Mexico -dos and don't

Mole poblano in Puebla is a must to eat, though I loved all the food in Mexico. Monte Alban outside Oaxaca has grebt ruins - and of course if you are in Mexico City the Pyramids of the Sun & moon are a must. The Anthropological Museum in MC is brilliant too.

I want to go back to see Guadalahara and Copper Canyon.

Don't: Sing guantanamera or wear a sombrero with sperm when you enter a house.

How are you going to fit ten days into next week? Do you have a temporal (as opposed to spatial) tardis? (i.e. time lasts much longer inside, and it moves through space but not time)(like a hot and stuffy tube train where you are sure you've been on it fucking hours but when you come out it wasn't all that long, but you have travelled a few miles)(this is sounding less SF by the word)

http://www.mysteriousplaces.com/mayan/images/mayan2.jpeg

however, i can't remember the name!! from looking around the web, it might be Kankerixche, here is another picture of that one:

http://www.prodigyweb.net.mx/abc098/kankirinche.jpg

but i don't actually think that's the right one. aargh. the one in question is close to chichen itza, i think

search: the gulf coast, between mexico city and north to monterrey
destroy: most of the west coast, any effort to find good vegetarian food

Never before in my life have these words been connected so meaningfully.

S: West Coast south of Vallarta is awesome
D: West Coast north of Vallarta, except for Baja West Coast North of Cabo.

i'm going to Cancun for the first week of June w/two other couples. i'm super duper excited

I found an AMAZING veggie place in puerto vallarta, I think they call it natural food, comida natural. It was near the hard rock cafe, I just told the cabbie I was vegetarian and could he recommend anything?

sorry I can't help in monterrey tho. :(

DON'T: Lean out a second-story window, saying "Pelujae? Pelujae?" just because a stray dog followed you home.

You could also go walking in the city's parks, first picking up some warm homemade flour tortillas from a molino and then walking around eating tortillas and looking around at the sights. You obv know Spanish, right? Because that will come INCREDIBLY handy no matter where you go. Um... you could go drive around and sightsee, that's for sure. And there are lots of movie theaters and venues to catch traditional mariachi/ranchero performances and the like.

The whole of Mexico really works on a different time schedule than what we here in the States are used to. They eat big breakfasts, snacks in the middle of the day, and really late dinners, like at around 10 p.m. or so. Then they go out and either walk around or attend various events until about 1 or 2 in the morning, at least. There are lots and lots of street food vendors throughout the city, so that makes snacking (and picking up snacks to go along with meals) easy. Oh yeah, and don't drink the water -- but you didn't need to be told that! Ha. AND -- if you're used to diet sodas here in the States, you will not be able to stomach the diet sodas in Mexico, because they're always really bitter and hard to choke down. Best stick with fruit juices or regular sodas.

How long would it take to drive from LOS ANGELES to GUADALAJARA?

I've only been to Ciudad Juarez!

My bro who lived in Chihuahua for two years says hitchhiking is the best form of transportation. If you are a man. Which I'm not.

I am a man

ALRIGHT.

I imagine this wld mainly be a possibility if you spoke Spanish tho.

I am thinking of going for some across-the-border dental care. They pick you up from the El Paso airport (~35 miles away from me) and drive you down, get yr choppers fixed. I wld have to get a passport tho.

I have a passport

The answer to your FIRST question might, possibly, maybe, perhaps be aided by google maps.

nope

It's far too racist for that

or xenophobic or whatever

May as well get yr teeth did in between getting 60¢ 40s of Carta Blanca.

I'm British

Was Queen G not the best poster evar?

British...meaning? You don't need to? Or you really need to?

Meaning haha funny teeth but really I get it free when i go home. I don't have to worry, like an American would!

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

You are living in a MAGIC LAND in other words.

sure ok

Do you speak-a the Spanish?

no

I know restaurant Spanish, some cuss words, how to ask for/offer a cigarette, basic shopping skills. I know that saying you know "un pequito" (paquito?) Espanol means people think you are fluent. And apperently that the shave-and-a-haircut door-knocking/honking style is for some reason super offensive. I also know I can't roll my r's and people can't tell if I'm saying "dog" or "but."

cuss!

cuss words!

lol!

do: buy prescription drugs
don't: go to a donkey show

Bah, no, their RX drugs are WICKED overpriced. I mean, stuff like Valium, where they will charge like $180 for 100 of them. (Whereas if you have an RX that would cost about $14 in the US.) Uh, no. Their birth control is only $4 tho, so stuff like that is a-okay.

