BLOG: You're Crazy To Visit México! Part 3: Ideas and Safety

Ideas and Safety

Travel Gifts

When I travel abroad I love to bring with me what I call travel gifts. For Mexico, I like to bring bottle openers. In Mexico pop and beer, especially beer, come much of the time in bottles, NON-twist off tops. So I think the perfect thing to bring is some bottle openers from a local brewery, for my previous trips I have brought bottle opener/key chains from Leinenkugel and Summit Breweries. I give these to people I meet and like or like a restaurant where the service was great, or I was able to chat with staff, or at one of the "Out of the House" eateries (discussed in my previous blog).

I give these as a thank you gift on top of any tip deserved. Never in place of a tip. Sometimes I get small gifts in return. One time, during the midday, I went and sat and had a couple of beers with an artisan at one of those artisan markets.

After sitting and chatting with him for like 3 hours and watching him decoratively paint things like seashells into ashtrays, upon my departure I thanked him for his time and gave him the Summit Brewery bottle open I had been using. He unexpectedly gave me one of the ashtrays he had beautifully painted and signed it. I have also received posters, keys chains and other things. But most of the time, I get a genuine smile of appreciation and really that's all I look for.

Using social media

I have, since the advent of MySpace, used social media as a precursor to travel.

Months in advance I like to search and communicate with people living in the area I wish to travel. Once in country, I try to set up a meet and greet at a local coffee shop or other easy to find location. I have found some of the coolest things to do this way.

I have also found great deals on stuff like deep sea fishing. Such was case the last two times I visited Acapulco. From the hotel or through Expedia, deep sea fishing was offered by the person at US $500 to US $700 a head. Through networking by Brother and I found a boat for US $300 for the day, this included up to 5 people. The only extra cost, per person, was about US $30 per person for fishing licenses.

Other things were finding the best night clubs, hangouts and general fun. If you're a younger person, I would highly recommend this. Older folks such as myself, you may find it difficult to find people of similar age on social media, especially if you do not speak the native language. Many younger people do know some English, however, do not assume.

Using local currency, ATM's & banking

A few days before I leave on my trip I will arrange to pick up local currency at the exchange located in the airport here. With the internet it is very easy to pre-arrange this and then simply pick up the currency when you enter the airport. When in-country, I believe that using local currency is an important part of showing respect to the locals and their home.

While I have rarely had trouble using the US dollar, I believe that by doing so, it reinforces the stereotype that Americans are arrogant. Additionally, the exchange rate you get is not going to be the going rate. On this trip the US-MX exchange rate is about 14 to 1, however, I would expect that should I spend dollars, say at a restaurant I will get about 10 to 1.

Most hotels will have an available currency exchange, but again, the exchange rate will be lower than the going rate. For my travels I have an ATM only card that I use. I get local currency from my bank (HSBC) through the ATM. You will need to check for the availability of ATMs. In 2006 during my first trip to Acapulco, ATMs were scarce, by 2008 the were very prevalent. Also be sure that you are aware of ATM and exchange fees.

The bank I use for travel is HSBC—they are everywhere in the world especially in Mexico. In fact banking with HSBC in Mexico is more convenient than here in Minnesota. There I can easily find a branch if needed. In Minnesota they do not have one single branch. All my banking with HSBC here is through the internet. This is why I only use them for travel versus and other banking needs.

Destination Travel

Airport to hotel/accommodation

I have found it is best to pre-arrange transportation to and from your destination hotel ahead of time. This goes for US or foreign travel. Airports are hectic and if you don't have the travel set up ahead of time you can find it very stressful and taxis are usually very expensive coming to/from an airport. Many times, especially in the US, you can find a service that you can use. It may be a free shuttle sponsored by the hotel or a company that runs a route. These are usually much cheaper that other means.

For this trip I am not staying in a hotel, but with the family of friends. This family does not own a car or drive. I am arriving in the city of Morelia which is about 2 hours drive from my destination city of Uruapan. There are friends who do drive in the area, but as I am arriving during the workday, it will be difficult for them, basically they would have to take a full day off work to come get me or transport me back to the airport.

A taxi would work but will be on the high side of cost. There are commuter flights, while not too expensive I would have to stay a day in Morelia due to the timing of flights. My choice here is to take a taxi from the airport to the central bus terminal of the city, there I will catch a bus to Uruapan and a friend will pick me up at their central bus terminal. Buses from Morelia to Uruapan run about every 30 minutes. The reverse will be utilized on the return.

The other obvious option would be a rental, but honestly, in this part of Mexico traveling alone by car is not the smart choice. Not much of an issue in cities, however, in the rural area between cities could be an issue. I will probably utilize a rental on some of my excursions later on, once I get the feel for the lay of the land, so to speak. I will make that decision once I get there, get a feeling of the area and the advice of friends as to my safety for some of the ventures I want to take. So this part I am going to play by ear.

Taxis

Just about any major city you travel to will have a taxi system of some sort. It is best to do a bit of research on how their system works. In Mexico, taxi cabs do not have meters. ALWAYS ask your driver how much ahead of time. If you think the price is too high, move on to the next one. Also if you do network with locals, you can expect that the price a cab driver gives you will be as much as twice what they will charge a local.

