Cancun, Mexico - Riviera Maya - Isla Mujeres - Trip Planning

Introduction to Isla Mujeres

0:09 So YouTube, I thought I'd come back for a little bit. I think that things might be a little bit better for us to continue our stream. I do apologize for those of you who missed out, and hopefully, you can watch this replay. I should be able to go for at least 20-30 minutes, but let's go ahead and get into it.

0:29 Yeah, just kind of continue where I left off about Isla Mujeres. So we're talking about the Yucatan Peninsula area, and it does have that tropical Caribbean vibe. I got into a little bit about Punta Norte, so it's the north section of the island. Of course, it's got the lagoon there. I saw either a manta ray or a stingray, like a baby. It was really beautiful.

Yucatan Peninsula and Isla Mujeres Vibe

0:55 I also saw some really cool other marine life on the east side of the island. The island is roughly, I think it's about four and a half miles long, maybe five miles long, and then it's about half a kilometer across. So that gives you an idea of the size. It's really small and modest in size.

1:20 It's just so calm and relaxing. There are ice cream shops, taco vendors, and beaches where you can get amazing margaritas for almost nothing. It feels like one of my favorite places on the island serves amazing frozen margaritas for like the equivalent of three dollars a piece. I think they're like 60 pesos.

1:49 Which now, a dollar is close to 21 pesos, so even slightly less than three dollars. I'm not a big consumer of that, but it seems like once a year, I need to just let off some steam after working really hard all year. And this place, Isla Mujeres, and Mexico is one of those places.

2:07 The last time I went was about four years ago. I went about four years ago, and the whole time I intended, 'Oh, when I get down there, I'm gonna do day trips to Cozumel and day trips to Tulum, and I'm gonna go see Chichen Itza.' I had all these plans. I'm gonna make the most out of my week in Mexico.

2:28 And then, like, 24 hours later, I was like, 'I'm not going to leave this beach. I'm just gonna sit here at the beach and relax and not leave the island.' Because the island is just so comfortable and so calming, and the people are so friendly and welcoming that once I like sit down and have a meal and watch a sunset, I don't want to leave.

2:54 It's my happy place. It's a really incredible place, and something that you all might find interesting is that Isla Mujeres is actually the place where the sunrise first reaches Mexico. So, I think on the southern point, it actually is the first place that when the sun comes up in the morning over Mexico, it touches that point. It's really a special place.

3:18 And it's a really gorgeous island. I definitely recommend looking up other YouTubers' videos of Isla and kind of seeing what they show as far as content. I'm gonna try to make some content myself on there. I'm also gonna try to do at least one or two streams. It's really, really a beautiful place.

3:39 And it's somewhere where I could see myself going back and back over and over again. The first thing I told Jose, my buddy that lives there in Isla, was that, 'Man, I could easily live here.' I could easily live here. It's such a beautiful place, it's so relaxing, the food is so good.

3:59 I was like, 'You don't need to go anywhere for vacation.' He's like, 'Yeah, that's right. We live in paradise. There's no need to go anywhere else.' It's just so nice there.

4:09 And I will say it has gotten a little bit pricier over the years. I wouldn't necessarily call Isla Mujeres a budget destination. So if you are more budget-oriented, you might consider looking at like Playa del Carmen. I think there's just a lot more construction in Playa del Carmen, and there's a lot more to choose from.

4:28 And it's, it's just more developed, if that makes any sense. Isla is a little bit less developed, and I think some people might not like the vibe. I personally like it, but I always tell people, 'Look, it's not gonna bother me if you don't like it.'

4:40 It's not a lot of people like, 'What are you gonna be doing?' And I'm like, 'I'm gonna do nothing.' For several days at least, I'm just gonna do nothing, recovering from my wisdom tooth removal and trying to just get some sleep and enjoying some time with my close friends that I met about, it's been about four and a half years now.

5:04 And it's been really nice to stay in touch with them. Of course, I wish I'd gone to Mexico earlier this year when I was in Latin America. I visited Colombia and Peru, for those who don't know.

5:15 And when I was in those countries, it really reminded me of some of the things I really like about Mexico as far as like Latin American culture. I will say the food is not similar.

5:24 I think some people, they think that in Latin America, all the food is basically Mexican food, and that's not the case. I would say be prepared that if you do like Mexican food, you may be disappointed in other parts of Latin America. I'm not going to say it's bad; I found delicious food everywhere I went in Latin America, but it might not be what you're expecting.

5:44 Let's see, example food in Colombia. A lot of people think, 'Oh, Colombia, it's South America, it's a vibrant, dynamic,' and they're going to have spicy food. And I found that to not really be the case. A lot of Colombian food is more mild, and it's still delicious.

6:01 I ate a lot of really, really good food in Colombia, but I had to kind of keep things in perspective. Like, I'm not going to necessarily come down here and get exactly what I'm used to in the States.

6:18 So with Isla, there's also a lot of snorkeling. If you're somebody that likes to go snorkeling, they have a lot of snorkeling there. I mentioned scuba diving. I also think that there's opportunities that if you are comfortable with paying for the ferry every day, I think it's gone up to around $21 US per person, probably something like 400, maybe 425 pesos or so.