Why does everyone think it's funny when I say "cuss words"? I have been mocked IRL SO many times for using that phrase.

i used to say that too, and also get mocked

How long would it take to drive from LOS ANGELES to GUADALAJARA?

From Nogales, AZ, it's 18 - 20 hours down the coast. If you want to go across Baja (south to San Diego, then Tijuana, then east to Nogales), you'll go through some stunning scenery, but it will add 4-5 hours of driving vs. cutting across I-10 to Phoenix then south to Nogales. So, however long you think it will take you to get to the Nogales area, plus 18-20 hours.

Thanks! I just want to get there as quickly and cheaply as possible. maybe I should fly? I enjoy the autonomy of driving. But I also knew someone who died on a Mexico road trip and this makes me irrationally paranoid about it!

Having driven the TJ to Mexicali route several times, I can understand the paranoia. I'd see about cheap flights to Mazatlán, then renting a car to drive to Guadalajara. If you drive your own car, get a rider on your insurance to cover Mexico.

hey abbs, where are you from? Cuss words is while considered a "dated" euphomism on the left and right coasts, it's really common and polite in the south. Don't let the mockers get ya.

*giggles and points at Abbot for saying "cuss words"*

what the fuck is wrong with saying "cuss words"

I had no idea that "cuss words" was so quaint.

are we supposed to say "swear words" or is this just some coke/soda/pop bullshit

nothing! that's my point. I am teasing and being facetious. Those who were mocking Abb and Carne Asada are silly snobby folk. It's a regional thing, I think. Personally I say "dirty words" which is mocked even moreso. I think the "vogue phrase" is "swear words".

just some coke/soda/pop bullshit OTM.

So you motherfuckers thought I was gonna change my style?

[ So what are you saying Todd? ]

