New country, new folklore. Mexico leads the tourist smoothly to the Latino culture while maintaining a strong north american influence. The landscape varies as much as its inhabitants. I left behind me the cactus desert of Sinaloa after 36h of bus to the south of Hermosillo where activity and narco traffickers carcels are less active.  I would resume the hitch hiking from Los Alamos, a small tourist village rather nice. Like any good tourist, I have not escaped the initiatory rite of the intestinal purge history, just to get started on the right tracks!

Spanish comes back to me slowly and as usual, I wander around with my notebook and my dictionary that tend to drop my pants down. I work out my hitchhiker strategy: the best here are the trailers, they cross half of Mexico (Nogales, Mexico) via the main roads and always enjoys some company to help them stay awake (no regulations exist, they drive for more than 24hs straight!). It works less well on small roads but it’s still correct. Just droped off at a gas station, I wanted to shave (the beard, it’s really not for me, it really stops to scratch one day?) and met a German group heading south on a road trip. We spend a few days together. They are six: a car and two motorcycles and spend their time riding and try to find each other… I do not really want their journey, the landscape behind a window that is not for me!

The food is everywhere: in the street, in the bus, at the traffic light , on the spot or to takeaway … The Mexicans prepare meat (beef and chicken) in any form and always accompanied by beans and corn tortillas. I avoid meat as much as I  can and replace it with tomato salads and avocado with green sauce (tomatillo). Southern Mexico is more famous for its gastronomy than the North: exotic fruits, coffee, cocoa replace the infamous Nescafe!

 I must introduce you to the Mexican god, of intercultural worship, omnipresent even in the depths of the Sierra: I named Coca Cola! It’s frankly amazing to see how much they consume it, rich or poor! (Mexico has an obesity worthy of its northern neighbor rates).

A little more cheerful, the musical folklore: cheerful and festive, it resonates 24h 24 with trumpets and accordion that tend to sound all the same after a while. Mexicans are the rather macho and like to see and be seen: diamonds ear, golden chain, mega belts, shirt / hat / jean that shimmer … At least among the urban ones. Surprisingly, the macho side contrasts with the dramatic love songs mash passing loop!

I´m now leaving the urban drama behind me to delve more into the Sierra Madre, to meet the Huichol, an indigenous people living in the highlands, known to have been preserved from the Western influence and which has preserved traditions. They are especially known for their shamanic traditions, famous healers and their worship of Peyote, a cactus like no other …