I Love Mexican Vacations

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What’s more disappointing than a person who makes a promise he can’t keep? A person who makes a promise that is a lie. Many promises to make a “decent living” teaching English in Mexico are just that—a lie.

If you do a phrase search on Google, “teach English in Mexico,” you will get almost 900,000 hits. Some of these sites are filled with tantalizingly appealing phrases like,

“For only a few dollars a week you can have_____in Mexico”.

“First-class bus travel to such and such a place is only____”.

All are allurements trying to sell their how-to book, tapes, seminars, or placement service for teaching English abroad. They give the impression that you will be able to make enough money to live a life of luxury and ease with all that money you will make teaching English in Mexico.

We’ve met many young women who come to Guanajuato with the hope and dream of getting a teaching job making a bundle. The word “shock” is putting it mildly when they find out what their salaries will be in some of these private schools. A good pay scale would be less than $3.00 an hour. I know of some schools that pay even less than that amount.

Can you imagine how many hours you would have to work to make ends meet? Minimum wage is about $400.00 USD a month. Granted, many Mexicans live on that. But could you—an American? Could you downscale to living on so little?

Four types who come to Mexico to teach English are:

1) Someone who wants a new adventure—something different.

2) Someone who wants to build a resume, no matter the salary.

3) Someone who wants to earn a little traveling money.

4) Someone who thinks they can earn a decent living. Groups 1 through 3 don’t care what the dollar sign is in their salary. They have other sources of income like savings or parents who help support them while they are in Mexico. These are the most transient. Here today, promising their employers a year contract, and gone tomorrow. Some employers will not hire these “floaters.” Schools would love to hire those with ties to the community but they are rare.

Group 4, people who think they can make a living, do not accept the reality that you can rarely make a living at teaching English in Mexico. They are like those who go to Hollywood with the delusion of becoming an actor, “Oh, it’s a long shot, but maybe I can do it.”

In an informal e-mail survey I took of Mexican schools that offer ESL classes, the overwhelming majority agreed that it is rare for anyone to make a living at teaching English in Mexico. One called it “an unrealistic expectation” to believe otherwise.

“…the pay is very low and it is difficult to imagine how one could live on it.”

Another source told me that unless the teacher had signed a contract with a large established organization before departure to the country, it was unlikely that a good salary would be waiting for them. Countries like Japan or China offer a competitive salary with benefits.

Mexico does not.

Most of the available jobs are with small private schools that pay little.

Some told me that those who do not fulfill their teaching commitments no longer surprise them. They’ve grown accustomed to this unethical practice by North Americans.

Some have come to Mexico and made a living teaching ESL. But, that is all they can do—work until they drop. They usually have to sign on to teach with at least three schools to get enough hours to earn enough to pay for cost-of-living expenses. There is little time to anything else.

A life of luxury, excitement, and adventure? Hardly. But they keep coming, filled with the delusion that perhaps they can make it work.

Sad.

Douglas Bower
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/teaching-english-in-mexico-a-decent-living-80327.html

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The Esencia Playa del Carmon, Quinta Roo Mexico is an amazingly beautiful, and very stylish place to have a vacation, and when you compare it to some of the mega resorts of the Mayan Riviera, quite frankly there is no comparison.

This place is near perfection, where you will be not only pampered but feel appreciated by the outstanding staff at the resort.

This definitely one of the very best places to stay in the Mexican Caribbean with your children, as there are house butlers, nannies, lots of activities, next to a stunning beach.

Having got the general description of the Esencia out of the way, what about the rooms, the food, the service, the price, because that either makes or breaks a vacation.

Our vacation was spent staying in a garden suite, and some of things that still spring to mind very quickly was the sheer size of the plasma TV with surround sound, the vast and extremely comfortable bed, and the pillows were soft, with bedside controls that meant you could enjoy the view without leaving your bed in the morning!!

