Cancun

[sf9ersfan8]

Hey guys, im going to cancun in about 15 days. just curious how many of you guys have been before. its me & the girlfriend & one other couple. we are staying at the avolon bacarra. So who's been? what did you guys do while you were there? how was the experience?

 

[futurepilot]

I havent been to cancun specifically but i have been to a few other places across mexico. The most important advice i can give you is dont take a taxi, especially if they offer you a "clean woman". When i went to Tijuana we met a group of kids that were looking for their friend that had taken a taxi ride and never came back. He had been gone for like 2 days when we talked to them, his hotel had been cleared out and the authorities werent helping. Some scary sh!t if you ask me.

And dont eat pork made by street vendors, most of the time its not pork, or if it is it could harbor parasites. My uncles new wife had to have most of her intestine removed because it had worms in it, after eating pork in cancun. Now she has a colostomy bag and a bad attitude.

Other than that mexico is awesome, cheap liquor, cheap good food, nice weather.

 

[sf9ersfan8]

I havent been to cancun specifically but i have been to a few other places across mexico. The most important advice i can give you is dont take a taxi, especially if they offer you a "clean woman". When i went to Tijuana we met a group of kids that were looking for their friend that had taken a taxi ride and never came back. He had been gone for like 2 days when we talked to them, his hotel had been cleared out and the authorities werent helping. Some scary sh!t if you ask me.

And dont eat pork made by street vendors, most of the time its not pork, or if it is it could harbor parasites. My uncles new wife had to have most of her intestine removed because it had worms in it, after eating pork in cancun. Now she has a colostomy bag and a bad attitude.

Other than that mexico is awesome, cheap liquor, cheap good food, nice weather.

well, thanks to your post i just canceled my trip. $750 down the drain. just kidding, but wow. those are some horrible stories. when we were getting our passports we ran into another couple that was going to cancun. they were freaking out about gangs. is cancun not the great place it used to be?

 

[futurepilot]

The reality is its just like any major city. I live outside chicago and ill go downtown at any hour of the night as long as im in certain neighborhoods, you wouldnt catch me at 37th and walcott unless i had my friends luis and hugo with to clear up any misunderstandings.

as long as you stay to the main strip with all the other gringos the police will protect you, when you wander off on your own, your really on your own. I was just down in mexico this past jan. and as i was there the governer of the province i was in, was executed in him home with his whole family, it the wild west down there dont be fooled. And the cartels in the border towns have started to fight again. I have lots of hispanic friends and they tell me la eme is coming up strong since a lot of drug routes have dried up.

 

[sf9ersfan8]

wow. so i guess going out into the market is out of the question? is it possible to go out and experience what it is really like down there without running into trouble?

 

[futurepilot]

What its really like in the major citys is centralized wealth surrounded by extreme poverty. As long as you see cops and/or white people you should be fine. If the hotel tells you about it then it should be safe, they have your interest at heart. So i always check with the concierge before i go out. the only time ive ever gone out of recomended territory was down in cabo, we went to a restaurant called the trailer park, big surprise it was surrounded by a trailer par, dirt roads one lone dog walking down the street and all. It was late at night and i didnt see one person out on the road the whole 30mn ride there. And the restaurant was in this sort of walled in area with a gate at the enterance. the food was great but there wasnt any exloring to do afterward. I had like a 3lb lobster, some big steak and the "cadillac" margarita that was basically a glass the size of an upside down lamp shade. All for like 200 pesos. Amost $20.

 

[Dadof2]

I went to Cancun in '96 so things have probably changed a bit since then. Regardless, here is my potentially "dated" advice.

Travel in a group

Don't drink the water, even if they claim that it is filtered. Don't even get ice in your drinks no matter how nice the establishment. Towards the end of my trip I caught the Montezumas Revenge, and I can tell you that it is nothing nice (I think I got it from the ice)

Don't leave anything in your hotel room that you don't want stolen. Everyone that I went with wound up getting stuff stolen out of their rooms. My losses included a couple of pair of boxer shorts! Pay the little bit extra for the safe in your room, and stash stuff in there (providing that only the hotel manager has the other key to your safe, and even that isn't a fail safe measure)

Don't try to smuggle in gear or any of the other goodies from the Mexican pharmacies. My buddy tried to smuggle in some winstrol and got popped by customs when we got back in the country.

