Archive for Mexico
Tapachula to Antigua
Posted by: | CommentsAfter smoking all my cigars, finishing ‘Guns, Germs and Steel‘ and getting deep into ‘The Epic of Latin America” (book review to come), I decided it was time to make the return trip home. Casa Mexicana will definitely be the site of future vacations, with great food (regrettably only for breakfast), a tranquil environment and five star staff for only 600 pesos a night. Each of the guest rooms is named after a famous Mexican woman (I got Frida Kahlo), and is well appointed.
I did have some recommendations for the owners, including:
- Free tequila between lunch and dinner for those smoking cigars poolside
- Free massages for guests who stay more than one night
- Name a room for Salma Hayek or Ana de la Reguera instead of one of Mexico’s most prominent communist activists
But otherwise no complaints.
A taxi driver who couldn’t understand a word of “Autobus por favor” or “La camioneta por favor” or “Tengo que regresar a Guatemala en uno de los grandes autobuses” eventually got me back to the bus station where the same senoritas as before giggled at me and confirmed my seat on the upper deck of the Transgalgos bus, “donde no se sentará cerca de enojados, los niños cansados, con hambre o de otra manera desagradable” . It was right on time (30 minutes late) and we sped to the border in air conditioned comfort.
Going south is a lot easier than going north. Apparently no one cares about who or what you smuggle south across the border. The Mexicans stamped my passport-again without looking-and I walked across to the other side where 20 minutes in line and 10Q got me stamped back into the country. The computer network was down, which means my passport was stamped ’sin energia’, so that when I leave the country again and there is no record of my entry into the computer I don’t get (too much of) a hassle about my most recent travel. They never took the bags off the bus or asked me what I was carrying, although everyone in town offered to change currency at absurdly low rates.
On the Guate side I noticed that I could have walked across the bridge south and continued walking and never been stopped by anyone. If I didn’t have a bag, I’m pretty sure you could walk north without being molested or ever setting foot into migracion. In fact, as I glanced down into the river, I noticed lots of people walking back and forth across the barely moving stream. I wondered why we don’t police this border instead of the far longer one a few thousand miles north, but such rational thoughts don’t belong in the field of government service and so I pushed it aside and got back to wondering whether the bus driver would let me off at Escuintla.
You see, this bus goes from Tapachula to Guate, but my house is only about 45 mintues from Tapachula, which could save me an hour or more, so I had asked the clerks, the piloto and the stewardess if they would let me get off at Sarita in Escuintla. They all assured me yes, and sure enough about 5 hours later they pulled to the side of the road and the stewardess climbed into the belly of the bus to pull out my luggage (in the future I’ll see that my bag is the last one into the luggage compartment). She declined my offer of a tip and the bus sped away.
Sarita is popular chain of restaurants that target strategic intersections around the country. It’s the same company of ice cream fame here. It’s similar to a family restaurant in the states, which means the food and service are average and children are plentiful. A short time later Santiago picked me up and my journey was complete.
Some trip costs for you obsessive types:
Two Cuban cigars in Antigua: 160Q
Shuttle to city: 80Q
Internet use at bus station: 5Q for 15 minutes
Bus to Tapachula: 160Q
Late fee at Guate migracion: 10Q per day
Fee to boy to drag bag 200 meters: 5 pesos
Cost to enter Mexico for solo tres dias: 0 pesos
Tip for old man unloading bag in Tapachula: 5 pesos
Taxi to hotel: 250 pesos
One night at Loma Real: 1000 pesos
Fajitas and beer at Loma Real: 225 pesos
Taxi to Casa Mexicana: 250 pesos
Bottle of El Jimeador Tequila: 130 pesos
One night at Casa Mexicana: 600 pesos
Taxi back to bus station: 250 pesos
Bus ticket back to Guate: 245 pesos
Money that disappeared on food, alcohol and misc: 800 pesos
Learning how things really work at the border and making friends with El Jefe de Migracion: priceless
Tapachula Day 2
Posted by: | CommentsMy room at the Loma Real was spartan but clean and had a powerful air conditioner, a necessity here where the temperature is
Where else would you find a pro wrestler in a suit with the Virgin?
equivalent to that of the first level of hell, or at least purgatory. The hotel has a great restaurant and for 1000 pesos the breakfast buffet was included. I noticed that many of the breakfast customers were local business people who were not guests, a little clue to the corporate/convention nature of the hotel.
