Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people. - Eleanor Roosevelt



Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Internet Access en Mexico, so far.

I finally have a decent internet connection available to me in the comfort of my hotel room! So I can at least write something to let readers who only get news about me through my blog while I'm out of town know I'm still alive and still have my blog going!

A good enough internet connection is obviously difficult to come by when you're a tourist here, as not all hotels offer convenient, or fast enough internet access. I haven't tried internet cafes, but they are available if you can find them... I never tried, as I only really need internet access back at the hotel.

In Guadalajara, I've stayed at two hotels: Meson Ejecutivo and El Tapatio.

Meson Ejecutivo offered Hotspot services in the rooms for fees that incorporate minute increments. It also offered free wireless internet access that was pretty speedy in the lobby and restaurant, also through Hotspot. It also had a "business center" on its 2nd floor, where there are two computers available with internet access, though I found the internet in/on there to be extremely slow. The keyboards in there are Spanish version keyboards, and make it difficult to type certain things like smiley faces, or even question marks until you figure out that one of the "alt" keys is marked differently, and that's what allows you to use that question mark you can see, but can't seem to type.

At El Tapatio, the internet access is free and available in the rooms through two wireless networks. It was slow for me, however, as the signal strength was "very low" in my room. Once I took my laptop out on the balcony the signal strength improved to "very good".

In Mexico City, our hotel was a little primitive with its computer and internet access. At the Tulip Inn Ritz, there was only ONE computer in the lobby that limits users to only five minutes, with extremely S-L-O-W internet (making the five-minute time limit ridiculous), and a worn out Spanish version keyboard, with most of the keys blank... you have to know keyboarding on this one. You can use your laptop down in the lobby, but only after you buy an internet card from 7-Eleven for something like 50 pesos, which starts at 100 minutes, or 15 days, and isn't even for wireless internet! The good news is, you can use that card to have internet access in your room, as well. It was ridiculous for our purpose, since we were only staying in Mexico City two nights, and would only need internet access for perhaps five hours at the most, and I'm really stretching it quite a bit.

There are more visible internet cafes in MC than in Guadalajara, but I still don't know much about them.

So, these are some of the reasons making my travel blogging thing a near impossibility for me. I am recording everything I possibly can on the digital voice recorder I bought especially for this trip, and that will help a lot in writing everything like it's fresh later on when I have time and a good internet connection.

In the meantime, Mexico is a great place rich with flavor, culture and history. I cannot wait to start writing about my experiences as they have been absolutely amazing, and I can't wait to let people know the real Mexico, and to stop if they already are getting their ideas about this country through movies and ignorant sources.

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