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Introduction Upgrades don't replace the guides – they add important information gathered since the current edition of the book was published. You can print them out and stick them in the back of your current guide. This Upgrade was posted in December 1998. Be aware that things keep changing – even after we post these Upgrades. Always check the latest information on visa requirements and safety warnings with your embassy or consulate before you leave. |
Warning
Eight days of torrential rain on the Pacific side of Chiapas in September 1998 killed a reported 400 (many in mudslides) and left 800 missing and over 100,000 temporarily homeless. Transport was severely disrupted with 22 bridges down and 18 damaged, 450km of main roads and 3500km of minor roads damaged. The Pan-American Highway (highway 200) towards Tapachula and Guatemala passes along this coast. We have heard the main highways are open again, but if you are heading this way it will pay to ask other travellers.Mexico continues to recover from its 1995 economic crisis and has taken big strides towards a more democratic political system – but makes international headlines for all the wrong reasons: crime, natural disasters, conflict in Chiapas. These factors have damaged tourism, reducing the number of foreign visitors by as much as 15%. In fact, the great majority of travellers come to no harm at all, but you do need to exercise proper vigilance and common sense. Some information on risks and how to avoid them is contained in this Upgrade, to add to those in the current edition of the book.
Facts about the Country
ECOLOGY & ENVIRONMENT
The climatic effects of 1997-98's strong El Niño (a warm eastward current across the Pacific Ocean occuring around December each year) continued to be felt in Mexico well after Hurricane Pauline wreaked havoc in the Pacific coastal states of Guerrero and Oaxaca in October 1997. Parts of the country were later hit by drought and in the first half of 1998 thousands of forest fires around Mexico burned more than 2000 sq km of forest, including large stands of rare cloud forest in the Las Chimalapas area straddling the border of Oaxaca and Chiapas states. In May 1998 Mexico City suffered some of its worst air pollution ever (see the Mexico City section later).In September 1998 tropical storms and torrential rain along most of the Pacific coast and parts of central Mexico had their worst effects in Chiapas, where hundreds were killed and the road system badly damaged (see the Tabasco & Chiapas section). This was Mexico's worst natural disaster since the 1985 Mexico City earthquake.
GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
Following the opposition parties' mid-1997 success in winning more than half the seats in the Camara de Diputados (the lower house of the federal congress), they promptly formed a coalition against the long-ruling PRI. However, the coalition lasted only a few months, splitting when the right-of-center PAN voted with the PRI to pass the 1998 federal budget. The left-leaning PRD wanted to block the budget, but Mexico had no contingency plans to keep itself running in such an event.The PRD won its first state governorship when Ricardo Monreal, a defector from the PRI, triumphed in Zacatecas. But the PRI won back the governorship of Chihuahua from the PAN, having fielded a popular candidate chosen by a new primary election system.
ECONOMY
Mexico's economy continued its overall recovery into 1998. Production rose nearly 7% in 1997, and in the first half of 1998 was about 5% up on the first half of 1997. Inflation was down to about 15% (from over 50% in 1995). But a fall in the price of oil (which accounts for 10% of Mexico's exports) and worldwide economic turbulence have reduced the prospects for the next couple of years. The federal budget had to be slashed three times in 1998 because of declining oil revenues, and by September 1998 the Mexican stockmarket was yo-yoing, interest rates rising and the peso falling. A sharp downturn in growth is likely.In mid-1998 a political row broke out over Fobaproa, a government agency that had saved Mexico's banking system from collapse in the 1994-95 peso crisis, when banks were left with many unpaid loans. Fobaproa had bought around 550 billion pesos of bad debts (then worth about US$70 billion, now about US$55 billion) from the banks. The problem was that Fobaproa faced having to repay all this debt (plus interest) all at once, in 2005 – and meanwhile the banks were still short of cash. In 1998 the government proposed to take on the debt itself by converting it to normal government bonds – which meant that effectively taxpayers (often poor people) would be bailing out the bankers (some of whom were still rich) – including debts that could have been paid but weren't, and debts which were simply fraudulent (where neither the lender nor the borrower intended to honour the loan). The opposition parties in congress predictably kicked up a stink. In September one of them, the right-of-center PAN, struck a deal with the government, agreeing that the bigger loans (over 5 million pesos) would be returned to the banks while Fobaproa took over the smaller ones, but then the deal fell apart. However, another deal between the two parties is almost certain to be stitched together – because unless something is agreed, the banking system really will collapse. Meanwhile, the left leaning PRD maintained its stance that the whole rescue had been unlawful because congress had not been consulted.