Don't eat anything from the street vendors just to be safe.

Use the bus instead of taxi's. Not only is it cheaper, but you are safer on public transit.

If you leave the "main drag" and go into the towns where the locals live all bets are off. Even the children will try to rip you off. While Cancun looks nice and high class, it is a mirage. The vast majority of the locals live under crushing poverty, and every facet of government is corrupt i.e. the cops will rob you too! There is no middle class in Mexico (and soon there will be none in America as well, but that is for another thread)

When I went to Cancun I was young, dumb, and you probably know the rest of the saying. I partied very hard, did a lot of drugs, and drank enough alcohol to kill a mere mortal. I woke up in the damndest places (some good, and sometimes on the sidewalk in the resort), and I made it out alive. I could have wound up a cautionary tale. That being said I attribute my "not being taken for a ride by the locals" to growing up in a tough city. Basically what I am trying to say is use your common sense, and you should have an enjoyable trip.

 

[sf9ersfan8]

wow, crazy stuff. kinda worried but also pumped. dadof2, what did your buddy do, just stuff an amp in his pocket? what happened to him? do you guys think i am going to need to get some pesos before i leave? i was going to get a lock for my laptop and put my money in there, then put my laptop in the safe. what do you think about that? i really dont want to get my $hit jacked.

 

[Dadof2]

wow, crazy stuff. kinda worried but also pumped. dadof2, what did your buddy do, just stuff an amp in his pocket? what happened to him? do you guys think i am going to need to get some pesos before i leave? i was going to get a lock for my laptop and put my money in there, then put my laptop in the safe. what do you think about that? i really dont want to get my $hit jacked.

I can't remember exactly how he tried to get the gear into the country, I believe he tried to smuggle it in with his luggage. He didn't get into any serious trouble though, he was 17 at the time and had only tried to bring enough for personal use in.

I left cash in the safe and it was fine, but I made sure that the only person who had access to the stash of safe keys was the manager of the hotel (and I got his name in case I needed to know it later). So take that for what it is worth.

As far as getting dollars converted into pesos I remember it not being too difficult to find places that would convert the currency. Also many vendors would take dollars just as readily as they would pesos. Just make sure that you know the exchange rate so that you get proper change.

 

[sf9ersfan8]

I can't remember exactly how he tried to get the gear into the country, I believe he tried to smuggle it in with his luggage. He didn't get into any serious trouble though, he was 17 at the time and had only tried to bring enough for personal use in.

I left cash in the safe and it was fine, but I made sure that the only person who had access to the stash of safe keys was the manager of the hotel (and I got his name in case I needed to know it later). So take that for what it is worth.

As far as getting dollars converted into pesos I remember it not being too difficult to find places that would convert the currency. Also many vendors would take dollars just as readily as they would pesos. Just make sure that you know the exchange rate so that you get proper change.

thats a good idea, i'll get everyones name that has access to my safe. yea, last i checked it about 10 pesos to a dollar.

 

[psulifter]

If you don't absolutely need your laptop, leave it home. Like everyone else has said, everyone is out to make a buck. You'll see examples of the poverty just outside of Cancun (and inside) on your way to your hotel.

Use the buses. They run up and down the main drag at all hours of the day and night, and will not hesitate to pull over and pick you up if you flag them down. A fare is something like 6.5 pesos (60cents), and I never felt uncomfortable on them, even alone at night.

Bottom line is just watch yourself and others in your group. Don't do anything stupid like try to buy drugs or public urination. They really focus on these things, especially with americans, because they know you will try to pay them off, or demand you pay them off, to avoid legal trouble.

Although I am glad I had the experience of visiting, I am in no hurry to go back to Cancun any time soon. I just have a hard time letting my guard down in environments such as these, and have a hard time relaxing when I feel the need to constantly watch my back.

 

[sf9ersfan8]

If you don't absolutely need your laptop, leave it home. Like everyone else has said, everyone is out to make a buck. You'll see examples of the poverty just outside of Cancun (and inside) on your way to your hotel.

