Mexico: Immigration Requirements

If you’re planning a visit Mexico and don’t know if you need to apply for a visa, or what documents you’ll need to bring, here are some tips I hope you’ll find useful:

Citizens of the following countries don’t need a visa to visit Mexico:

Andorra, Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bahamas, Bulgaria, Canada, Cyprus, South Korea, Costa Rica, Denmark, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, USA, Estonia, Finland, France, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Netherlands, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, San Marino, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Uruguay and Venezuela.

People from these countries only need to show their passport and the immigration form they can get at a travel agency or airline, or simply on arrival in Mexico, which will classify them as either a tourist, business visitor, or transmigrant.

On entering Mexico, visitors may be asked to produce documents showing financial solvency and their return ticket to their country.

Those from countries not on the list will need a visa to enter Mexico, which can be applied for at the Mexican consulate in their country, where information on requirements will also be available.

Source: Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Long-Awaited Oasis of the Seas

The name on everyone’s lips is Oasis of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, part of the famous Royal Caribbean line.

Like I’ve said before: cruises aren’t my thing, but seeing Oasis of the Seas almost had me going to get my bags ready to climb aboard. Of course I’ll have to save up first. I’m looking into just what one of these cruises costs, and I’ll post the details as soon as I have them.

This is a BOAT – 361 meters long, displacing 225 thousand tons of water, with 16 decks, 2769 cabins and capacity for close to 6300 passengers plus over 2 thousand crew members... awesome!

And besides all that, it has never-ending leisure, sport and fun areas, like a basketball court, an ice rink, a shopping mall (surely with top brand stores), restaurants, bars, a casino, a gym, a spa, children’s entertainment areas, the largest swimming pool on any boat, a theater, a giant park called Central Park, which they say has over 12 thousand real plants and trees, a climbing wall, a panoramic jacuzzi, and it just goes on and on.

As this idea of the immensity of the ship sinks in, what comes to mind is: I’d definitely get lost. But that doesn’t happen on the Oasis of the Seas, thanks to a sophisticated big-screen system in the halls that helps passengers easily get their bearings.

My conclusion: I think it’s time for me to overcome my fears and finally take a cruise, but I want it to be this one. What do you think? Good idea?

Day of the Dead in México

The celebrations around Day of the Dead, principally in Latin American countries where there is or has been a significant indigenous presence, are fascinating because Catholic traditions have combined with indigenous ones along a common thread: the remembrance of those that have passed.

In our country, these celebrations have become more and more visible over the past twenty years, and now it's common to find altars and offerings in places where the tradition didn't use to exist, were it was celebrated only by recent arrivals from the countryside, or where the tradition was on its way to extinction as a result of the commercial and cultural onslaught of Halloween, that day so poorly understood both in Mexico and among our neighbors to the north.

The celebrations around the Day of the Dead have traditionally had a very particular set of characteristics. The celebration has revolved around a visit to the cemetery to bring flowers to deceased relatives, arrange their resting places and, in some cases, have a meal in their presence. And in their houses, townspeople have offered family and friends cajeta made from sweet potato, walnuts or guava on aniseed bread or the special bread known as muertitos.

Another tradition has been the offerings and altars for the deceased. These have always been very serious and sober. The typical altar has had a purple altar cloth, a crucifix, a photo of the deceased loved one, several of his or her most prized possessions, water, salt, and a sprinkling of straw.

The closest thing to how the Day of the Dead is celebrated today are the traditions of the municipalities near the state of Michoacán and in the few indigenous communities in our state. There has also been a notable influence on today's celebrations by the large numbers of people who have come to live in Guanajuato from Oaxaca, Veracruz and Tamaulipas, specifically to work at the Pemex oil refinery in the city of Salamanca from the mid '60s to the mid '70s. These relatively recent arrivals brought their recipes and their particular styles of offerings.

Some parts of Mexico are known for their elaborate offerings on the Day of the Dead. Guanajuato is known for its amazing craftwork: alfeñique sugar figures and all kinds of handmade toys and curiosities.

About me and my Traveler Tips

I created this blog to share my experiences as a traveler, who is one of my greatest pleasures in life.

Every time I plan a trip, compare prices, situations and try to find the best options for my budget and interests, and now I want people who love to travel, as I know them and perhaps serve them something.

I have been fortunate to visit many countries and meeting its people and its monuments and increasingly know more in this wonderful world of travel.