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Silvermouse
RealPoor Jedi
Joined: 12 Oct 2002
Posts: 11015
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 Posted: 09/09/05 - 16:21 Post subject: Does anyone know anything about Mexico?
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In my history class there is a gigantic map of Mexico near my desk. I was staring at it the other night and I realized I don't actually know anything about Mexico...at least, the Mexico that is not Baja or Mexico city.
So my questions are, what is Mexico like outside of the big cities? Is the land mostly desert or mountains? Are there large stretches of unpopulated areas? Are there small villages with little contact with the rest of the world? Do the Mexicans become more South American the further south you go?
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sinrakin
RealPoor Master of Posts
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 7044
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Posted: 09/09/05 - 16:27 Post subject:
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Badges? We don't need no steeenkeeen badges!
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Occulis
RealPoor Jedi
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 13293
Location: Moral Relativity Central
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Zapper
RealPoor Sensei
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 1512
Location: Connecticut
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Posted: 09/09/05 - 16:36 Post subject:
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They speak spanish!
They wear sombreros!
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Nahualli
RealPoor Master of Posts
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 8461
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Posted: 09/09/05 - 16:38 Post subject:
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| Silvermouse wrote: | | So my questions are, what is Mexico like outside of the big cities? Is the land mostly desert or mountains? |
Depends.. Sonora, Sinaloa, Chihuahua, Durango, etc are all desert or arid. Morelos, Chiapas, Tabasco, etc are tropical or subtropical. Veracruz and Baja are coastal. They're far more tropical than any part of the States are, and there are no "cold" regions in the country. Anything outside of the big cities is going to be either small villages or nothing.
| Quote: | | Are there large stretches of unpopulated areas? |
Huge stretches of unpopulated land. I would venture to say a healthy % of the country is still undeveloped or underdeveloped.
| Quote: | | Are there small villages with little contact with the rest of the world? |
Absolutely. All over the place. When the Aztec empire disappeared, some of its tribes fanned out across the country and vanished. Over time some of these tribes have been found again, and they've gone on living much as they used to live back in the day.
When I started studying Nahuatl this was one of the hardest things to reconcile. The language had no more hub, it was spoken by unconnected communities. It's near-impossible to study a language that evolved in such a fragmented fashion, imagine isolating the 50 States from each other physically for 500 years then put them together one day and see if we still speak the same language.
| Quote: | | Do the Mexicans become more South American the further south you go? |
Absolutely. In the South of the country people lose the Aztec features and get more Mayan features. Black, straight hair, rounder, smaller noses, rounder faces, bigger, more slanted eyes. The people on the bordering states like Veracruz are typically more South American than Mexican. It really depends on which tribe or civilization lived there before they were replaced by the Spanish or French. For instance, people in Guanajuato are mostly fair skinned and have green eyes, due to the long French occupation of the area. In Cuernavaca, most of the people look much the same as they did back in the day because it was an agricultural center and the Spaniards had no interest in their loot, they went for the jewels and money found in the other capitals.
-Nah-
Last edited by Nahualli on 09/09/05 - 16:40; edited 2 times in total
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merdocc
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 2038
Location: Pasadena Ca
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Posted: 09/09/05 - 16:39 Post subject:
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There are armed gangs of mexican outlaws riding horses with sombreros and those bullet holder things across their chest. Watch out man.
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Luturb
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 4042
Location: Livermore, California
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myndwarrp
Can't Stop Posting
Joined: 27 Jan 2004
Posts: 637
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Posted: 09/09/05 - 16:45 Post subject:
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Having travelled thru alot of Mexico and a few S American countries, I agree with what Nah wrote. The main thing is most of the coastal cities are Americanized, english is widely spoken, and is fairly friendly. The mosre inland you go, the terrain tends to be mountainous or desert with a few little villages here and there. Farming is the main industry in outlieing areas.
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Silvermouse
RealPoor Jedi
Joined: 12 Oct 2002
Posts: 11015
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Posted: 09/09/05 - 16:56 Post subject:
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That was a useful link and I am now satisfied...also, thanks for the link on Mexico (ROFLOKRL: AM A !)
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Silvermouse
RealPoor Jedi
Joined: 12 Oct 2002
Posts: 11015
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Posted: 09/09/05 - 16:58 Post subject:
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Thanks for the info!
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Tura
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 29 Oct 2003
Posts: 4865
Location: Raleigh, NC
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Posted: 09/09/05 - 17:12 Post subject:
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The only city in Mexico that I have ever been to was Nuevo Laredo which was a huge city with most of its residents living in poverty. It's fairly close to the US border but its like night and day when you make the drive from the US border into Nuevo Laredo. The sourrounding area is mainly desert and badland area.
I went there for charity missions work though, so I would like to see some nicer parts of mexico at some point in the future.
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Nahualli
RealPoor Master of Posts
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 8461
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Posted: 09/09/05 - 17:13 Post subject:
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| Luturb wrote: | http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/05/22/TRGITCR7381.DTL
Bookmarked this a while ago cause it sounds like a really cool vacation. Of course I don't speak any spanish so that wouldn't help. |
Yeah, adding to what Myndwarp also said.. the problem with vacationing in Mexico is two-fold. If you want to visit the beaches of Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta and Manzanita, etc you're going to get the same old schlocky resort beaches.
