No mames is crude Spanish slang used to express disbelief (both positive and negative) or excitement. “No way!”, “You're kidding me!”, or “Stop messing with me!” would be the translation in english.

I heard it many times in funny situations and I started to adapt it into my own vocabularity.

Experiencing Día de Muertos in Mexico as a foreigner was nothing short of magical. Before arriving, I had read about the tradition, but nothing prepared me for the depth of emotion and beauty I encountered. It wasn’t just a festival; it was a deeply personal and communal celebration of love, memory, and life itself.

I was amazed by the vibrant altars, or ofrendas, carefully adorned with marigolds, candles, photos, and offerings of food. .

What made this experience so special was the sense of connection. Though I didn’t share the same cultural roots, I felt the universal truth of this tradition: that our loved ones live on through memory and celebration. It was a beautiful blend of spirituality, art, and humanity, and it left me feeling deeply honored to witness such a meaningful tradition.

I was able to personally experience this special tradition alongside the stories of my Mexican friends at a festival in honour of the tradition in Guadalajara.

There were always little moments when I was impressed by how warmly Mexicans integrate foreigners. As I built up my social environment with Mexican people mainly at university, I noticed this above all through friendly fellow students at TEC.

After the first lesson in almost every subject I attended, the majority of the class already knew my name. Again and again, my fellow students approached me and asked me how I liked the country, gave me tips for travelling, offered me Mexican food or invited me to parties.

Once I was at the gym and a person I had never had anything to do with approached me. He told me that we had a class together, politely introduced himself and offered me the chance to come to him whenever I needed something.

Another time, I was driven home from the airport by a TEC student I'd never seen before. The person asked of his own accord if I would like to come with him, even though we hadn't met before.

This openness inspired me a lot and motivated me to deal with foreign students at my home university in a similar way.

Unfortunately, it happened several times during a road trip that we were stopped by the police and had to pay disproportionately high sums of money for minor traffic offences.

For example, a policeman in La Paz demanded 3600 pesos because we forgot to turn the indicator when changing lanes. It felt like the police were looking for offences as soon as they saw foreigners in order to make a private profit.

In Mexico, you can find beautiful painting series on building facades in various cities, which are accessible to everyone.

The paintings are often linked to the special culture of the city. For example, in beach towns you can find paintings of shield toads, fishermen, etc.

These paintings make the towns dynamic and lively. I often felt like I was in an art gallery as I walked through the town and enjoyed every detail.

This nature park is perfect for relaxing, taking a walk, enjoying a coffee, dining out, and, most importantly, spotting plenty of squirrels. While the center of the park features a beautifully landscaped garden, other parts of the park have a more natural and untamed character.

Barranca de huentitan:

This beautiful natural landscape offers stunning hiking opportunities with breathtaking views, as well as a river and a historic bridge. The highlight of the hike is a rail path that you can climb. It’s a true challenge, and you should be prepared with the necessary level of fitness.

I particularly liked this place because of its many breathtaking beaches, which are individual and unique. There are sandy beaches, rocky beaches, beaches with calm waters and surfing paradises. Each place has its own character. I was also fascinated by the adventurous desert landscape and the many charming small towns.

2. Oaxaca

In addition to the beautiful capital of the state, I particularly liked Oaxaca because of the diversity of its landscape. In just one week's holiday we had a city trip, hikes in mountain landscapes with waterfalls and a beach holiday in Puerto Escondido.

Many international students tend to look for a group of friends with other international students at the beginning of their semester abroad and then isolate themselves in this group of friends. Of course, it's great to be friends with other students who may be from your home country or continent. However, I would recommend being particularly open-minded towards other local people. You can read great block articles on any topic on the internet. However, it is the locals who can give you the best tips on travelling, food, localities and culture.

Luckily, I was able to get a glimpse of the tradition at a festival a few days later.

Without a doubt, Mexican cuisine is among the best in the world.

However, as a vegetarian, I often missed dishes from other cultures due to the heavy emphasis on meat in Mexican food. While Mexico has many excellent restaurants that prepare perfect Mexican dishes, it can be challenging to find top-quality restaurants offering cuisine from other cultures, such as Italian, Indian, or Chinese.