Travel Tips
When visiting Chichén Itza in the Yucatan Peninsula, it will likely be very hot around lunch time. No problem, they'll let you leave and re-enter the park, so leave and take a US$3 cab ride to the Blue Lagoon senota. Buy your ticket at the motel across the street from the entrance, and you can save a dollar or two. Then walk across the street and swim and lunch by the senota - very shady and cool. After a relaxing stay, cab it back to the Mayan ruins, and the heat.
Tom Waring - (Dec 98)
In Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico, one of the challenges to travel is finding English language books in Mexico. The best solution is to trade books and a store in this small town has the perfect solution. they stock 15,000 books, mostly of the light reading variety but also some travel/dive/nature books. My wife and I have been trading books there during our holidays for 2 years. The bookstore is superb and the owners are very helpful. The bookstore is the Alma Libre Libros, Plaza Morelos, Puerto Morelos.
Grant McMillan - CAN - (Jan 99)
For those who would like to try journalism as a career and don't want to pay thousands of dollars to study it, or for people who want to live and work in Mexico for a time, four English-language newspapers in Mexico City offer an ideal opportunity. The perfect candidate would have the following skills: English at the level of an educated native speaker; Spanish proficiency; training and/or experience in journalism; knowledge of Mexico; specialist knowledge in the fields of finance, politics, sports, or culture. The perfect candidate is a tall order, and as these papers only pay local wages they will accept people with as little as one of the five requirements. Any one with three or more can get a job on the wires--AP, Reuters--that cover Mexico and can have a luxurious lifestyle with income in dollars. The newspapers have a very high turnover in staff, so openings are always available and promotion is fast. I was teaching English and after only two years with these papers I am now a finance manager and manage nine graduates. The newspapers are The News (daily), The Times (daily), El Universal Journal (daily), El Financiero (weekly). Pay varies from $600US/month to $1200US/month. Check it out.
Nick Wilson - Mex (Jan 99)
Being a vegetarian in Mexico is not easy, simply because the term vegetarian is not usually used, since there appear to be few Mexican vegetarians. Rather than use the Spanish for vegetarian, it is better to say "sin carne". Most dishes that are made with, for example, cheese and ham can be ordered without the meat.
VIP is the Mexican version of McDonalds and has some vegetarian food. For anyone new to Mexican food, or a little apprehensive, VIPs is a good to start. The menu is easy to understand (in English), and has all the main Mexican dishes. The food is a little bland, but the quality and cleanliness is high.
Allistair How - UK (Aug 98)
While Cancun is a horrible place, devoid of any real feeling except in tiny spurts (unless one searches high and low-or visits the extraordinary vegetarian restaurant 100% Natural), the Can-do Cancun Maps really help one to cope. The people who write them update them every year, include all kinds of information from how long it takes to get downtown from the hotel zone to the price of the bus and how to get to Tulum.
Rachel Horsley (Aug 98)
In Cuernavaca, stop by The Robert Brady Hotel - it has new hours: they are Tuesday - Sunday 10:00am - 6:00pm. The LP Mexico has the old hours.
Deborah Rubio - MEX - (Dec 98)
In Jalapa there is an excellent, small museum showing the development of Diego Rivera as he tried on most of the artistic styles of early 20th century on Clavijero under Parque Juarez. Admission is free.
Richard Walker - US - (Jan 99)
In the country driving is normal and the traffic is generally sparse. If you overtake a car and he puts his left blinker on and no turnoff is insight, this "usually" means you can pass him. Don't do this in the city though. Driving at night is dangerous. Mexican cars don't use their lights until it is pitch black. Some of them don't even have lights, front or back. Animals tend to walk on the road at night and so do people. Even in daylight you will encounter cows, horses, and goats on the road. If you have to drive at night, deep it slow and don't overdrive your headlights. The curves are not well marked. Trucks do not dim their lights until the last second and that makes it hard to see the road because of no fog lines on the right side. On a lot of roads the shoulder is nonexistent. You will see a lot of old car hulks by the edge of the road along with animal bodies.
