Random Raves 54: You will succeed. It is inevitable.

[Valka D'Ur]

My telecom bill went up by an insane amount, and it turns out that they had me on an internet plan I don't need, plus for some reason quit giving me the discount I'm supposed to get as a resident of this building (the company operates all over Canada and has some nice deals with the telecom at times). My data usage never goes anywhere near 200 GB/month, so why pay extra for unlimited?

The home phone discount had been discontinued, and the agent was sorry, but I'd have to talk to the loyalty retention people about getting it back. He speculated I could talk them down to about $13/month + GST.

What they offered me was FOUR. As in $4/month for the next 24 months. Yes, I took it gladly. So between that, getting rid of the extra for a plan I didn't need, plus a bit of a discount on the TV (dropped the a la carte channels; I don't watch them enough anymore to warrant keeping them), my telecom bill in December and forward will be quite a bit less.

 

[EgonSpengler]

The Yucatan has much to offer besides the Cancun Resorts. I hope you have enough time to see more than the beach and a bar stool.

I've never been to Mexico, but "try to get away from the touristy areas" is usually good advice, I think. I wouldn't be surprised if Chichen Itza, for example, is just one of several Mayan ruins one could visit, but it's the most famous one. I've heard that's true of things like Stonehenge and the Great Pyramid, that there are other sites in Great Britain and Egypt that are just as cool, and aren't swamped by tourists. I think there are places in Mexico where straying off the beaten path might not be the greatest idea, but I don't think the Yucatan is one of those places.

 

[Birdjaguar]

I've never been to Mexico, but "try to get away from the touristy areas" is usually good advice, I think. I wouldn't be surprised if Chichen Itza, for example, is just one of several Mayan ruins one could visit, but it's the most famous one. I've heard that's true of things like Stonehenge and the Great Pyramid, that there are other sites in Great Britain and Egypt that are just as cool, and aren't swamped by tourists. I think there are places in Mexico where straying off the beaten path might not be the greatest idea, but I don't think the Yucatan is one of those places.

These are the main sites within close proximity to Cancun. Coba probably has the fewest daily tourists, but is a great site. The Riviera Maya is a long string of resorts that fill the coast from Cancun to Tulum.

Chichen Itza $40 entrance fee
Uxmal $30 entrance fee
Coba $5 ?
Tulum $5 ? Small site right on the ocean

This link has info on all the Mayan ruins.

Coba

A Mayan ruin in Quintana Roo, Mexico. Learn more about this ancient site and over 60 others.

www.themayanruinswebsite.com

He can also visit a cenote in the area:

Yucatan & Tulum Cenote Guide for April 2024

Planning to visit a cenote? From Tulum to Valladolid, plan your perfect Mexico cenote visit with helpful info, cenote recommendations, cenote maps and more!

www.islandlifemexico.com

 

[EgonSpengler]

Another reason to avoid the touristy areas, imo, is the food. I want the authentic cuisine when I travel, so I try to find where the locals eat.

 

[Birdjaguar]

Another reason to avoid the touristy areas, imo, is the food. I want the authentic cuisine when I travel, so I try to find where the locals eat.

My wife and I were in the Yucatan in July 1982 and spent two weeks driving around in a VW bug. Many of the roads were dirt. Cancun was a tiny place we avoided. We stayed on Isla Mujeres, at Coba, and Tulum and visited all the then open ruins and points of interest. At Tulum we stayed under a thatched roof in hammocks on the beach. In Coba, which was an empty place back then, there was only the ruins and a Club Med Archaelogical hotel. A small place with a pool and restaurant. No parties, no singles orientation. It was 30-40 miles by dirt road to Tulum. There was only one other couple staying there. They were from Mexico City. On the edge of the ruins there was a small cinderblock building with a front porch with two tables that had a sign indicating it was a restaurant. When we got there the Mexican couple was already seated. There was no menu and we did not speak Spanish. The Mexican man said in English that we should let him order for us so that we could avoid stomach issues later. We let him and we had a simple but delicious meal of "meat" tortillas and other stuff. It was one of the best meals we had on our entire trip. Curious, while we waited for our food I peeked into the building. It was a two room block structure with doors opposite in the front and the back. In one room there was a sink on the floor uninstalled. Otherwise both rooms were empty. I looked out the back door and saw a traditional Mayan stick hut with thatched roof and a cook fire off to the side. No one was visible. What we ate or how it was prepared is still a mystery. That was as "local" as we have ever been. Coba has grown substantially since then so I guess they have moved on. I still appreciate that helpful Mexican couple.

