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TOP 10 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE TRAVELING TO MEXICO.
When we talk about cultures, unique landscapes, stunning beaches, beautiful colors, architectural
designs, exquisite cuisine, and all-inclusive resorts, Mexico is the place to mention.
Are you planning your next vacation in Mexico?
As a local living here for 19 years in Mexico, I have some essential tips you need to know
before you even plan on buying that flight ticket to avoid making minor mistakes while
in Mexico.
What are the top 10 things you need to know before traveling to this beautiful Country
Mexico Let's get into it.
NR.1 Get insured.
Don't cross that border to Mexico by air or road if you don't have comprehensive travel
insurance.
This doesn't mean the Country is unsafe to travel to; this is just the right thing to
do.
The private hospitals have horrendous expensive prices, especially in coastal areas Tourist
locations like Los Cabos, Cancun, Riviera Maya, Puerto Vallarta, etc., they mostly take
advantage of you being a tourist and not speaking the language and having dollars and will most
likely overcharge you for everything, I have seen it myself many times over and over, injured
tourists are transported via private ambulance after an accident to private hospital, and
end up paying a few thousand dollars for a small treatment plus another 500 dollars to
the ambulance, so do yourself a favor and get the insurance that covers everything in
Mexico and avoid ruining your trip.
Travel insurance is essential no matter where you are going in the world.
Get one for yourself before you travel to Mexico.
2.
The first thing I want you to know is that Mexico is safe for tourism.
You don't have to worry too much about safety—millions of people traveling to Mexico from different
parts of the world.
The Mexican government is doing everything to ensure that the tourist centers and other
places are safe; with that said, be ready to drive through Police and military checkpoints,
don't get intimidated by this and the Big machine pistols they are carrying, have your
passport ready, and your immigration form ready to show if asked to, be polite and cooperate
with the security personal let them search your car or belongings, but always be close
and aware what they are doing.
Forget about what you have been fed in the movies and news about cartel violence; these
guys don't mess with TOURISTS.
Mexico is safe for tourists; lately, some isolated cases involving tourists have happened,
but that is an exception.
I lived for 19 years here all over Mexico from Cancun to Puerto Vallarta and never had
any issue with anyone.
Don't let worrying too much about safety deprive you of the fun that Mexico is packed with.
You have come here to relax and have fun, do it.
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3.
Note the restroom door markings.
Yeah, this one is way too important to be ignorant of.
Unlike most countries where the letter 'M' stands for Male and 'F' stands for Female,
Mexico restroom door markings are different.
I have seen a place in Puerto Vallarta where a man was pushed out of the female restroom.
I heard a woman shouting, eres un pervertido Cabron.
That means 'you are a perv.'
Immediately I knew he got the markings wrongly, and I couldn't help but laugh.
Know about the restroom door markings if you don't want to be in an uncomfortable situation
like this man.
In Mexico, because it is a Spanish-speaking country, the letter 'M' on the door is for
the Ladies, not Male.
No, it's not a setup for you to get beaten; it's the language.
The 'M' stands for the Spanish word Mujeres meaning women.
The letter 'C' on the door is for the men.
'C' stands for the Spanish word Caballeros meaning gentlemen.
This is something you should never forget because you can make a mistake.
You wouldn't want yourself to be called a pervert and publicly shamed.
4.
You should know that not everyone speaks English.
It is no news that Mexico is a Spanish-speaking country, but don't think since English is
a common language and many countries speak the language, it would make it right for you
to assume that everyone speaks English in Mexico.
Breaking News!
You're mistaken.
Mexico has many languages spoken by the people, but the primary language is Spanish.
Only a tiny percentage of the people in Mexico speak English, of which most are not even
fluent.
If you plan your next vacation in Mexico, this is the right time to start learning basic
Spanish.
You can learn words like Buenos días, meaning Good morning, Buenas tardes meaning Good evening,
and Buenas Noches meaning Good night, Gracias meaning Thank you.
The deeper you go into the Country, the less English is spoken, and these are the best
places you find the authentic culture of the people.
Basic Spanish will go a long way in these areas.
5.
You don't flush the toilet paper in the restroom in Mexico.
I know you are probably asking the question, why?
Yes, many people have asked that question; what do we do with the toilet papers if we
can't flush them?
The simple answer is that the septic system in Mexico is not built to deal with toilet
papers properly.
Continuous flushing of toilet papers can lead to blockage; trust me; it is always expensive
to fix.
Some resorts have a robust septic system to flush toilet papers, but it is scarce.
It would be best to ask before you make any such attempt, or you might end up with a big
plumbing bill to pay.
6.
Tap water in Mexico is not drinkable.
Tap water is not drinkable for the locals and certainly not for drinkable for you.
The best option is a Water-to-Go bottle.
Please make sure you get one because it will help you filter the water.
Some hotels in Mexico offer free water in their lobbies or the Rooms.
If you must buy bottled water, make sure you get sealed bottles only from a reputable store
like OXXO; some street Vendors refill the bottles with regular tap water, so watch out
for this one.
7.
Know how to blend in.
Have you ever walked past a place where you noticed everyone around is looking at you?
Would you like the feeling, especially if they chant some words you don't even understand?
This is why you need to blend in.
Examine the way people are dressed in the area you want to go to and blend in.
Some places in Mexico are conservative – people dress more modestly in Mexico.
Although Mexicans can tolerate foreigners' clothes, people cannot be the same.
Some may give you a weird look, and you may not like it.
It would be best if you learned to blend in.
You can buy a hat (Sombrero), blouse, poncho, a rebozo for coverings.
A jacket is not ruled out too.
8.
Know the exchange rate and pay in Mexican pesos.
Carry pesos with you and pay like a Mexican.
You will love the feeling.
You wouldn't want to waste money while on vacation too.
Although the dollar bill is accepted, you will most likely be getting a bad exchange
rate from the store, Make sure you have the Mexican pesos with you to pay the exact amount
for something, and if you like, you can tip the seller.
It's a way to save your money instead of paying with dollars and get your pesos from a local
Mexican bank.
9.
There are extremely spicy foods in Mexico.
Do you like spicy foods?
We'll see if you can stand the spicy foods in Mexico.
Some spicy foods in Mexico can turn you into a dragon; your body would be hot like you
are about to spit fire.
If you are not a fan of spicy food, ask for SIN PICANTE before you eat it; what will make
you drink all the waters of Mexico if they have put some habanero chili inside.
This should not stop you from trying different foods in Mexico because not all foods are
spicy in Mexico regularly; the salsas are the HEAT or Fire Topping for your tacos or
quesadillas, so try them first to see which ones are spicy and which not.
You wouldn't want to miss the Mexican cuisine for anything.
Also, don't forget to try the Botanas.
They are snacks, and trust me; you will love them.
10.
Keep your Entry Visa, also called FMT, in a safe place until you leave the country;
when you enter through customs in Mexico, you will get a little piece of paper a breakaway
from your immigration form you had to fill out in the airplane or at the land border,please
keep that safe don't lose it you will need it to exit Mexico, if you cannot present it
you have to pay a fine to get a new one.
These tips are essential for you if you already plan to travel to Mexico.
I hope you enjoyed this video.
If you have more questions about Mexico, you can drop them in the comment below, and you
will get an answer.
To get more tips like these on any country, drop a comment below and subscribe to the
channel – you will be the first to be notified when a new video comes out.
Thank you and See you in Mexico.