Facts for the Visitor
VISAS & DOCUMENTS
Passports
Since March 1998 Mexican law has recognised dual nationality for Mexicans whether they were born in Mexico or in another country to Mexican parents. According to the US State Department, such dual nationals are liable to incur stiff fines if they enter or leave Mexico without identifying themselves as Mexicans, and travellers possessing both US and Mexican nationalities must carry with them proof of their dual citizenship. The same may apply for people who are dual nationals of Mexico and another country (ie other than the USA). Check with a Mexican embassy or consulate.Visas & Tourist Cards
A traveller reported being given only 15 days on his tourist card when entering Mexico from Guatemala at Ciudad Cuauhtemoc in April 1998. He obtained a 30-day extension in San Cristobal de Las Casas.MONEY
Exchange Rates
The peso held fairly steady till August 1998, when it slipped from under nine to over 10 pesos to the US dollar in a few weeks. It's always risky to pin down a currency on paper (or on screen), so try this currency converter to give you the current value of the peso:
http://www.oanda.comCosts
In US dollar terms, prices are still broadly similar to those in the book. In mid-1998 they were on average 5% to 10% up on those given in the book, but then the value of the peso dropped 10% or so, bringing Mexican prices, in US dollar terms, back to roughly what they were.EMBASSIES & CONSULATES
Mexican Embassies & Consulates
The Mexican embassy in Washington DC, USA, has a telephone number for information on Mexican entry requirements: Tel 202-736-1000.Embassies & Consulates in Mexico
USA
Tel 209-91-00
Paseo de la Reforma
305 Colonia
Cuauhtemoc.INTERNET RESOURCES
The Embajadas y Consulados Web site has links to the sites of a dozen Mexican embassies and consulates around the world and a similar number of foreign embassies in Mexico City û useful for all sorts of things including information on tourist cards, visas and other immigration matters: http://mexico.web.com.mx/mx/embajadas.htmlYou can find US State Department advice on Mexico travel under æTravel Publications' and æTravel Warnings/Consular Info sheets':
http://travel.state.gov/index.htmlThe Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs & International Trade has some useful Mexico travel stuff:
http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/Eco Travels in Mexico is a growing site with lots of good information and links on places to go, eco-travel organisations, Mexican environmental news and much more: http://www.txinfinet.com/mader/ecotravel/mexico/mexinterior.html
HEALTH
Predeparture Planning
In the USA, the Center for Disease Control & Prevention's international travellers hotline has changed to Tel 888-232-3228.
Its Web site is at:
http://www.cdc.govDANGERS & ANNOYANCES
Crime in Mexico û ranging from Mexico City taxi robberies and assaults to vicious, drug-related mob killings, occasional kidnappings and murders of foreign visitors and highway holdups û has attracted a lot of publicity. Mexico is certainly less safe than it was five or six years ago, for which its drug-trafficking boom and mid-1990s economic slump can shoulder much of the blame. There are definitely some significant problem areas for travellers but things must be kept in perspective. Though crime rates have risen dramatically, the murder rate in Mexico City was still below that of New York until 1996. Travellers must be vigilant about taking sensible precautions û precautions which should always be taken in Mexico û and can minimise new risks with a few extra steps. The advice given in this section and other parts of this Upgrade (eg Mexico City) should be treated as supplementing the advice in the book.Highway Robbery
This remains a menace. Travelling only by day is still a goode way to reduce the risk. Toll highways are safer than other roads, and consequently so are deluxe buses, which nearly always use toll roads, and 1st-class buses, which often do (2nd-class buses nearly always use free roads). According to the US State Department, routes which have recently experienced particularly high levels of criminal assault are: highway 15 and express highway 1 in the state of Sinaloa; highway 134 between Ciudad Altamirano and Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo; highway 190 from Tuxtla Gutierrez to the Guatemalan border; highway 195 from Tuxtla Gutierrez to Villahermosa; and highway 186 from Villahermosa to Chetumal. Other dodgy routes we have heard about are highway 175 from Oaxaca to Pochutla and highway 147 from Tuxtepec to Palomares, near Matias Romero (Oaxaca state). Judging from travellers' reports, thieves are still active on some buses from Palenque.Survey Scam
A new and quite widespread scam involves tourists being approached by people claiming to be carrying out surveys for organisations such as universities or travel publishers such as Lonely Planet, Let's Go or Fodors. After a series of questions about your trip, the interviewer asks for a contact number in your home country. A call is then made to your family or friends at this number, claiming you have been involved in a road accident and/or arrested (drugs may be mentioned). The caller may claim to be a lawyer for the Mexican ministry of tourism, or something sounding similarly impressive. Your home contact is then asked to provide a lot of money, for instance by wiring it via Western Union, for your release or assistance.Getting Around
See the Warning at the beginning of this Upgrade, and more information in the Tabasco & Chiapas section.
