Thomas

What are your interests?

Veracruz is nice. I wonder if they still have the Mexico City-Veracruz train. In Veracruz, be sure to order a "torito". Hold the drink with one hand as you hold on to your hat with the other.

Oaxaca has a great market. And get some huevos monteleños for breakfast. I'll never forget having dinner in Oaxaca across from the Zócalo while listening to Strauss waltzes. Well, Puebla has a good market too. Of course, I have been to neither city for years.

In Oaxaca, the ruins are worthwhile but don't let a structure get between you and the view of the guards. I had a nasty experience there years ago that came within an inch of becoming a robbery/rape.

Palenque has great ruins, possibly the best in Mexico.

Merida has great food. Be sure to order a tailor-made guayabera (shirt). You won't find better ones. There's a restaurant in Merida (Los Tulipanes?) that is pretty neat.

Merida is a great base for trips to Chichen-Itzá and Uxmal. If you will ask people, they will teach you some Mayan (Quiché) as you wait for buses. After more than 30 years, I still remember from phrases. Telabín Jo = I am going to Merida. Telabín pasá = I am going to have fun.

How about Tulúm? Campeche?

In Chilangolandia (Mexico City), spend a Sunday at Chapultepec. The Museum of Anthropology will amaze you. The Latin American Tower is a great place to pick up babes. The Metro system is incredible. The Ballet Folclórico is fantastic.

Again, I haven't been in Mexico for years. But here is some advice that won't cost you a dime and may be helpful. Before blindly buying a train ticket, talk to others taking the same trip. Years ago I had a miserable trip from Mexicali to Mazatlán because I had bought a ticket for a small private room instead of buying a second ticket for the first class car. My room had three lights, one of which worked once in a while and two that never worked. Going through the Sonora Desert without air conditioning is not a memory I cherish. On the train, students told me that experienced travelers also bought a ticket for the first class car. This way they had a room to sleep in at night and an air conditioned car to ride in during the day. My Merida-Villahermosa train ride was quite an adventure too. My first class car had broken seats and no lights in the toilet. Had I known, I would have acquired a flashlight before boarding.

One more bit of advice and then I will shut up. A few years ago I discovered "baby wipes". You can't expect to find toilet paper in your travels, regardless of the country. And "baby wipes" are ten times better than any TP I've ever used. Not a "polite subject" for a post, but a useful one. I always carry a package with me. Always.

Have a great trip. Telabín pasá.