# Mexico Trip



## sparks55 (Jan 15, 2012)

:ranger:Greetings everyone!!!! I want to thank you all for all of the information and tips I have received by asking and searching on the forum.

Mack and I are leaving Wednesday for our roadtrip to Tapachula, Chiapas. We plan to be gone for several weeks. We will be crossing at Matamoros and meeting our mexican guide at the bus station there.

Do you guys have any suggestions as to the safest routes. We have been told to only travel during the day, which is what we do anyway. We will be getting our mexican auto insurance before we cross. Do you have any recommentations as to companies. 

Also I would like to know about our prescription medicines and vitamins. Do we need to bring the original bottles with us. We are trying to organize everything so we don't have any problem crossing the border. 

Look forward to hearing from you. I would also love it if I could meet some of you during our travels. That would be amazing!!!!!

Heather


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## conklinwh (Dec 19, 2009)

I never want to travel at night for a lot of reasons.
By far the shortest route to Chiapas is through the state of Veracruz. I know that at least one person here lives there so can give you specifics. Expect at minimum, one night.
I wouldn't worry about prescriptions. Just pack as normal but do keep in the prescription bottles.


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## Ken Wood (Oct 22, 2011)

I'll second Conklin's advice re the prescriptions. It is always good practice to keep the pills in their original containers with the prescriptions attached. Over the counter medications in Mexico offer many items that require a prescription in the US. I don't think you'll have problems here, but if you are unfortunate enough to win an inspection on your re-entry to the states, this is an issue, a potentially big one. Better safe than sorry, and it is easy to accomplish.


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## Grizzy (Nov 8, 2010)

For Mexican auto insurance try Lewis and Lewis. I just renewed and they were a good $75 cheaper than Mexpro for a year. You can buy online and print out the policy instantly. 
To save time at the immigration and car permit line ups have photocopies of your registration, passports and drivers license ready when you arrive. They do them there for a small fee but it is another line up then back to the original line.
Enjoy the trip!


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## sparks55 (Jan 15, 2012)

Grizzy said:


> For Mexican auto insurance try Lewis and Lewis. I just renewed and they were a good $75 cheaper than Mexpro for a year. You can buy online and print out the policy instantly.
> To save time at the immigration and car permit line ups have photocopies of your registration, passports and drivers license ready when you arrive. They do them there for a small fee but it is another line up then back to the original line.
> Enjoy the trip!


Grizzy,

Thank you for your quick reply. I am wondering how much coverage I should get. We are driving a 1996 Kia Sportage 4WD. I have heard that US plated cars stick out and can be a target for people trying to get money out of "rich" americans. I only carry liability here. I was thinking about full coverage, especially with the UI, medical coverage and vandilism coverage. There is sooo much negative info out there it is hard to filter out what is real and what is not.


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## Guest (Feb 11, 2012)

Good luck finding full coverage for a 16 year old vehicle in MX. Regarding medical coverage, maybe it's only our MX car insurance, but the vehicle's medical insurance does NOT cover the owner/driver of the vehicle for medical injuries from an accident, only passengers or other parties. It's expected by the insurer that the drivers health coverage will cover injuries.


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

sparks55 said:


> Grizzy,
> 
> Thank you for your quick reply. I am wondering how much coverage I should get. We are driving a 1996 Kia Sportage 4WD. I have heard that US plated cars stick out and can be a target for people trying to get money out of "rich" americans. I only carry liability here. I was thinking about full coverage, especially with the UI, medical coverage and vandilism coverage. There is sooo much negative info out there it is hard to filter out what is real and what is not.



a 96 Kia, you may get blown off the road as the 2012 Escalades, Nissans and Mercedes pass you on the road......


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## Ken Wood (Oct 22, 2011)

True, some of those big vehicles will pass you up, but most of the time it's because they have to get to the event first. If they are not the first ones on scene, they can never find a place to park, meanwhile, you can lollygag along the way in your Kia and still find a place to squeeze in. You will be completely anonymous on the hwy in your little vehicle, which is not a bad thing.


