The Peoples Guide to Mexico

Pacific Coast Baja - Campfire & Tent “A border is always a temptation.”
-Larry McMurtry

The Peoples Guide to Mexico holds a place of honor amongst the collection of adventure books upon my shelf. It is a book both practical & charming, informative & entertaining, useful whether in Mexico or far from it’s borders.

I came across my first copy at the used book store when I was 18, two years later I was speeding down Baja Mexico’s Pacific coast in my Landcruiser with camping gear bursting from the seams, hair blowing in the wind and a stack of cassettes singing songs from the stereo. A few days after that – upon a crescent beach under starry skies, red snapper sizzling on the fire and an icy cold Tecate being handed me by new-found traveling companions, I realized I had arrived. My first great adventure in a foreign land had begun.

The People’s Guide had convinced me that travel in Mexico could be done safely, economically, and with flexibility no matter the mode of transport or choice of destination. Created by author/editor duo Carl Franz & Lorena Havens, the book has now reached it’s thirty- sixth anniversary having been updated and reprinted through thirteen editions, the most recent being in 2006.

Not so much a guide of where to eat or sleep – it is really a how-to, chock full of advice on traveling, camping, food, language, equipment, health, red-tape, customs & superstitions, laws, bartering and much more. Interspersed amongst all the useful advice are excellent stories, anecdotes & illustrations which really round out the content and share the viewpoint of the authors now long lifetime of living and traveling in Mexico. Carl Franz is a great storyteller, very amusing and obviously his work is a labor of love.

Contemporary critics claim that Mexico is neither as safe or as cheap as the book claims. Obviously economies fluctuate and Mexico has steadily developed as a globally known tourist destination since the first edition was written, but danger and high prices of course can be found anywhere in the world. My personal view is that an open mind and common sense will always be some of greatest assets for a traveler and this book is a great resource to foster those attributes.

Mexico is a country of incredible diversity, populated mostly by honest, curious, friendly & family-oriented folks (in my experience). If you haven’t been or are contemplating going back I highly recommend this book to give you a sense of what you might be in for. Revisiting it certainly has gotten me thinking….now where did I leave that straw hat and bottle opener…

As the book’s motto says – “Wherever you go….there you are!”
Enjoy.