Useful Hints during your Stay in México
The Organizers of the IPhO 2009 México welcome you to our country. To help make your stay more comfortable, we have included some basic information that may prove useful during your visit.
Currency and exchange rates
México's monetary unit is the peso. U.S. dollars in cash or traveler's checks can be converted into pesos at banks and money exchange houses (Casas de Cambio). We suggest changing your currency to pesos upon your arrival at the International Airport for best competitive rates. Leading international credit cards are accepted at most hotels and some finer restaurants and shops, but it is best to ask before consuming. Bank hours vary from bank to bank, but in general are from 9:00am until 3:00 pm Monday through Friday. Exchange rates vary so be sure to consult before traveling.
Tipping
Generally, 10-15% is the standard rule for tipping. Porters, bellboys and chambermaids should be tipped about $2-3 USD or $25 pesos. In general, be sure to carry change in pesos.
Telephones
The cost for initiating long-distance phone calls from México is fairly high, in addition to hotels' service charge, so it is best to make collect calls. The number for the international long-distance operator is (090). The country code for México is (52), and the area code for Mérida is (999). So if someone wants to call you they dial your country's international number for dialing México ie. (01), México's country code (52), Mérida's area code (999) and the phone number: (01) 52-999- phone number.
Public phones in México use Ladatel cards that can be purchased in pharmacies, self-service or convenience stores (abarotes, miscelaneas tienditas), newspaper stands and some restaurants, and are available with $30, $50 and $100 pesos credit. If you have time, we suggest purchasing a $30 peso Ladatel card when you arrive at the México international airport.
Alcohol and smoking
The minimum legal age for consuming alcohol and smoking in México is 18. Underage participants are expected to comply with this law. In the event that the laws are not as strict in a contestant's countries of origin, please be advised that the laws within México are still to be respected. In the event that the laws are stricter in the country of origin (ie. 21 years), participants that are not of age to consume alcohol in their own country, require authorization from their Deputy Leader (or adult responsible for the participant) to consume alcohol in México.
Emergencies
We generally suggest that, as in any foreign country, when you go out on the street, only carry what you know you will need. Leave everything else safely put away in your hotel room. Be discreet about taking out your money and wallet when making a purchase, and only take out your money once you know the amount to be paid. Don't carry your wallet in your back pocket, and keep loose change or coins readily available, but separate from your bills or paper currency. Your passport is almost always necessary to change Travelers Checks. Keep your bag or purse closed and near you at all times. Never leave items of importance unattended on tables or counters.
If you loose all your money these are the options open to you:
- Have more money wired to you.
- Use your credit card [if you have one].
- Have someone deposit money in your bank for you to access with your bankcard
- [if you have one].
- Borrow it from someone.
If you have lost your bankcard and you do not have a credit card then you will have to have money wired to you. This means you will need your passport, to collect it. Financial institutions will NOT accept faxed documentation or photocopies as credible, nor will they accept anything but a valid passport.
If you have lost your passport then you are in trouble. Your embassy/consulate may be able to replace your passport, but only if you can produce some form of identification. A driver's license alone is not good enough because it doesn't prove you are a citizen. Make copies of your passport, travel documents and plane-ticket: leave a set at home, and bring another set with you.
There are no embassies in the Yucatán Peninsula. There are however consulates for some countries in Cancún.
CONSULATES |
IN CANCUN |
|---|---|
|
Belize |
887-8417 |
|
Brazil |
884-0538 |
|
Canada |
883-3360 |
|
Costa Rica |
884-4869 |
|
Finland |
884-1238 |
|
France |
884-6078 |
|
Germany |
884-1898 |
|
Great Britian |
885-1166 ext: 65464 |
|
Italy |
884-1261 |
|
Spain |
883-2466 |
|
Sweden |
884-8048 |
|
Switzerland |
881-8000 |
|
The Netherlands |
883-0200 |
|
Unites States |
883-0272 |
There are embassies for Canada, the U.S., Germany and many other countries in México City. This is however no help to you if you are in somewhere in the Yucatán.
The embassy/consulate won't give you money, but they will allow you to receive money through a bank account the embassy can set up through the Overseas Citizens Service. If you receive the money wired to you, it will be given to you in the local currency only.
