as most of you know I just finished
spending one whole year in Mexico I
thought this would be a good chance to
reflect on some of the lessons I've
learned and offer advice for anyone else
who might be thinking of going to Mexico
time for the intro now before I explain
these tips I gotta tell a little story
this is a bit of a secret actually I've
never shared this in a video before but
this past year I spent in Mexico it
wasn't my first time visiting Mexico
what did you just say so when I was like
10 or 11 years old my family took a
cruise it was a big family trip my dad
had been planning for a long time we
flew down to New Orleans and from New
Orleans we took a cruise ship down the
Riviera Maya there's the cruise ship
that's me that's my younger brother
that's my mom that's my dad yeah I don't
know who that was
maybe like a long-lost brother there I
am again it's my brother my mom these
are pictures of an archaeological site I
think we went to Tulum but you want to
know what I remember from that trip for
my first visit to Mexico it was really
really really hot and that's about it
getting off a cruise ship walking around
a bit and that's all it's all I remember
guys when I look back on that trip I
took when I was a kid it was pretty
forgettable and I know that's a bad
thing to say I know that was expensive
ship to take and stuff but I'm just
being honest I don't remember very much
from that trip so now that I'm older and
wiser well maybe not wiser but at least
I'm older I want to talk about what it
is that can make your trip to Mexico
unforgettable
instead of forgettable tip number one
try Mexican food and I mean really try
Mexican food
don't just say like oh I like Mexican
food I like nachos and then order a
bunch of nachos and just have what you
have back home try some new dishes you
know experiment
try enchiladas try chilaquiles try mole
a poblano try the habanero salsa become
thick be careful with that one but just
try things that you don't normally try
because food is like an entrance to
understanding Mexico in so many
different ways when you start to
understand the variety of foods in
Mexico from the different regions you
start to understand the variety of
different peoples with their own
traditions you start to understand
sharing you start to understand
community I mean we had just got her
food and then suddenly the mom just
lifted up their main dish and offered it
to us and we took a bit and she was like
more and more and more and then we took
some more and then she's like offering
us tortillas and that's the kind of
experience that really sticks with you
and it's the kind of experience we've
had many times in Mexico
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so try Mexican food and try as many
different kinds of Mexican food as you
can point number to talk to Mexicans
this might sound like a very obvious
thing to say you know all your Mexico
talk to Mexicans of course but I mean
like really have conversation with
Mexicans and see where that takes you
and one more question what's something
that you love about Mexico wow the food
and the people the heart that all the
people show it's so unique and so
sincere that you fall in love most
Mexicans have a very strong sense of
national pride maybe they're not happy
with you know their government or some
political situation but pride of being
Mexican and a good sense of Mexican
history and Mexican culture and Mexican
society and if you don't know about this
stuff like just talk to a Mexican and
they will be very happy to share with
you as long as you're coming from a
place of respect it's a pleasure to meet
you yeah we are we are from the French
part of Canada okay
we're so like influenced
and inspired by Mexican culture we were
thinking we're going to celebrate those
windows to it we already have our dress
to our own the US and everything at home
my third tip for anyone visiting Mexico
is to bring an open mind don't think you
know what Mexico is before you get there
maybe that's the problem that I had on
that first trip
I'm glad like I said I was a little kid
somehow I'm not being like too tough on
myself but I think that that situation I
was in where you're in a cruise ship and
you're arriving to Mexico and you don't
know anything about Mexico or you're in
a beach resort you don't know anything
about Mexico but sometimes you think you
know about Mexico maybe you think that
that Beach Resort is all there is to
Mexico or you think that those
archaeological sites is all there is to
Mexico but really there's so many
different sides to the country that are
waiting to be explored I'm gonna tell
you guys a story so what I when I came
back to Canada I had to talk to someone
from my bank and this guy this Canadian
guy he had recently gone to a beach
resort and he went down there with his
friends and he noticed how expensive the
beers were at the beach resort and so he
decided he was just gonna walk down the
beach and he was gonna find some local
shops selling them for much cheaper you
know and his friend said are you crazy
you know what happens out there people
like you get shot and then he said to
them like are you crazy
I'm not gonna get shot I'm just walking
to get my beers and of course he walked
to get his beers and then he went back
and he drank them and that is that is
the point we're at with Mexico some
people think that they're only safe
within the little bubble of a beach
resort or something like that on the one
hand like you're probably gonna have a
good vacation you can have fun drinking
with your friends you can enjoy the
beach you know you can go home and say
oh yeah it was hot just just like I
remembered when I was a kid it was hot
but you're not really learning anything
about Mexican culture or Mexican the
Mexican identity and I think if you take
small steps to to get out of that bubble
not only will the beer be cheaper not
only will your beer getting experience
be better but your entire experience
will be better you will realize that
Mexico is so much more than you thought
it was and so much more than most people
think it is and those who do my tips for
anyone thinking about visiting Mexico I
know this is more like a way of thinking
more than like bring a hat bring
sunscreen do those things too but most
of all just keep an open mind to Mexican
culture Mexican people Mexican food keep
it open mind of Mexico and you're gonna
have a great trip as always I'm Dan for
the new travel see you next time
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