Going to Mexico with my lady

[Sculpto]

Well we finally decided where to go.  Its going to be Mexico.  The trip will be in October but because Mexico does not allow visa free for Russians we started the process now which I thought might be worth reporting on for anyone else considering something the same.

Prior to starting the purchasing of anything I spoke with three Bay Area based Russian travel agents.  All three assured me it would be no problem and advised getting the following things together prior to visa application.  "A" also checked with some travel agents in Russia and a couple of travel to Mexico from Russia sites and the requirements appear congruent with what I was told.  I also checked on the Mexican immigration website and the information given by the travel agents appears accurate.

Round trip tickets, hotel reservations, (throwing in the car reservations also) and proof of funds.  Then she simply must go to the Mexican Embassy in Moscow and they should issue the visa with no delay, though, that is not a guarantee.  There is no indication of a fee.  She is in the process of selling her Fathers car and will have her own money for proof but I will also provide bank records from an account I set up for the trip.

Originally I was going to have her fly Delta.  I called Delta and they told me there was no issue with her plane change at Kennedy so I thought all would be good.  At the last minute, a couple of weeks after that phone call, when I was about to buy the tickets, a notice came up on the site stating I needed to verify the visa requirements.  The rules had changed and she would be required to get a transit visa!  I looked into it and the reality is the transit visa is as strict as a tourist visa so we thought that might put an end to the trip.    But, I persisted and noticed that Iberia had flights for not much more than Delta and after carefully checking and verifying confirmed that Spain does not require a transit visa!  Orale!  The flight was about $1150 on the Iberia website but I figured I might as well check the other sites and see if any discounts came up.  Good thinking!  I bought the tics on cheaptickets for $700 including ticket insurance in the event that there is a delay or something she will not get jammed up in Madrid.  Awesome!

The trip will be for 32 days.  She will arrive in Mexico City about 5pm after 11 hour flight from Madrid.  My flight gets in about three hours before so I will just wait for her in the airport.  We will stay in a cool old hotel in a five hundred year old colonial building a few blocks from the Zocalo where i have stayed before.  The room is $28 a night and includes breakfast.  The room has a view of the Torre Latino, the tallest building in Latin America which is about three blocks away.  She wants to visit the Trotsky house/museum and go to a bullfight.  I am not so keen on the bullfight, but, it is an interesting cultural phenomena and I have been to them before, once in Mexico and once in Madrid.  The Mexico City bullring is the largest in the world with seating for 100,000 people and sells out every bullfight.  I will also take her to the pyramids, floating gardens at Xochimilco, Frida Khalo house and probably do some clubbing in Colonia La Condesa which is a very hip artsy area with nouvelle Mexican restaurants lots of galleries and clubs.  We will also visit some friends if I can find them.  Lots of people in Mexico still don't use phones, so, if my friends are still selling in one of the craft markets I can find them easily.. if not.. oh well..

Then we will pick up our rental car and drive about 600 KM to the pacific coast and stay ten days at Puerto Escondido.  (car rental is $175 for 3 weeks with unlimited miles in a four door econo box with standard tranny.  Fuel in Mex is about a dollar a gallon less than in the US) I love this beach and my "adopted daughter" lives there.  This is an important visit as Rosa is an exceptional judge of character and I value her approval very much.  Rosa is really intense and will give any Russian woman a run for the money in stubbornness and intelligence.  In the Puerto area we will rent an apartment right on the beach that is a built in the local style but has modern fitments and ac.. the one BR apartment will cost 28 bucks a night including breakfast.  Rosa's husband is a fisherman that dives for lobster every day so we will be eating really well in Puerto.    We will also visit an aligator ranch, iguana hatchery, organic coffee plantation, a natural hot spring and the sea turtle preserve.  The turtles are in season and up to 200,000 turtles come ashore every night.  Should be amazing!  The film "Y tu Mama Tambien" was filmed in this area.  The beach where we will be has HUGE waves which are also in high season.. "A" doesn't swim so she won't be in the water much in that spot, but, there are other beaches in protected coves with shallow water so I hope I can get her in the water to do some easy snorkeling.  I will do some boarding but mostly we will just relax, have some fires on the beach at night and chill out with cold beers in hammocks.

