It’s time to discuss Crime and Fear in Mexico. Mexico has a rather notorious reputation. Leaving aside the degenerately racist comments once uttered by our then-reality television personality, now-reality television president, many assume that it is violent and dangerous and that one must be on their toes at all times lest you be conned and…
One thing that is not imaginary are the packs of wild dogs that roam Puerto Escondido. As far as strays go, they tend to be an amicable bunch of curs. I’ve visited less hospitable places that are more prone to savagery—like Denver—where there are signs warning that wild dogs are to be avoided and even…
A hot and fast three day pass through Mexico City—time to fire off a first impression that will have to suffice until I get a moment to sit down and do it justice. Mexico City is my kind of madness. It’s the human condition on steroids. It’s full Hieronymus Bosch—a real Garden of Earthly delights.…
I went with a late model Audi A4. The man at the rental agency seemed surprised at my selection, that I would choose the manual Audi over the automatic and perhaps more luxurious Mercedes, but I did so for two reasons. First, because I had written a number of Audi advertisements but had never actually…
Spain is a less structured, come-what-may place, and that is reflected in the Spanish method of driving. Yes, there are lines on the road delineating lanes and, yes, there are speed limits. But these are suggestions more than anything. For the most part, you point your car, hit the gas, and go. Your only goal…
When you’re on the road, it can be all too easy to become fixated on the destination to the detriment of the journey. There are some landscapes – some wastelands – where this is perfectly acceptable. Places where you blast through barren fields, the speedometer dipping below 90 (we’re talking miles per hour now) only…
The first time I drove through Spain it was before GPS was a thing. I believe we were still on Mapquest back then. For those of you who are too young to remember, that meant using half a printer cartridge worth of ink to run off a series of maps and directions that would pile…
When I spoke with the rental agent some hours later he sighed and asked if I had insurance. I did! And he told me there would be no problem. He clacked on his keyboard then informed me that there was a problem. The insurance had been purchased through Expedia, not through the rental agency, so…