Preparing for a Mexican Adventure

I began trip preparations with true Mexican foresight – six months before departure. For a country with one of the world’s oldest civilizations (the Olmecs existed as early as 1500 BCE), proper planning was essential. I read several books including Hugh Thompson’s brilliant “Five Centuries Under Mexican Skies,” two guidebooks, and dozens of travel blogs. Despite the costs and lack of hotel reservations, four friends joined the adventure. Having one Spanish speaker in our group proved invaluable in a country where only about 6% of the population speaks English.

Teotihuacan pyramids
Teotihuacan

Travel Logistics: Between Savings and Comfort

Embracing “mañana culture,” I booked flights through AirFrance – not cheap at over 3000 PLN (≈$750) for Warsaw-Paris-Mexico City and Cancun-Paris-Warsaw routes.

Fun Fact: Mexico City is the world’s largest Spanish-speaking metropolis and one of the highest-altitude capitals (7,350 ft), requiring special flight procedures.

A roundtrip to Mexico City would have saved about $125, but domestic Cancun-Mexico City flights cost around $150. Fellow Polish travelers we met booked London-Cancun flights for ≈$375 via TravelRepublic, but consider:

  • Additional Warsaw-London transport costs
  • Domestic Mexico flight/travel expenses
  • Flexible dates required – Mexican “mañana attitude” doesn’t always work for flight schedules
Chichen Itza ruins
Chichen Itza

First Impressions: Landing in Mexico

Our 12:45pm departure from Warsaw went smoothly, though cramped seats and airline meals reminded me why the Aztecs considered travel a form of penance. After a Swiss-precise connection in Paris, we landed in Mexico around 9:30pm local time.

We took a prepaid airport taxi ($21) – a standard safety measure since 1990s taxi kidnappings. When asking about travel time, the driver responded with classic Mexican calm: “¿Tienen prisa para algo?” (Are you in a hurry for something?). In that moment, we knew we’d truly arrived in Mexico – where time flows slower and “disfrutar el momento” (enjoying the moment) matters most.

Did You Know? Mexico City was built atop Tenochtitlán, the Aztec capital. Many modern streets follow ancient canals of this “Venice of the Americas.” Our hotel likely stood where Aztec civilization flourished 500 years ago.