Stephen Hansen asked:


Many active travelers come to Mexico for the Mayan, Aztec, Olmec, ruins. Many come for the beaches of Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, the snorkeling in Cozumel, the Colors of Mexico City, the jungles of Quintana Roo, or perhaps even the rich cooking of the entire country. A number of travelers even come windsurf, whale watch and hike. But not many come to take part in one of Mexico’s greatest gifts, whitewater rafting.

In the state of Veracruz lies the country’s best whitewater rafting destination. Boasting more than 40 rivers that spread across the dynamic terrain in Veracruz, it doesn’t take much to understand why this state would have ideal world-class white water rafting and kayaking. The typical river in Veracruz accents narrow, steep water flow that has a medium to low water volume making rafting and other water sports a challenging and technical experience.

Understanding the demand for more extreme water sports and Mexico’s notable resources to meet that thirst for whitewater rafting, Duende Tours is proud to present its new Whitewater rafting Jalcomulco destination.

Jalcomulco lies between Mexico City and Coastal Veracruz and boasts much more than meets the eye. The quaint village projects a very facile, slow paced way of life where generations of indigenous families have harvested sugar cane and mango crops for generations. But, much like the majority of Mexico, there is a hidden realm of activity only known to those that seek it. Jalcomulco’s prize elements not only exist within the borders of its citizenry, they also extend out into the lush forests, wildlife, incredible biking trails, its very much sought after cliffs and gorges and yes, it’s rivers.

The main attraction for whitewater rafting aficionados borders the city of Jalcomulco; the Antigua River. The river’s class levels range from class II to VI. For your safety and enjoyment, Duende Tours guides will only take you rapids according to your level of experience.

Another important aspect about whitewater rafting in Veracruz coincides with deep jungle biking in the Mayan jungle, and that’s the aesthetic element. The lush slopes surrounding the rapids are certainly something worth appreciating in a land containing flora and fauna unique to only this region of the world.

Ling Tong asked:


Deciding on the best place to vacation in Mexico is a matter of determining where your interests lie and what you want out of this vacation. If you are interested in mainly experiencing the Spanish colonial atmosphere of the country, then the best places to visit are Mexico City, Guadalajera, San Jose de Allende and Oaxaca. In Mexico City, the ultimate way to see all the architecture dating back to the time of the Spaniards and the city monuments is to take the open top bus tour. Museums that tell the story of the country’s history can be found in all four locations.

 

The Baja region of Mexico is home to many resort destinations, such as La Paz, Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. Here you will find miles and miles of sandy beaches and clear blue waters that teem with marine life. Go snorkeling or scuba diving to get a glimpse of the world that exists under these waters. Whales are found in large numbers, which means you can enjoy whale watching as they frolic in the waves. Water sports of all kinds abound and you can stroll throughout the towns to shop at the markets and barter with the vendors for the goods you want to buy. Depending on your interests, you can enjoy playing golf and tennis at many of the resorts or just sit by the side of the pool and relax.

 

The Mexican Riviera is a well-known tourist destination consisting of such destinations as Puerto Vallarta, Ixtapa and Mazatlan. These are all located along the pacific coast of the country. In this region you will really get a feel for the pre-Columbian culture as well as that of the Spanish Conquistadors. Enjoy the many festivals and parades when the streets are filled with music and dancing. Dine on the delicacies of chefs from around the world, visit art galleries displaying works of local artists and see the artifacts on display in the many museums.

 

Try to uncover the mysteries of the Mayan civilization when you visit the locations on the Yucatan Peninsula. Some of the destinations in this region are Cancun, Cozumel, Tulum and Isla Mujeres. In all the locations the resorts are located near the beaches and the sites of historic ruins. Tulum is one of the best destinations if you are interested in visiting ruin sites. Cancun is one of the places with something for everyone. It is the site of Aquaworld’s Jungle Tour, where you can drive yourself or take a guided tour. You can also experience an authentic adventure aboard a replica of a 17th century Spanish galleon. Isla Mujeres is an island off the coast of Cancun and is one of the best dive sites in the ergion. Even if you stay in Cancun, you can take a day trip to this island by ferry. Cozumel is famous for its coral reefs and f5riendly people. It is the one place you must visit if you want to visit wildlife reserves to see animals not seen anywhere else in the world.

