96% of Mexico is Safe for Tourists

With harsh headlines about Mexico still dominating the world's press, it might be expected that vacationers would keep away. However, reports are out that demonstrate that tourists, especially in America, are too savvy to be hoodwinked by scare stories. Now the government is fighting back with answers for the country's critics and data for those weary of being spoon-fed bad news.


Cabo San Lucas
23 million international visitors came to Mexico last year, on business or for pleasure; with their numbers boosted by a further 6 million docking for day-trips from the cruise ships. The majority were citizens of the USA. In 2010, 10% more Americans entered Mexico than in 2009. President Calderon informed a Las Vegas conference of travel executives that 'almost zero' of these even encountered drug violence.

The reason is clear. They were nowhere near the trouble. Mexico is a huge country, divided into 2,500 counties. Of these, only 80 counties are experiencing the problems that dominate coverage in the newspapers. That's only 4% of the total landmass. The remaining 96% of the country ranges from 'relatively safe' through to 'completely safe' from drug cartel violence.


Chichén Itzá
Tourism Secretary Gloria Guevara was asked, in a recent interview, where is it safe to travel to? She replied, "I would say they can go to all the tourist destinations because all the tourist destinations are fine. It depends on whatever you like, but there are a lot of places you should visit and have a great time. Stay away from a couple of cities within the border." ('Popular destinations safe, says Mexico tourism minister'.)

This is a message that is supported by the USA's federal travel warning. This was last updated on April 22nd, 2011, and reads,

Millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year, including more than 150,000 who cross the border every day for study, tourism or business and at least one million U.S. citizens who live in Mexico.

The Mexican government makes a considerable effort to protect U.S. citizens and other visitors to major tourist destinations. Resort areas and tourist destinations in Mexico generally do not see the levels of drug-related violence and crime reported in the border region and in areas along major trafficking routes...

...you are urged to defer non-essential travel to the states of Tamaulipas and Michoacán, and to parts of the states of Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sinaloa, Durango, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosi and Jalisco.
Mexico

In short, Mexico's northern border with the USA.


Guadalajara City
This was not the message conveyed by the Texas Department of Public Safety, which issued its own, more extensive warning earlier this year. Spring breakers were told to stay out of Mexico full stop. The penalty for traveling south, the declaration darkly cautioned, would almost certainly be dire. DPS Director Steven C. McCraw was reported widely stating, "Our safety message is simple: avoid traveling to Mexico during Spring Break and stay alive."

He was almost universally ignored. Not only did his predicted bloodbath utterly fail to occur, but the numbers of Spring Breakers reached record proportions in 2010.


Spring Breakers in Cancun
In addition, there has been a steady stream of celebrities crossing the border, for work, pleasure and, in some cases, matrimony, throughout the year. By their very nature, these are the pampered and protected products of film and TV studios or record labels, who would soon be forbidding any destination which might threaten their star.

Yet just today, American journalists were writing, 'Now that Mexico's tourist industry is pulling out of a long, well-publicized slump... we can't help noticing that the uptick parallels an accelerating stream of celebrities visiting the country.' ('Stars head to Mexico for work and pleasure.')


American actors Soleil Moon Frye, Eric Dane, Rebecca Gayheart and their children, on a Memorial Day vacation, in the Four Seasons Resort, Punta de Mita, Mexico
Terry Denton, president of the Travel Leaders/Main Street Place Travel in Fort Worth, explained that, "In the past, people in Texas have rolled things like this off their back because they were savvy with Mexico travel." Though he did report a substantial increase in concerned people visiting his office with their questions, after the DPS warning was issued. "In many cases, we could alleviate any fears and concerns they had by sharing our knowledge of statistics and geography."

However, American travel agencies remained unimpressed with the scaremongering, which could well have hit them right in the pocket. Adventure Travel Trade Association president, Shannon Stowell, was blunt in her response to the issue. "If you look at federal travel warnings, they are very editorial free, just reportage on the facts. But the one that came out of Texas had what I would call an inflammatory message. It was an unfair blanket statement. It's a damage to our membership." ('Tourism groups ask Texas DPS to refine its warnings about Mexico'.)

No-one in government, nor the American tourist agencies, are denying that there are severe troubles in certain parts of the country. Javier Sicilia's peace caravan, which has weaved its route throughout Mexico and is currently at the US border, is just one testimony to that.


Javier Sicilia at the head of the Peace Caravan
President Calderon is the first to admit it. "Yes we have problems... We are dealing with that, we are facing it." He stated, at the Las Vegas conference, but he also commented, "Mexico is a safe place to visit." Because once the hotspot 4% of the country is avoided, then it is.

Tourism Secretary Gloria Guevara also recognized past marketing errors. "We left a gap of lack of information. That gap was filled up with bad news and that happened for a couple years. We realized that was a mistake and we’re fixing it. Yes, we have some challenges but, I haven’t met a country that doesn’t have challenges."

In the meantime, 2011 has been declared the Year of Tourism by Mexico's government; and that tourism is going from strength to strength.