You can ask your embassy to repatriate you. This means they buy an airline ticket, fly you home, and most likely confiscate your passport. You will then have to pay your loan back [the airfare] and you will not have your passport returned to you until you do. Not all embassies will do this, check with your government.
In the event that you may need medical attention during the Olympiad, please notify one of the logistics organizers for assistance.
In the event that you are not within the official hotel grounds, and you require immediate medical attention, please be aware of the following. The Mexican health system is a 5-tier program. Most doctors or services will require you to pay cash, some accept credit cards. Keep all receipts for your reimbursement if you have medical insurance. Hospital costs are generally inexpensive for common problems [dysentery, diarrhea] and minor treatments such as stitches.
Hospital O'Horan
Avenida de los Itzes [near the Parque Zoologico Centenario]
Tel: 924-41-00
Red Cross [Cruz Roja]
Tel: 924-98-13
We do suggest using mosquito repellent, especially on trips and at night, sunblock during the day, and drinking plenty of bottled water everyday. Bring a hat to protect you from the sun and a light rain jacket and umbrella to keep from getting wet during occasional and sudden rain storms. If you go to the beach, we recommend wearing beach shoes. If you happen to get stung by a Jellyfish while walking or swimming in the water, immediately sprinkle with meat tenderizer (used for cooking); it dissolves the proteins that cause the pain and swelling.
If you become ill, here are some common phrases in Spanish that may come in hand.
Estoy enfermo/a.
I'm sick.
¿Podría llamar a un médico, por favor?
Could you please call a doctor?
Tengo náuseas.
I feel nauseous.
Tengo alergia.
I have an allergy.
Tengo diarrea.
I have diarrhea
Tengo migraña.
I have a migraine.
Mexican Body Language and Greetings
In México, a handshake is the most formal and common greeting and farewell on all occasions, among men and women. Even if you have only been speaking with someone for a few moments, after having greeted him/her with a handshake, a farewell handshake is always in order.
More casual than a handshake is the "Abrazo" or hug, exchanged among men who are friends and have not seen each other for a time, or on formal occasions to show great cordiality. Men and women also exchange hugs on special occasions, such as holidays, going and returning from a trip, etc.
Men and women often greet each other with a slight kiss on the right cheek, although the cheek is rarely touched unless it is a close friend.
The most important Spanish to know when you travel to México is numbers. Whenever you make a transaction or wish to discuss money you can get by with gestures (or body language) and broken "Spengish", but when it comes time to exchange money you want to make sure the numbers are correct.
Tapping your index finger and thumb together means, "just a minute please, I'll be right with you."
Wiggling the index finger back and forth means "No."
Pointing to your eye means "look or be careful"
Waving your hand up and down means "come here"
Some basic expressions that are good to know are:
|
Spanish |
|
|
Hello |
Hola the H is silent ó-la |
|
Good morning before 12pm |
Buenos días bwé-nos dí-as |
|
Good afternoon after 12pm |
Buenas tardes bwé-nas tár-des |
|
Good evening before 7pm |
Buenas tardes bwé-nas tár-des |
|
Good evening after 7pm |
Buenas noches bwé-nas nó-ces |
|
Good night |
Buenas noches bwé-nas nó-ces |
|
Good bye |
Adiós a-djós |
|
Until tomorrow |
Hasta mañana ás-ta ma-nyan-a |
|
Thank you |
Gracias grá-sjas |
|
You're welcome |
De nada de ná-da |
|
Where are you from? |
¿De dónde es usted? de dón-de es us-téd? |
|
How much does it cost? |
¿Cuantos cuesta? Kuan-to kue-sta? |
|
How are you? |
¿Cómo está usted?formal kó-mo es-tá us-téd? |
|
Where is the bathroom? |
¿Dónde está el baño? dón-de es-tá el ba-nyo? |
|
