| After you
finish your meal in a restaurant, you have to ask for
the bill before they bring it. Just say "La Quenta Por
Favor" to the waiter or waitress. |
| All
BEACHES in
Mexico are public property, and are open to everyone. |
| Main
highways have kilometer markers along them, usually
measured from state to state south to north or between
costal and mainland cities. |
| There are
no free public washrooms. You usually have to pay
a peso or two. Some even have attendants who dole
out toilet paper. Most restaurants will let you use
their bathrooms if you purchase a coffee or snacks. |
| Mexicans
are very conservative regarding daring bathing suits or
outlandish clothing. The woman in the center of
THIS PHOTO could be arrested for partial nudity.
Be courteous and conscious about what your wear. |
Don't get burned:
The "C" on water faucets stands for caliente (hot)
and the "F" stands for fría (cold). |
| There is
a strong military and police presence in Mexico. You
often see uniformed personnel carrying big guns. They
are there for your protection. |
It is
very impolite to take someone's picture without asking
first.
"¿Puede tomar photo?" |
|
TELEPHONE
numbers and operation are different from Canada, but easy
to learn. |
Contrary
to popular belief, English is not the universal
language.
SPANISH is spoken predominantly in Costa Alegre. |
| Roadside
litter is very much a problem in Costalegre & elsewhere
in Mexico and is an
eyesore and irritation to most visitors. |
| Tap water
should not be consumed. Drink only bottled water
purchased from stores or from glass carboys at
hotels. Tap water has bacterium which could make
you sick. Commonly know as "La Tourista" or Montezuma's revenge. |
Although
crime is seldom always be conscious about your personal
security.
Take SECURITY MEASURES against robbery and attacks
against women. |
| PB (planta baja)
means the ground floor, and in all buildings, they count the next
floor up as the first floor. |
Small town
business usually close between 2 & 4 pm each afternoon.
This is not "siesta time", but time for their largest meal
of the day (La Comida). |
Good
MAPS
of towns and areas are hard to come by locally.
If you want to explore bring one with you. |
Street
addresses are sometimes hard to find. Street names
are on signs (usually ceramic tile) on corner buildings,
not on signposts.
Many homes, stores and shops do
not have address numbers. |
| Noise is
a fact of life in México and music is normally enjoyed at
high volume levels. When you add in barking dogs,
Crowing roosters, loud vehicle exhausts, honking horns,
you can sense the awareness of real México. |
|
BUSING is
the primary means of transport for the average person, as
cars and fuel are very expensive, and many people live at
or near the poverty level. |
| Mexico is
under Napoleonic law, which means you are guilty until
proven innocent. |
| The
average temperature in Costa Alegre is 26 degrees Celsius. |