To all you bitches, hoes, and all that shit
Here's another rap that I'm ready to spit
It goes like this, my name is $hort
I'm tearin shit up like never before
Pimp slaps, makin snaps
Cold cash money and Too $hort raps
Oakland, California that's where I'm from
The city where the boys say you don't want none
But if you do, I'm gonna tell you this
Trues and vogues ain't really shit
Wanna roll so hard, all of the time
You and that bitch playin Too $hort rhymes
If you aks me, what it's all about, I'll say it's about that money
But if you aks me, could you have some, I'll say it doesn't concern me
Ronald Reagan came up to me and said, "Do you have the answer
To the United States economy and a cure for cancer?"
I said, what are you doin in the White House if you're not sellin cocaine?
Ask your wife, Nancy Reagan, I know she'll spit that game.
Like one night, she came to my house, and gave me a blow job
She licked my dick, up and down, like it was corn on the cob
What is life? It is Too $hort
I play the bitches like it's a sport
Yea, I'll play the bitches just like y'all
Like Dr. J played basketball
You can call me Too, don't say it twice
You'll get me real mad and I'll fuck your wife
You see I'm not proper, I'm rarely polite
Too $hort, Too $hort, don't say it tonight, beeatch
It started on a bright morning in 1987
I was in my drop-to Caddy y'all
Gettin sucked by a bitch named Helen
Nasty bitches, around the world, I wrote this rhyme for you
You might not like my rap, but I'm tellin you bitch it's true
So much death in the Oakland streets
Am I gonna live till next week?
Will I get shot by a dope fiend,
Tryin to get high, tryin to steal my ring
I really can't say, cause I don't know why
People out here droppin dead like flies
I used to see a home boy givin five
Now I say, "Man, you still alive?"
Cold as hell, the town I'm from
Won't last too long when you're fakin the funk
I'm the master rapper, so unique
Clap my hand when I want my freak
You can't deny it, you know I'm right
I turn any rapper out when I'm on the mic
And I won't kick back, or relax
Till he knows I'm the best at the MC rap
Till he knows Too Short, set the track
They got him caught up in my serious cap
Motherfucker can't spit straight game on the mic
Cause he's worse than a fag or a Frisco dike
He's a sucker MC, I call him punk
You try to spit that rap, you can scratch that junk
You little punk-ass boy, wouldn't listen to me
Think I'm fakin but I'm takin all you sucker MC's
To the end of the world and push you over
Good luck couldn't find you in a four leaf clover
If I ever said a rap, tryin to cap on you,
I wouldn't even sweat it cause you'll be through
Lookin so far up, you might fall down
Gettin clowned by the hound from east Oaktown
And the look in your face when you're lickin that tooth
Could make a grown man die, laughin at you
Cause you're a, no rappin, no rhymin
Played out fake ass simple simon
I never understood one word you said
But you're swearin up and down that you're killin em dead
There's only one thing, I wanted to know
Sucker motherfucker, where's the joke?
I'm the player of players, just call me Pop
My name is Too $hort, no I don't stop
I just don't stop mackin, don't stop cappin
Don't stop rappin now you see what happens
Your mind is gone, your crew just cut
Sucker MC I'll tell you what
Your rhymes are weak, your rap the same
And when it comes to game, you are lame
Never even heard of Too $hort baby
Hit Oakland in 1980
Singin mo raps than a rap could rhyme
Tellin sucker MC's don't waste my time
There's a girl I know her name is Betty
Straight to the head just rock it steady
She's so freaky she'll juice you up
All the home boys just can't get enough
She's a Ph.D., don't even stop
In the back like that goin (top, top, top)
I won't say white girl, won't say she's black
She's the kind of girl that make your knees go crack
Feel the beat, rock with me
Let me tell you what I be
I'm a MC rapper, a MC rapper
A big bank roller and a cold, cold capper
Hey baby, I got this rhyme
It's not gonna stop till the end of time
Like rock and roll I'll play that song
To the beat all day and all night long
So liten up, to what I'm sayin
I'm a Oaktown mack, bitch I ain't playin
To all the home boys doin time in the pen
Gonna rock this beat for you once again
If you can't get out and you're mad as hell
Say beeatch, now make it sound for real
I'ma tear shit up, if I get the chance
I could give a fuck less if you're hole don't dance
See I'm a big mack now, I'm so great
I was born and raised in the Golden State
Call me T.O.O., if you say $hort
I'ma rap my ass off till you give me some more
Big bank, now just make me rich
Bitch bitch bitch bitch make me rich
Check out my style, baby I don't quit
I heard this freak say, "That's the shit,
He took the cake, fucked the rake
Too $hort baby damn sure ain't fake."
But the sucker MC's are screamin loud
Sayin Sir Too $hort, shut your mouth
How can you talk about me, and call me weak
When your father smokes coke and you mother's a freak
So I keep on rappin, if nothin else
Keep your jealous thoughts to yourself
Bitch and Bitch, he's a MC right
Ain't sayin nothin but he's holdin the mic
Fuck with me, and boy you're doomed
I send a trick with a hoe to the motel room
Cause I'm the coldest MC on a microphone
Like a .357 pointed at your dome
I got cap for cap, you never heard
So fresh again with cusswords
Motherfuckin shit, fuckin with me
Fuck a skank bitch and a sucker MC
Cusswords, just let em know
Motherfuckin shit, god damn ass hoe
Cusswords, just don't quit
Motherfuck you damn shithead bitch
It's Too $hort, on the mic, and it don't stop
and it don't stop, and it won't stop, beeatch
Check out my style

cranky old cuss

NO let us not get pulled into an overdone isogloss pit!

To get into is to never get out of...

isogloss?

I am not snobby

isogloss!

Now that's quaint.

ok, my bad for geraliszing about snobby. I get snobby and know it so don't think before calling others out on being what I think is snobby. But do you mock the term "cuss words"? Just curious...but
back your trip admrl - road travel is often dangerous. I had a harrowing experience and won't try it again. Will fly. In a seperate episode from mine, my best friend was with 4 others driving and they were all killed by a wild drunk driver. *shudders*

cuss words just sounds very American and funny, as I'm sure "polystyrene" sounds to you

thanks

exactly! regional lexicon. "on holiday" vs. "on vacation" I am mocked mercileslly for saying on holiday (UK roots).

oooh isogloss. great word! Love new words.

do you really say polystyrene instead of plastic?

instead of styrofoam

oh, duh, shows my command or lack thereof the English language. So here's a o/t question that you may know the answer to! I heard that the only way to get rid of styrofoam is to put acetone on it. For real?

I have no idea

oh well worth a shot. So are you gonna fly? I hope so. And, don't worry about the language thing. Many of the people speak English, particularly in the bigger cities.

flying looks expensive. I'm not sure

It's about 1200 miles from Nogales to Guadalajara. There's only one gas company in Mexico, Pemex, and it's owned by the Mexican government. Gas runs about double the US price per gallon. Not sure how that will stack up vs. flying.

May as well get yr teeth did in between getting 60¢ 40s of Carta Blanca.

