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I had a pretty good idea of what to expect when I went to Mexico. I do a lot of research before I jump into a new country – generally. I knew the food would be delicious, the weather would be great, and the parties would stretch into the wee hours.
No matter how much you read and research though, you’ll never get a true sense of a country until you step foot on their soil. Here are 8 things that surprised me about Mexico.
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Toilet Paper in the Trash
This one isn’t too absurd, just different. I had read about this before arriving, but it’s still surprising when you put theory into practice. Instead of flushing it down the toilet, there’ll be a cute little waste basket beside the toilet where you put your papel. It’s a little gross when you need to find room in a basket full of used paper for your contribution – but you’re washing your hands afterwards so what’s the worry really? I’ll spare you a picture.
Food Labels
I like this one. Plastered directly on the product’s packaging are impossible-to-miss health labels that warn of excessive sugar, calories, sodium, and fat. It’s an obvious warning on bottles of Coke, or chocolate bars – but sometimes you’re surprised by products like Vitamin Water that you thought were supposed to be “healthy”. I like how direct and open it is.
Chili Fruit
This one is certainly not love at first sight. Picture a nice slice of juicy mango that’s been covered head to toe in a mixture of chili powders. I like fruit, and I like chili peppers, but separate please. Mexicans love it, and I’m told the more I try it the more I’ll like it, but I might have to pull the ripcord on this one.
Mayonnaise on Corn
One of the most popular snacks in Mexico is the elote, corn on the cob covered in mayonnaise, chili powders, and lime juice. Or skip the cob and just grab an esquite (corn kernels in a mayonnaise, chili, lime juice cup o’ soup). It’s too much mayo for me, but a couple bites are admittedly delicious.
Mezcal
I had never tried it before coming to Mexico, but I’m in love. I like smoky whiskeys, and mezcal packs a bit of smoke into its punch. I love the low-tech method of its making, and the industry that is dominated by small, family-run operations. It’s a cousin of tequila – both are made from the agave plant, but mezcal’s finished product tastes nothing like its louder, more infamous cousin. ¡Salud!
M for Mujeres
Yeah. This one isn’t exclusive to Mexico but as a native English speaker looking for the bathroom, I associate M with Men. Buuuuuut the Spanish word for women is mujeres, and for men it’s hombres. This one can be tough to remember at first and you pretty well have to make the mistake of surprising a few mujeres to remember which door is yours.
Mexican Buses
Buses in Mexico are incredible. The ones going from city to city, that is. Luxury comfort seats, hardwood floors, tv’s on the back of every seat, full leg rests, curtains. Pretty well the exact opposite of what I was expecting. And all at a very reasonable price.
Pedestrians Do Not Have Right of Way
This is one to be mindful of. Not that you would go walking out into traffic anyway but sometimes when you expect cars to stop or wait for you to cross, they won’t. You can’t ever assume that a driver sees you. I get the sense that a lot of drivers here think they are Sergio Perez in the 2021 Red Bull.
None of these are earth-shattering realizations, but they make you stop for a second and say “huh, interesting”. It might sound absurd but sometimes during the day you forget that you aren’t in your home country. These 8 little surprises serve as gentle reminders that, “oh yeah, I’m in Mexico”.
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