Independent traveler : Mexico City, still a fantastic city and not as crime ridden as it is made out to be...

Independent traveler

Love to travel, but hate tours? This blog offers insight on how to go it alone, from safe accommodations to seeing the best, and maybe the worst. After all, independent travel is an adventure. Flexibility and traveling on a budget are critical. No five-stars or all-inclusives. So hop aboard. Learn to enjoy travel at your own pace and price. Meet other adventurers like yourself and mingle with the locals. Remember: You may travel alone, but you wonʼt be lonely. gloria.independenttraveler@gmail.com

Gloria Maschmeyer

I've been a traveler since I can remember. I spread my wings as a flight attendant at age 20, then married a traveling man and we've never stopped. While based in Anchorage, we've ventured to India, Peru, Bali, Morocco, Burma, Tunisia Singapore and Ecuador. I love ferreting out places off the beaten path. And when things don't go quite as planned, that's just part of the adventure.

Gloria's photos

PHOTOS

Gloria's photo gallery

See Gloria's photos from her world travels.

READER-SUBMITTED

Vacation shots

That's a tiny Machu Pichu at left. View more travel shots in our vacation gallery.

Submit a vacation photo

Gloria's videos

Floating England's Llangollen Canal

See a little snippet of floating the Llangollen Canal in Western England in a narrow boat.

Fun with Divot

Divot snorkeling at the confluence of Brook's River.

Fun with Ted and Divot

Divot at the Falls and Ted cavorting at the mouth flowing out to Naknek Lake.

Plan your trip

AIRFARES

www.travelocity.com

www.expedia.com

BEST TIME OF YEAR

www.myforecast.com

Click on "almanac," then on "historical climate" and plug in the city you wish to check.

ELECTRICAL CONVERSIONS

www.travel-images.com/electric-plugs.html

For electrical appliances, it's great to know the voltage used in a country and the types of plugs.

CURRENCY RATES

www.oanda.com

For more information on currency exchanges and helpful hints, read my blogs, "Should I change" and "I've decided to change."

TRAVEL WARNINGS

www.travel.state.gov/travel

This site can help you determine the type of crime that goes on in foreign countries against visitors. It also will tell you areas of the country you should avoid.

WORLD TIMES

www.worldtimeserver.com/

Features the current time anywhere and weather. Helpful when you need to call for reservations or want to call back home while away.

WHAT TRAVELERS SAY

www.tripadvisor.com

A favorite sites to see what other travelers have to say about places to stay and visit worldwide

CAR RENTAL

www.hotwire.com

A good site for finding the best deals on renting cars anywhere in the world

TRAVEL INSURANCE

www.squaremouth.com

Web site that compares costs of travel insurance between companies.

Mexico City, still a fantastic city and not as crime ridden as it is made out to be...

Posted by indietraveler

Posted: March 4, 2010 - 10:13 am

The magnificent grandeur inside the cathedral in Mexico City's historic plaza.

I'm on an unexpected layover in Mexico City due to my delayed flight from Guatemala City yesterday that resulted in missing my connection to Los Angeles on Alaska Airlines.

However, this is a blessing in disguise. I really love Mexico City (not driving here). I'm staying in the historic center in a lovely little hotel, Hotel Cathedral. It is in a great location, one block from the main plaza, and is reasonably priced, safe and clean. A great combination.

My month in Guatemala left me a bit perplexed. I found the country to be frenetic, over populated, deforested with a unstructured political system. When you add in all the foreigners in Guatemala with different and sometimes conflicting interests such as missionaries, medical teams, educators, business owners and drifters to name a few, I'm walking away with mixed feelings.

I find Mexico in general very cohesive with a strong culture and little outside influences to disturb. The people overall are loving and gentle. I've always enjoyed visiting the country.

So it is nice to be back for 24 hours and enjoy this wonderful city with all its history. Unfortunately, the internal crime problem gives the whole country a bad name, but when you are a visitor if you take normal precautions, the same ones you would in any large American city, you don't have to be paranoid.