The airconditioning didn’t freeze us, but we didn’t use it that much preferring fans, and natural breezes.

My wife places huge importance on the bathrooms, towels, showers, and all that sort of thing, and she was totally bowled over by the two rain shower heads in a separate shower room. The towels and the separate WC also met with her approval!!

I like to relax at the end of the day, and in the morning, so I particularly appreciated the large comfortable terrace, and before I forget, my wife really likes lots of hanging space, and there were huge closets, and plenty of hangers.

Food is a very important feature of a vacation for us, and we were not disappointed at the Esencia. For a start the rate included breakfast, and this wasn’t any ordinary hotel buffet breakfast, because you ordered it from the extensive menu, and it was delivered in some style, prior to that there was a coffee service straight to our suite, with nice pastries, at any time we requested. It is nice to sit on your terrace and devour it.

Dinner was in the garden restaurant, which only opened in the evening, and the menu had considerable choices, including about six desserts, with a lot of fish, which suited us. The wine list was good but expensive.

I can’t say the hotel was at all busy when we were there, so it wasn’t a problem to get a sun lounger on the beach, and they were padded too!! There was also prompt drinks service on the beach as well, and as far as the beach itself is concerned it has to be close to one of my favourites.

White sand, incredibly clear water in all of the shades of blue green and turquoise that you only get on a tropical vacation. There are a few rocks, but all in all it was good for swimming in right next to the hotel.

By the way the hotel is right next to El Cielo, which serves some of the best seafood and margaritas on the coast.

Many things about Esencia are special, but the service is really very good indeed. The staff seemed to have the ability to be there, but totally unobtrusive. We particularly liked the fact that straightaway they knew us by name, we never had to wait to sign anything, and our ‘running’ bill appeared magically in our room at regular intervals to allow us to see what we had spent.

There was definitely an attention to detail which helped make our vacation at the Esencia very special.

Gareth Jones
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/the-esencia-playa-del-carmon-quinta-roo-mexico-118662.html

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When theme parks, beaches, scuba diving, and whale watching have lost their charm after multiple vacations to Mexico, perhaps a visit to The Land of Frogs in Central Mexico is in order.

The City of Guanajuato, which is called The Crown Jewel of Mexico’s colonial cities, was named The Land of Frogs by a group of indigenous people. By some accounts, the indigenous took one look at the terrain and said, “Nothing but frogs could live here!” Some say the indigenous found thousands of frogs in the mountainous terrain. Other accounts say it was the shape of the mountains that reminded the indigenous of frogs. Whichever account is true, Guanajuato is a place to get to know.

Guanajuato earned its place in world geography when the Spanish found the surrounding mountains rich in silver deposits. In fact, at one time more than one-third of the world’s silver riches were mined in Guanajuato. Though none of the usual summer vacation activities exist in Guanajuato, this city exudes history with every unsteady step you take through its cobblestone streets.

The state of Guanajuato is the Cradle of Mexican Independence. It was here Mexico began its quest to become Mexican. Guanajuato is the perfect spot to see where and learn how Mexico began to fight for its hard-earned independence from Spain. Although small, the city of Guanajuato has outstanding colonial architecture built with the silver revenue from times past. With modern museums, cultural events almost year-round, one of world’s oldest universities, and an almost perfect year-round temperate climate in which to enjoy this country’s Crown Jewel, Guanajuato can be the perfect alternative to the usual vacation fare.

Many first-time visitors we’ve interviewed have expressed amazement to find that Guanajuato defies their stereotypical expectation of Mexico. Many who have traveled extensively throughout Europe have told us Guanajuato could be a town from Spain or Northern Italy that was somehow magically transplanted to this side of the planet.

Depending on whom you ask, The City of Guanajuato has a population of between 100,000-120,000 people. It is nestled in a ravine with the city literally built up the sides of the bowl-like surrounding mountains. If nothing else, a trip to Guanajuato would be worth the time and expense just to marvel at how the Mexicans figured out how to build this city. To call it a marvel is a gross understatement.