Bono's Birthday Bash in Mexico City

Irish supergroup, U2, were in Mexico last month, as part of their 360° Tour. If the notion of seeing them in concert was enough to excite fans, then what happened next drove them into a frenzy.

Lead singer, Bono, was celebrating his 51st birthday, with crowds gathered at his restaurant to catch a glimpse of the band. That was all the excuse he needed to step out onto the streets. The champagne cork was popped right in the middle of his over-joyed fans.



Bono had already been establishing his Mexican credentials. On stage, he donned a sombrero offered by a fan; wearing it for a chorus of 'The Real Thing' before handing it back. Later, he declared, 'we are Irish Latinos'. The crowd appreciated it. They apparently had adopted Mexican pseudonyms for the event.

Adam was introduced as Rafa Marquez, while 'behind me, he never changes, he still looks 24, the chicharito of the band, Larry Mullen' and Edge was christened Hugo Sanchez.
'Where's Frank?' www.u2.com

Mexico City's Aztec Stadium was packed out for the three nights that they played. Each concert had sold out to its capacity of 105,000 tickets, but a good view was assured by the staging. The 360° Tour refers to the circular platform upon which U2 were playing. Huge screens relayed images of the band above their heads.


The 300k plus crowds in Mexico were just a drop in the ocean for this tour. It has already become the high-grossing tour, by any artist, in history. An estimated $558 million has been made from it.

Since forming, in 1976, U2's activism and promotion of social issues have been as famous as their music. Their trip to Mexico was no exception. From the Aztec Stadium's stage, on the final night, Bono highlighted the plight of victims of drug violence in northern Mexico; and castigated the unchecked flow of arms from the USA. His speech led to a rendering of 'Pride (In the Name of Love)', with slightly altered lyrics to create a Mexican context. (Footage of the event can be found here.)


Mexican president, Felipe Calderon, was in the audience that night. Bono, who seems to have had a private audience with just about every world leader, prominent peace activist and religious representative of the past two decades, was invited to meet with President Calderon.

Their discussions took place behind closed doors, in the presidential offices at Los Pinos, in Bosque de Chapultepec. It is believed that they covered the issues caused by arms and drugs trade, poverty, global warming and Mexico's role as host of the G-20 meeting in 2012.

Endemic Species of Mexico

Endemic species are those creatures, birds, plants etc that are only found in one place in the wild. By their very nature, they are endangered. If there is only a population in one place, then something negatively effecting that habitat is going to threaten them with extinction. From volcanic bunnies to rare giant frogs, megadiverse Mexico has thousands of endemic species. Let us examine just a few.

Cozumel Thrasher

The Cozumel Thrasher is a mockingbird that lives only on the Island of Cozumel, off the Yucatán Peninsula. It is the most critically endangered bird in Mexico, as its population levels have dropped dangerously.

It's not alone in that status on the island. This is the sole habitat of several other birds and mammals, all of which are protected, as humanity tries to hold back the tide of extinction for them.

The Thrasher is special though, in that it's already been extinct and come back. Well, not quite. It was assumed to be gone from the world and was thus registered. Then, in 2004, someone spotted one in Cozumel and there has been a scramble to save it ever since.

Some think that it's already too late, as there has not been a reliable sighting of Cozumel Thrasher since 2008. If you're on the island, please keep your eyes peeled. There will be a lot of relieved ornithologists, if you find it.

Flat-headed Myotis

The bat is one of the smallest in the world. It weighs about the same as two peanuts held in your hand. It's also one of the rarest creatures to spot, even in its natural habitat in a valley in Coahuila. It was first seen in 1952, then not again until 1966, when there were two separate sightings. Then nothing. By 1996, it was declared extinct.

A team from the Program for the Conservation of Bats of Mexico weren't happy with this designation, so set out to try and find the miniature bat. That was in 1997. In 2006, they finally found eleven of them, in Los Pinos, Coahuila. You can read all about it in their article: 'The Flat-Headed Myotis is Alive & Well: 'Extinct' bat is rediscovered in northern Mexico'.

Great Peeping Frog

The Great Peeping Frog, aka Rana-fisgona Labios Blancos, is only found in the Zonas del Pedregal de San Ángel, just south of Mexico City. Its natural habitat is sub-tropical or tropical dry shrubland, thus it loves the lava fields of Volcán Xitle.

The problem for this frog was that it lives so close to Mexico's capital city. As the city expanded, it ate up more and more of its habitat, right up until the point when someone realised it was going to become extinct. Pedregal de San Ángel has now been made a nature reserve, with the Great Peeping Frog under the 'special protection' registration of the Mexican government.

Nevertheless, there are no natural corridors into the outside world and the population of these mighty frogs has dangerously decreased. Survey work is currently underway to determine how many are left and if they are going to survive as a species.

Guadalupe Fur Seal

You used to be able to find the fur seal all up the Pacific coast, from Mexico to Canada. However, their skin is so soft, dense, waterproof and lovely, who wouldn't want to make clothes out of it? As a result, they had been hunted out of existance, in the USA, by 1825. Now they can only be found on and around Mexico's Guadalupe Island, off the coast of Baja California.

