Mexico Travel - The Best And The Worst

Famous with beautiful beaches and historic sites, ancient buildings such as pyramids or ancient cities ... So, all these reasons make Mexico becomes address "red" for Foreign tourists coming. If you have plan Mexico travel, here are The Best and Worst in the Mexico.

Days that it Didn’t Rain

I estimate it probably rained a grand total of maybe 14 times during our entire stay. From the first week of January until the day we left it didn’t rain once. Amazing right?

Favorite Place

Sayulita, of course. We didn’t travel much once we got settled, and part of that was because of how comfortable we felt there.

Bloggers and beers

Least Favorite Place

Might have been the heat, or the gritty-city feel, but Guadalajara didn’t do much for me. The Pinterest-famous Playa del Amor was also a disappointment.

Favorite Food

So many things! Tacos of course, in all their variety, but I also developed a penchant for chilaquiles (fried tortillas in tomato sauce) that I will have to learn to re-create. Pozole, sopes and tortas ahogadas are all a close second.

Most Memorable Moments

Releasing baby turtles on the beach at sunset, celebrating the Day of the Dead with the locals and eating my way through Puerto Vallarta’s food scene.

Day of the Dead Decorations

Biggest Annoyance

Mexico is SO LOUD. Sometimes I loved it, like when the crazy trucks would go by broadcasting their wares. Sometimes I hated it, mostly when I was trying to sleep and someone was blasting mariachi music late into the night.

Scariest Wildlife Encounter

In April our bathroom was invaded by an enormous wolf spider- I mean, huge. Mike and I were both too chicken to kill him so we named him Wolfie and tried to co-exist. Eventually (like two weeks later) he crawled out the window on his own.

Coolest Souvenir

Before we departed I loaded up on beaded bracelets, cute t-shirts and Mexican vanilla.

Jalisco Countryside

Biggest Regret

Not making it to Mexico City, Puebla or Oaxaca. It wasn’t really in the budget this time around but it’s a great reason to return!

Biggest Misconception

Obviously that Mexico is a dangerous war-zone. While some parts I definitely wouldn’t visit, we never felt safer than in our little town by the beach.

Best Advice

When it comes to food, be willing to push past your comfort zone. Sure you could come to Mexico and stick to restaurant-made quesadillas and enchiladas, but what is the fun in that? The street stands are where all the real Mexico action is.

Also, if you’re planning to rent an apartment in Sayulita like we did, get there well before the start of high season.

Mexico-travel

Would I Go Back? In a heartbeat! There is so much more of Mexico I need to see. Plus, I know we’ll be back in Sayulita someday in the future, although the place is changing so rapidly we may not recognize it anymore.

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Traveling to Vietnam: Temples have so far been neglected in Thanh Dia My Son

My Son is located in a large valley surrounded by mountains. This is one of the architectural monuments of art, the famous religion centers in Vietnam, showing religious life and history of the Champa Kingdom.My Son temples recognized by UNESCO as "World Cultural Heritage" in 1999.

The My Son ruins in Vietnam are possibly the oldest archeological site in mainland South East Asia. The earliest buildings here were created 700 years before the temples of Angkor Wat. Still, you’ve probably never heard of them- why?

Despite being a UNESCO World Heritage Site My Son receives none of the attention of the bigger archeological sites like Angkor Wat, Ayutthaya and Sukhothai. On the day of our visit there was barely anyone there- just a handful of motorbikes from nearby Hoi An. It’s kind of a pain to get to and it’s not on most tourists itineraries.

This is a shame because it’s actually a pretty fascinating place. The temples were built by the now defunctKingdom of Champa, which ruled Southern Vietnam for most of the past two centuries. They were primarily Hindu, and their art and architecture was highly influenced by that of Ancient India. This brick templed complex was the religious center of their empire.

Most of the existing temples were built during the tenth century. They were made of fired brick and decorated with beautiful sandstone reliefs and statues

My Son is often compared to Angkor Wat, although truthfully it can not compare in scope or beauty. The years haven’t been kind to the complex. Neglect has taken it’s toll, and a viciously tenacious jungle seems intent on reclaiming the land. Shamefully, the area was heavily bombed by the United States during theVietnam War. The Viet Cong used the ruins as a base, and even now you can see gigantic bomb craters.

International efforts are now being made to restore My Son and to preserve it’s history. This is a really great development because even now it’s well worth a day trip from Hoi An. In a country that has been through such radical changes, it’s good to see some historical constants remain.

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