Mexico is also an excellent place to learn Spanish, which is part of the reason why I came to the country. Because Spanish is not spoken anywhere in sub-Saharan Africa, one might imagine that it is not a useful language for South Africans to know. But the language is one of the most widely spoken in the world and for this reason alone, its most worthwhile to learn. In addition, in the US, a knowledge of Spanish is valued highly by employers – which explains why the Spanish schools in Mexico receive so many American students.

One can get by in Mexico without speaking any Spanish – many Mexicans speak a little English (although very few speak English well), and they are often eager to try their English out on you. But knowing the language allows one to communicate with the local people, and so enhances one’s understanding of the people and culture.

I am studying Spanish at the Centro de Enseñanza Para Extranjeros (CEPE), which is located in a town called Taxco. Taxco lies in a mountainous region somewhere between Mexico City and the Pacific Coast resort of Acapulco.

We have three hours of class a day, leaving the rest of the time free for leisure. The cost of a six-week course is $350 (R2 996), and there are six different levels. Students are assigned to a particular level after writing an exam to test their knowledge of Spanish, but it is possible to start at the very beginning (as I did).

Most students stay for one course only, some being travellers who want to tackle South and Central America, and some being students who obtain credit for the courses at their universities.

CEPE also offers classes in Mexican literature, history and culture, but these classes are taught in Spanish only. One needs to take at least the first three levels to be able to speak, read and write the language passably well.

Taxco is a very quaint town, with narrow cobbled streets and old colonial buildings, some dating back to the 17th century. It is a popular tourist attraction and is well-known for its silver jewellery. One can buy beautiful, originally-designed jewellery for a fraction of what one would pay in South Africa.

Students at CEPE tend to spend their free time exploring the beautiful natural surroundings of the town, wandering around the market (where everything imaginable is on sale), or frequenting the many restaurants and bars. Mexican food is an experience on its own, and is totally different for what passes for Mexican cuisine at home. Tortillas are the staple food, along with frijoles (black beans), and almost every Mexican dish contains chillies – although strangely enough, the food is not often extremely hot. I must confess, however, to really missing freshly-baked bread, South African wine, and decent tea!

Most students in Taxco stay in rented apartments or with Mexican families. Living arrangements are usually a little different to what one is used to in South Africa and most places do not have all the “mod cons”, such as microwaves, washing machines, and electric kettles. In Taxco, very few houses have gardens, owing to their very close proximity with one another. A patch of grass is a very rare sight!

Rents range from around R800 per month (staying with a family) to about R1 500 for your own apartment. Most places are within walking distance, and public transport is cheap. Other living expenses (such as food) are generally more-or-less in line with what one would expect to pay in South Africa.

For those who might find Taxco a little small and provincial, there is also a CEPE in Mexico City. Mexico’s capital is a cosmopolitan city which has many beautiful buildings and parks. But, be warned: Mexico City is not for the fainthearted! It is one of the biggest cities in the world (around a quarter of the country’s population lives within its limits), and the streets are always bustling with people.
Immense wealth and extreme poverty are all crowded within its bounds.

Unlike Taxco, where the streets are always safe, crime is a problem in Mexico City. South Africans, black or white, will stand out as foreigners. The same rules apply as at home: take care of your valuables, don’t carry large amounts of money around with you, and don’t venture out on your own at night. Women should take particular care, as foreign-looking women are likely to receive many unwelcome stares and not-so-well-intentioned propositions from the Mexican men, especially if one is travelling alone.

On the good side, the metro in Mexico City is fast and efficient, and very cheap – it costs around R1.30 to go anywhere in the city. There is also a wealth of things to do in Mexico City. For example, there are many excellent museums to visit, and lots of shops, restaurants and nightclubs.

Studying in Mexico also gives one the opportunity to see the rest of the country, by taking weekend trips or longer trips during the holidays. Mexico is a vast country and I have only managed to see a fraction of it so far in the three months I have been here. There is the desert region in the north, the coastal resorts, the Mayan and Aztec ruins, and the beautiful colonial cities, among other things, which I still have to explore.

The Mexican people are very different to the people at home and I found them difficult to figure out at first, partly because I didn’t speak much Spanish and so wasn’t able to observe their confusing rules of politeness. The status of women in their society is lower than it is at home, although this seems to be changing slowly.

Nevertheless, the people are generally friendly and may invite you into their homes without having known you for five minutes! The Mexicans are always cooking, and eating, and celebrating something, and the pace of life is slower (in Taxco at least) than it is back home, which makes a welcome change.

Being away from home is not all wine and roses and living in a country far away from home can sometimes be very lonely. It can be hard to make good friends because of language or cultural differences. Having said that, however, studying at CEPE gives one the opportunity to meet people from many different countries who are all in the same boat, and I have got to know students from Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe and North America.

I had the opportunity to come to Mexico through a scholarship offered by the Mexican government. The scholarship is for postgraduate study at a university in Mexico, and includes an initial six month Spanish course at CEPE in Taxco.

For more information, contact Lucy Hoffman at the Mexican Embassy in South Africa (embamexza@mweb.co.za). To contact CEPE directly, wre-mail marta@servidor.unam.mx