The Truth About An African Safari In Mexico

An African safari in Mexico may not quite live up to the expectations of actually being in the wilds of Africa and experiencing the real thing but for those in North America, it certainly is a good alternative especially if you’re on a budget.
Puebla is host to one of the most popular animal parks in Northern America and plays host to thousands of visitors a year. The African safari area is one of the more popular sections and has designated areas named after some of Africa’s popular destinations.
Animals In The Wild
Animals are not restricted in cages yet while they appear to roam free within the park’s boundaries, there is still an element of danger for those visitors who travel through in their vehicles. Like many free range parks, leaving vehicle windows down is an invitation for trouble. Watchful tour guides patrol the park but even they cannot keep an eye on everyone.
There is an alternative to driving your own vehicle through the park and that’s taking the park bus which makes regular trips. It’s definitely a safer option given you’re guided by experienced tour operators
Outside Of Puebla
An African safari in Mexico doesn’t mean restricting yourself to the Puebla park. Puebla has several attractions and day trips are very popular. One of the more recommended day trips is from Puebla to Cholula. While Cholula is a long way from Africa one of the similarities it has with the African continent is the pyramids.
One of the biggest tips for newcomers to Mexico is to be careful about renting cars. It takes people a little getting used to the Mexican driving landscape. Some of the restrictions are a little hard to come to terms with and if you’re even slightly irritable, then give it a miss until you are completely comfortable with the driving regulations in Mexico. Yes, people from outside of Mexico do hire cars however, you’ll find they have usually had a taste of this landscape before and are familiar with the driving conditions.
Meanwhile, if going on African safari in Mexico was your main mission, make sure you have plenty of film in your camera. While Puebla is a popular tourist destination, towns such as Cholula, Tlaxcala and Cuernavaca provide plenty of camera fodder.
Is it safe to travel to these areas? This is a question easily answered by simply staying on the main thoroughfares and not deviating from recommended paths. Don’t go into an area if it looks like a potential trouble spot.

Exploring Vacation Destinations: Oaxaca, Mexico

Located in southern Mexico, Oaxaca is the historic homestead of the Mixtec and Zapotec peoples. With over 3.3 million permanent residents, this state is the 5th largest in the country. Located strategically with the Pacific Ocean to the south, the Chiapas to the east, Veracruz to the north, and Guerrero to the west, there is a lot to be said for this state with attitude.
When looking for authentic tradition, you will find Oaxaca, Mexico is one of the quickest growing destination spots in the country. In this state, you will find more speakers of indigenous languages as well. This means when you are looking for true Mexican hospitality with an infusion of past and present, no other place offers the versatility and reliability.
Oaxaca, Mexico has a rugged terrain, but nestled away is the Valley of Oaxaca. Thanks to a wonderful climate, this valley is one of the most fertile rich locations in all of the Americas. This has led to farming and agriculture being a heavy influence in this part of the country. Whether growing chocolate, corn, chilies, or beans, you will find that the countryside is alive with fruitful growing.
Even crops popular to this region such as avocados, magueys, and zapotes have found their way into our lives thanks to their delicious sweetness originate in this fertile land of opportunity. The Zapotec and Mixtec peoples also found this land to be rich and fertile which led to the area being home to something quite spectacular today.
Archaeological wonders abound in this area. With ores such as gold and silver being abundant, and fishing and hunting being readily available, Oaxaca, Mexico, was home to one of the most prominent ancient civilizations in the world. Mysterious ruins litter the countryside and, today, are visited with awe and wonder.
With such fertile lands rich in fruits, vegetables, and even meats, Oaxaca, Mexico has become one of the best culinary centers of the country. Delicious cuisine awaits those looking for something different. Of course, you may come for the food, but there is much more to this state.
With over 155 miles of beaches, and a countryside that has remained virgin and pristine, you will find Oaxaca is a hotbed of tourist activity. Celebrations and festivals welcome weary travelers looking for a piece of the past with modern day conveniences. Whether enjoying the night of the radishes (noche de los rabanos) or the day of the dead (dia de los muertos), you will find that the people welcome you to participate in these special events.
Just as the people of this sprawling state are diverse, so are the activities, festivals, cuisine, and opportunities. Often called “Land of the Seven Moles”, few people will ever experience Mexico like this. Whether enjoying an elegant dinner out or choosing to stay in, the cuisine is just one of the benefits of visiting.
Oaxaca, Mexico is a diverse state where anything is available. With so many people, you will find that activities as well as the amenities change. No where else on the planet can you find so many opportunities awaiting you first thing in the morning.