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## tepetapan (Sep 30, 2010)

The insurance company will want to sell you a policy covering theft. No need for that with a ´96 Kia, not a bad ride but it has no value to a car thief... besides a quick ride to the next stop.


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## sparks55 (Jan 15, 2012)

*Mexico Trip Change#8*

Greeting everyone,

Our trip to Mexico has morphed again from a road trip in our KIA to a round trip bus ticket from Nashville to Oaxaca. Our friends in tapachula called to say they were concerned about the escalating violence in Matamoros and advised us not to drive so to ease their minds we are complying. We will be leaving here on the 15th and arriving in Oaxaca Friday night. We would like to know a good hotel. I thought that we could stay there a couple of days, recover from the bus ride, see the place and maybe meet some of you while we are there. Our friends in Tapachula will meet us there a couple of days later.

:ranger: Sitting here reading posts and sipping a hot coca. Its 17F here right now. Looking forward to warmer weather. 

Look forward to hearing from you.

Heather


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## terrybahena (Oct 3, 2011)

Have a great trip! I'm flying to Acapulco and then driving to Playa Ventura (2 hours south) next weekend for a week. I'm so excited! I'm traveling with my girlfriend who is from this little town and hubby is staying home to paint our house for our (soon to be) renters. We may be moving our move date up again to July; this trip will help us decide....oh she and I aren't driving- her brothers will be waiting for us at the airport- one of them drives a taxi. Altho' it's not very cold here above San Francisco, it's still jacket weather so I'm happy to be considering all my shorts ha ha


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

It is kind of funny that your friends in Tapachula are so worried about the Texas border area they have probably neglected to mention the Guatemalan border and Tapachulas problems with gangs like MS13, 
human rights violations, hit squads, dope and human trafficking....If Matamoros is so dangerous switch over to Laredo where thousands of cars,trucks and buses travel every day without problems...At least after that much time on a bus you will be part Mexican, because you will be one sore Aztec.......suerte y paz


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

chicois8 said:


> It is kind of funny that your friends in Tapachula are so worried about the Texas border area they have probably neglected to mention the Guatemalan border and Tapachulas problems with gangs like MS13,
> human rights violations, hit squads, dope and human trafficking....If Matamoros is so dangerous switch over to Laredo where thousands of cars,trucks and buses travel every day without problems...At least after that much time on a bus you will be part Mexican, because you will be one sore Aztec.......suerte y paz


Watch the movie Sin Nombre for an interesting take on Tapachula and MS13. However, I have to disagree with your comment about the bus. In my humble opinion you will be far better off after that trip in a Mexican bus, than you would be after driving it yourself (US buses are a different story). On the bus, you can sleep, watch movies, browse the internet or just look out the window. The seats are wide and cushy with enough front and back space to recline without bothering the person behind you. There is a bathroom on board for emergencies and they stop often enough to use a stationary bathroom or pick up something to eat. They are through buses so they don't add a whole lot of time to the trip. According to one of the maps somebody pointed at in this thread, the driving time Guadalajara to Tijuana is 22 hours. What is that: a two day drive or maybe three with one or two motel stops thrown in? The buses make it in 30 hours. Maybe they are not for everybody, but for my money, it is a better way.


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## sparks55 (Jan 15, 2012)

TundraGreen said:


> Watch the movie Sin Nombre for an interesting take on Tapachula and MS13. However, I have to disagree with your comment about the bus. In my humble opinion you will be far better off after that trip in a Mexican bus, than you would be after driving it yourself (US buses are a different story). On the bus, you can sleep, watch movies, browse the internet or just look out the window. The seats are wide and cushy with enough front and back space to recline without bothering the person behind you. There is a bathroom on board for emergencies and they stop often enough to use a stationary bathroom or pick up something to eat. They are through buses so they don't add a whole lot of time to the trip. According to one of the maps somebody pointed at in this thread, the driving time Guadalajara to Tijuana is 22 hours. What is that: a two day drive or maybe three with one or two motel stops thrown in? The buses make it in 30 hours. Maybe they are not for everybody, but for my money, it is a better way.


