For details, click on a subject below:
ISLA HOLBOX | ISLA MUJERES | CANCUN HERTZ | Casa de Serenidad | MEXICO | YUCATAN | Chichén Itzá
This is my pros and cons on my last vacation to Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula during the last of June and the first of July 2007. This is my opinions/advice and any advice is like all advice in that it is worth what you pay for it and this is, of course, free. Just a little more info than you get via the companies, governments, and other web sites. I am getting tired of being ripped-off and not having it bother those responsible. And the BLOGS are so hard to find on the web -- I hope I can stand out a little more on the web and help my fellow travelers.
Mexico is a country of contradictions -- so what's new or different??? The common people are honest to a fault, the few rich, uncommon people are dishonest to a fault: just downright greedy and dishonest. The few in the middle that want to be rich will screw your eyeballs out: like the PEMEX gas station attendant or the ticket seller at Chichén Itza (pay for your tickets in pesos, not dollars: it will take a longer time and he will try to shortchange you). In general, your maid will not steal from you; the lower class will respect a lock and will respect your property.
Mexico is 110 volts- 60 cps for electricity, but some of the older construction has non-polarized, 3 hole receptacles that your 2 or 3 prong polarized plug won't go into the socket unless you cut down the wide plug prong -- just like our old 2 prong, non-grounded receptacles -- so go to the hardware store and get you some 2-3 prong adapters, if you don't want a grounded appliance, or get a conversion set from a department store, if you want to ensure a grounded appliance - like a hair dryer in the bathroom.
Gasoline (and Diesel) is PEMEX: LPG is different, but who cares. Gas comes in two grades, usually 87 and 92 octane and they can be called Super, Premium, Magna, etc .... just go buy the octane you want. And there are no self-service stations. The attendant will pump the gas, and if you reach for a tip too early, he will pump it slow whilst he cleans your windows. I would check my own oil, etc. every morning. But do tip: a few pesos are OK, and ensure that the pump is at zero to start.
PEMEX
Learn how much it takes to fill a 1/4 tank and buy that much instead of telling the
attendant to fill it up (llene - or formally " llene el tanque, por favor").
This leaves less room for getting screwed -- about 400-500 pesos will be about 3/4 tank
worth on most cars. Also remember that since PEMEX is nationalized (and the stations are
franchised), there is not a station on every corner -- but they are marked on most road
maps.
So learn how to say "fill it
up" = "llene el tanque, por favor"
and "Here is 500 pesos. Right?" = "Aquí están quinientos Pesos. ¿Está
eso correcto?" -- not-- "Aquí están cinco cientos Pesos" --------
or just say, "¿Quinientos pesos, verdad?".
The more you sound like you know what you are doing, the fewer problems you will have. Please read the examples below.
Here is an email I recently received, relating the problems with PEMEX stations and the results of informing PEMEX, Mexico of the problems:
My wife and I just returned home to Seattle, Washington, USA after
a 7 day stay in beautiful Tulum. We rented a Thrifty Rental PT Cruiser at the Cancun
airport, visited several sites, and over the course of the week, we stopped for gas at 3
different PEMEX gas stations.
At the first station approximately
At the second station, 1 block north of the Supermarket in Tulum, on the West side of the
highway, on Saturday, Nov 17, at approximately 11:30 AM, I was greeted by a good looking
man, about 30 years old, who filled my tank. This time I counted my money before the
transaction (I had one $500 Peso bill and three $50 Peso bills). I got out of the
car, I stood next to the pump, and watched everything. After he finished, the pump
read $300 pesos, I handed him a $500 Peso bill, and like a magician, he handed me back a
$50 Peso bill and said it was not enough. I apologized thinking I had made a
mistake, but checking my wallet, I had only 3 $50 bills left, and I told him I gave him a
$500 Peso bill. After some discussion, he gave me $200 Pesos in change.
The third station, approximately
Being a non Spanish speaking US citizen, and obviously out of my element in the
Cancun/Tulum area, I was an easy mark for dishonest activity. But I was astonished
that it would happen at all 3 stops at PEMEX gas stations. It seemed to me that I,
as a US citizen, was targeted by your employees, and the other employees present were
accomplices in this activity. Like magicians, they change money before your eyes,
and make you feel like you made a mistake. They seem to know what to say to confuse
me, and seem to forget how to speak English when there was a problem. More
astonishingly, the 3rd station somehow had a way to increase the pump total after he
pulled the pump handle out of the tank, either by computer or by pumping additional gas on
the other side of the pump.
I don’t expect a refund, but your company should do an investigation into your
dishonest employees. I will never visit Mexico again, and I will tell my friends
what happened to me.
Reply from PEMEX: (sic)
We received this email at the Web
Portal Management department.
I’m forwarding this email to the Public Relations department.
Best Regards
S.V. (name left out on purpose)
Here is some recommendations from a native, sent after reading the above (sic):
Unfortunately,
us Mexican citizens also suffer this type of abuse. Here are
my recommendations:
1.
Get
off the car and watch when the gas door is open.
2.
ALWAYS
check that the pump shows Zeroes before they start it.
3.
If
possible, pay with credit card. Most Pemex gas stations now
take credit cards. Make sure all the process is made in front of you and do not allow them
to take it away from your view.
4.
If
you pay in cash, do not use high denomination bills. Try to use 100 or 50 pesos bills and
avoid 500 or 1000 bills.
5.
Ask
for a receipt. It may hold you a bit longer in the gas station but the fellows there will
realize you are paying attention to the process.
