Mexico Trip

Recently, I visited San Luis Potosí, a smaller city in Mexico, even though it has international flights. The city is located in the central part of Mexico, nearly a three-hour flight from Houston, Texas, USA. I visited during the annual Día de Muertos festival. Though my trip lasted six days, I stayed in the city for only two days, mostly exploring the downtown area, which was buzzing with festivities, music, and food.

To start from the beginning, I had a horrible time at the Mexican embassy in India. While my USA visa exempted me from needing a separate visa for Mexico, my wife and child required one, necessitating visits to the embassy. I had to visit the embassy 4-5 times, each time facing new documentary requirements related to financial support for the trip. It was a frustrating experience, further compounded by difficulties with the State Bank of India (SBI), ICICI Bank, and securing approval for my salary slips. The process became even more challenging when a three-day delay occurred due to a mismatch in the signature of my superior and his identity card. Unfortunately, this delay forced my wife and child to cancel their travel plans, and I ended up traveling alone.

I broke my journey to Mexico with a stop at San Francisco (SFO) airport, where I met my elder sister, Dr. Rashmi. It was a proud and joyous moment to see her doing so well. She drove me around SFO, showing me places like the 17-Mile Drive, Fisherman’s Wharf, Pleasanton downtown, Pier 39 Market, and other iconic locations. Later, I took a connecting flight to Houston and then to San Luis Potosí, finally arriving in Mexico.

The airport in San Luis Potosí was surprisingly small and fell short of my expectations, especially compared to U.S. airports where I had stood in immigration lines for over 1.5 hours. From the airport, I took a cab straight to my accommodation, a hostel called SUKHA, located in the downtown area. The hostel, run by a Mexican, derived its name from the Hindi word "Sukha." However, it was purely a hostel; calling it a hotel would be an exaggeration. By Indian standards, it resembled a cheap dharamshala near railway stations.

After attending to my official commitments, I explored the downtown area. Initially, I was cautious, keeping an eye out for drug addicts, alcoholics, and daylight robbers, as often portrayed in movies and online accounts. However, I later realized my fears were unfounded since the downtown area was quite safe, though sparsely patrolled by police.

The downtown was full of churches, museums, and markets, all built in an old European style with brick-laid roads, large open squares, and high ceilings in the buildings. The area felt historic, with many structures over 100 years old. I visited a couple of museums, churches, and art galleries, enjoyed local energy drinks from roadside vendors, and cycled through the downtown blocks several times.

Language proved to be a bit of a challenge as few people understood English. I had to rely heavily on Google Translate. Thankfully, my Mexican friends, Marco and Cassandra, helped by showing me around and assisting with shopping. With the exchange rate at 4.5 INR to 1 Mexican peso and many items imported from China, shopping was tricky. Still, I managed to find a good souvenir shop that met my needs.

Finding good vegetarian food was another challenge. While the conference food on the second day was satisfactory, most local dishes were cooked in lard (pig fat), making it hard to find vegetarian options. Meat was a dominant ingredient in most dishes.

Downtown was alive with the festive spirit of October, a global season of celebrations. Germans have Oktoberfest, Indians celebrate Diwali, the USA observes homecoming, and Mexicans honor the Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos). This festival involves offering food, drinks, and clothes to the deceased. Most downtown squares featured decorative setups with skeleton installations of various sizes and shapes. People offered food, flowers, and incense sticks to honor their ancestors. It was fascinating to see how culturally different India and Mexico are, yet they share striking similarities in traditions and social practices.

I enjoyed local street performances like Mariachi and Callejoneadas, which involved musical storytelling with instruments like violins, tunas, and guitars. On the side, I watched a fashion show where women showcased embroidered garments styled in 100 unique ways. Mexican women, like women elsewhere, exuded confidence and were quite open to conversations. Interestingly, I even noticed shops selling sex toys in the area.

Overall, the trip was enjoyable. The availability of Uber cabs alleviated some of my concerns about safety and security. It was amazing to experience a new culture, a new land, and yet observe similar hopes and dreams in people’s eyes. I hope to revisit Mexico someday for a longer stay.