Tuesday 15 March 2016

A Mexico City layover - 3 stories

Layover at the Mexico City airport I kind of loved AeroMexico.
So cows do fly... at Mexico City Airport
creative commons image shifted on Flickr
Mexico City – All the Fun You Can Have in 10 Hours - Jack and Jill Travel
Heading to the main city square is a great starting point if you don't know much about your surprise stopover/layover city.
Long layover sucks. On the way to New York from South America, we had a 10 hour layover in Mexico City. We decided to get out of the airport to enjoy a little bit of the city since it definitely beats moping around at the airport. In Latin America, a lot of fun things can be found around the main plaza. So naturally, we took a taxi to Zocalo – the main plaza in Mexico City... [read their story].
5 Things I Learned From My 18 Hour Layover in Mexico City - Points Summary
To get the feel of a city, start your layover by travelling like a local, on pubic transit!
This past week, I was in Mexico City for 18 hours as part of my Mexico City and Santiago mileage run vacation. When I arrived at Mexico City Airport, I said screw the 280 MXN (~$21 USD) taxi and took the subway from the airport instead. The subway from Mexico City Airport to the city-center only cost 3 pesos ~ $0.23 USD with unlimited transfers... [read the story]
Long Layover in Mexico City - Money Left for Travel
It's a great way to see more of the world: taking a cheaper airfare with long stopovers in cities you might not otherwise visit...
In order to save quite a bit of money on airfare, we took a very long layover in Mexico City. We decided to go out and see another city for essentially no travel expenses. I did quite a bit of reading about Mexico City which started to make me question my decision of going out and exploring the city. I kept reading about kidnappings and violence. Luckily there were some travel blogs that made me feel comfortable with our initial decision to venture out. In the end... [read the story].
Quotable quotes
"I recommend sleeping in jail before sleeping in Mexico City's airport" - Sleeping in Airports

Related resources
Mexico City: An Insider's Guide - Wendy Perrin
Seven reasons to visit Mexico City - Everyday Tourist
Mexico City Layover Ideas and Things to Do in Mexico City
Mexico City Benito Juárez International Airport transportation guide

Wednesday 2 March 2016

Travel gear: bug off!

If you're travelling, or planning to do so soon, you may be thinking about the Zika warnings, and wondering what you can do to protect yourself from the bugs.

HuffPost Travel offers a helpful overview, What to Pack if You're Traveling to a Zika Virus Zone. It even has a net hood that they try to make look sporting. All kidding aside, it's a good overview, so start there.

For fashion and function, here are a few product reviews of bug un-unfriendly gear from around the web:

ExOfficio BugsAway Shirts for Men

Perhaps the best known of bug-resistant clothing, ExOfficio is the first place many are turning to of late.

Johnny Jet reviews the ExOfficio BugsAway Collection, and shares his 3 top picks for men's shirts...   [read more on Johnny Jet]


ExOfficio Bugs Away Products for Women

Practical Travel Gear has detailed reviews of several BugsAway products, including 2 for women:

ExOfficio BugsAway Leilani Multi-Way Dress and Lumen Wrap

ExOfficio BugsAway Ziwa Convertible Pants for Women



Columbia Sportswear Bug Resistant Gear
This field-test and review of the Columbia Sportswear Bug Shield Jacket, featuring its Insect Blocker technology (today's version is just called Insect Blocker) was done complete with "stupefying quantities of Minnesota’s nonofficial state bird, the blood-sucking mosquito" [read more on Gear Junkie]


Repellents, Traps, Tarps and more

Mosquito Repellents That Best Protect Against Zika - Consumer Reports
Mosquito Repellent Reviews
Mosquito Trap Reviews
Mesh-Wall Tarp Gives ‘Oasis’ From Bugs While Camping


Related resources
Pope suggests contraception can be condoned in Zika crisis
What You Need to Know About the Zika Virus
Zika Virus: Prevention - CDC
Medical concerns while travelling
8 travel gear blogs you should be reading