100 Reasons Mexico is the Greatest Country on Earth – Part 1

With absolutely no offense intended towards countries #2 through 195… (Except for maybe numbers 190-195, because damn, they must be really terrible places.)

1. 1. In its Spanish form, the name “México” is fun to both say and write
   2. Being able to choose between five kinds of salsa for your tacos. My favorite: habanero en escabeche!
   3. Mexican guitar gods hopping onto public transit to give amazing mini-concerts of Mexican folk music – or, if you’re really lucky, electric blues – in exchange for a few pesos
   4. People in restaurants routinely saying “Buen provecho” (Bon appetit) to complete strangers
   5. Wide open spaces, out on the road without a soul in sight
   6. Cities that are lively but not overcrowded
   7. Smiles, so many smiles
   8. Also a lot of laughter
   9. Totally awesome-sounding indigenous place names. You’ve got Xochimilco and the Plaza of Popocatepetl in Mexico City, Xcaret (pronounced “Shkaret”) and Tixkokob in Yucatan state
   10. A lot of the states have amazing names, too: Hidalgo, Durango, Michoacan, Aguascalientes, Sinaloa, Guanajuato…
   11. Having no choice but to spend your day practicing and improving your Spanish with the local people on the street, and then being able to turn off your brain and speak English at the end of the day with your fancy local friends
   12. Almost all of the music that you’ll hear everywhere (except for reggaeton). Almost everything is in Spanish, almost none of it is the western pop you’d hear in other countries, and almost all of it is awesome (except for reggaeton).
   13. Cheese! I mean real, good, almost-European-quality cheese…
   14. Also yogurt! Decent quality, at least possible to get the sugar-free version in larger supermarkets, and affordable
   15. Practically every city seems to have a totally gorgeous historic centre with a totally gorgeous town square (zocalo) surrounded by totally gorgeous colonial buildings. Also, it’s likely to be full of charming people of all ages and vendors of all types of delicious food.
   16. Somehow, the food doesn’t really make me fart, even though you think it would. OK, sometimes it doesn’t all reach the other end in the most solid form, but it rarely leaves as gas…
   17. Making the most amazing, trustworthy, kind-hearted, lifelong friends without even really trying
   18. Being able to get pretty damn decent locally grown coffee from some convenience stores (at least, 7-Eleven and Circle K – Oxxo coffee is just a travesty)
   19. Inexpensive pharmaceuticals (the legal kind), prescriptions usually not needed!
   20. Perfect subtropical highland weather at 1,500 metres and above – It’s the land of eternal springtime, baby!
   21. People aren’t just nice – They tend to have pretty interesting things to say most of the time, too.
   22. Almost everyone smells pretty damn good, too
   23. Mexico City has, if not the best arts and culture scenes of any city I’ve been to, certainly one of the best
   24. Sidewalk ceviche in a quiet residential neighbourhood in Guadalajara
   25. Axolotl (Even if they’re almost extinct)

       

   26. The poshest damn long-distance buses you’ll ever see – When I sit in the front row, no matter how much I dangle my long legs, they can’t touch a damn thing.  Also, they give me snacks! The “Boing!” brand guava drank is pretty tasty and not too sweet…
   27. A well-maintained and efficient system of expressways
   28. Dogs! At least, in Mexico City, visit any decent park and you’ll see a dizzying assortment of dogs out for walks. I love ’em!
   29. A tolerably low number of cats roaming around outside
   30. Arroz con leche
   31. Pretty much nobody ever tries to rip me off. (That’s partly because I avoid tourist traps and always take Uber instead of taxis… But still!)
   32. Set lunch menus in family-style restaurants for $3 US or even less, including soup, rice, a tasty main course, fresh hot homemade tortillas, tasty hibiscus water, and if you’re really lucky, maybe even dessert!
   33. Local people might be extra-nice to you as a foreigner, but they won’t hassle you (at least, if you avoid tourist traps) and they won’t ask you a million questions you’ve already heard a million times before.
   34. I know Uber is a horrible soul-eating gigantic corporation, but Mexican Uber drivers are super courteous, and the rides are super inexpensive
   35. The most charming (and I mean this literally, not euphemistically) women on Earth
   36. The volcano Popocatepetl looming over the church built on top of the world’s largest pyramid in Puebla. (The pyramid is actually kinda lame, but this view sure isn’t:)

       

   37. Huitlacoche, or in English “corn smut”, fungally infested kernels of corn. It actually tastes a lot better than it sounds, because pretty much anything fermented that won’t kill you will just end up tasting really good.

   To be continued…