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RE: DENGUE FEVER
A friend is just now recovering from dengue in Mazatlan, it is there. It's correct that the mosquito carrying it generally bites in the daytime, they are urban mosquitoes and hang out low and under things like tables. I always spray my legs before going to an open air restaurant because of that.
Never take aspirin if you think you could have dengue. The hemorrhagic form may be from repeated infections but they are not sure and thus you don't want to take anything that slows clotting.
Dengue can't be diagnosed by testing until the 3rd or 4th day of fever, so any fever and bone ache should be treated as dengue if you are in a tropical area that has it. It's true that illness is usually a week after the bite, sometimes longer.
It's only transmitted to my knowledge by this particular mosquito, the mosquito has stripes on its legs by the way. Anyone who is bitten during the time before they know they are sick or before they can get a positive diagnosis will still infect the mosquito and anyone it bites after them. That's why it spreads so well and often infects many people in the same family or neighborhood.
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Jonna
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10/18/09 12:11pm |
RVing in Mexico and South America
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RE: Canadians and Americans travelling in Mexico
I'm dubious about what help Americans can get from their consulate. What I've seen gives me the impression that the US Consulate is not really funded or interested in helping citizens but is more dedicated to business and commercial concerns. I'm being as polite as I can about this because in the past I have been really, really angry with the lack of assistance and interest of the US consulate in times of emergency.
Let's take hurricane Wilma. A Cat 5 that hit south of Cancun and caused huge amounts of damage. There was a large effort to get the tourist to leave before it hit. Many did, others didn't for a number of reasons including airlines not honoring or sending planes and the idiotic stubbornness of some people who seem to think if they paid for a week at a resort they are not leaving for anything.
The resorts put guests in the safest places they had available throughout the city, got what water and food they could to them when possible and then started getting many of them to Merida when the water went down on the toll road. The Cancun airport was flooded and closed for many more days. When the Canadians got to the Merida airport they were met by their consul with cell phones, water, assistance and caring. Canada started sending planes to evacuate them.
What did the US citizens get? Zip, nada, nothing. The consul was missing in action. The consulate in Merida provided nothing that I heard of including emergency evac or any assistance in contacting relatives. Just bloody nothing. Many of the older, sicker or very young were evacuated to Canada from the kindness and humanity of the Canadian govt and consul.
People ask me if I have registered with the US consulate here since I'm an expat. I laugh.
About all they will do is give you a list of doctors and morticians. Even that, they are not from a recommendation but they will hand out any name of anyone who tells them they are a doctor and want to be on the list. A friend's husband died while they were living here and the consul gave her a list of funeral homes and a check list and costs for sending the body to the US. That's all they will do for any of us I think.
After Wilma I have often wondered what we are paying these people for? I had thought their job was to assist citizens in other countries. Silly me, that is the farthest thing from the truth. Their job is to assist US investments in other countries.
In my book, the whole shebang is big waste of my tax money. The businesses should be paying for the service and helping US citizens should be their primary job.
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Jonna
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10/18/09 12:01pm |
RVing in Mexico and South America
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RE: Navigating thru Mexico to Belize and back
I just want to add that XM radio works great here in the Yucatan, in Belize and as far south as Honduras. My information was just the opposite, that Sirius had fixed sats and they were aimed farther north. Perhaps they now both work, for sure XM works.
My other bit of advice is to fill your gas tank before you cross into Belize and if you are lucky you won't have to buy any gas there. Last I checked it was about $7 a gallon, even if that was Belize dollars (pegged at 2 for 1 with the US$) it's a lot more than in Mexico. Luckily there are only about 100 miles of road there so it's hard to use too much gas. The best thing about Belize in my book is their rum, One Barrel is really good. The beer, Belikan, is not bad either and all bars have Guiness on tap. Other than that and the incredible scenery, there is no culture and there isn't much of a work ethic either.
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Jonna
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09/25/09 09:50pm |
RVing in Mexico and South America
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RE: Why many Pemex's do not accept credit cards
I think that it is impossible to make blanket statements about a country as large as Mexico that has such different standards in various parts. Chris lives in probably the richest and most conservative large city in the country, things are no doubt much more organized and controlled there. I live in the south, in a prosperous area but it is not as secure here and I do not use my credit cards any more than I have to. I did have my card number stolen at the CostCo in Cancun a couple years ago, they caught it and the manager was very happy that I came back and gave him all the data on the theft. Still, it did happen. I have used my credit card since then in CostCo here in Merida and at a large department store with no problems. I don't make a habit of it though and I certainly don't use it at a Pemex. I'm just happy to find a Pemex that hasn't doctored the pumps and doesn't try and outright steal from me. No way would I give them my credit card. But, that is here in the Yucatan not in the highlands or the north. I use cash for everything, unlike when I lived in the US and rarely paid cash for anything. I'm used to it and I like living in a cash economy, but I would probably use my debit card more if I felt it was secure. Oh, I've also lost my debit card in an atm machine once as well. That took a couple of days of sitting at the bank but I did get it back. Now, I usually get money from the atm at a bank, it's a lot easier to get it back if the machine eats it.
