GUANAJUATO, MEXICO -- 1

CASA ZUNIGA


Mexico. Oft-maligned, today it conjures up every ugly American's nightmare of a place where you walk out for coffee and wake up with one of your vital organs harvested.

While there certainly are many places with crime problems inflicting unspeakable horribles on the locals and scaring off cultural visitors aplenty, Guanajuato is NOT one of them.

From the States, you fly into Leon airport -- a very small, no nonsense place with clean shops, good security and helpful staff -- and catch a taxi to Guanajuato.

There's a taxi stand where you prepay...so you don't get the price hiked and you get a pre-screened driver for safety.

The cabbie may push the speed limit, but that is the only lawlessness you'll see on the way to Guanajuato.