Mexico

Visited: September – November 1996, March 2001, January 2004, Feb 2014, June 2015

Duration of visit: 100 days

Capital city: Ciudad de Mexico

Population: 123 million (2016)

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

• Exploring Mexico on a motorbike for almost 3 months gave me a close perspective to places that I could never visit otherwise.
• Mexico DF – ancient Aztecs capital inspired me with a mighty blend of flavors, scents, history, people, and charisma.
• Aztecs, Mayas, Toltecs and other ancient civilizations that left remains in the form of archaeological sites with fascinating history: Teotihuacan, Chichen Itza, Oaxaca, Palenque, Cobá, Tula, etc.
• Yucatan peninsula – a perfect mix of exotic beaches, great infrastructure and historic landmarks.
• Mexican food and drinks; corn, chili and tequila.
• Business meetings at Secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores – SRE, discussing possibilities of business cooperation.

The world’s most populous Spanish-speaking country is known for spicy food, historic ruins, exotic beaches, precolonial cultures, mariachi and one of the biggest cities in the world. At 2,240 meters above sea level, the capital Mexico City is the America’s oldest city, slowly sinking due to the fact that it was built over the ruins of the great Aztec city Tenochtitlan, located on a lake.

Mexico is also home to around 4,800 jaguars and 35 UNESCO World Heritage Sites including archeological ruins, ancient Mayan cities, colonial towns and natural wonders. The largest pyramid in the world is not located in Egypt, but … yes … in Cholula, dedicated to the god Quetzalcoatl.

What about tequila and mezcal? The famous Mexican drinks are produced from blue agave (tequila) and white agave (mescal). Mexican cuisine, based on corn, often spicy, has developed over a thousand years and it is today widespread all around the globe.

No wonder why Mexico is the world’s 7^th most visited country, with 45 million foreign tourists visiting Mexico annually (2023).

Rather than listing the astonishing facts, attractions, and details about this exceptional country, I prefer to state that Mexico is simply a country that must be visited. Without any doubt, I can include it in my top 5 favorite travel destinations.

Similar to Brazil, Mexico is huge with enormous market potential, but challenging to do business. It doesn’t matter in which field of economy or area of the country. All the competitors are there; most of them are presented by the corporation subsidiaries directly. All companies want a share of this huge market with high growth.

My first business attempt with power tools was quickly ended due to a stubborn domestic partner, who wanted to nag rather than cooperate. The second intent, with security documents, lead me to the highest government institutions in the country, which was an important experience for my personal development in this area, as well as a great starting point for other Central American markets.

I have traveled to Mexico multiple times, but the most significant journey occurred in 1996 when I explored the country extensively on a motorbike. As a recent graduate in economics, passionate for ancient pre-Columbian civilizations, I was on my way around the world and Mexico was certainly one of the highlights.

Traveling independently on a motorbike allowed me to connect more intimately with the local communities and to stop in remote, less frequented areas.

I have documented this adventure in two articles, which I have divided into the following sections:

After months of exploring Mexico during my American Big Tour, I later visited Mexico on various occasions as a backpacker or businessman (only Mexico DF). The region of Chiapas and the popular vacation destination Cancun were added to the list of new places; I finally explored Oaxaca as well.

These trips were short holidays compared to my first experience, focused mainly on sightseeing. My budget was higher, the time shorter, my Spanish fluent. The adventure was limited, local forms of transport replaced the freedom of the motorbike. Still great, but not the same.

Participating in business ventures in Mexico, exploring the country on a motorcycle over thousands of kilometers, climbing the remarkable pyramids erected by pre-Columbian civilizations, temporarily residing in Mexico City, or swimming in the stunning turquoise waters of the Yucatan Peninsula are all reasons why …

Mexico is among my favorite countries worldwide.

I dreamed, read and learn about Mayas, Aztecs and Toltecs for years before travelling and still remember the amazing moments, when I explored them on the ground.

Mexico is a country of extremes, that can be dangerous, spicy, unpredictable, polluted or hectic. I had tough moments, but somewhere inside, the Aztec spirit always pushed me to new adventures. Viva Mexico!