After breakfast I stopped by the front desk to inquire about a problem I had with the restaurant the night before. I had ordered fajitas which were excellent, but when it came time to pay they decided they couldn’t accept credit cards, so I was left with only quetzales to pay (there is no ATM on site). I turned over a few hundred quetzales and they returned with about 40 pesos in change. Based on the fact that there are 12 pesos to the dollar and only 8 quetzales to the dollar, I should have gotten back over 100 pesos in change, and I mentioned this to the desk clerk.
This was more intellectual gymnastics than she was prepared for so she summoned a senior clerk, and I again demonstrated how I had been shortchanged about 100 pesos. Not a big deal, but then again, if I’m going to overpay 100 pesos per meal I’d rather know that up front. I didn’t get anywhere with my discussions but they promised to talk to the hotel jefe.
I changed and went to the pool to collect some Vitamin D and read. I was disappointed to find the pool was littered with leaves and insects and other evidence that it had not been cleaned. After spending some time in the sun I went to the gym, which was locked and required several maintenance men to track down the key. I worked until I had burned off about half of breakfast and then retreated to the comfort of my room for a shower and more reading.
First one to identify the liturgical garment (in Latin or English) pictured gets a free drink at RumBar.
You can imagine my surprise when after about 30 minutes relaxing in the room a woman unlocked the door and came through. Apparently she couldn’t read the sign (in Spanish) hanging on the doorknob that said, “Do not disturb”. She apologized and quickly left, but I found it odd that she hadn’t come with cleaning supplies of any sort.
About 30 minutes later someone started using a jackhammer right outside my room. I waited 15 minutes and then decided I’d had enough. Supposedly one of the premier hotels in town, and certainly one of the pricier ones, Loma Real wasn’t the oasis of peace and tranquility I was hoping for. I packed my bags and headed to the front desk where I politely explained that I needed to check out, which was a painless affair.
15 minutes later I was at CasaMexicana, the hotel I wanted to stay at to begin with (but was full the previous night). CasaMexicana is owned by an American but managed by bilingual Mexicans and they couldn’t have been more accommodating. They gave me a tour of the boutique, 12 room hotel, carried my bag to the room, made sure the AC worked and then offered to bring me a beer, coke or glass of wine.
CasaMexicana was exactly what I was looking for; a small, quiet and cozy place to sit by the pool, smoke cigars and read opposing worldviews in the books I had checked out at the American Legion library. The hotel was also cheaper than Loma Real, at about 600 pesos a night. The hotel also has some really cool artwork, a sample of which I’m sharing with you on this post.
"Ex Wife"
The Proximate Cause of 'Ex Wife'
I bet you didn't imagine downtown Tapachula like this...
Part 3 tomorrow.
Antigua to Tapachula & Border Crossing
Posted by: | CommentsI had some urgent business in Mexico recently and thought some of my experiences might be illuminating for other travelers. I didn’t want to drive myself, enjoying instead the comfort of the first class bus system in Central America. Not only are these buses not Chicken Buses, they’re closer to first class airline seating.
Unfortunately, there are no bus stations in Antigua, so you have to get to the capital to catch one of the buses. Tica Bus is the only one with a functioning website, but TransGalgos is a great option as well (you can buy a ticket through most travel agencies in Antigua). I rode TicaBus from the capital to Tapachula at a cost of about $20. The buses have TV, cold AC and a bathroom. It’s a comfortable ride and I use it to catch up on iPod listening and book reading.
It takes about six hours to get to the border. Once there you need to exit the bus and get your exit stamp from Guatemalan migracion. Migracion officials use a computer network that is tied into a central database in the capital so they know quickly whether you have overstayed your visa. The computer system also populates all the fields so there is no paperwork to complete. If everything is good, you’ll get your exit stamp and you’re on your way. If you’re late it’s 10Q per person per day. I’ve never been asked for a bribe by Guatemalan migracion officials.