BUS
Travellers report that an ISIC card can get you a 50% discount on some buses eg the deluxe line UNO. One traveller said the discounts were only officially available during student holiday times, but that bus companies didn't always enforce this.
TRAIN
Apparently some lines have been privatised and as a result more services have died. We have heard (though not confirmed) that the Ciudad Juarez-Chihuahua-Zacatecas-Mexico City and Guadalajara-Mexico City trains are no longer running, but that the Guadalajara-Mexicali route is still functioning. The Barranca del Cobre (Copper Canyon) railway is definitely still operating, and the Los Mochis-Creel primera fare is now reportedly US$40.Mexico City
Cuauhtemoc Cardenas of the left leaning PRD party took over as mayor of the Distrito Federal in December 1997. However, after nearly a year his administration, which appeared well intentioned and mainly honest, had not achieved any notable success against major problems like pollution and crime. In May 1998 the city endured two weeks of intense smog and a record five consecutive days of phase one of its environmental contingency plan, under which industrial activity and the number of vehicles on the streets are reduced.
POST & COMMUNICATIONS
A cybercafe, Bolivar 66, has reportedly closed but there are others around.. One is Javachat (Tel 525-68-53, javachat@yahoo.com), Genova 44K, Zona Rosa, open daily from 9 am to 9 pm. Another is at Arquimedes 130 in Polanco. A cheap and central place (but not a cafe) to check your email or surf the Web (about US$3 an hour) is inside the Plaza de la Computacion on the east side of San Juan de Letran just outside San Juan de Letran metro station.Bookshops
The American Bookstore, Avenida Madero 25, has moved to Avenida Insurgentes Sur 1188, Colonia Del Valle (opposite Parque Hundido). Libreria Britanica, Serapio Rendón 125, has moved two blocks west to Rosas Moreno 152. Libreria Britanica, Avenida Robles 53, San Ángel, has become an art gallery.DANGERS & ANNOYANCES
Crime levels in the city remain high, and crime has become more violent, with an increasing incidence of sexual assault against women. Taxi crime remains a major problem. The other most frequently reported crimes are armed robbery, pickpocketing and purse-snatching. The police are sometimes the perpetrators: in one well publicised incident in October 1998, the Norwegian embassy reported that several Mexico City policemen abducted a Norwegian tourist outside his hotel after demanding to see his documents, then left him locked in the boot of an abandoned car after stealing his cash and credit cards. There are also reports of a gang of police in the Centro Historico area assaulting tourists after stopping them on the pretext of checking immigration documents or looking for illegal drugs.Taxi Crime
In December 1997 a US businessman who had taken a taxi in the city's Polanco area was murdered. According to press reports, 664 visitors to Mexico City (128 of them foreigners) were robbed during taxi rides in the first four months of 1998. Many of the victims had hailed cabs on the street and were attacked by armed accomplices of the driver. A US State department consular information sheet on Mexico, issued in April 1998, warned: 'Robbery assaults on passengers in taxis have become more frequent and violent, with passengers subjected to beatings and sexual assault'.At the airport, use only the official yellow 'Transportacion Terrestre' airport cabs. Elsewhere in the city, the State Department advises travellers needing taxis to telephone a radio taxi (Tel 271-91-46, 271-90-58) or a sitio (taxi stand), and to ask the dispatcher for the driver's name and the cab's license plate number. Do not walk to sitios to find a cab unless there is a driver known to you there. The State Department stressed that people should 'absolutely avoid taking any taxi not summoned by telephone or on their behalf by a responsible individual or contracted in advance at the airport,' and warned against taking any cruising cab or cabs parked outside the Palacio de Bellas Artes or in front of nightclubs or restaurants.