Another marvel to behold is Guanajuato’s system of underground tunnels. Originally, the Guanajuato River flowed through the center of town. Numerous devastating floods occurred over the centuries, and engineers decided to divert the river away from the middle of town in the early 1900´s. After diverting the river, the riverbed was turned into a maze of underground streets-this time to divert traffic.

How To Get Here

More American tourists we meet are driving to Guanajuato. This is not as difficult as one might imagine. Go to Google.com and type “driving to Mexico”. You will find numerous articles on the logistics of driving here. The only problem you will encounter when arriving in Guanajuato is parking. Although city officials are working to solve this problem by building more parking facilities, it is a nightmare. Parking is at a premium and you will rarely find adequate and safe parking near your hotels.

The best way to arrive in Guanajuato is to fly to Leon, Guanajuato. From there, you can take a cab for about $25.00-$30.00 to Guanajuato. It is about a 45-minute ride.

A way to combat the difficulty of your Leon cabbie knowing where your lodging is located, especially if you have arranged a private apartment for your vacation stay, is to have the Leon cabdriver take you to the Guanajuato’s Holiday Inn or to the bus station. From there, it is a simple matter of switching to a Guanajuato cabdriver who will know where everything is in Guanajuato’s confusing maze of streets.

Lodging

Guanajuato has a large influx of wealthy travelers to whom the hotel industry caters lavishly. You can find accommodations to boggle the mind and pocketbook.

Douglas Bower
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/guanajuato-the-land-of-frogs-80048.html

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Starting in 2004, the Busch series held a race in Mexico City at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez track. This year will be the third year that NASCAR has been south of the border. What would motivate them to pick up a venue like that?

In 2005, it was estimated that one seventh of the population in the United States is Hispanic. This is a demographic that just hasn’t been turned onto stock car racing in the past. Mexico City can change that. But there has definitely been some resistance from the teams.

In the first Mexico City race, the prize money was so little that most teams didn’t break even. It’s expensive for your whole team to travel and especially expensive to transport the racecars.

Truthfully, for the first race, most teams made the race only because of the owner points which were awarded. Since that first race, the purse has grown and teams are more likely to come out having made at least some money.

Another reason that teams are traveling to the race is for their sponsors. One of the main rationales that the Mexico City race is considered so important is because there are so many international sponsors.

Many of the team’s sponsors, such as Lowe’s and Red Bull, already have a strong presence in both Mexico and the United States. Racing in Mexico increases the sponsor’s exposure. Several team owners have said that they wouldn’t choose to race in Mexico because of the added expenses but do so for their sponsors.

There was quite a lot of complaining when the race was first announced. Besides the expense, people were concerned about the safety issues of being in Mexico.

Carl Edwards says he looks forward to the race now but he was nervous about being in Mexico the first time, especially when he had to visit the hospital due to a crash during a practice round. However, his short hospital stay was great and he considers this race an exciting trip now.

The idea behind having an international race is that not only will it be a tool to hook Hispanics in the U.S. on NASCAR but will also open up a whole new audience of race fans in Mexico. So they are building a larger fan base two at a time.

NASCAR is determined to branch out into all parts of the world and become the most popular sport. We think they are well on their way to doing just that.

David Stargel
http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/why-is-the-busch-series-racing-in-mexico-119259.html

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The beach community of La Jolla Shores is located just north of downtown. This is a magnificent beach on the Pacific Ocean with rocky cliffs to the south and Scripps Institute of Oceanography to the north. There are sea caves in the cliffs that can be entered by kayak during light swell conditions. There is a large marine preserve directly offshore.

Kayak from La Jolla Shores and see migrating whales at eye level during Hike Bike Kayak’s three-hour tour. A guide, life jackets, paddles and a kayak are provided. No kayaking experience is necessary. Warm drinks and snacks are provided after the paddle. Participants MUST be in good health, be able to swim, and be over 10 years old. Hike Bike Kayak cannot guarantee sightings due to the nature of wildlife.

