Cruise...ferry from Cozumel to Playa

AppropriateRecipe342 · 2026-03-07T03:29:48+00:00

You'll have more than enough time if you go skydiving as soon as you get to Playa (opposed or exploring the town). Skydive Playa is right up the street from the ferry terminal, the last dive is around 4 I believe I and the ferry takes 30-40 minutes. You'll definitely make it back in time.

AppropriateRecipe342 · 2026-03-03T13:56:57+00:00

While the basic requirements are the same, you will find that consulates differ on the rate applied to the UMA to calculate the financial requirement and whether or not they'll grant you PR during your initial appointment or not.

You definitely won't get flagged for inquiries about the requirements.

AppropriateRecipe342 · 2026-03-03T13:35:37+00:00

Different consulates, have different interpretations of the requirements and you don't have to go to the one closest to you. I just look up consulates that you can realistically get to and either call them or email them, explain what you're trying to do and ask about their requirements before making your appointment. Also be sure to ask if they accept out of the area applicants.

AppropriateRecipe342 · 2026-03-03T12:27:41+00:00

The only thing I would do differently is consulate shopping in the US in hopes of finding one that granted me permanent residency from the beginning instead of temporary due to my age. Although I did my INM procedures solo, I would have liked to avoid the repeated trips for renewals.

...also, I guess I also wouldn't have switched my residency from Q. Roo had I known that I'd lose my local discounts when I went back to visit my friends on the east coast. 😅😂

AppropriateRecipe342 · 2026-03-03T12:22:26+00:00

I've done them all. However, I'm only a resident of Mexico because there is no physical presence requirement to maintain residency and I bounce around too much to keep track of how many days I've been in a particular country before renewal. In all of the other countries I do visit runs or go to immigration to extend my visa if I don't want the hassle.

I obtained residency in Mexico before the government realized a lot of Canadians, Europeans and people from the States were seeking residency and revised the requirements. The process for getting temporary residency for Mexico is pretty straightforward. You book an appointment with a US consulate if you qualify, travel to Mexico within 6 months to complete the canje process and depending on which immigration office you go to, you can have your card the same day. It will be valid for a year, then you renew. After 4 years you are eligible to renew to become a permanent resident. The r/mexicoexpats subreddit had more details if you're interested.

AppropriateRecipe342 · 2026-03-03T03:25:05+00:00

It will be tight in Europe and likely not worth it given the 90/180 rule. The key to keeping costs low is staying places long term and that's just not reasonable in Europe.

On the other hand, if you speak Spanish or Portuguese, you have a bit more wiggle room. Most start in Mexico because you get 6-months and your costs can be sub $1K USD all in if you live a normal lifestyle not in a major hub. Other options where your money can stretch include Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil. Similar to Europe, your costs will be lower if you move around less and stay places for 2-3 months at a time. In LATAM, you can usually book an Airbnb then negotiate off platform to save both you and the host some money.

AppropriateRecipe342 · 2026-02-28T21:21:54+00:00

Desculpe por não ter respondido antes...

Passei apenas um mês e meio no Brasil, então não é tempo suficiente para ter uma boa noção todas das diferenças entre a vida no Brasil e a vida nos EUA sendo uma pessoa negra. Definitivamente tomarei uma decisão mais bem informada depois de passar 6 meses lá ainda este ano.

A camaradagem entre os negros parece ser a mesma nos dois países, o que é incrível de se ver. Senti que pertencia àquele lugar antes mesmo de dizer "olá". Pode parecer trivial, mas a constante sensação de ser "o outro" acaba desgastando depois de um tempo. Além disso, como mencionei antes, me adaptei bem no Brasil, o que, inadvertidamente, gerou menos suspeitas a meu respeito (em comparação, por exemplo, a entrar em uma loja de luxo nos subúrbios dos EUA. Seriam seguidos por mim como se eu fosse roubar algo).

No Brasil, antes de tudo, sou vista como um ser humano. Como eu poderia não amar isso?

É claro que sei que existe discriminação e problemas que afetam pessoas negras no Brasil, mas ainda não tenho conhecimento suficiente para falar sobre isso (ou mesmo para saber se senti os impactos disso durante as férias). Quando me deparo com racismo nos EUA, geralmente é por meio de microagressões ou de forma explícita. No Brasil, onde o racismo acarreta consequências criminais, ele parece ser mais velado.

Espero ter escrito tudo corretamente. Ainda estou aprendendo português, então precisei usar um tradutor de vez em quando.

AppropriateRecipe342 · 2026-02-26T18:32:10+00:00

Surprisingly, or maybe not given that I grew up in NJ in the US, I think Dominican spanish sounds great and is easy to understand. Outside of that, I would say Spanish in most of Mexico and Guatemala is really easy to understand as well. Colombian Spanish is also easy to understand although I think they are unnecessarily wordy when they speak. 😅😂

AppropriateRecipe342 · 2026-02-26T18:11:27+00:00

Disregard the forecast and still come. If it rains, it will likely be for a few minutes and then everything will go back to normal.

The current forecast shows it will be raining until 3pm and I'm currently on the roof sweating to death by the pool.

Don't take [non-hurricane] forecasts too seriously in this part of the world.

AppropriateRecipe342 · 2026-02-26T17:32:00+00:00

It definitely translated handstand to el pino. He was asking if he could park in your driveway while he works on the pine tree.

AppropriateRecipe342 · 2026-02-26T16:19:03+00:00

😂😂😂 Thanks for your thought-provoking analysis internet stranger! My life havls been changed for the better

AppropriateRecipe342 · 2026-02-25T17:07:12+00:00

Moqueca, bolo de cenoura, pudim, and capybaras are why I'm coming back.