Bargains Galore!–25% Discount on Everything in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

By: Jim Scherrer

Well, it appears as though the effects of the mortgage crisis in the US which began in March, 2008 followed by the collapse of the stock market in October, 2008 are finally being felt in Puerto Vallarta. Thanks to the strong Canadian Dollar, tourist expenditures in Vallarta for goods and services, including retirement real estate, held up fairly well for most of 2008. However, during the September/October timeframe, the Canadian Dollar plunged by more than 20%, thus reducing the Canadian purchasing power accordingly. Consequently, both the Americans and Canadians are now hesitant to aggressively invest in anything, especially foreign retirement properties.

The airplanes and cruise boats packed with tourists continue to arrive daily in PV; however the visitors are much more thrifty and prudent with their purchases than they were a year ago. Many of the restaurateurs and shop owners are claiming that sales are down from last year by as much as 35%. The construction of new condominium projects has also noticeably decreased as new sales slow to a trickle.

During the past ten years, Vallarta has literally been a boom town with explosive growth and new construction everywhere. Obviously, many of the developers and entrepreneurs failed to see the oncoming global financial crisis and committed to many long term construction projects resulting in a glut of more than 7,000 new condominiums now on the market.

Finally, with the supply of goods and services, including retirement properties, currently exceeding demand, we are now witnessing a true buyer’s market in Vallarta. Even though list prices for real estate have not dropped noticeably, the developers and sellers are much more apt to negotiate than they were a year ago. The same is true for store merchants and other vendors in the area.

Okay, now that we have a better understanding of how the economy in the US and Canada have affected business in Vallarta, we should have a better appreciation for the North American bargaining position in this beautiful resort destination. Therefore, let’s take it a step further. With the exception of real estate, most all other goods and services in Puerto Vallarta are sold on a Peso basis and therefore we must consider the monetary exchange rate.

The Mexican Peso has held steady with the US Dollar for more than ten years at about 10.8 Pesos per US Dollar. It wasn’t until early in October, 2008 when the Peso precipitously devalued to about 13.5 Pesos per Dollar resulting in a 25% increase in the value or purchasing power of the US Dollar relative to the Mexican Peso.

For those of us fortunate enough to still be holding a few US Dollars, almost all goods and services in Mexico just went on sale! For example, we recently purchased a high-end brand name washer/dryer set, normally priced at $1,300 US, for $1,015 US. Most all grocery and food products, clothing, hardware, and electronics manufactured in Mexico, gasoline, electricity, and other native commodities are also 25% less expensive to those of us holding US Dollars.

Through inflation over time, the costs of these Mexican products will eventually rise until they return to where they were only a few months ago. The one category where costs will rise much more slowly is that of labor. Almost every worker in Mexico just took a 25% reduction in wages relative to the US Dollar! That includes all maids, gardeners, restaurant and store employees, taxi drivers, doctors, architects, engineers, etc. It will probably require several years for the Mexican labor rates to be equivalent to where they were only six months ago.

One very important labor group is that of the construction workers which represents a significant portion of the total cost of retirement residences, all priced in US Dollars. Add their 25% cut in pay to the cost of Mexican concrete and other native materials which also dropped by 25% and you can imagine how that will affect the completion costs of the thousands of condos currently under construction!

Now, with the demand for goods and services reduced relative to their supply and the US Dollar being 25% stronger, you can see the benefit of shopping in Paradise at this very moment; the time for buying your retirement dream could never be better!

As Billy Mays, the famous TV pitchman would say, “But wait, there’s more”! Yes, aside from the 25% savings associated with the Peso devaluation and an increase in willingness of the local vendors to negotiate lower prices (caused by the reduction in tourist consumption brought on by the uncertain US economy and the devaluation of the Canadian Dollar), effective in June, 2008, you now receive a rebate for the 15% IVA tax that you pay on many of your purchases while visiting Mexico.