 

[Hygro]

I've never been to Mexico, but "try to get away from the touristy areas" is usually good advice, I think. I wouldn't be surprised if Chichen Itza, for example, is just one of several Mayan ruins one could visit, but it's the most famous one. I've heard that's true of things like Stonehenge and the Great Pyramid, that there are other sites in Great Britain and Egypt that are just as cool, and aren't swamped by tourists. I think there are places in Mexico where straying off the beaten path might not be the greatest idea, but I don't think the Yucatan is one of those places.

Chichen Itzá is incredible and worth the trip alone. I recommend a tour guide as there’s loads of architectural Easter eggs that I didn’t get going alone. There’s other Mayan ruins in the area for sure but nothing beats the ball court in Chichen Itzá.

Some things:

Don’t rent a car, that makes you a target for corrupt cops.

Tulum is the “it” spot in the area right now. I didn’t spend much time in Cancun, but Tulum is cool, Playa Del Carmen is quite fun and properly sketchy (the whole yucutan is) with its two or three mile long tourist strip chalk full of bars, bands, art etc. The island Cozumel is really quite great. Rent a moped and cruise the whole thing.

Don’t be seen doing drugs in public or you will get robbed by security, who will take you at gunpoint to an atm.

There’s a series of incredible bodies of water called Cenotes, they are awesome and you should book trips to them.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

I dropped in at the Cheezburger site earlier today. It's sad that so many of the builders don't work anymore. But it's great that so many of the people in my friends circle are still there.

 

[bene_legionary]

I've finally walked out of the high school gates for the last time as a student... 5 years of that over in a flash! And while I was at it I won the prize for history research. I guess the history department really liked my work on the Bosnian War : )

 

[Valka D'Ur]

One of my recent lolpics made the Home Page!

It's been so many years since the last time any of mine made the home page that I'd forgotten what a pick-me-up it is.

 

[GenMarshall]

My cat would just flop on the ground and soak up the sun rays.

 

[Ajidica]

I have discovered the local Total Wine is selling cherry christmas wine / mulled wine for cheap and it is pretty tasty.
I better stock up!
(And it's totally not because I am a bougie alcoholic! I need those glass screw top bottles to store my homemade mead and cordials!)

 

[Kyriakos]

The Christmas smileys would really lighten up the forum
(also light it up)

 

[Gori the Grey]

They're always available now, no?

 

[GenMarshall]

I'm slowly reintroducing myself back into Star Wars. Also, decided to quit drinking as well.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

They're always available now, no?

Nope. The Christmas ones with the Santa hats aren't available. For the second year in a row, if memory serves.

 

[EgonSpengler]

I'm slowly reintroducing myself back into Star Wars. Also, decided to quit drinking as well.

If you haven't seen them already, I recommend Rogue One (2016) and the Disney+ series Andor (2022). They're different from the regular Star Wars stuff, fwiw. They're both set within the story of the original trilogy (I'm assuming you've seen the original trilogy), but feature all-new characters. And where the original trilogy is high-tech high-fantasy, Rogue One is a war movie. It's basically The Guns of Navarone. Andor is like "the French Resistance, but Star Wars." Ever read an Alan Furst novel? If Alan Furst wrote a Star Wars story, it would be Andor.

 

[Tee Kay]

Art block GONE! Finally Thank you Santa!

 

[Kyriakos]

 

[choxorn]

They're both set within the story of the original trilogy

Technically they're both wholly before the OT but very shortly so- Rogue One directly leads into A New Hope (it's about the rebels stealing the Death Star Plans) and Andor is a prequel to Rogue One.

 

[EgonSpengler]

Someone left a big box of holiday chocolates on the table that I walk past several times a day, and there's, like, nobody in the office this week.