Once you’re done at Guate migracion, you walk north across the bridge. The tour buses pull forward beforehand and unload all the luggage, so you can carry it through Mexican migration. I have found the Mexican officials to be generally less hospitable than the Guatemalan side. However, if you explain that you are only visiting Tapachula and not going further into the country and that you are only staying for three days, then you can avoid the normal hassle and ‘fees’ that average about $20 per person to enter. In my case a simple, “Papa buenas tardes, estoy visitando a Tapachula para tres días y luego vuelvo a la tierra de los chapines” and he stamped a random page without even looking to see if it was my passport and then started hassling some Salvadorean behind me.
Then the fun begins. Your tour bus operator will greet you outside migracion and instruct you to drag your bags through migracion. I was stopped immediately, although I noticed all of the darker skin folk were waved through. The grumpy senora made a cursory check of my checked bag and then waved me on.
A few meters further down the corridor another grumpy senora stopped me and instructed me to push a button on a traffic light looking device, whereupon the light flashed red, the word ‘random’ began to blink and a buzzer went off in a back office. Two additional grumpy migracion officials exited and escorted me to a table which, while still outside, was not entirely in view of any other passengers.
Was it my stash of cigars de Havana that set off the alarms? The book I had just checked out of the American Legion library in Antigua “Guns, Germs & Steel”? Had the stewardess on the bus related my disappointment to the migracion officials that they served only coffee and soda and not tequila on the bus ride north?
Whatever it was I watched while they rifled through my checked bag while dozens more locals streamed past unmolested. Apparently the randomness of the searches is limited to those exceeding 200lbs and/or 6 feet in height. Finding nothing too objectionable (I did invite the senora to join me in Tapachula to give me a masaje, which she didn’t find amusing but the two hombres did), they waved me on, and I returned to the glorious air conditioned environment of the bus, finding the driver much relieved that he had not lost a passenger in migracion.
Thirty minutes later we were in Tapachula, where the senoritas were much more pleasant. I asked the girls behind the counter how much a taxi should cost me to Loma Real, and when they responded “250 pesos” I asked, “Esta el gringo precio or normal?”, whereupon they both giggled and insisted it was the normal price.
250 pesos later I found myself at the Loma Real front desk where another senorita giggled constantly at my Spanish and booked me into a 1000 peso a night room which she assured me was perfect. The pool looked inviting, the exercise room was functional if spartan, and the restaurant had a great menu. More on Loma Real tomorrow, but a few observations on Day 1 in Mexico:
- Tapachula is hot. It’s Escuintla x 150%
- Mexican Spanish is different from Guatemalan Spanish. Simple sentences were difficult to understand or be understood.
- I heard more honking on the way from the bus station to Loma Real than I have heard in Guate in 16 months. Mexicans are in a hurry and watch the green light like hawks (the red light not so much).
- Most things appeared to be cheaper in Tapachula than in Guate, from the price of food to the taxi and the alcohol.
- I didn’t see ANY dogs
Day 2 tomorrow.
The TicaBus lobby is clean, comfortable and has a cafe with internet access.
El Blogador Toughing It in Mexico
Posted by: | CommentsEl Blogador has been delighting readers with his travel blogging from Playa del Carmen and other locations in Mexico.
Between Lattes and fine dining he managed to get in a little slap at yours truly for making such a big deal of the Chavez puppet who now resides at the Brazilian embassy.
These eedjits made their move against Zelaya when the grand total of his ‘treason’ against the Hounduran constitution was a no-car zone in Tegucigalpa and a non-binding consultation about a possible two-term presidency…which would have reached its conclusions AFTER an election he would no longer be eligible to stand in under the existing rules.
What’s that old Churchill saying about feeding the alligator? Of course, IMHO Hitler wasn’t the true enemy anyway, if we had just followed Patton’s advice (defeat the Soviets while we were already in Europe), we could have saved about 60,000,000 lives and a few trillion dollars. But that’s another story altogether.
Michelleti et al need only to have looked to Havana and Caracas to see the future that awaited them if they embraced the false comfort of appeasement towards would-be tyrants. When a man has a gun pointed at your head you don’t need to wait for him to shoot to understand his intentions.
What do you think? Should the Hondurans follow the advice of El Blogador and his mate Neville, or is Churchill a better role model? (Don’t worry James, I haven’t forgotten your request!)