The 15% IVA or Value Added Tax (VAT) is returned to foreign tourists who can prove they have spent a minimum of 1,200 Pesos (approximately $90 US Dollars) on Mexican territory and who are returning home by sea or air. Tourists now have the right to receive up to 50% of the net rebate, an amount not to exceed 10,000 Pesos (approximately $750.00 US Dollars), in the form of cash; the remaining 50% will be refunded via electronic funds transfer within a period of 40 days.

In conclusion, after being exposed to the past six months of economic frustrations, you deserve to escape from the prevailing gloom and doom. If you have ever considered traveling to or retiring in Paradise, now is the time and Puerto Vallarta is the place! You will find many great values on everything this season; values that have not been seen for almost a decade and may not be available again in the near future. As Billy would say, “Why wait, pick up the phone” and call your travel agent. The weather is guaranteed to be perfect during the months of November through May, the scenery of the Pacific Ocean, the sandy white beaches, and the Sierra Madres is world class, the margaritas are ice cold, and the Mexican hospitality is second to none. So, come on down; you’ll find bargains galore while enjoying the time of your life on the Mexican Riviera!

San Miguel De Allende: an Artist Colony in Mexico

About four hours northwest of Mexico City, a mile above sea level, is a quaint collection of 64 city blocks surrounded by a typical Mexican town:  roosters, noisy trucks, music and church bells peeling throughout the day.  The air is dry, the temperature hits 70 degrees F every day (it might start near freezing, but it warms up in the winter; in July you’ll always have a cool breeze in the evening) and 16,000 gringos from north of the border make up 16 percent of the town.  Named for a patriot who helped in the fight for liberation in 1810, the town is protected from development by strict rules that keep the exteriors of the homes looking the way it did a hundred years ago.Have you heard enough to want to know how to spend a vacation here?The FOUR DAY Schedule (make one of these days on TUESDAY for the market)Day 1 — arrive, get picked up byMario, who talks for an hour about the culture.  Walk into town and get a copy of ATENCION.  Find an activity (such as talking with locals on Tues. and Thurs 5-6:30 pm)Dinner: San Francisco Cafe, JardinDay 2 — MARKET DAY TuesdayLook for “Mesa de Plata” (the silver table) and look for the silver haired guy.   LUNCH: El Buen CafeAfternoon: real estate tour with Gaby Cabello Rivas or one of Gaby’s colleagues.  Email her at  gabycabello64@hotmail.comDinner:  PegasoDay 3 — Tour of the City with Mario.He will show you the parts that a local knows, such as a metalworking shop in a residential area — noisy at 10 am, quiet by 5 pm, providing employment for neighbors.  Clever! Afternoon: walk to Instituto Allende, meet Keith Keller at the Escuela of painting and drawing — if you sign up for a class, you can drop in during daylight hours to practice.Dinner:  Cha Cha Cha for Mexican delights, or try 10-10-Pie (stay on your feet wiht this food) — delicious fruit salad and “batidas” (smoothies)Some people recommend Mama Mia (music)Day 4 — ADVENTURE $160US per person, early morning hot-air balloon ride, meet outside Recreo 68 at 6:30 a.m.After breakfast:  Walk through the Artisans Market. Lunch at Bugambila ($28, pricey but romantic). Tour at 3 pm with Jilda on the 2-hour tour bus (9 to 9, every two hours from Juarez Street).  You can write to her and practice Spanish (she wants to practice English) at jizame@hotmail.comJIlda ZAvala Tour guideSnack: San Agustin, Mesones, owned by Margarita, a TV and ilm star who lives in Mexico City.Dinner:  10-10-Pie, El Buen Cafe or PegasoDay 5 — Time to leave.  Call Mario.  Keep lots of video tape or digital space available to record Mario’s every sentence!SummaryMany call this the “heart of Mexico” — with good reason.  The conspirators who plotted to overthrow the rulers of the country did their planning in this area.Retirees from other countries (mostly the USA) make up one-sixth of the central city’s population (around 80,000).  The total metropolitan area is around 115,000.  You can live close to the suburban lifestyle in the USA (drive to a mall and place groceries in a car, drive home into a garage and walk 50 feet to a refrigerator).  You can also live like people do in Venice, without a car and shopping at a local market. Restaurants: lunch for two under $10Dinner for two under $28 at Pegaso in Centro (near the Jardin).