Commercial hunting stopped, in Mexico, in 1894, when just seven remained. The Guadalupe Fur Seal population has now grown to approximately 10,000, so their status has been altered to 'near threatened', as opposed to practically extinct. They remain listed as 'endangered' in the USA though. Guadalupe Island has been declared a seal sanctuary.

There was a bit of drama concerning one recently. A stray young male Guadalupe Fur Seal washed up on Torrey Pines State Beach, in the USA, in a terrible condition. He was starving and suffering from both hypoglycemia and hypothermia. He was taken to SeaWorld, in San Diego, where he was nursed back to full health. Nicknamed Buddy, the seal was then returned to the Pacific Ocean. As he was fitted with a tracking device, it is known that he immediately headed home and appears to be going strong. (Guadalupe Fur Seal Released Into the Ocean.)

Mexican Prairie Dog

Southern Coahuila and northern San Luis Potosi are the only places where the Mexican Prairie Dog might be found. However, they are another species which has made it onto the 'endangered' register. This time it is because they have been historically considered to be agricultural pests. Therefore ferrets kept being sent down their 'towns' (subterranean habitat of the prairie dogs) to kill them.

The 'towns' generally have a funnel-like entrance, leading into a sloping passageway up to 100ft underground. Leading off this tunnel are little rooms, all dug out by the prairie dogs. Inside them, the prairie dogs sleep and store grasses, herbs and other tasty items of food.

Since 1994, the prairie dogs, now living in less than 4% of their original habitat, have been listed as 'endangered'. Two organizations, Pronatura Noreste and Profauna, have taken it upon themselves to save them. They have been highly successful in securing the protection of 42,000 acres (170 km²) of grasslands for the prairie dogs. This involved getting a lot of signatures from private land owners and those using communal areas. It is hoped that the initiative will see the survival of these creatures.

Querétaro Pocket Gopher

In the north-eastern corner of Querétaro state, there is the Sierra del Doctor. Nestled deep in this remote, tiny mountain range is the Querétaro Pocket Gopher.

Very little is known about this small mammal. It lives underground and it is noctural. But there are so few of them, in such a remote location, that most research relies on hearsay. The locals know all about them. They see the evidence in mounds of earth, under which the pocket gophers have been burrowing.

For many farmers, they are incorrectly seen as pests, despite the fact that there is some evidence that the pocket gophers are responsible for the richness of the soil up there. All that digging has the effect of aerating it, while their droppings fertilize the it, deep underground.

San José Island Kangaroo Rat

As the name suggests, the San José Island Kangaroo Rat can only be found on San José Island, off the coast of Baja California, where it is steadily being eaten out of existence by feral cats. There are very few adults left now and they all live in very close proximity. These rats are, therefore, listed as Critically Endangered.

In addition to the feral cat problem, there's also the habitat destruction by wild goats and human development. The Mexican government, fearful of an actual extinction here, have stepped in to protect the immediate vicinity of the rats' home. They live in open grasslands, close to a sandy beach.

For the record, kangaroo rats aren't related to the marsupial. But they do tend to hop, instead of the scurrying of an average rat, hence the name.

Tres Marias Raccoon

It is thought that the ancestors of the Tres Marias Raccoon was just the same as any other common Mexican raccoon. But sometime in the past, the raccoons got trapped or taken to an archipelago, just off the coast of Nayarit. The Islas Marias became their home and, without contact with the mainland, the Tres Marias Raccoon evolved into an entirely different family.

This raccoon is quite large, compared to its mainland cousins, with an angular skull also setting it apart. Scientists are still arguing over whether it is a separate species or simply an interbred stray family. No conservation efforts are currently in practise.

Unfortunately, it's on the brink of extinction, having been listed as 'endangered'. Only 250 known adults survive on two of the three islands; while they've disappeared completely from Isla María Magdalena. The largest number exist on Isla María Madre, where the islanders are still killing them as pests.

Volcano Rabbit

Stand in Mexico City and look to the horizon. There are three large volcanos (not all are active), upon the slopes of which live the world's rarest bunny. The Volcano Rabbit loves the warm soil. In particular, it loves the leaves that grow on zacatón grasses, which only grow where there is thermal heating.

They live at an altitude of 9,186-13,943ft (2800-4250 meters), in an area of dense pine forest. They congregate in families of just two to five and emerge at dawn or dusk. The rest of the time, they are deep underground in their warrens.

The Volcano Rabbit is endangered, though, surprisingly, that has nothing to do with lava. The zacatón grass has been over-grazed, because natural corridors to other areas have been cut off by human development. In addition, the rabbit has been used for target practice. There are now laws in place to stop both things happening again.

Yucatán Wren

The Yucatán wren is only found on the northern strip of the Yucatán Peninsula. This is an area of dense mangrove shrubbery, right on the Caribbean coast, which is a perfect habitat for them.

It is always dangerous, in terms of the survival of a species, to live in just one locality. The poor Yucatán wren had the misfortune to choose an area just north of Cancún for its home. As the demand grows for holiday accommodation, and homes for those serving tourists in all of the attractions, the borders of Cancún have crept ever northwards. Its now encroaching upon Yucatán wren territory.