Use the buses. They run up and down the main drag at all hours of the day and night, and will not hesitate to pull over and pick you up if you flag them down. A fare is something like 6.5 pesos (60cents), and I never felt uncomfortable on them, even alone at night.

Bottom line is just watch yourself and others in your group. Don't do anything stupid like try to buy drugs or public urination. They really focus on these things, especially with americans, because they know you will try to pay them off, or demand you pay them off, to avoid legal trouble.

Although I am glad I had the experience of visiting, I am in no hurry to go back to Cancun any time soon. I just have a hard time letting my guard down in environments such as these, and have a hard time relaxing when I feel the need to constantly watch my back.

i know what you mean about watching your back. so did you go by yourself? i guess i dont really need it, just kinda wanted it for my camera and to play on a little. WOW, im kinda suprised by the responses, i thought this was the place to be. anyone else been to cancun or anywhere in Mexico?

on a side note, im in the middle of a cut. kinda going to bring me backward a little but i have accepted this. i plan on doing a little cardio while there. any suggestions so i dont balloon up while im gone ?

 

[Dadof2]

i know what you mean about watching your back. so did you go by yourself? i guess i dont really need it, just kinda wanted it for my camera and to play on a little. WOW, im kinda suprised by the responses, i thought this was the place to be. anyone else been to cancun or anywhere in Mexico?

on a side note, im in the middle of a cut. kinda going to bring me backward a little but i have accepted this. i plan on doing a little cardio while there. any suggestions so i dont balloon up while im gone ?

Your hotel will likely have a few machines and such.

 

[psulifter]

i know what you mean about watching your back. so did you go by yourself? i guess i dont really need it, just kinda wanted it for my camera and to play on a little. WOW, im kinda suprised by the responses, i thought this was the place to be. anyone else been to cancun or anywhere in Mexico?

on a side note, im in the middle of a cut. kinda going to bring me backward a little but i have accepted this. i plan on doing a little cardio while there. any suggestions so i dont balloon up while im gone ?

It's vacation. Enjoy yourself and don't worry about "cutting" so much. Drink a pina colada or margarita, or 6. I really enjoyed all of the mexican beers that I don't usually see in the states.
Depending on the hotel, they may or may not have gym equipment. Here, it is the odd hotel that doesn't have some equipement, in other countries it is the odd hotel that does. So what if you put on .5% bf? THe gym will still be here when you get back..
I would rather enjoy myself with some different food and a few beers than worry too much about cutting. Traveling in different places should be about the experience. Whenever I go to a new place, I try to immerse myself in their culture a little bit...

 

[psulifter]

oh wait, your going with your girlfriend, right? Cardio problem solved.

 

[sf9ersfan8]

oh wait, your going with your girlfriend, right? Cardio problem solved.

haha, shes been saying that but i told her short H.I.T. sessions just are not going to cut it.

 

[holyintellect]

Apparantly my experience was a little different...

I went three years ago on a family outing to celebrate my mothers successful kidney transplant....It was my mother, father, my wife, 5 year old son, 2 year old son, and myself. We had a great time, and did quite a bit....Our hotel was nice, and it was an all inclusive, so my only complaint was that there was constantly stupid ass drunk teenagers running around....

If you stay at a nice hotel, you can count on a few things...first, all the water will pretty much be bottled. Secondly, as someone else mentioned, the conceirge will make sure you stay away from any undesirable stuff...I went into downtown Cancun in a taxi to the Walmart to get groceries and had no problems....the taxi driver waited on me and didnt charge me to wait...you just have to make sure you know how much it will cost BEFORE you get into the cab (again, thats something the hotel will tell you). My wife and I went to Coco Bongos one night, and while we were waiting for it to open up, we killed some time by having a taxi driver drive us to a strip club. That was the only time I got nervous...It took about fifteen minutes to get there, and it was deep into "Mexico". I got real nervous because Im 6'3 and about 310#, and it seemed like every single Mexican guy I saw was making comments about me being "Rambo" and how I must really be able to kick ass....I was having trouble figuring out if it was sarcasm or awe....At any rate, the strip club was exactly what you would expect....chics who werent good looking, but would take you upstairs to **** for about $300. Obviously I passed since I was with my wife...