-- Abbott, Thursday, August 21, 2008 7:12 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Link

I was just in Mexico City and Oaxaca a couple of weeks ago, and the 40s are a buck now. And fuck Carta Blanca. That shit is swill. If you're down there get some Indio or Victoria, or better yet, Cucapa.

try here :<a href="http://www.orbitz.com/App/PerformSDLPDealsContent?deal_id=guadalajara&cnt=TRA&gcid=S11287x431&keyword=flights+to+guadalajara&source=sr&type=k&WT.mc_id=e124&WT.mc_ev=click&WT.srch=1&DCSext.mc_kw=flights+to+guadalajara";>Orbitz</a>

damn my HTML!

My question: Do or don't go at all? I started planning for my first trip there for September to meet my Mexican family (in Puebla, Puebla) but then the swine flu happened. The CDC is apparently recommending against traveling there. I would hope that by September this would be wrapped up. Sigh.

man i don't know... myself and three others have a San Miguel trip planned in exactly three weeks. we've been on the fence about cancelling. my friend's friend who owns the house we're renting for the week told us that it hasn't really been a problem in their area. I just don't want to crap out and get detained in some Guanajuato clinic because a gate agent heard me clear my throat and wouldn't let me on the plane back to the States.

gonna pack some xtra purell, i guess...

also, any ILXers visited/have the word on San Miguel de Allende?

Do not buy any sombrero with a diameter greater than 1 meter, especially if it has little pom-poms dangling from the brim, large amounts of elaborate embroidery in primary colors, and dozens of tiny round mirrors stitched into the crown.

Thinking about doing a long weekend (4 days) in Mexico City around Xmas. Anyone been recently? Is there enough going on to have a good time for that long w/o actually leaving the city?

I am going to be traveling for a few days along the border between TJ and Calexico. What shld I expect?

http://www.impawards.com/1981/posters/mad_max_two_the_road_warrior_ver4.jpg

Campo on CA-94 gets a lot of illicit cross-border traffic because the mountains make it difficult to patrol effectively and the brazenness of the coyotes/drug smugglers is pretty full on. The last incident I heard of was a truck full of smugglers (humans, drugs, and otherwise) who had almost-successfully disguised themselves as Marines with a purported cover story of patrolling the border.

The upshot, be careful.

If you get a chance, be sure to try the "puffy" or "special" quesadillas. I've only ever had them in the Imperial Valley and seem to be a local staple. Instead of a traditional quesadilla, the dough/ingredients are deep fried like an empanada. Camacho's Place on Wahl Rd. (between El Centro and Mt. Signal) is the best place to get them - the restaurant has been around since the 1940s and is truly superb. A special quesadilla, some carne asada, and a picture of beer here is one of the Great Border Meals.

BTW, don't rely completely on GPS navigation because some of the roads are still messed up from the earthquake last year.

Thanks!

Revive! Heading to Mexico City for four days at the end of the month. Does anyone have suggestions for good food, cold beer, vinyl records and/or cool things to see?

La Casa Azul (Frida Kahlo's house) in Coyoacan is amazing, if you're into that kind of thing. Leon Trotsky's house is a couple of blocks away from it too.

For vinyl records, check out el tianguis del chopo on saturdays. It's an outdoor flea market near the buenavista subway station.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tianguis_Cultural_del_Chopo

Cosign both of these. Coyoacán is a cool neighbourhood in general, a great market & some nice cantinas. My main advice would be EAT EVERYTHING DRINK EVERYTHING

thanks, some great idea. Definitely want to do all this.

A few things, a-lo:

1) El Chopo is definitely an interesting place and you'll find interesting stuff on vinyl for sure, but it's in the middle a sketchy part of town so if possible don't go there on your own. Ideally you'd want to go with someone who lives there. While we're on that make sure you keep your wallet in a safe place when you're riding the Subway.

2) Yes, try everything but with food there's always a risk. Moctezuma's revenge is no myth.

3) The trendy areas in Mexico City are the colonias Condesa and Roma. Lots of cool bars and cafes. Definitely worth checking out.

4) Try to go to the Museo de Antropología. It's quite impressive.

5) I recently discovered this restaurant near the Zocalo (the main square), which is totally awesome: http://www.lacasadelassirenas.com.mx/

^especially the view from the terrace

Re 2 it's not exactly a "myth" but I'd argue that it is a quasi-racist term for what is properly called traveller's diarrhoea. There's always a risk of falling prey to unfamiliar strains of bacteria but I doubt this is that much more likely to happen with a gordita in Mexico than with a gyro or an empanada or a bacon butty or a hot dog anywhere else in the world.

Daavid's points are all good tho. You could spend a whole day in the museo de antropología easy.