Snorkeling and Island Size

6:44 Then you could, you know, stay in Isla and take the ferry over to Puerto Juarez. But understand that's going to cost a lot of time. So you really got to be somebody who likes peace and quiet to kind of base yourself out of there, which I do. I love it. I find it to be really relaxing.

7:01 I always feel just so at peace after I spent time there a few years ago, and I'm looking to recreate that. And I think that Mexico has a bad reputation for some people, and I just kind of want to show through my channel that it's not all one way or the other.

Safety and Crime in Mexico

7:24 Does Mexico have crime in certain places? Absolutely, just like almost every country in the world has some crime issues, perhaps some areas that do have crime. I personally have felt very safe when I was there in 2018. Not going to make that determination for you, but at least in Isla, I never felt in danger once.

7:48 It's just such a slow pace, relaxed pace that you don't really feel like panicked. I didn't really see anything that gave me the impression that crime was an issue. I knew that my friend, when I was there, he never warned me about anything.

8:05 Of course, Cancun proper is a different story. There are some areas in the city of Cancun that if you go away from the touristic areas, then you're probably gonna see some neighborhoods that perhaps are not as safe and are not recommended for you to be walking, like Centro, for example.

8:24 Really an authentic neighborhood in Cancun. A lot of people are really attracted to Centro because they want that local vibe, they want to see what do the Mexican people that actually live in this area live, because obviously people are not living year-round in an all-inclusive resort.

8:44 Yeah, I think I can get another 20 minutes, at least maybe 30 minutes. We'll see. Good to see you, Kiki. Thank you so much for joining again. I appreciate your patience so much. Just where I live, I have a few roommates, and sometimes, you know, they enjoy having their friends over. I'm on the phone, and I always want to respect and be considerate of that.

9:04 And this is my hobby. So anyway, it's not a long-term situation. I think that shortly, I'll be headed to Northern California after I get back from Mexico, and I will be stopping in Colorado or Texas. I'm not sure yet. I'll have more details on that when I get back from Mexico. I just don't want to promise too much.

9:28 But I think that hopefully, hopefully, I can get out of my sort of head sometimes. I get stuck in my head and make some footage as well when I'm going cross-country because I'll be going from the Midwest or Mid-South region all the way to the West Coast. And for some people, I started to think, 'Wow, that's even though I've done this like probably a half dozen times.'

9:53 It's a big deal to some of my viewers who have never been to the States, or if they've been to the States, they've only been to like New York City or Los Angeles, where they didn't really see the middle of the country. And some of my favorite parts, places in America are internal, especially in Colorado. It's such a beautiful state; it's stunning.

10:13 Some describe it as the Switzerland of America. I actually lived out there for about three years, and I loved it. I ultimately left because I had other priorities and things worked out, but I really like Colorado. I think a lot of people really enjoy it. It can be expensive; you know, it's not necessarily going to be the most friendly place to stay long-term, but it's just drop-dead gorgeous.

10:41 So, yeah, so this Sunday, well, Saturday, I'll be flying to Philadelphia. I've got an overnight in Philadelphia. I'm trying to decide if I want to just try to program like all night or whatever, work on programming, or if I want to actually go and check out Philly. I just don't feel like Philly in December or late December sounds super appealing.

10:57 I could be wrong, but I think of Philadelphia and the winters being quite cold, probably rainy and stuff. So.

11:05 Could you may just stick to programming and then I'll fly down from Philly Sunday morning to Cancun? I'll get there around midday and then probably grab some transit to Puerto Juarez, and from there I will...

11:32 Yeah, I'll be able to. I was just checking to see if I needed to take a pause, but yeah, from there I'll take a ferry over to Isla and I'll go to meet my friend. So, you actually, where I'll be going from Cancun airport to Puerto Juarez, which is where my ferry will take me to Isla. There's, I want to say it's around a half-hour cab ride, if I remember correctly, maybe it's about 45 minutes. Or you can take a bus, or you can take like a private transport. There's several different ways to get there.

12:06 But that is a necessity. That's one thing to keep in mind with Cancun is unlike cities like Phnom Penh or Bangkok, where you do have like in Phnom Penh, you can just start walking into the city. In Bangkok, they have transit at the airport, so you can go downstairs as soon as you land, get through customs and whatnot to take the train to the city. But in Cancun, it's not like that. It's much more tropical. It's more comparable to like Phuket in Thailand. It's more of a resort vibe.

12:34 And so I'll land at the airport. The airport is inland and kind of down the coast, closer to Playa del Carmen and Chichen Itza. And then I'll take the transit up north to where that port is, and then I'll grab that ferry. It's like a, it's called Ultramar. So if you ever look at pictures or videos, it's this big blue and yellow, like an Ikea color, ferry, and it'll take you over to there.

13:04 There's also options for the same brand to go to places like Cozumel, but to go to Cozumel, you leave from a different area. So that's something to keep in mind. If you've heard these names: Cancun, Tulum, the Mayan Riviera, Quintana Roo, Isla. I'm a really big fan of that. A lot of these places are within reasonable distance of each other, but it can be really helpful when you're selecting accommodation, you're trying to plan your trip, to select a place that is closest to most of what you want to do.

