Stranded motorists: police to the rescue

Mexico's police: good apples and bad.

Mexico News Daily | Friday, January 2, 2015

Stories about Mexico’s police aren’t all bad.

A Canadian couple traveling through Mexico in their RV had a mechanical problem near Ciudad Obregón yesterday: a spring broke. But they weren’t stuck for long.

Murray Ruehlen of Campbell River, B.C., said the first help arrived in the form of a young man, who was followed a couple of minutes later by a police vehicle.

One officer got on his cell phone to call a mechanic. Ten minutes later and the mechanic arrives, but he’s not just any mechanic: he works for the police department.
 

Ruehlen had a spare spring, tools and a jack on hand so the mechanic and the young man had the broken spring replaced within an hour. Meanwhile, the police remained on the scene with emergency lights flashing for protection.

The Canadian travelers tipped the two men who did the work and gave the two police officers chocolates and candy for their children — they wouldn’t accept cash.

“Where else but in Mexico!” wrote Ruehlen in a post describing the experience on the page of the Facebook group, On the Road in Mexico.

Mexico News Daily

 

- See more at: http://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/stranded-motorists-police-rescue/#sthash.R8HJEo23.dpuf

Cell Phones in Mexico

 mazatlansource.com

Mexico loves cell phones! There are probably two or three times more cell phones in Mazatlan than regular ‘land-lines’, partly due to the fact the Mexico’s phone system was in a shambles until about a decade ago, the same time that cell phones began to see wide-spread popularity. Many residents, Mexicans and ex-patriots alike simply use a cell phone and don’t have a normal land-line at all.

Whereas most cell phone calling plans in the USA and Canada require a long-term contract and a monthly calling plan, a majority of the cell phone plans here are ‘pay as you go’, which makes it especially attractive to people only spending a few months here or those who don’t have a fixed residential address (such as vacationers who may move from one place to another occasionally). While the monthly calling plans are available here, most choose the pay-as-you-go method, so that is what we’ll cover here.

The most widely-used network is TelCel, followed by MoviStar and USACell. Here in Mazatlan, TelCel seems to have the most towers and best reliability, and also allows you to hear and read important messages from the provider in English (such as warnings when your credit is nearing depletion). There are cell phone stores literally EVERYwhere..inside every supermarket and at least two in each mall, on street corners, in stores literally no wider than an alley. You can buy phones starting at about 300 pesos and running as high several thousand, with as many or as few of the bells and whistles as you like, from manufacturers like Motorola, Nokia, LG, and more.

Purchase of a phone usually comes with some free airtime to get you started, and it’s not unusual to spend 300 pesos for a phone and get 300 pesos in airtime free, hence, a basically free phone. Once you’ve depleted your calling credit, you buy more at any other store and even in many ‘mom-and-pop’ type corner stores all over Mazatlan.

Calling credit is available in 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 peso increments and at various times of the year promotions offer, for example, 450 pesos credit when you purchase 300 pesos worth. The card you purchase for credit has a scratch-off strip (like a lottery ticket) which will reveal a long string of numbers…dial these numbers into your phone (usually preceded by a couple other digits, depending on the provider), hit ‘send’, and listen for the voice telling you you’re credit has been added.

IF YOU ARE BRINGING A CELL PHONE WITH YOU FROM THE USA OR CANADA, you may be able to use your cell phone here for inexpensive calls back home. Check with your provider BEFORE you depart for details. If so, you’ll probably be able to use it here for ‘local’ calls as well, though it’s likely to be expensive.

A Good Season for Canadian Tourists

by Murry Page

31 Mar 14  

mazmessenger.com

 

The Canadian Consular Agent in Mazatlán, Wendy Hardouin, said this season has been an exceptionally good one for tourists from Canada, adding that around 17,000 Canadians will have visited Mazatlán by the time the Canadian tourists return home around April 20.

The Consular Agent said she expects the 2014-2015 season to see even a greater number of Americans and Canadians spending their winter vacations in Mazatlán.

Wendy Hardouin said it is difficult to get an accurate count of the number of Canadian visiting the city, as they arrive not only by air, but land and sea, where obtaining accurate numbers is more difficult. The 17,000 number does not include those arriving in Mazatlán other than by air.