:ranger: Better safe than sorry. The bus was only $800 for 2 people round trip. The cheapest way to travel so far. Its going to be an adventure in any case. I am excited and anxious to get going. 

Trying to figure out how NOT to bring my winter coat. Its snowing in Texas. 

NASHVILLE, TN 15Feb12 05:00PM GLI 1537 
DALLAS, TX 
SAN ANTONIO, TX 
MATAMOROS, MX 
OAXACA, MX 17Feb12 09:40PM


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

sparks55 said:


> :ranger: Better safe than sorry. The bus was only $800 for 2 people round trip. The cheapest way to travel so far. Its going to be an adventure in any case. I am excited and anxious to get going.
> 
> Trying to figure out how NOT to bring my winter coat. Its snowing in Texas.
> 
> ...


Should be a great trip. Don't be discouraged by the US portion of the trip. The buses will get better once you cross the border. At least that was my experience on a Guadalajara - Denver round trip by bus. Do you know what bus company runs the Mexican portion?


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## sparks55 (Jan 15, 2012)

TundraGreen said:


> Should be a great trip. Don't be discouraged by the US portion of the trip. The buses will get better once you cross the border. At least that was my experience on a Guadalajara - Denver round trip by bus. Do you know what bus company runs the Mexican portion?


ADO - I hear they are top of the line.


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## Ken Wood (Oct 22, 2011)

Oaxaca is a marvelous place to spend time. *Barring weather issues, it's should be a great visit. *Be sure to visit the area of town where they process the chocolate, all the way from beans to the cup. *The mills are right in the storefront, so it is an easy task to accomplish. *The area is also rich in ruins, which are just a short run from centro. *We generally default to the hotel management when selecting day trips to ruins, surrounding cities, etc. *It's their business to have clients happy when they check out, and we usually are. *

We have found that Trip Advisor, the online service, is a good way to check out hotels in any area. *While you can get lots of person to person recommendations from lots of people here, they can't give you current rates, current construction projects, etc. *I'm certainly not saying ignore the forum comments, but I would chase them with a visit to Trip Advisor. *Obviously, if a place has limited comments in the review section, we shy away from it, but if the trend is positive with numerous comments, we have not been disappointed. *I know there are theories that some hotels "salt" the review section with positive reviews, but I am an optimist, and I believe that, even if this does happen, they will eventually be outed by the bad comments of the actual visitors. *

While you are there this weekend, be on the lookout for and old ****** with a pretty Mexican wife. *If you are going to be "Forum-ing" while you are there, maybe we can work out a cup of good Oaxacan coffee somewhere.*


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## sparks55 (Jan 15, 2012)

Ken Wood said:


> Oaxaca is a marvelous place to spend time. *Barring weather issues, it's should be a great visit. *Be sure to visit the area of town where they process the chocolate, all the way from beans to the cup. *The mills are right in the storefront, so it is an easy task to accomplish. *The area is also rich in ruins, which are just a short run from centro. *We generally default to the hotel management when selecting day trips to ruins, surrounding cities, etc. *It's their business to have clients happy when they check out, and we usually are. *
> 
> We have found that Trip Advisor, the online service, is a good way to check out hotels in any area. *While you can get lots of person to person recommendations from lots of people here, they can't give you current rates, current construction projects, etc. *I'm certainly not saying ignore the forum comments, but I would chase them with a visit to Trip Advisor. *Obviously, if a place has limited comments in the review section, we shy away from it, but if the trend is positive with numerous comments, we have not been disappointed. *I know there are theories that some hotels "salt" the review section with positive reviews, but I am an optimist, and I believe that, even if this does happen, they will eventually be outed by the bad comments of the actual visitors. *
> 
> While you are there this weekend, be on the lookout for and old ****** with a pretty Mexican wife. *If you are going to be "Forum-ing" while you are there, maybe we can work out a cup of good Oaxacan coffee somewhere.*


