Treatment of and by Mexicans

As hospitable as Mexico’s climate and people are, it should be known that not all tourists that visit Mexico are treated the same. For instance, those that come to traffic or use illegal drugs are treated rather harshly, resulting in terrible vacations while south of the border! Another example of one that’s probably not anxious to return to Mexico, is Dog, The Bounty Hunter. He was not treated with a great deal of dignity and respect in Puerto Vallarta, however he too, might not have closely followed the Mexican laws as he handcuffed his fugitive and hauled him out of the country!

On the other hand, normal law abiding US and Canadian citizens are treated with a great deal of respect, dignity, and as welcomed guests in Puerto Vallarta. Of course, the economy in PV depends solely on tourism and it is therefore in the best interest of the locals to see that all tourists have a pleasant and safe visit while in Paradise.

This Mexican hospitality is first observed upon arriving in the Puerto Vallarta airport. The courteous immigration agents stamp the visitor’s copy of the tourist visa, obtained on the airplane or at the airport, and record the entry time into their computerized data base with information regarding the expected length of stay and the location where the visitor will be staying. Upon leaving the country, the visitor returns his copy of the visa and the departure time is then entered into their system.

The procedure for Mexican citizens to legally enter the US is not quite so easy. They must first obtain a passport, which is basically the same process as in the States, however, that’s where the similarity ends! The Mexicans do not receive tourist visas by merely filling out a form while on the airplane en route to the States. Instead, they are first required to schedule an appointment with the nearest US Consulate office, which in the case for those living in Vallarta, is in Guadalajara, five hours away. Due to the backlog of Mexicans requesting visas and the inefficiencies in the US Consulate office, these appointments must be made two to three months in advance to traveling. At the interview, the applicant is required to present a passport, birth certificate, marriage license, proof of employment, bank statements, proof of property ownership, and a letter of invitation.

The US Consulate office is normally packed with hundreds of Mexicans every day, probably all having the same appointment time. After an hour and a half in line, most all of them are interviewed for less than two minutes, their visa request is denied, and they are basically thrown out. There is very little chance of getting a visa to the US for most Mexican citizens and the worst part of it is, the employees of the Consulate know it and still allow the applicants to go through the complicated, lengthy, and expensive application process. The local US Consulate agent in Vallarta has confirmed the fact that visas to the US are just not being granted in Guadalajara at this time due to the numerous immigration related problems in the States.

It’s no wonder that millions of Mexicans are sneaking across the border undocumented. It has to be a lot easier, faster, and perhaps less expensive to illegally cross the border, thus resulting in the US having no clue as to who has entered the country, where they are, how long they’re staying, or what they’re doing.

Even though it’s quite obvious that Mexicans are not welcome in the US at this time, the Mexicans nevertheless continue to welcome foreign visitors with open arms. There are more than two million tourists by plane or cruise boat that visit Puerto Vallarta each season and unless they’re really looking for trouble, they’ll never find it. It is so tourist friendly in Vallarta that there are now approximately 50,000 North Americans living in Vallarta during the “high season” of November through May, when the average daily temperature is 73*F with almost no chance of rain.

Since the livelihood of everyone living in Vallarta depends on tourism, robbery, assault, pocket picking, or any other crime committed on a foreign resident or tourist is virtually nonexistent. This was documented in 2001, as the readers of Conde Nast Magazine voted Puerto Vallarta the eighth best vacation destination in the world and the very friendliest city in the world. That Conde Nast poll pretty well sums up the way tourists and retirees are treated in Vallarta.

Of course money talks, but the typical tourist experience in Vallarta is one where the Mexicans treat the Gringos like family, like friends, almost like royalty; where “mi casa es su casa” really means something, i.e., substantially better than the Gringos treat the Mexicans in the States.