Def hook up with some locals if you can, it's the best way to experience any city.

xpost - OK, yes, I've never liked that term either. I agree but I think what's particular about Mexico (obv. not only Mexico) is that the general spiciness of the food can be a problem to people who aren't used to it on every meal.

I'm saying that from past experiences where I've hosted people (US or Canadians) in Mexico City (that's where I'm from) and no matter how careful I try to be with where we dine, they always end up getting sick at some point.

I've been to Mexico 7 times and my most recent trip was the first one where I didn't get sick. My advice - don't even try to avoid getting sick because it's probably going to happen anyway.

Ah OK I guess there's something wrong with north americans then ;-)

I get a little defensive because so many ppl spout ignorant bullshit about mexican food, especially here in the UK where most ppl haven't even tried it. I'm half-mexican (my family live in querétaro) but I've only been there once as an adult. I stayed a month, ate everything, and never got sick once fwiw.

I have been to Mexico a couple of times but only got sick once, and it was nowhere near as bad as 1) the time I gave myself food poisoning with a mushroom veloute or 2) the time I got a norovirus in the US capital city and ended up in the ER.

In about two weeks I'll be Baja-bound, staying between 6 and 12 months. Very excited! How do I shot speaking Spanish?

I just stumbled into this tread while James's Taylor's "Mexico" is playing and, I gotta say: thread enhancer

Thanks all -- this is helping as I starting planning a bit more.

Daavid, we're actually staying in Condesa, so looking forward to checking that area out. I'm also looking forward to checking El Chopo on Saturday morning for records but would definitely be rolling down there solo (or maybe with my gf). When you say "sketchy," is it a case of not being stupid/staying alert or something else?

Well the good thing is that you can just pay 200 pesos and a doctor will stick a needle in your ass and you'll feel better in a few hours.

Just stay alert, the area is not as bad as it used to be some years ago.

xxpost, I mean rough (or at least rough-looking) tbh. You will notice stark contrasts between different parts of Mexico City, and the Colonia Guerrero (where "El Chopo" is located) is not one of the pretty ones. Allegedly, it's got relatively high crime rate too (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonia_Guerrero,_Mexico_City). I don't want to scare you too much though, I haven't been to "El Chopo" in over 15 years so it makes sense that it's a different place now, as Norma says. To be fair I don't know if it was even dangerous back then or maybe just the people looked scary.

My general advice regarding safety is:
- Avoid walking too much around areas you don't know about (Condesa is fine). Call a "taxi de sitio" (they're cheap!) or use public transport (bus, subway) instead.
- Don't use street ATMs. There are plenty inside stores (like Sanborns) or shopping areas. I recommend you use those.
- Don't wear flashy accessories (expensive-looking jewelry, watches, etc.) or carry too much money around.
- If you don't want to look too much like a tourist don't wear shorts, sandals, or hats (other than baseball caps).
- When in doubt, ask whoever you're staying with.
- And yes, just stay alert.

...I'm beginning to sound a bit like my mother. The probability you'll get mugged is pretty low anyway. But it doesn't hurt to take some extra precautions. :)

One last thing, if you want to go to a pretty/quaint part, I'd recommend San Angel over Coyoacán, they're not far from each other anyway so you can visit both in the same day.

...on that note, don't try visit too many places in the same day. Car traffic can be insane (another good reason to take the subway) and you can easily be stuck in traffic for hours.

Xochimilco is sweet, ride a boat, eat barbacoa

I love^10000 quesadillas in the DF

Thanks everyone -- I'll report back on what we get into.

Thanks again for all of the advice -- Mexico DF was a great place to visit. I really had no idea what to expect.

We were there during Holy Week so there were some pretty heavy vibes at the cathedral downtown and Guadalupe. Per daavid's advice, we didn't try to pack much into each day so we had time to chill and eat a lot of al pastor tacos/quesadillas and drink. Some adjusting to the food, but no major sickness issues. Particularly liked Frida Kahlo's house.

Re: Records, I got to ABC Discos downtown and picked up a few 60s comps on LP, an Esquivel LP and a few Orfeon LPs of traditional Cuban music. I wanted to get the the stalls/shops at Balderas and/or El Chopo, but Saturday was a really nice day and we ended up just wandering around some of the neighborhoods.

crossposting like it's Usenet yo:

who's been to Mexico? all other factors aside, would ppl recommend going from Tulum to Oaxaca by: just getting a bus back to Cancun airport and flying; or taking a few days and some overnight 11-hr bus rides and going via Palenque?

