Tourism could have integral role in economic recovery and the shift towards a Green Economy

From a news release issued by the United Nations World Tourism Organization:

Ahead of the UN Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen, Denmark (December 2009), UNWTO has joined several UN agencies to release an Interagency Statement of the United Nations System: ‘Green Economy: A Transformation to Address Multiple Crises’. This statement underlines the necessity for leading economies to come together and strengthen the coordination of their respective stimulus programs to both revive economic growth and begin the transformation towards a Green Economy. Tourism is among the sectors singled out in the statement following UNWTO’s awareness raising efforts regarding tourism’s potential to play an integral role in both economic recovery and the shift towards a Green Economy.

The joint statement highlights tourism as one of the industries in which investments for development would be most welcome. The industry’s carbon emissions, at 5% of the total, are significant but manageable with adaptation and new technology. Developing countries are particularly dependant on revenues from international tourism to finance their development agenda and will need special financial support to help them make the changes necessary to become climate neutral.

UNWTO Secretary-General ad interim, Taleb Rifai has underscored that “Tourism can contribute through carbon-clean operations, jobs in environment management and energy-efficient construction, whilst aiding countries to restore their damaged economies in line with the Davos Declaration Process.”

UNWTO’s action oriented Davos Declaration Process - produced with the input from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) - is a landmark in the Organization’s longstanding campaign to raise the profile of this issue and lead a concerted industry response. The Declaration stresses the need for the sector to ‘rapidly respond to climate change, within the evolving UN framework if it is to grow in a sustainable manner”.

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See Mexico's cultural treasures on YouTube

From a post by John Mitchell on Mexico Premiers:

YouTube fans will be pleased to know that Mexico’s National Institute of Archaeology and History (INAH) has established a channel on the world’s favorite video-sharing website. Called INAHTV, the channel currently offers 108 videos highlighting some of Mexico’s most important archaeological zones, museums, historical sites, traditional arts and festivals, as well as other cultural treasures. The commentaries are all in Spanish; but even if you don’t understand the language, these expertly produced videos are worth checking out for their visual impact and variety.

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Bus Travel in Mexico

An article from Mexico Travel Guide Blog:

One of the best ways of traveling around Mexico is by bus. There are many different sights there are to see throughout Mexico that can’t really be seen by train and those who drive themselves often miss things themselves. Traveling by bus also allows those traveling Mexico to meet other travelers.

There are different types of buses in Mexico and each one offers something different. Each one has their own price range as well, so it’s important for traveler’s to know what type of bus they’d like to travel on before embarking on a long trip in one. The nicest buses have comfortable reclining seats and often have snacks or drinks for their customers to enjoy on long trips. Some also have televisions and provide headphones so that passengers can enjoy a movie while they travel. There are also “Segunda Clase” buses that are something like an American school buses with slightly more comfort. However, these buses don’t reserve seats and when they get full there is often standing room only. Standing room only is great for those who are traveling a short distance, but those who are taking a longer ride will likely not enjoy the bus trip.

Travelers can literally get to anywhere in Mexico by bus as almost every town has at least one bus stop. Larger cities obviously have numerous bus stops. It’s easy for anyone to find a bus from downtown Mexico City to Cancun or even to La Paz (which is one really long, but scenic bus trip.) Also, buses of course can take tourists over short distances such as from one side of Mexico City to the other and this can be done for a very low cost. This is great for those who don’t wish to rent a car in Mexico or those who enjoy travel on a budget.

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Mis Casas eco tours in Laguna Bacalar

From a post on EcoTour:

Mis Casas is an off-grid small scale resort located in the jungle in the region known as the Costa Maya. 4km into the jungle off hwy 307, the highway connecting Cancun to Chetumal. Located 300km south of Cancun and 30 km north of Bacalar, Mis Casas is the ideal getaway for nature loving folks who want to experience life in the jungle first hand. Our 4 units are supported by a solar system infastructure and have kitchen facilities and common areas such as a lakeside boathouse, screened in palapa, and swimming docks.

