Mexico

[Big Sugar]

Hi Kids

I'm going to Mexico for a week in January...Yeah I know it's early but anyone have any advice ?? I'd like to make it a least 5 days before Montezuma's revenge kicks in.



Ron (Si)

[Rocky]

Where in Mexico?

[Dans 68]

If you are going to drink the water, make sure it is bottled and sealed. Don't eat any fresh fruit or vegetables (as it is rinsed in water). Drink lots of beer. 

Dan

[Charger_Fan]

Drink lots of beer. 

Werd.

[BigBlockSam]

my advise to you is drink heavily. 

[bull]

1. Keep the water (and anything that touches the water) as far away from your mouth as possible -- I mean it.
2. Lowball everyone who's trying to sell you something.
3. Traffic lights are just a suggestion, not actual law.
4. Do exactly what the people in uniform tell you to do (if you can understand it).
5. Eat at places with names you recognize.
6. Don't expect to see much cleanliness beyond the hotel property line.
7. Don't expect the drinks to be very cold.
8. The customer is not always right.
9. Mexicans do not accommodate English-speaking people the way Americans accommodate Spanish-speaking people.
10. Get to the airport about three hours early the day you leave. It will take you that long to figure it out.

[BigBlockSam]

they got cheap weed in mexico   

[Bandit72]

they got cheap weed in mexico   

don't hide it in a guitar case...lol

[Old Moparz]

.


          Don't forget that ice cubes are made from water.

.

[SirNik73]

its not that the water is "bad" down there, its that is unpurified. use caution.. expecaly in citys. but if you are in the country. chanced are its just the same as well water here... no treantment. the times i've been to mexico i went to a small fishing village on the Golf of California side of Baja. never had a problem with the water. but i wouldn't drink a damn thing that came from Tijuana.

[MichaelRW]

I am only talking about the Cabo San Lucas area now. Went there two years ago with the wife and we both drank drinks with ice cubes, ate salads and neither of us got ill. But......that was because we were at a resort. The water is ok at resorts.

Restaurants outside of the resort is another story and I stayed with bottled beer at them. Some restaurants have signs posted that state they have water purification systems and we didn't get sick at those places.

[bull]

its not that the water is "bad" down there, its that is unpurified. use caution.. expecaly in citys. but if you are in the country. chanced are its just the same as well water here... no treantment. the times i've been to mexico i went to a small fishing village on the Golf of California side of Baja. never had a problem with the water. but i wouldn't drink a damn thing that came from Tijuana.

Quote from: SirNik73 on Today at 11:50:35 AM
its not that the water is "bad" down there, its that is unpurified.

Really? You mean the two elements of hydrogen and one element of oxygen are ok? That's like saying, "It's not the fall that kills you, it's the sudden stop at the end."

[SirNik73]

I was just sayig that not all the water is full of crap that gives you the shits... in fact most of the water is clean, but since they do not have the treatment systems that are used in the USA they are full of germs that our bodys arn't use to. its like all things if you wern't raised with it, it will most likely make you sick. its actuly amamzing how much crap the body can actuly handel before it makes you sick. but it only takes one really nasty germ to get you sick. i grewup thinking everything was going to kill me. I went backpacking and learned all bout water born illness. then after hiking for a week our filter crapped out after filtering water from a very adicic lake. so we were drinking creek water after that.. with no ill effects. our bodys are use to the goverment regulated tap water, and if you feed it water with new germs it will get you.

PS i'm writing this while drafting plans for a water treatment plant...   

[bull]

I was just sayig that not all the water is full of crap that gives you the shits... in fact most of the water is clean, but since they do not have the treatment systems that are used in the USA they are full of germs that our bodys arn't use to. its like all things if you wern't raised with it, it will most likely make you sick. its actuly amamzing how much crap the body can actuly handel before it makes you sick. but it only takes one really nasty germ to get you sick. i grewup thinking everything was going to kill me. I went backpacking and learned all bout water born illness. then after hiking for a week our filter crapped out after filtering water from a very adicic lake. so we were drinking creek water after that.. with no ill effects. our bodys are use to the goverment regulated tap water, and if you feed it water with new germs it will get you.

PS i'm writing this while drafting plans for a water treatment plant...   

I'm just messin' with you.

[SirNik73]

It's all good i was being Lazy when I said "bad"

[Back N Black]

To prevent anyone from lifting your wallet keep it in your front pocket,not in the back pocket.
Lesson learned on that one!

