"Estados Unidos Mexicanos" a Cancún Travel Page by DrewV

I have never claimed to be a Spanish scholar. I majored in French, minored in Russian, and generally avoided Spanish altogether. Now, of course, I hit myself over the head, because while I can write happy little essay about <i>l'existentialisme</i>, I can't function in parts of my home country because I speak no Spanish.

That's not true. I speak some Spanish. As I see it, all Americans speak some Spanish whether they realize it or not. And it's a good thing too, because more Americans than ever speak Spanish and more are coming every day. Where are they coming from?

Mexico! (How's that for tying loose ends together?)

For most Americans, Mexico means tequila, greasy tacos, Montezuma's Revenge, polluted cities, dirt everywhere, and illegal immigrants. And I'll admit, I had some of these same preconceptions. The open-mindedness that I extended to everywhere else in the world, I denied to Mexico because I "knew" Mexico and Mexicans.

Turns out, I knew nothing. I visited Cancun and the Yucatan a couple of years ago and found a country that was much more than our poor little brother. Mexico is one of the world's most unique cultures, a blend of European and native American influences with extraordinary food, music, drink, art, and architecture. Yes, it not the richest of countries economically, but culturally, you'll be hard pressed to find a competitor.

Before you get all flustered, I'm not claiming that Cancun is at all representative of Mexico. That's like saying Daytona is representative of the US. Nor am I saying that I saw anything off the beaten track. I didn't. What I did see, though, was enough for me to start doing research, and to learn more about this culture that I had somehow neglected.

I want to go back. I want to visit the valleys of Oaxaca, to stroll the colonial streets of Guadalajara, to taste the seafood of Veracruz, to gape at the Copper Canyon. That will all come soon, hopefully. In the meantime, I am delighted to present the Yucatan.