Mexico Travel Guide
6/18/2008 at 9:00 AM
Tags: Celeb Travel, John Mayer, Jennifer Aniston, Joe Francis, Girls Gone Wild, Ashley Alexandra Dupre (all tags)
So John Mayer and his latest celebrity conquest, Jennifer Aniston, have been on vacation this week trying--and failing--to stay out of the long-range eye of the paparazzi. Their latest shelter isn't a Four Seasons or remote mountain cabin: It's the Mexican home of "Girls Gone Wild" founder Joe Francis, recently released from prison, indicted for tax evasion and cited for capturing before-she-was-famous footage of Spitzer ladyfriend Ashley Alexandra Dupre.
We have to admit, Francis does have a sweet pad called Casa Aramara--Aniston even vacationed with previous boyfriend Vince Vaughn there.
We don't know if Francis was around to receive his famous guests, but it's hard to imagine staying at the House That Wild Girls Built without at least something sketchy happening. Budget travelers covet the open invite of a friend with an extra room or a couch, but there's always a trade-off: Do you have any host- or hostess-of-horror stories?
Related Stories:
· Jen and John Gone Wild [Faded Youth Blog]
· Jessica Simpson and John Mayer Fake It at the Four Seasons [HC]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: These Boots Are Made for Stalking]
by egw
6/13/2008 at 10:30 AM
Tags: LCCs, Low Cost Carriers, Viva Aerobus, Airline Fees (all tags)
Finally, an airline that's dealing with baggage and fuel costs in a creative way. Being in its early start-up days, new Mexican LCC Viva Aerobus is presumably in even greater need of revenue than the competition, but the carrier has figured out a more humane way to help the bottom line.
Viva Aerobus is tackling the problem by, as they put it, giving discounts to "light" passengers. That doesn't mean, as we first wondered, that you have to step on the scales. It simply means that if you are traveling without checked baggage, you can get a $10 discount on your fare.
Sure, this probably means they've increased their fares elsewhere, but isn't it so much nicer for some passengers to get a discount than for a whole bunch of passengers to have to pay an extra fee?
Related Stories:
· Viva Aerobus Will Offer Discounts to "Light" Passengers [Peanuts]
· Viva Aerobus Update: "Madness" in Austin [Jaunted]
· New Airlines: Que Onda, Viva Aerobus? [Jaunted]
[Photo: Charlie_tj]
by amandak
5/30/2008 at 4:15 PM
Tags: Drugs, Crime, Drug Travel, Dangerous Travel (all tags)
Looks like shark attacks aren't the only thing travelers have to fear when visiting Mexico. The country has been caught in a deadly war with drug traffickers for nearly two years now.
Thousands of people have died and much of the country has descended into complete and utter lawlessness as drug cartels battle the police. The situation South of the Border has gotten so bad, that yesterday Mexican President Felipe Calderon appealed to the United States to do more to help him fight the drug gangs. He says the "American narcotics market is the biggest in the world" and fuels much of the violence and chaos in his country.
Traditional Mexican tourism may soon have to be replaced with drug war adventure trips. This week, Time gave us an idea of what that might look like with a "Postcard From Culiacan." Writer Ioan Grillo visited Sinaloa, the "cradle of Mexico's narco-trafficking industry" and found churches with shrines dedicated to drug dealers, ornamental opium poppies and stores advertising "Mafia clothes" that sell gold chains and alligator boots to young thugs. Sounds killer!
Related Stories:
· Mexico's Drug War Goes "Behind Enemy Lines" [Time]
· Mexico's Drug Wars Have Cost Thousands of Lives [Houston Chronicle]
· Mexican President Says US Must Help [Houston Chronicle]
· Mexico Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Time]
by Hunter Walker
5/27/2008 at 12:00 PM
Tags: Sharks, Animals, Killer Beaches 2008, Beaches, Dangerous Travel, Killer-Beaches-2008 (all tags)
Zihuatanejo, Mexico is the latest spot that's earned a place on our Killer Beaches Map, after yet another shark attack this month. The latest cost an American surfer his thumb, but he was lucky to escape with his life: Two other surfers, one from Mexico and one from the States, were both fatally attacked in the same area earlier this year.
Environmental experts don't have an explanation for the growing shark problem, as Zihuatanejo hasn't traditionally been known for attacks. One government official says climate change may be the culprit while another says atypical ocean currents bringing giant squid to the area may be a factor.
While the beaches in Zihuatanejo haven't been closed, people are being warned against getting in the water. If you're hoping to wait out the trouble, we'd suggest doing it at one of these nice hotels.