During the first couple of days I like to find a cab driver that hangs out near the hotel where I am staying and try to use him/her regularly, especially for longer trips. The last time I was in Acapulco, the driver took me to a laundry, probably a friend or family of his, I dropped off and paid for the laundry service. For a very small fee he picked up my laundry and delivered it to the front desk of the hotel for me. A word of caution—you could loose you laundry this way—but after a week of using the same driver and the fact he was know to the hotel offered me a measure of safety for this endeavor. Also after a while he began to charge me flat MX $80 to anywhere in the city. While for some trips it may have been a little high, for the most part it represented a deal.

SAFETY

Drug War

Ok, so I have been skirting around this most of this post, so far. We all know that in Mexico there is a drug war. There is infighting between cartels and between cartel and federal authorities. Directly this violence stays between those players. However, outright firefights have occurred in open streets and innocent bystanders, local and foreign, have been seriously hurt or killed. What to do?

Be vigilant and aware. First of all expect or plan that, at some point, you will see/experience some of this violence. If you're expecting it and it does not happen, awesome, this will probably be the case. However, if you're expecting it and you do experience it, you will be prepared. If you follow everyday safety precautions you should be fine.

Everyday Safety

This first part is basic and everyone should know already. If you are not a VERY experienced traveler DO NOT travel in non-tourist areas, especially alone. If you are a experienced traveler do it safely. I usually do not travel alone. So if I want to go into an area that is out of the tourist or common areas I will go with my travel companion, usually my brother. We walk in the streets of narrow areas or when walking on sidewalks walk near the street. This allows us to see into nooks, crannies and corners well before they can become a danger. We also do not walk close together. Spread out a bit, side by side or one slightly in-front of the other, makes us a larger and more formidable target.

Mexico or elsewhere, violence can erupt without much warning. First of all, if you can, stay in busy areas. Second, walk away from buildings or store fronts, as close to the street as possible or near the center of walk ways. Be aware of what is ahead of you. If something ahead does not look safe, believe that it is not. This may or may not be the case, but respond as if it is. Cross the street, turn around or find an alternate route around the suspicious activity or area. As a last resort, pass through the area being hyper vigilant.

Wallets, Purses and Money

When I travel I carry two wallets. One with most of what I will need for my complete trip. An emergency credit card, a second ATM or check card, medical insurance cards and the like. This is in my primary wallet which I will lock up (if there is an in-room safe) or will hide within my luggage or some place in the room I believe will be safe. That leads me to the second, the one I call my travel wallet.

In this I will keep a minimal amount of currency and my state issued ID. I don't go anywhere with out some form of real ID with a picture. I also have folded up in this wallet a copy of the first page of my passport.

The wallet I currently use is a cheap nylon wallet. I keep only a minimal amount of cash in it, whatever I plan to spend wherever I am going, unless I plan to spend a large amount, then I carry it alone in a front pocket. Separate from all that also in a front pocket I will carry contingency cash, or if visiting more than one venue, cash for those as well. I will transfer money from pocket to wallet in a restroom or other private place as needed. The bulk of my cash I keep in my room, in several places if there is not a room safe. I usually have a sealed envelope in each of my bags with part of my money in them.

The whole idea here is plan to be robbed, no matter what country you're in, including the US. Robbers are usually looking for the quick and easy, so they find one envelope, more than likely they are going to move on, not looking for the other envelopes. If they get your travel wallet, or one envelope, your loss is minimal.

For women, do not carry a large purse. If you're carrying something like a beach bag, use a man's wallet and carry the important stuff and cash in a pocket. If you're going to dinner, club or other venue, use something like a clutch purse, if you must have a purse. But like a man, it is best to use a wallet in your pocket. Keep extra cash stashed somewhere else.

Like I said, while unlikely, plan to be robbed. My philosophy here is that if you are robbed, you hand the dude your wallet and he moves on. Money is replaceable, you are not.

What to leave at home

First and foremost leave a copy of the first page of your passport with your at-home emergency contact. YES, set up an emergency contact before you go. With this person you should leave a complete copy of your travel itinerary including phone numbers and other contact information for your destination. A copy of your emergency contact information should also be included.

Emergency Contact information

This should be not longer than one page front to back if necessary. It should list who you are and a stateside emergency contact person. It should also contain contact information for your primary care clinic or physician, any medical conditions you may have and and medications you take.

For medications list them by their generic or international names, DO NOT use brand names. Also include any and all supplements you are taking, as these can cause interactions with other drugs. Low dose aspirin and vitamins are the most commonly forgotten. Low dose aspirin is important because it thins the blood like many medications that are used in emergency care. If you are taking such, medical personnel need to know so they can adjust any doses of other medications appropriately. Be sure to list your blood type as well. This goes for just about everything so be particular with this list.

If you are able, have this sheet written bilingually, for this trip mine is in Spanish as well as English. Do not assume that someone involved with be able to understand English. Again, make sure you use generic or international names for the medications and supplements you are taking. Generic names are fairly universal, not using them will take time for a caregiver to translate or convert. For example, Prilosec OTC is omeprozol. Also be sure to list the dosages and when they are taken.

A copy of this should be kept in your room, with each of your other travel companions, in your wallet and left at home. I also keep a copy in my carry-on bag. The hardest part of putting together this sheet is providing detailed information without giving up real sensitive personal information.

As always you can view my other posts and follow along as I travel for three weeks in the heart of Mexico by visiting my blog on blogger.com. On blogger.com I will endeavor to post daily, here on Patch I will be posting summaries.

As always, ENJOY!

RESOURCES

• Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company
• Summit Brewing Company
• blogger.com