What to doYou can take art courses at the Instituto Allende or look at real estate for sale in the “Golden corridor” north of the city.  You could take a tour on the trolley bus or take a cooking class and learn some local recipes.  You could even give free English lessons at the local school – get to meet some of the locals while you are there.  It’s better than hanging out at an Internet Cafe.  Get to know the locals at the Public Library (biblioteca publica).

GETTING THEREYou can fly into Mexico City and then to a nearby city (Queretaro QTO or Leon BJX).Or you can fly to Houston and then south to BJX or QTO.  Before you fly, reserve a driver to pick you up –   Call Angelica tours at 52 415 152 6305 and ask for Mario.Where to StayWe tried Hacienda de las Flores.  Delightful location, sweet dog (the gordita Coquette) and friendly staff.  Ask for the TV room and you’ll be able to catch the morning shows on satellite:  NBC, ABC and CBS, plus CNN.  Rooms have basic cable.   Delicious eggs for breakfast. Helpful LinksPortalSanMiguel.comInternetSanMiguel.comSanMiguelOnline.comSanMiguelGuide.comSanMiguelArtists.comMexOnline.com

AngelicaTours.com, ask for MarioTransportation from the airport Francisco Marquez #33 Col. Independencia C.P.37732 Office: (415) 1526305 Mobile: 4151535067 Toll free number: 1.877.446.0721

TIPSGet a good map.Take the tour of the city with Mario (AngelicaTours.com, but the web link is not reliable)Steve McCrea, a travel DVD producer, wrote this article for Roadlovers.com, a travel portal.  His DVD about San Miguel de Allende is available through Filmbaby.com.

World Class Fire Opals Mined Near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

We all know that Puerto Vallarta, Mexico is a world famous resort destination and retirement haven. We also know that just about all of the Mexican Riviera cruise ships make Vallarta a normal port of entry providing the visitors with numerous fun and exciting things to do, sights to be seen, side tours to be taken, beautiful beaches to enjoy, etc., but few tourists ever really get to know the area, customs, and local history.

Puerto Vallarta is located in the state of Jalisco; the third largest state in Mexico with the Capital of Guadalajara which is the second largest city in Mexico. The greater metropolitan area of Guadalajara (including Zapopan, Tonala, and Tlaquepaque), has a population of approximately 4,000,000 residents, thus making it about the same size as Los Angeles, the second largest city in the US. Puerto Vallarta is the second largest city in Jalisco with a population of 350,000 people, nestled in the Sierra Madre foot hills along the shoreline of Banderas Bay on the Pacific Ocean.

At 3,000 feet deep, Banderas Bay is one of the deepest natural bays in the world with the Sierra Madre Occidentals to the north, the Sierra Madre Del Sur to the south, and the Trans National Volcanic Axis Range to the east. All three of these substantial mountain ranges converge at Banderas Bay, where more than 60 million years ago when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, these mountain ranges were formed as the planet‘s crust changed forever. Much more recently, only about a million years ago during the Pleistocene age , volcanoes erupted in the region exposing a land rich in mineral wealth containing vast deposits of gold, silver, lead, zinc, copper, tin, and

The word opal was derived from the Roman word opalus (to see a change of color) as they popularized the opal around 100 BC and prized this gemstone above all other precious stones believing the holder to be charmed with good fortune. The Mexican fire opal, sometimes referred to as cherry opal, precious fire opal, sun opal, girasol (Spanish for sunflower), and Quetzalitzlipyollitli (gemstone of the bird of paradise) by the Aztecs, was used by the Mayas and Aztecs during the past millennium for ritualistic purposes and in various mosaics. Today, connoisseurs say that fire opals bestow courage, stamina, will-power and energy on the wearer; the warm, fiery orange-red colors are said to have a positive effect on the psyche and convey a profound sensation of warmth, peace and harmony.hundreds of other minerals. As a result, Mexico became the world’s leading producer of silver for centuries and has only recently fallen to second position in the world. A great portion of the Mexican silver has been mined in this region within a 100 miles of Vallarta.

