Travel guides
Lonely Planet
Edition April 1998
I've bought the Mexico LP to prepare my latest trip. It is as usual easy to read, with good info and detailed maps. Some of the info is outdated, but most is usefull (although I heard other travellers complaining).
Order the Lonely Planet Mexico now for only 15.96 US$!
Or maybe you prefer their Central America Book
Order the Lonely Planet Central America on a shoestring for 15.96 US$!
They also have a Mexico City Book
Order the Lonely Planet Mexico City 11.99 US$! (Edition 11/2000)
Footprint Handbook Central America-Mexico
This book had a lot of practical info and was definitely the best on accommodation and restaurant info. Their info seemed also more up to date. I recommend it especially if you need middle class accomodation. It's definitely a much better choice the the LP Central America. Latest edition is from 11/2000, new edition each year in December.
Order the Footprint Central America Handbook for 20.75 US$!
Rough Guide to Mexico
Edition December 1998
I didn't read this book yet, but if they're as good as the others I read in the series, this one will also be recommended, especially if you're on a budget. And at least you'll have another book then 90% of the travellers you meet.
Order the Rough Guide Mexico now for only 15.96 US$!
The Rough Guide series now have a competitor of LP's Ruta Maya (June 1999), called "Maya World". They have here info on Guatemala, Belize, and Yucatan, but also El Salvador and Honduras. I read parts of this book and it's excellent value for money, better than LP in my point of view.
Order the Rough Guide Maya World now for only 15.96 US$!
Let's Go
Popular series in the US and yearly updated.
Order the Let's Go Mexico now for only 17.59 US$!
Other books
If you can't make up your mind, click on the Amazon.com logo and search for more books
Hotels
At the Yucatan coast, accommodation can sometimes be hard to get and will usually be more expensive than inland.
Inland, you can usually find good and clean double rooms with hot showers for a bit more then 100 P. Middle class hotels, sometimes with swimming pools can be had for around 400 P, the five stars are 1000 P and up.
Sightseeing
The sights in Mexico are in excellent shape. Entrance fee is usually around 25 P pp, a video camera is 30 P extra.
Important to notice is that there's a free entrance on Sundays and holidays. There will of course be more visitors also.
Safety
Safety is still a serious concern in Mexico. Several things should be noted: Mexico city is still a dangerous city, although you'll see police and security men everywhere, and it was one of Cardenas' main points to improve security (nevertheless, even his own bodyguards where robbed from their Cherokee Jeep causing quite a fuss). For tourists, it's especially worth noticing that there are still a lot of robberies in the so-called "libre" taxis. You can recognise them be the "L" as first letter on their number plate. Also refuse any offer on the street for taxis, only take "sitio" taxis, but they are indeed harder to get. You'll also hear reports about robberies of night buses. We had no problems with that, and I should add that the luggage we had put on the bus was well tagged, and afterwards your tag was controlled before you collected it.
In the Chiapas region, you'll see plenty of army check points where you'll often have to produce your passport.
Medical matters
Malaria
Where to take what
Mexico is considered by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to be in an A-zone, meaning Chloroquine is the first choice prophylactic drug here, take 300 mg once a week.
However, risk for malaria is not everywhere the same in Mexico:
Touristic areas: No risk of malaria in areas above 1000 m (also Mexico City). In most tourist areas the risk is very low. For well organised trips, general measures are enough. the same goes for Yucatan.
Remote areas: WHO area A In some areas beneath 1000 m, the risk is higher, namely when going outside the cities in primitive conditions, especially in the provinces of Oaxaca, Chiapas, Guerrero, Campeche, Quintana Roo, Sinaloa, Michoacan, Nayarit, Chihuahua, Hidalgo and Tabasco. There is Falciparum malaria in Quintana Roo and Tabasco. Note that Oaxaca city is at 1500 m and San Cristobal de las Casas at 2200 m altitude.
Hepatitis A
If you travel with a backpack and don't mind eating in cheap restaurants, it's easy to catch Hepatitis A. Chances of getting infected range from 1/300 to 1/50 per month depending on your standard of travelling.
It's not dangerous, but you will be sick for some weeks.
There is a good vaccination for Hepatitis A nowadays, so ask your doctor. You need 2 shots (used to be 3 shots) at 0 and 6 months, although if you can it's even better to postpone the second shot till after 12 months. They are expensive, but they protect you for 10 years.
Hepatitis B
You can only get this through sex and blood transfusion. Since prevalence of Hepatitis B is much higher in SE Asia then in the Western world, it might be wise to get vaccinated. Get your shots at 0, 1 and 6 months. They are equally expensive as hepatitis A.
Typhoid fever
There is also a good vaccination consisting of 3 pills to be taken every 2 days. Take them early enough before you leave since it's better not to combine them with malaria pills, although these guidelines have recently changed (meaning you can combine them). The vaccination works for 3 years.
Travellers diarrhea
We always have antibiotics at hand in case of diarrhea. We take Ciproxine 250 mg two tablets at once and then another 3 tablets, one tablet every 12 hours.
Weather
Dry season traditionally runs from december till march/april, although July/August will still be fairly good. In fact, only the regions along the coast of Villahermosa get a lot of rain during the rainy season, and that was where the floodings of 1999 occured. As for temperatures, be aware that it can cool down considerably during winter in the higher regions like San Cristobal, Oaxaca and Mexico City once the sun is gone. Palenque and other cities at sea level always remain warm, also at night.
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