Things aren't critical yet. The wren is listed as 'near threatened' and planners have been quick to react to conservation concerns. Ría Celestún, San Felipe and Río Lagartos are all designated national parks, where the Yucatán wren can live in protection.

Pancho Villa: Wild Roses, Tender Roses

Pancho Villa was angry. Pancho Villa was really angry. He had the governor of the state of Chihuahua, but he should be President of Mexico. He knew it. The people knew it. He suspected that even the President of the USA knew it; but the Americans had not only sided with Carranza, but had also sabotaged his own cause. As far as Villa was concerned, his former allies, the USA, were now his enemies.

But he could also use them. The USA had already invaded Veracruz. If Villa could spark more hostilities from their Northern neighbour, then even the war-weary Mexicans might rise up again en masse. With Carranza out, then Villa would have to take the country. He would have the popular vote.


Villa's troops amass in Agua Prieta.
There were a few skirmishes, notably up in Agua Prieta, Sonora, right on the border with Arizona, on 1 November 1915. Though the Americans were not openly lured into combat, they did provide much of the equipment used to repel Villa's men, including searchlights powered with American electricity.

Then, three months later, a train carrying American employees of the Mexican mining company ASARCO was attacked near Santa Isabel, in Chihuahua. Villa admitted to ordering the attack, but he denied giving the command to kill the seventeen dead Americans. But worse was to come; and when it came, Villa did not deny a thing. He had invaded the USA.


On March 9th, 1916, Villa took 500 men on a raid into New Mexico, USA. The town of Columbus had a garrison of American cavalry attached to it and it was this which was targeted by Villa. In the early hours of the morning, the Villistas burst into the area, in a two-pronged attack on both town and garrison. Fierce fighting raged through the streets, with the Mexicans yelling, "¡Viva Villa!". It left the Americans in no doubt whatsoever as to who had arrived.

There are many twists and versions of this horrific event. Many chroniclers hailed it a defeat for Villa, as the Mexican dead far outstripped the American. But Columbus was practically razed to the ground and Villa escaped back into Mexico with the majority of his men. His objective had been to provoke the USA into invading Mexico and that was successful.


On March 14, 1916, the Mexican Expedition, or Pancho Villa Expedition, began, with American troops entering Mexico. Their sole objective was to find, capture and/or kill Pancho Villa. 4,800 ground troops took up the hunt, with military Curtiss "Jenny" airplanes providing aerial surveillance. But the countryside closed around Villa and the people hid him. For nearly a year, the American military searched before admitting defeat. On February 7, 1917, they finally withdrew empty-handed.


Contemporary cartoon depicting the Mexican Expedition
In the meantime, Villa had twice entered the US state of Texas and his raids had seen American dead.

Moreover, Carranza had not been happy about the American military wandering Mexico without his invitation. There were several battles between the Mexican Federal Army and the Americans. Diplomatic relations soured between Presidents Carranza and Wilson.

This reached a head, when one of Villa's officers sneaked a letter over the border, informing the Americans that Carranza was working with the German Empire. America had just been drawn into World War One, with Mexico nominally neutral. Villa's intelligence report stated that the Germans were going to use Mexico to attack the USA, thus keeping them from arming the Allied forces over in Europe.

The news was taken very seriously and, on August 27, 1918, violence erupted in the border split-town of Nogales. Half of this lies in Arizona, USA, and the other half in Sonara, Mexico. It was here that American troops met Mexican Federal troops, in the Battle of Ambos Nogales. By evening, Carranza's men surrendered and the fighting was over. The USA had won, but the humiliation was on both sides.


Nogales, showing the Mexican-American border through its center
Pancho Villa remained at large for the rest of his life. Despite substantion rewards offered by the American government and private individuals, he was never betrayed by the people of Mexico. There are unsubstantiated reports that he was also able to travel at will through some areas of the USA, especially California.

Nevertheless, his reputation was in tatters over the border. The 'Robin Hood' moniker was squashed under a wealth of new stories circulated about him. He was a mass rapist, who killed any woman who would not submit to him; he was nothing but a low-life leader of a criminal gang, akin to a Mafia Don; he was a murderer and a thief, with no value for human life; he had 26 wives and a score of illegimate children; he conspired with the Germans; he had no morals at all.

The American public turned against him, especially in the northern states, where he had never been personally known. Yet, even today, in the places where these attrocities were alleged to have taken place, Villa's name is uttered with respect. He appears, through the memories of the Mexican poor, as much a folk hero now, as he did then. Time has not tarnished the image and, as Hollywood prepares for another film about his, it has restored some of the gloss.


Carranza had never regained his lost credibility and so hadn't stood for re-election. However, the President had gone out of his way to try and discredit General Obregón, another popular revolutionary choice. Carranza's efforts including stripping Obregón of his rank and military honors, which only served to enhance the revolutionary's popularity.