Alvin Starkman asked:


Alvin Starkman, M.A., LL.B.

 

It can take as little as 4.5 hours and be traffic and problem free, but just as easily you can be met with congestion and road repairs, extending the trip to six hours or more.  On the other hand you can elect to increase the length of your journey by taking in a few select sites and some interesting scenery, including a snow-capped volcano near Puebla and another peak near the Orizaba / Córdoba cut-off. 

 

The first leg of the trip is from Mexico City to Puebla.  The main problem you will likely face is leaving the nation’s capital, along a thoroughfare known as Zaragoza.  Unless you happen to be starting out very early, or late at night, there will be congestion, so much so that vendors of soft drinks and water, snacks, freezees, and an array of other foodstuffs, will be walking ever so slowly, meandering through the lines of stopped traffic, plying their products.  And therefore, arriving at Puebla can take anywhere from one to three hours, the latter applying particularly during extended rush hours and on the weekends.  The name of the game is patience, plain and simple.  And if you’re picking up a rental car at the airport, ask your attendant to draw a map, and regardless of its quality, at every opportunity ask other motorists and pedestrians how and when to turn onto Zaragoza.  Once on this “highway” your only difficulty will be getting off of it.  To give you an even clearer picture of the congestion on Zaragoza, in 2004, while driving a three ton cub van on the roadway, the police wanted to pull us over (for who knows what reason), the cruiser several vehicles back with siren blaring.  We elected to simply ignore the command and continue, hoping the traffic would never allow the police to catch up and they would eventually give up.  It worked.

 

Virtually the entire roadway from Mexico City to Oaxaca is well-marked and -paved toll road.  Signage is large and clearly lettered.  However, a few key pointers are in order.  You want to be where it says “cuota” and not “libre,” the former being the toll road and the latter the much slower, single lane highway.  “Autopista” is invariably the toll road.  En route to Puebla you’ll see signs directing you to the city, and then from Puebla, the signage will indicate Oaxaca. The highways are either two lanes each way, a lane and a half, or a single lane.  However, custom dictates that cars going slower move to the right and onto the paved shoulder when they see you coming, so regardless of the type of highway, most of the time you should be able to go at the speed to which you are accustomed.  There are, however exceptions as with any rule.  Sometimes, for example, large tractor trailers are too wide to move over enough to let you pass.  But when they see that the roadway ahead is clear, they’ll put on the left-hand signal, telling you it’s okay to pass on the left … assuming you trust them.  A solid center line tends to be suggestive only and you’ll quickly learn that with cars moving over to the right for you, you can pass notwithstanding the solid line … except when there’s a significant curve, peak or valley up ahead.  There are many gas stations along the entire route, most of which now have “The Italian Coffee Company” franchises alongside, with clean washrooms.   Credit cards are generally accepted for filling up, and now as well at the many toll booths … except when the system has broken down. 

 

Leaving Mexico City you’ll pass through a number of stretches of comedors along each side of the highway.  You’ll gradually ascend, through a number of easy curves, leaving the smog of the valley behind.  The scenery is nothing special, but the ease with which you’ll be able to negotiate the curves at a reasonable speed will more than make up for the non-descript landscapes.  The curves and valleys will become more dramatic, to the extent that there will be a red line on the pavement demarcating how vehicles with failing brakes should proceed, leading them off the pavement and onto a roadway ending at a soft a embankment of straw. 

 

You will see at least a couple of exits to downtown Puebla, marked as “Puebla Centro.”  Puebla makes for a great stopover for a day or two, if you’re in no great rush to get to Oaxaca.  It’s large and sprawling, but the downtown core is quaint, small and full of interesting shops, crafts, restaurants and clean, inexpensive hotels.  Within a couple of blocks of the zócalo are good hotels, an extensive pedestrian walkway with many shops, and Los Sapos, a few streets filled with crafts, antiques and collectibles.  Arrive on a weekend and there’s an open air marketplace.  On Sunday there’s an even larger series of temporary stalls selling crafts, plants, etc, two blocks down.  In the same area is the area known as Parián, and the Barrio de Artista, both not to be missed.  Of course there are nearby ruins and other sites, but for a brief stopover it’s the downtown that’s the “must see.”  For a splurge spend the night at Mesón Sacristía (written up in a coffee table book about the 1,000 best inns in The Americas) in Los Sapos.  For economy, stay at Palas or Palace, on 2 Oriente, a block from the zócalo and about four blocks from Los Sapos. 

