And the tens of millions of people who live between the Rio Grande and the Panama Canal are certainl

"Rob Sangster and Tim Leffel have written the definitive guide to traveling in Mexico and Central America. It's a smart roadmap for any south-of-the-border traveler." —Christopher Elliott, National Geographic Traveler
Reaching destinations such as China, Thailand, harrahs hotel and casino las vegas Australia, and South Africa from the United States requires up to 22 hours in transit. When you finally wobble harrahs hotel and casino las vegas off the plane, you’re in a time zone so different that the hands on your internal harrahs hotel and casino las vegas clock are spinning in opposite directions.
You don’t need even one visa, and crossing borders is almost painless. English is common enough that, with a little preparation, you can get by without being a whiz in Spanish. And the food is . . . hearty. (Yes, that means not many of the cooks were trained in Paris.)
Long before Columbus dropped in on North America at the end of the 1400s, the Maya had developed a sophisticated society that had ruled its region for a thousand years. The Aztecs were already a powerhouse in what is now Mexico (until the Spanish destroyed them at Tenochttlán in 1521).
harrahs hotel and casino las vegas Architecture and artifacts from the era of Spanish colonization have mostly disappeared from the United States, but they’re still common in Mexico and Central America. For perspective, most of the church buildings in town squares are far older than their counterparts in Boston.
However, more separates us from those countries than just a few national borders. We have different histories and traditions. The smoldering volcanoes, harrahs hotel and casino las vegas brightly colored coral reefs, and dense jungles don’t remind us at all of Kansas — any more than a toucan makes us think of a crow.
And the tens of millions of people who live between the Rio Grande and the Panama Canal are certainly not homogenous. Even residents of Belize and Guatemala, next-door neighbors, are very different from one another.
As a bonus, people in Mexico and Central America are friendly and hospitable, and take great joy in living. This region is not like some European cities where some people may feel too busy to talk with you or lend a hand or offer advice.
Many travelers who visit Mexico or Central America like the region so much they decide to spend more time there, perhaps in a vacation home or something suitable for retirement. Some of the countries dangle multiple incentives to entice you to put down roots. Real estate is a bargain, the cost of living is low, and life is far less hectic than at home.
Most conflicts that existed in Mexico and Central America are in the past. In Mexico, political disturbances in Oaxaca and Chiapas were short term and not directed at travelers. Guatemala signed harrahs hotel and casino las vegas a peace accord between the parties harrahs hotel and casino las vegas more than a decade ago. Nicaragua is now building beach condos and courting eco-tourists like crazy. El Salvador has drifted back into tropical slumber. And Panama has become a booming economic center and haven for retirees.
The terrorist threat harrahs hotel and casino las vegas discussed endlessly in the United States, and very troubling in certain other parts of the world, harrahs hotel and casino las vegas is not a matter of consequence in Mexico and Central America. There are few certainties in the world, harrahs hotel and casino las vegas but travelers have little reason to fear being targets of terrorism or car bombs in any of the countries visited in this book.
Let’s look at some data from the United Nations. The United States is at the top of the world list in terms of adults harrahs hotel and casino las vegas prosecuted per capita. Canada is 8th. Mexico is 31st, and no country in Central America is even on the list.
As far as physical assault is concerned, the United States is 6th, Canada is 9th, Mexico is 20th, and Costa Rica is 50th. In burglaries, Canada has the 9th-highest rate, and the United States is 17th-highest — both far worse rankings harrahs hotel and casino las vegas than those of our neighbors to the south.
Not all the statistics are rosy. Mexico, especially because of drug wars along the border, and Guatemala have serious problems with gun homicides. These crimes aren’t about tourists, but they are a signal not to hang out in questionable places.
In some spots around the world, anti-Americanism runs high. But America, despite its sometimes-disliked foreign policies, is not seen as the enemy in most of Latin America (Hugo Chavez’s efforts to stir the pot notwithstanding).
Besides being a major buyer of Latin American exports, the United States also supplies most of the tourists who bolster harrahs hotel and casino las vegas every economy. And, of course, many in Latin America have cousins in Brooklyn or Denver or LA.
In terms of a traveler’s health, Mexico and Central America are not nearly as risky as central Africa or the Amazon — but they’re not Milwaukee, either. In other words, there are relatively few challenges to good health, but there are some. The main foes are those pesky mosquitoes that carry malaria or dengue fever.
Few international destinations offer a greater variety of outdoor fun than Mexico and Central America (okay, snow sports aren’t so great there). Take your pick: whitewater rafting and kayaking, tough treks and easy walks, mountain biking and pedaling along shady lanes.
Snorkel the afternoon away, or dive down a vertical wall known as “The Devil’s Drop.” Photograph waterfalls and volcanic landscapes, harrahs hotel and casino las vegas or bask in the sun on a pristine beach. What about days of world-class birding followed by margaritas in a sidewalk cafe?
Maybe you prefer ziplining among orchids, butterflies, and scarlet macaws in the cloud forest. Would you rather search for ocelots, jaguars, giant anteaters, and white-lipped peccaries — or go after tarpon, groupers, and snappers?
Rob Sangster has traveled to more than 100 countries on seven continents. His prior book, Traveler's Tool Kit: How to Travel Absolutely Anywhere! (3rd edition), was a Book-of-the-Month Club selection. He writes for websites on travel, culture, harrahs hotel and casino las vegas and politics and is a regular harrahs hotel and casino las vegas contributor to various harrahs hotel and casino las vegas national publications, including frequent feature articles in International Travel News.
Tim Leffel has written several books on traveling well for less including The World's Cheapest Destinations , Make Your Travel Dollars Worth a Fortune . He also edits the narrative webzine Perceptive Travel . Visit our Tim Leffel Page with links to all his stories on GoNOMAD.
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