If you want to see the most beautiful and pristine country, you'll have to rough it and catch a bus or something to a place like Oaxaca or Puebla or Morelos, but they don't speak much English there. Most people don't end up going there.. they end up going to some retarded place like Cozumel or Cabo, and then come back to the States and complain that Mexico is a trashy resort country. It's better this way, I suppose. Some of the countryside tho is mind-bogglingly beautiful but you have to resolve to get there 
-Nah-
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kbarr
RealPoor Jedi
Joined: 05 Oct 2004
Posts: 11239
Location: New York, now go fuck off...
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Posted: 09/09/05 - 17:20 Post subject:
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I know many forms of brachypelma live in mexico. I have had about 6 different subspecies over the years. My favorite is Brachypelma boehmi. The common one Americans are most aware of is Brachypelma smithi, the mexican red knee. The one I like, the boehmi, its common name is mexican flame knee. The are very tame, hardly ever bite and rarely flick hair. Its the only species, besides Aphonopelma chalcodes, Arizona/mexican/desert blond, that I would handle. Very long lived too, 30ish years people report. Retail is over $200 now, I used to get big ones for 15 bucks.
I hope this helps.
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Tura
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 29 Oct 2003
Posts: 4865
Location: Raleigh, NC
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Posted: 09/09/05 - 17:24 Post subject:
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| kbarr wrote: | I know many forms of brachypelma live in mexico. I have had about 6 different subspecies over the years. My favorite is Brachypelma boehmi. The common one Americans are most aware of is Brachypelma smithi, the mexican red knee. The one I like, the boehmi, its common name is mexican flame knee. The are very tame, hardly ever bite and rarely flick hair. Its the only species, besides Aphonopelma chalcodes, Arizona/mexican/desert blond, that I would handle. Very long lived too, 30ish years people report. Retail is over $200 now, I used to get big ones for 15 bucks.
I hope this helps.
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s***w that!
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Nahualli
RealPoor Master of Posts
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 8461
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Posted: 09/09/05 - 17:26 Post subject:
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| Tura wrote: | The only city in Mexico that I have ever been to was Nuevo Laredo which was a huge city with most of its residents living in poverty. It's fairly close to the US border but its like night and day when you make the drive from the US border into Nuevo Laredo. The sourrounding area is mainly desert and badland area.
I went there for charity missions work though, so I would like to see some nicer parts of mexico at some point in the future. |
Try going to Oaxaca at some point, or Cuernavaca!
-Nah-
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Nahualli
RealPoor Master of Posts
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 8461
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Posted: 09/09/05 - 17:27 Post subject:
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| kbarr wrote: | I know many forms of brachypelma live in mexico. I have had about 6 different subspecies over the years. My favorite is Brachypelma boehmi. The common one Americans are most aware of is Brachypelma smithi, the mexican red knee. The one I like, the boehmi, its common name is mexican flame knee. The are very tame, hardly ever bite and rarely flick hair. Its the only species, besides Aphonopelma chalcodes, Arizona/mexican/desert blond, that I would handle. Very long lived too, 30ish years people report. Retail is over $200 now, I used to get big ones for 15 bucks.
I hope this helps.
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Haha... *hardly ever bite*... f**k that !
Flick hair?
-Nah-
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Jukas
Toomuchtimeonhands
Joined: 19 Mar 2003
Posts: 896
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Posted: 09/09/05 - 17:57 Post subject:
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| Nahualli wrote: |
Haha... *hardly ever bite*... f**k that !
Flick hair?
-Nah- |
When irritated they flick their ass hair at you. It sticks and has an irritant property to it (think fiberglass).
Anything willing to flick anal hair at me is destined not to be a friend.
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principessa
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 3149
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Posted: 09/09/05 - 17:58 Post subject:
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Here's my two coppers:
Been to Ixtapa twice, but the last time was in 1989. Was gorgeous and not all that built up at the time (esp. as compared to Cancun).
The hotel's beach was redflagged the whole time, both times, for the strength/height of the waves but the water was gorgeous; it was private--no natives wandering on it trying to sell cheap trinkets In order to access the beach, you had to go through the hotel lobby, then take an elevator down. The resort was built into the moutainside. Gorgeous.
Everyone who was with me, including my husband got sick the first time we all went in 1987. I didn't, somehow. I came back from that trip soo dark that i was darker than the black teller at my bank.
There was just one centro commercial anywhere near where we were staying and a handful of restaurants. Food was excellent anywhere we ate, and I really don't know what the others got sick from as the night prior we all ate the exact same thing for dinner <shrug>.
Fascinating bit: watching the men who were paving the new street near the hotel (like I said, it wasn't built up yet) flattening out and just walking on the macadam while it was still hot--WITH THEIR BARE FEET. Ouch.
