Andy

Dear Sue & Steve,<BR><BR>Thanks for replying to my post on Fodors website.<BR><BR>We are going to Yucatan in mid Jan for 9 nights.<BR><BR>The holiday includes a few days at Cancun, but also in land at Chichen Itza, Uxmal etc. And that's what worries me - so I think maybe we should take anti malarial pills.<BR><BR>As regards anti-mozzie repellent, any brand name suggestions? I've been told OFF is good.<BR><BR>Any other advice would be most welcome. Eg. Is it best to get pesos in the UK or take US dollars over there?<BR>Any food to avoid? etc.<BR><BR>Regards<BR><BR>Andy<BR>

bonnie

Take U.S. dollars.<BR>Get SOME pesos. Get single $1.00 bills for tips.<BR>DO NOT eat anything from a roadside vendor or ceviche (raw fish) even in a good restaurant.<BR>MAKE SURE your bottled water is imported (Perrier, Evian)& make sure YOU break the seal on those bottles.<BR>NEVER put ice in your drinks.<BR>Bring Immodium for Diahrrea & bring Pepto Bismal tablets & take one every day.<BR>I'm Canadian & don't do anti-malaria pills but maybe you should because U.K. doesn't have mosquitoes. Best repellant is MUSKOL but bring OFF! if you can't get it.<BR>Have a Good Time

Don

You got excellent advice from Bonnie. I too am Canadian & we don't worry about malaria. There are mosquitos but they are not that bad at this time of year. We were in Chichen Itza, Merida & Uxmal 2 years ago January & didn't even use repellent - but Muskol or anything with a high DEET content works best. I use it mostly for sandflies in the evenings along the Cancun coast. I'm not sure how efeective it is but we have taken a sulfa drug called Bactrim DS or Apo Sulfatrim to assist with potential food problems. Combine that with Pepto Bismol & you have about the best (50%)defence against Montezuma's revenge. Also wash all fruit with "purificado" water before eating. Havea great time. It's excellent there. We have been there 7 times in the last 10 years.

Dianne

Hi,<BR><BR>I was in the Yucatan twice at that time of year. The only place I got mosquito bites was on a boat ride through a mangrove forest near Celestun.<BR><BR>I was able to change both american and canadian dollars at banks and hotels.<BR><BR>I went on a Mayaland tour of the area and it was really good. It's fantastic staying at hotels right next to the ruins. Uxmal is amazing. I don't think they have day trips from Cancun yet, so it's not very crowded. <BR><BR>Film and disposable cameras were terribly expensive at the ruins, so make sure you bring enough with you. Have a great trip.

yum

Ceviche is not raw fish! It is not cooked with heat, but with the acid from lemons or limes, or even oranges.

d motl

Inland is best with pesos. I don't think bottled water origination has any bearing as it is all purified.In the USA we have a product called Acidolhilus which when taken assures that the good USA bugs in your intestines are not overtaken by the good MX bugs. It is dried yougurt from USA cows. If Britain has a similar product you could consider taking it.<BR>Common sense prevails. A place that caters to tourists can not afford sick people in the days of the internet. Our rule of thumb--go to the rest room first--it tells all. Dan and Ginny

d motl

A point of clarification. Sewer systems in mexico do not usually accept toilet paper and toilets do not flush with paper in them. Thus paper in the basket next to the toilet is not bad. What we look for is clean surroundings. The lack of a toilet seat is sometimes also a clue that maybe this is not a touristo place--but not always. Just look for clean.