Travel Guide

Pre-Adventure Tour Preparation

• Photocopy all your travel documents including your passport and any document that has your signature on it and leave them with a relative or friend that you know you can contact in the event that you lose all your documentation. The copies can be faxed to you.

• Start eating yogurt daily before a trip and during your trip, it will help fight bacteria in your system and you’ll have less of a chance of getting Montezuma’s Revenge.

• When packing, use “space bags.”  If you get stopped by customs you will breeze through as they can easily see what is in your suitcase and you can quickly repack.

• If you like to hang up most of your clothes on trips, use your dry cleaning hangers and just leave them there at the end of the trip.

• If you wear contact lenses you may want to consider taking disposable ones on your trip.  You won’t have to take all the storage and cleaning items by doing so.  It will also save on space and you won't have to worry about losing one.

• For additional security and piece of mind you should scan travel documents such as passports, birth certificates, driver’s license, etc.  You can then send an email to yourself with the scanned documents attached.

• You should pack light clothes with functions such as hidden pockets.

• We will be doing some walking on the tour so choose comfortable footwear with thick-soles and soft-uppers to bring with you.  We also recommend cotton socks or stockings.

• Bringing a small box of laundry detergent would be useful if you need to hand wash a few items in your hotel room.  This will save some expense from the hotel laundry service.

• Have an extra pair of eyeglasses or contact lenses and enough medication to last for a few days in your carry-on luggage.

• Never pack prescription drugs, valuables or undeveloped film in your checked luggage.

• It is good to have a small waist pack, small bag or vest with inside pockets, to keep money, passport, wallet, etc. close to you when in large crowds.  Don’t keep all your money in one pocket.

• Be sure to pack an effective topical antibiotic cream.  The smallest scratch or insect bite can quickly become infected.  Try Bactriban or Polysporin.  To prevent ringworm, the most effective product is Nizoral which is sold over the counter as an anti-dandruff shampoo.

• You may want to pack or make your own first aid kit.  You will want to include Band-Aids, rubbing alcohol, cotton balls, triple antibiotic ointment, aspirin, sunscreen, and in my book you can never have too much Pepto Bismol on hand.

• Before heading out, stop by a health food store and get a bottle of grapefruit seed extract pills. Take one before every meal and you will not have any problems with diarrhea.

• Instead of lugging bulky, breakable perfume bottles, soak some cotton balls in your favorite scent and stuff them into empty film canisters.  The airtight canisters keep the fragrance fresh!

• Always pack shampoos, conditioners and any other liquid containers in zip-lock plastic bags.  If the container leaks or bursts open due to the air pressure of the flight, they will not leak onto clothes during travel.

• Bring a small canvas tote bag folded up in your suitcase.  Great for day trips of shopping and doubles as a beach bag.

• Take a couple of clothespins on every trip. Not only are they good for hanging laundry, but they can close the gaps on any hotel drapes, for better sleeping.

• Call your cell telephone provider to find out their rates on roaming in Mexico, because trying to use the calling cards is almost impossible if you do not speak fluent Spanish.

• To keep your necklaces from being tangled while traveling, string it through a drinking straw and close the clasp around it.

• Before you leave for your trip, print your name, e-mail address, hotel name and telephone number on a piece of paper.  Take a picture of the paper so it is the first photograph on the memory card. If you lose your camera on the trip hopefully the person who finds your camera looks at the images on the memory card and they will see your contact information and return the camera to you.

 

Shopping Tips

• Carry a small calculator to convert money exchanges and to show to vendors while negotiating prices.  A calculator will also be useful if there is a language barrier.  Remember my bilingual and bi-gringo friends that the Mayan language is still used in the Yucatan Peninsula.

• Unless you are positive an item you would like to purchase has a set price, you may want to try bartering.  Usually, you will be able to get the price lower and save some money.  If nothing else bartering can be fun.

• Find exactly what you want and go to several stores or vendor stands to compare prices. Keep in mind however, many items are hand crafted by local artisans and you may not find the item elsewhere.

• If you are not satisfied with the price given by the vendor, you may want to barter to see if you can get the price down.  If that does not work, try walking away.  The vendor will probably call you back and sell his things to you at a lower price.

• It is a good idea to shop with a friend or friends who are interested in buying the same kind of items you want.  Offering to buy more than one item gives you bargaining power and can bring down the final price.

• If you purchase any artwork you may consider packing two large pieces of cardboard that fit in your suitcase to place artwork in.  This of course will help to prevent the artwork from bending.

• When bargaining, do not pull out all your money or wallet.  Keep a few small bills and change in a front, more convenient pocket.

• Keep all receipts for purchases.

• When in Mexico if you withdraw money from a local ATM you will get the exact current exchange rate. When you exchange your money at a local store they may round off the exchange to their favor.

• Make sure to write on all charge slips as you sign whether the currency is in USD or PESO as both use the “$.”

• When you use your credit or debit card, write on the charge slip right away after purchasing something, the amount, items, date, and place of purchase so you can read it when the statement comes at the end of the month.

When in Mexico

• Remember to use bottled water when brushing your teeth.

• Most people know to ask for unopened bottled water when traveling, but may not realize that it is all too easy to get sick from ingesting water while showering.  The solution: Keep mouthwash in your mouth while showering.

• In a restaurant, ask for a bottle of water unopened.  Have them open it at the table, and you can be sure you won’t get local water, bottled.

• When going out, put your money in an inside pocket or pouch, where it is not visible.

• When traveling with small children have them wear the same outfit or similar clothes.  If one gets lost in a crowd they are easier to spot, and you can show authorities what the child was wearing.

• When carrying film or disposable cameras, hand them to the x-ray technician and tell them you do not want it to go through the x-ray.  They will inspect your camera/film by hand.

• Put a wedge of toilet roll directly under your heel. This will raise your heel very slightly, but enough to alleviate your heels from blistering when your shoes rub.

• Hang your rumpled clothes in the steam of the shower to get them straightened!

• Before going through X ray at the airport empty your pockets into a zip lock baggie. Saves a lot of time for those in line behind you when waiting for men to unload and reload pockets.

• Be sure to ask the cab driver how much the taxi fare will be before you agree to take the taxi.

• Always hand carry your medications to your destination.  Some medications may not be available.  If you have an illness that may require treatment in hospital, make sure you find out where the nearest medical center is and keep the telephone number with you at all times.

• You can cut your clothing drying time in half.  Roll the wet laundry in a towel, push down hard on the roll, and your washed item is partly dry.