Trip Report, sort of. Mexico City (5/3 - 5/7 2013)
Posted: May 12th, 2013, 11:57 am
I recently returned from a trip to Mexico City.
First off, if you wanna to continue to believe your Government and Mainstream Media accounts of violence; Or if your Black and want to say Mexico is dangerous because of what MIGHT have happen to Malcom X's grandson, then stop reading now.
My life was never threaten and the kabuki is on our side of the broader not theirs.
Now about the trip -
I went down mainly to connect with a friend I had met on another forum who is from Brasil. She went to Mexico City for vacation with her male friend. Both are professionals, speak English and Spanish.
They had a week on me and were sight-seeing in earnest. I was able to join them for some sight-seeing and general convo/getting to know each other sort of thing. Because of some cellular issues with TelCel, we didn't meet as often as we could as most communication was happening over Facebook and not via the phone, email or text.
In any event, it went well and I even got into an exclusive event with DJ Freddie Le Grande for free. Don't ask, I put it down to being a Gringo but who knows, I was handed a ticket by a security guard.
The highlights where Xochimilco Lake and the previously mentioned event at Centre Banamex. The low lights were missing each other to go to the Museo Nacional de AntropologÃa and the Teotihuacan.
The only other things I can report is that Mexico City and Mazatlan is where you wanna be for White skinned Latinas (Flacca).
Now for some Do's and Don't.
Do stay at a hostel. No reason to pay $50-$60US a day for a standard 4 star hotel. I paid $12 and shared a dorm. I had a lock on my locker and they had security cameras in the halls with 24hr front desk support. Most of you reading this have no mac skills so the chances of you bringing a woman back to your hostel is slim and none. If by the narrowest of margins you do hook up with a so-so looking woman, then pay $50 for one night in a nice place say in Zona Rosa or something.
Get a SIM from TelCel (120 pesos/$12US) and pay for data depending on your stay. I should have paid for 1GB of data which would be more than enough for the five days I was in town (200 Pesos/$20US).
Eat cheap; Plenty of hole in the wall taco stands, anywhere from 20-40 Pesos, complete meals, taste great, no health issues!
Learn Spanish! Nobody speaks English outside of the hospitality sector and I'm serious about that. You will need basic Spanish to get even minor things. I had to reset my Samsung Android phone when some joker at a independent TelCel store set the swipe lock screen on my phone and disappeared. They wanted to charge me 120 pesos to unlock it. Ridiculous, I know what I am doing with Android phones and it sucks I had to reset it back to stock and rebuild the rom the way I want, but I wasn't going to give them any money. This is why knowing some Spanish is important. Some people will try to trick you thinking your a stupid Gringo.
Besides that, my trip was incident free.
Finally make sure you have undamaged US dollars, as some of the higher end exchanges (with better rates) will not take even minorly damaged bills. I had to go back to the airport and exchange two damaged $20 bills.
No p***y reports, because I barely know Spanish and my friend is not a love interest.
However that will change when I go to Brasil in Aug/Sept. That was one of the reasons I wanted to meet my friend, she's from Belem.
Oh I should mention, I bought my ticket at the last minute (on the day before I left) it was $322 ($200 + Fees). I hear Volaris goes for about $250 out of LAX if you buy about a month out, that's unconfirmed though. As I said hostel was $12 a day, total spent including food and Metro pass (40 Pesos lasted the entire trip, its 1 Peso to ride) is $552 including getting some Wendy's at GWB on the way back home. I could have gotten a direct flight back to LAX but I picked the wrong ticket, price was the same.
There is no excuse for the rest of you, those of you working get paid vacation and should use it for trips like this. Lots of information out there if you're willing to look.
First off, if you wanna to continue to believe your Government and Mainstream Media accounts of violence; Or if your Black and want to say Mexico is dangerous because of what MIGHT have happen to Malcom X's grandson, then stop reading now.
My life was never threaten and the kabuki is on our side of the broader not theirs.
Now about the trip -
I went down mainly to connect with a friend I had met on another forum who is from Brasil. She went to Mexico City for vacation with her male friend. Both are professionals, speak English and Spanish.
They had a week on me and were sight-seeing in earnest. I was able to join them for some sight-seeing and general convo/getting to know each other sort of thing. Because of some cellular issues with TelCel, we didn't meet as often as we could as most communication was happening over Facebook and not via the phone, email or text.
In any event, it went well and I even got into an exclusive event with DJ Freddie Le Grande for free. Don't ask, I put it down to being a Gringo but who knows, I was handed a ticket by a security guard.
The highlights where Xochimilco Lake and the previously mentioned event at Centre Banamex. The low lights were missing each other to go to the Museo Nacional de AntropologÃa and the Teotihuacan.
The only other things I can report is that Mexico City and Mazatlan is where you wanna be for White skinned Latinas (Flacca).
Now for some Do's and Don't.
Do stay at a hostel. No reason to pay $50-$60US a day for a standard 4 star hotel. I paid $12 and shared a dorm. I had a lock on my locker and they had security cameras in the halls with 24hr front desk support. Most of you reading this have no mac skills so the chances of you bringing a woman back to your hostel is slim and none. If by the narrowest of margins you do hook up with a so-so looking woman, then pay $50 for one night in a nice place say in Zona Rosa or something.
Get a SIM from TelCel (120 pesos/$12US) and pay for data depending on your stay. I should have paid for 1GB of data which would be more than enough for the five days I was in town (200 Pesos/$20US).
Eat cheap; Plenty of hole in the wall taco stands, anywhere from 20-40 Pesos, complete meals, taste great, no health issues!
Learn Spanish! Nobody speaks English outside of the hospitality sector and I'm serious about that. You will need basic Spanish to get even minor things. I had to reset my Samsung Android phone when some joker at a independent TelCel store set the swipe lock screen on my phone and disappeared. They wanted to charge me 120 pesos to unlock it. Ridiculous, I know what I am doing with Android phones and it sucks I had to reset it back to stock and rebuild the rom the way I want, but I wasn't going to give them any money. This is why knowing some Spanish is important. Some people will try to trick you thinking your a stupid Gringo.
Besides that, my trip was incident free.
Finally make sure you have undamaged US dollars, as some of the higher end exchanges (with better rates) will not take even minorly damaged bills. I had to go back to the airport and exchange two damaged $20 bills.
No p***y reports, because I barely know Spanish and my friend is not a love interest.
However that will change when I go to Brasil in Aug/Sept. That was one of the reasons I wanted to meet my friend, she's from Belem.
Oh I should mention, I bought my ticket at the last minute (on the day before I left) it was $322 ($200 + Fees). I hear Volaris goes for about $250 out of LAX if you buy about a month out, that's unconfirmed though. As I said hostel was $12 a day, total spent including food and Metro pass (40 Pesos lasted the entire trip, its 1 Peso to ride) is $552 including getting some Wendy's at GWB on the way back home. I could have gotten a direct flight back to LAX but I picked the wrong ticket, price was the same.
There is no excuse for the rest of you, those of you working get paid vacation and should use it for trips like this. Lots of information out there if you're willing to look.