Is Mexico Safe?

[rockymountainoyster]

I agree Trice and Ace. I thought it was useful only in giving names to some of the players. I doubt that Stratfor is the most reliable source. As in all intel, humint, is the most reliable source but one still has to consider the source... Triceboots on the ground in Mexico is probably reasonable good.

Mark, I will get on that as soon as I get home, maybe you have pointed the way to my spending a lot more time in Mexico for fun and profit.

[rockymountainoyster]

The lizard might have been more reasonable that the ´´Liz´´ Taylor at the height of her career and shenanigans with Burton but director John Huston was a handful of a legend in his own right. I had the pleasure of working with Mr. Huston, one of my few heroes, when he narrated one of my films. We recorded it at his home in Jalapa, south of Puerto Vallarta in 1984 accessible only by panga, and maybe it still is. The ¨house¨ was essentially an screened porch right next to the water, not great for sound recording, the only room with four walls was the bano so I padded the inside with furniture pads and recorded Mr. Huston as he was sitting on the "throne" and my wife was in the jungle behind the house chasing away a noisy and pesky parrot!

My first visit to Vallarta was in 1975, on another film project, and it was quite a different place then, maybe 30,000 people, now 300,000. By 1983 it had changed quite a lot. My most recent visit there was 11/10 and it was truly not recognizable. There are many things about it that are better and many more that are not. It has really lost the flavor of ´´Old Mexico´´ Carlos and Charlie´s where beer was brought to ýou in iced galvanized buckets and cost about .25 cents a bottle is long gone. Replaced by a modern high rise building because real estate on the malecon is way too ´´valuable´´ one has to, or at least should question ´´values´´ that compromise unique cultural artifacts but such is progress. Good news was that the Hotel Nuevo Rosita was still there on the north end of the malecon, very much "old mexico" and an still an incredible bargain.

It is good to hear varying and even negative opinions here. My buddies who rode their bikes to Panama in 2008 were only robbed twice. In Costa Rica. At night while they were sleeping in their room. Not one problem in Mexico. Kinda took the edge off of my interest in Costa Rica, that and the prices people seem to be paying these days. I will go because I am an adventure viajero but will certainly be more vigilant.

[PirateJohn]

Originally Posted by gplassm

, with my luck, I would find the bad guys. It's just not worth the risk.
Costa Rica?...Maybe, but gringo's disappear there as well.

Let me take you to Miami or New Orleans, Amigo. Good, safe places where tourists never get into trouble.

[tricepilot]

Holy crap David now that's an interesting bit of info right there!!

[PirateJohn]

Originally Posted by tricepilot

I skimmed all of that, but I could have used a recipe for a good mole just as well

I cannot comment on many of those areas but the idea that the Gulf Cartel is losing influence would surprise the hell out of most of the folks in this part of the border area.

[jimmex]

Great story David.

[acejones]

Yeah,
Too many places get discovered and then "progress" or in the case of Mexico, the government pretty much creates them, much like Cancun. "We will build it, and then you will come", and then we will build it some more". At that point we start looking for some other place to go; at least some of us do.

[tricepilot]

I saw ZERO military checkpoints this week. All the way to the Pacific coast and back.

I did encounter a couple of Army guys asking questions at the Colombia Bridge in N. Laredo, but that was it for the entire trip.

I saw several Federal Police checkpoints but wasn't stopped at any of them.

I was passed, going 85-90, by several Federales hauling the mail.

[Turkeycreek]

I received the Strafor Report this am as well and felt it was a bit skewed. They are in the biz of selling info and the juicier the info, the more sales. The free stuff they send me is sometimes interesting but like a lot of things that are free, it is worth every peso.

Finally warming up.

[SchizzMan]

Originally Posted by tricepilot

I saw ZERO military checkpoints this week. All the way to the Pacific coast and back.

I did encounter a couple of Army guys asking questions at the Colombia Bridge in N. Laredo, but that was it for the entire trip.

I saw several Federal Police checkpoints but wasn't stopped at any of them.

I was passed, going 85-90, by several Federales hauling the mail.

Must be the reason I haven't seen any.

[miguelito]

Originally Posted by Turkeycreek

I received the Strafor Report this am as well and felt it was a bit skewed. They are in the biz of selling info and the juicier the info, the more sales. The free stuff they send me is sometimes interesting but like a lot of things that are free, it is worth every peso.

Finally warming up.

+1, although I enjoyed reading it. Stratfor is in the business of selling security to corporations and wealthy individuals around the world, ergo their business success is enhanced by overplaying the need for security in Mexico and around the world. Variation #456 on "following the money".

[miguelito]

Originally Posted by SchizzMan

Must be the reason I haven't seen any.

Naw! It was all that good clean living!

[Turkeycreek]

Originally Posted by acejones

Yeah,
Too many places get discovered and then "progress" or in the case of Mexico, the government pretty much creates them, much like Cancun. "We will build it, and then you will come", and then we will build it some more". At that point we start looking for some other place to go; at least some of us do.

The government doesn't build them, politicians build them. Pat\y for infrastructure with state and federal money, then their family business gets investors and builds condos. Then they get more money and build an airport. Puerta Peñasco?

[acejones]

Originally Posted by Turkeycreek

The government doesn't build them, politicians build them. Pat\y for infrastructure with state and federal money, then their family business gets investors and builds condos. Then they get more money and build an airport. Puerta Peñasco?

The net result is the same.

[rockymountainoyster]

Nuevo Vallarta is one of the most disgusting places I have been in Mexico. Costa Careyes on the other hand was very tastefully done. It was/is expensive. Some Italians were involved with that development. In 1984 I could have bought a nice piece of property there. I assessed the risk and decided not to. Not gonna play the woulda, coulda, shoulda game... like I shoulda dated Cheryl Jean Stopplemoor when I had the chance in 1972 and she went and married David Ladd! Very cute girl from Lawrence, KS. All American. When I went to Costa Careyes in 2010 I had a look at some of the houses, beautiful bougainvilla draped affairs on a nearly pristine cove (loggerhead turtle rookery) with a bankrupt Club Med resort. The place looked great. Not sure how Cheryl looks these days! Diamonds on the soles of her shoes?