"Richard" wrote in message
news:f5eq22$etg$1@dns3.cae.ca...
> "Alan S" wrote in message
> news:1v2k73t1nrfbnljaa05p92n0ie25i0si70@4ax.com...
>> Hi All
>>
>> I posted this in the Latin American group, but as it's right
>> next door I thought some here may be able to help.
>
> Keep following r.t.l-a, and look out for a guy there who goes by the name
> Technobarbarian. He's been to all corners of Mexico (several times) and
> will likely be able to give you tons of good advice. If he doesn't respond
> to this thread, google the group for him and I'm sure you'll find his
> answers to similar questions.
>
>> I'm planning a trip for next April including Mexico. While
>> there my main interest is the Mayan and Aztec ruins. I can
>> either stay in Cancun district to visit the surrounding
>> Mayan sites and then fly to Mexico City to visit the Aztec
>> sites or I could take a tour in either direction over 7-9
>> nights.
>
> I won't bother commenting on Cancun - I'd only be echoing Sarah Banick and
> Iceman.
>
>
> Also, as luck would have it, there's a really comprehensive site that
> covers all the buses (there's usually more than one company servicing each
> route) in the part of Mexico that you're asking about:
>
> https://www.ticketbus.com.mx/ticketbus/inicio.jsp
>
> Richard
I think I'll join the majority here. If you're interested in Mayan
history/ruins, then you will likely be turned off by Cancun, which is
strictly a beach resort and party town.
Down in the Riviera, there are many possible places to see, and your choices
of which ones best match your interests should dictate where you stay. This
is a good link: http://www.locogringo.com/research/ruins.html
Mexico City is a truly wondrous place, and don't believe all the horror
stories you'll hear about crime. Think them out, and you can debunk most
all by yourself. Things that happened once, long ago, are talked about like
they're the norm, and that's not the truth. Be as careful as you'd be at
home, and you'll be fine.
The city itself is the world's largest outdoor art gallery, and the Aztec
history fans right out from the downtown Templo Mayor, a site where, at one
point in time, thousands of people were sacrificed DAILY.
In the tourist zones of the city, it's easy to find a cab driver who will
take you on tours, and generally will do a great job at it. You can look
around, ask the tourist police, or just ask at your hotel. It's a
comfortable way to get around, you can stop where you want, and if you use
the same driver more than once, he'll probably bring you home to meet his
family. The cost, to which you'll add the driver's meals, will be
reasonably equivalent to the group tours, and you're not obligated to stick
to any schedule. You also won't be subjected to obligatory stops at bogus
'crafts villages' or other such nonsense.
You can goof off for a day on the TuriBus, which is a double decker that
goes around to most of the interesting spots, and has narration in many
languages by headset. You get on and off at will, and the cost is about US
$10 for an all-day voucher. It's a good way to get a feel for the core
city.
Keith
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