Mexico.
So about two years ago the Lunatic Artist and I had just barely met- we first spoke in late January/early February, and this was in April- when chance brought us a unique adventure.

Mexico.

She lived about an hour north of me at the time, and had worked for a utility company up there for years. As you do, she had signed up for one of those "clubs" they have on the radio stations- "Join the Workforce and if we call your name, call us to get your prize!"- and thought nothing of it until the radio station called her name. A co-worker alerted her, and ten minutes later she had won a chance for a trip to Mexico. That weekend she took part in a silly contest and won a trip for two to Cabo San Lucas for five nights and four days. Result!

We made all the needed arrangements, got on the plane, did an interminable flight across the US, arrived and were taken to the resort we were to stay in.

No complaints about the resort itself, really- it was clean, there was lots of excellent food and all you could drink, all included in what she had won. The people running the place were all actually quite nice to a pair of Yankees who spoke no Spanish, maybe due to the fact that we smiled a lot and were polite and courteous to them as well. Only one little hitch- this was like Disney Mexico.

We both felt thoroughly disappointed by this.

However, chance swung our way again. It turned out that this was a timeshare resort. We were told that if we sat through their sales routine (about 90 minutes) that they would provide us with either a couple of bottles of high-end tequila or two days' use of a car.

We passed on the tequila.

We spent the next two days driving up the coast of the Baja Peninsula and getting away from the tourist crap. We got out and walked through the desert (full of spiny things that hurt if you brushed against them), saw little roadside shrines with candles burning in them in front of statues of Jesus and Mary (how come no one ever prays to Joseph, anyway?), and walked along deserted rocky chunks of coastline under the brilliant sun. We had beer at Sammy Hagar's bar, wandered through a Mexican open air market and bought some jewelry, got tequila from a man with a deep booming voice who looked a lot like Nathan Lane but gave us excellent advice on which one to buy, and laughed at the Monkey Spunk tattoo parlor. (Honest- I'll post pics later to prove it!) And at the end of the day we went back to the resort and ate our fill and slept like the dead, then got up and did it again.

It was perfect.

On our last night there we swam around in the pool, drinking beer we got from the poolside bar, and looked at the other people there. I saw drunken frat-boy types, sullen NYC Jewish wives with leathery brown skin and bouffant hair, families with small kids... and all of them looked bored out of their skulls and disappointed by life. And I'd bet that not one of them ever set foot off of the resort.

I'll gladly go back to Mexico one day, but by god it's going to be to some obscure place where I can rent a car and drive around and actually see the place!

Avoid disappointment. Take note of what everyone else is doing and what they expect you to be doing, and do something else. It's well worth the effort.
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Thu 26 Jun 2008, 18:17, 5 replies)

Sounds like fun
I can't understand people who go on holiday and spend the whole time in dodgy pubs behaving as if they were at home. Why?

For taking the road less travelled ... *click*
(TheWeeWitch hasn't been here much recently .., Thu 26 Jun 2008, 18:29, closed)

If the Catholic church is to be believed
Jesus is the son of God, and Mary was chosen by God for an immaculate conception (catching babies minus the fun part), so they're both special. Joseph just tapped that ass for the rest of the time
( greedyostrich Cheese is evil! Cheddar is VOODOO!, Thu 26 Jun 2008, 19:14, closed)

Huh.
Not being well versed in Catholic mythology I've long been puzzled by this- I mean, Joseph had to count for something. He raised the kid, after all!

So he's just an incidental figure in the mythology? Sheesh. If I were Joseph up there right now, I'd go give the kid a Dope Slap. Son of God or no, the least he could do for the old man is to give him some significance!
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Thu 26 Jun 2008, 19:21, closed)

Like Wee Witch said
I can't see the sense in going on holiday and doing what you would do at home, just in a warmer climate. Yes, of course do the touristy things, but also go and see the real country.

I've been to the US a lot. But I've never been to Florida, primarily because that's where all the Brits go.

I've been once to Spain, because I was paid for it.

But I once spent a tremendous two weeks travelling round Hungary, seeing parts that other tourists don't reach (yes, and drinking Heineken too).

Live a little, people. What's the point of spending a fortnight in an Irish pub on the Costa del Sol? How is it different to spending a fortnight in the Costa del Solihull? (Except for the temperature, obviously)

TRL - you're spot on.

(I should point out that I'm not advocating crawling through the jungle in Borneo as a way of spending your summer holidays, but just being a little less herd-like in your holiday behaviour!)
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Thu 26 Jun 2008, 19:25, closed)

Avoid Jarez
My dad lived in El Paso for several years so I have spent quite a bit of time in Juarez. It is a town to be avoided.

Try PBS.org and see if they have anything on there in their travel shows about Mexico. I know I've seen some really neat places on those shows.
( flirting with badgers What? It sounded good at the time., Fri 27 Jun 2008, 3:32, closed)