Cancun

by Evesapple 28 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  BrendaCloutier

  Eve, only 3 days? Ugh. A week isn't long enough for me. I've not been to the Yucatan (Penninsula and State) ... yet. It's one of my Mexico goals.

  We're going to Mazatlan, West Coast MX the 24th thru 31st of this month. Cant wait. Been there many many times and know it well, going back "home".

  The most basics in Mexico? Have FUN! Enjoy yourself. Anymore even the water is drinkable. Do take some Pepto with you, or you can buy it in the hotel or grocery. Nice to have on hand just in case. With as many times as I've been, I've been sick only twice. Once was from the toothless old woman selling shave ice in a small village. The ice wasn't made from purified water, and the shaver was a rusty wood plane. I was bent double for 2 days, and had the stuff for a total of 5 months! The other time was just a simple case of food poisoning from a tourist restaurant. Take and use sunscreen 25 or better. Take a sense of adventure.

  Hugs

  bren
• 

  Evesapple

  yeah 3 days isn't long enough, but I'm leaving my husband and kids I don't think he'd be able to have me away any longer than that, and I'm certain I would miss them too much :)

  Mazatlan is a lot of fun! I went their with my sister many moons ago, b4 she got reinstated...good memories.

  My mother has family down in Oaxaca on the coast (Salina Cruz) my 1st trip there when I was 15, I was very ill w/montezumas revenge....when I went back in my 20's to Vera Cruz where my sister's husband's family is from I ended up in a military hospital for 5 days....yuck! not a way to spend a vacation.....I will be prepared with pepto for sure!
• 

  Valis

  Places to visit.

  Playa del Carmen, great place to spend the day away from Cancun.

  Tulum, great ruins fairly close to Cancun.

  Chichen Itza, or Chicken Pizza as some locals call it. Ruins about 2.5 or 3 hours from Cancun, but so very well worht the journey.

  Akumal, AKA The Place of the Turtles. You can go snorkeling with them in Yal Ku lagoon/Half Moon Bay.

  Things Not to do: Buy drugs on street or from store vendors. Someone at hotel you see all the time may be a better bet, if you wanted to do that.

  Buy for the first price someone offers you on souveniers and things you buy. The price will be inflated enough where you can drive what they might consider a hard bargain, but don't be fooled.

  Things to do: Bring trinkets like pens, lighters, and small stuff like that we take for granted. You will most likely be approached by kids or young teens at some point.

  For the maids I would take some clothes to give away and baby clothes, which are expensive there, like most clothes and other good for the local population.

  Here's some pics from my trip.

  Have a great time!

  Sincerely,

  District Overbeer
• 

  Evesapple

  Valis,

  Great pictures, thanks for sharing, next week can't come soon enough.....

  Bring trinkets like pens, lighters, and small stuff like that we take for granted. You will most likely be approached by kids or young teens at some point.

  great suggestion, we did that the first time I visited, we also took t-shirts with city/sports logos on them, you can buy them cheap at Target
• 

  lonelysheep

  I've never been (yet) but wanted to say: Have a blast!
• 

  jws

  I'm certified SCUBA diver but my girlfriend is not, she's afraid of water so starting her out with snorkeling for now, would love to do a night dive though.

  Went scuba diving there about 8 years ago or so. Some of the dive places will give you basic training so your friend doesn't need to be certified. You go with their certified people. They basically taught us how to breath through the respirator and taught us the hand signals and that was it. They tossed us in. I loved it. On another trip, my wife was scared to scuba so we went snorkeling - doesn't compare at all. Scuba is so much more beautiful. Snorkeling is looking at it all from afar.

  As far as bars, we went to Senor Frogs and La Boom too. Both were great and had lots of music and very popular. La Boom is kinda split - club music on one side and the other room is more mellow. I think there's also some cool places downtown - someplace with a waterfall inside. There might also be a Pat O'Brians. We went to Carlos and Charlies one night, but it was dead. A lot of people spoke highly of the "booze cruise". It goes out on the water and it's a lot of drinking. We went on some pirate ship dinner - put on by the same people who do the Medieval Times restaurants in the US. Dinner and show - kinda like medieval times with pirates instead of knights.

  Going into the market place was fun. Almost everything there is negotiable. Haggle with the cab drivers. Haggle in the marketplace. Beware of buying gold/jewelry there - most of it's fake.

  We also went to see one of the pyramids. I'm going to mangle the name, but it rhymes with "chicken eats ya" Chichan Itza? That's a whole day tour though. If you've only got 3 days, might want to skip it this time.
• 

  jws

  Almost forgot. It was booked, but I wanted to try it. They have these things called the BOBs. It's a personal underwater submarine. Next time we go, it's the first thing we're going to look for before it's all booked-up.

  And as far as drinking goes, a lot of the hotels are all-inclusive. As much food and as many drinks as you can handle. The hotels usually have entertainment and group activities too. The ones we were to had water volleyball with a guy walking around pouring tequila shots into all the players mouths.
• 

  christopherrobin

  you'll love it ----Don't drink any water their not out of a bottle----i brushed my teeth w/ a tiny bit of water----bad idea
• 

  G Money

  I think the water isn't that bad although I'm down there so much that I'm probably immune to most stuff. Only been sick once this year and it was from drinking the horchata from a street vendor (in Jalisco) sitting in the sun with unpurified ice cubes. I knew it was risky but I have my brain dead moments.
  
  If anyone wants a good lodging deal there for a private condo with kitchenette, I'm actually starting some vacation rentals there. I was approached by the manager. Best deal in the hotel zone and on the beach with pool.
  
  Where you go depends on how old you are. If you are an overweight cruise ship passenger and 50, you'll have different tastes than a Paris Hilton 18 year old that likes to party.
  
  I don't hang out with many americans while there because I can do that in the USA.