13:35 So if you're really big into the party scene, you want to go to Playa del Carmen. That's where a lot of things are going on. I will say be careful, I have heard of some touts and scams and things like that. Definitely do some research on Playa del Carmen. But if you're looking for that developed nightlife, Cancun-type vibe, without having to stay in an all-inclusive resort, maybe you want a little bit more control, pick your own hotel room, pick your own restaurants, pick your own bars, that's more of what I'm a fan of.

14:09 Denise asks, 'I was just reading about the cartel turf wars in the Cancun area. Does that concern you?' So that's a fair question. I'm not going to be one of these travel YouTubers that everything is awesome, everything is good, only positive. Not to say that it's not wonderful and positive, I just feel like it's important to balance sharing what drives me to do it and also what's on my mind.

14:31 So a big thing for me is that I'm not going to stay in Cancun proper. Cancun properties are very expensive, very developed. It's kind of like staying in South Beach, Miami. I'm not going to criticize South Beach, it's gorgeous for people that have a lot of resources. You know, you're going to have a really good time in a place like South Beach, but I find that you're also paying the highest prices, you're dealing with the largest crowds, you've got potentially pickpockets and other people that are intoxicated.

15:04 That kind of thing, right? So I think of it, even if there weren't organized crime in Miami, which I imagine there are, not to the same extent in Cancun, it still wouldn't be super appealing to me. So for me, I kind of go directly to areas more on the outskirts and places that are more low-key, a little bit more under the radar, where I just feel like there's not as much potential to make money off of large crowds.

15:33 Where I'm going, that's kind of, I guess, the way I would explain it. I'm looking specifically at a few places that are less crowded, less populated. And it seems like, in my mind, it seems like in my experience, a lot of the issues with that, it's more related to places where they are competing for lots of people's business. They're looking to make substantially large amounts of money.

15:54 Whereas where I'm going, I'm going to an island with maybe 10, 12,000 people. And it feels like a small town in a way. It's called, I'll type it in the description actually, just so people can see.

16:13 And so yeah, I would say, you know, if you are concerned about that in Cancun, I'd say, you know, that's realistic. That is something that has been on the news. I have read about that, heard about that. But from what I've read and heard, most of it's relegated to Cancun, the city proper.

16:31 And it's, how to say, about Cancun is comparable, once again, to Miami. Where if you're in Miami, it's a big city. And if you go to the outskirts, you go to places, certain beaches north, perhaps even south or on the western side of Florida, they're not as desirable because there's not as many jobs, there's not as much work opportunity. But on the other hand, they also tend to be safer.

16:58 It's a little bit pricier. Isla Mujeres is a little bit pricier than most of the surrounding areas, except for Tulum. Tulum, I've heard, is really, really expensive. My mom really enjoyed going to Tulum, but she went like 30 years ago, 25 years ago, when it was not what it is today.

17:17 So I think it's a great option for me as far as being somewhat budget-minded, but I don't want to compromise on the quality of my experience just to save money. And so that's, and I also don't want to pay a lot to have conveniences that aren't really a big deal to me. Like, part of why Cancun isn't appealing to me is I don't really care for the all-inclusive kind of presentation.

17:43 I just feel like it's too easy. That sounds weird, maybe I'll change my mind as I get older, but it just feels too easy, like people bring me drinks and food and I don't have to leave this beach. And I, one thing that I try to make it a point to do wherever I go is I try to, once I kind of make local friends, have at least a little bit of the experience of the local lifestyle.

18:06 Not totally. I'm not going to go and stay in a local's only neighborhood. I'm not going to only shop at markets and things like that, but I want to at least see how regular people live because it really has helped me to put a lot of things in perspective in my life, as far as being grateful, being appreciative for what I have.

18:24 So yeah, I was kind of a long-winded response to these, but really great question. I would be concerned if I were in the more hustle and bustle and nightclub kind of districts. I'm a little less concerned because I really get picky with my locations. I'm similar with that in Latin America in general, just because Latin America and certain parts of Latin America, there are safety concerns. They're perhaps not as much of an issue in the U.S.

18:53 I will say I have had dealt with crime issues in the U.S, but it's been somewhat situational. You know, it's if I'm in a dangerous city, if I'm in a dangerous neighborhood, I have to be aware of, you know, the time of day. That's a big thing too, is I'm not a major nightlife guy. And so some of the stuff that is an issue that I've heard, for example, people getting scammed and touts, some of that stuff happens at nighttime when people are more likely to be tired, jet-lagged.

19:26 They're more likely to have imbibed some beverages that impair their judgment. Maybe they're on vacation and they're just, oh, I'm not in my work clothes anymore, so I can just be wild and do whatever. They're not really considering the impact of their actions or the fact that there are laws in Mexico. There are rules, it's not just a free-for-all where people can just do whatever they want.

19:50 I know that some people may have that perception because they just have that perception that they're on vacation and it's no big deal. But people do have to be really mindful of, like, so, kind of answering a question, I also, I'm not going out a lot at night. Mostly like I'm...

20:07 But I would say most nights in Mexico, I'm back at my accommodation by like 9:00 PM, 10:00 PM. So I'm getting up early and doing most of the stuff that I want to do during the day, such that I'm pretty tired at night, most of the time at night, especially in Mexico. I remember just being exhausted because I'd walk around the island, I'd go swimming a lot, explore different neighborhoods on the island. I just have a lot of fun.