Another uprising appeared imminient, but it ended quickly with a single battle between the forces of Obregón and Carranza. The President stepped down and fled towards Veracruz. He never made it, but was assassinated, in Puebla, by another revolutionary, Rodolfo Herrero. Obregón was elected and that signalled the end of the Mexican Revolution.


Obregón and his government
It was around this time that Pancho Villa announced his intention to retire from revolutionary life. There was no love lost between him and Obregón (the two had fought each other in battle a few times), but the signs were bright that Obregón was the president that Mexico needed.

There were a series of reforms passed which sought to finally realise some of the demands of the Revolution. He was even standing firm against the USA, over demands from their northern neighbour that article 27 of the Mexican Constitution; though other concessions were unpopular amongst his people, even while they salved US relations.

Villa knew that he couldn't become President of Mexico now. It would be like painting a giant bull's eye on his back, as that was a very public office for someone with such a bounty on his head. Instead, he disbanded his army, but for a small personal bodyguard, and withdrew with Sra. María Luz Corral de Villa and their children to a hacienda in Chihuahua. It had been awarded to him, as part of a peace agreement with the Mexican government, following the assassination of Carranza.


Pancho Villa and his wife, Maria Luz Corral de Villa
On July 20, 1923, Pancho Villa drove to the local bank, with just two bodyguards, to take out the wages for his hacienda staff. His car was ambushed and Villa died instantly, peppered with bullets, along with one of his men. It has never conclusively proved who killed him.

Places to Visit

* There is a statue of Pancho Villa, on horseback, in the city of Chihuahua.

* Cerro de la Bufa, Zacatecas. There is an aerial tramway to the memorial and museum dedicated to Pancho Villa here. A telescope can be used to survey the actual, arduous terrain that Villa needed to traverse in order to take the silver town.

* The Historical Museum of the Mexican Revolution, in Chihuahua, has many artefacts belonging to Pancho Villa, including the bullet-ridden car, in which he was killed, and his death mask.

* Villa's grave is in Parral Cemetery, Hidalgo del Parral, in Chihuahua. However, his remains were removed from and buried under the Monumento a la Revolución (Monument of the Revolution), in Mexico City. He shares a mausoleum with other figures from this historical time, including Madero and Carranza.

* A Hollywood film, entitled 'Wild Roses, Tender Roses', is due to begin filming next year. It will tell the story of Pancho Villa.

Pancho Villa: The Second Mexican Revolution

It seemed that Pancho Villa could do no wrong. On both sides of the Mexican-American border, he was proclaimed a hero.

Years later, chroniclers and reporters would travel through Chihuahua, Durango and Sonara, collecting stories of orphans delivered to safety and given treats; of the robbed having their possessions returned; of widows and the elderly given money and care; of wrongs righted and justice served.

In the USA, Hollywood moguls jostled for the rights to tell the story of Pancho Villa. From Washington to California, there were people singing his praises. Viewed as a modern-day Robin Hood, Villa could get a free meal anywhere. This was before we even got to revolution.



For Villa, the rise of Huerta to the presidency was a personal matter. Not only had the man once framed Villa for horse theft and almost had him shot, but he had undone the meagre gains of the Mexican Revolution. Huerta's policies were more than a return to those of Díaz. It was a full on dictatorship, forged in blood and heavy-handed responses to any who criticized him.

Moreover, Huerta arrested and executed Abraham González. This academic had been the brains behind the proposed reforms of the Revolution. He had written a far-reaching Constitution, which would have helped the Mexican poor out of poverty. He had advised Madero and recruited Villa to the cause. Now he was dead. Much later, Villa was to hunt down González's remains and give him a proper funeral. Villa probably would have rode out anyway, but the murder of González sealed the deal.

Villa crossed into El Paso, Texas, in the USA, to make his plans. He was well respected there. He funded his army on beef and cattle sold to the Texans, who willingly paid in arms or money. As Villa's prestige grew, and Huerta's correspondingly fell, Villa even started producing his own currency, which was readily accepted in Texas. His coinage was good and stable. He also had a contract with a studio in Hollywood. They would film his revolution and he would receive 50% of the door profits to fund it.


By the time Villa crossed back into Ciudad Juárez, the call had gone out. This Division of the North had never officially disbanded after the first Revolution and it quickly reassembled. Villa was in touch with other discontented leaders, such as Venustiano Carranza, and he was well stocked with American fire-arms. It didn't take long for practically the entire north of Mexico to fall under rebel control, with Pancho Villa's name attached to many of the major battles. (His military prowess and genius at battle strategies was impressive enough for the American army to start studying them; then using them in training exercises amongst their own personnel.)

Huerta hadn't quite been the puppet president that the USA had anticipated. In fact, he had acted with downright hostility towards American businesses in Mexico. The Americans were concerned enough to station navy ships in the Gulf of Mexico. The situation was to reach its zenith in the Tampico Affair.


Tampico, in Tamaulipas, was the site of a large American oil refinery. As Villa and Carranza closed upon it, President Woodrow Wilson sent messages to Huerta to ask what he was going to do about it. Meanwhile, US navy ships rushed into the area to evacuate their civilians from the town. Federal Mexican troops, controlled ultimately by Huerta, raised their guns on an American ship, the USS Dolphin. There was no-one amongst them who spoke both Spanish and English, on either side, thus the Americans on board were arrested and taken into custody.