Due to the rich volcanic soil, all tequila in the world comes from this area in Jalisco. With plenty of tequila, there was also a mood for music and dancing! Consequently, in this area within 100 miles of Vallarta, Mariachi music evolved (a symbol of the Mexican Revolution) as did the Mexican Hat dance (the Mexican national dance).

Much of the rich soil in the Vallarta region is also ideal for farming and with the location being on the same latitude as Maui, Hawaii, the climate is perfect for growing many fruits and vegetables. One example being mangos, where Mexico is the third largest exporter of mangos in the world.

Now that we know the area around Vallarta is rich with mineral and agricultural wealth, let’s take it a step further. It just so happens that approximately a dozen distinct classifications of minerals with hundreds of varieties exist in Mexico. As an example, the silicates class alone, contains more than 60 different minerals such as jadeite, zircon, topaz, and quartz, a subgroup of which includes amethyst. The carbonates class consists of bismutite, calcite, magnetite, dolomite, etc. while the sulfates class has gypsum, barite, cuprotungstite, etc.; many of these minerals being used for industrial applications. Finally, the mineraloids class which contains amber, obsidian, and opal; minerals that are frequently carved, ground, cut, and polished for objects of art, jewelry, etc.

Many of these minerals, including most opals, were formed during the Cretaceous period and brought to the Earth’s surface during the Pleistocene age. Of the 25 or so varieties of opals, the fire opal is the only naturally faceted opal and the most significant fire opal deposits are found in Mexico. One of the two largest sites for mining the Mexican fire opal, which just so happens to be the “national gemstone of Mexico”, is located near Magdalena, Jalisco; a small city located approximately 100 miles east of Vallarta that can be visited from PV during one of the ten hour day tours. Magdalena is in a region laden with igneous rocks, obsidian, volcanic lava, and more than 300 opal mines.

Mexican fire opals consist of silicon dioxide or silica spheres arranged in an orderly pattern with iron oxide dispersed throughout. It’s the iron oxide that gives the Mexican fire opal its distinctive brilliant flame-like colors of yellow, orange, and red. The three most important attributes of the fire opal are body colors, transparency, and play of color (differing colors when viewed from various angles). The greater the play of color, the more precious the gemstone. Because most opals are not faceted, they are generally displayed in the cabochon form. However, since fire opals are often found naturally faceted, they can be cut, polished, and mounted as cabochons or faceted stones.

Opal is the lucky stone of those born under the Aries sign and it is the birthstone of Libras. For those of us fortunate retirees in Vallarta that happen to be Libras, we’re able to obtain these spectacular birthstones virtually in our “back yard”. For those of you visiting Vallarta and just want to possess one of these prized gemstones, there are numerous fine jewelry stores in town; a number of which specialize in Mexican fire opals.

Now that you have a better appreciation for fire opals and where they come from, you’ll have one more reason for visiting and or retiring in Puerto Vallarta; the most magnificent resort destination on the Mexican Riviera, where brilliant fiery sunsets and opals abound.

Jim Scherrer has owned property in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for 25 years and resided there for the past eleven years. The mission of his series of 45 articles pertaining to retirement in Puerto Vallarta is to reveal the recent changes that have occurred in Vallarta while dispelling the misconceptions about living conditions in Mexico. For the full series of articles regarding travel to and retirement in Vallarta as well as pertinent Puerto Vallarta links, please visit us at Puerto Vallarta Real Estate Buyers‘ Agents and click on ARTICLES.