6.
Never
leave the car alone and open. If you have to go away from it (going to the restroom or a
convenience store) make sure the windows are closed and lock the car.
7.
Never
give a tip until you are certain all went well.
8.
If
something goes wrong, ask to see the manager in that moment.
I
hope this helps in future trips to Mexico
Driving in the Yucatan is not much different than the US. The roads are not as good normally. There is a toll road from Cancun to Merida, and it is expensive -- 2-3 times more than the US --- but worth it, if you are in a hurry and want to avoid the TOPES. Topes is the old word for the old style of speed bumps that look like steel hemispheres about 6-8" tall, and is still used, as well as, for the international signage, for the more modern speed bumps, that we are used to. On the secondary roads, these are marked poorly, at best, so follow a local taxicab and he will slow down when needed. These don't exist on the toll roads (four lanes). These roads have signs though -- ubiquitous -- about like Burma shave signs, but without the rhyming, and very moralistic. Other advice is that if you are driving, please learn little more than rudimentary Spanish - about the first three months of high school Spanish worth.
Another great aid to driving in Mexico is a GPS
navigation system. Most systems only come with
US maps and not Mexican. My friend,
Alberto Najera at BICIMAPAS has a solution for my Garmin NUVI and maybe yours,
as well. They have most of the popular areas of Mexico really well mapped.
Check it out at http://www.bicimapas.com.mx/English.htm
Chichén Itzá is now designated as one of the seven wonders of the world. It is about a 2 hour drive from Cancun on the toll road ($25) with an exit at Pisté, the town next to Chichén Itzá. Don't bother with stands that try to sell you tickets ($10) and parking ($1), unless you are going at prime time. I recommend later in the afternoon, when it is less crowded, has less parking problems, and is cooler. Bring a bottle of water. They sell water in one stand in the park for $2. They don't let you walk up The Temple of Kukulcán (El Castillo) steps any more, so don't train for the 91 steps. Save your parking ticket that they hand you at the entrance, it will be collected when you leave. Pisté has some buffet restaurants that are setup for the tour buses - the largest buses that I have ever seen (with the shortest drivers that I have ever seen). The buffets are really turista, setup with folk dancers that you are expected to tip, and poor food. The dazzling dates for Chichén Itzá are the summer and winter solstices, when the sun's shadows form patterns. Also, every year, on Spring Equinox, the afternoon sun causes a shadow play so that it appears that a huge serpent is descending from the sky, down the pyramid. The ultimate date is May 20, 2012: the end of the Great Cycle and therefore, the predicted end of the world! We can't hardly miss that, verdad?
Río Lagartos
We did not make it to Río Lagartos but everyone told us that we must go. The reason for this is the pink flamingoes and the fair (which takes place about the last ten days of July). It is about a 4+ hour drive from Cancun, if you take the toll road for about half the way.
Back to the DTECHGROUP home page
Email me if you are desperate about something or have an experience to relate/post.
You are the
th visitor
03/06/24 06:17 PM
Rent a luxurious, six bedroom luxury Vail rental home in Vail, Colorado USA - best of Vail rental - http://www.vailrental.net/
DTECH Custom Computer Software located in Tulsa, OK USA - http://www.dtechgroup.com/
DTECH OKIDATA PRINTER REPAIR located in Tulsa, OK USA - http://www.dtechgroup.com/
DTECH EPSON PRINTER REPAIR located in Tulsa, OK USA - http://www.dtechgroup.com/
DTECH ENCAD PRINTER REPAIR located in Tulsa, OK USA - http://www.dtechgroup.com/
Rent a luxurious, six bedroom luxury Vail rentals home in Vail, Colorado USA - best of Vail rentals - http://www.vailvacationhouserentalsluxuryvailhomerentalsbyownercolo.com/
DTECH Hewlett-Packard HP PRINTER REPAIR located in Tulsa, OK USA - http://www.dtechgroup.com/
DTECH PRINTER REPAIR located in Tulsa, OK USA - http://www.dtechgroup.com/
DTECH LAPTOP REPAIR located in Tulsa, OK USA - http://www.dtechgroup.com/
DTECH Hewlett-Packard HP LAPTOP REPAIR located in Tulsa, OK USA - http://www.dtechgroup.com/
DTECH COMPAQ LAPTOP REPAIR located in Tulsa, OK USA - http://www.dtechgroup.com/
Rent a luxurious, six bedroom luxury Vail vacation rentals home in Vail, Colorado USA - best of Vail vacation rentals - http://www.vailvacationhouserentalsluxuryvailhomerentalsbyownercolo.com/
Metro Tulsa PRINTER REPAIR located in Tulsa, OK USA - http://www.metro-solutions.com/
HRST Health Risk Screening Tool Computer Software located in Tulsa, OK USA -http://www.hrst-psr.com/
PSR-
Physical Status Review Computer Software located in Tulsa, OK USA -http://www.hrst-psr.com/
HRST
Health Risk Screening Tool
Computer Software located in Tulsa, OK USA
-http://www.hrst-psr.com/
PSR- Physical Status Review Computer Software located in Tulsa, OK USA -http://www.hrst-psr.com/
DTECH HRST software in Tulsa, OK USA - http://www.dtechgroup.com/
Great sign shop in Tulsa for unique designs, competitive prices, unmatched quality - http://www.divigne-signs-printery-graphics-design-banners-lamination.com/
Great sign shop in Tulsa for unique designs, competitive prices, unmatched quality - http://www.divigne-signs.com/