20:36 It's really, really cool. Now, I will say something that may be of concern to some of you is brush up on your Spanish before you go. Because when I went to Mexico, I had no conception of the Spanish language at all. And so a gentleman came up to me and offered me a coconut, and I'm thinking, oh, this is perfect, ice-cold coconut. And I just pointed at it, and he said, uh, 30 pesos. And I said, what? And he said, 50 pesos.

Learning Spanish and Local Experiences

21:04 So if they get the impression that you don't have any Spanish, like for me, I could pass as a Latino person, perhaps Argentine or Chilean. I even in Peru and Colombia sometimes had people thinking I was perhaps Peruvian Japanese. I'm not Peruvian Japanese, but being racially ambiguous has really, really goes a long way in traveling overseas. But if I don't practice the language enough to do a little bit of business, then it's not a big help.

21:35 So be confident. You know, if somebody, if you hear somebody say a lower price and then they try to raise it, I wouldn't get a flat-out argument with them, but insist, you know, hey, if you don't feel like you're in a dangerous situation, then I definitely don't just always just say, oh, I've got to go with the scammer or the tout regardless of what happens because I'm already trapped. No, you can resist, you can say no.

22:00 Kiki says Mexicans have a wonderful sense of humor. Metal, quite a lot of Mexican people, when I lived in Barcelona, I can't speak on that. I don't have enough insight to know about that. If anybody that's a subscriber of my channel is Latino or Mexican and wants to chime in on Latin American culture and these kinds of things, I love that. I don't like to stereotype. I recognize those in your intention, Kiki. I just want to make sure I can always be inclusive.

22:36 I will say that everybody was super friendly to me, really, really nice. I never got any scam or touts in Mexico when I was there. A lot of people were saying, 'Hey, it's going to be this and that.' Nothing really struck me as being sketch. I will say I did meet a friend there very shortly after arrival and hung out with him almost most of the time until I left. He was able to kind of give me tips and introduce me to cool local restaurants and help me do business in such a way that I wasn't putting myself at as much risk.

23:10 That being said, if you guys have any questions, definitely reach out. I'll have my email somewhere on here, and there are a few ways to contact. Definitely comment if there are questions you have about different places that you may be concerned about. Then it's definitely worth asking.

23:26 Denise says, 'I agree, it's a much richer experience to live like a local.' Yeah, Denise, I absolutely agree. It is a much richer experience. I feel like people everywhere in the world seem to be mostly peaceful, mostly kind, mostly just want the same things that we want. Most people in the world, I found, want to be close to their loved ones, want to be close to their families, want to have good food to eat, want to have a safe place to live, and want to have reliable work.

23:57 And those are just a few things that, like I feel like every single place I've gone in the world, I relate to other people in those ways. We can always relate on food because I love food everywhere in the world. We can always relate on work because I work, they work. Even if we don't have the same jobs, we can relate. And family, even though up until more recently, which I'm not going to get into that now, but it is pretty exciting. I felt like I just didn't have any family, and so as some that came, but even then, I've always wanted family. So it's really easy to relate to other people is what I'm trying to get at.

24:33 For me, anyway, when I do get into these neighborhoods that I perhaps don't have as many tourist conveniences, like I'm not going to be able to just walk into McDonald's and have a McDonald's meal or whatever. I'm not going to necessarily be able to get a SIM card that will allow me to contact anywhere in the world. There's certain conveniences that I do give up if you look to spend time like a local.

25:02 But you get so much more value. I always use this phrase, and I got it from Jason Fever, who I'm a big fan of, Mr. Free 33. Definitely suggest him. Shout out to Jason. He said, 'Price is what you pay, value is what you get.' Right? So that's partly why I'm doing this trip.

25:21 I'm going to get two wisdom teeth removed, one on top, one on bottom. When I asked a friend's mom, 'Hey, you know, how much would it cost to get a couple of these out around here?' She said, 'Well, probably around $1,500.' I was like, '$1,500? That's quite a bit to pay just for wisdom tooth removal.'

25:46 So I contacted a dentist down the street in Isla Mujeres for my friend, and I was like, 'Hey, how much is it going to cost to get this done?' For two, they said 4,000 pesos. Well, I'll go and do the math for you. 4,000 pesos is $190. So when I compare that, I'm thinking, 'Okay, so I'm going to save probably like $1,300.' Well, I can spend some of that $1,300 on having a great time in Mexico, relaxing at the beach, having food that I enjoy, enjoying a lot of ice-cold coconuts to help me with the soreness because that's going to be really sore for a few days.

26:29 That's incredible, like versus doing that same process in the States, where it's not going to be as comfortable. I'm not going to be able to rest as well, sleep as well. I'm going to be thinking about the cost, you know, spending that kind of money on it. And then, 'Okay, well, how am I going to shift my budget around to accommodate the cost of this big bill?'

26:49 $190. That's not nearly as shocking if it was for $1,500. And that's $1,500. It may be more than that. Let's say it's complicated or something, and they want to do something different. They could charge quite a bit more. I know X-rays are going to be really expensive.

