I have been planning a 10-day trip to Guatemala or Mexico and had finally decided on Guatemala last night....and then I woke up and my ticket price had jumped $90 and it's suddenly above my budget! There's now a $250 difference in ticket prices between the two locations, so I'm going to go with Mexico and save Guatemala for my next trip. Oh well, I was having a hard time deciding anyways. So my question now is, what part of Mexico to go to that's similar to Guatemala (I'll explain). I know well of Mexico's colonial cities, some of which may match Antigua for beauty...Guanajuato, Morelia, Oaxaca, etc. However, one of the things that intrigues me about Guatemala is the colonial culture - towns with indigenous people who haven't really been too influenced by the west. Or even the ones that have been exposed to the west but have retained their character and are just interesting little places to see a different culture. Where should I go in Mexico to experience this? Any specific suggestions? I'm planning on either traveling to uruapan/Pátzcuaro/Morelia, Guanajuato/San Miguel/Queretaro, Oaxaca, or some combination of those, so obviously suggestions for villages or general areas in that vicinity would be ideal. I think that Chiapas probably has a lot of this stuff but to get to Chiapas I'm looking at a 10+ hour bus ride from Mexico City (I think), so I'm planning on staying more central to avoid wasting too much time on travel. Any advice is greatly appreciated.
...or alternatively I could fly into Cancun if what I am seeking exists in that area, but I don't think it does...
If $90 blows your budget for a 10 day trip you may not be able to afford going. Of the places you list Oaxaca will be the most Guaty. Fly to DF and take a 6 hr. bus ride to Oaxaca. Prices are relatively low now as tourism still hasn't recovered from last years leftist attacks. I pick Oaxaca because of its high Indian population and rich crafts heritage. Lots of interesting Indian villages in the area. The second class bus station can get you to just about any of them for $5 RT. If you could afford it a bus run to San Cristobal would be good. All done...that $250 savings is probably going to be eaten up in higher bus fees, hotel costs and food prices.
BTW...San Cristobal is about 12 hrs from Oaxaca...18 from DF. Take a look at the ticketbus site.
Goodtimebob, you're absolutely right. I just booked my ticket to Guatemala. $590 - alot more than I would have liked to spend, but so be it. feels great to have made a decision! If anyone need a lesson in how NOT to book airfare, shoot me an email. I'm totally psyched...by the way, I love your website - totally inspiring and I love your frank commentary.
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