Tuxtla Gutiérrez | Our First Impressions of the Capital of Chiapas

[@CK9mum]

Thanks for sharing your experiences in Tuxtla! I can certainly tell your Expat Spanish Lessons are helping you communicate with the locals!

[@GringosRUs]

Thank you! She is getting much better and has started to shed the fear of being wrong and just going with the flow. We did a couple of tours the past few days here in San Cristobal and we are starting to grasp more and more of what is being said. Fluent? Far from it, but also far from where we were when we crossed the border.

[@alejandraescobedo1]

Thank you for sharing!! I love to hear your updates.

[@GringosRUs]

Thank you Alejandra. We have a couple more scheduled for Tuxtla on the upcoming Saturdays.

[@jennyhammond9261]

Be careful with the water dispensers that you refill yourself. I'm not 100% sure, but I think mine was giving me tap water. I got sooo sick (almost after a year of using it). I was going through a list of why I could be so sick and thought of that. I stopped drinking it and felt better after a week of stopping. I bought it again and instantly got sick. My vet said he's also been sold dirty water (visibly) at one.

[@GringosRUs]

Good to know! We won't be using them again. It just tasted "off". One of our hosts in Progreso even told us to just buy at the store, not the delivery guy, because they didn't trust where the delivery guy's water was coming from. It's no big deal to get a name brand from a store, and it sounds much safer!

[@lgnrome]

Mark always looks relaxed with that cigar. Hey makes me want to take up smoking cigars also. Love your channel

[@GringosRUs]

Thank you very much. After 40 years I should have it down. George Burns was a favorite of mine and nobody could smoke a cigar like George. LOL Say Goodnight Gracie!

[@valm.5243]

You won't like this but as a medical professional, with tons of sick people to manage, I feel compelled to say this: Pls don't encourage smoking..there 7000 toxic chemicals in one cigar/cigarette that slowly do wreak havoc in the body...each putting a smoker at risk of 100's of potential health problems at some point in life. It looks cool but it's not cool. Good health is a priority so you can keep travelling and enjoying life instead being stuck in the doctor's office or worse a hospital bed! George Burns was an exception but 99% of people are not, especially the these days. Health problems send expats back to their home countries to be as close to their doctors as possible! We want to see you stay healthy so we can binge watch your videos and live vicariously through you while you travel.😊

[@lgnrome]

@@valm.5243 I appreciate your advise. Thank you

[@GringosRUs]

@@valm.5243 No, you re 100% correct in what you said. It is definitely not good for anyone and I don't suggest that anyone take up smoking. My bad for making light of the comment. We have had a few subscribers who have brought up the smoking issue with me upon occasion and I appreciate that they only want the best for me. If and when the time comes for me to put them aside, I know that I will have a lot of support on here. Thanks for pointing out my error.

[@valm.5243]

OK, thanks for clarifying and your humility. You are a role model for many. You're blessed to be surrounded by so many people that care about your wellbeing. Continue to enjoy Mexico & we will continue to watch! Stay well!

[@debbiejohnston494]

Here in Ajijic the heat has been merciless and totally not what is even close to normal! We hit over 95, and it hung around 91, for a week! I got sick! I’m from Florida and very accustomed to heat but this was unreal! The locals have said they have never seen heat like this! It’s dropped down a bit, after a very tiny rainfall late last night. We’re just praying for rain 😅. Thanks for all you do!

[@GringosRUs]

Thanks Debbie. It has been raining here in San Cristobal de las Casas for almost a week now. We even had a tree come down behind our Airbnb and barely miss the house. And we haven't gotten out of our hoodies in what feels like a month. We were both digging in our suitcases for sweat pants and warmer clothing. It is really weird that here it is, the middle of June and we are in southern Mexico, and the high temperatures have been in the low to middle 60's. There is something about this place, geographically speaking, that must just trap the colder air. It has been a very nice respite, especially after the heat that was in Tuxtla Gutierrez, just one hour away.

[@Corgi_Saurus]

@debbiejohnston494 Mind if I ask what's making it brutal? 95 in Florida is hot but it gets a lot hotter. The reason I ask is because in NC 95 and unless the sun is beating down I'm outside walking around with no prob... but when I visited Portugal last year 83 brought me to my knees. Couldn't figure out what was going on for the longest time and that's when I realized that all of the buildings are white and the roads are mostly white so I was surrounded by reflective surfaces. It was basically like living inside a solar cooker. Any idea what makes Ajijic brutal at 95?