This location is ideal for people seeking a quiet, nature filled vacation and who love exploring by canoe, swimming, walking and biking. Many day trips can be taken by your own rental car, or by public transportation to nearby sites of interest

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Ruins, Cenotes, Monkeys and More

From a post on Life's a Beach:

Yesterday, the kids had a day off from school to celebrate (early) Benito Juarez' birthday, so I packed them and their bikes into the Xterra and we set off on a much needed adventure. Our first stop was Coba, about an hour and a half from Playa del Carmen, where, for $81 pesos ($51 pesos for my entry fee and $30 pesos for my bike rental), we spent a wonderful few hours riding through the jungle, spotting coatimundi and iguanas with green parrots flying overhead. On bikes we easily managed to see the whole site and all the various ruin formations. Our kids love visiting ruins and I can really see their fertile imaginations at work as they try to read the hyrogliphs and decifer the mystical carvings worn by centuries of weather. They looked for "footprints" along the paths made by civilizations long gone. They concocted fanciful stories about the renegade chicle farmers when we would happen apon a tree with the tell-tale machete marks.They played on the ball courts pretending they were ancient Maya youth competing for the pride of their city and the favor of the Gods. What more could a child want than this fantastic backdrop on which to paint their fantasies!

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Mexico teams up with Google to promote archaeological tourism

An article from Essential Travel:

The archaeological wonders of Mexico are to be made available to travellers over the internet as part of a new initiative aimed at promoting the Central American country''s tourism industry.

Under the terms of the new agreement reached between the Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and History and Google, a number of major sites will be showcased through the search engine giant''s various platforms, including videos on YouTube and on Google Earth.

Over the coming months, the two parties also intend to roll out 360-degree interactive tours of Mayan sites with the aim of encouraging even more international travellers to take out travel insurance and head to Mexico.

Among those archaeological gems to be made available for online viewing include 173 historic sites and 116 museums.

According to figures cited by USA Today, tourism is Mexico''s third-largest source of foreign income, with the country''s beaches also proving a big draw among international travellers.

Some of the most popular tourist attractions in Mexico, the Mayan sites at Chichen Itza in Yucatan, are believed to be around 1,500 years old

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Land-based sources turn ocean into garbage dump

From an article by Marina Litvinsky on Inter Press Service:

WASHINGTON, Jun 8 (IPS) - The growing problem of marine litter is harming oceans and beaches worldwide and authorities must act now to reverse and prevent further environmental degradation, said a report released Monday, World Oceans Day.

The new report "Marine Litter: A Global Challenge" is a result of a collaboration between the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Ocean Conservancy. It is the first-ever attempt to take stock of the marine litter situation in 12 major regional seas.

The 12 regional seas included in the report are: Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Caspian Sea, East Asian Seas, East African Seas, Mediterranean, Northeast Atlantic, Northwest Pacific, Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, South Asian Seas, South Pacific, and Wider Caribbean.

"This is a major problem that is getting worse, not better," said Amy Fraenkel, director of UNEP’s Regional Office for North America, at a press conference announcing the report.

The report’s findings indicate that despite several international, regional, and national efforts to reverse marine pollution, alarming quantities of garbage thrown out to sea continue to endanger people’s safety and health, entrap wildlife, damage nautical equipment and deface coastal areas around the world.

"The ocean is our life support system – it provides much of the oxygen we breathe, the food we eat and climate we need to survive – yet trash continues to threaten its health," said Vikki Spruill, president and CEO of Ocean Conservancy. "The bottom line is our ocean is sick and its human activities that have made it so."

Land-based activities are the largest source of marine litter. In Australia, surveys near cities indicate up to 80 percent of marine litter originating from land-based sources, with sea-based sources in the lead in more remote areas.

Land-based sources include wastes from dumpsites located on the coast of banks of rivers; rivers and floodwaters; industrial outfalls; discharge from storm water drains; untreated municipal sewerage; littering of beaches and coastal picnic and recreation areas; tourism and recreational use of the coasts; fishing industry activities; ship-breaking yards; and natural storm-related events.

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Visit Mundo Maya on Web 2.0

Mundo Maya has sites on Flickr, Facebook, YouTube, and Mundo Maya Wiki. Links to all of them are here.

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Take a big trip, but think small

From an article by Gary Podolsky in the Winnipeg Sun:

Psychologists emphasize people need nature-wild trees, animals and unlandscaped areas for better health since we are so frequently dissociated from this in our cities. Although mostly forgotten, people are part of nature too and need to re-establish this.

