Mexico: a place for revisit & passion

Travelers, have you ever think what places you have most revisited & remained passionate.  In my case, Mexico is the place where I visited four times.  Here are some my favorite activities.

1. Food & Drink

Fajitas is referring to any grilled meat served on a flour or corn tortilla, and refers to the cut of beef used in the dish which is known as skirt steak. Popular meats today also include chicken, pork, shrimp . In restaurants, the meat is often cooked with onions and bell peppers. Popular condiments are shredded lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, pico de gallo, cheese, and tomato. Yum, yum!

Taco is a traditional Mexican dish composed of a corn or wheat tortilla folded or rolled around a filling. A taco can be made with a variety of fillings, including beef, chicken, seafood, vegetables and cheese, allowing for great versatility and variety. A taco is generally eaten without utensils and is often accompanied by garnishes such as salsa, cilantro, tomatoes, onions and lettuce. Yum, yum!

It made me forgot about American food for a while, after tasting tradition and authentic Mexican food. The taste was different because the food was cooked from local products and very delicious. My husband and I really enjoyed these authentic Mexican food.

Margarita is a cocktail consisting of tequila mixed with triple sec and lime or lemon juice, often served with salt on the glass rim. The drink is usually served shaken with ice, on the rocks, blended with ice (frozen margarita) or without ice (straight up). One, two, three, four, five,… after that I forget how many I had.

Resource : Wikipedia

I always ordered Margarita when stayed in Mexico. I found that it was different mix in each places, but it was still my favorite drink.

2. Tradition & Culture

Language Spanish: Most of the time, when visiting Mexico, Local people will talk to you in Spanish although you speaks English to them. Here are some basic Spanish phrases for traveler.

Mayan languages or Maya Script :

The Maya script was the writing system of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization of Mesoamerica, presently the onlyMesoamerican writing system that has been substantially deciphered. The earliest inscriptions found which are identifiably Maya date to the 3rd century BCE in San Bartolo, Guatemala, and writing was in continuous use until shortly after the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century CE (and even later in isolated areas such as Tayasal). Maya writing used logograms complemented by a set of syllabic glyphs, somewhat similar in function to modern Japanese writing.

Here are the Maya Graphic language:

Mexican Dance & Music:

Mariachi:

A modern Mariachi group will include violins, trumpets, guitars, a vihuela, and a guitarron. The vihuela and the guitarron give the group its distinct sound. The vihuela is a variation of a small guitar with a belly in the back and five treble strings. The guitarron resembles a large bass guitar, and also has a belly in the back. It has six strings tuned within an octave and a half range, and is the heart of the Mariachi ensemble.

Folklorico:

The various Folklorico dances represent the different geographical regions in Mexico from which they originate. For example, Jalisco, located west of Mexico City, is considered to be the land of beautiful women, charros, and birthplace of Mariachi music. Jalisco dances are those of courtship, while, Veracruz, the oldest city along the eastern coast of the Gulf of Mexico, mixes Spanish, African and Carribean rhythms. Its dances contain diverse steps or “zapateados” with flamenco characteristics. Regardless of the region represented, colorful, flamboyant costuming is part of every performance.

In this part, I enjoyed music & dance, including shooting the pictures. I had a chance to take video to capture the action and moving of the dancers .

Places :

Tulum Ruins:

By around 900 C.E., the Classical Mayan cities were in decline. Tulum peaked around 1200-1400 C.E. in the post-classic period, as an example of the smaller city-states that still remained at this point in Mayan history. It was a major trading hub, situated as a cliff top seaport, overlooking the turquoise waters of the Caribbean. A small cove and sandy beach sits at the base of the ruins, which would have been an apt landing spot for canoes bringing goods to trade. Artifacts discovered here originate from throughout the Mexican Highlands, Cozumel, Guatemala, and Honduras.

Resource : http://inneroptics.net/mayan_kingdom_book/Tulum/

Cozumel  is an island in the Caribbean Sea off the eastern coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, opposite Playa del Carmen, and close to the Yucatan Channel. Cozumel is one of the nine municipalities of the state of Quintana Roo. Cozumel is a tourist destination for its scuba diving and snorkeling. The main town on the island is San Miguel de Cozumel.

Cancun  is a coastal city in Mexico's easternmost state, Quintana Roo, on the Yucatán Peninsula. Cancún is located on the Yucatan Channel that separates Mexico from the island of Cuba in the Greater Antilles. The Cancún region is sometimes known as the Mexican Caribbean.

Cancún is the municipal seat of the Benito Juárez municipality and a world-renowned tourist resort. The city center is located on the mainland which connects the Nichupté and lagoons to a narrow 7-shaped island where the modern beachfront hotels are located.

In addition, Cancun is also especially comforting for first-time visitors to Mexico because it offers a taste of life back home that makes foreigners feel instantly at ease in this beach resort.

More information:

http://www.visitmexico.com

Mexico Visa, Passport & Entry Requirements:

http://www.worldtravelguide.net/country/170/passport_visa/North-America/Mexico.html

List of Mexican cuisine dishes:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Mexican_cuisine_dishes

Most Popular Mexican Drinks:

http://www.faqs.org/shareranks/3491,Most-Popular-Mexican-Drinks