Another Crazy Gringo Drives from the US to Guate
Posted by: | CommentsFrom BJ (and he didn’t even offer to be a Mule!):
So the last 2 days I drove from Dallas to Queretaro, MX in 14.5 hrs. Then next day I drove from Queretaro, to Tapachula, MX (on the border of Guatemala) where I slept on the side of the road in the back of my truck. Yes, you read correctly! It’s funny how much safer Mexico is than Guatemala. I decided to take advantage of that safety and save the $20 expense for a hotel. Then today, I drove the remaining 4 hours to Guatemala City via a new route I had not taken before. It was a pleasant trip overall.
Last time, you may recall, I was pulled over by the Mexican military at least 20 times while driving North. This time, headed South via a different route (through central instead of coastal Mexico) I only encountered 2 “Federales” (who were quite cordial by the way), 1 police search and 1 military search. Tranquil is the one word to describe the trip.
The Subway
Posted by: | CommentsNo, there is no subway in Guatemala, although supposedly there will be one by 2012 (don’t hold your breath). This is a story about my time in Mexico City and how I fell in love with the subway and how I learned a lesson at my Wife’s expense. If you are female, travel with females or share my sense of humor, read on.
I’ve never lived full-time in a city with a subway, although I’ve traveled extensively and always appreciated being able to get around town easily, cheaply and while reading a newspaper. My favorite combination is the DC Metro and the WSJ. Plus, subways are great for people watching, and in the days of phone/camera combination, anything is possible.
Well, when we were first in Mexico City (aka Distrito Federal or ‘DF’), I realized quickly that I could go all over the city and get close to almost anything for only 2 Pesos, which at the current exchange rate (1:13), is around 15 cents. At most I had to change trains 3 times to go anywhere, although very often only two trains were necessary to cross town. As long as you avoid rush hour, its convenient and fast. If you ride at rush hour, you’re going to be packed in like sardines.
Security was always high, with plenty of visible armed policemen, and at night and on the weekends, heavily armed military types. I never once felt unsafe, in fact, whenever I entered the train, most people would stare for a few minutes and then look away as though they were afraid. It was with these experiences in mind that I encouraged my wife to use the subway without hesitation.
Her experience was somewhat different. When she got on the train, everyone stared at her-for as long as she was on the train. Her pale complexion and light hair probably made her quite the spectacle. In addition, she found herself immediately surrounded by four or five men, and within the first few stops had been groped in all manner of places by seemingly dozens of hands, and twice found someone’s hand in her purse.
When she returned and told me the story, I wasn’t sure whether to feel outrage or jealousy. All those times on the subway, and I had only once been groped in such a fashion, and I’m pretty sure it was because I made the mistake of getting on at 5pm and there were about 500 people on the train, causing me to be pressed up against a small, stocky grandmother who was desperately trying to find her ringing cell phone and in was frantically searching and grabbed my, well, you get the point. My Spanish wasn’t very good at the time but I understood her sheepish grin.
The closest thing you’ll get to that here is the Chicken Bus. I’ve ridden the Chicken Bus on a number of occassions, and if you ride between 7am and 9am, or between noon and 2pm, or between 5pm and 6pm, you’ll likely encounter the same crush of human bodies. I regret to say that I’ve not yet been groped in these circumstances, although I have had multiple close encounters with exposed breasts. I’ve got more to say about the Chicken Buses, but that will have to wait for another post.
My First Cellphone In Guate
Posted by: | CommentsWhen I was in Mexico and the wife and I needed a cell phone, I walked into a WalMart, gave them 300 Pesos (about $30 at the time), and came out five minutes later with two phones and a bunch of minutes. It was a painless experience. We carried them with us to Guate and were pleased when we saw locals carrying what appeared to be the same model of phone.
While we were still hanging out at the hostel and looking for a house, I asked the hostel owner what was involved in hooking up my phone. She took one look at the model and said, “Just walk down the street to the tienda and buy a new sim card and some minutes”. Being new to the pre-paid phone marketplace, I was a little confused by the whole concept, but took my phone and walked the 100 yards to the tienda.
I handed my phone to the guy behind the bars, told him Read More→
Loading ...