Ken, That would be great. We have soooo many things we want to talk about concerning Mexico. Talking over a cup of coffee would be great. I am a coffee lover and look forward to a great tazo de cafe


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## Merida Yucatan (Feb 13, 2012)

The US Department of State gives up to date advice on where it's 
safe and not safe to travel. It also mentions which places are 
unsafe at night. This is from February 8, 2012:
Mexico


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

sparks55 said:


> ADO - I hear they are top of the line.


ADO has three categories of service ADO, ADO GL, and ADO Platino. All three are First Class, but the upper two are more luxurious. A few tips that might be useful for a first time bus rider in Mexico.

- Make a mental note of the bus ID number. This is a 4 digit number written in fairly large print, low down, somewhere on the front of the bus. It identifies the physical bus you are on, not the route. It will be useful in getting back on the right bus after stops. You will want to get off occasionally to eat, use a rest room, or just stretch. And sometimes, they move the bus while people are off. In fact on one route, they take it away for cleaning for an hour. So it is helpful to be able to identify it other than by the the slot it pulls into.

- When the bus stops, the driver will announce the length of the stop. It might be hard to catch it in the middle of the rest of the announcement if you are not used to hearing Spanish. You can also ask the driver as you get off ("Cuantos minutos en el terminal?" or "Cuantos minutos aqui?"). Definitely be back on the bus before it leaves. They don't do a roll call or check tickets after the stops. You will stand out as the only non-Mexicans on the bus, so they will probably notice you are missing, but don't rely on it. I had to tell the driver once that a stranger sitting next to me was not on the bus. He backed up a block and picked her up.

- Bring a map of Mexico, like the AAA road map, then you can keep track of your progress across the country. Every bus station you stop in will have the name of the city written on the building right above where the buses stop. It is usually easy to see from the window of the bus as you pull into the station.

- Generally the buses run very close to on time. So you can tell when you get to Oaxaca pretty much with a watch unless there is an unusual problem somewhere.

-Have some pesos with you in small denominations. People will come on the bus selling bottled water, sodas, tacos, candy, knick-knacks. There will probably be an ATM in the bigger bus stations after you cross into Mexico where you can get some cash. Then buy something in the station so you have some smaller bills. The ATMs like to give you $500 peso bills, which no small place will change. So buy something at the one of the chain 7-11 type stores in a bus terminal (OXXO, Superby, 7-11, Extra, etc).

- Depending on the bus, they may have headsets or they may just play music and movies on loudspeakers. If the latter they will turn off the music and/or movies from about 11 pm to 8 am.

- There will be two restrooms at the back of the bus, one for men and one for women. Usually these are pretty clean, often better than the ones in the terminals. But it is still more pleasant to use a toilet in the terminals. Speaking of restrooms in the terminals. You have to pay to use them, usually about 3 to 5 pesos. There will be an attendant who may help you putting money into the slot to release the gate. The attendant may also give you some toilet paper. Sometimes you get a little from an attendant, sometimes they have a big roll on a wall. You will never find it inside the stall so plan ahead. Also, in Mexico we don't throw used toilet paper in the toilet. It messes up the plumbing. Just fold it neatly and throw it in the waste basket provided.

- There are no drinking fountains in Mexico. No one drinks tap water. So just buy plastic water bottles from one of the concessions in the terminals or one of the vendors that come through the bus.

- You either check your luggage in the terminal or just take it out and give it to an attendant to put under the bus. If in the terminal it will be labeled something like "Documentación de equipaje", I forget exactly what the label is. Just tell them the name of your destination city. They will give you a claim check and will want it back when you pick up your luggage. You always pick it up directly from the bus, not in the terminal. You can tip the baggage handler 5 or 10 pesos if you want to, but it is not required. Mostly people tip if they have a lot of luggage. There are porters in the stations if you need help with your luggage. These people do expect tips, 10 pesos or more for a lot of luggage. I don't worry about the luggage under buses. They do a lot better than the airlines about getting people and luggage to the same place at the same time. 