The Canadian Consular Agent also noted that the number of expatriates deciding to retire in Mazatlán is growing. She estimates the number of expatriates living in Mazatlán on a full time basis has increased 25 percent.

(from El Sol de Mazatlán)

Traveling Pet Peeves: Top 3 Worst Things Tourists Do

nonstoptravels.com

Posted October 8, 2013 by Tianna Gratta

When I travel I try my hardest to be a good tourist.

I hate when people enter a country totally blind to the customs and history. I also hate it when people go somewhere and expect things to be the same as home and catered to in the same way as they are used to.

Do you even want to travel or do you just want to go somewhere that looks different but is exactly the same as you are used to? From trapezing all over the world, I have noticed annoying things that other tourists do that drive me nuts.
 

People who are rude when someone doesn’t understand them.

Hello! You are in another country they do not speak your language! How dare you get annoyed at a someone else, whether it be a shop keeper, waiter or any other customer service worker, you are on their turf. I have seen many people (sadly mostly American tourists) begin to shout at someone because they did not understand them. As if speaking louder suddenly makes the person learn another language. I am not saying I learn another language each time I go somewhere. That is nearly impossible. However I do try to learn a few key phrases and at the very least I am polite and friendly when someone doesn’t understand me. I often find myself in a situation where using a few key words in another language, pointing and smiling have gotten me a long way.

People who do not understand that things are just different.

 

When you are traveling you have to learn to roll with the punches.Of course I am used to certain things and when I am home I expect things to go a specific way however when I am travelling a lot of that goes out the window. I get the fact that nothing is the same and I have to realize that how things are done may be different.

For example, never in a million years would I find it acceptable to stay in a hotel in the United States that has no electricity and has a considerable amount of bugs in the room. When I was India I had to deal with this on a constant basis. It is just how things are, complaining about it and getting angry isn’t going to change it. It is all part of the wonders of travel.

 

People who have no respect for the culture of the place they are visiting.

Why would you go some where and not be aware of other people’s customs? When I was in India it was hot every day I wanted to wear tank tops and shorts and although I could have I didn’t. Women don’t dress like me there and doing so would have brought a ton of unwanted attention. I always wore a tunic over everything Plenty of places did not even let you in if you weren’t covered. It is about being aware of the world around you and being respectful to the people in it.

These are just a few things that other tourists do that drive me nuts.

The list could really go one but I feel like these may be the most important ones there are. So just remember where ever you are going whether its down the road or across the world make sure to be the best version of yourself. Open your mind to the possibilities and you will gain so much from each adventure.

Mexico Entry Requirements & Customs

frommers.com

Passports

See www.frommers.com/tips for help obtaining a passport.

Citizens from most countries are required to present a valid passport for entry to Mexico. Citizens from some countries will need a Mexican visa. As of March 1, 2010, all U.S. citizens, including children, have been required to present a valid passport or passport card for travel beyond the "border zone" into Mexico, with the "border zone" defined as an area within 20 to 30km (12-19 miles) of the United States.

All U.S. and Canadian citizens traveling by air or sea to Mexico are required to present a valid passport or other valid travel document to enter or reenter the United States except if returning from a closed-loop cruise. In addition, all travelers, including U.S. and Canadian citizens, attempting to enter the United States by land or sea must have a valid passport or other WHTI compliant document.

Other valid travel documents (known as WHTI-compliant documents) include the new Passport Card and SENTRI, NEXUS, FAST, and the U.S. Coast Guard Mariner Document. Members of the U.S. Armed Forces on active duty traveling on orders are exempt from the passport requirement. U.S. citizens may apply for the limited-use, wallet-size Passport Card, available for a cost of about $40. The card is valid only for land and sea travel between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean region, and Bermuda. Beginning March 1, 2010, the Mexican immigration authorities began to accept the passport card for travel into Mexico by air. However, the card is not valid to board international flights in the U.S. or to return to the U.S. from abroad by air. This card is only available to U.S. citizens. For more details on application restrictions, see www.getyouhome.gov. There is also the new "Global Entry" program for frequent travelers, available at www.globalentry.gov.

From our perspective, it's easiest just to travel with a valid passport. Safeguard your passport in an inconspicuous, inaccessible place, like a money belt, and keep a copy of the critical pages with your passport number in a separate place. If you lose your passport, visit the nearest consulate of your native country as soon as possible for a replacement.