They were eventually released, but not without bad feeling on each side. Rear Admiral Henry T. Mayo, of the US navy, demanded a written apology of Huerta and the placement of the Stars and Stripes to fly over Tampico. Huerta didn't respond, though the governor of Tampico did write the apology. All requests for the American flag to stand on Mexico soil were refused. President Woodrow Wilson ordered an invasion and American forces took Veracruz.


All the time, Villa and Carranza waited, not advancing, though it was obvious that they could have done. They were piling on the pressure in full knowledge of how the Americans would react. It forced Huerta to fight on too many fronts, without the backing of either his own people or their powerful northern neighbours. The people, en masse, were supporting Villa. It was his charisma and integrity which brought them from their fields; his strategy and generalship which won the battles; and the sheer presense of the man that foresaw a better future for Mexico. On 15 July 1914, Huerta bowed to the inevitable and fled the country.

It felt, at the time, that Villa was poised to become Mexico's next president. Wherever he went, the people would rush from their homes to cheer him. "¡Viva Villa! ¡Viva Villa! ¡Viva Villa!"


But there had already been some puzzling maneuvering along the chain of command. On the eve of Huerta's flight, Carranza had asked Villa to take his troops to attack Saltillo, a town which was still loyal to the president. Villa did so with his usual flair, winning the territory outright. In the meantime, Carranza had entered Mexico City in triumph.

Villa was outraged and immediately diverted his forces onto Zacatecas, the source of much of Mexico's silver wealth. It was a daring target, with easily defensible terrain to cross, but Villa did it. Carranza might have secured the capital city, but Villa had Mexico's economy.

It once again felt cut and dried. Villa would become president and he would ensure that all of the revolution's reforms would be applied. But there was one more sting in the tale. President Woodrow Wilson gave the order that the USA was siding with Carranza. The wily revolutionary politician had already done a deal with Standard Oil, the largest US oil company represented in Mexico. He would protect their interests first.


President Carranza (bearded with a stick) and his government
Villa continued to hold Zacatecas, but he ordered a half of his northern army to attack Carranza. They should have won. Villa's strategies were there and they had the strength and experience. But they were also fighting with ammunition, which had just arrived from Texas. The bullets were duds. 14,000 of Villa's men died on the field and the US president used that as justification for the fact that Carranza was the stronger candidate. From now on, no American arms would be supplied to Villa and no more financing was to come from north of the border.

Pancho Villa felt betrayed. He declared war upon the USA.

Pancho Villa: The Mexican Revolution

It is 1910 and the call goes out. Francisco I. Madero was rising an army and leading it against Mexico's long-term ruler, Porfirio Díaz. Madero was himself a wealthy landowner, one of the very class which benefitted so well under the president, but he was a idealist too. He could see that Mexico couldn't go on like this and his rhetoric espoused change.

He tried to run against the president, legally, in an election, but was jailed. Madero's supporters spoke out. Díaz was a dictator. The people were suffering in poverty. If he wouldn't leave office then there was only one course of action. Revolution! Revolution! Revolution!


The Revolutionaries by David Alfaro Siqueiros
This wasn't the first uprising in Mexico. Before Díaz had become president, the jostling for power had been incessant. But it was the first serious challenge to him in a generation; and the ordinary people had not risen up in such numbers since the War of Independence. After thirty years of dispossession and fear of the police, they had had enough.

Up in the mountains of Chihuahua, another man, adept at reading the way the wind blew, watched the stirrings of revolution with interest. Francisco Villa had progressed through the ranks of Durango banditry and crossed the border into Chihuahua.

At 32 years old, he had become something of a folk hero. Stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, in the best traditions of Robin Hood; he was viewed widely as less of a bandit and more a force for justice and the fair redistribution of wealth. While the poor put in all of the hard work, the landowners took all of the benefits. Francisco Villa's gang were simply redressing the odds.

From Durango to Chihuahua, he was known fondly by a pet name for Francisco: Pancho. He couldn't starve. The poor fed him. If he rode through, then the pursuing police would find that no-one had seen a thing. He wasn't a blood-thirsty criminal, he was their Pancho. They loved him and they trusted him.

Thus, in these states, the Revolution wasn't particularly real, until the moment when Pancho Villa came down from the mountains and declared his intention to raise his own army in support of Madero. Then, and only then, did people in the haciendas put down their tools en masse. The División del Norte (Northern Division) of the Revolutionary Army was formed.


It should be noted that Villa wasn't just influential in Northern Mexico. Over the border, in the USA, he was also largely viewed as one of the good guys. When he raised his own revolutionary army, many Americans took up their arms and raced to join him. There were so many, in fact, that Villa created a whole American squadron under the command of Capt. Tracey Richardson.