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Jonna
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09/25/09 09:37pm |
RVing in Mexico and South America
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RE: bringing a car
We watched them take an old man's car once at the 30k checkpoint. He didn't realize he needed a sticker as he was a dual citizen who hadn't been in Mexico since was a kid. They just took his car. Told him to take a bus to Culiacan and appeal it. Luckily he had his 2 grown sons with him but it was very traumatic. While we were talking to him the soldiers came over and told us to move along, not our business. We watched the soldiers get in the car and drive away leaving him there. Don't risk it!
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Jonna
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08/21/09 10:48pm |
RVing in Mexico and South America
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RE: Tachos RV Park
Frosty at least :) It's easier if you have US plates than Canadian though, unless they are from Quebec.
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Jonna
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08/21/09 10:45pm |
RVing in Mexico and South America
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RE: Merida RV Park
Many/most coffee shops here in Mérida have free wifi and almost all of the squares and parks also have free wifi provided by the city. In most of them there are kiosks for charging your laptop as well.
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Jonna
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08/13/09 03:40pm |
RVing in Mexico and South America
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RE: Inoculations?
I tried to get the shingles vaccination here in Mérida and was told it is not yet available in México. That could and probably will change but as of last month I couldn't get it here. It may also be true that it is available closer to the northern border where they have more customers from the US. I wish I could get it here, it's something I don't want to experience, so I will keep checking.
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Jonna
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08/13/09 12:11am |
RVing in Mexico and South America
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RE: Merida RV Park
I'm laughing at the story of the wife knocking on the door early in the morning, that is so true. Mimi and I basically lived at the Rainbow park for most of a year while our house was being renovated and it was like living inside a telenovela. We'd get the scoop from both sides complaining about the other and once we were told the place was closing and we had to leave and then a little later the other side told us we could stay. It was a bit harrowing as we just wanted it to stay open until we could get our house done.
Eventually, the daughter in law of the owner seemed to officially take over and she is sane and easy to deal with. She doesn't have a lot of control though and has to check everything with her father in law. The wife/casa chica still lives in front but I believe they are going to wall off her house and they have built a new entrance across from Liverpool that does not go past her house. None of it is open right now though, they say because it is summer and no one needs it anyway. There is a lot of work done on the new entrance, an office, some other stuff. If it opens as planned in the fall, it should be very nice.
The son and DIL know that they need to offer more for the price, they have told me that they think there should be wifi and a working pool but they have some resistance from the owner/father. He's a very wealthy man who owns a string of drug stores and they say he is opening a 7-11 type pharmacy on the grounds as well. Perhaps they will convince him to offer the kind of services that people expect these days, we'll see.
There are no other options that I know of in Mérida, there is a place out on the Gulf Coast for small rigs only and without a dump but it is very basic. I don't know of anyplace out by the airport, this is the first I've heard of that. I'd be happy to go and check if anyone knows more about the location, it's not far from my house.
The place people mention on the Cancun-Merida road is not an RV park. There is a large sign that says Trailer Parking - I even think it is in English but I can't really remember, trailer is the same word in both languages. Harvestmoon says she and the family stayed there several years ago and they were really nice. However... it is next door to a table dance place and behind a Motel de Paso (rooms rented by the hour) and I believe that the sign is referring to truck trailers not our kind of trailer. I had dinner with Mike and Terry Church when they were here and they said they went in and talked to them and were told that they did not want RVs, it wasn't that kind of place.
I wish we had more options here and perhaps someday we will. As said before, it is Mérida and thus worth putting up with less than optimal conditions. This is the most beautiful and interesting city on the peninsula, full of music, art and culture. You don't want to come this far south and miss it.
I'm happy to go and check out any other leads or contact Rainbow for anyone. I do really like the son and DIL and if they are managing it this winter I think it will be a lot better. I ran into them at Costco a couple months ago and they were still more or less in charge. I have their phone number and I could call them if there are specific questions.
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Jonna
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08/13/09 12:04am |
RVing in Mexico and South America
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RE: Verizon Nationwide Plus Mexico Plan
I still have the Verizon North America plan, so far they have not forced me off it. I can call anywhere in MX, US or CA for minutes only. I've had the plan for about 5 years but they stopped offering it a couple years ago. It works in most of mainland Mexico except along the west coast around Mazatlan. I have great coverage in the highlands, DF, and here in the Yucatan. I haven't even been in the US for 2 years but they haven't seemed to notice. I do get a text message about once a month saying 'welcome to Mexico, enjoy our service, blah blah'.