Related Stories:
· Shark Bites US Surfer off Mexico Coast [AP, via Google]
· Zihuatanejo Hotel Guide [HC]
· Killer Beaches 2008 Map [Jaunted]
[Photo: Kevin Briody]
by pbb
5/16/2008 at 10:30 AM
Tags: Television Travel, Gossip Girl, TV Travel, Blake Lively, Celeb Travel, Penn Badgley (all tags)
They may be so over as of this week's "Gossip Girl," but co-stars Penn Badgley and Blake Lively are nothing like bitter exes in real life--they recently took a vacation together to the Paraiso de la Bonita on the Riviera Maya, where they smooched in the pool like Dan and Georgina in Queens.
The much-bandied-about fact that Badgley and Lively were once home-schooled together is not the only thing that makes this photo creepy.
If you're worried about going into "Gossip Girl" withdrawal after next week's season finale, mark August 8 on your calendar and catch Lively in "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2," a flick about four best friends in the 'burbs whose preceding film she made long before the CW got her. It also costars former Gilmore Girl Alexis Bledel, Amber "Joan of Arcadia" Tamblyn and America Ferrera of "Ugly Betty"--a veritable television Who's Who.
Related Stories:
· Spotted: G. Making New Friends in First Class on VA [Jaunted]
· Gossip Girl coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Egotastic!]
by egw
5/05/2008 at 11:01 AM
Tags: Cinco de Mayo, UNESCO, World Heritage Sites, Food Travel, Google Maps (all tags)
¡Oye, Cinco de Mayo! We're already three micheladas deep, but we thought you'd wanna know why everyone's pounding Mexican beer today. The fifth of May is the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla, an epic fight between the Mexican army and the French expeditionary forces of Napoleon. The Mexicans, led by Ignacio Zaragoza, won, which is why it's a day worth remembering.
Interestingly, the Poblanos were French sympathizers, which led to an nominative bitch slap when the city's name was officially changed to Heróica Puebla de Zaragoza after the battle.
These days, Puebla is an important cultural capital, in south-central Mexico. Its historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the city's home to some of the country's most famous dishes like mole poblano and chalupas. Also worth a try is the cemita, a huge sandwich served on a sesame roll that's sort of like a Mexican muffaletta. Trust us: It'll go down easy with a ton of frosty beer.
Related Stories:
· Mexico Travel coverage [Jaunted]
· World Heritage Sites coverage [Jaunted]
· Google Maps/Where Is... coverage [Jaunted]
by pbb
5/01/2008 at 1:45 PM
Tags: Buses, Public Transportation, Tipping, Scary Clowns (all tags)
Does the guy or gal who spots you running to the bus stop deserve a little somethin' extra for holding the door open for you? Drivers of peseros, or microbuses, in Mexico City are demanding a little gratuity on top of the two-peso ($0.20) tickets to pay for gas and other repairs.
Fare hikes were applied to the local public transit system, but they only applied to the newest buses, leaving drivers of older, less environmentally sensitive vehicles in the lurch. Hence at least part of the reason for the extra fees.
If you wanna avoid the debate between 15 and 20 percent, just make room for taxi fares in your budget if you're traveling to Mexico City. The clowns alone ensure a very scary ride.
Related Stories:
· Mexican Bus Drivers Want Tips Despite Harrowing Rides [AP, via Yahoo]
· Buses coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: AP]
by egw
4/24/2008 at 3:45 PM
Tags: New Airlines, LCCs, Low Cost Carriers, Viva Aerobus (all tags)
Low cost carriers in the US may be imploding like it's going outta style, but in Mexico, Viva Aerobus is doing just fine. Maybe that's thanks to its fine pedigree? The Ryan family of Ireland has a hand in the bare-bones airline. (Yep, that Ryan family.)
The Viva Aerobus is expanding into the US on May 1, with service to Austin, Texas. Right now, the carrier's route network is strictly domestic, with priced-to-sell tickets like Monterrey to Zihuatanejo for $120 all-in. There are lots more routes offering those same promo fares, too.
True to LCC form, you won't be getting any massage chairs or glasses of champagne with those tickets. Still, for a few pesos more, we'd rather fly across Mexico than endure yet another epic Latin American bus ride.
Related Stories:
· Viva Aerobus [Official Site]
· Discount Mexican Airline Hopes Its Formula Flies [Austin A-S]
· LCCs coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Charlie_tj]
by pbb
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