The rest of his vast army was largely made up of poverty-striken Mexican labourers. They were armed by sympathetic citizens of the USA or else they created their own weapons. Homemade cannons, guns and bayonets flooded into the battlefield. It wasn't just the men out there. Women and children also took up arms in their own defense. The surgency, under Villa, swept the board. Madero's army accepted them into their ranks gladly, though, in many ways, they had no choice in the matter!


Click images for a larger view.


Fighting broke out throughout Mexico, though Villa's activities were restricted to the north. This fell quickly. Mexcali and Chihuahua City were soon in rebel hands. Then Pancho Villa's troops joined with Pascual Orozco's army to take Ciudad Juárez. This was significant. It meant that a city, bordering the USA, was now out of Díaz's control. Weaponry, from Mexico's northern neighbour, could flood unchecked into the country and provide the rebel army with even greater fire-power.

Moreover, Madero had escaped from prison and he was hiding in Texas. The taking of Ciudad Juárez, which borders the Texan city of El Paso, allowed Madero to just step back into Mexico and appeal directly to the Mexico people and their president.

Díaz was worried. Any fighting, in places like Ciudad Juárez, drew the risk of stray artillery injuring or killing Americans in El Paso. That might be all the excuse that the government of the USA needed to declare open war. The territorial desires of the USA had a strong precedent. During the past few decades, they had already taken northern California, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico and Colorado. It wasn't a huge stretch of the imagination to consider the loss of Baja California, Sonara, Chihuahua and Coahuila too.

Díaz did not want to be remembered as the president who had further lost parts of Mexico. He agreed to meet with Madero and sign a peace treaty. The Treaty of Ciudad Juárez was signed on May 21, 1911. Under the terms of it, Díaz was to step down and install Francisco León de la Barra as an interim president, until proper elections could be held. Díaz did just that, then fled to France. He was never to return to Mexico again.


Revolutionary leaders, including Pancho Villa, after the signing of the Treaty of Ciudad Juárez
However, commentators at the time noted that, in the Treaty, Madero had not pressed for any of the reforms that had fuelled the ideology of this revolution. Where were the terms of 'free suffrage and no re-election'? Where were the land laws, which protected against just 5% of Mexicans lording it over the other 95%? In fact, the whole government was left intact, with just a new figurehead.

Some just assumed that Madero would change things once he was in power. They shook their heads over the fact that he didn't just assume control now, but that was all. It became academic shortly afterwards, when an election was held and Madero won a landslide victory. The revolution had been a success. Díaz was out and the self-proclaimed champion of the poor was in. Madero was president and the war was over. Hurrah!




Pancho Villa had taken Ciudad Juárez with Pascual Orozco, but he didn't like the man. Something about him just rubbed Villa up the wrong way. With the onset of peace and the installation of Madero as president, Villa resigned his command as general. This doesn't mean that he lost his army. The people were there for him, not some distant politician. They might have largely returned to their homes, but Villa was still their general. He only had to give the call and they would rise again.

Fortunately, despite some unsettling signs, that didn't appear imminently necessary. Pancho Villa declared his intention to lead a quiet life. He would retire to the mountains, perhaps buy a hacienda of his own. In the meantime, he would make an honest woman of his girlfriend, Maria Luz Corral. They married, in Chihuahua, on May 29, 1911.


Pancho Villa and Maria Luz Corral.
They thought it was all over, but the Mexican Revolution had only just begun.

Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo is a day of great feasting, drinking, dancing and celebration of all that it is to be Mexican. However, this primarily takes place in the USA. In Mexico itself, it's a holiday in the state of Puebla, but elsewhere it's not really marked. Naturally, the tourist resorts have recently recognized that it's expected to be a thoroughly Mexican event, hence they will cater for it. It's mostly to allow American visitors the chance to celebrate the festival, while in Mexico. So what's it all about then?

Cinco de Mayo translates as May the 5th. It marks the anniversary of one of the great 'what if?' turning points of modern history. On May 5th, 1862, the people of Puebla took on an invading French force. The French troops were highly organized and experienced; and they carried much superior weaponry. They also vastly outnumbered the defending Mexicans. Nevertheless, in a true David and Goliath type clash, the Pueblans won.


They shouldn't have won. No-one had expected them to win. Yet they sent the French packing (briefly) from Mexican shores. For Mexico, the story wasn't over. The French returned a year later and occupied the country for another three. However, for the USA, that breathing space was enough to alter everything. If the French had controlled Mexico, in 1862, then Napolean would have supplied the Confederency. The South would have almost certainly gone on to win the American Civil War.

The Mexican victory, at the Battle of Puebla, gave the Union forces time to consolidate. The decisive Battle of Gettysburg occurred just 14 months afterwards. Alternatively, if the French had won, then Napolean would have made good on his own policies, which was to use Mexico as a base to invade the weakened American Union. The combined forces of France and Mexico would have entered America through the established and victorious Confederate States of America. Napolean's long-term strategy was a classic divide and conquer. Would the USA have been added to the French Empire?


Though not widely celebrated in Mexico, it is a day which Mexicans can look back upon with pride. After all, while in a weakened and practically bankrupt state (the Mexican-American wars had just ended), we kicked out a vastly superior invading army. It was a huge morale boost for Mexico at the time. It continues to be throughout the intervening years.

