Questions about Mexico

[TomCat]

Hi everyone, I will be moving to southern Texas (Kingsville) to complete a dietetic internship and attain a Master's degree at Texas A&M. Kingsville is within 2 hours of Mexico @ the Reynosa border crossing. So I am planning on taking some car trips down to Mexico. But I have some questions for you guys:

Guero - you said you were planning on setting up a dating service for central Mexico. How's that coming along?

MexicanCupid.com / Amigos.com - has anybody used either of these services?
Also any good hotspots in Monterrey or surrounding areas in central Mexico?

Mexican Auto Insurance…I hear it’s a good idea..has anybody bought it before? This place looks alright:
http://www.motormexico.com/

And I guess it's mandatory to get a car permit to travel into Mexico? Does anybody know the easiest way to go about doing this?

Travelling in Mexico:
Mexico SIM card w/ International Cell phone…good idea?
http://www.telestial.com/view_produc...T_ID=LSIM-MX01
Garmin for Mexico? Anybody used?
http://www8.garmin.com/cartography/m...avntmexico.jsp

Thanks in advance for any advice....

[Ciza29]

TomCat, I will answer all that I can.
Driving into Mexico is not a problem. However, once you get past so many kilometers you will need a special sticker which you will need to pick up at the Mexican counselate(this just doesn't look correct). It should cost around $40 dollars. You will need copies of your passport, drivers license, owner's slip for the car. It is a good idea to get insurance online. You can get it at the border if your spanish is good enough, but it will be more expensive. It should cost around $400 per year but will probably be higher for short periods. Your US coverage ends at the border. About 100kilos into mexico you will go through another checkpoint where they will look for your sticker. Place it on windshield just to the left of your rearview mirror.

Monterrey, I am told is more like an american city and quite fun. I only drove through at night, but it was cool since it is built up the sides of some mountains. The people of Monterrey have a reputation of being cheap. I am just repeating what I heard. I can not independently confirm or deny. There are a lot of expats there and there is know to be narco problems. However, they seem not to bother those who do not bother them. Cannot say the same for key border towns.

I don't know how much you are planning on driving but after Monterrey there are many small and large cities that each have unique characteristics. It will take around 12 hours to get to Mexico City, but only around 3 to Monterrey from Reynosa. Maybe less since the speed limit is 200 Pesos. I have heard it is best to buy a garmins in Mexico. That the ones in the states miss the constant changes that seem to occur in the Mexican road systems. When possible take the toll ways instead of the free equivalent. You can go faster, it is smoother and straighter and less chance of people crossing the road in front of you. I recommed Guia Roji guides. They specialize in Mexico and will be accurate if it is new. Best thing I ever bought.

[TomCat]

Ciza, great info., thanks for the reply. Hopefully I'll be able to explore all around Central Mexico. Monterrey sounds like a nice city. I enjoyed reading your thread on driving to Mexico City.
Also, I think you said that Reynosa was pretty run down. Is that place pretty much dead in the water for meeting latinas?
Thanks for the info.

Hi Ciza -

Great info on Mexico. I need to check out Mexico and the cool looking pyramids there. I recall the movie Against All Odds, about a washed up pro football player and his paid hunt to search out the Team's owner's daughter who fled to Mexico. One scene was at those pyramids.

I met some cool Mexican guys in Brazil last year, really nice guys from Mexico.

Thanks Ciza

[Cap'n Jib]

It is amazing an experience can affect one’s life. I spent a couple of days exploring Chichen Itze located to the southeast of Merida, Yucatan’s capital city in Mexico. The Mayan civilization really ‘got‘ to me on that trip.

That was about 12 years ago and those pyramids still capture my imagination. How so? Last week we received a shipment of dvd’s (three on the Mayan) from the History Channel and watched them one after another.

If I had to select one of their many accomplishments that literally ‘messed’ with my mind, was the sports arena at Chichen Itze. Over 100 yards long, two people on either end of the field can talk to each other in a normal voice. It is acoustically perfect! In the stands, the spectators could hear every grunt, groan and breathing.

All their cities had a sports arena with the same acoustical perfection.

[Ciza29]

I went through Reynosa in the wee hours of the morning so I can't tell you anything about the women there. I have heard positive things about the women of Monterrey.

However, the natural beauty of the country lies to the south. If anyone saw Apocalypto, that was filmed somewhere near Oaxaca. I can ask at work Monday and find out the exact location. I hear there are better places to visit than Chichen Itze. There is a great book by Gary Jennings called Azteca which is very informative and enjoyable. He apparently did a lot of research and pulled no punches.

I need to start getting out of the city and start finding places to recommend.

[LastLion]

Monterrey is like the silicon valley of mexico. It is the technooligcal capital. Would I say it is like a U.S.A. city, nope! Not at all! It has all the characateristics of a latin city, just a little more modern!

Interesting fact, a couple of years ago, Monterrey was named the safest big city in all the americas (yes including the usa and canada), and mexico city the worst and least safest! So there you go , you can get all in mexico!

CIZA, it about time you start sharing the wealth of info you must be accumulating in Mexico!

I happen to be in the safest city and also the one with the lowest unemployment of Colombia! Can you guess which that is???

Those of you who know where I am are excluded!

[Ciza29]

LL,
I said Monterrey was more like an American city but no it is not really close either. Mexico City is the most modern city but Monterrey is next.

I don't have too many stories. I am 0 for Mexico.

[Harley]

I travelled to Monterrey solo a couple of years ago. Very nice city. I walked around and visited one of the malls there. Very busy city. I found most people to be very friendly.

I spend quite a bit of time in Playa and Cozumel. Both very nice.

[Harley]

The ruins at Tulum are interesting too. It over looks the reef. The lighthouse there was amazing. They could use the moonlight to travel back and forth to Chitzen itza. I was surprised by the amount of litter from the tourist though. Sad...worth visiting though