Most everyone has enjoyed a Mexican treat like a taco, tamale or chile relleno. But authentic Mexican cuisine can get far more exotic. In the southern state of Oaxaca, people like to munch on fried grasshoppers, while in some areas of the state of Puebla, fried green caterpillars are a popular snack. And tacos everywhere come with all kinds of fillings, including cow brains and tongue.
Mexicans are obsessed with breaking Guinness World Records. In 2009 alone, they broke or challenged the records for the most mariachi musicians ever gathered in one place, the largest meatball ever cooked, the biggest cheesecake ever baked, the largest group make-out session and the most people dancing to Michael Jackson's "Thriller" at once.
Like the United States, Mexico celebrates a Mother's Day and a Father's Day. There's also Children's Day, Teacher's Day, Postal Carrier's Day, Taxi Driver's Day, Nurse's Day and Economist's Day, not to mention Day of the Dead.
Each winter, millions of monarch butterflies gather in the same mountains of the state of Michoacan. The amazing part: They arrive there after flying thousands of miles from their summering grounds in the United States and Canada.
It might seem an odd thing to do for a country wrapped up in a violent drug war, but in 2009, Mexico legalized the possession of small amounts of narcotics, including some pretty dangerous ones, like heroin and methamphetamine. The idea was to send addicts to rehab rather than jail and to free up authorities to go after bigger fish.