- There will often be some kind of a superficial security check as you board the bus for the first time. A security guard will take a cursory look in any hand carried items and may run a hand scanner metal detector over you. No big deal, just so you know what is happening.

- There will be occasional military checkpoints. The military will come on and walk through the bus looking the passengers over. Don't worry about it. It is standard procedure. Going north, the military checks may be more thorough. You might be asked to get off the bus, while they check all the luggage. They are just trying to stem the tide of drugs used by people in the US. It is routine and again nothing to worry about. There may also be agricultural checks going north.

I have probably gone on for too long. Have a great trip.


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## sparks55 (Jan 15, 2012)

TundraGreen said:


> ADO has three categories of service ADO, ADO GL, and ADO Platino. All three are First Class, but the upper two are more luxurious. A few tips that might be useful for a first time bus rider in Mexico.
> 
> - Make a mental note of the bus ID number. This is a 4 digit number written in fairly large print, low down, somewhere on the front of the bus. It identifies the physical bus you are on, not the route. It will be useful in getting back on the right bus after stops. You will want to get off occasionally to eat, use a rest room, or just stretch. And sometimes, they move the bus while people are off. In fact on one route, they take it away for cleaning for an hour. So it is helpful to be able to identify it other than by the the slot it pulls into.
> 
> ...


Thanks ALL for the tips. We will definitely be more comfortable knowing all this stuff. We aren't going to check and bags, just our backpacks which will probably go in the overhead or under the seat.


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## Ken Wood (Oct 22, 2011)

An excellent summary by TG. I won't even think about editing any of his comments, they are all spot on. One small item I will add is that occasionally, a vendor will board a bus and walk down the aisle passing out what appears to be a sample of his wares. Don't open it unless you want to purchase it. After passing out the items, he will make a short sales pitch, then come back down the aisle to collect either the unwanted items or the money if anyone chooses to purchase one.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Ken Wood said:


> An excellent summary by TG. I won't even think about editing any of his comments, they are all spot on. One small item I will add is that occasionally, a vendor will board a bus and walk down the aisle passing out what appears to be a sample of his wares. Don't open it unless you want to purchase it. After passing out the items, he will make a short sales pitch, then come back down the aisle to collect either the unwanted items or the money if anyone chooses to purchase one.


Good point Ken. I forgot about that.


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## sparks55 (Jan 15, 2012)

*Hotels*

I have been online looking at hotel for the weekend in Oaxaca. Everything is booked this weekend that I could find online. Is there something going on that weekend? Can you recommend a hotel that is not too expensive (50-70). We will be putting into Oaxaca at 9:45pm Friday night and leaving on the bus for Tapachula on Monday some time.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

sparks55 said:


> I have been online looking at hotel for the weekend in Oaxaca. Everything is booked this weekend that I could find online. Is there something going on that weekend? Can you recommend a hotel that is not too expensive (50-70). We will be putting into Oaxaca at 9:45pm Friday night and leaving on the bus for Tapachula on Monday some time.


Curious. I just checked at cheaphotels.com and hostels.com and both had lots of options for the 17th - 19th of February. Some of them weren't so cheap, in spite of the site name, but it looked like there was plenty in your price range.


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## sparks55 (Jan 15, 2012)

*Hotel*

Finally found a hotel in our price range on Booking.com so we are good to go. There is WiFi in the hotel so we will be in touch!!!!


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## Guest (Feb 15, 2012)

Also, keep a warm jacket with you and maybe something small and soft as a headrest/pillow if you want to sleep. The driver will probably not run any A/C at night, and it can get either stuffy or cold. In all likelihood a few bad odors will be emanating and hanging around from your fellow sleeping passengers during the night. 