San Diego Tours also lets you kayak out from La Jolla Shores to watch whales as they migrate between Alaska and the birthing grounds in Baja, Mexico. The whales’ migration path is such that they come close to La Jolla Shores. Paddles, kayaks, life jackets and doggy life jackets are all provided. This is an active tour, though no experience is required.

Kayaking in the famous La Jolla Sea Caves is an exciting adventure. However, the combination of ocean swells and rocks with a kayak is potentially dangerous in certain conditions, so be on your guard. To visit the caves by kayak, just show up at Aqua Adventures Kayaking Center, located at 2164 Avenida de la Playa. After a brief discussion of the surf zone and ocean conditions, you can launch and paddle to the sea caves.

OEX Dive & Kayak Centers offer kayak rentals from three locations, with La Jolla being the premiere kayak spot in San Diego. Your rental will launch from and return to La Jolla Shores at OEX’s shop located at the end of Avenida de la Playa. They offer sit-on-top kayaks, the most stable of all kayaks. They have a large fleet of single and double kayaks ready and waiting to go at your leisure.

Another kayaking company is All San Diego Tours, which also offers sightseeing tours, bay cruises, and whale watching, trips to Sea World, San Diego Zoo, Mexico and more. Allen’s Kayaks is another option open to anyone, whether you’re an expert paddler looking for specialist equipment or a complete beginner looking to try the sport. Some Hotels, such as the Catamaran Resort, offer kayaking as one of their water sport options.

For your safety, you should wear a wetsuit and life jacket and carry devices to signal for help. Taking a boating safety course is key to being safe, experts say, although you’re not required by law to take a course that teaches you how to kayak. Training courses can teach first-time kayakers how to maneuver the vessel in flat, calm waters such as lakes, and also in the ocean with its swells.

Adam O’Connor is the owner of San Diego Kayaking, which provides excellent free information on the La Jolla Sea Caves and what’s fun in La Jolla. Adam O’Connor is an expert in his industry and his website helps people find beautiful wedding halls in San Diego.

Adam O’Connor
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/kayaking-excursions-in-la-jolla-san-diego-ca-80455.html

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When you live abroad, staying in touch with your family, businesses, and financial institutions back in the United States doesn’t have to be a hassle or expensive. With a little planning, an expat can stay in touch, pay bills, and manage money from anywhere in the world with no more than access to an Internet café.

But if you intend to continue operating a business…or day trading…infrastructure (that is, high-speed Internet access and reliable e-mail and telephone communications) is critical.

Infrastructure in Honduras, and particularly in the Bay Islands, is improving almost daily. Several film production companies have used Roatan to film television series for the United States and Europe, creating greater awareness of the islands and more frequent cruise ship visits–this exposure will continue to attract foreign investors.

Already there have been some improvements to roads and electricity. Communications have advanced by leaps and bounds, with landline, cell, satellite and VoIP telephones, DSL and dial-up Internet connecting Honduras to the rest of the world. Satellite and cable television bring North American entertainment and news into Honduran homes.

Mexico continues to be a land of contrasts, both geographically and socially. Indian communities in mountain villages maintain centuries-old customs…not far from cities where wealthy businessmen scurry around with cell phones and wireless Internet.

In San Miguel de Allende, you can get all the amenities you expect in the modern world, including reliable telephone service and high-speed Internet access. You can get mail delivered and sent reliably and quickly through one of several mail forwarding services. Several international franchises are here, including Domino’s Pizza and Blockbuster Video. In addition to acclaimed art schools, San Miguel has one of the largest collections of English-language books in Mexico in its public library.

In Thailand, new condos to rent in Chiang Mai can come with free unlimited high-speed Internet (to rent a 500-square-foot condo would cost about $365 per month).

