Viva Mexico!

Strangely for a travel writer and journalist I'm always nervous before a big trip. Tomorrow I take off for Tahiti and the US. Fear is part of travel, I guess. If there isn't a bit of adrenalin there then it's hardly worth it.

Usually the biggest fear is surviving the long flight, hoping you'll get an aisle seat (how does everybody else know how to sort that out way before they get to the airport?) and that all else goes well.

I'm hoping this time to visit Mexico - I haven't been there since the late 80s. It's been getting a bad rap lately and violence has increased. When I used to go through Mexico City frequently on the way to Nicaragua, it was a haven for people fleeing from political troubles, especially in Central America. It was a cultured, open, hospitable place and always great fun. Salsa bands, chats in cafes, bus rides to the pyramids. I loved it. I'm looking forward to going back, even if only briefly.

Viva Mexico!