Many recreational activities we value-working out in the gym, hiking or having pets are still second to enjoying actual wilderness.

Yet development itself threatens natural systems.

Some hikers still believe that water is clean to drink if far enough downstream from latrines and other wastes. The old philosophy of "the solution to pollution is dilution" is no longer true (and never was).

Water tables are notoriously susceptible to disruption and are also the most coveted for tourist development.

Saccage is a term introduced by Jacques Cousteau to describe the excessive costal development for tourists and industry that impinges on natural habitats and literally crowds out life.

Where there were once plants and animals there is now nothing. . . .

The over development of the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico is an example. Playa Del Carma in the heart of the Mayan Riviera was once a fishing village and now has its own airport.

Across the Channel in Cozumel access was limited for cruise ships so a coral reef was dynamited to allow more access! Locals have told me the building of resorts, nightclubs and golf courses or "Cancunization of Mexico" has radically changed the area. . . .

The good news is that there are options people can take to minimize our impact as travellers preserving destinations.

Green or ecotourism is very hard to define as this term is very much abused ("green washing"). However simple accommodations and dining are also available in the same destinations at a fraction of the cost to both the traveller and the environment.

Small hotels, guesthouses and hostels provide safe and comfortable accommodations with great service in local restaurants as a reasonable alternative to the all-inclusive resort.

Cuba offers state-regulated bed and breakfasts, casa particulares where travellers can stay in small billeting run by local families. These people give you the best room in their house with service that rivals the resorts.

Travellers are discovering that the vacations they want -- simpler and less stressful -- are often cheaper and give them a more lasting value. There will be always many tourist developments promoting development and progress over the preservation of natural resources but if travellers choose local businesses this will allow these to prosper and maintain a balance.

Dr. Podolsky practises travel medicine in Winnipeg at the Skylark Medical Clinic (www.skylarkmedicalclinic.com).

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Indispensable: Exploring the Yucatan, A Traveler's Anthology

From an article by Shep Lenchek on MexConnect:

Indispensable for anyone heading for the Mayan world of the Yucatan and equally interesting for those who have been there, this Traveler's Anthology gives a comprehensive overview of the exploration of the area. Although it not really a guide-book, it offers a glimpse of the area that goes back some 485 years. The book begins with short biographical sketches of, and reports from, those who first explored the Yucatan and brought the Mayans to the attention of the world. We get their first impressions of the wonders of the Mayan civilization as they were discovered.

The book is not organized chronologically. Readers find themselves skipping backward and forward through time. Some readers may find this distracting but overall the book presents a fascinating study of both the Mayans and those who braved the hardships of travel into what is, even today, a jungle.

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Sustainable development through alternative tourism in the Yucatán

From an article on Owners Perspective:

In the Mayan houses of the Yucatan Peninsula, a kanché is a germinator where seeds are planted in a tray raised above the ground so that they can grow safely in rich soil and out of harm´s way from animals or insects that might eat them. Kanché Asociación Civil (NGO) is a germinator for ideas and processes for sustainable development in rural Mayan communities.

The goal of Kanché is to offer rural Mayan communities access to the knowledge needed to become proactive. By combining the conservation of both nature and culture through sustainable development, they can improve the quality of their lives. Kanché aims to enable the development of these rural Mayan communities by giving them models to work with that are based on the sustainable management of natural and cultural resources.

Lilia Gonzalez is the Director of Kanché AC, which was created in 2006 by a number of young people from Mexico and other parts of the world. They met while working within rural Mayan communities. They found that the people in these communities were living in poverty and lacked opportunities. Due to their previous experiences within International Organisations and Governmental Institutions they believed that they could make a difference to the lives of these people and their communities, both now and in the future. . . .


Travelling with Kanché AC through the Puerta Verde Community-based Alternative Tourism Network not only helps reactivate local economies but also allows the tourist to experience the real culture and nature of the area. You will experience Mayan Culture first-hand and be captivated by the tranquillity of its
people. They understand that their most important assets are their people; and you will be invited to learn from local guides about nature and the wisdom of present day Mayan culture. The area that they operate in is peaceful and safe and Puerta Verde operates to the highest standards and provides the best safety equipment for all activities. You can choose from over 23 different activities - from swimming with a
whale shark to a Mayan music concert - and there is an itinerary for all tastes and abilities.