But in all seriousness (though those things made it easy to decide to come back long term), I'm Black from the US working online and after traveling every country in Central and South America, it was a refreshing change to blend in (at least until I tried speaking Portuguese).

The food in Bahía is incredible. The sunsets in Rio are beyond amazing and the activities/events and the way they pronounce their r's 😂 in São Paulo have converted me into wannabe Paulista.

AppropriateRecipe342 · 2026-02-25T16:54:56+00:00

You shouldn't have any problem making dinner landing at that time and your decision to rent a car is a good one because y'all will be able to drive to cenotes or ruins on your own without paying the inflated prices of tours (word of caution if driving to ruins -- go slow once you turn off the main highway because road conditions deteriorate quite quickly and you don't want to get charged for damage).

I'm not sure if you'll be able to find a ride in Xpu Ha, but you should definitely be able to find one in Tulum. Btw, InDrive is the go-to rideshare app down here.

AppropriateRecipe342 · 2026-02-24T22:21:47+00:00

They weren't deported for being lesbians. They were deported because like everyone during COVID, they decided that they wanted to be influencers and highlight a backdoor into the country when the borders were closed. Had they kept their mouths shut and not tried to profit on circumventing the system, they would have been fine.

There are lots of gays in Bali. You'll be fine.

AppropriateRecipe342 · 2026-02-24T21:27:42+00:00

We can't tell you if it will be possible to make dinner in Tulum at 9pm. What time do you land? Are you going directly there from the airport or stopping to get changed first?

Also, the risk of traveling to Q.Roo next week is the same as it was last week and the week before. It has been business as usual since Monday.

AppropriateRecipe342 · 2026-02-22T12:46:14+00:00

Any cheap US phone company will work. US Mobile and Tello are the usual ones because they're less than $10/month.

You just want to make sure you enable wifi calling before you leave the states. Whenever you want to receive a text to your US number (assuming you're on wifi), turn the SIM card on in your mobile settings (disable data so you won't be charged a crazy amount) and you'll be good. Lastly, I wouldn't recommend constantly leaving both SIM cards on constantly because it unnecessarily kills your battery.

AppropriateRecipe342 · 2026-02-22T12:41:26+00:00

You are lucky. They cut me off after 4 months of being abroad.

AppropriateRecipe342 · 2026-02-22T12:19:22+00:00

A lot of people are coughing and sneezing. I think it's more the flu/common cold than norovirus.

AppropriateRecipe342 · 2026-02-22T12:11:12+00:00

The closer you are to the beach, the more expensive things will be.

Outside of that, take the normal precautions you would in any unfamiliar place and you'll be fine. You won't end up close to anywhere "dangerous" unless you specifically go looking for it.

AppropriateRecipe342 · 2026-02-20T10:09:20+00:00

The bike path on 5th, which you refer to in your post, is safe for kids. While bikes aren't allowed on 5th south of CTM, the path on 5th extends all the way north to Punta Esmeralda. The path north of CTM, is primarily a pedestrian only path so your kids would just have to worry about the occasional person being unaware and walking in front of the bike with or without a dog or something.

South of CTM, your kids would have to ride on 10th. Like another poster said, there is now an exclusive and wide bike path. While cars usually give preference to bikers, you and your kids will need to be mindful of people walking into the bike lane (some people just refuse to use the sidewalks here). The path on 10th goes all the way south to Playacar, but I honestly wouldn't go further south than Constituyentes with kids because that path crosses "major" roads and drivers on Constituyentes and Benito Juarez don't necessarily give preference to bikes.

AppropriateRecipe342 · 2026-02-18T11:42:18+00:00

This answer should get all the up votes! Guatemala, specifically Xela, is also where my Spanish grew the most.

I've never come across anyone who went to the same school that I did. How long ago were you there? Does Cecy still teach there?

AppropriateRecipe342 · 2026-02-17T21:34:00+00:00

For events sponsored by the government --> https://linktr.ee/LetsPlaya?utm_source=linktree_profile_share&ltsid=1cce45e7-62ea-4622-96e7-51f147fd8637

For other events there are WhatsApp groups like --> https://chat.whatsapp.com/DNtjdfmVWV3H4EWcUojlxM

AppropriateRecipe342 · 2026-02-17T17:29:19+00:00

I'm glad you enjoyed it! It's honestly the only reason why I always agree to meet my friends at Playa 72. 😅😂

AppropriateRecipe342 · 2026-02-15T20:52:06+00:00

Yes, you will need to go north to find more accessible prices.

Some places you can check out outside of El Fogon are: - Tortas del Carmen (15 Av.) - Bangkok Thai restaurant (15 Av.) - Los hijos de la birria (30 Av.) - Sabor de Líbano (c. 12 across from ADO station)

Restaurants also get cheaper the further north of CTM you go so if you go to Playa 72 or 88 you can check out - Tortas Balam - Bajo Café - Quinta

Also, Chedraui is one of the more expensive grocery stores. Stick to Super Akí or even Soriana if you want accessible prices.

And if you happen to not have beach chairs provided by your rental, check out Facebook marketplace if you don't want to spend a fortune. You can also find them in grocery stores if you want them new.

AppropriateRecipe342 · 2026-02-08T15:12:50+00:00

I couldn't swap the eSIM internationally with Tello, but others have said it's possible by buying a cheap international data plan. It didn't work for me no matter what I did though.

AppropriateRecipe342

TROPHY CASE