The Great VavaVoom's Guide to the tropical hippy beaches of the world.

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Mexico 1

Hi y'all. Greetings, from NYC. I am here with my NY parents. Sparky and Brian, and I've already eaten my annual slice of NY pizza and am feeling satisfied.Groovy!!

I will be on my way to Zipolite, Mexico in a week, so I thought that I'd pass on a couple of preliminary tips. First, if you don't want to be seen as a rookie, there is an inside and an outside to a tortilla. The side with the blisters is the inside, so keep it inside when you roll up your tacos.

Second, when you go to the mercado (market) for eggs (huevos), never say, "Tiene huevos?",(Do you have eggs?), because huevos also means balls, and the guy will answer, "Si, dos grandes." (Yes, two big ones.) Always say, "Hay huevos?" (Are there eggs?).

Travelers tip three: Be really careful, if you deal with the weed, it is highly illegal in Mexico. Better to wait until you see a fellow backpacker and ask for his local advice. Never, never smoke on the streets or beaches.

One more thing: The word for hot in Spanish is Caliente (starts with C). Therefore, the hot water handle in your sink will have the letter C on it. The word for cold is Frio. The cold knob has the letter F on it. Many tourists turn on the C for cold water in the shower and get a nasty surprise.

For the non=Spanish speakers among us; Try speaking English one noun at a time. It often works. Last summer I was looking for nail polish remover for my (soon to be ex)_ Jamaican wife, I went to the pharmacy, not knowing how to say it (I didn't even know the word for fingernails,). I said (in Spanish), "I need the thing that you use to remove the paint from the hard things on the end of your fingers." The lady said, "Aceton." Made me feel sort of stupid.

Well, I'm off to Zipolite. Hope I see you there, if not we'll communicate right here. Vava 19June99.