You could choose……
……an Encounter Getaway and get to know the descendents of the Mayan culture and their way of life; learn about their knowledge and their vision of the world and leave behind a bit of yours through sharing experiences……

……a Senses Getaway and experience the secrets of nature by getting to know the ecosystems of this region and learning everything you can about the local animals as local guides show you their habitat……

……an Adventure Getaway if you want to fly over the jungle… if you like to feel your adrenaline flowing, then unforgettable experiences and genuine adventure are waiting for you in incredible spots hidden in nature……

Other options include swimming or observing whale sharks, scientific trips, team-building activities, volunteer work, bird watching trips and children’s camps.

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Help turtles and participate in an ecotourism adventure

An article by D.T. Regula from the Examiner:

If you love seeing sea turtles, the special turtle-friendly tours offered by SeeTurtles.org may be just the thing for you. They offer trips in Baja California Sur, Costa Rica, and Trinidad and Tobago, both independently and in conjunction with Earthwatch, an organization which began offering ecotourism volunteer opportunities before "ecotourism" was a word.

Teens are invited to join a special "Teen Team" in Trinidad to protect the local nesting grounds of the Leatherback Sea Turtle. While the new hatchling at right is just a few inches long and a few ounces in weight, when adult, these turtles may be 6feet or longer and weigh up to 2000 pounds.

For the more serious eco-tourists, SeeTurtles.org can also coordinate other volunteer opportunities where fit and willing participants will be trained in turtle conservation and can lend a hand on actual turtle rescue and protection assignments. Be warned though - these are actual jobs that must be done, not just busy work for volunteers. Few things will stop the turtle team from making their appointed rounds. Participation fees run about what you would pay for an exotic adventure, but the altruistic bragging rights you gain are, as they say, priceless.

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10 ways to help save our oceans, even if you don't live near one

From The Nature Conservancy:

World Ocean Day, June 8th, Highlights Threats to Oceans around the World, and Opportunities to Help Improve the Health of our Seas

ARLINGTON, VA - June 8, 2009 -This World Oceans Day, The Nature Conservancy is offering simple tips to help restore oceans and coasts around the world.

“World Oceans Day was established by the United Nations to help create awareness about our seas, their importance to people, and the growing threats they face,” said Lynne Hale, director of The Nature Conservancy’s global marine program. “Recent studies about the threatened state of our oceans serve as an important reminder there are small and tangible steps that each of us can take to help reduce our impacts.”

An estimated 80 percent of all life on Earth depends on healthy oceans and coasts, and more than one-third of the world’s population lives in coastal areas or on small islands. Oceans provide people around the world with sustenance, economic opportunities, recreation and spiritual renewal. The world’s oceans supply us with more than $21 trillion annually in goods and services, like food, energy and transportation, and even medicine. Barrier beaches, coral reefs, mangroves and wetlands also offer protection from the effects of storms and other natural disasters.

Yet growing demands on our planet’s seas are increasing the loss of marine habitat and rapidly depleting ocean and coastal resources. How we manage our land thousands of miles away can have serious impacts on our seas. But with a few small, simple changes in your daily routine, you can help reduce your impact on our oceans, and help to protect their resources for future generations:

1. Reduce your plastic consumption. The most frequently collected items during beach cleanups are made of plastic — think reusable shopping bags, water bottles and utensils.

2. Make informed seafood choices. Keep a copy of the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s seafood guide in your wallet or text Blue Ocean’s FishPhone to help you choose sustainable seafood at the grocery store or a restaurant.

3. Dispose of chemicals properly. Never pour chemicals, pharmaceuticals, oil or paint into the drain or toilets. Check with your county’s household hazardous waste program to properly dispose of or recycle chemicals and keep them out of rivers and oceans.

4. Choose green detergents and household cleaners—or make your own! Besides being better for your own health, these products are safer for the environment since what goes down the drain can end up in our oceans.

5. Get the dirt on your beachside retreat. Before you stay in a hotel on the coast, ask staff what happens to their sewage and swimming pool water, and if they source their restaurant fish from sustainable sources.

6. Find out the source of your food. Buying local, organic food reduces your carbon footprint, supports the local economy and reduces the amount of pesticides and fertilizers that end up not just in your stomach, but as run-off in rivers and oceans, too.

