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Monetary
Guidelines
MEALS:
HOME STAY: Your plan pays for 27 nights with
a family, 3 meals a day.
HOTEL STAY: Your plan pays for 27 nights at
the hotel. If you choose the hotel stay, you will need to pay for other
meals not included in package. Meals at the hotel can cost from $5 to
$7 or more, depending on what you order. Meals at the university cafeteria
are relatively cheap. There are a variety of restaurants in downtown
Puebla that offer a range of prices.
TRIPS:
Personal
side trips that you organize with your friends can be fairly inexpensive.
However, the further away you go, the more you will spend. It is best
to arrange for lodging through a travel agent, then use Mexico’s
excellent bus system to travel. Some students have traveled to small,
nearby places like Tlaxcala, Cuetzalan, Tehuacán, Huauchinango,
Oaxaca and Veracruz, and have done so inexpensively. Others insist on
going to Acapulco. You will have at least one weekend to go on a little
jaunt. However, Puebla has many interesting things to do and you will
need to program time to study. There are several travel agents in downtown
Puebla. Viajes HR is one block up from hotel, next to Sanborns; enter
elevator through parking garage.
TAKING YOUR MONEY:
How
should you take money? It is preferable to use an ATM card. ATM cards
are easy to use. Keep all your receipts, though, in case there is a
confusion at your bank when you get back. It is better to use ATM machines
found inside business establishments, rather than the glass cages found
next to sidewalks. This way, you are less vulnerable to thieves. There
is an ATM machine inside the Universidad Iberoamericana: plan on using
it the day after we arrive.
Travelers' checks can be a hassle because only banks
will cash them, and banks usually ask to see your passport, not a picture
i.d. Visa and Mastercard credit cards are accepted at most major businesses
and hotels in Mexico. (American Express is not always accepted; Discover
is not usually accepted.) You may acquire extra money through Western
Union, but it is time-consuming and requires a passport. If you have
an ATM card, your parents can easily deposit extra money in your account
if you have an emergency.
U.S. dollars are easily changed at any Casa de Cambio.
There is one within walking distance of the hotel in Puebla, as well
as in the Mexico City airport and the Puebla bus station. If you bring
cash, we recommend that you exchange money a little at a time, and request
small bills from the teller.
You will need money for taxi and bus fares, gifts,
souvenirs, personal items, and laundry service. Based on a poll of students
who participated other years, we recommend bringing $450-$550 dollars
spending money.
PAY YOUR OWN WAY:
Don't expect your buddies to pay for you when you
all go out. Stay within your own budget. Don't ask your buddies for
loans. Don't yield to the temptation to spend more than you can afford.
TELEPHONE CALLS:
To
call long distance, it is best if you purchase a calling card after
you arrive in Puebla, They cost 50-100 pesos. Use them to call from
a pay phone. You can find the cards at any pharmacy and at the university.
Ask for "una TARJETA-LADATEL, por favor." Make sure they are
not giving you a special card for cell-phones. Calls from the hotel
are very expensive; so save yourself a surprise, by avoiding such calls
altogether.
Also, if you stay with a family, do not put yourself
in the embarrassing situation of having the family charge you for a
long distance call. Use your Ladatel card at public phones.
Cell phones—use in Mexico will depend on your
plan. Consult with your provider. If you take your cell phone, please
use proper etiquette when using it.
For more information, contact
Dr. Frieda Koeninger
SHSU Puebla Field School
Dept. of Foreign Languages
Sam Houston State University
Huntsville, Tx 77341-2147
Office: Evans 308
tel (936) 294-1443
e-mail: fol_fck@shsu.edu
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