All in all, if you use common sense you'll have a good trip....I highly recommend Coco Bongo, and beyond that, take one of the "day trips" you'll see advertised everywhere...

 

[machine528]

Ive been to cancun 3 times. Everytime I had a blast. 2 of the times we stayed at the Grand Oasis and pretty much ate the food included in our package and drank at the resort all day before going out. We paid for the black package which included high end liquor and beer..If i remember correct there was something like 10 different restraunts in our resort. We would leave and go to the clubs around 7pm. The clubs I liked were the bulldog caffe, Coco Bongo, and Senor frogs. We only ventured into the down town region of cancun once, everyone was grabbing at us and trying to sell us drugs.

 

[Gutterpump]

I stayed at the Grand Oasis as well, beachside. Went 2 or 3 yrs ago now, can't remember. Was good times. I went all inclusive but I stuck to the pay restaurant on the premises for most dinners. Club wise, Coco Bongo was cool but the G-Spot was pretty nice hahaha...the club was right on the water, with a randomly spurting fountain on the dancefloor :thumbsup:

 

[sf9ersfan8]

awesome guys, its nice to hear some good replies about the place. what were the "day trips"? the g/friend has been going nuts about the coco bongo but im not much into dancing.
is there much to cancun besides free alcohol and dance clubs?

 

[Gutterpump]

alcohol, dance clubs, and foam parties lol, that's about it

jk, we went boating on the ocean as well in small speed boats. drove them in a group following a guide to the coral reef to go snorkling. Besides that outing, I just stuck to the beach, the masseuse + the clubs. There's a lot to do though if you want to spend the money to do it, snorkling, scuba diving, etc. The reef was definately pretty nice! A lot of interesting fish down there.

 

[sf9ersfan8]

we wanted to go scuba diving but you gotta get certified and $$$ is always an issue.lol. what was snorkling like?

 

[Gutterpump]

snorkling was pretty cool at the coral reef, tons of cool fish..the reef was teeming with life. I had never seen a coral reef before. The guides forced us to wear lifejackets though, but my friend and I got the hang of swimming underwater with the jacket on...but it was pretty tough... I think they made use wear them to protect the coral, so people don't go messing it up.

 

[sf9ersfan8]

did you have to take a class or anything to snorkle? how much was it?

 

[Gutterpump]

No classes needed, can't remember the price but it wasn't much at all. Scuba diving was far far more. The price of snorkling included the boat and all equipment rentals and it didn't come out to a lot. Was definately worth it.

 

[sf9ersfan8]

awesome we are probably going to do it then. any other recommendations while in cancun?

 

[holyintellect]

Coco Bongo isnt about dancing....I never danced a lick the whole time I was there...its a "show" club...just go, you'll enjoy it.

As far as day trips, there is the submarine to the coral reef, which if I remember correctly is the second largest one in the world. There is one where you drive jet skis out into the jungle. There are a couple to the mayan ruins. There is one where you go down on an individual type sub where you wear the fishtank type helmet.

We did the sub to the coral reef....its about a 20 minute boat ride to the reef, and then about 20 minutes around the reef, then of course, the time back. I enjoyed it, but my dad got sick as hell.....

 

[sf9ersfan8]

whats a "show" club? should i bring my girlfriend ? the individual sub thing sounds really cool. we were going to take that long trip to the mayan ruins with the light show and all, the chichanitza (not sure about spelling, sound it out ) but it was an entire day & a 3 hour ride just to get there. nobody reay wanted to do that. how long was the jet ski ride?

 

[psulifter]

Coco bongo is awesome, i'll admit that. It is like cirque de sol meets bar meets dance club. Every few minutes a different group comes out and does an act, flying around the place on wires, leaping off trampolines, dressed up as movie characters, etc. Don't miss it.

 

[sf9ersfan8]

sweet. she woudnt let me miss it anyway, but it sounds like i might enjoy myself too.

 

[holyintellect]

Coco bongo is awesome, i'll admit that. It is like cirque de sol meets bar meets dance club. Every few minutes a different group comes out and does an act, flying around the place on wires, leaping off trampolines, dressed up as movie characters, etc. Don't miss it.

ditto