 

The drive from Puebla to Oaxaca, without stopping other that for a couple of pit stops, takes about three and a half hours.  However, during 2007 and at least well into 2008 there are two or three road construction sites which will slow you down.  Again, be patient, turn off your engine, and see what the vendors have to offer.  And at the toll booths there will be even more offerings, from uniquely Poblano sweets known as camotes, to wholewheat tortillas, to puppies. Two lanes become one and a half, as you approach the turn-off to the right to continue on to Tehuacan and Oaxaca.  You’ll see the breathtaking snow-capped peak as you look ahead towards Orizába (but don’t take that road or you’ll end up in Veracruz).

 

Next there are two recommended stops, unless you also want to spend time at Tehuacan.  The first is at the onyx / marble village of San Antonio Texcala.  Take the second Tehuacan exit (after the Tehuacan toll booth), onto highway 125 leading to Huajuapan.  After 6 km you’ll arrive at the village, with five or more factory outlets where you can by almost anything into which these stones can be shaped — tequila sets, plates, sinks, lamps, tables, bowls, boxes, unicorns, fish, hash pipes, and of course a number of diverse ornaments with religious imagery.  Prices are about half of what you’ll pay elsewhere.

 

Next is the Museo de Agua, or water museum, actually a misnomer because it is so much more.  Take the well-marked next exit after your return to the autopista, for Sangabriel and Chilac.  There will also be signage for the museum. You’ll be given a tour (in Spanish) in the main building, and of the outside surrounding landscapes.  You’ll learn how progress is being made to teach villagers in desolate regions where water is scarce and soil fertility is lacking, to conserve and recycle water; to use compost, worm culture and other techniques to enrich the land; and to grow and market nutritious produce such as amaranth. 

 

In terms of the land and townscapes, near Tehuacan you’ll see long narrow white-topped buildings where poultry is produced and then trucked throughout the state of Puebla and further abroad.  There will be a couple of locations demarcated as stops for tourists to pull over and appreciate and photograph the deep valleys and high mountaintops.  Long well-marked expansion bridges serve to showcase the valleys and mountains.  You’ll pass over a geological fault.  There will be several kilometers of impressive “telephone pole” cactus.  Close to the approach to Oaxaca you’ll see vendors on each side of the highway selling brightly colored miniature wooden trucks. 

 

The last toll booth is called Huitzo.  About 15 – 20 minutes further you’ll approach Oaxaca.  A few minutes after entering the city, you’ll be given two opportunities to turn to the left (one of the signs is difficult to interpret), but unless you’ve been provided with specific instructions to get to your hotel or B & B, and know it’s in a northern suburb, best is to just keep driving straight, eventually entering onto a one-way street which will lead you to the core of the downtown area and the zócalo. 

 

Until 1995 when the toll road opened all the way from the capital to Oaxaca, for much of the route you were required to travel along secondary roads and highways, pretty well doubling the length of the drive.  Now you have the benefit of a much shorter and definitely a safe trip along quality well-marked pavement, with the added feature of the option of getting off the main highway and venturing into some villages to take in additional sites, scenery and local culture. The only cautionary note is to not drive outside of any major urban center, and in particular on the highways or even toll roads, at night, unless absolutely necessary.  Lighting tends to be lacking or insufficient, and laws regarding impaired driving are rarely enforced.

 

Jhye asked:


They are many beautiful places to tour around the globe but Mexico is one of the great countries for a trip. In the sophisticated city of Mexico City, lies an enthralling city unrivalled in few other cities and they offer the stunning ruins of the Atzecs. Spread over Mexico City is numerous museums that display modern and anthropological art. In Mexico the best vacation can be aplenty.

The feverish pitch of soccer in South and Central America is unparalleled anywhere and is the most widespread sports in Mexico. Baseball is also one of the most supported sport activities very much like the United States. Whether you are on the lookout the pure joy of soccer/ baseball or the quiet musing of the art, the best vacation in Mexico provides plenty of sparkle.