Then we will make a very long road trip to Chiapas, about 900 km, where I used to live and want to live in the future.  The drive should be about 14 hours if none of the roads are washed out from the avalanches that happen every year in the coastal Sierras.  We will make one detour along the way to a newly opened "eco-tourism" spot.  The location is a what is known in Mexico as a "Sutano" which is basically a gigantic sink hole.  This one is 400 meters across and about the same in depth.  Millions of swallows live in the cliffs and the forest eco system at the bottom is unique with many trees and lizards that only exist in this spot.  Should be cool.  In San Cristobal we will stay in a small pension in a colonial house for all of $14 a night.  The room is furnished in rustic local furniture and has a fireplace.  (nice to have at 8000 feet above sea level, gets cool at night)  breakfast is included.  SCLC at this time of year is awesome.  There will be festivals in the different barrios every night and we will be there for Day of the Dead, which, considering the confusion we had before over this holiday may prove to be very interesting.  In SCLC we will be visiting with the rest of Rosa's family and get to see Isabel's daughter, Erica.  The sisters will be no less scrutinizing of "A" so again their approval is very important for me.  We will make day trip excursions to the indigenous villages, meet with the Zapatistas, explore caves, canyons, wetlands, waterfalls and the lakes region.  SCLC has a wealth of museums on topics like indigenous medicine, ambar which is mined and worked here, and of course history.  The food is amazing also.  We will be doing some cafe sitting and lots of walking around and probably a little clubbing also.  The local music scene is very active and interesting.  There is also an opera house and classical concert hall so we will certainly take advantage of those venues if there is anything interesting being performed while we are there.

Then we will make a shorter road trip to my favorite part of the trip.. the jungle.  We will be staying inside Palenque National Park in a jungle lodge.  The lodge is in rustic style but again with modern fitments.. I have stayed there many times before and is fantastic.  There is always an international crowd with visitors from all over the world.  Its kind of a party scene at night with fire performers and accoustic music so it should be fun.  We will visit the archeological site in the company of my friend Moises Morales, the foremost expert on the ruins of Palenque, at least five major waterfalls, a brine lake with manatee and just relax.  It will probably rain but will be warm.  I already warned "A" to forget about staying clean while in the jungle and that if she complains I will throw her in the mud.    She is really excited to see the monkeys so we might spend a day monkey chasing in the jungle.  The food here isn't as exciting as other places, but, if we get motivated we might cook for ourselves.  The farmers market in Palenque village is well known for having all kinds of exotic foods so we might end up eating fresh water snails, exotic fruits and wild bee honey.

Finally we will have a very long drive back to Mexico City.  Its about 24 hours on the road so we will break it up into three days and stop off at Lake Catemaco in southern Veracruz and Jalapa in northern Veracruz.  Catemaco is a Tahoe sized lake surrounded by volcanos and jungle and is famed throughout Mexico for restaurants that serve exotic animals like tepesquintle and oguti which are bred and raised in the village.  Jalapa is a university town in the Veracruz highlands that is known as the Mexican Berkeley.  We will arrive back in Mexico city with one full day to regroup, clean up and rest before travelling back home.  Her flight leaves two hours before mine.

We will be together 24/7 for 32 days.  If there are any issues that develop that are serious enough to make me want to end the relationship I am sure they will surface under these conditions.  However, she has come clean with all the issues over the last month or so, some of it was like pulling teeth, but, the issues were real enough and I have had confirmation regarding those issues from enough trusted people that I am not concerned about her intent or character.  I am 99% sure we will have an amazing time together and it will be a life changing experience for her.  Mexico always is.

[jdk1963]

built in the local style but has modern fitments and ac.

AC?  Wimp!!! 

[GoodOlBoy]

Then we will make a shorter road trip to my favorite part of the trip.. the jungle. 

Just kidding Sculpto.  :evil:

I hope you and "A" have a good time.

GOB can't wait to read this trip report! 


GOB

[bobb]

I hope you have a great trip.  It will indeed be revealing for the both of you.  I will have to remember to come back to RWD in late fall just for your trip report.

[Sculpto]

AC?  Wimp!!! 

LOL dude the ac aint for me.. if I was going alone I wouldn't even be staying indoors.. just sleep on the beach..or in a shack with a hammock.. last time I shared my space with a five inch long black scorpion.. but.. in October it will be about 100 degrees and 95% humidity.. she is going to be shocked by the heat I think and if she hates the heat I want to give her someplace to hide from it.  She said she wants to be hot though so we will see.. hahaha

[Sculpto]

I hope you have a great trip.  It will indeed be revealing for the both of you.  I will have to remember to come back to RWD in late fall just for your trip report.

