Travelling to Mexico with booze...

August 13, 2006 10:22 PM

Tips and advice on packing snacks/booze for a trip to Mexico...

My wife and I are heading to Mexico in November. Three days in Merida/Chichen Itza and four days near Coba. I'd like to not be dependent on the hotels for our evening cocktails and so would be interested in travelling with a bottle or two of booze, etc.. Any advice/tips/cautionary advice/recipes for someone who likes to be prepared? I'd prefer not to stock up in Mexico unles someone knows of a place directly en route from the airport to the toll road.

posted by docpops to Travel & Transportation around Mexico (6 answers total)

Bring a water filter, and don't brush your teeth with anything but filtered, bottled, or boiled water... unless you just want to get the shits.

Meat there does not have to be to "grade A" standards...

Ummmm, booze, I'd drink mexican booze anyday (especially tequila), but be advised, they do wash and re-use beer bottles, so you might prefer cans. I wouldn't be afraid of the alcohol so much as the water.

You told your doctor about your trip and got the appropriate vaccinations? Also, along the same lines, your doctor can also give you a precationary prescription for travel diarreah, just in case you forget and drink some bad water. It'll keep you from a very uncomfortable trip home. It is not really healthy to take something like this if you're home, as our bodies are pretty smart, and doing something ultimately good by flushing out your system, but it is not very fun if you have a long trip home, right? I strongly encourage finding out about and getting this prescription, as many, many people I know have gotten sick there.

As for the rest, good luck, and don't be too afraid to enjoy the local food. Bringing familiar snacks isn't a bad idea.

Good snacks for trips, in my very humble opinion:

Peanut butter, granola bars, trail mix, bagels, fruit snacks, cheezeits, crackers (triscuts/ wheat thins are a good choice), dried fruit, nuts, lunchables (may need to be cold), tortilla chips, pita bread (I haven't mentioned actual bread because it is my experience that on trips, it often gets smushed), the scoop tortilla chips (keep you from having to put salsa in a bowl)

If you can keep it cold: V8, fruit bowls, go-gurt, cheeze, baby carrots and squeeze ranch dressing (so you can squeeze it on the carrots individually), ham cubes (goes well with the crackers and cheese), Jelly, hummus, salsa

If you have a microwave: ramen noodles/ insta-soup mixes, canned beans (in case you need some real food/ protein and are scared of the meat), anything else you can think of...
if you buy bottled water there, it'll probably be fine.

Remember to bring something to heat this stuff in if you are going to have a microwave. Actually, since I'm not sure of the likelyness of a microwave, you could bring one of those self heating pots (remember for electronics to get plug adapters). A self heating pot could boil water too.

Obviously, bringing all this stuff would make your suitcases rather over-packed, so, you know, it's just a bunch of ideas, take what you like if anything. Hope you guys have fun!
posted by Summer1158 at 11:38 PM on August 13, 2006

Buy your booze at Duty Free at the airport when you leave then you won't have any problems.

If for whatever reason that doesn't float your boat, there're plenty of big box places round Merida to go to buy booze (CostCo (flash), Walmart, etc - in Spanish). Selection will be similar but more limited to that in the US with more tequila, obviously. Or any local shop near your hotel will be able to kit you out.
posted by TrashyRambo at 4:58 AM on August 14, 2006

I've been to that part of Mexico...it's beautiful. Don't worry too much about getting sick from the water or food, unless you already have a seriously oversensitive tummy. And I don't know that vaccinations are necessary for that part of Mexico, either, unless you're going camping in the jungle. Don't count on finding a microwave.

You'll be able to buy tequila cheaper there than here. Whisky is a lot more expensive, though. But there are big supermarkets on the main highways -- I wouldn't worry too much about stocking up beforehand.
posted by desuetude at 6:31 AM on August 14, 2006

TrashyRambo and desuetude are right - you're going to Mexico, not the Himalayas. There will be lots of places to shop and stock up.

Don't worry too much about the water... just do what the Mexicans do: drink bottled water. Washing and brushing your teeth will be fine.

If you're not accustomed to it you may get an upset stomach if you eat from the street vendors. When in doubt eat Subway (identical to the subs here in the US) or opt for vegetarian dishes.
posted by wfrgms at 8:29 AM on August 14, 2006

I spent a several weeks on the road in mexico and never had a problem with washing, brushing my teeth, or even rinsing my mouth with water. I mostly drank bottled water just because I was on the road for much of the time. Only got sick once, at the end of the trip, when a sudden craving for carnitas got the better of me and I snagged two tacos from a street cart.

As others have noted, buying booze from stores in Mexico will generally be cheaper than getting similar booze in the U.S.
posted by casconed at 8:36 AM on August 14, 2006

As others have said, you can get booze almost anywhere (including any supermarket or Wal-Mart) and it's cheaper than in the US.

If by "near Coba" you mean Tulum, you should know there is no electricity on the beach, although many hotels have a generator running for three to four hours every night. If you don't mean Tulum, I really recommend you go there at least for a day -- it's the most beautiful beach I've ever seen.
posted by Penks at 10:59 AM on August 14, 2006