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Mexico
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{{Infobox Country
|country = of Mexico
|map = <map lat='23' lng='-102' zoom='4' view='0' float='right' />
|pop = 108,700,891
|capital = [[Mexico City]]
}}
== License plates = Where to hitchhike? === Mexican license plates are very easy to interpret: The name of the issuing federal state is written on them (as you will easily notice once in the country). When travelling longer distances or in central Mexico with its many small states it can therefore be useful knowing which state your destination is in (if you have one).
In some mid-sized cities like [[Tampico]], Oaxaca, and [[Pachuca]] there are no transit roads and you have to cross the city. Taking a bus makes things easier.
== Safety ==
It is even less recommendable than in other countries to take drugs or weapons with you, especially since after 2010 the Mexican government, backed by the US DEA who are actually present in Mexico (!!), have decided to crack down on drug and weapon trafficking. This has declined again since the following government of Peña Nieto seems to be more friendly towards the narcos. There still are numerous checkpoints all around the country, but in general it doesn't seem very likely that you will be checked and the soldiers hardly ever search all the way through a large back-pack, unless you answer their questions really bad. If the vehicle you're riding in does get stopped just stay calm, show your passport, say the magic words "''turista''" ("tourist") and "''de paseo nada más''" ("just passing"), and if they ask to see your stuff open you bag and show them that it's all clothes and stuff. Small quantities of marijuana are decriminalized and police officers can probably be convinced to overlook them with a small payment, although of course the Hitchwiki community endorses neither drug possession nor bribery. ;-) Be aware that knives are illegal as they are considered "lethal weapons" according to Mexican law and can theoretically be punished by up to five years of prison.
In the south, your drivers might ask you about your immigration status and advise you of immigration check points.
=== Single Women ===
[[Image:''I traveled for 8 months in Mexico, all by 31723347 1762829300429691 117312268571508736 n.jpg|thumb. I came down Baja California, hitched a sailboat from La Paz to Mazatlán, steamed over to [[Veracruz (City)|Veracruz]] for 240px|left|the carnivalperils of female hitching. nothing dangerous, went up and around but annoying when the Yucatánguys start touching your hair, then down into [[Chiapas]], Guatemala, and then back trying to Veracruzsleep on your shoulder, across to all the big central cities, and down or making a grab for your no no zones ha! strange times but super fun hanging at the Pacific coast to Oaxaca and Guatemala once moreaguascalientes with them. I got picked up by plenty of self-proclaimed drug dealers. Whatever. Lovely countrypictured is Avery warding off a sleepy kid. -- [[User:Chael777|Chael777two_string_sally]]]''
Vegetarians/vegans:''The small less trafficky roads, in the mountains and in Chiapas for instance, can test your patience. If you are coming from south (Guatemala) people might be afraid to pick if you up because there are so many checkpoints. Even the ones who do stop ask food carts or taco places if you they have problems with authoritiesanything vegetarian, and they say no, if you are smuggling drugs or if you have a passport."--look at the ingredients they've got in their work area and get creative! [[User:AstikainChinahitch|AstikainOne vegetarian traveller]] ([[User talk:Astikain|talk]]) 15:59, 4 June 2013 (CEST)'s favourite is tomato and avocado taco.
== Cities Personal experiences ==* [[Mexico City]] (capital)* [[Oaxaca (City)|Oaxaca]]* [[Poza Rica]]* [[Acapulco]]* [[Guadalajara]]* [[San Cristóbal]] de las Casas
Image:Katja and Augustas in Mexico.JPG|Hitchhikers [[Katja and Augustas]] barely fit with all their stuff in the front of this pickup.
Image:Katja hitchhiking in Mexico.JPG|[[Katja and Augustas|Katja]] is ready to get a ride!
Image:Augustas is helping to push the truck in Mexico.JPG|Sometimes hitchhikers can be of help to a driver - here [[Lithuania]]n hitchhiker [[Katja and Augustas|Augustas]] helping to push a truck somewhere in Mexico.