7. Fill your yard with native species. Reducing the amount of grass in your lawn by planting native shrubs and flower beds will provide a better habitat for birds and other wildlife and require far less water and fertilizer, which can seep into the oceans.

8. Keep your beach visit clean. When visiting the beach, stay off fragile sand dunes, take your trash with you and leave plants, birds and wildlife for everyone to enjoy. Find a Conservancy coastal preserve near you.

9. Choose alternatives to coral. Whether shopping for jewelry, household décor or accessories for your fish tank, do your part to leave fragile coral reef habitats untouched by buying products that aren’t made of real coral.

10. Celebrate our oceans. Whether you live inland or on the coast, we are all connected to the ocean; take the time to organize or participate in activities that restore and celebrate the ocean, and help support The Nature Conservancy’s ocean conservation work by visiting http://www.nature.org/initiatives/marine.

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World Oceans Day brings warnings from Council on Plastic Pollution

A news release issued by the Plastic Pollution Council:

June 8, 2009, San Francisco, California

Following a presentation to Google employees by Captain Charles Moore, an oceanographer who pioneered the study of plastic debris, the Strategic Council on Plastic Pollution convened at the Google Campus in Mountain View, California on June 4, 2009. It was the first meeting for the council on plastic pollution, which was recently formed to raise awareness of this rising threat to the world's oceans.

Said council member and marine biologist Dr. Wallace J. Nichols, “We are finding plastic in the stomachs of sea turtles, birds, and fish all over the world. I find this extremely disturbing." In honor of World Oceans Day, the council has issued the following statement regarding this increasingly urgent threat to wildlife and human health:

"Do you know where our plastic goes?

Did you know that our oceans are filling up with plastic pollution?

Plastic fragments contaminate even the most remote locations on earth, and harmful chemicals leached by plastics are present in the bloodstream and tissues of almost every one of us.

Plastic pollution harms people, animals, and the environment. Plastic is not biodegradable. In the marine environment, plastic breaks down into smaller and smaller particles that absorb toxic chemicals, are ingested by wildlife, and enter the food chain that we depend on.

Consumption of throwaway plastics, such as bottles, containers, bags, and packaging, has spiraled out of control.

Recycling is not a sustainable solution. The reality is that most of our plastic waste is landfilled, downcycled or exported to other countries. And tragically, millions of tons of plastic are poisoning our oceans.

Businesses and governments need to take responsibility for new ways to design, recover and dispose of plastics.

Plastic pollution is the visible symbol of our global crisis of over-consumption. Let's pledge to shift our societies away from the disposable habits that poison our oceans and land, eliminate our consumption of throwaway plastics, and begin embracing a culture of sustainability.

Our health, our children, and the survival of future generations depend on us."

Press contact: (English & español) Manuel Maqueda, manuelmaqueda@gmail.com
+(415)839-7777 (GMT -8 h)

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Diversity and cultural richness in awe-inspiring Chiapas

From an article in the newsletter of the Mexico Tourism Board:

Chiapas is like amber – it stands out at first glance, but once you have a closer look, it surprises and attracts even more. The promotional slogan used by the state fits well when it comes to this diverse and culturally rich Southern Mexican state.

Easily accessible via Tapachula International Airport (TAP), Chiapas is a spectacular and secluded destination that offers waterfalls and rivers with wild torrents of clear water, beautiful lagoons, dams of blissful charm and wonder, and towns with rituals and folklore that inspire a sense of awe.

Currently the people of Chiapas, along with government associations, are working on developing a number of sustainable tourism projects that offer its guests Mexico’s two greatest treasures- its nature and its culture.

There are three main routes being offered by the Chiapas Tourism Secretary and the National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Communities. They are as follows:

The Zoque Route
These mountains range north of Tuxtla Gutierrez and are the land of the ethnic Group Zoque. While traveling along this route, visitors can enjoy pottery from Ocuilapa, archaeological pieces at the Jave Pacuay Museum in Ocozocoautla or the Copainala Museum, as well as the Dominican Moorish-style churches at Tecpatan and Copainala built in the early viceroyalty period. You can admire the state’s unique flora at the Faustino Miranda Botanical Garden or dance at the Marimba Park. While in the park, try some of the local cuisine- hot chipilin soup, tamales, roasted pig and stuffed plantain are just a few of the delicious dishes you’ll find, and be sure to get a tall glass of pozol, a fermented drink made from corn.