Just be sure to either take turns sleeping, or guard your cash/stuff well if you are going to sleep on the bus. Stick your backpacks under your legs if there are any goodies in them, your cash and passports on your person and your jackets reversed over you as a blanket and you should be fine. I felt much safer on the MX side of the border. Unlike the US side, there didn't appear to be any weird tattooed meth heads riding along with me.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

GringoCArlos said:


> ... Just be sure to either take turns sleeping, or guard your cash/stuff well if you are going to sleep on the bus. Stick your backpacks under your legs if there are any goodies in them, your cash and passports on your person and your jackets reversed over you as a blanket and you should be fine. ...


Take turns sleeping? I think that is going overboard. I usually travel alone and just leave my carry-on luggage on the bus even when I get off at stops. Never had any problems with anyone bothering it. Well, one time an agricultural inspector found an apple in my backpack and confiscated it. I told him I had another apple that he missed, and he told me to just eat it.


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

{quote}In all likelihood a few bad odors will be emanating and hanging around from your fellow sleeping passengers during the night. {quote}

Just before last Christmas I was on a ETN bus from Guadalajara to San Luis and 2 rows back late at night just after departing an infant did a bad load in his diapers and for 2 hours the AC brought wiffs of it my way every 5 minutes and nobody woke the mother up. I did not want to wake her up either and we had a 5 hour bus ride ahead of us.
ETN always keeps the AC going, I think.


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## sparks55 (Jan 15, 2012)

*bus trip*

Thanks for all the good advise. I will take heed of your advise. We have traveled overseas before, just not in mexico. We are only taking a backpack each, so they will fit under the seat. We are bringing a light jacket each. How cold at night does it get down south there?Leaving our winter coats here.


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## Guest (Feb 15, 2012)

Layer up. Two t-shirts, maybe a sweater, sweatshirt or a hoodie, and your light jacket will keep you warm in almost any conditions here. You can peel them off as it warms up during the day.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

sparks55 said:


> Thanks for all the good advise. I will take heed of your advise. We have traveled overseas before, just not in mexico. We are only taking a backpack each, so they will fit under the seat. We are bringing a light jacket each. How cold at night does it get down south there?Leaving our winter coats here.


Tapachula is at sea level and will be warm. Oaxaca is at 1500 m elevation and will be cool in the morning (10 C/50 F).


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## Merida Yucatan (Feb 13, 2012)

Some people even bring thick blankets onto the buses, as I've found some are colder than just warm jacket temperatures. I'm talking about tropical parts of Mexico, and also at nights when air conditioning wouldn't normally be needed.


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## sparks55 (Jan 15, 2012)

*Greetings from Oaxaca*

Greetings everyone, After 3 days and 3 nights on of hard travel on Primera class we made it safely to Oaxaca. I booked a small private hotel called Casa del Sotano. It was very highly rated by Trip Advisor and well worth the stay for thecheap price. We have walked all over the city, ate lots of local food and met all kinds of people on our travels. We have had lots of fun practicing our Spanish. 
Tonight we leave on a Executive class bus for Tapachula, Chiapas to visit our friends.


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## sparks55 (Jan 15, 2012)

*cold buses*



Merida Yucatan said:


> Some people even bring thick blankets onto the buses, as I've found some are colder than just warm jacket temperatures. I'm talking about tropical parts of Mexico, and also at nights when air conditioning wouldn't normally be needed.


I am glad I kept my jacket with me. Used it to keep warm and as a pillow.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

sparks55 said:


> Greetings everyone, After 3 days and 3 nights on of hard travel on Primera class we made it safely to Oaxaca. I booked a small private hotel called Casa del Sotano. It was very highly rated by Trip Advisor and well worth the stay for thecheap price. We have walked all over the city, ate lots of local food and met all kinds of people on our travels. We have had lots of fun practicing our Spanish.


Glad to hear that you're enjoying one of my favorite cities in Mexico! Too bad you didn't have time to visit Monte Albán, maybe on your next trip to Oaxaca.