Passport Offices

Australia -- Australian Passport Information Service (tel. 131-232, or visit www.passports.gov.au).

Canada -- Passport Office, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ottawa, ON K1A 0G3 (tel. 800/567-6868; www.ppt.gc.ca).

Ireland -- Passport Office, Setanta Centre, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2 (tel. 01/671-1633; www.foreignaffairs.gov.ie).

New Zealand -- Passports Office, Department of Internal Affairs, 47 Boulcott St., Wellington, 6011 (tel. 0800/225-050 in New Zealand, or 04/474-8100; www.passports.govt.nz).

United Kingdom -- Visit your nearest passport office, major post office, or travel agency or contact the Identity and Passport Service (IPS), 89 Eccleston Sq., London, SW1V 1PN (tel. 0300/222-0000; www.ips.gov.uk).

United States -- To find your regional passport office, check the U.S. Department of State website (www.travel.state.gov/passport) or call the National Passport Information Center (tel. 877/487-2778) for automated information.

Visas

For detailed information regarding visas to Mexico, visit the National Immigration Institute at http://embamex.sre.gob.mx/usa.

American and Canadian tourists are not required to have a visa or a tourist card for stays of 72 hours or less within the border zone (20-30km/12-19 miles from the U.S. border). For travel to Mexico beyond the border zone, all travelers from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the U.K., and the U.S., among others, can get their visas upon arrival. Many other countries require a preapproved visa, although as of May 1, 2010, non-U.S. citizens with valid U.S. visas may enter Mexico with the U.S. visa, and do not have to obtain a Mexican visa. For the latest requirements, please check www.inm.gob.mx/index.php. Once in Mexico, all travelers must be in possession of a tourist card, also called Tourist Migration Form. This document is provided by airlines or by immigration authorities at the country's points of entry. Be careful not to lose this card, as you will be required to surrender it upon departure and you will be fined if you lose it.

Your tourist card is stamped on arrival. If traveling by bus or car, ensure that you obtain such a card at the immigration module located at the border and have it stamped by immigration authorities at the border. If you do not receive a stamped tourist card at the border, ensure that, when you arrive at your destination within Mexico, you immediately go to the closest National Institute of Immigration office, present your bus ticket, and request a tourist card. Travelers who fail to have their tourist card stamped may be fined, detained, or expelled from the country.

An immigration official will determine the number of days you can remain in Mexico. Do not assume that you will be granted the full 180 days. An extension of your stay can be requested for a fee at the National Institute of Immigration of the Ministry of the Interior or its local offices.

If you plan to enter Mexico by car, please read the vehicle's importation requirements.

Note on travel of minors: Mexican law requires that any non-Mexican citizen under the age of 18 departing Mexico without both parents must carry notarized written permission from the parent or guardian who is not traveling with the child to or from Mexico. This permission must include the name of the parent, the name of the child, the name of anyone traveling with the child, and the notarized signature(s) of the absent parent(s). The U.S. Department of State recommends that permission include travel dates, destinations, airlines, and a summary of the circumstances surrounding the travel. The child must be carrying the original letter (not a facsimile or scanned copy), and proof of the parent/child relationship (usually a birth certificate or court document) and an original custody decree, if applicable. Travelers can also contact the Mexican Embassy or closest Mexican Consulate for more current information.

Customs

Mexican Customs inspection has been streamlined. At most points of entry, tourists are requested to press a button in front of what looks like a traffic signal, which alternates on touch between red and green. Green light and you go through without inspection; red light and your luggage or car may be inspected. If you have an unusual amount of luggage or an oversized piece, you may be subject to inspection anyway. Passengers that arrive by air will be required to put their bags through an X-ray machine, and then move to the kiosk and push a button to determine whether their luggage will be selected for any further inspection.

What You Can Bring into Mexico -- When you enter Mexico, Customs officials will be tolerant if you are not carrying illegal drugs or firearms. Tourists are allowed to bring in their personal effects duty-free. A laptop computer, camera equipment, and sports equipment that could feasibly be used during your stay are also allowed. The underlying guideline is: Don't bring anything that looks as if it's meant to be resold in Mexico. Those entering Mexico by air or sea can bring in gifts worth a value of up to $300 duty-free, except alcohol or tobacco products. The website for Mexican Customs (Aduanas) is www.aduanas.sat.gob.mx.

