Mexico Dos and Don'ts

There is a really fantastic new organization called Fundacion En Via (www.envia.org) that is running microfinance tours to help women living around Oaxaca get out of poverty. You meet with local women who are applying for their loans and then En Via uses 100% of the groups' tour fee to give them women interest-free microloans. It is a phenomenal way to get to connect with local women and get a very inside look at life in Oaxaca, and also a concrete way to give back. The best thing I've done in Mexico!

Best Tacos in Cabo!! Los Claros Tacos is a great local Taco place 3 blocks away from the tourist strip. The smoked Marlin tacos are quite tasty along with the ceviche and the Scallop and Cactus tacos! Three tacos, one ceviche, two waters came out to less than $10USD! A local singer with a guitarra also strummed and sang tunes as you dine away on your delicious bounties!

okay so I decided while visiting cancun area that i wanted to have a taste of the real mexico, and took a bus from ther about 4 hours, luckily bus had a toilet and my Spanish is good enough. So anyway, Merida is a nice local town, I didn't see another tourist while visiting. Really great mexican food there, there are many nice musuems, spanish sytle homes. I'd recommend it, but not strongly, only unless you are coming near to Merida to see ruins at Coba

If you are going here on a cruise, take a chance and do some research ahead of time for the best tours of the city. We found a guy on the internet (whose name escapes me--but i'm sure if I found him you will be able to) who showed up in an open air bus and gave us a wonderful tour of teh city for much less than we would have paid the cruise lines. The best part was, he was a local guy so we got much more of a local taste...literally...we got to visit a family bakery and taste their wares, visit peoples homes and see how they are rebuilding some of the inner city areas into major homes...it was one of the best cruise shiip tours we ever had....becasue it wasn't a typical "white bread" cruise ship tour!

Have to go to the town square for local art and Senor Frongs for frosty beverages.