If you are in Mexico today and wish to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, then the city of Puebla is the place to be. Here you will find the extravagant parades and street parties. You may sample a variety of traditional Mexican food from the booths set up in and around Boulevard Cinco de Mayo. However, please note that many of the shops will be closed, as this is a state holiday. Enjoy!

Spring Break in Cancun

It's coming up to that time of year again. Students across the USA are cramming for exams and burning the midnight oil, in order to get that assignment in on time. But the scent of spring break is in the air and, for an even higher number of people than ever, that means Mexico! Orbitz has reported that Cancun, San Jose del Cabo and Puerto Vallarta are all in the top five Spring Break destinations this year. Bring on the party!



Resort towns, like Cancun, are crowded at the best of times, but Spring Break is when the atmosphere really starts buzzing. Flash parties, organized parties, activities and trips, anything can and will happen, with perfect strangers grinning solidarity in the streets. Everyone is here for a fun time and the excitement is palpable in the air.

If you are one of the thousands who make the pilgrimage here every year, then you know what to expect. Party on! This is a blog aimed at those venturing out for the first time. Oh! You are going to have such a treat! However, for many of you, this is a foreign country, so let's see how we can prepare you for a great vacation.

Endless Tours's Top Ten Tips for a
Perfect Cancun Spring Break.



Tip Number One: Pack Well

Cancun is hot, in every sense of the word! You will be basking beneath a tropical sun, with a beach-life booming and the nightclubs beckoning. If you are unfamiliar with such temperatures and lifestyle, then you'll need to know what to pack.

We blogged about that here: Packing for your Cancún Vacation.

Tip Number Two: Exchange Your Money

Cancun is a tourist destination and, as such, the majority of places accept US dollars. It's convenient for those on vacation. But is it necessarily the best deal for you?

Enter the debate and know your currency here: Dollars versus Pesos in Cancún.



Tip Number Three: Educate Yourself About Timeshare

As soon as you step off the 'plane, you will be approached by Timeshare representatives. They will offer fantastic deals, including free trips or entrance passes into attractions. They will offer the world on a plate. It is your prerogative to decide whether to accept or walk away. However, you can't really do that unless you know precisely what Timeshare is!

Learn all about it in this blog: Timeshare.

Tip Number Four: Arrive Quickly and Safely at your Hotel.

The last thing that you want is any delay in getting to the party. Once out of the airport, you will be met with a bewildering array of people offering to drive you to your accommodation. Many of these will be Timeshare operatives; while some are unlicensed drivers out to make a quick buck. Hey! It happens everywhere! But you don't have to fall for any of it.

The trick is to book your shuttle transfer in advance. Naturally, we'll want to highlight the Endless Tours service here. Alternatively, Cancun Airport has licensed the internationally reknowned Taxi by Hertz.



Tip Number Five: Find the Party.

To be fair, it would be harder to not find any parties. Cancun is one big party during Spring Break. They even happen on the bus. True story.

Read about some of the bigger Cancun nightclubs here: Party Night in Cancún.

Tip Number Six: Party Legally!

Nothing puts a dampener on a vacation like being arrested and thrown in jail. (Though granted, for some, no vacation is complete without it.) Please do remember that you are in a foreign country now, so the laws may be totally different to those back home. If you commit a crime in Mexico, then you will be subject to Mexican law. No exceptions.

Familiarize yourself with the most important ones (ie those covering sex, drugs and rock'n'roll) here: Is it Legal?



Tip Number Seven: Look After Yourself

You might feel invincible, out there having the time of your life, but your body can have other ideas. The Mexican sun can be hot, hot, hot! If you are not used to the heat, then it's worth swotting up on how to avoid common pitfalls.

We have a couple of blog entries concerning that: Coping With the Mexican Heat: Body Temperature and Over-Heating and Coping With the Mexican Heat: Keeping Cool. A new Sombrero anyone?

There's also the fact that a sudden change in drinking water or food can upset a delicate constitution. When this happens in Mexico, then it's called Montezuma's Revenge.

Tip Number Eight: Learn to Haggle Like a True Bargain Hunter

Cancun is an amazing location for shopping. There are several large malls (and a loads of smaller ones too), but there are also the mercados. These should be approached with the spirit of a hunter. You can bag yourself some serious bargains here, but only if you know how to haggle.

A user-guide to these markets can be found here: How to Haggle for Goods at the Mercado



Tip Number Nine: Venture Out on Some Trips

You could spend your entire vacation around the hotel and beach. There would be enough to keep you entertained right there. But you wouldn't be seeing the true Mexico there. Broaden your horizons with a trip away from the resort, as there are some absolutely awesome sights very close to Cancun. This includes one of the Seven New Wonders of the World, Chichén Itzá.

You can peruse some of them over on the Endless Tours website.

Tip Number Ten: Enjoy Yourself!

This is your big vacation. Let all the stresses go and just kick back. You will have the time of your life and, undoubtedly, we'll see you again next year.



Viva Mexico! And viva Spring Break!