Hi all, forgive me if my question looks stupid.. my trip is coming closer and it will be my first "backpack" trip alone to a country where I don't speak their language, so I'm getting nervous! Following are things I could think of right now that I should bring along during my trip, please advise and suggest!
- passport, visa, entrance form
- shampoo, shower gel, lotion, sunscreen lotion, insect expel spray, slippers
- ATM card, some cash
- some stomach medicine, aspirin (I never took aspirin before but my friend said it would be helpful)
- a couple of bottled water for the first night & morning, some paper tissues
- LP Mexico
- t-shirts, jeans (anyone used laundry machines in those hostels? are they clean? I guess I need to wash my clothes at some point as the weather down there seems pretty hot already)
anything else? I actually don't have a huge backpack like most of you do (I guess), so I'm planning to put my stuff in a small wheel-luggage that I can drag around and use a small backpack to put waters, camera, etc. Will it be OK to use these when transporting by bus and staying mostly in backpackers' hostels?
Thanks and have a nice weekend!
KK
KK -- Your list looks pretty typical. I don't know why your friend would tell you to bring aspirin in particular. No harm I guess, if you have a headache or something, probably a good idea.
Since I got embarrassingly ill on my first trip in Mexico (after an entire year never having even a bit of a stomackh problem living in China) I carry some pepto and imodium, hoping I never have to use it.
I don't think you need to carry any additional bottled water than whatever you would want for the flight or whatever -- I mean, you can buy bottled water anywhere in any number of little shops in Mexico, very accessible, so don't carry any more than you would carry at any other time.
I don't know how long you are staying, but you'll want to do laundry I'm sure. There should be laundry service/machines available. I wouldn't worry about cleanliness. I assume you'll also have a good pair of walking/hiking shoes and perhaps some sandals for the warm weather. You could certainly buy some cheap sandals in Mexico as well...
I would think you'll be fine on the bus, in the hostel, etc with your roller suitcase, rather than a backpack.
Do you have a spanish phrasebook? probably a good idea, especially if you are traveling alone....
Good luck!
I would take just a little bit of shampoo in one of those travel bottles, it wil be heavy and you can buy shampoo (the same brands) cheaper there. Don't bother taking water either, you can buy it everywhere and everyone drinks it, you could easily buy some in the airport without speaking spanish and it will be about 50p/1US$ for a small bottle (if I remember right).
How long are you going for? If its more than about a fortnight take a tube of travel laundry soap, otherwise don't bother. I would take some flipflops and skip the slippers.
If you don't take aspirin bring whatever painkiller you would normally take, if you never take them don't bring any, they are easy to buy there if its an emergency.
If you are travelling a lot on the bus bring one thick sweater, the buses are air conditioned and too cold I found. Also bring some clothes you would be comfy to sleep in but willing to be seen in on a public bus!
I would wear one pair of jeans and take a pair of thin trousers, take a few t-shirts, one sweater, a swimming costume, some flipflops and comfy shoes for walking around.
If you don't speak a word of spanish take a dictionary so you can at least point to things.
I think you'll be fine with a wheelie suitcase unless you are walking miles in really rural areas. I'd use a shoulder bag for small things so you can carry it where you can see it. Also take a small amount in travellers cheques for emergencies so if you lose your bankcard you can still have some money.
Have fun and don't worry too much! It's a safe place and almost everything you can buy in the UK/US (or wherever you are) is available there.
Thank you for your wonderful suggestions!
I'll be there for 12 days (Mar 6 evening to Mar 18 afternoon) and since this will be my first trip alone, I'm just trying to get things settled as much as possible before I leave as I don't speak their language and I don't know where the market is located and whether it'd be easy to get a hotel room after my arrival in a city there....I just got nervous although I believe the trip will be great!
I'll also bring some Chinese medicated oil with me, ha-ha... that's my cure-for-all~^o^
The TSA ( in the US or traveling through US) will not let you carry water on the airplane. Bottled water is even easier to find in Mexico than China.
I highly encourage you to bring a backpack because you will be moving around so much. Wheeled luggage is just not practical on the cobbled stoned streets of Mexico ( or anywhere else for that matter). That's my opinion.
Jeans might be too "heavy" for the humid weather of the Yucatan and take up weight and space in your luggage.
Hand sanitizer was useful to use when we had no access to water and soap.
Here is what I pack for a week--4 pairs of underwear and 4 pairs of socks, 4 shirts, 2 pairs of pants. On the 4th day I wear my last clean clothes and take everything else to the laundry.
Blue jeans or khaki-type pants?--depends on destination (jeans can be hot).
I carry-on and do not check my bag. Because of liquid/gel restrictions I buy toothpaste and shampoo when I get there. (No shampoo, just wash hair with regular soap.)
Carry passport, money and camera in my pocket. When necessary, I have left my bag at restaurants or just about any place where business is being done and there are cashiers or employees who are not going to be going anywhere and can watch it for me. I just tell them I want to walk around and look at the town, but I don't want to carry my bag around with me. They just take it and put it behind the counter until I come back for it.
I'm going to Tepic for a week tomorrow, so will also be taking a windbreaker-type light jacket.
You might want to take a book along for bus rides.
Skip the jeans. You'll never wear them. Pick up a pair of loose cotton pants from any of the stores. They are about $7.00.
If you're only going to be in Mexico for twelve days, I wouldn't get too stressed out over your wardrobe. You'll be a tourist anyway, and other than something a little respectable (not business clothing, but a shirt or bouse you can wear with pants or a skirt) for visiting churches and museums (and nicer restaurants), you don't need a lot in the way of clothing.
You can get the teeshirts, etc. at your local thrift store and leave them behind (making room for the beads and trinkets you'll be bringing back).
Regular consumer goods (shampoo, soap, water) are in every grocery store and farmacia.
Aspirin? I guess because of higher altitudes and more direct sunlight bother some people, an aspirin a day to thin isn't a bad idea.
2 copies of your travel documents (passport-primary page, visa, FMT) to be kept in separate places in case you lose your originals. A copy may save you a lot of hassle if you have to replace the original(s).
Though the weather may seem hot for you, remember that Mexican buses tend to run the A/C full blast all day/all night and it can get down right chilly.
Bien viaje.
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