[@debbiejohnston494]

@@Corgi_Saurus without ac, 95 plus the humidity is brutal TO ME. Everything in Orlando is air conditioned. NOTHING here in Ajijic is. Everything, oddly enough 🤔 is Mexican tile which, as you mentioned really heats up! With a fan and shade, it’s tolerable.

[@Corgi_Saurus]

@@debbiejohnston494 Oooooo! 95 with NO AC?! Yeah that's a different beast cause you don't get a break. And when it's that hot for extended periods even pools don't help because the water becomes like a bath. Guess I better make a note to bring down AC units!

[@michellemolotte7367]

Thank you both for this great review of Tuxtla Gutierrez!

[@GringosRUs]

Our pleasure! We had such a great time in Tuxtla Gutierrez and next week's video highlights some of the many things to do in and around this wonderful city. Thanks for watching Michelle!

[@laura-yu3kh]

The tlayudas are delicious 😋 They are considered a Oaxacan staple. The Tlayuderia (place of tlayudas)on the video has a mural of a woman wearing a typical Istmo de Tehuantepec (Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico to Oaxaca on the Pacific) dress. I am sure you’ll get to enjoy more tlayudas when you reach Oaxaca.

[@GringosRUs]

Thanks for the info! If we can get more tlayudas Laura, then we will be happy campers. They were outstanding. And just the right amount of food for the two of us.

[@cindyk3076]

It sounds like you enjoyed the area despite some drawbacks. I'm glad that you were only there a month since the heat was unbearable. The pix of the Airbnb looked nice and there was not one mention of a folding bed, lol. The food looked really good as well.

[@GringosRUs]

Thanks Cindy. It was a very nice house, though we basically lived in one room because it had AC. Fortunately it was a combined sitting room/bedroom so it worked out just fine. The food and the people there were fabulous. The heat was a bit much but we learned to deal with it. I guess we are getting more acclimated the longer we are here in Mexico.

[@johnhitzroth9082]

Still loving your videos. Really looking forward to your thoughts and experiences of Huatulco. I’ve been to Mexico about 17 times for vacation, always Riviera Maya or Cozumel. We loved it so much that we kept going back to that area. I’ve never been to the west coast but my wife and I are planning to go to Huatulco this November. Wondering if you’ll still be there, since you mentioned cutting down your rate of travel and staying longer in places? Anyway, great work! It’s nice to see Gina out of her cast and you both enjoying your life and times down there. Cheers!

[@GringosRUs]

Thanks John. We are going to be in Huatulco for 2 months starting next weekend. Then we are in Oaxaca for 3 months. We have to be there for Dia de los Muertos. We are really looking forward to our time in both locations. We are also anxious to experience the west coast side of Mexico as we have never been there either. We are hoping that the internet will allow us to do a live next week from Huatulco. Seems like we haven't chatted with all of you in forever. Crossing our fingers on having a strong internet signal there.

[@tomm9540]

I remember buying two beautiful Mahogony chairs in Haiti a long time ago, and sometimes you had to put furniture in a meat freezer to kill any termites that might be in the wood before bringing it home.

[@GringosRUs]

You ARE smart Tom. I would never have thought of that, but what a brilliant idea. Damn sure don't want to bring them home with you. We have not seen them here in San Cristobal de las Casas, but then it is probably too cold for them here.

[@winstonmcgill6667]

Enjoyed the video Salud

[@GringosRUs]

Thanks Winston. Heard it through the grapevine that you will soon be in Huatulco. We arrive there next week and will be there for 2 months and hopefully we can grab a drink or dinner together.

[@winstonmcgill6667]

@@GringosRUs that would be fantastic. I'm planning on coming down the latter part of July for two weeks.

[@destinationmax]

Happy weekend Gina &Mark. So sorry to hear about your Internet and power issues. I know it’s very difficult when we are trying to work. I got a relatable giggle about all of the busyness in the neighborhood. My neighborhood is the same way the gas trucks, the bread 🥖 pan truck, tamale lady, guy with his donkey selling potting soil, the flute 🪈 guy selling something, Jehovah Witness, Before the election, there were a lot of campaign folks, trash truck and on the off days another trash truck for tips, my doorbell gets ringed asking if I want to buy flowers, take a poll on improving the city, guy is asking if I want my weeds, sprayed or pulled, and the list goes on. Most of the time I don’t mind as long as it’s not the Jehovah’s Witness. 😂 I can’t always get to the door also when I am working or on a call. It all reminds me of the 80s when people ring your doorbell selling things in USA. By the way, Gina I’m very impressed with the way your Spanish has come along when you were communicating with the vendor ❤ you guys have a wonderful day and thank you for sharing your experiences!

