So this is it. I should be in Mexico City today (although I've started calling it DF like everyone else) but at 7:00 AM this morning in the Zocalo, watching the world come to life around me, it was hard to remember why. I have to pick up my bag. I'd like to do some shopping. I'm meeting friends there Saturday night. None of that justified leaving the beach on Thursday, so I did the only sensible thing: ate my return ticket, and rebooked for Saturday.
To make my day really weird, I was booking travel for work next week, and will be in Prince Rupert less than a week from now. About 5,500 kilometres north of me right now, and beyond my imagination mentally.
I've learned a few things that others might find of value...here goes:
1) Above all else, monitor your attitude. If you come here with an attitude that everyone is your servant, you'll have a perfectly nice time, but you'll never know what could have been. There's a big difference between service that's not bad (the minimum standard) and people bending over backwards for you. But it all comes from you first. It's not really all that hard to be nice to people.
2) Watch your cash flow. If you are dumb enough (yup, like me) to say "sure" to the offer of a Pina Colada and chips and guacamole at the beach cafe without first checking the price, it's a little too late to complain about it when the $30 bill comes.
3) Think about the cost of things and what is or is not included. Tours for $20 for a day at sea or by land seem incredible at first, but plan on $60. "Stopping for lunch" or "Stopping for snorkeling" does not mean they are included. It's still good value, as long as you plan for it.
4) Leave time to make mistakes. In my case, it took awhile for it to sink in that lots of people were going into a little shack and coming out with snorkel gear. Hmmmm. I should get in that line! Sure enough, I needed to be getting gear. And I needed to take a taxi to get to the boat. And I needed a beach towel. But with a little extra time, I was able to manage all the stuff, and had no disappointments later.
5) Still more time. In Mexico City, there will be a traffic jam getting to the airport. Guaranteed. And you need to be at the gate 45 minutes before your flight. And you need to find the gate on the television screens after you pass through security, because it's not printed on your ticket. So leave lots of time, and once all is resolved, you can grab coffee at the Starbucks or food at the many restaurants and relax before the flight.
6) Tip! About 10 pesos per hour is right for a tour, so count on about 50 pesos for the day. The minimum tip is about 10 pesos for a short tour in a church or at a historic site or something like that.
7) Back to the first point, if you treat people well, with respect, they will do pretty much anything for you. Assume you're being watched, and that the guide you talk to and tip today is the brother of the hotel maid or has a night job as your waiter.
8) Relax, and enjoy your mistakes. Your memories will not be based on the nice sunshine at the beach. Rather, you will remember that weird thing that arrived on your dinner plate, when you thought, "Damn. Didn't even imagine that!"
9) Learn a few words. More if you can, but any attempt on your part to speak Spanish is appreciated, even when it's really bad Spanish. The cliche of "Dos cervezas, por favor" isn't really all that funny.
10) Last, but not least, dump your stuff somewhere if you are traveling. You brought too much of it, and it's a pain in the ass to tote it around. In my case, I dumped it at the last hotel I will stay in before I leave. This is not the US or Canada - nobody is going to steal it.
11) OK, so this really is last. The long distance buses in Mexico, Central America, and South America are the best in the world - far more comfortable than Canada or the US, more secure (similar to airport security getting onto the bus) and safe. Make sure to take a Direct bus though - De Lujo or Ejecutivo class is best. Now, while buses are reasonably inexpensive, and can be used in place of a hotel room, the efficiency depends on your plans - for me, it made far more sense to fly from Mexico City to the coast in one hour at about $170 return than it did to take a 14 hour bus ride.
11a) Ok I really mean it - this really is the last thing. If you're not on the beach (and I mean ON the beach), how hard can it be to put a shirt on and at least flip flops before you go into a restaurant. Like, really. And you don't look as good as you think in that Speedo. Even if your wife says you're hot, trust me...unless you're gay and under 35 and have been to the gym recently...you're not.
So that's my wrap! Thanks to all who have followed along - this has been fun.
Some recommendations:
Hotel, Puebla: NH - a great chain, always good properties.
Language school: SiPuebla. They also have another school in Merida on the Yucatan peninsula.
Beach: Huatulco is amazing, but a little hard to get to. Outside of a charter or direct flight, going through Mexico City is easy - only a 1 hour flight. If you're into all inclusives, you'll be in the Tangolunda area. Otherwise, my recommendation is La Crucecita - not on the beach, but far more interesting than Santa Cruz. My hotel - Maria Mixteca is small, near the Zocalo, with rates starting at about $40 a night. Very nice.
Pure fun: Las Luches - Mexican wrestling.
Food: Anything (but usually chicken) with Mole sauce. I never did get my head around trying the grasshoppers or worms. At the beach, fish and camarones.
Beer: Gotta love Negra Modelo.
That's it folks! I'm already looking forward to the next adventure.
Hasta luego, or better yet, meet me on the road somewhere!
Brian