Mexico Cancun Resort – The Finest Place To Spend Your Vacation

The city of Cancun is a complete combination of nature and history. Cancun is one of the most beautiful and attractive place in the Mexico and in the world. This is city is surrounded by turquoise blue sea and intricate jungle, with some of the finest white sand covering. All these features make this place a paradise on Earth.The city of Cancun comprises two parts, first one is the downtown Cancun and the other one is the hotel zone. The area of Cancun in which you will probably find big merchants is the downtown Cancun. While on the other hand the hotel zone is a completely different place. World’s most renowned hotels and Mexico Cancun Resorts are located in hotel zone. This part of Cancun offers a mixture of nightlife and dining spots.When we talk about tourists spots, the city of Cancun has lot to offer for tourists. Its shape like an island, mild climate, warm and sandy beaches has everything which is required to attract tourists. The hotel zone which can also be called as heart of the city of Cancun comprises many hotel and Mexico Cancun resorts which have lot to offer. These resorts offer access to dynamic, exciting and beautiful world of Cancun to the people from every of life. Mexico Cancun resorts are pure demonstration of nature, beauty and cheerful life. These resorts are highly renowned for their architecture, scenery, attractions and entertainment. This place is not only for families but honeymooners, partygoers and even corporate executives from all across the globe can find this place very attractive. Another attractive feature of these resorts is that they provide dazzling views of blue Caribbean water and white sand beaches.Mexico Cancun resorts are also famous for its nightlife which is highly alive and attractive. World’s most famous chefs offer their services and provide high quality foods to the tourists. Along with the food people also enjoys large discotheques. There are many famous and attractive hotels and resorts are located in Cancun. Listed below are some of the most attractive Mexico Cancun Resorts:• ME By Melia Cancun• Hyatt Regency Cancun• Aqua Cancun• La Blan Spa Resort• Hilton Cancun Golf & Spa Resort• The Ritz-Carlton, Cancun• Royal Solaris Cancun• JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa• Riu Palace Las Americas• Le Meridien Cancun Resort & SpaThe city of Cancun has everything to offer. With all the above mentioned features and attractions this place can easily attract any type of traveler. This place is a must see place for all people around the world. This place has something you must not miss; you can even visit this place with out any reason.

Discover How People Spend Their Vacation With Ease & Comfort At Mexico Cancun Resort. Read More About Mexico Cancun Resort HERE.

DO NOT GO THERE – Places not to travel to, due to pollution, dangers, crime

Do not go there!

Polution, crime and long lines. A new guide book made by Peter Greenberg guides you away from the worst travel destinations on the earth.

Places you very well can avoid is listed up by Mr. Greenberg, and also lists up the airports you should avoid and at what times it is wise to visit sights around the world. A handy little guide, with some other perspective than other travel guides available to you.

Go there in the winter: According to Greenberg the lines at the Eiffeil tower in Paris is worst in the summer (big surprise?). He recommends of course to visit the sights in Paris in November and December months.

The internet is full of travel tips sites and guides that tells you were to go and what to see. An example of a travel guide is TripAdvisor

However, now there is a guide book available to you that tell you where you should not travel and make sure travelers stay away from these places.

The author calls his guide book; «Don’t go there!» And is listing up places not to go to and should avoid and at times you should avoid some places.

Here you will find a good overview of travel destinations that at first glance looks exotic and exiting, but be aware that some of these places can have surprises you would like to stay away from.

The guide book lists up the worst airports in the world and common tourist traps in addition to cover topics like pollution, crime and the worst environmental sinners.

Stinking beaches and hazardous roads have also been covered by the investigative traveler.

Several cruise ships are mentioned as not having acceptable sanitary conditions, lack of food hygiene and falsification of discharge logs.

You will in addition to advices get anecdotes about places you should avoid visiting.

For example the increased pollution in Delhi in India is caused by the increasing care sales amongst the normal people since a Indian car like Nano is sold for around 2500 USD which more people can afford in today’s India. The paradox is that some of the new cars pollute more than the older models according to what is written in the book.

The air in Calcutta is so bad that the police has to carry oxygen tanks with them., so you would not like to go for a walk and sightseeing there, unless you are a heavy smoker and do not mind to get some extra chemicals down your throat.New York is a splendid city to visit, but be aware that statistically there will be a hurricane in the Big Apple soon. According to the guide book from Greenberg, the geography tells that the east coast of U.S.A is vulnerable to hurricanes and big storms, and big storms come on a regular basis to these areas through the last 100 years. The last big event was back in 1938, so watch out now.

In Pattaya polluted sanitary water is dumped into the ocean from large apartment complexes. The authorities made a law that complexes larger than 60 units should clean up their waste water before dumping it into the ocean. However, the entrepreneurs just found out to save costs they build complexes with 59 units in them and can therefore continue to dump sewage into the beach waters.

In the U.S.A you can visit the garlic capital called Gilroy in California, which is Americas arm pit. Battle Mountain in Nevada and the largest hand made well in Greensburg in Kansas, or maybe not.