I will have a great trip no matter what.  If things don't work out it would suck, but, this time we will be on my turf.. she wont understand a word of the language.. all the customs will be strange to her.. she won't know how to navigate.. so yes.. it will be very revealing.. I am pretty sure some of her over confidence will disappear right about the time she walks out of the passport area and into the waiting throng at Juarez International.. makes Borispol or Sheremetevo look like kids play..   We are going to the BIGGEST city in the world. 25,000,000 at last count.  I was chatting with her on the cam when I was telling her about my beloved DF (distrito federal de mexico) and mentioned it is twice as many people as Moscow.. her eyes got REAL BIG.. like an owl.. it was funny. 

But i plan on showing her a great time.  We will go to some of the most beautiful places in the world.

Here is just one of the waterfalls we will visit and as awesome as it is.. there are others even better.. places were no one ever goes.. naked in the jungle.. "blue lagoon"

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Yes.. the water is always that color.. and pure as pure gets.. the bedrock is limestone.. no bacteria.. no pesticides upstream.. just virgin jungle from the place where it comes out of the rock.

[myrddin]

Sounds like it'll be an amazing trip.  It'll be very interesting to see what the surprises are.

Cool that you know Moises Morales - private tour!

[Sculpto]

do you know Moises?  I have known him since the 80s.. and Alonzo.. I am great friends with that whole family.. it was Alonzo's brother that originally got me set up in SF.. really interesting family.. the father is, for lack of a better term, the chief of one of the major tribes.. the mother is an artist from brooklyn.. the third brother was my roomate for some time in SF.. all those guys were ivy educated but also speak Mayan and know all the traditions.. wish I would have gotten to know Merle Greene but never had the chance.. always coming and going in opposite directions..

Anyway.. I don't really need a private tour.. I know all the hidden spots.. I have spent cumulatively close to a year at the site.. but it will be cool for "A" to get the tour with an official expert.   

http://www.mesoweb.com/palenque/

[Ade]

We are going to the BIGGEST city in the world. 25,000,000 at last count. 

Well, it isn't, is it?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_metropolitan_areas_by_population
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_by_population

[UTRO]

Sounds Very Cool Sculpto!
But, I think you are taking a hell of a risk bringing her somewhere that can be an amazing paradise one minute and a sheethole the next You are relying a lot on Mother Nature to co-operate for you, so you'd better have the Aztecs say a prayer or two. I don't have to tell you it's rainy season....
I hope you have been 100% upfront with 'A' as to what can go wrong? I know you aren't into 'Tourist' slumming, but I'd suggest you have some sort of backup plan at a resort in Cancun or the Mayan Riviera if things don't go the way you planned.
Seriously Sculpto, be honest with her! Your cup of tea may not be of her liking. If she isn't having fun, don't push her.
Hopefully the Swine Flu pandemic will have subsided by then too.
Aside from my Negativity, if all goes well, you will look like a Prince. The itinerary you have planned sounds unbelievably impressive! 

[myrddin]

do you know Moises? 

Only by reputation, from an interest in Mayan civilization.

[Sculpto]

I am glad you mentioned him though.. I hadn't looked at the project site in a while.. a couple of years even.. I just downloaded the maps and as I had suspected there is an even larger waterfall in the far western part of the site.. so.. I have a project!  I should be bringing back some spectacular photos of a waterfall that probably fewer than two dozen people have ever seen.  That part of the site is really thick jungle and there are no trails that I know of.. I had tried to get over there before and got myself good and lost.. but now armed with a map.. its a lot more possible.    God I hope the girl is going to be up for this.. lol

btw.. I was debating whether to stay inside the park or at Moises' place.. but his email returned with a daemon and I need the reservation for the visa.  There are more long term hippies at Moises' place where inside the park there are more backpackers.. might end hanging out at Panchan in the evenings.. its just a 2 k walk and walking in the road at night is pretty cool.. I saw a black panther crossing that road in '94.  So much depends on how "A" reacts to all this.. hahaha I am a little evil.. she really has very little idea of where we are going.  You guys know more details.  Yes, I am really really evil.   :evil:

[Ooooops]

My main concern would be Temperature.   Coming from Siberia into Mexico...     Just make sure that your rooms have at least a good running fan, if not A/C.   It should work.   

