Misunderstood at times, and seen by many tourists as just one big beach with Corona and margaritas overflowing, Mexico is more than just a country full of tourist laden party towns and overdeveloped beachfronts. It is a country with a deep sense of self and a history that is as intricate and filled with ambiguities and dichotomy as any you'll find on the planet. Having taken several trips to Mexico in the past few years, it has been interesting to see the way that the nation and people have changed, and the way the landscape has transformed in just a short period of time. Once, the desert areas of Mexico were a dead area, dusty, dry, and uninhabited, but the advent of better infrastructure has made them home to new communities, and an advancing industrial need has caused mines to pop up all over in order to deliver the metal and stone needed for massive building and development all around the nation.

Although all of Mexico is interesting, and indeed, those searching for a party will certainly be able to find one, my most potent memories of this country are of the Yucatan peninsula, and specifically the areas around Cozumel and the ruins that have been left behind by the ancient Mayans, the once great inhabitants of this area that were only just going into a decline when they were discovered and conquered by the Spanish in the fifteenth century. My first trip to Cozumel was actually begun on a cruise that started in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and made its way through the Caribbean, passing through Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, the Bahamas, and finally Mexico. Although at first, I expected the rest of my trip to be the most interesting, the reverse turned out to be true. While in Cozumel, not only did I have a chance to disembark and spend 3 days onshore in one of the most beautiful island cities of Mexico, but I also got to journey to the mainland at take a trip around the gorgeous, dense jungles of the Yucatan Peninsula.

As a bilingual speaker of both English and Spanish, traveling in Mexico for me has been a breeze since the day I realized that I could finally speak Spanish without translating everything back to English. This was just beginning to happen for me when I visited Cozumel, and thus, I had an interesting conversation with the driver of a charter bus provided by a tour company that took myself and a group of Americans from the cruise to visit Chichen Itza, one of the most famous and best preserved Mayan ruins in all of Mexico. Not only is admission into the site fairly cheap, but all the proceeds go toward the fund that fuels the archeological dig site that has been unearthing more and more evidence to help rebuild and recreate every part of Chichen Itza in exactly the same manner as it would have been before the decay of Mayan society and the coming of Europeans to the area. With its fabulous stair stepped temples and enormous, intricately carved statues that line this site, each tourist is allowed to soak up as much of the history as he likes, but is also afforded the choice to spend some time on the beautiful white sand beach that lies just below the ruins (they were built on the seaside cliffs), or take a short bus ride into a little village nearby that survives on the tourism, selling Coca-Cola, T-shirts, Onyx figurines, and cheap Brazilian style hammocks to anyone passing through.

I opted for all three choices, and was able to see the area nearby the ruins, the ruins themselves, and nearly a hundred blue-green iguanas sunning themselves on the cliff side just below the enormous temple of Kukulcan. Overall, this was the shaping experience of my travels to this area of Mexico. There is, however, one other site which I have developed a deep and lasting affinity for, and which will appeal to those readers who enjoy a more structured and developed area, yet prefer to stay out of the mainstream of Cancun and Puerta Vallarta. Last spring, I used a Costco travel package deal to book a flight to and from Mazatlan as well as a hotel room for seven nights for around $600. Having seen pictures of the hotel, I expected them to have been strategic photographs taken to entice the gullible, but on arrival, I found I was mistaken. Somehow, because of the location about ten minutes out of the popular tourist "Gold Zone", Costco's travel agency had snagged a great deal on what turned out to be a gorgeous five star hotel. I checked into my room, and was shown through the resort to where my accommodations were located. This hotel featured everything that most travelers to Mexico are looking for: direct access to a private beach, complete with a top-notch beachfront restaurant backed by classically inspired buildings with every single room facing the ocean, and many with balconies, including my own. The resort grounds were full of park-like lawns cut through with streams full of Koi and other exotic fish and jungle like vegetation obscuring the outside world. Walking through the resort was what I imagine a Spanish aristocratic estate must have been like back in the early days after their conquest of Latin America.

I spent my time in this glorious location, removed from all the frustration and hassle of everyday life, and completely giving myself to the beauty and serenity of the landscape. Because my trip took place during the early spring, in March, the days were warm and sunny, and the nights were mild and breezy, the perfect environment to enjoy reading in the sun during the day, and swimming in the lighted, five tier pool that was nestled between coconut palms and topped off with a swim-up bar completely surrounded by water. The name of the hotel, should you be curious, is the Pueblo Bonito, Emerald Bay. Because the same name is given to the Emerald Bay's sister hotel that is in the inner part of Mazatlan, if you are trying to book a room at Emerald Bay, be careful to make the distinction. Also, the connection between these two hotels provided me with an easy way to get to the city: every half hour a shuttle took guests from one hotel to the other, making it an incredibly simple (and free) process to get to town when I wanted to. If you're looking for a great place to eat in town, try Latitude 23, an upscale restaurant/bar in the Gold Zone that positively throbs with a youthful vibe, and serves innovative Mexican cuisine with creative international touches. For daytime activities in Mazatlan, try a catamaran cruise through the bay, where for a very affordable price you can have a full day of catamaran sailing complete with included lunch, snacks, and drinks (beer and other alcoholic beverages are typically provided complementary as well) and side stops at places like Deer Island, from which you can take a short Kayak trip, fish, or just relax on the uncrowded beach.

Mexico is certainly a country that has become so good at providing "fun in the sun", that it has become known almost solely for that. However, Mexican culture and history is fascinating enough that even the most hip club-hopper will be able to get all aspects of the Mexican experience without a dull moment. Both Mazatlan and Cozumel provide comfort and convenience without having been over-popularized, thus keeping them cleaner and less crowded than many other Mexican destinations.