27:05 So these kinds of things, being able to do it at a much lower price at a well-rated clinic, clinics with high ratings in Mexico. You can go and check the reviews too, which I recommend doing if you look into getting dental or medical work done anywhere in the world. Check out the reviews. I'm not going to give you medical advice or financial advice, but some of these places, like one place I'm looking at as a backup in Playa del Carmen, they have 149 reviews with a 4.9 average.

27:31 And I was telling the prices to a friend of mine, and she was just really, really surprised at how much cheaper it is in the US. And I would say, 'Well, normally, you know, you might worry about the quality.' But they have like 150 people here that are thrilled, and Google is pretty good about trying to catch fake reviews. It's gotten pretty difficult to trick their system. They have pretty sophisticated algorithms.

27:59 And so to be able to do that and then relax on a beach afterwards with good friends of mine in the sun, getting a tan, and really getting a lot of vitamin D, and swimming and seeing the beautiful coral reefs. That's just, yeah, absolutely, absolutely. It's incredible.

28:17 I mean, it's mind-blowing. And I lived in what was once a fairly economical part of the US, the mid-South region, kind of the Nashville area. It used to be quite affordable, but in the last five years, everything's basically doubled in price. And so it's no longer providing the same value that it used to provide. And why I support the hustle, you know, I understand people, they go through a lot to go to dental school. It's really difficult. They're doing some things that are comparable to becoming a medical doctor.

28:49 For me, because I have the choice and because I've accrued some paid time off at work that I can use, for me it's like, 'Oh wow, okay.' So knowing what I make, comparing the amount of time I have to work, it's a no-brainer. I mean, it's a lot of my time.

29:18 Kiki says, 'Similar dental costs in Ireland. Dentists are very expensive here.' Yeah, I can imagine they're quite high. And I think it's similar in Japan. I heard Japanese people are going to Thailand for dental work. And so, yeah, I feel like it's a good deal, and I'm thrilled. I'm really thrilled.

29:34 A lot of people are thinking, 'Oh, but you know, a little bit of Spanish, my Spanish isn't that strong.' And I actually messaged them on WhatsApp in English, and they responded very quickly in English. And we actually have, I think, either a call or we're going to talk a bit more tomorrow to hammer out some details because I'll be getting to Mexico on Sunday, and I'd like to get the wisdom teeth out on Monday or Tuesday, just so I can recover quick and at least have a solid three or four days to enjoy myself before I fly back.

30:04 I fly back to the US on Sunday the following Sunday night, and then I will arrive back to where I need to be ten minutes before I gotta be at work on Monday morning. I've set things up such that I'm really making absolute maximum use of my paid time off work.

30:26 Rafael Mendoza: 'Hi Alex, I'm thinking of moving to Riviera Maya next year. Cost of living is much cheaper than the US.' Well, thank you for chiming in, Rafael. I'm so glad to hear that you're thinking about it. It is much, much more modest. I actually did some price quoting on some apartments, and I want to say I checked about 10 different ones in my preferred area, which is in the Riviera Maya.

30:54 And I want to say some really nice one-bedroom apartments, I was getting quoted at like between like $600 and $800 a month. That sounds like a lot, and it's probably a little bit steep for the area, but these are really nice apartments. I mean, these are modern apartments, brand new everything, a luxury apartment, something that would easily cost $3,000 or $4,000 a month in Miami, maybe more by now, maybe $5,000 or $6,000 a month.

31:19 And so, it to me too, the weather is comparable to Miami. I spent some time in Miami about 10 years ago. And broadly speaking, Riviera Maya reminded me somewhat of Cancun or somewhat of Miami with a lot of things I like and missing some things I don't like. It's extremely expensive in Miami, whereas in the Riviera Maya, it's ironically considered the most expensive area, one of the most expensive areas in Mexico, alongside of course Cabo and on the west coast, and of course Mexico City.

31:54 However, when you compare it to what it costs to live in the US, it's so much lower. Prices have been rising. There's an incredible amount of demand coming from expats from around the world, not just American expats, but also Europeans and, of course, other Latino people. But even with all of that, it still, in my mind, remains an incredible option as far as having the feeling like, 'Okay, I'm in a different country. I'm paying a lower cost of living.'

32:18 Perhaps if I was interested, if I belong to that culture, that would just be another layer on there, like I'm around my people or I'm around people that we share a similar background, similar, we have the same language. I feel like.

32:35 I don't know, I imagine it's comparable to how I feel in certain parts of Southeast Asia. And so, yeah, I'm definitely making a lot of content in the Riviera Maya. Raphael, I'm going to be filming. I'm also going to do a couple of live streams down there. It's going to be really, really cool, and I'm looking forward to sharing it because I visited about four years ago. And prior to going, of course, a lot of people, they say these negative, untrue things about Mexico, and I didn't believe it, but I just didn't have any reason to like, learn otherwise. When I was younger, I loved traveling the US. It was a lot cheaper about 10 years ago, so that was a big part of it.

33:13 But when I eventually went down there, my friend Jose, who's from the west coast of Mexico, he kept inviting me. And I was like, well, you know, I need to just take him up on it. I need to put myself out there and try it, and I fell in love with it. It's just so peaceful if you go to the right places. But if you want to go have a good time, it's so easy to go have a good time. People are very laid back. You don't see people in a hurry, especially where I like to go. I'm looking at Isla Mujeres. People are not in a hurry on Isla Mujeres. People are very laid back.