We rented jeeps to explore a bit and went to Playa Linda among other beaches that were secluded away. All the little kids were cute, trying to sell us Chiclets and sodas anywhere we went.
We saw lots of one room houses with dirt floors. The thing that amazed me is that anyone we encountered who was a "native" of the area was incredibly happy-looking. I don't know if they knew how freaking poor they were.
and you know NOT to drink the water. Even in the resorts, if you have a sensitive tummy, don't. Stick to soda or cerveza that is bottled and cold, and no ice.
Oh, and I have a yummy Vera Cruz cookbook!!
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Silvermouse
RealPoor Jedi
Joined: 12 Oct 2002
Posts: 11015
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Posted: 09/09/05 - 18:14 Post subject:
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I went to Mexico when I was 10. My dad's boss had a house right on the beach in a little area north of La Paz called Punta Pescadero. It was absolutely gorgeous. Coincidentally, I've never had so many bottled sodas in my life.
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Someone
Toomuchtimeonhands
Joined: 01 Apr 2004
Posts: 929
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Posted: 09/09/05 - 19:18 Post subject:
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They charge gringos $1 for one sheet of toilet paper.
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Devook
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 31 Mar 2004
Posts: 2373
Location: Ypsilanti or Troy, MI
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Posted: 09/09/05 - 19:25 Post subject:
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You probably could have PMed this question directly to Nah.
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Rycrias
Luke Warm
Joined: 21 Oct 2002
Posts: 269
Location: Indianapolis, IN
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Posted: 09/09/05 - 20:18 Post subject:
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The scuba diving in the Monzanillo area is fantastic. Oh, and lots of cheap cold beer helps, too.
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principessa
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 3149
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Posted: 09/09/05 - 21:21 Post subject:
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I always wanted to stay at Las Hadas in Manzanilla...never got there, tho...
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myndwarrp
Can't Stop Posting
Joined: 27 Jan 2004
Posts: 637
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Posted: 09/09/05 - 21:24 Post subject:
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| Tura wrote: | The only city in Mexico that I have ever been to was Nuevo Laredo which was a huge city with most of its residents living in poverty. It's fairly close to the US border but its like night and day when you make the drive from the US border into Nuevo Laredo. The sourrounding area is mainly desert and badland area.
I went there for charity missions work though, so I would like to see some nicer parts of mexico at some point in the future. |
Well, Nuevo Laredo, and any other town that is "JUST" across the border, is there for two reasons: drugs and women. Although prostitution is technically illegal in Mexico, it is permitted. Most of the border towns, specifically Tijuana, are notorious for **** destinations, including underage. And drugs? You can buy codeine over the counter at any drugstore in Mexico...
The best of Mexico is inland tho. I love the small towns where everyone knows each other, and the cooking is REAL. Where they slaughter the chicken hours before cooking it. These are the places I used to go. I would normally have a main town as destination, then simply rent a car and drive an hour out of town till I found something. Very nice.
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Ishmael
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 03 Jun 2005
Posts: 4446
Location: The US of A
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Posted: 09/10/05 - 04:08 Post subject:
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| Jukas wrote: | | Nahualli wrote: |
Haha... *hardly ever bite*... f**k that !
Flick hair?
-Nah- |
When irritated they flick their ass hair at you. It sticks and has an irritant property to it (think fiberglass).
Anything willing to flick anal hair at me is destined not to be a friend. |
hahahahahahahahahhahahaha
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Frax
RealPoor Master of Posts
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 8489
Location: Fuck yoiu fucking fuckers
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Posted: 09/10/05 - 09:15 Post subject:
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What I know about mexico:
It's full of mexicans.
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sinrakin
RealPoor Master of Posts
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 7044
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Posted: 09/10/05 - 10:36 Post subject:
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| Frax wrote: | What I know about mexico:
It's full of mexicans. |
So is the US.
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Zapper
RealPoor Sensei
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 1512
Location: Connecticut
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Posted: 09/10/05 - 11:28 Post subject:
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| Nahualli wrote: | | Tura wrote: | The only city in Mexico that I have ever been to was Nuevo Laredo which was a huge city with most of its residents living in poverty. It's fairly close to the US border but its like night and day when you make the drive from the US border into Nuevo Laredo. The sourrounding area is mainly desert and badland area.
I went there for charity missions work though, so I would like to see some nicer parts of mexico at some point in the future. |
Try going to Oaxaca at some point, or Cuernavaca!
-Nah- |
Great suggestions.
We drove down to Oaxaca and had an awesome time
Go to Oaxaca during the guelaguetza festival I think it's in July or August. All the indians come to the city and have a huge festival, awesome place, Go to a mezcal factory and 'sample' all their different flavors (just don't do what I did and go at 10AM)
Cuernavaca is alsow awesome great weather, and a lot of neat pyramids & things to see.
A must see city is San Miguel de Allende. Gorgeous colonial town as well.
Mexico Ciy was like any major 3rd world city. big pulluted & with a ot of traffic, beggars, etc. There are some awesome sights however!
Shit just do what I did & drive there for 2 month and just explore. People all over speak english =P
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