Mexico is the second largest destination for golf for United States golf adventurers. Spread over Mexico is the varied and stunning golf courses to please even the most discerning. The town of Cancun, Cozumel and Cabo San Lucas has numerous championship style courses. Golf vacation is a great way to travel to Mexico as they can be done with dedicated travel that provides plenty of golf and partake in the city as well.

Trip to Mexico can be done through a cruise ship that prides themselves in complete luxury and the exhilaration of excursion to the shores. Cruising to Mexico provides the best in luxurious travel as well as getting intimate with the cultural aspects of Mexico. Cruising is one of the best ways to vacation in Mexico.

Sports fishing are one way that drives tourism in Mexico. The country coastlines are so broad that it provides a diverse number of hot spots for sports fishing. Besides big fishes for instant marlin and tuna, you can immerse your time doing bass fishing. El Salto is one great bass fishing lake and plenty of tour operators provide countless bass fishing packages. Fishing can be relaxing in addition to competitive and the simple joy of looking at the scenery plus plenty of catches will enthrall you.

The abundant beaches in Mexico offer sun lovers a fun-filled holiday on the pristine sea off Mexico. Puerto Vallarta is a dream beach vacation as it is located in Bandaras Bay that is the largest bay in Mexico. All kind of activities can be found there including sun bathing, kayaking, jet skiing or para-sailing to water-skiing, horseback riding and wind surfing. Besides that, there are plenty of famous beaches in Mexico.

The best vacation can be found in Mexico and only by putting yourself in the cities and enjoying the activities can you beyond a shadow of doubts knows the significant of a great vacation. The exploration and sun drenched days and mysterious night spend there will arouse your desire to travel.

jamiehanson asked:


People usually imagine of studying various overseas languages, may be its their interest in learning different languages or they may be searching for some great chance abroad. The more the fluency to converse any foreign language, the better and simpler it is to correspond and understand the intentions of the foreigners. But all good things come with hardwork, so if you are interested in learning a foreign language you will naturally need to work hard to become confident in that language. One of the most-popular and vastly spoken language is Spanish among the five other chief spoken languages on the world. Spanish is considered as an authorized language among twenty countries and it is the native language of more than 330 million people. Learning Spanish has a number of benefits as you can effortlessly speak with the locals of Spanish countries, for example if you are a visitor who wants to explore Mexico or any other Spanish Countries, you can enjoy your touring as you are confident with the language and can converse without much trouble, moreoever if you want to start a business in Mexico or if you are on a temporary work permit in Mexico or other Spanish countries, you feel tranquil with the country and perform better and efficiently because of your confidence in Spanish Language. Well in Mexico, you can study Spanish easily and assertively as you find many Foreign Language schools where you can help your self. Learning Spanish at the Queretaro Language School (OLS) is a totally new and special practice in general. QLS provides their students 22 distinct Spanish language courses. The Spanish Language School is only a two hour drive from the Mexico City located in the Centro Historico of the majestic city of Queretaro, Mexico, which is even a UNESCO World Heritage place. Mexico is the best place to enjoy your holidays and studying Spanish in Mexico is amazing. It is quiet simple and trouble-free to study in QLS, the entire course is successfully covered to help you understand the language better so that you can cope up with Spanish effortlessly and quickly. You can easily learn Spanish in Mexico as the Queretaro language school has compliant staff of Spanish language tutors that have a huge knowledge in coaching in Universities there, who assist you to finish the complete Spanish language course most successfully. The classes carried out in QLS are very flexible for individuals and small set of students and these classes are accomplished in Mexican Casona, a traditional ancient downtown of Queretaro in Mexico. Mexico is appreciated for its hospitality as the civilians there prove to be the fantastic hosts, so you feel as if you are learning Spanish in your own warm country, this helps you to concentrate better in learning Spanish language. You get a great help as there are a number of helpers who are ready to answer your traubles. QLS conducts several activities and workshops to familiarize you with the conventional Mexican culture, it even takes you to short trips and excursions nearby Queretaro so that you adjust to the local environment and feel comfortable with the locales there. To change your mind you can drink the freshly brewed coffee whenever you feel like, its fresh fragrance itself refreshes you. There are many more services that Queretaro Language School in Mexico provides you where you can comfortably study Spanish in this type of ultimate friendly environment. So pack your bags and preplan for a comfortable stay in Mexico where you Learn Spanish Language most professionally.