POLANCO
The Centro Cultural Arte Contemporaneo has closed. Its collection will be loaned out to other museums.GETTING THERE & AWAY
British Airways has reportedly moved to Jaime Balmes 8, Colonia Los Morales, and Air France to Edgar Allan Poe 90, Polanco. Both have kept the same phone numbers.Around Mexico City
TEOTIHUACAN
The museum is now near Gate 5 just south-east of the Piramide del Sol.Popocatepetl & Iztaccihuatl
For up-to-date information on Popocatepetl's activity, check the Web site: http://www.cenapred.unam.mx
Click on 'Monitoreo y Vigilancia del Volcan Popocatepetl' then 'Ultimo reporte' which is in Spanish and English. (There are some excellent photos on this site too).TOLUCA
There is now a direct bus service six or more times a day to/from Mexico City airport so if you wish you don't have to stay in the capital at all.Baja California
LA PAZ
Getting There & Away
In the book's ferry fares table (page 317), the Topolobampo and Mazatlán fares are transposed. The fares in the left-hand column are actually those to Mazatlán, and those in the right-hand column are those to Topolobampo. The vehicle permit office reportedly doesn't open some days – so play it safe and get your permit at Tijuana, Mexicali or Ensenada.CABO SAN LUCAS
The telephone number of the US consulate is now Tel 3-35-66.Central Pacific Coast
MAZATLÁN
The telephone number of the US consulate is now Tel 134-444 ext 285.SAN BLAS
Hotel Casa María has moved to nice new premises on Calle Canacizo, 3½ blocks from the bus station. The former Hotel Casa María is now called Hospedaje Ranchero but is still owned by the same family.PUERTO VALLARTA
Long-distance buses now use a new Central Camionera (Bus Station), about 1km from the airport. A taxi from the center to the Central Camionera costs US$6.50 and takes 20 minutes; a bus costs US$0.25 and takes 40 minutes. Taxis from the center to the airport cost US$5.75. Buses run between the airport and bus station.ACAPULCO
Information
The contact details of the US consular agent are now: Hotel Acapulco Continental, Avenida Costera Miguel Alemán 121, Local 14.
(Tel 84-03-00, 69-05-56)Getting There & Away
Estrella de Oro deluxe 'Diamante' buses from Mexico City are US$32, Estrella de Oro 1st-class buses are US$21.Western Central Highlands
GUADALAJARA
Information
The US consulate is now on Tel 825-29-98. The British consulate is now at Paseo del Eden No 2449-4 Prolongación, Colinas de San Javier (Tel 642-98-75). Cyber Cafe (Tel 826-37-71; cybercafe@mx.net), Lopez Cotilla 773-203 1st floor, is an internet cafe facing Parque Revolución.Northern Central Highlands
LA QUEMADA
'To go to La Quemada you have to leave from the old bus station (in Zacatecas). From the new one there is only one bus at 10 am. Ómnibus de México goes to Villanueva but doesn't stop at "las ruinas".'
Source: Mauricio Bergstein, Uruguay (Jul 98)NORTHEAST QUERÉTARO
A nonprofit organization called Jocha (Tel (42) 12-89-40; fax (42) 12-59-36; jocha@mail.intermex.com.mx), Río de la Loza 8 Nte, Colonia Centro, Querétaro, runs tours to Fray Junipero Serra's missions and the natural and archaeological attractions of the intriguing, but little visited, Sierra Gorda region.Central Gulf Coast
VERACRUZ
You can use the Internet for under US$1.50 an hour at Lerdo 369, three blocks west of the Zócalo.Oaxaca State
The Pacific Coast of Oaxaca has a terrific Web site for recent and time-tested information on the Oaxaca coast:
http://www.eden.com/~tomzap/index.htmlOAXACA CITY
Information
Post & Communications
You can check email for US$4 an hour at a cafe at Juárez 101, between Morelos and Independencia.Dangers & Annoyances
According to one correspondent, tourists have been followed from ATMs and mugged a few blocks away, and there have been muggings on Cerro del Fortín.Courses
Seasons of My Heart cooking school can be contacted on Tel/fax 8-77-26 and Tel 8-31-15. The cost of a group day class is US$65, not US$8.50. Seasons of My Heart is running a limited schedule of courses through April 1999 because of director Susana Trilling's involvement in writing an Oaxaca cookbook and in a PBS TV cooking series.Organized Tours & Getting Around
Bicicletas Bravo is closed after a burglary. It hopes to reopen in summer
1999. Meanwhile, tourist offices can recommend another bicycle rental place.Places to Stay
Rooms at Las Bugambilias now cost from US$30 to US$70.PUERTO ESCONDIDO
The rape and murder of an American artist, Carol Schlosberg, on Playa Zicatela in broad daylight in March 1998 sparked a furore in the US, with Senator Edward Kennedy, among others, calling for those responsible to be brought to justice. At least three other foreigners have been murdered in the area in the past few years.PUERTO ÁNGEL
Good news: most places to stay and eat have been rebuilt since Hurricane Pauline and are back in action.ZIPOLITE
As at Puerto Ángel, most places to stay and eat have been rebuilt and are back in action, but there's a noticeable lack of trees.MAZUNTE & AROUND
Again, most places to stay and eat have been rebuilt. The Centro Mexicano de la Tortuga, however, is apparently still not operational.Tabasco & Chiapas
In Chiapas it's essential to keep your ear to the ground about where it's advisable – and not advisable – to go. The situation is changeable. Zapatista rebels and their supporters and enemies tend to be most active north and east of San Cristóbal de Las Casas, but incidents could happen anywhere and throughout Chiapas you're likely to encounter more army checkpoints than anywhere else in Mexico.
