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Date:         Thu, 19 Feb 2004 16:44:06 -0800
Reply-To:     Phaedra Savage <psavage@MEXCONNECT.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Phaedra Savage <psavage@MEXCONNECT.COM>
Subject:      Your OAXACA responses
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Dear List, Just discovered all your many email responses to my report of earlier today! How wonderful to hear from so many of you. I only have a few minutes, but would like to reply to some of your questions and remarks, as a group, since individual replies are impossible when traveling.

As to the question of a whether a woman can be safe traveling alone in Mexico, the answer is a definite YES. I am a single woman who has traveled all over Mexico, Central and South America alone on and off since the mid 1970īs without any trouble. Mexico is far safer in all ways than the US. Which is not to say trouble cannot be had, but if you use common sense, learn something of the culture in advance of your travels, and learn to speak at least the basics of Spanish, you will do well.

Again, for anyone thinking or dreaming of Mexican travel, by van or any other means, you simply must buy and read the great travel classic, Karl Franzīs ĻThe Peoples Guide to Mexico.Ļ Not a guide book in the normal sense, here you will find a wealth of information on the inīs and outīs of Mexican culture, from tequila drinking, bull fights, buying quality hammocks, sharpening a machete and opening shellfish, to a nice long vocabulary of mechanical terms and car parts. Karl is a wonderful writer, and his old hippy stories dating from the 1970īs to present will put you in stitches. Great illustrations, too. You'll LOVE this book, now in itīs 25th printing.

My Mexico travels began in the late 1960īs in a 1967 Westie--and yes, much has changed here, mostly due to the population explosion. So for those of you who remember special places in Mexico from decades ago, my advice is to get off the beaten track and discover all the marvelous places you havenīt seen. Thereīs still SO MUCH thatīs wonderful to discover here! I now speak Spanish fairly fluently, and after 30 plus years adventuring here, still find magic everywhere.

People travel here in every sort of vehicle! From Westies, every sort of van conversion, pick ups with campers, etc. I even camped recently with a young couple from London who were about to complete their fourth straight year of world travel--they drove a 70īs vintage Citroen with a 4 cyllinder engine that got 60 miles to the gallon. The vehicle doesnīt matter: just go!

Got to go, but will continue to check in as I can. Soon I begin tidying up my Westie to hit the road early Sunday morning, so you might not hear from me again for a while. Love hearing from all of you! Ciao, Phaedra & MexiCali Rose ī85 Wolfsburg Westie

Have you read the latest issue of Mexico Connect? http://www.mexconnect.com


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