[@GringosRUs]

We did have the Jehovah's Witnesses come by on one occasion and I just said "No habla" and they were like hasta luego and on to the next house. LOL The activity was really a lot of fun and we thoroughly enjoyed our time on that street. Yeah, Max, her Spanish is getting better every day. Using it just strengthens it and you just have to roll with the mistakes, because they are going to be made.

[@suwitzig4544]

I’ve lost track of where you are😂😎miss the lives!!

[@GringosRUs]

So have we Suzanne! LOL. We are in our last week here in San Cristobal de las Casas and this Saturday we are heading over to Huatulco. It is a good 8 hour drive, but we do have a video set to drop while we are driving. Hopefully the internet is better in our Airbnb in La Crucecita, so we can get back to chatting with all of you. We miss it as well. Hopefully we will see everyone on the 26th!

[@suwitzig4544]

@@GringosRUs well sure hope you have a great connection! Sounds like the place on this video was quite noisy with all the street action!! Gotta love Mexico!😂

[@GringosRUs]

@@suwitzig4544 Yeah, actually the noise just became part of the allure of the neighborhood. Supposedly the internet is supposed to be able to support work from home, so we are hoping. We are just in a hole here in San Cristobal and no way to be able to put up Starlink, cause there was no clear view of the northern sky. Oh well, it has been a fun and restful stay here though.

[@SB31366]

Enjoyed the video. I was married in Santa Maria Tehuantepec Oaxaca. You might end up driving by this sweet little town. I am trying to gather information on tour packages or recommended tour guides for Chiapas. Now that you have been there, do you have any suggestions besides Google.

[@GringosRUs]

We are doing two tours during the next week so we will be able to speak more intelligently about how they went and the tour company that we used. Most of the time we just jump in the car and go on our own explorations. We will let you know.

[@Claude474]

Formosan termites (like you described) are terrible and nearly impossible to treat or get rid of. I've seen them in the Gulf Coastal areas in the US. Drier areas in the US don't have that problem.

[@GringosRUs]

So true Claude. They were everywhere there in Tuxtla. They were driving Gina nuts as she had the brightest spot in the room and they just swarmed to her area. It is the first time that we have really noticed them here in Mexico. Thanks for the information.

[@jj-bp3fr]

Some locals have complained about migrants coming from the caribbean, central, and south america, they've taken over several shopping centers, sleeping in parking lots, leaving messes everywhere, notnpicking uo after themselves, making the city dirty, etc. Have you seen migrants as well? I've traveled there, seen many migrants in backpacks, alot of Haitians, so wondered of you've seen such areas where they've taken them over.

[@GringosRUs]

We haven't really seen a lot of homeless people. There are a few here in San Cristobal de las Casas, but the most that we saw was in Queretaro. It still was not an overwhelming number of them though. It does seem that there are some cities that we have been in that has a larger trash problem than others. There were some areas of Merida that shocked us. Especially after seeing how clean the main area of Centro was. San Luis Potosi still amazes us as to how clean it was. I think that it was the cleanest of all the locations that we have visited so far.

[@Dave-eu3ib]

Glad I am not the only that looses files

[@GringosRUs]

Yeah, that sucked Dave, but if it can happen to Gina, then the rest of us have no chance of saving them all. LOL

[@mariaa.7401]

Sweet potato= camote

[@Corgi_Saurus]

What is the food poisoning situation as you travel around?

[@GringosRUs]

So far we have been very lucky. We have had one or two instances where we caught a bug, but not sure if it was food related or not. We are always cognizant of trying not to attempt to store meat for too long. Normally it is either used promptly or frozen immediately. Vegetable wise, we use the disinfecting drops to rinse them prior to use unless they are labeled ready to eat. We also take our antiparasitic drug every six months as that is another bug waiting to get you here. Actually, that is not a bad thing to really take anywhere in the world as the parasites don't know anything about borders. LOL We tend to look for places that are popular with the locals as far as dining goes and that has been working very well for us so far. Thanks for watching.

[@jj-bp3fr]

I believe you attracted alot of vendors bc they tend to spread the word to other sellers of people that like to buy, but if you say no and dont answer the doorbell, they'll give up and walk away.

[@GringosRUs]

LOL, they always want to hit up on Gina and not me. I just say Gracias and keep moving. Stopping is the worst thing that you can do. In her defense, she often stops to record footage for the videos and that is when they swarmed around her like locusts.