I am thinking of canceling it since I have Magic Jack for free calls to the US and I have my iPhone from Telcel for calls inside MX. Mimi wants to keep it though and I'm kind of hesitant to let it go since we could never get it back.
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Jonna
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08/12/09 11:36pm |
RVing in Mexico and South America
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RE: Another FM-T question
I've wondered about that too. My guess is that it will be the cat 5 that finally moves them. Ask Harvestmoon, she lives in Paamul where there are a lot of them.
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Jonna
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06/15/09 05:04pm |
RVing in Mexico and South America
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RE: Limits on what a FM-T can do in Mexico
I'd say #1 was legal, as long as the seller recognizes that the vehicle will remain on their visa unless the buyer takes it out of the country and stops to turn in the sticker. I wouldn't do it.
#2 - I wish it were that simple. I'd love to register our RV in Mexico but from what I have been told it doesn't qualify. There are weight restrictions on what can be nationalized and there are age restrictions. My understanding is that at this time, the heaviest is a standard pickup and the age has to be exactly 10 years old. In addition, if you meet those qualifications, you will have to pay a hefty, some say extremely expensive, duty to nationalize. I was told that the cost has increased so much that many customs brokers will no longer do it, it's not worth it. As for registering it in the US, that will depend on whether their state requires smog inspections, proof of insurance, etc.
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Jonna
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06/15/09 04:59pm |
RVing in Mexico and South America
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RE: Is it safe to RV in the US?
I don't have to worry about that, in our RV the tp has always gone in the trash can.
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Jonna
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06/13/09 01:03am |
RVing in Mexico and South America
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RE: Is it safe to RV in the US?
To get back to the original topic, have you seen this story?
Police shaking down motorists in Texas and taking all their cash under threat of confiscating their vehicle or their children. Why is it now that people think it is safer to travel in the US?
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Jonna
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06/12/09 05:46pm |
RVing in Mexico and South America
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RE: Is it safe to RV in the US?
I'm going to buy temporary US insurance and will have the paperwork with us. I suppose I could fax a copy to the Calif DMV but that sounds like an exercise in futility. Maybe not though. I have planned to walk it in to an office when I get to Calif and see what happens.
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Jonna
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06/12/09 01:40pm |
RVing in Mexico and South America
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RE: Is it safe to RV in the US?
Moiseh, PM sent.
Texan, no I haven't followed much lately in Calif. I do read the LA Times online about once to week to make sure we haven't fallen into the sea yet. I kid, I know that the state is bankrupt and a bit about that. I already paid the registration on the RV and Jeep for this year but I have no insurance because that I was not willing to pay a year to use for a month. It will show in the computer - at least to the Calif Highway Patrol - that I have paid but not shown proof of insurance. I'll have my temp insurance papers so I hope to avoid a costly ticket and at worst get just a fix-it ticket. What to do at the DMV is the question. I guess I'll just go there and see what they say. I'm hoping I get across the 3 states before I get to Calif without a big problem. The obvious solution would be to legalize them in Mexico but that's another big boondoggle. I'm stuck between 2 countries I guess.
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Jonna
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06/11/09 09:31pm |
RVing in Mexico and South America
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RE: Is it safe to RV in the US?
Thanks Moiseh and Bill, I don't think either Texas or SD are going to work for me. I just don't want to maintain insurance on my vehicles when they are only in the US for maybe a month a year. Calif requires insurance to complete my registration, thus I have paid but have no sticker. I will buy a months insurance when we cross the border but I doubt that will be acceptable for registration. They really make this stuff difficult. I guess I could just sign up for insurance, then cancel it once i have the actual sticker for this year. Then worry about it again if I go north again. Any reasonable suggestions welcomed.
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Jonna
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06/11/09 05:02pm |
RVing in Mexico and South America
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RE: Is it safe to RV in the US?
Hi Bill and Mo,
Did you use Alternative Resources?
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Jonna
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06/08/09 03:27pm |
RVing in Mexico and South America
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RE: Is it safe to RV in the US?
Interesting thread, we too are heading north for the first time in 2 years. I'm trying to decide whether to go up the Gulf coast and have to cross into Texas - bleh! Or across through DF and into AZ. I think it will be up and through TX although I hate that drive across west Texas. The reasons are that gas is now cheaper in the US and I need to figure out how to get current registration and insurance on the RV and Jeep and our mailing address is in Livingston so I could have them ship new plates to me somewhere in south TX. On the other hand, I'm also considering registering the vehicles in South Dakota and just picking up fix it tickets all the way to California. I hope they don't expect me to pay on the spot, ya think?
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Jonna
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06/07/09 12:36pm |
RVing in Mexico and South America
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RE: COMING FROM AUSTRALIA
What a fantastic site! Thanks for posting it from me as well, I've just lost a couple hours too ;)
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Jonna
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06/04/09 08:39pm |
RVing in Mexico and South America
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