[bigroge1]

donkey shows

[Ponch ®]

You guys are a bunch of wussies. The whole water thing is overblown. I wouldn't go as far as calling it a myth, but its pretty damn close.

I used to go to Mexico every year to spend the summer when I was a kid, and I ate and drank everything there was to be eaten from every corner stand and drank from every faucet without regard for whether the water had been purified, or whether the restaurant had a 'recognizable' name. I never got sick - and yes, I was used to the purified U.S. water/food.

It's all psychosomatic. If you go down there thinking that everything will make you sick, odds are you will get sick.

[Old Moparz]

You guys are a bunch of wussies. The whole water thing is overblown. I wouldn't go as far as calling it a myth, but its pretty damn close.

I used to go to Mexico every year to spend the summer when I was a kid, and I ate and drank everything there was to be eaten from every corner stand and drank from every faucet without regard for whether the water had been purified, or whether the restaurant had a 'recognizable' name. I never got sick - and yes, I was used to the purified U.S. water/food.

It's all psychosomatic. If you go down there thinking that everything will make you sick, odds are you will get sick.

Yeah, but you crap in your pants all day long & wouldn't notice a change anyway. 

[hemi68charger]

Carry a big American Flag and wave it all around........   

[Charger74]

If you are worried about Montezuma's revenge, just call your doctor and ask for some med's to prevent it.  That what I did when we went ot Cancun last month for our honeymoon.  But again, we stayed at a resort and they do filter the water, but will mainly serve you bottled water.  I think they gave me ciprol.

[BigBlockSam]

ciprol kills my belly .

[Nacho-RT74]

I'm not in Mexico but on a similar country and these are my opinions:

1. Keep the water (and anything that touches the water) as far away from your mouth as possible -- I mean it.

Just changing the water is enough to get some problems, not just about diseases, but about PH levels and stuff like that, so that's not completely true about the country like changing from state including in USA itself. Is better to be prevented, but you don't need to be EXAGERATED about that.

Mojo posted a good example

2. Lowball everyone who's trying to sell you something.

TRUE... for sure you will like a tourist and  will be a magnet to those ppl. But that is not only because is Mexico specially, is on every part in the world

3. Traffic lights are just a suggestion, not actual law.

COMPLETELLY TRUE... they are just lights ornaments . Is like Christmass all the year

4. Do exactly what the people in uniform tell you to do (if you can understand it).

True but anyway be carefull

5. Eat at places with names you recognize.

Same opinion about the first item what is partially true. But you won't live anything if you really don't taste the REAL NATIVE FOOD. Is easy to tell from exterior if restaurants or lunchs places are good or not or at least healthy. You allways can like or not.

6. Don't expect to see much cleanliness beyond the hotel property line.

True.

7. Don't expect the drinks to be very cold.

False. I drink Coke with LOTS OF ICE for example to get it colder faster. Freezers and refrigerators are ON 3RD WORLD TOO, specially down here. In fact I have drunk colder drinks down here than in Spain ( Europe ).

8. The customer is not always right.

true, but as any part in the world.

9. Mexicans do not accommodate English-speaking people the way Americans accommodate Spanish-speaking people.

COMPLETELLY FALSE. Latinamericans commonly are more educated and kind than USA and European ppl, but as usuall all depends of lucky too. There is good and bad guys everywhere. all depends about the way you treat to the ppl too. Of course Big city ppl is like in any part of the world harder to treat than country guys

10. Get to the airport about three hours early the day you leave. It will take you that long to figure it out.

Completelly true... BUT NOTE ABOUT THAT... American Airlines crew is the worst ppl for example to treat down here at the main airport than the rest of Airlines existant, so the politics of enterprise is big factor about that.

[Rolling_Thunder]

donkey shows

[Silver R/T]

have fun

[Chargen69]

Go on ebay and get some MRE chocolate chip brownies or vanilla pound cake, eat one of those every morning and at supper time, it dries stuff up, and you should be good down there (no pun... well yes pun intended )  But look out when you get back.

[Chargen69]

Oh yeah, DO NOT drink the water or even brush your teeth with it, it will be BAD   

[Big Sugar]

Well Thanks Guys ! That should help ! Now Lemme see .
It's ok not to drink the water.
Eat one Vanilla pound cake for Breakfast !
Avoid playing Jepordy with the locals !
Have Fun at a Donkey Show !
Keep my wallet in front !
Wear My "George Bush" Tee Shirt !
Ask Doc For meds.