Riviera Maya Cost of Living and Travel

33:46 They're hard working. I'm not saying that that's, I don't want to get that conflated. They're hard working because it is very hard work to live on an island. It's costly. They're paying higher electric bills, they're paying higher rental fees relative to much of Mexico. However, compared to the US, where you know, you're in traffic and people are tailgating you, and people are flashing their brights, and they expect you to do 10 miles an hour over the speed limit. I just didn't find that experience in Isla. In fact, ironically, they have a lot of speed bumps in Isla Mujeres specifically to stop people from speeding.

34:22 Jose told me several years back they had some issues with speeding, so they put in these speed bumps all over the island, and now you can't do more than, like, I think 20 miles an hour. So it's just, it's so peaceful. People are warm, the food is amazing. By the way, just on Isla, you have 150 different restaurants. Of course, that doesn't take into account the hundreds that are, I'm sure, in Cancun, also in Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Cozumel.

34:56 If I have the time, I'd like to get to Cozumel. I'm not sure yet if I'll be able to make it. But if I do have the time and I feel well enough after recovering from my surgery, I'd like to visit Cozumel. I know my mother visited there and she really enjoyed it. And it's just really, really interesting. And something else that is really cool to me is this is the first time I'm going back to a place in Latin America that I've already been to before. Of course, Colombia and Peru are new places, but part of me also loves going back to places that I've already been.

35:26 And it's really nice too that when you are there, it has that small town vibe where Jose was able to introduce me to a lot of his friends and then also show me some local restaurants where it's off the beaten path and you're able to get like dollar tacos that are freaking incredible. Like some of the best, not some, the best dollar tacos I've ever had. I'd say the only ones that I could think of dollar tacos that are right up there in that range are some I've had in downtown Los Angeles. Downtown Los Angeles has incredible tacos, but you're also talking about like a hyper-competitive area. Everybody's trying to make a buck out there.

36:07 So somebody's like, I can make tacos for a dollar. I can do this as a business. So yeah, Raphael says, yeah, it's the new digital nomad hotspot right now. I totally get it. I think that when I visited there, I was like, this is just the beginning as far as people's interest in this area. It's so beautiful. The water is so clear.

36:33 The ceviche. I mean, I used to tell people because I'd forgotten about the ceviche I had in Mexico. That was my first exposure to ceviche, and I love sushi. Being Japanese, I grew up eating sushi sometimes on occasions. I'm not going to say I ate it frequently, but I love that seafood. And so having that ceviche in Mexico is incredible. Of course, they use raw fish and then they put lime juice on top, and the acid from the lime juice helps to break down the fish. Of course, it's not foolproof. Definitely be careful when you're eating ceviche. Don't go to just some random place that doesn't look that great because sometimes the bacteria can make you ill.

37:12 But yeah, I get it. And it's not just the ceviche, though. I think some people when they think of, like, oh, if I go to Mexico, I'm only going to be able to eat Mexican food for a week. First off, I love Mexican food. I eat Mexican food at least a couple times a week in the States because I just, it's so hearty, it's got a variety of ingredients, it's spicy, it's got the fat, it's got the protein, it's got the carbs. It's everything that I want, at least multiple nights a week. But you also have places that you can get sushi in Cancun, in the Riviera Maya. You have places you can get a good hamburger. You have places that you can go have Italian food. You can go get pizza if you like pizza. It's not going to be a place that you can't have a good pizza.

38:00 For me, a big thing is smoothies. I really like having smoothies, and so all those fresh fruits that you have down there because of the tropical weather create an environment where you can get really, really tasty smoothies that are super refreshing on hot days. The coffee is also incredible. I'd say that's an underrated part of that region because I think a lot of people think of it being this tropical vibe and we're mostly enjoying refreshing things like margaritas and ice-cold coconuts. But the coffee there is really good. So if you're somebody that wants to get up and get some stuff done, you've got work to do, you're a digital nomad like Raphael mentioned, then the coffee there is incredible.

38:42 And you get a lot of American conveniences in the Riviera Maya that I think would really surprise a lot of people. It was super easy for me to find a pancake breakfast or like a French toast breakfast, something that reminds me a little bit more of home. Because for me, it's nice to have a little bit of the familiar, even though I do love traveling. I love going everywhere I go. Occasionally, on some of my long trips, I do miss home a little bit and I do want some things to kind of remind me of the experiences that I had back home and the places that I went and the people that I met and the food that I ate.

39:21 And so it's close. That's something else about the Riviera Maya. If you're somebody that doesn't want to fly 17 hours to Singapore for a layover to fly to Bangkok or to Bali or something like that, you don't want to have jet lag and that much extreme time change. Maybe you have family or relatives in the US that you want to be reasonably close to. Well, you can get to the US in say, a three or four-hour flight. So you may have a layover once you get to the US if you're in like a northern state or something like that, but you're not going to really feel, in my experience anyway, you're not going to feel like you're in the middle of nowhere. Certain places that I've been, especially like remote parts of the Philippines, I love it, but you don't feel like you're near a city. You don't feel like it's going to be easy if you need to have a business flight or something, travel for business, or if you need to go back home on the holidays.