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## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

I second the recommendation of Monte Albán; it's a very cool place. You also don't want to miss the pueblos surrounding Oaxaca. They each have their own artesania (arts and crafts) style and you can buy direct from the artisan which I always like.

(Isla Verde, I see that your rep power is now soaring upward! Excellent.)


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

sparks55 said:


> Greetings everyone, After 3 days and 3 nights on of hard travel on Primera class we made it safely to Oaxaca. I booked a small private hotel called Casa del Sotano. It was very highly rated by Trip Advisor and well worth the stay for thecheap price. We have walked all over the city, ate lots of local food and met all kinds of people on our travels. We have had lots of fun practicing our Spanish.
> Tonight we leave on a Executive class bus for Tapachula, Chiapas to visit our friends.


Glad to hear that you made it. Thanks for the update.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

circle110 said:


> I second the recommendation of Monte Albán; it's a very cool place. You also don't want to miss the pueblos surrounding Oaxaca. They each have their own artesania (arts and crafts) style and you can buy direct from the artisan which I always like.
> 
> (Isla Verde, I see that your rep power is now soaring upward! Excellent.)


I ditto your recommendation to visit the many craft pueblos in the Oaxaca area. One of them is the home of the famous black pottery, and several others fashion the "alebrijes" that have become coveted collector items.

(I am grateful for my zooming rep power numbers. Thanks to all who have "thanked" me for my posts!)


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## sparks55 (Jan 15, 2012)

*mexico trip continued*

Greetings everyone. We made it to Tapachula on an ADO bus executive class. It was a 12 hour ride. I almost got motion sickness going through the mountains, but the bus was much nicer. We arrived in Tapachula at 9am the next day and get the hotel across the street from the bus station for one night. It turned out that Joe´s family thought we were coming in yesterday instead. A minor misunderstanding. Tapachula is a very nice, clean town. Everyone is friendly. There are no tourists here, so lots of people were staring and trying out their Engish on us. We rented a room in a country house outside of town along with a cook for two meals a day. 

It has been an adventure. And it has been fun trying to speak Spanish and teaching them Engish. So far, from what I have seen, I like this place. Especially out in the beautiful country. :ranger: There is no intyernet at the house so I am at an interet cafe in town.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

sparks55 said:


> Greetings everyone. We made it to Tapachula on an ADO bus executive class. It was a 12 hour ride. I almost got motion sickness going through the mountains, but the bus was much nicer. We arrived in Tapachula at 9am the next day and get the hotel across the street from the bus station for one night. It turned out that Joe´s family thought we were coming in yesterday instead. A minor misunderstanding. Tapachula is a very nice, clean town. Everyone is friendly. There are no tourists here, so lots of people were staring and trying out their Engish on us. We rented a room in a country house outside of town along with a cook for two meals a day.
> 
> It has been an adventure. And it has been fun trying to speak Spanish and teaching them Engish. So far, from what I have seen, I like this place. Especially out in the beautiful country. :ranger: There is no intyernet at the house so I am at an interet cafe in town.


Congratulations.


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## sparks55 (Jan 15, 2012)

*Updated on Mexico Trip*

:ranger: Greetings Everyone; Mack and I are back in the states now. We had to cut our trip short due to a medical emergency. We ended up being held hostage in the private hospital in Tapachula. They wanted to operate on my husband. It was a good hospital, but we wanted to come home and use our hospital and Drs. So they stabilized him enough to go home and I booked a medivac flight out of Austin TX. lane: They arranged for door to door service from Tapachula Hospital to Northcrest here in Springfield - 3 hrs in the air with a layover in Mobile, AL to fuel up and use the bathroom, then home. I tried to keep a straight face when they asked me for my credit card to authorize a charge for $26,000, but I told them that my insurance would cover at least 80% and they are going to. My husband is still in the hospital here, but the emergency is over. Surgery is not necessary, but he still has an infection in his stomach and bowels, so he will be in bed for several more days before he will be released. 