See you later |
Hasta luego ás-ta lwé-go |
|
I am very sorry. |
Lo siento mucho lo sjen-to mú-cho |
|
Please |
Por Favor por fa-bór |
|
What is your name? |
¿Cómo te llamas? como te yamas? |
|
My name is |
Me llamo me yamo |
|
What is the exchange rate? |
¿A cómo está el dólar? A kó-mo es-tá el dó-lar |
|
This is an emergency! |
¡Es una emergencia! Es un-a em-er-hen-sia |
|
Can you take me to |
Puede llevarme a? pue-de ye-vár-me a? |
|
Do you speak English |
¿Habla inglés? A-bla een-glés |
|
I am from |
Soy de... soi de... |
|
Please to meet you |
Mucho gusto. mú-cho gú-sto |
|
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
El Desayuno, La Comida, La Cena des-ayú-no, ko-mee-da, sen-a |
|
I do not eat meat |
No como carne no kómó kár-ne |
|
Cooked vegetables, Fruit, Egg, Cheese |
Verduras cocidas, Fruta, Huevo, Queso ver-du-ras ko-cee-das, fru-ta, ue-vo, ke-so |
|
Bottled Water, Refreshment , Juice, Coffee, Tea, Beer, Wine (red, white) |
Agua Embotellada, Refresco, Jugo, Café, Té, Cerveza, Vino (tinto, blanco) agu-a em-bo-te-yada, re-fre-sco, hu-go, ka-fé, te, ser-ve-sa, vi-no |
|
Mexican food, Seafood, Chicken, Steak |
Comida mexicana, Mariscos, Pollo, Carne rojo co-mi-da me-hi-can-a, ma-ri-scos, po-yo, kar'ne ro-ho |
Food
Cooked food in México is always the safest to eat; raw fruit and vegetables are sometimes not. The general "rule of thumb" is: If it isn't cooked or you can't peel it, don't eat it. Drink only bottled water and canned or bottled beverages.
In a restaurant, ask for a bottle of water unopened. Have them open it at the table, and you can be sure you won't get local water in a bottled. Avoid ice and hot (poured) drinks, such as tea or coffee, unless you know it was prepared with distilled water (de garafón).
The IPoO 2009 official hotels guarantee bottled water and disinfected food. If you are not accustomed to eating spicy food, avoid the "salsas" in bowls placed on your table.
In México generally breakfast (el desayuno) is served from 6:00 - 10:00 am; lunch (la comida) is served from 1:30 - 4:00 pm; and dinner (la cena) is from 7:00 - 10:00 pm.
Yucatán is the home of one of the most distinctive regional cuisines in México, combining ancient Mayan staples and sophisticated European dishes.
Pre-Hispanic Mayan cooking used no fat or oil. Food was never fried, but eaten raw, grilled or stewed. Although there were a rich variety of vegetables, meat was scarce, consisting mainly of game and turkey.
The Spanish introduced pork, lamb, beef and wine, among other staples. The Yucatán Peninsula was so difficult to get to by road from México City, however, that its main outside influences came by sea from France and Europe.
Corn is used as both solid and liquid food, most commonly prepared as a piece of once-ground corn dough dissolved in water, called posolli in Nahuatl and keyem by the Maya.
Honey, too, is an important part of the Yucatecan diet and has been used for centuries to sweeten corn drinks and to make an alcoholic ritual drink called balché and a delicious honey liqueur called Xtabentun.
Although chilies are used, Yucatecan food tends to be considerably less spicy than other Mexican cooking. One of the principal flavorings is achiote, a subtle condiment made from the flowers of a Caribbean tree. The very hot chilies habaneros are served in a salsa on the side, rather than as part of the dishes themselves.
In the Yucatán, a paste made of achiote seeds, garlic, black pepper, oregano, cloves, cinnamon, cumin, and vinegar, is smeared on anything from pork to whole fish, which are typically wrapped in banana leaves and slow cooked in outdoor ovens. Other favorite dressings are made with ground pumpkin seeds.
Mérida is filled with churches and temples, each with its own small plaza, where people congregate to enjoy a variety of corn-dough-based Yucatecan antojitos or snacks, such as salbutes, panuchos, empanadas or a traditional atole drink called tanchucuá, made with fresh corn, chocolate, allspice and sugar.
