Mexico: once synonymous with escape and freedom, better known nowadays for widespread violence, narcotraffic, and migration. Sea, beaches, ancient ruins, tequila: under the patina of mass tourism there's a complex, neurotic country trying to carve out a place for itself in the shadow of its hulky neighbour.

The most populous Hispanic country in the world, 89 indigenous languages are spoken: a contradictory legacy reflected in its political, social, religious (and food!) culture. With a fifth of the population identifying as indigenous, rediscovering and revaluing the country's pre-Columbian roots informs much of public debate. The controversial Mayan train project connecting Mexico's Caribbean resorts with the South's archaeological.