What to take to Cozumel? And other questions.

[joewr]

Yep Gordon, the travellers cheques work where they know you or know where you live. Not so well where they don't (like grocery stores, as I learned). We probably looked like people doing a drug buy or something given how much cash (in relatively small bills) we carried down on this last trip....

Hi,

Unless you look like something from outer space, you can use traveler's checks at
Chedraui, the supermercado south of town...and not too far from a fine restaurant, Cocay. Also, for you movie buffs, the theater in the Chedraui complex has up-to-date movies, great seats, and very affordable prices...the popcorn is not bad either....

joewr

 

[MMM]

Unless you look like something from outer space, you can use traveler's checks at
Chedraui,
joewr

Well then put me in the alien category since San Francisco has concerns about my signature.

 

[joewr]

Well then put me in the alien category since San Francisco has concerns about my signature.

Hey,

Even Canucks have rights! My dad was a Canuck--born and bred in Winnipeg--and he told me that!

joewr

 

[stevenq99]

Well then put me in the alien category since San Francisco has concerns about my signature.

Were you wearing the same hat as in your avatar?


luckily with ATM's Cash is readily available.

 

[Tigerman]

Thanks for correcting my mistake.

Altho you might have been wrong with Cozumel specifically, Id say its not a mistake at all.

My generic travel advise would be that if you go somewhere youre not familiar with you should;
1. Not drink the tapwater unless its specifically stated that it IS purified and safe to drink.
2. Be carefull with all (local) milk and milk-based products.
3. Not eat egg and egg-based products unless they are hard boiled or you know for certain the salmonella risk is minimal.
4. Make sure all your vaccines are in order.

Also to keep in mind is that locals are accustomed to the food and bacteria floras in the area, you might not handle them even if the locals do.
When it comes to food in restaurants/taverns you can normally eat the food without worrying about getting sick atleast in the "tourist places" (personally I dont worry too much in the more "localized" places either, as I know ive got a fairly high tolerance to food products) as they live from serving people food and the fact that they serve it means they vouche for it. Afterall, bad PR is NOT good for buisness.. There IS of course the occational bad egg no matter where in the world you are, but they are the exception.

As christi said as well, it wasnt a correction of a mistake, it was a clarification of what goes in cozumel. If I hadent been told by someone that know the area, I would not drink the tapwater there either.

 

[DandyDon]

Haha, I am the SB Poster Boy for over packing. I won't go into my details, but take a couple of multiple outlet extension cords, too - if you'll be charging batteries, lap top, $10 coffee maker. I like one in my room and took one last time, but I'm told you can buy those there.

Anyone know if Villa Blanca has in-room electronic safes? I looked on their site, didn't see those mentioned? We carried a lot of one, twos (my bank stocks them), fives, tens, twenties so we could always have correct change for the cabbies, convenient tips money for the Dive boats, maid tips, etc. It was nice to leave our cash envelopes, passports, back-up Travelers checks, and billfolds in the room safe while diving, taking only what we needed for in town trips. But then, I worry about the electronic safes malfunctioning. :11:

We used the $50 & $100 Travelers checks to pay out hotel and dive bills, enjoying the cash discounts - and they didn't want them made to the order of anyone. Seems they use them for downline payments. But for the rest of the nice folks you'll encounter on the island, have small bills ready, and so many do a lot to make your visit pleasant.

I'm but a once a year visitor and only for a few years, but I got the suggestion 3 years ago from an informed source whose opinions I value to not tip the cabbies. Do they still get a dollar a person bounty for delivering passengers to restaurants? I've seen them lie about restaurants that refused to pay that fee, altho that's been some years. Some thing do change, perhaps.

Sadly, I have had that stunt pulled on me so many times on Cozumel that I have pretty much stopped tipping cab drivers altogether unless they do something above and beyond the call. Plus, if you pay in dollars, you are already tipping them; from Caribe Blu the fare to town is 35 pesos or US$4. Four dollars is more than 40 pesos.

Hear, hear.

Except, the very last person I'd tip would be the van drivers from the airport. How many do they pack into those things at $10 a head, with multiple stops. Aw, union power...!

 

[rainmaker]

When I stayed at the Villablanca in October 06, my (deluxe) room did not have a safe or lock-box of any kind.

 

[dtcmarical]

Also, might want some OFF wipes, mosquitos were quite bad a couple of weeks ago.