. Oh, some still live in traditional style homes much the same as their ancestors. So TYPICAL??? Just can't find a meaning for that.
I wonder how much that person had traveled in Mexico who told you that, or was he just telling you what he thought you wanted to hear---just a possibility.
As moisheh and Chris can attest, my wife and I have traveled Mexico from east to west and north to south, without ever finding anything typical about the country, other than the wonderful people, wherever we go. Every town and village is different and the people are always so friendly, even if the infrastructure is lacking or in some areas, really great infrastructure. I find it hard to believe that a person can visit Bahia de Kino and then call it "Mexico Light", as that is one town that has the full gamut of the Mexican culture, from the ultra poor to the ultra rich, in a matter of several kilometers and all visible from one road. I always say the real Mexico doesn't begin till the 16-21 kilometer marker, but that is also not right, as the border towns can and do offer a glimpse of true Mexican life. I invite the person that 1st posted the term "Mexico Light" to offer his reason for such a label.
Bob & Betsy - USN Ret'd '78 & FL LEO Ret'd '03 FMCA #F203528 '05 HR Endeavor, 40PRQ w/400 Cummins - With -'05 GMC Sierra SLT, CC Z-71, the pusher '07 Arctic Cat 500A & Wilderness Kayak, riding in the pusher - Our Current Location
And Naco is a good little town. I have seen worse in both the USA and Mexico. The old Pueblo USA Customs Office alone is worth the visit and this is a very easy crossing.
rocmoc n AZ/Mexico, ( another member in Moisheh's camp! )
You know, this 'Real México' and 'México Light' is one of my pet peeves. I think it is beyond condescending to assume that when you see US type middle class homes or better that they are not the real México. I live in southern México where the homes have a huge disparity, from the stick Nah's of the traditional Mayan towns to the ultra-modern and architectural digest homes in Cancun. Guess what? They are all owned and occupied by Mexicans. Even the border towns are the way that México does border towns, the big resort cities are how México does resorts, it's all Mexican from the Río Bravo to the Río Usamacinta. It's pompous as heck to assume that when you see a nice place or a high end store or even a middle class gated development that it is American or Canadian. It's some kind of one-upmanship that part time travelers love to get into. Get over it, this country will develop as it sees fit without some condescending gringo coming down and telling them how to do it.
Here in Mérida, the old colonials in the city centro are mainly lived in by working class people whose families have owned them for generations. In some areas there are foreigners (gringos, the Mayans have another meaning for the word foreigner) who are renovating these 100+ year old homes and bringing them back to their original luster. The locals are sort of pleased that this is happening but also confused by it, they don't really see the attraction. The middle and upper classes here primarily live in gated communities, in very modern and up to date houses on huge lots with wide tree lined streets. They are mostly amused that the gringos want to live on narrow busy streets in the middle of the city where the walls of one house touch the next one and the noise and dust is high. It is the centro of a busy city of around a million people and if you were to pick the area where the gringos live by the looks of it you would no doubt be wrong using the rule that it is gringos who live in modern, expensive gated communities and the 'real' Mexicans who live in the gritty centro.
Cancún is often used as an example of México light, a little version of the US. People who say that have clearly only been out in the hotel zone on a sand spit across the lagoon and not in the city itself. It is a huge, modern Mexican city with only a sprinkling of gringos living in it. Surprised? If you are then you are missing the fact that this is a modern developing country with incredible resources, a thriving middle class and plenty of ideas about how they want to develop their country. They will take what they like from other countries and leave what they don't like, whatever the result you can be sure that it is Puro Mexicano.
Lets go back to "Mexico Toilet Paper for RV's" I thought that was very entertaining. Also we should try and keep this discussion civil and adult like. That said, Puerto Penasco is the best place to go and my rv is better than yours.
Nanny Nanny Boo Boo.
moisheh wrote: I would like for Mr. Evans to provide some data on how he knows how the typical Mexican lives. Has he ever been to Old Kino and seen the cardboard shacks? Has he ever been to Hermosillo and gone to the Mexican gated communities or even the ones in Guad. These are all typical. Mr. Evans likes Alamos. Is that typical of how Mexicans live? Is Alamos Mexico Heavy?
Moisheh
I'm not going to play your childish game of "who knows Mexico better?". I still don't understand why my opinion matters so much to you.
We've had some wonderful travels in Mexico and hope to have many more. We have many good friends who are Mexicans. I intend to continue to point out that there is a vast difference between how most Mexicans live and the gated communities in the free zone. I intend to continue to refer to those communities as Mexico-Light. You are welcome to continue to point out that you think I am a fool.
moisheh wrote: I would like for Mr. Evans to provide some data on how he knows how the typical Mexican lives. Has he ever been to Old Kino and seen the cardboard shacks? Has he ever been to Hermosillo and gone to the Mexican gated communities or even the ones in Guad. These are all typical. Mr. Evans likes Alamos. Is that typical of how Mexicans live? Is Alamos Mexico Heavy?
Moisheh
I still don't understand why my opinion matters so much to you.
Why we feel your opinion matters is because it is a very false portrayal of Mexico and its people. All you are portraying is how most of your Canadian brethern and many Americans like to live in Mexico. You say you have so many Mexican friends and then you slam them with a stereotype, which in my mind does not make you welcome at their table. What about all the gated communities in your country, do you refer to them as "Canada Light"? Also, for the life of me, after having lived in Kino for months, I have no recollection of a gated community, so why your reference to that particular village? In my mind you are doing more of a disservice to any prospective visitor to Mexico, by your false impressions, than any good that would come of your offering just the truth of your travels.
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