Restaurants usually serve three-course lunches and dinners: entrada or botana, plato fuerte and postre (starter or entré, main course and desert). Botanas include the tamal called brazo de reina and the delicious, enchilada-like papadzules, both of which harken directly back to pre-Hispanic times and use the very common Mayan ingredient pepitas, toasted pumpkin or squash seeds.
Typical Dishes
Lime Soup, Chicken Broth with slivers of chicken and aromatic local limes
Pavo en Pipian, Turkey cooked in pumpkin seed sauce with regional condiments and achiote.
Pollo Pibil, Tender local chicken seasoned with local spices, wrapped in banana leaves, baked in a very slow oven.
Pollo ticuleño, succulent chicken baked in banana leaves, in the tradition of cochinita pibil and several other dishes that were once prepared in a pib, or pit oven in the ground.
Poc Chuc, Grilled strip of loin of pork seasoned with a combination of local condiments and served with sour Yucatecan orange, chiltomate and steamed beans.
Cochinita Pibil, Tender local pork seasoned with achiote and other local spices, wrapped in banana leaves and baked in a very slow oven.
Salpicón de Res, Slivers of tender beef garnished with onion, tomato, cilantro, radishes, sour Yucatecan orange and guacamole.
Queso Relleno, Dutch Edam cheese stuffed with a mixture of ground pork, tomato, raisins, capers and olives, served with a special house red sauce.
Papadzules, Tortillas stuffed with boiled eggs bathed in pumpkin seed sauce and a tasty red sauce (also eaten as an entré).
Pan de Cazón, Layers of baby shark, tortillas and black beans in a mild red sauce.
Pescado tikin-xic, Fresh fish prepared with a classic Yucatecan achiote paste and baked in banana leaves.
Recommended Restaurants
At restaurants, prices vary to suit every budgetary range, but hospitality and graciousness are constant. Pick the ones you would like to visit and find them on the Map posted during the IPHO 2005 event. Here are a variety of recommendations in and nearby Mérida:
Alberto's Continental: lovely 18th century mansion setting; Mayan, Lebanese, and Mexican dishes. AAA Rating
Los Almendros: wide range of traditional Yucatecan dishes. AAA Rating
El Guacamayo: Food Type Regional Yucatecan favorite among the locals for its excellent cuisine and service.
Hacienda Teya: (Address Km 12½ Carretera Mérida - Chichen-Itza) Food Type Regional Yucatecan, beautiful setting in a restored Colonial plantation.
La Pigua: Food Type Campeche Style Seafood, Excellent seafood restaurant with recipes "imported" from the original restaurant in Campeche.
La Prosperidad: Food Type Yucatán Regional, favorite with locals and travelers from all over México.
Cafe Peón: Contreras Food Type Sandwiches Dress Casual Comment Snacks and light meals.
El Borrego Acurrucado: simple setting with delicious food and good service.
La Cantina: fun atmosphere, delicious tacos, and live music.
Cedro del Lebano: authentic Lebanese cuisine.
El Due Torre: delicious Italian dishes (a local's favorite).
Kon Tiki: Cantonese food in a comfortable setting.
La Bella Epoca: elegant setting with international and vegetarian cuisine.
Labná: features a rich selection of 100% authentic Yucatecan dishes, prepared by 100% Yucatecans.
La Trattoria: Italian cuisine in an attractive setting, along Paseo de Montejo.
Cafe Habana: popular Cuban-style coffee house.
Casa del Pasco: new Paseo de Montejo restaurant with international menu and upscale dining.
Maria del Carmen: spotlights Yucatecan dishes in an international menu.
Muelle 8: local favorite for seafood and atmosphere.
El Mural: fine Mexican and Yucatecan food. Fiesta Americana hotel.
Pancho's: fun, party atmosphere featuring Mexican cuisine.
La Parilla: steak, seafood, and delicious tacos. A local favorite.
Peregrina Bistro: nouvelle cuisine with a Mexican flair. Hyatt Regency hotel.
Planta Alta Cafe: international menu and yuppie crowd. On Paseo de Montejo.
Portico del Peregrino: chapel-like setting featuring seafood, meat and Yucatecan dishes.
Siqueff: international menu served in Moorish Casablanca setting.
Virrey de Mendoza: international cuisine in elegant colonial setting.