First of all, this is a guide book for the normal tourist, which needs some guidance to avoid the tourist traps, and not avoid places were your health is at risk.

Here is a summary of destinations that Greenberg categorize as the worst candidates within their category.

Worst airports

• Sheremetevo in Moscow – corruption, lines, lousy service, dirty and depressive. Make sure you have dollars and toilet paper with you before you arrive here. There are no alternatives as the other 3 airports in Moscow are equally bad.

• Ninoy Aquino in Manila – taxi-mafia, corruption and general incompetence, but there is an alternative in Clark International which is newer.

• Leopold in Dakar –Do not spend to long time here, it’s dangerous as criminals rule the area in and around the airport and usually luggage gets lost here. There are no alternatives.

• Charles de Gaulle in Paris – smell, arrogance, and long lines combined with lack of logistics which is deemed to be the worst. Alternatives would be Paris-Orly or Paris-Beauvais• Congonhas in São Paulo – is one of the most dangerous airports in the world due to safety of flights due to short runway and the state of it. There are no real alternatives as Guarulhos is to busy.

Pollution

• Tianying, China – an industrial city with lots of lead and heavy metals in the food. • Chongqing, China – crowded coal and steel city with an invisible sky line.

• Cairo, Egypt – 2,1 percent of the deaths are caused by air pollution and the city is full of industry.

• Delhi, India –the second largest polluted city in the world due to lots of traffic and lots of cheap cars which pollutes lots.

• Calcutta, India – 70 percent of the people there has asthmatic problems or lounge problems in one way or another. And the police use oxygen tanks.

 Windsor, Canada – is called North Americas most polluted city due to wind carried polluted air from Detroit.

• Mexico City, Mexico – lies in a pot with lots of ozone and particles in the air. The city is encapsulated by smog at all time.

 Polluted waters

• Pattaya, Thailand – once it was a beautiful beach, but now the growing population pumps out pure sewage into the beach waters.

• Aral lake, Uzbekistan – dehydration causing death of fishes, salt and pure drinking water causes lots of diseases.

• King-river, Australia – dumping ground for copper mines, and all animal life is gone in parts of the river.

• Bangladesh – salt water destroys the drinking water and agriculture along the coast line pollutes a lot. There is a high content of arsenic in the water further inland.

• Jakarta, Indonesia – The large drinking water source is polluted due to large activity of chemical treatment of textiles in the area.

• Sarno-elva, Italy – Heavy metal pollution which pollutes rivers running into the Naples bay. Toxins and radio activity

• Bhopal, India – A big accident in 1984 which still brings heavy smell close to the old factory there.

• Tsjernobyl, Ukraine – A known history of tragedy which is now used for extreme tourism as guided tours are given there. Do not risk this, stay away from there. • Dzerzjinsk, Russia – Fabrication of chemical weapons during the cold war and lots of remnants can be found in the region still.

• Kabwe, Zambia – lead exploitation up till 1994 and we can still find dangerous metals in the earth and waters.

• La Oroya, Peru – This place is full of heavy metals due to the industry in this area. • Linfen, China – is amongst the worst places in China and that tells you the most you need to know. Bring oxygen and water before you enter this area of the world.

Smelling places

• Taean, South-Korea – oil spill in 2007 makes the place smell terrible even today. • Rotorua, New Zealand – Geothermal activity makes the whole city smell sulfur, so do not plan to dress up in your finest clothes or taste good food and wine here.

• Naples, Italy – Very bad handling of garbage makes the trip to Vesuvius and the ruins not worth the trip.

• Dharavi-slum, Mumbai, India –a rapid growing slum with open sewage and terrible sanitary conditions.

 Most tourist traffic

• New York – worst before Christmas and new years eve as well as during Thanksgiving.  Expensive hotels and crowded city makes it a nightmare for most of us. Its best going there between January and March or when the locals have long weekends in the summer and escape the city.

• Disney World, Florida – endless lines in school holidays, Christmas, easter, spring break and 4th of July. An advice is to go there on a Tuesday and first go to Magic Kingdom, then Epcot followed by Hollywood Studios and last Animal Kingdom.