[Blues Fairy]

And my concern would be intestinal infections; make sure you guys wash everything you eat and what you eat with.
But I'm sure your girl will receive enough brainwashing about this issue from her relatives.

[Simoni]

It sounds like a super trip, Sculpto!  Hope you guys do indeed hit it off and have a wonderful time!

[Gator]

An exciting trip!  Hope all goes well. 

My wife and I took about 20 trips together outside Russia.  Mexico was the only country where we had to change our flights because of the delay in the Mexican Embassy issuing her a tourist visa.   She applied for the visa through a Moscow travel agency.  Total delay - about 3 weeks.   

Did she like it?  Yes!  She loved it.  One of our highlights was visiting a private mountain where the North American monarch butterflies gather during the winter.  The forrest turned orange from butterflies.  Surrealistic. Other highlights were Guanajuato and Isla Mujeres (the latter being too touristy for you, and not at all how I remember it in 1971).

Your girl likes to drink.  My wife loved the mescal, straight up.  The Tequila train ride in Guadalajara is a real  trip except the next day is spent in recovery.

[Sculpto]

Sounds awesome Gator.  I was thinking about detouring on the way to Oaxaca through Michoacan to go to the Monarch reserve.. but it would add a full day on the road. 

I remember you mentioning the delay from the Mexican Embassy which is part of why we are starting early.  I have told "A" several times not to take a chance with that and to go to the embassy as soon as she gets back to Moscow in a few weeks.  So, all should be good, hopefully.. I may stop into the consulate here in SF and see if I can get the consul to reach out just to be 100% sure.

Its a pity about Isla Mujeres.. I was there in 86 and it was still good but the writing was on the wall.  Most of the Caribe coast has been ruined by too much development in my opinion.  I remember being at Tulum when there was no electricity or plumbing.. just a bunch of international hippies naked on the beach, drinking, smoking huge spliffs, eating fresh fish and hearing Guantanamera for the first time.. haha I also remember when my hut collapsed in the middle of the night.. hammock to ground.. thatched roof down on top of me.. scorpions everywhere trying to find my flashlight totally disoriented.. wild stuff!

Here is a good one.. a few days after the hammock incident I was in Chetumal getting ready to cross into Belize.  I had been travelling with two awesome Dutch women.  We had taken a cab from the bus station into town to a hotel.  When we got into the room we realized one of the girls had left her backpack in the cab.. passport.. camera and 3K in cash.  FREAK OUT!  It was 11 pm and none of us could remember the number of the cab.  As we were sitting there trying to figure out what to do.. there was a knock on the door.. it was the cab driver returning the back pack, intact.

I love Mexico.

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[Ooooops]

And my concern would be intestinal infections; make sure you guys wash everything you eat and what you eat with.

Immodium is your best friend on this kind of trips!     

[Sculpto]

actually what I do on the first day is get a drink called tepache.  Tepache is fermented pineapple usually.. kind of like a pineapple beer, but is also sometimes made with other fruit.  It tastes really good but has the effect of flushing the system.  For two days stay near a facility and afterwards I can eat anything i want.  However.. I may avoid this method on this trip.. I think it is an extreme measure for "A".  So, we will just eat in places I already know to be safe and wash any fruit we might buy.  Bottled water is everywhere so thats a non issue.

[Ooooops]

Bottled water is everywhere so thats a non issue.

Yep, that's the main concern.    And stay away from the ice in "iffy" places as well.   

PS.   Did you read "The Teachings of Don Juan" by Castaneda? 

[Sculpto]

Yep, that's the main concern.    And stay away from the ice in "iffy" places as well.   

PS.   Did you read "The Teachings of Don Juan" by Castaneda? 

Yes I did a long time ago.. I bought the book for "A" when I was in Moscow so she has read it also. 

[Ooooops]

Yes I did a long time ago.. I bought the book for "A" when I was in Moscow so she has read it also. 

It's a good book.   Goes well with camping under the stars in Mexico.   

[Sculpto]

it would be great if she could read the diary of Hernan Cortez.. but who knows if that can be found in Russian????

[Ooooops]

it would be great if she could read the diary of Hernan Cortez.. but who knows if that can be found in Russian????

Not sure...   But I think it would be a good way to start learning Spanish (with your help)   

[Sculpto]

I own the book in English.. its actually an amazing read.  She has been so dedicated in learning English.. I almost hate to distract her from that.