Outside of Bangkok, the U.S. Embassy has set up what it calls “American Corners” in various universities across the country. The aim is to foster mutual understanding between Thailand and the U.S. through a variety of means. These include satellite programs, digital video conferences, high-speed Internet access, and book and multimedia collections. Another aim is to stimulate dialogue with individual citizens, groups, institutions, and the media through local information and cultural activities.

Montevideo, 120 miles from Buenos Aires, is Uruguay’s commercial, educational, and cultural center. It has a European ambiance and old-world charm. Ciudad Vieja, the old historic center, has sycamore-lined streets, open-air markets, fine restaurants, and sidewalk cafés. Property prices are reasonable, and the day-to-day cost of living is on par with Ecuador, if not a bit less. There are numerous schools of dance, music, and art, along with 35 radio stations, good cable television, and high-speed Internet services. They’ve even got a jazz festival. In Punta del Este a broadband line costs $50 a month.

International Living
http://www.articlesbase.com/internet-articles/internet-access-for-daytrading-expats-119343.html

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The Crusty crew traveled to remote locations in Australia, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Nevada & Utah to capture the most extreme action, sickest stunts & radical maneuvers, including Ryan Capess record-breaking 260 jump, monster truck competition, stree

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Expatriate wannabes often ask us how we managed our expatriation to Guanajuato. If I had to narrow it down to the most important factor in the quest to expatriate to Mexico, it would be the following: Research thoroughly and make exploratory visits to the city or cities of your choice. Take all the time you need. Read everything you can get your hands on about the regions in which you might be interested, and visit as many as you can afford.

This exploratory phase intimidates many with whom we’ve spoken about their expatriating dreams. If you aren’t well traveled and fluent in the language, the thought of relocation is a little overwhelming. We felt the same way when we reached the point of research overload and it was time to go and have a look around. We were scared but determined.

We decided to go to language school. This is the perfect way to experience the culture, learn some of the language, and see what the country is really like in a safe and controlled environment. Attending a language school and staying with a local family provides the following advantages: 1) You will stay with a family carefully screened by most reputable schools, who know the city from the inside out. 2) You will have the support of the local family and school in case you get into a jam. 3) You will be able to experience Mexican living in a worry-free environment.

If you are thinking of expatriating to Mexico, what better situation than to be in the care of a Mexican family who knows the city-where to find a place to live, how to set up your utilities, which banks are the best, all the bus routes, moving services, handymen, doctors, etc.

We made our exploratory trip to Guanajuato in February. The school we attended arranged for a homestay with a local family. All our meals were provided, so we didn’t have to worry about finding restaurants, though we did have the option of eating out whenever we wanted. Most schools arrange to have you picked up at the airport. This is reassuring if, like us, you have little to no travel abroad experience.

The head of our host family was an influential lawyer in Guanajuato who knew everyone and anything you could conceive of needing to expatriate. Even if you are not this fortunate, networking with the locals will smooth your way.

To choose a school, write some former students, listed on the school’s web site, to hear about their experiences. Get a consensus if you can. We were surprised that some former students were willing to mention deficiencies.

Moving to Mexico is not for everyone. But, this is one way to find out–Go to language school.

Douglas Bower
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/you-want-to-move-to-mexico-80674.html

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Each year, some 250 million monarch butterflies arrive to the luscious volcanic highlands of central Mexico. Guided to the area by an inexplicable internal clock known scientifically as circadian, the monarch butterflies travel up to 3,000 miles to the state of Michoacan, which becomes the butterflies’ winter getaway. Nature-goers can visit the butterflies anytime between November and March, although the best time to see them is in February and early March, right before they head north again.