40:15 So being there in the Riviera Maya, you do feel like, okay, I could probably get to the airport in like an hour or something like that, and it's going to be a half a day thing. It's not going to necessarily be this thing where you're giving up a couple days on the way there and a couple days on the way back. That's the primary reason I'm not going to Thailand right now is that even though I could go to Thailand for a week, I'm thinking, okay, I'm going to lose a day on the way there, I'm going to lose a day on the way back, and then the five or six days that I'm going to be there, I'm going to be so jet-lagged, I'm not going to be able to do anything.

40:49 So for me, places like Southeast Asia, I want more like a month, at least a month to make it worthwhile. Because anything less than a month, to me, it's, I don't know, two weeks is decent. Two or three weeks can be good, but I don't think Southeast Asia, coming from America, is as viable for a week where it seems like Quintana Roo is a perfect place that if you just want to come for a week, you can do that. But if you want to come for a month, it's also great for that. And if you want to stay for longer periods of time, you do need to be careful about visas.

41:22 I will say after those watching the replay, historically Mexico was known as a place that just kind of was welcoming to travelers. They're like, hey, we'll stamp you in six months. You can stay six months, easy to renew, keep renewing for six months at a time. But now they're being more serious about it. From what I've heard, people are arriving at Cancun Airport intending to stay in Mexico for six months, and immigration asks them, hey, how long are you staying here? And they tell them, oh, I'm just going to stay here for a month. Well, then immigration is asking, well, do you have proof of where you're going to stay? Do you have proof that you have the resources to be able to afford to stay here for longer? They want to see proof. They want to see that you're legitimately planning to stay for the duration of what you're saying.

42:06 Because if I tell them a week, they're going to just stamp me in for a week. They're not going to stamp me in for six months. So what I'll tell them is probably, you know, the exact number of days that I'll be there, including the.

42:17 So, probably eight or nine days, something like that. And technically seven, since I've got a count that I'm coming from the US and going back to the US. But that's something to be careful about with Mexico. When you get prompted to ask how long you're going to stay, pre-plan for that if you want to go and be a nomad down there for several months. Have some accommodation lined up, have the funds to show that you can afford to do this.

42:48 Also, maybe have a little brush-up on your Spanish. It wouldn't hurt to try a little Spanish to kind of show, like, as an example, hey, I am attempting to learn the language. I'm not just looking to aimlessly exist in your country because they are probably starting to see issues with tourists who didn't really plan ahead and are causing issues for them down there.

43:21 That's kind of why they are being a little bit more strict. I'm not going to say they're super, super strict. Obviously, they want people to come and spend money and enjoy Mexico, but they don't want people who are going to misuse the privilege of being able to visit such a gorgeous place.

Dental Tourism and Trip Reflections

43:34 Normally, I'm not a major beach person in the US, as much as I used to be. I should say tropical beach. I love the beaches in California and the hiking and things like that, but East Coast beaches to me, perhaps they feel a little bit crowded. We have a lot of people in the US, so sometimes you feel like you don't have as much privacy.

43:57 But in Mexico and the Philippines, you can go to these beaches and not have a whole lot of people around you. You feel like you have your own private space, and you can really just detach. For me, my mind slows down, and I'm feeling the sun on my face. I smell the ocean breeze, not the old fish smell, and I'm enjoying a cold beverage and just feeling the sand between my toes.

44:28 I really feel the tension come off my shoulders. I was kind of worried about this when I was like, I really need to do this, but I'm justifying it with the wisdom teeth removal. I'm really looking forward to it because I haven't done anything in about almost six months, and this will be the first time I'm really getting to do something travel-wise. I did drive cross-country, but that wasn't a vacation.

44:55 This is the first vacation I'm having in six months. I know some people might say that's too frequent, and perhaps it is. But it's going to be good value. I'm going to ultimately spend less to visit Mexico for a week and have my wisdom teeth out than I would spend just to have my wisdom teeth out here in the US. So it's a big victory for me because they're bugging me and it's time they came out.

45:19 I don't want them to make my jaw sore any longer. I just gotta buckle up and do it. I have never been a big fan of the dentist, but I imagine I'm going to receive really good quality care in Mexico, and I'll be reporting back on it. I'll definitely be letting you all know how it went, how the cost matched up to what I was quoted at, and how the recovery process went.

45:51 Did I have to go to a pharmacy, or were they? They have a pharmacy on site. All this kind of information, I think, would be really cool to share because something that I do want to keep in mind about my channel is medical tourism is an interest of mine, dental tourism is an interest of mine, more so than medical, just my personal preferences. But dental, especially, it just seems like the cost has gotten out of hand.

46:16 Thank you so much, Denise. He says, 'You sound really stoked about this trip.' I'm so excited. Sometimes I feel a little guilty enjoying myself, but I've got to remind myself life is short. I'll never forget this trip. I remember so many details about my first trip because it shattered the first layer of shattering, like my preconceived notions about international travel. That was Israel. That was my first country, and I went there totally different than what I expected.

46:44 And then, not long after that, maybe a year, year and a half after that, my friend from Mexico was like, 'Hey, you should come down.' So I ended up going down, and I was like, 'So this is what I thought Mexico was, and this is what Mexico actually is.' It's not perfect. I'm not going to ever come here and say, 'Oh, this country's perfect,' because there are real challenges in Mexico.