• Grand Canyon – worst to visit during the normal weekdays since excursions and tours makes up most of the traffic and are found to be on these days. Its best to go there in October or early in the spring.

• Eiffel tower, Paris – very bad in the period between May and September and longest lines in the summer months. Its best to go there in November and December as lines are better at that time. Try to go there in the weeks following Thanksgiving and New-year.

• Louvre, Paris –weekends are worst, especially in the summer and in vacations. It is best to go there in the middle of the week or late on Fridays, after 20:00 as its open till 22:00 in Fridays.

• Ayers Rock, Australia – Populated on the look out points at sun rise and sunset. Its best to go there in February, April or December.

• Great Barrier Reef, Australia – 1,8 million of visitors per year by boat, semi-subs or helicopters. Its best not to visit at all, rather try Lord Howe Island or Dunk Island which is more or less identical and much less people. • Pyramides in Giza, Egypt – most popular between October and April months and when its not hot. You should go there as early in the morning as possible at around 5:00 o clock and look at the pyramids in the sunrise. It makes the objects much more photogenic and less people around you as well. Rent a driver that collects you and ride into the sunrise in the morning.

• The Chinese Wall – Big crowds year around and the tourists comes around 09:00, come there before this, and you can be almost alone on the wall, and enjoy this architecture alone.

Crime and dangers

• Yemen – has a bad reputation with kidnapping of westerners, and do not ever drive a car there.

• Tijuana, Mexico – drug cartels dealing with kidnapping and shootouts; take care of your money.

• São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – violence and corruption combined with dangers of being robbed and shot at. • Johannesburg, South-Africa –not as bad as its reputation, but still lots of violence, robberies and rapes in the streets.

• Kingston, Jamaica – increasing crime in areas outside the tourist hotels.

• Port-au-Prince, Haiti – kidnapping and other types of crimes are common here. Foreign airliners personnel never leave the airport when they have to stay here.

Mexico’s Day of the Dead

No discussion of Mexico can be accomplished without bringing up the acclaimed Day of the Dead. Most Americans are familiar with this holiday in Mexico as it is portrayed in the various cinema horror movies however nothing could be further from the truth.The early Spanish Conquistadors that landed in Mexico were very amazed at a native practice which appeared to mock the concept of death. This was a practice that had been followed for at least 3000 years.Although the Spanish attempted to eradicate this ancient custom they had no luck what-so-ever in doing away with it. This ritual is commonly known as the Día de los Muertos, or in English as the Day of the Dead. This ritual has prompt celebrations all around the country of Mexico and is enjoyed by both the young and the old. Although the catholic theology has attempted to merge the ideas of the Dia de los Muertos with the mainstream religion it still maintains its basic principles of it’s Aztec roots with its use of skulls and associated paraphernalia.A visit to Mexico during the month of November will reveal people donning various wooden skull masks commonly known as calacas and you can readily see these people dancing in honor of their relatives which have past on. Many homes have altars created within and these wooden skulls will ultimately end up being placed upon them as a dedication to these dead ancestors. To watch these activities is truly an interesting experience. Sugar skulls inscribed with the names of the various dead relatives upon the forehead are literally eaten by one of the relatives.The Aztecs kept human skulls as a sort of trophy and would display them during these rituals. These skulls symbolized both death and rebirth combined. The human skulls honored the dead which the Aztecs believed would come back during the month long celebration to visit the deceased family. Interestingly, unlike the conquering Spanish who generally viewed death as life’s final end the Aztec natives viewed the situation as a continuation of our present life. Therefore, instead of developing a fear of death the natives embraced it to the fullest. Their philosophy was that our present life was merely a dream and only when we experience death did we become truly awake.Needless to say the Spaniards considered this death ritual as sacrilegious and perceived the Aztecs as pagan and barbaric. During their attempts to convert the natives to their religion they made every effort they could to crush the beliefs in this ritual. However the Aztec belief simply refused to go away and continued to our present day. Today this celebration is honored on the Christian day known as All Saints’ Day or All Souls’ Day which is the first of November. If you plan to visit Mexico during these days you owe it to yourself to view these interesting and colorful festivals.If you would like more information and travel links, visit our Travel Directory at http://vacationsurfer.net/This article brought to you by http://akumalvacation.com/