― on that Manara / Fellini ish (sic), Thursday, July 25, 2013 10:51 AM (0 seconds ago)

i'm going there, too. going mexico city in august.

i've been to san cristobal and chiapas before but i've never spent any real time in mexico city. i'm excited, really have no idea what to expect apart from huge latin american city. i've been to a bunch of latin american cities (buenos aires, lima, santiago, havana, and santo domingo) so i kind of know the feeling but none of those are even on the scale of D.F., even lima which has like 8 million people.

I think Merida is the place to be right now. I mean, you'd be crazy to go in July but I've never seen a city grow so fast. Plus you're right by Progreso which is like the ideal beach town.

interesting -- I was in Merida about six years ago and was really impressed by how nice a city it was. I felt like I had stumbled onto some kind of secret -- I mean obviously it's not really a secret, but it seemed like being inland meant very few American tourists (although it seemed like a good number of mexican and latin american ones). I even had this brief fantasy of moving there and becoming a private English instructor. There was also for some reason a lot of Lebanese investment in the city.

well there are certainly some Americans that live there near downtown now. I'm guessing most of them having only moved there recently. I'm not entirely sure what things are going to look like in five years - it's expanding and getting crowded at a concerning rate. But yeah, it's a really cool place and I usually felt safe there (I happened to be there when they found all those heads on the side of the road, which brought about tanks on the street and some kinda scary traffic stops)

So, I go to Mexico for a week or so in Dec/Jan. I have never been to Mexico and am somewhat on a budget. Like many people, I want to see Mexico City but also want to spend more time taking in natural beauty or beach. Where is good right now or ever? Any suggested itineraries would be welcome - I'd prefer to keep it to one or two places, or if there is just one place that is suitable enough to spend a whole week in, I'd happily take that. Comfortable but cheap lodgings, airbnbs, etc. would be a plus.

Oh and I do not speak Spanish.

If you want to see a city, Oaxaca is nicer and calmer than Mexico City

I could have stayed in Tulum for three weeks. Bike to the Mayan ruins, or underground swimming caves with bats in, or a monkey sanctuary, in the morning; bike to the beach in the afternoon.

Tulum is incredibly awesome, don't miss it.

I loved Cozumel's beaches more than Mazatlan's or Puerta Vallarta's. If you do any sort of surfing you won't like Cancun or Cozumel's beaches.

Loved Guanajuato as well.

If you want to see a city, Oaxaca is nicer and calmer than Mexico City

Yeah, because Oaxaca has about the population of Duluth, Minnesota whereas Mexico City is one of the biggest cities in the world, with more people in it than New York City. Just something to keep in mind.

Oaxaca (city and state) is beautiful. Nice unspoiled beachtowns south of Oaxaca town like Puerto Escondido and Zipolite. I second Guanajuato too. I wasn't too keen on Puerto Vallarta tbh.

Count me among the Tulum lovers. Airfair to Cancun can usually be found for pretty cheap (though Dec/Jan is high season so ?). Rent a car and get to Tulum in under two hours. Do not stay in Cancun any longer than you have to.

If you're into desert beaches ringed with huge Cardon cacti, Southern Baja is your place. Fly into San Jose de Cabo and rent a car; skip Cabo San Lucas and go to Los Barilles for great beaches. No real cities in Baja, however.

Oh I don't really speak Spanish but have managed to live in rural Mexico (less English spoken than in cities/tourist towns)for four months so don't worry about it.

We've stayed a few times in Akumal, which is maybe 90 minutes south of Cancun by car. It's beautiful, the people are really nice, food is tasty (lotsa fish), snorkeling is ace and it's super quiet. 20 minute drive to Tulum, and from an hour or so to a lot more to other Mayan ruins in the jungles, where you can rent bikes. Temperature in Dec. and Jan. is not bad at all, compared to what it can get to, though the further inland you go the hotter it gets. Also, while the violence seems to have chilled a tad in Mexico, the Yucatan peninsula was never terribly rife with crime.

Live baach cam:

http://www.locogringo.com/Upload/akumal-beach-cam.html?CFID=30027317&CFTOKEN=241dbdd0f0402193-FE2EF189-D9D5-7C40-8B2D019B9153475F

underground swimming caves

Yeah, cenotes rule. You can just pull off the road and pay a couple of bucks and then snorkel in these awesome fresh/salt inlets full of awesome fish.

Also, yeah, avoid Cancun, which is lame. Get your tourist stuff out of your system in Playa del Carmen, which has a Wal-Mart where you can load up on supplies and henceforth avoid cities.