In September 1998 President Zedillo said that Chiapas receives more federal aid than any other state – almost US$7 billion in the last three years for building schools, hospitals, roads, water systems and other projects – but many observers reckon that government programs to alleviate poverty and social inequality in Chiapas are cosmetic.With the government showing little sign of ratifying the 1996 San Andrés accords on indigenous rights, opponents in the Chiapas conflict took matters into their own hands in 1997. The EZLN (Ejercito Zapatista de Liberación Nacional) rebels and their supporters set up 'autonomous municipalities', ousting PRI officials (whom they said had been elected fraudulently). By mid-1998 there were 30 or so of these communities. The Zapatistas' enemies set up a dozen or so paramilitary organisations to drive out Zapatista supporters and oppose the formation of autonomous municipalities. Many of these paramilitary groups are aligned with the state authorities and in some cases led by prominent local PRI members.
In December 1997 tensions in San Pedro Chenalhó municipality, north of San Cristóbal de Las Casas, culminated in one such paramilitary group killing 45 Tzotzil Indians, mostly women and children, in a chapel in the village of Acteal. Mexico's Interior Minister lost his job as a result but that didn't stop the paramilitaries becoming still more active in 1998. The number of 'extra-judicial executions' and similar crimes rose. The seizure of autonomous municipalities by the army and police brought further bloodshed. An estimated 8000 to 10,000 Indians are displaced from their homes.
In March 1998 President Zedillo put a bill on indigenous rights before congress but it was criticised for bearing little resemblance to the 1996 accords. It offered a redrawing of municipal boundaries to reflect the organisation of Indian communities, indigenous rights of access to natural resources, independent indigenous media and unbiased courts. The EZLN's basic precondition for further talks with the government has been that the government start implementing the 1996 San Andrés agreement. It has also demanded the disarming of the paramilitaries and an end to the heavy army presence in Chiapas. In October 1998, after the government had offered to disarm the paramilitaries, speed up the release of political prisoners and suspend the retaking of autonomous municipalities, the EZLN appeared willing to at least talk about talks – something of a breakthrough after more than two years' stalemate.
The Acteal massacre brought swarms of foreign journalists, human rights observers, academics, clerics and others to Chiapas. The government did not hesitate to expel dozens of people it considered had come to interfere rather than observe. The US State Department advises visitors intending to participate in any activity other than tourism to contact a Mexican consulate or embassy for guidance on visas. It also says: 'Increasing resentment against foreigners by some segments of the local population has resulted in cases of extreme hostility and occasional assaults'.
The PRI won a large majority of the mayoralties and state legislature seats contested in Chiapas local elections in October 1998 – but the Zapatistas, and probably many others on the left of the political spectrum, boycotted the elections.
Getting Around
See the Warning at the start of this Upgrade.VILLAHERMOSA
CICOM and the Museo Regional de Antropología are now open daily from 9 am to 8 pm.TUXTLA GUTIERREZ
'Lavandería Gaily has moved to 1 Sur Pte 881. The service is good.'
Source: Monique Kettelarij, Netherlands (Jul 98)SAN CRISTÓBAL DE LAS CASAS
Posada El Candil has some singles for US$4.PALENQUE
Admission to the ruins is free on Sunday.TO EL PETÉN, GUATEMALA
A traveller reported being held up and robbed by heavily armed bandits while travelling with other foreigners and a Mexican driver in a minibus from Palenque to Frontera Corozal. Soldiers and police to whom they quickly reported the incident showed no interest.The Yucatan Peninsula
TIME AMONG THE MAYA
Several travellers report that the state of Quintana Roo (which includes Cancún, Isla Mujeres, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Tulum and Chetumal) is now one hour ahead of the rest of southern Mexico. This means that time in Quintana Roo is the same as North American Eastern Time (ie GMT minus five hours in winter and GMT minus four hours during daylight saving).MÉRIDA
The telephone number of the US consulate at Paseo Montejo 453 is now Tel 25-54-09. The British consulate is now on Tel 28-61-52.CELESTÚN
'The boat owners seem to have formed a cooperative, charging 230 pesos (about US$27) for a 75 minute trip. Offers from fishermen on the beach may be slightly cheaper, but two-thirds of the time will be spent getting round the peninsula'.