47:08 But it's beautiful. The people are warm and friendly. The food is incredible. The beaches in Isla Mujeres, for example, have been rated as some of the best in the Caribbean, and I can attest to that. The only other place I've seen beaches like that are in the Philippines.

47:29 The difference being is that in Isla, it seems closer to a population center. When I talk about some of these beaches in the Philippines, they're really remote and not near a lot of places. Isla feels really expensive because it has to be. It's boated in, and they don't have, they can't store large amounts of it anyway. It's all around kind of tricky, but this is like on easy mode.

48:02 I haven't been to Hawaii yet, but I hear some comparisons to places like that. I do want to go one day. So if any of you have been there or know much about it, definitely share your thoughts down in the comments. And yeah, it's just so exciting. I think what's cool about Mexico also is that once you go down there and you see things, it kind of shifts your perspective.

48:35 It made me a lot more open-minded. Before going down there, I didn't really feel as strong a need to learn Spanish. I just felt like, well, I speak English, I work in the United States, what does it really matter? Not that I don't think I'd ever work with Spanish people, but just like, well, it seems like everybody in the world learns English. But after I went down there and started to meet more local people and interact with people, and I really, really enjoyed myself, I thought I need to be able to communicate with Spanish speakers.

49:06 There are a lot of Spanish speakers in the world, and a little bit of Spanish would go really, really far. I'm so excited to be going back because the first time I was down there, I tried to say 'gracias' and I said 'grazie,' which is Italian. I don't even know any words in Italian, but I was having a good time. So I just didn't have any Spanish when I went four years ago.

49:33 Now I spent the first half of this year in Colombia and in Peru, and I had to learn Spanish. I was in so many awkward situations in Colombia, less so in Peru because Peru came after Colombia, where I just didn't know what they were saying and I kept asking, 'I don't understand.' Eventually, I picked up on a lot of the different words that I'd use in communicating with accommodation staff and restaurant staff, and trying to let them know this is the kind of beverage I'd like, etc., etc.

50:05 Being able to go back there and being able to say, 'Para aqui,' I'd like that meal for here, or 'Para llevar,' I like that meal to go. 'Buenos noches.' These kinds of things just go such a long way when you're dealing with people. When you're coming to them, I feel like some people I know that English isn't their first language, they feel so self-conscious, and it breaks my heart because they're trying so hard with English. English is such a difficult language, it's so hard to learn.

50:37 So I like to kind of reverse the roles and try to learn their language, try to speak their language a bit. Say, 'Hey, I'm going to put myself out there.' I don't expect YouTube, but I know you've probably been in a situation where you felt like you had to. And if I get to create that for somebody, that's really special to be able to meet somebody in their element.

51:02 It's not super complicated. I found Spanish was really boring when I was in school. They were trying to tell me, 'Learn this and that,' all related to school stuff like 'mochila.' Words that aren't necessarily things that we're going to use frequently. But when it came to learning how to communicate with wait staff, like, 'Oh yes, I'd like a drink, please,' or 'Could I have this dish on the menu?' like 'vegetariano' was a big thing when I was in Medellin.

51:44 I remember all those things. Being able to go down there to the Riviera Maya and communicate with wait staff and be able to communicate with all the people that I'm going to be meeting with confidence is going to be really exciting. I think that's something that will be really helpful in content creation down there.

52:07 Asking people, 'Hey, is it okay if I record this interaction for YouTube to share with you all?' I do have footage from Peru and Colombia that I haven't been able to get into because I've been really busy with everything else I have going on. But hopefully, one of these days, I'll crack more into that footage. Fortunately, I do have equipment this time going into Mexico to record. I didn't record much when I was down there before.

52:32 This will be really, really exciting. So anyway, I think I'm going to wrap up in the next few minutes. If there are any other questions, I really appreciate you all joining tonight. It's been so nice to have this full-on live stream. I wasn't expecting to be able to do it, but I thought, what the heck.

52:50 I thought, what the heck, and now we're almost an hour in. I'm also going to try to film the process of me flying down there. I will have to get a PCR test to fly back, so the day before I fly, the following Saturday, I'm going to have to do some planning because I think I'm going to need to get like a rapid PCR test Sunday morning.

53:29 I'm going to be flying out of Mexico Sunday evening, and that's going to be the day after Christmas. Everything is going to be closed on Christmas Day, which is going to be fun and interesting.

53:45 Thank you all so much for watching tonight. If there are any other questions, I think I'm going to wrap it up. I hope you all have a really wonderful winter holiday. Enjoy spending time with people that care about you.

54:01 Denise says, "So glad I came across your channel. I love to travel, but I've been staying close to home since COVID for now. I'll live vicariously through you." Thank you so much, Denise. That's really thoughtful. I really appreciate that you enjoy my channel.

54:16 I can respect that you want to stay close to home. COVID is a real serious thing, and unfortunately, a lot of people have become very seriously ill, had life-changing effects, and some people have even passed away. So I definitely absolutely respect your decision to stay close to home and to avoid unnecessary travel.

54:37 Normally, I'd be a bit more cautious, but in this case, it is a medical thing. Hopefully, the sacrifice will be worth it, and I'll be able to share everything with you all. Anyway, I hope you all have a good evening, and I'll talk to you soon.