Originally from southern Canada and the northern United States, the orange and black monarchs hibernate during winter and mate in spring before returning back north. Each year from late October to early November, the delicate creatures flee the north’s freezing temperatures and embark on a month-long trip south, flying some 70 miles per day to reach the Oyamel mountaintop fir forests of the Mexican state of Michoacan. Those fortunate enough to live along the monarchs’ route south are frequently exposed to the site of large groups of butterflies flying overhead on route to their winter sanctuary.

Once reaching the Oyamel forests, the monarchs cluster together by the thousands in pine trees, weighing down branches with their sheer mass and making the forests glow the like the bright orange of their wings. These butterflies spend the entire winter in Michoacan, finally mating in the spring and then returning north, laying eggs along the way.

The beautiful butterflies leave Mexico in late February and early March in a mass migration and the monarchs should reach the central United States by mid-April. By that time, the females will have laid their eggs for 1,000 miles as they make their one-time trip. They return home exhausted and with tattered wings after the 3,000 mile trip. A typical butterfly will make just one round trip during its lifetime. Witnessing this incredible migration is reason enough to follow the Monarchs down to Mexico.

In the easternmost part of Michoacan is an immense monarch butterfly reserve spanning nearly 100 square-miles. In 1986, the Mexican government declared the region a special biosphere reserve where thousands of butterflies cluster together in the early morning and nights, covering whole trees and branches.

Several of the monarch butterfly sanctuaries are open to the public, including Sierra Chincua and El Campanario. Sierra Chincua is about a 30-minute drive north of Angangueo, once an important mining town. El Campanario, also known as El Rosario sanctuary is much more frequently visited. It lies above the small village of El Rosario, almost an hour’s drive up some rough terrain from the village of Ocampo. Common departure points to the sanctuaries are Ocampo, Zitacuaro and Morelia.

Spending a night in Angangueo is ideal because from there visitors can secure transport to the reserve early in the morning, when the butterflies are still in the trees. A comfortable hotel is the Albergue Don Bruno (tel. 011-52-715-156-0026). Maruata (tel. 011-52-443-324-2120) runs 10-hour tours to the sanctuary including transportation, food and bilingual guide for US$60. For those spending the weekend, the 62-room Villa Monarca Inn (tel. 011-52-715-153-5362), located in the outskirts of Zitacuaro, is an ideal place to go.

Angangueo, Zitacuaro and the nearby towns of Maravatio and Ocampo hold a monarch Butterfly Festival each February, featuring traditional dance, music and craft markets, in celebration of their annual winter visitors.

Local tourist areas include the beautiful colonial town of Morelia, Michoacan’s capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, giving travelers yet another reason to visit. Other popular tourist stops, including Lake Patzcuaro, the quaint town of Patzcuaro, Janitzio Island and the Tarascan Indian ruins of Tzintzuntzan, are also nearby.

The beautiful butterflies leave Mexico in late February and early March in a mass migration and the monarchs should reach the central United States by mid-April. By that time, the females will have laid their eggs for 1,000 miles as they make their one-time trip. They return home exhausted and with tattered wings after the 3,000 mile trip. A typical butterfly will make just one round trip during its lifetime.

About the Mexico Tourism Board

The Mexico Tourism Board (MTB) brings together the resources of federal and state governments, municipalities and private companies to promote Mexico’s tourism attractions and destinations internationally. Created in 1999, the MTB is Mexico’s tourism promotion agency, and its participants include members of both the private and public sectors. The MTB has offices throughout North America, Europe, Japan and Latin America.

FOR PRESS ONLY: For additional ideas, help with a story or general travel and tourism information about Mexico, please contact the MTB’s North American Press Room directly at 1-800-929-4555, by e-mail at northamericanpress@visitmexico.com, or visit our press Web site at www.visitmexicopress.com. To access an online warehouse of free, downloadable b-roll, visit www.thenewsmarket.com/visitmexicopress.

# # #

Erick Laseca

Mexico Tourism Board

312-228-0517

erick.laseca@bm.com

Erick Laseca
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/monarch-butterflies-head-south-for-the-winter-80617.html

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