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Frequently Asked Questions
Where do you fly to? Merida Mexico, Mexico. The lodge is about 1-1/2 hours northish by van along mostly paved roads
Do I need a passport? As of January 1, 2007, a current U.S. passport will be required for all United States citizens entering Mexico. It is highly recommended that U.S. citizens present a passport that is valid for at least six months after the last day of the trip. If your passport expires before then, please renew it prior to departing on your trip.
• If you hold citizenship in a country other than the United States, please check with your national consulate / passport center for citizenship documents required for travel to Mexico.
How do you get to the lodge once we are in Cancun? You will be met at the airport by our van.
Do the guides speak English? The guides speak English to various degrees, Marco the head guide is pretty much fluent . The others are very fluent in fishing English - "Tarpon 10 o'clock 60 feet, cast now" Or the comment I get a lot " no, cast further"
Are there lots of fisherman there? This is the only operation fishing this area and we are limited it to 8 anglers a week and then only two weeks a month. There are tons of baby tarpon.
What about money? The lodge can accept US dollars or Mexican Pesos for any bar tab or tip you have at the end of the trip. They give a good exchange rate. There is really no where to spend money once you there. If needed let the driver know while you are in Merida so you can visit an ATM. Remember no one takes credit cards in the area and the nearest cash machine is a all the way back in Merida.
Is it safe? There is no crime asyou are in the midde of nowhere. Everybody knows everybody. In Cancun and elsewhere in the cities you may indeed find criminal activity as you would in any developing city, even in the US.
What about drinking water and is the food safe? Drink only purified water throughout your trip. Do not be afraid to ask if the water you are being served is purified. They have purified water in bulk that you will be available to you at all times. If you request individual bottled water may be an extra charge . You are wise to beware of eating out in Mexico, most places do not have the food safety knowledge we have here in the states. The food on this journey will be safe if you do not stray from the lodge
What about military check points ?These check points circulate and at the present writing there is no check point between Merida and the lodge but if you happen to run into one: Although these young soldiers wear imposing uniforms and carry guns, there is no reason to get upset, unless you have drugs or weapons with you, which would be an extremely stupid thing to do. They are working hard to keep their country safe so treat them kindly and they will do the same. I once had a stern young man ask me to pop the hood, he rummaged around a bit ( to make me sweat no doubt) and then brought me the dipstick. He smiled and showed me that the oil level was fine ! His buddies thoguht this was funny!
How many tarpon will we catch?If you can only cast 10 feet probably none, if you can cast 60 feet quickly you will hook up a lot. Jumping 10-20 in a day is common. The number you get to the boat is usually about 15%. It is the hook up and the first 5 jumps jump you will crave at the end of the trip. Your ability to see the fish, cast quickly and accurately is key.
Ed Blank's Adventures Main Page
