Don't Drink the Water

Yes, it's the name of a Dave Matthews song, but it's also a pretty important rule to remember when traveling through Mexico. A friend was kind enough to share some suggestions about "things your guests might want to know" after a recent trip to Mexico. For example: don't drink the water, and if there are large bottles of water sitting on your bathroom counter at your resort, use those for brushing your teeth and rinsing your mouth. I've heard people say they used the resort water to brush their teeth and didn't become ill, and have heard still others say they became ill because they drank a beverage that had ice cubes in it.

Another potentially strange-to-some-Americans tip is this: look for signs that indicate whether or not you can flush your used toilet paper. It sounds gross to a certain degree, but the sewer systems in Mexico are different than those here in the U.S., and some cannot handle paper or other objects (including feminine products). Public areas are likely to have signs posted to this effect, but many resorts will not - when in doubt, just ask someone. Some water systems go to the ocean and it's always nice to do your part in keeping the environment a bit cleaner. As a side note, it might be a good idea to bring a deodorizer or air freshener for the bathroom in your room, as the bathroom inevitably smells like...a bathroom. :o)

Be prepared to be hassled by timeshare agents arriving at the Cancun airport, particularly after you have cleared customs and are making your way to the curb to find your resort taxi. They will ask you questions that make it appear as though they are your resort's taxi service, only to suck you into signing up for a timeshare presentation in exchange for something cool-sounding.
For example, my friend and her husband ended up sitting for about 5-6 hours in a presentation (always go to the early morning presentations so you can have the rest of the day for fun) but got tickets to Xcaret and Xel-ha out of it - about a $200 value. So just decide in advance whether you'd like to be party to something like this for the sometimes-cool freebies, and keep your head low until you get outside of the airport if you are not interested. Your resort taxi/transfer service will always be outside the airport, and will almost always have a sign with either your last name or resort name on it. Accept no imitations.

And speaking of airports....the ride to the resort from the airport is usually anywhere between 20 and 40 minutes. The lines at immigration take approximately 30-45 minutes, depending on the day and time you arrive. So - if you need to use a restroom, do so before you get in the car or shuttle bus. Your bladder will thank you.

All for now...more tips to come!