Pointers for Using an ATM Card in Mexico

Written by el codo on December 4, 2013 

apeoplesguidetomexico.com

• Notify your bank well in advance of your travel plans. It is common for a bank to freeze a bank account if withdrawals start occurring in a foreign country.

• In México an ATM is called Cajero Automatico (automatic cashier). Some small town banks do not have a Cajero Automatico. Look for the sign.

• Small towns frequently have too few banks and too few Cajero Automatico machines to serve customers. Long lines and emptied machines are not uncommon. Plan accordingly. Mondays, Fridays, holidays, and the 1^st of the month are often busy times for a Mexican ATM machine.

• Small tourist towns and gringo enclaves are especially taxing on the town’s few ATM machines. If a town has only one bank and lots of tourists you can be sure the Cajero Automatico is going to be strained, and frequently out of money.

• Cajeros Automaticos are bilingual.

• Error messages are quite common in small towns. Don’t be surprised to see your Saldo Disponible (available bank balance) at being $00.00, or Contact Your Bank, or La Red No Disponsible (the network is down). Just go to another Cajero Automatico. If it too whines and complains, the area network is down or electronic traffic to the US  is at a high level. You’ll have to be patient. Go to an Internet cafe and review your available bank balance online. This will reduce your racing heart rate.

• Sunshine can play pure hell on the screen of an ATM machine. The screen on an old ATM machine can have been faded over time. When direct sunshine plays on it, the writing almost disappears. Be careful. If your US bank card service detects too many botched attempts, they may freeze your card.

• Extract your receipt and your ATM card. Occasionally an ATM will deliver fewer pesos than asked for and show a correct number for the amount of pesos delivered. The last time this happened I was given 2,000 pesos instead of 5.000. The receipt showed 2,000, an actual money count showed the machine had delivered 2,000 pesos. A trip to an Internet cafe showed my bank balance had been deducted the equivalent of 2,000 pesos.

• Count your pesos while facing the machine to maintain privacy. Put your money in wallet or purse before turning around. This minimizes interest of curious bystanders.

• Robberies at Cajeros Automaticos occur just like they do in the U.S.A. or for that matter anywhere else in the world. The procedure to minimize ATM foul-play is simple: Conduct your business in daylight. Don’t set yourself up by taking a long, lonely walk after you get money. Use a cab, or make sure your intended route is not deserted.

WHAT TO DO IF THE MACHINE SWALLOWS YOUR CARD

Aren’t you glad you brought a backup ATM card? Go into the bank branch. Point toward the ATM if your Spanish is weak. They’ll get the drift. Next, extract a folded piece of paper out of your wallet. It is a color laser copy of the ATM card that was swallowed. For some reason showing a beautiful image of an ATM card gets the bank personnel into high gear a lot faster. Expect to be told to come back later or even mañana to retrieve your card. Swallowed cards are retrieved much faster from an ATM located inside a bank than a card that was swallowed at a remote ATM.

"FOREIGN COMMUNITY BASEBALL SERIES"

Hello to all ,don´t forget to be a part of the "FOREIGN COMMUNITY BASEBALL SERIES" , this 19, 20 and 21 of november at the venados de mazatlan stadium, with your oficcial ID you will get 3 x 1 tickets

areas: Central general $90 pesos x 3 tickets

             Laterales $45 pesos x 3 tickets

WE WILL COUNT WITH THE PRESENCE OF SECRETARY OF TOURISM DR. FRANCISCO CORDOVA ,LUIS RAMIREZ CONSUL OF U.S AND WENDY HARDOUIN CONSUL OF CANADA !!

NOTE:

-Starting tomorrow at 10 am you can buy your tickets!

-At the time to buy a ticket at the box office, it is not required that the 3 people go to the box office , only one person is ok , presenting official id (passport, license, green card)

-With one ticket ,will enter three persons (no matter if your companion is not foreign)

We look forward to seeing you!

Lic. Génesis Pineda Hernández

Residentes Extranjeros / Foreign Residents
Secretaría de Turismo del Estado de Sinaloa

Av. Del Mar No. 882
Fracc. Tellería
Mazatlán, Sinaloa, México.

Tel. (669) 915 6600  ext.153