I've never been to Oaxaca or Mexico City, but both seem like destinations in their own right.

Playa del Carmen is great!

I use to visit Topolabampo Bay and Maviri beach every summer when we'd visit my grandmother in Los Mochis, Sinaloa. I was there last in 2007 and the beach remained lonely and beautiful. The area seems a bit far from destinations to be an excursion and not an ideal destination in the tourist sense. Mentioning it though because if you have more than a week to spend in Mexico, this place is worth checking out.

i just spent a week in mexico city at the end of august, it was spectacular. i was there for a work conference but had a few extra days to explore. there is infinitely more stuff to see than one week allows obviously, but i did feel like i fit in a good amount in the time i had. if you do spend a few days there, a few highlights included: 1) the frida kahlo house/musuem, which really was amazing and is in a great, colorful neighborhood with lots of good food and markets (coyoacan); 2) pyramids of teotihuacan, about an 1 hour north of the city, some of the biggest pyramids in the world; 3) national museum of anthropology, which is gargantuan and houses some of the most famous aztec, mayan, and other mesoamerican artifacts (and also some amazing contemporary murals);3) palacio de bellas artes, which is great for a brief visit on sunday (when admission is free) to see famous mexican murals, e.g. rivera, siquieros, clemente orozco, etc.

i totally felt though that while mexico city is amazing, i really wanted to explore other areas, smaller towns, beaches, etc. oaxaca i will surely visit next time.

what an amazing country. i left with the feeling that i will visit mexico many many more times in my life. such a rich and varied culture, art, music, folklife, even the food alone is worth going for.

Hi I am in Tulum

so jealous.

http://www.danplusnicole.com/travel?category=Tulum%20Mexico

Omg I looooooove Tulum! Where are you staying? Have dinner at the restaurant at Posada Margarita!

rad. mexico is like the center of the world to me.

jealous

I've been to Akumal 4 times. Tulum is awesome. Dive in some off-highway cenotes.

Just back from a 3 week trip and amazed to see only one mention of Guanajuato upthread. Beautiful place, maybe the nicest I've been to anywhere in Latin America.

I once left my wallet in Guanajuato. It is indeed a beautiful town.

quincie, when was the last time you were in Todos Santos?

March of this year!

It has been five years since I was last there. Are you going???

Since I *had* been there. Quite a lot of development over the past 5 years. It struck me as kind of cruise-ship destination this time around, but I had some great beer at a local micro and there is good food to be had.

Pacific side water is too brrrrrr for me, though, so I prefer the Sea of Corte side of Baja.

Heyyyyyy!

Going for a wedding next month, I havent been in a looooong time. I heard its changed.... seems like it has quite a bit!

Do you drink mescal? I normally stick to beer tbqh.

The US State Department says the roads in Michoacán are dangerous. My wife wants to go to a nature reserve there where Monarch butterflies travel to. There are group tours to a different such Mexican locale that is not in the State Department don’t go area. Folks commenting on Trip Advisor think the roads in Michoacán are fine by day to the butterflies area. Anybody know more?

the US State Department says to not travel to Michoacan at all

what do you wanna do, live forever?

don't travel at night, go with a reputable tour group and don't wander off by yourself, and avoid doing obviously stupid stuff like flashing wads of cash or expensive smartphones and cameras and you'll be OK.

IME the US State Department travel warnings do not jive with actual travel risk (in my case tested in Mexico, Lebanon, North Korea).

Friends from the State Department (I live in DC, and those ppl used to be all over the place) explain that the travel warnings are all about diplomatic relationships and not actual travel risk.

If it were me I would go without a second thought.

When I lived in southern Baja roads were in fact dangerous at night but that was due to vacas not banditos.

I've personally just gotten very weary of more dangerous places as i've gotten older. my parents went to rio a couple of years back and witnessed two distinct gunpoint robberies and i was thinking "maybe cross that off the old list".

having said that lots of cities in america are p dangerous so i dunno, live a little

incidentally I'm going to mexico in february (my first ever honest to goodness vacation!!) and am v stoked

oh! am thinking of just taking a quick trip over the border to TJ in March. like just a day trip to grab badass tacos and maybe a bottle of nice tequila or whatever. anybody have recs on anything there? considering driving to san diego and just taking a bus to avoid some of the border-crossing mess.