The Highlands Route
Featuring San Cristobal de las Casas, The Chiapas Highlands are dense, fragrant forests that have a strong indigenous presence; many call it the Route of Living Civilizations. Some of the highlights of the trip include visits to El Corralito, a 400-meter angled waterfall gushing down amid lush vegetation and the Larrainzar and Chenalho’s crafts market.

The Maya Route
The main archaeological areas in Chiapas are framed by the Lacandona Rainforest, where rivers, waterfalls, lush vegetation and varied animals provide an amazing setting to study the Maya. Visit the colorful murals at Bonampak, the steles at Yaxchilan, the temples and tombs at Palenque a World Heritage Site, and the lesser known archeological sites of Tenam Puente and Chinkultic. Surrounding communities often have cultural events and festivals. If you have a chance to stay for one, try the homemade sausages, cheeses, pork ribs, atole and chimbo (honey-glazed bread).

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Mexico plants trees, loses forests

From an Agence France-Presse article posted on Mother Nature Network:

Mexico is failing to stop deforestation, despite planting millions of trees, Greenpeace said here Wednesday, two days before the country hosts the U.N. World Environment Day.

Mexico is fifth in the world for species diversity, but also fifth in the world for deforestation, the lobby group said.

"We call on the government of (President) Felipe Calderon to be coherent. It's not possible to extol Mexico as an example in defending the environment ... whilst systematically destroying ecosystems with environment policies which do not stop deforestation," a statement said.

Mexico loses around 600,000 hectares (almost 1.5 million acres) of trees and jungle each year, which is equivalent to four times the size of the country's sprawling capital of some 20 million people, the group said.

Environmental policy under Calderon -- who will host World Environment Day on Mexico's Caribbean coast -- has not changed, Greenpeace said.

"Mexico even has one of the highest rates of environmental degradation in the world," it added.

Greenpeace said that bad practice in tourism -- one of Mexico's main sources of foreign income -- had accelerated the destruction of the environment.

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Understanding buying and selling dollars and pesos

Though Mexico Insight set this article in Mexico City's airport, its explanations certainly apply to exchanging money throughout the Yucatán peninsula:

A wander down “exchange house row” at Mexico City’s airport this evening (including the traders beyond the international arrivals gate area) revealed some interesting market activity.

The rate boards typically show a ‘dollar buy’ rate (how many pesos the house will give you in exchange for a US dollar) and a ‘dollar sell’ rate (how many pesos the house will require you to hand over in exchange for a US dollar). The difference between these two rates is the house’s margin, and is commonly known in the trade as the ‘spread’.

Today, the wholesale (interbank) peso/dollar rate closed at MX$13.008.

This evening, if you were selling dollars at the airport, the market rates on offer range from MX$12.50 to MX$12.90 depending on which exchange booth you choose to trade with. If you were selling pesos to buy dollars this evening, the market rates at those same establishments range from MX$12.75 to MX$13.15.

These spreads are quite significant. If you were selling US$500 at the best rate, you’d walk away with $6,450 pesos in your pocket. If you traded at the worst rate, you’d have just $6,250; $200 pesos can go quite a long way in Mexico.

One might wonder why the house offering $12.50 for each dollar doesn’t compete more intently with the house less than ten yards away offering $12.90 or, conversely, why the house offering $12.90 doesn’t trim its offer rate and thus increase its margin (vis-à-vis, profit) on each transaction.

The market prices on offer at retail exchange houses are not necessarily placed to ‘compete’ with the rate on offer at an exchange house ‘next door’, but moreover are related with the currency positions held by these retail exchange houses. If an exchange house has a shortage of dollars, it may increase the amount of pesos offered for each dollar across its network of exchange house branches, in a bid to attract greenbacks. Alternately, if the exchange house has sufficient dollars, it may reduce the amount of pesos offered for each one and so quell the influx of that currency across its counters.

This fluid and dynamic market, which is reflected so well across Mexico’s retail currency exchange counters, makes it worthwhile investing a few minutes to gauge the local currency markets when you arrive in Mexico and want to get your hands on some local coinage.

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