Aside from the emergency, Tapachula is a very nice place. If you are a tourist expecting a place like Oaxaca, then you won't like it there. But if you are country folk like us and aren't afraid to get your hands dirty, you will see what Mexico and the people are all about. The families of our friends here in Springfield welcomed us into their homes with open arms and hearts even though we were strangers to them. After this trip I have two extended Mexican families ( comprised of half the population of Carrillo Puerta) who adopted us into their families. And when the emergency happened they were there with all of the support and prayers you would expect from your own family. My 2 mexican mommas home cooked Mexican food and brought it to the hospital. I was never hungry and wanting for anything. They are the most loving people I have ever met.

They live a simpler life. That is what we are looking for. Mita, the lady that cooked for us used freshly grown fruit and vegetables, nothing we ate had preservatives. Except for being tired from all of the stress of the emergency my body feels better than it has in a while. 

This was a life changing event for my husband, so I am waiting to see what will happen over the next several weeks. I do know that we will begin to save money for the trip back to mexico. You can see my journal entries on my facebook page (Heather McIntosh).


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## Ken Wood (Oct 22, 2011)

sparks55 said:


> :ranger: Greetings Everyone; Mack and I are back in the states now.
> 
> Wow! That's quite the trip. I feel bad that you had all the added issues, but am happy for you that you did get to experience another aspect of Mexico that was brought on by the emergency. Of course, that aspect was the support given by the circle of friends you were among. I wish you the very best in all your efforts, especially a speedy and complete recovery for Mack.
> 
> We were following after you for a little while there, spending a very pleasant few days in Amatlan, ~ 1 hour north of Oaxaca, then another couple of days in Oaxaca. I still owe you guys a cup of coffee, and really hope we get the opportunity to share one after all the healing is 100%.


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## sparks55 (Jan 15, 2012)

Mack was just released from the hospital here yesterday. No surgery was necessary. Mack had a heat stroke in Cacahoatin Monday afternoon and that was the start of our problems. The stroke caused Macks bowels the shut down. It caused a backup into his stomach which caused a big infection. A large dose of antitbiotics and a clear diet for a few days helped clear everything up. 

I am going to write an article about the trip and submit it to International Living to see if they will publish it.

I appreciate all of your support. 

The Dream is still alive!!!!!!!

Heather


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## Merida Yucatan (Feb 13, 2012)

*Winding roads*

Thanks, sparks55 for the reminder about the winding roads in many 
mountainous parts of Mexico. For those of us who turn green on such 
roads, taking Gravol *before* you get to the winding parts might help.

My mom used to wear a type of bracelet she'd buy from drug stores north 
of the border, to avoid motion sickness on ships. I wonder whether they're 
available in Mexico. If so, they'd be an alternative to the grogginess of 
using Gravol.



TundraGreen said:


> Congratulations.


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## Merida Yucatan (Feb 13, 2012)

I am sorry to hear of your emergency ! I'm glad Mack is recovering and I hope he'll be 100% well soon ! I hope you can return to Mexico soon. I'm glad kindly new people have entered your life !


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## sparks55 (Jan 15, 2012)

*Mexico trip*

Greetings everyone. Got the pictures downloaded from the camera. If you want to see some of them you can go up on this link. I will be putting moreup as I go through them.

Mexico Trip | Facebook


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## Ken Wood (Oct 22, 2011)

sparks55 said:


> Greetings everyone. Got the pictures downloaded from the camera. If you want to see some of them you can go up on this link. I will be putting moreup as I go through them.
> 
> Great photos, thanks for sharing the link. I read the caption "Mack feeding the swan to an iguana" before I looked at the photo, so you can credit yourself for giving me quite a start. I encourage you to write the article and submit it. That is one of the many wonderful things about retirement. You can, and should, fill your days with whatever gives you pleasure. If they reject your article, so what, you will still have the pleasant memories created while putting it together.


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