</gallery>
''It may be extremely easy to hitch in mainland Mexico, but in the Baja California peninsula, it's a completely different story! In [[Baja California]], there is only one road, the HWY 1, which isn't hell to hitchhike on but requires a lot of patience: there are often large distances in between cities (which are barely even cities, rather a few ranches and cactus farms) and even larger distances between petrol stations (example: El Rosario is the last one before Guerrero Negro, about 360 km further down in [[Baja California Sur]]). Getting stuck in the middle of the desert is NOT fun, and many people can only take you from town to town as it is local traffic or gringos doing one of the many races down in the Baja. Also, unless you are planning on staying in Baja and going back up towards the USA-Mexico border, you should hitchhike from [[Mexicali]] south. If you plan on heading to mainland Mexico from the Baja, you must take a ferry in either [[La Paz (Baja California Sur)|La Paz]] or [[Cabo San Lucas]] towards [[Mazatlán]], which costs about 80$ USD'' - [[User:Narfette|Narfette]], April 2008
''The Yucatan Peninsula ''([[Campeche]], [[Yucatán]], [[Quintana Roo]])'', on the other hand, outshines all Mexico for its ease and amiability of hitchhiking. You might not even fall victim to Moctezuma revenge eating old papaya slushies and bean burritos out of the trash in some of those tourist strips. Hey''
''In 10 months and tens of thousands of km covered by thumb, my only "bad" experience was between Pto. Angel and [[Oaxaca (City)|Oaxaca City]] (a notorious drug route, as I later learned). The driver asked me to drive and once I was behind the wheel informed me that the van was full of Colombia's finest. I nearly shat myself, but the experience turned out to be quite interesting, as we were forced to make several detours to avoid police checkpoints, taking me through beautiful and remote parts of the [[Oaxaca|Oaxacan]] mountains I otherwise never would have discovered. Be careful not to get set up. A very, very, rare occurance, but one that can happen.''- unknown hitchhiker, July 2010
''I traveled for 8 months in Mexico, all by thumb. I came down Baja California, hitched a sailboat from La Paz to Mazatlán, steamed over to [[Veracruz (City)|Veracruz]] for the carnival, went up and around the Yucatán, then down into [[Chiapas]], Guatemala, and then back to Veracruz, across to all the big central cities, and down the Pacific coast to Oaxaca and Guatemala once more. I got picked up by plenty of self-proclaimed drug dealers. Whatever. Lovely country.'' - [[User:Chael777|Chael777]]'', August 2011
''I hitched at exits and on-ramps and speed bumps (topes) and made excellent time from [[Matamoros]] to [[Catemaco]]. As long as cars are going somewhat slow any place is really a good place to hitchhike. I rarely waited more than fifteen minutes. People were very hospitable. I was treated to lots of delicious food and given places to stay by those who picked me up. This is my favorite country to hitchhike thus far'' - [[User:Eripson|Eripson]], March 2012
''The small less trafficky roads, in the mountains and in Chiapas for instance, can test your patience. If you are coming from south (Guatemala) people might be afraid to pick you up because there are so many checkpoints. Even the ones who do stop ask if you have problems with authorities, if you are smuggling drugs or if you have a passport.'' - [[User:Astikain|Astikain]] ([[User talk:Astikain|talk]]) 15:59, 4 June 2013 (CEST)
''I hitchhiked for two months through the mainland and had a great experience. People are very friendly and willing to help. The biggest thing is getting outside the city. The good thing about the big highways is you are more likely to get a long ride, the bad thing it can be rough to have someone pull over. The small villages are easier to get rides but tend to be short.'' - Jason
''ANDALE! México remains my favorite place to catch a ride- starting in san diego, cali and winding up in ciudad de guatemala a month later was a breeze. forget about that one 24 hour wait in Tonalà (7eleven outside Guadalajara, you were cruel to me), and hear me out when i say that topés (speed rumps) are your besties and camionetas (pick ups) are the most splendid way -and most common ride- to view méxico, especially with a cold Modelo in your hand and Chalino Sanchez serenading your ears from the front seat. got our shit checkpoint-searched HARD in southern baja, witnessed bribes in guate, were taken to unknown aguascalientes in jalisco, had too much tequlia in Tequila, got robbed in jocotepec, hitched a ride with turkeys, bread, candy and piñatas, drank the waters of canyon aguacero in chiapas. oh what a wonderful world. thumbed it solo as a chick and with a male and later female road dawg. ¡buen viaje! signing off.''- two_string_sally april 2018
== Links ==
[[File:Tortugas.jpg|right|thumb|300px|New born turtles in the coast of Mexico, walking towards the ocean.]]
For general info about moneyless travels in Mexico, see [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iqhpdy67vceKm6LBTsYQFU_wulqCb7Q-dPRooZxuU0U/mobilebasic?pli=1 this] handy document.
== Nomadwiki & Trashwiki ==
{{nomadwiki}}
[[es:México]]
[[fr:Mexique]]
[[trashru:Mexico]][[nomad:MexicoМексика]]