We found a butterfly reserve in Piedro Herrada, that is NOT in a region that the State Department says not to visit. We hired a tour guide who picked us up at our Mexico City hotel and took us out there. We rode horses part of the way up the mountain trail and then walked further uphill from there, where we saw hundreds or more Monarch butterflies high in the trees and low by bushes . It all worked out well. The tour guide played his fave rural Mexican Banda and durenguese country music for us in the car and there, plus we ate a good lunch there ( and drank some mezcal). After spending some time in Mexico City, we flew to Cancun and rented a car and went to Tulum ( where Dan’s upthread suggestions helped out).

Piedra Herrada

i am going to el DF in less than a month -- are there any music-related places i need to go while i'm there? (it's just a few days, i've wanted to go there for as long as i can remember so this is probably a first visit not an only visit)

Can't remember your music inclinations but Saturday punk/hc flea market el Chopo. Just past Revolucion station and next to the really cool library.

It was kinda corny but we enjoyed the Mexico Folkloric Dance (and singing) company that performs at the Palacio de Bellas Artes. We also were probably the only gringos at a Victor Manuelle salsa romantica concert ( he’s Puerto Rican) at a place called the Forum that gets rented out for salsa shows

i like all types of music-related places. i am trying to learn something to take home so i can get brownie points at work + personal satisfaction :) i'm collecting things/venues/publications? to google when i have time before the trip. thanks for the tips!

I saw an astonishing Mariachi band in Plaza Garibaldi one night - a skiffle punk version who looked like they slept in their suits - but it might have been a lucky one off. As I said in the DF thread, just go and hang out at one of the shitty pulque places and avoid the big tourist traps.

Here's the link to the Mexico City thread (that I had missed before, doh!) with good, detailed Aldo comments on it:

Mexico City

re music in Mexico City...I am not seeing any upcoming gigs there right now by my faves Julieta Venegas or Cafe Tacuba.

Here's a link for the corny but good Folkloric Ballet company that includes mariachi musicians and dancers and more whom wife and I did see at the Palacio de Belle Artes (they perform here regularly)

https://www.balletfolkloricodemexico.com.mx/presentaciones-ballet-de-mexico-amalia-hernandez/

I read about these Mexico City clubs but uh, never made it to any of them:

La Maraka salsa merengue dance club

Mama Rumba

Mojito Room

Multiforo Alicia - indie

Pasaguero - indie

do: have a blast :)

Near the Mexico City Airport I noticed the Discos Colombia record store but I didn’t have time to go there. It’s on this list from a little while back
http://remezcla.com/lists/music/10-mexico-city-record-stores/

thanks curmudgeon! very helpful. i plan to have 1 or ideally >1 blast :)

going to Tulum (and parts nearby) next wednesday for a week! very excited!

We enjoyed our recent time in Tulum. The beach time was nice despite the seaweed issue there ( lots floating to shore). The Mayan ruins are a must to see and going to cenotes is also fun. We enjoyed a tour of the Sian Kaan Biosphere area where via boat we saw manatees and crocodiles and birds. There we also got to float down a tributary propelled by the current. Dinner at Cetli Restaurant was impressive—fancy Mexican in a casual but nicely designed restaurant ( out on a highway and not with the trendy places on the coastal road.

The Mayan ruins at Coba aren't that far from Tulum. worth seeing as well. Chichen Itza is 2 1/2 hours from Tulum (we didn't end up going there but i want to someday)

Tulum food rec: Pollo Bronco, on the main strip in town. So good.

Can you still climb Coba? You could when I was there but then 10 years is a long time ago.

🇲🇽Police commissioner walks into cafe filled with hitmen and gets riddled with bullets. 13 November 2023 pic.twitter.com/VsD6nNjHwt

— Sniped 🔫 (@The_Sand_Men) September 29, 2025

imagine just ambling past some innocuous looking couples at a restaurant front without realising they are all cartel hired assassins who are just about to shoot you dead in the back.

Interesting reviews for that cafe. Perhaps not the place you would expect assassins to be

Hussein Mahmoud
Local Guide · 178 reviews · 8 photos
2 years ago
So quite and relaxing. I love it.
Coffee and pastries are very nice with many healthy choices.
One of the few that has a good keto brownie 👍

Dropping carbs can really improve your kill conversion rate

I have good memories of Mexico. Spent three weeks in Mexico City in 2012, hopping from flat to flat with a friend and her friends who were mostly gay men / hippies. Street food and long nights, more alcohol and partying than I could ever endure, a few museums, Aztec ruins around the city. And then Guanajuato, Puebla, Veracruz, Oaxaca, San Cristobal de las Casas, Palenque, and some laguna that we reached with a small boat.

Is this the best Mexico thread on here?

Nothing. Well, a don't apparently is smoking cigarettes and vaping.