Oh lastly !! Tipping and Excessive Drinking ?? Any suggestions ?



R N

[Ponch ®]

Oh lastly !! Tipping and Excessive Drinking ?? Any suggestions ?



R N

do a lot of both...

[bull]

9. Mexicans do not accommodate English-speaking people the way Americans accommodate Spanish-speaking people.

COMPLETELLY FALSE. Latinamericans commonly are more educated and kind than USA and European ppl, but as usuall all depends of lucky too. There is good and bad guys everywhere. all depends about the way you treat to the ppl too. Of course Big city ppl is like in any part of the world harder to treat than country guys.

It's not a comment on their level of education, it's a comment on their tolerance for laziness regarding the use of language. When it comes to tourist areas, you are correct, Mexicans are very forgiving regarding the tourists' ignorance of the local language but outside that you are virtually screwed. Mexico and its government does not coddle people who cannot speak Spanish the way the US govt. coddles people who cannot speak English.

[Charger74]

Well Thanks Guys ! That should help ! Now Lemme see .
It's ok not to drink the water.
Eat one Vanilla pound cake for Breakfast !
Avoid playing Jepordy with the locals !
Have Fun at a Donkey Show !
Keep my wallet in front !
Wear My "George Bush" Tee Shirt !
Ask Doc For meds.

Oh lastly !! Tipping and Excessive Drinking ?? Any suggestions ?



R N

The more you tip, the better the service, the stronger the drinks.  but this is true in any place you go, including the good ole USA bars most of the times.  When we were down there last month, we were probably one of the few couples that tipped almost everytime they served us.  We had some damn good service and the drinks rocked...

[BMOTOXSTAR]

they got cheap weed in mexico   

Don'r forget the cheap hookers ! good times ! 
BMOTOXSTAR

[Ponch ®]

Don'r forget the cheap hookers ! good times ! 
BMOTOXSTAR

Cheap? another myth. Not that I would know or anything....

[Nacho-RT74]

Mexico and its government does not coddle people who cannot speak Spanish the way the US govt. coddles people who cannot speak English.

Maybe that is because 99% of ppl living in Mexico speaks Spanish and they are completelly Mexican, for a while around 15% ( I don't recall the exact number ) of USA citizens are spanish speakers specially Florida, Cali and rest of border states.

And if we think than those states were part of Mexico and invaded in the past by USA, and Florida state was from Spain and sold to USA there is a basement for spanish speakers in USA

Not a political or historical discussion, just trying to give an explanation about the different reasons why USA Goverment does need to coddles people who cannot speak English, and Mexico Goverment doesn't need

[SirNik73]

It is more an issue that american is rich enough to afford to do things twice... teach spanish speaking kids all the way to high school graduation with compleatly in spanish. and with no national language there is nothing stopping schools from doing this.

not saying there needs to be a national language, but that in a country like mexico there isn't then econemy pulling in english speakers, and they don't have the money to have a bi-lengual system.

I believe that here in the US schools should be teaching all children more then one language. I mean we are a World Power, and need skills like that to sell our products to the rest of the world.

as far as spanish goes, it is a Latin based language. and as a latin based language it is easier to learn other latin baised languages once you have learned one. so i think children should learn spanish at least, because then they can pick up other latin based languages.

I'm sure Nacho can back me up on this one, it is easier for a spanish speaker to pick up Portuguese then English becaue English is a Germanic based language, not Latin based.

while i'm glad i can speak english because with the US being the only super power English is becoming the standard of the world (at least in business), it would sure make my life easier if i knew more spanish.

[Nacho-RT74]

Nik, of course you are right and I can back up about relationship between latin languages, but is the same than to an english speaker guy try to learn German... however the second language studied all along latinamerica is english not a secondary Latin language. My english is basically from my basic education at school, maybe still not the best english but we can speak

Beside that, is a lot easier to spanish speaker to learn and speak good english, than an english speaker learn and speak good spanish and that has been prooved. Spanish is not one of the easiest languages, lots of rules around. Any latinamerican can speak to you at least on basic english therms, but no one USA guy will speak me on basic spanish, beside Hola, Adios, Amigo, and TEQUILA LOL, of course those spanish speakers influenced along the frontier are exceptions.

anyway, that's not the topic... sorry to float this stuff here.

[SirNik73]

Nacho, you are doingbetter then me... i took basic spanish and all i can remember how to say it "mas cervezas" "banio" and dancing.... ok so the amercian school system sucks.