Source: R Bollinger, USA (Mar 98)CHICHÉN ITZA
Travellers reported in 1998 that during the days immediately around the vernal equinox celebration (21 March) all the monuments in the site are closed. Since the visual effects last for a week or so, it's suggested people visit 3 to 4 days before or after the celebration.CANCÚN
Information
The Canadian consulate is now at Plaza Caracol II, 3er piso local 330, Boulevard Kukulcan Km 8.5, Zona Hotelera (Tel 83-33-60, 83-33-61; fax 83-32-32).Getting Around
'There are some R1 buses going between Avenida Tulum and the airport, but they only seem to go to the departures zone rather than the arrivals section...When you arrive, take the free airport shuttle bus across to the departures terminal.'
Source: David Mestres Ridge, UK (Jul 98)
ISLA MUJERES
Places to Stay
'Prices at mid-range hotels had gone up: Hotel Rocamar US$66, Hotel Francis Arlene US$56, Hotel Perla del Caribe from US$78...I was told that the island had put a 45% tax on hotel rooms.'
Source: Brenda Davie, Canada (undated)TULUM
Getting There & Away
Buses to Chichén Itza run at least twice a day and take about 2½ hours. The distance is about 200km.TULUM TO BOCA PAILA & PUNTA ALLEN
Reserva de la Biosfera Sian Ka'an
Most days of the week Amigos de Sian Ka'an (Tel (98) 84-95-83; sian@cancun.rce.com.mx) now runs a six hour, US$58 'Wilderness Adventure' trip from the Ana & Jose restaurant, about 7km south of Tulum ruins. This gives you 2½ to three hours in an open boat between Boca Paila and Chunyaxche lagoon. On Tuesday and Thursday they'll pick you up from Cancun or Playa del Carmen (US$90).COBA
'At the archaeological site, none of the structures could be climbed.'
Source: R Bollinger, USA (Mar 98)XCALAK & COSTA MAYA
A boat service between Chetumal and Xcalak has reportedly started, running Friday to Monday and taking two hours one way.Essential Lonely Planet Resources
Don't stop here in your search for up to date information on travelling in Mexico. Guidebooks and Upgrades provide a neat snapshot of the place as it was when the author was last there, but for the very latest news, travellers' reports and embassy advice, check the following sections of the Lonely Planet Web site.
Destinations û Lonely Planet's Online Mini Guide to Mexico
Scoop û Mexico News Archive
The Thorn Tree û Mexico Travellers' Bulletin Board
Postcards û Travellers' Reports From Mexico
Propaganda û Lonely Planet's Latest Guide to Mexico
Thanks for Your Feedback
Things change – prices go up, schedules change, good places go bad and bad places go bankrupt – nothing stays the same. So, if you find things are better or worse, recently opened or long since closed, please tell us and help make the next guidebook and Upgrade even more accurate and useful. You'll get a nice warm inner glow from helping other travellers avoid pitfalls and gain from your experiences, both good and bad.
Special thanks to the following travellers, whose contributions formed part of this Upgrade: R Bollinger (USA), Susana Trilling (Mex), Marco Stambul, Jose Niembro Calzada (Mex), Patricia Rosaldo O (Mex), Mauricio Bergstein (Uruguay), Pamela Darling (USA), Steve Scott (UK), Herb Kieklak (USA), Victoria & Christopher Darke (UK), Brenda Davie (Canada), N G Hetterley (UK), Paulo Gaeta, Michel Vande veegaete & Carine Paques (Belgium), R Tokgoz, Thomas Singh Suzuki (Japan), David Mestres Ridge (UK), Rachel Toyen, Thibaut Lespagnol (France), Aydin Ozkaya (Turkey), Martin Velazquez (USA), Ian Halling (UK), Ryan Johnston (Australia), Franco Fubini, John Ayre (Canada) and Jacob Seligmann & Gitte Nielsen (Denmark).
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