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.

you never know where you'll end up next...

And another pleasant surprise has reared its lovely head for me, thanks to my Dad's need for extensive dental work, equal to the cost of a car.

I'm going to Mexico, con mi padre, so that he can get dental implants and crowns done for cheap, and I get to do some much wanted travelling to a foreign place!

As a child my family travelled all over the world. I've been to the United Kingdom, Austria, Germany, Spain, Italy, Morrocco, most of the United States to name the obvious ones, but all of this took place when I was very young. Too young to know where I was, or at least appreciate it.

Up until now, my only experience as a grown up of a place outside of the US borders was going to the US Virgin Island of St. Croix. Mexico is going to be new and different and absolutely awesome.

July 30 is the big day when we fly out to Guadalajara and begin the adventure, which will last through August 8. We're staying in Guadalajara for at least two days, then we'll try to go to Puerto Vallarta for some beach action, and Zacatecas to see the ruins. My Dad and I are both muy excited, and we've been preparing by reading up on the places we plan to visit. We've also been preparing for the obstacle of language... I've been doing a crash course CD of Spanish and it seems easy enough when I can listen to slow speakers, but I'm sure I'll draw a blank when I'm out in the real world. My Dad also got us an electronic Spanish-English translator, and hopefully that will help for the times when I just can't think of the right way to say something as simple as "Is there a restaurant nearby?"

Another purchase we've made for this trip is a digital voice recorder. I've already recorded a piece about our preparations, and plan to have plenty of material so that when I get back, I can start writing about this experience. What makes this trip especially special is that it's my first trip with just my Dad, which will be very interesting. I think it'll be a great bonding experience with my father, who is a lot of times difficult to really get close to. This will be great to get to really know my Dad on an entirely new level.

I'm absolutely psyched for this trip and am really looking forward to being thrown into a different culture and language in what I've found to be referred to as "the most Mexican city", with my father.