A few terns to pick up are:Curva peligrosa is dangerous curve. Vado is dip in the road. Alto is stop. Despacio is slow.
Dennis Oman, US (Jan 99)
I have just returned from a trip to Mexico and unfortuneately have to inform you that the ferry from Tampa to Progresso is no longer.
Michael van Wyk - (Jan 99)
The airport taxi system in Mexico City and the similar systems at the bus stations appears to work well. The ticket usually has two sections, a larger piece that you keep and a smaller one for the driver. Make sure that you have your section, since this is the only proof that you have about the journey, and has a space for noting the taxi number.
Allistair How - UK (Aug 98)
San Crisobal de las Casas-Getting there & away by air: Yes, by air! A small airport is opened in spring of this year. If you look at the buildings, they seem to expect a lot of air travellers in the coming years. You can go by plane from San Cristobal to Tuxtla Gutierrez, Palenque and Flores (Guatemala). Several small local companies like Aviateca and Mayan air provide the service.
Bob Hoogendam & Mathilde Heinen-Netherlands (Aug 98)
I am rather disappointed by LP's negative Manzanillo description. Manzanillo is a typical Mexican town that has grown to be the largest Mexican Pacific port due to rail to the interior and NAFTA. It is unlike purely touristic beach resorts due to lack of government investment. Manzanillo consists of two huge bays of beaches, with limited public access. Besides being the "world sailfish capital", providing excellent deep sea fishing, Manzanillo is very agricultural with banana, coconut, lime, mango, papaya and sugar cane plantations.
The abundant fresh-water lagoons are home to numerous species of wildlife. Discos and Hotels are being built. Come visit.
You must visit the San Pedro Fabric Mill. Over 100 years old, now owned and operated by an elderly American couple using all the original historic equipment and methods. They have a display room for retail purchases and they make wood furniture and wrought iron pieces well. The place is a living museum right out of the industrial revolution and should not be missed. Located at the bottom of 'Miguel Tevino.'
Art and Barb Hell - (Feb 99)
Mail service is not very good here unless you are in Los Cabos. If you only plan on staying a few weeks, you will probably beat your postcards home. To receive mail, have it sent to a certain town as per example. The post office will have a list for those receiving mail. They usually keep the letters 10-14 days.
Mrs. Jane Doe
Lista de Correos
Loreto, Baja Sur (any city)
Mexico
There have been a series of attacks on women walking after dark in the city center of La Paz. Three women that we know of were strangled from behind, to the point of passing out from asphyxiation, and then had their bags taken. In one of the instances the women were walking as a pair, on a lit street close to the Plaza San Francisco, but this did not appear to deter the attackers, and help from onlookers was not forthcoming. There is the possibility that, in one of the attacks, the attackers were waiting for travellers to emerge from a late-night email provider. Take care.
Tim Maxwell - (Jan 99)
If you visit Oazaca, please do not go on the little trip to the observatory and the little hill behind it! Three of us were robbed there by four Mexican guys with knifes. They took our watches, our money, our cameras and even our Lonely Planet guide. The police said that it is dangerous to walk this footpath because the police who are stationed at the observatory only look in the direction of the town. Soif you want to have a nice view of Oaxaca go to the observatory, but not the hill behind it.
Andreas Musolff - GER - (Nov 98)
Some ruses that we were subjected to [by taxi drivers] included not knowing where you wanted to go. Despite a lifetime in Mexico City our taxi driver from the airport claimed not to know where the Zocalo was. A useful tip is to write out the address of your destination on a piece of paper and hand it to the driver. Equally having a map, and looking at it implies that you know where you are going.
Answering no to the question "Have you got a reservation?" may result in a long trip to some "recommended" hotel. Say yes and arrive at your hotel or area.
Allistair How - UK (Aug 98)
MEXICO
