Is Mexico Safe?

[dwj - Donnie]

Originally Posted by SchizzMan

Check out Galeana and Rayones with me. And the region around Cola de Caballo.

I'd rather live a few hours from the border and have better climate.

Also looking to rent and move from region to region over time.

Hey JD!

I might want to do that some time, but for the time being, I am still here with Tracy.

Donnie

[dwj - Donnie]

Originally Posted by MikeMike

Schizz, Antonio remembers you.
But...he still cannot be convinced that you didn't cause that car accident out in front of the hotel by somehow using your cell phone.

Jimmex, being the "guero from San Angelo" is a helluva lot better than being that "pince gringo from Ontario"!


I'll be paying a visit to the bar this weekend sometime and I'll pass along your regards, have some scotch, and a bowl of seafood soup. They've also redone the menus for the restaurant and the bar, some very good appetizers like octopus tostadas, shrimp with a spicy mustard and mango sauce, and peach slices wrapped in jamon Serrano, etc... The chef has been getting his chingon mojo on lately.

Mike, if you would have just told him that it was the guy that used the words POWER and HARLEY in the same sentence, he would have know exactly who you were talking about!

[PirateJohn]

Amigo, I hear that a lot of people like Skippy but he sure left me hanging. I was traveling by myself and a few weeks before the trip was scheduled he wanted considerably more money from me because he couldn't find a roommate for me. Once I paid more then he had me room with one of his employees.

One of the old codgers evidently though that I said something about his wife (I assume that he was deaf as they come) and shoved me into a wall at the bull fighting arena in Mazatlan. That night he made the mistake of trying something similar when there weren't any witnesses around and the last time that I saw him he was crying, had crapped in his pants, and was running to his room. I heard variously that he had a broken hand, dislocated shoulder, etc. which is kinda what he should have expected when he hit me the second time in one day ;)

The young tour guide (his first trip) was obsessed with control, control, control. Or at least that was what he kept telling his associates. At this point I was pretty adamant that he was incompetent, the weather was going to take a turn for the worse (Bob Higdon was writing on the Iron Butt forum about meeting the same group a few days later and I was shooting the breeze with Bob; he said that it was the worse day of riding he had ever experienced and the Pancho Villa group looked miserable), and I had had enough.

I called Skippy and expected him to at least be decent. Instead, he copped an attitude, told me that I had no rights in Mexico, and basically he somewhere between threatened me with being thrown off the tour and dared me to ride back by myself.

As I recall he charged me something like $2,800 for a 14-16 day trip. Cancelled halfway through, he gave me $300 back.

I stayed in Mazatlan for another 4-5 days, rode back out of Mexico, and had a wonderful time.

When I wrote a letter to Skippy's local Better Business Bureau he wrote them and said that he didn't want to discuss the matter. Period.

I used to have a web page up with more detail, the bad planning, being stuck in el Fuerte, and so forth. Two people wrote to me and said that I wasn't the only person to get treated like this.

When life hands you lemons the smart man makes lemonade. Obviously I love riding in Mexico, and have been giving thoughts to leading tours myself. I have clearly seen what can go wrong and how not to lead 'em ;)

But I think that your comments were absolutely correct. Circumstances change, although with that tour they consistently reduced our time in the resort areas and maximized our days in cheap motels (as I recall the 2 days in Cabo was reduced to a quick ride by the town, but that was after I bailed).

And the bike should be the vehicle for meting people, not just blasting from town to town. However, I was catching hell for poking along with that group, so what can I say?

Skippy has told a number of people that my recollection isn't accurate. However, I would point out that he was sitting on his ass in Texas through all of this and doesn't have a clue. Which is, once again, what I heard about most of his tours - at the time he seldom rode them despite what he was advertising.

[dwj - Donnie]

Originally Posted by pilot815

To be within one day of Dallas really limits where you can live. There have been good suggestions already. I really like the Galeana area, but some parts of Nuevo Leon have been pretty rough over the past couple years. A former coworker of mine is married to a lady from that region, and there was always a fear of going home to visit. Of course, many will say that about all parts of Mexico.

As far as the USPS goes, many mailing/shipping shops rent physical address boxes. It's like a PO box, but they also accept UPS, Fedex, and DHL deliveries. My dad has one that he uses as his address for everything. It looks like an apartment address, but all it is, is a mailbox at a privately owned shipping business. When I lived in Mexico, we would order everything we would need and have it waiting for us when we arrived. I also use it for almost all my orders since they receive them and there is no worry of the package being left on my doorstep, or having to go pick stuff up at the UPS depot. I think he pays around $130 a year for the box. Since he has no other addresses in the USA it works very well for this purpose. The local UPS store also has them. I think most if not all UPS stores offer them. They have 24 hour access with a code, but you won't be able to pick up your packages unless someone is there.

Thanks! I need to look into those boxes! Do I correctly gather that they will hold things that pysically do not fit into a certain size mail box or container?

[PirateJohn]

Originally Posted by tricepilot

That is, if you're the Jimmy Buffet type

Fins to the left, fins to the right ;)

Ever hear the Buffett tune Tampico Trauma? Pretty good stuff.

I was on the board of directors of a Parrothead club in Florida but have kind of given up on them. Once upon a time there were plenty of travelers and sailors and adventurers but over the years the Parrotheads have become a lot of cranky drunks who do the same thing over and over and over again, which is to make the annual trip to Meeting of the Minds in Key West. Personally, I love Key West, but I am still looking for the ideal Margaritaville somewhere en coastal Mexico ;)

[PirateJohn]

Originally Posted by dwj - Donnie

WOW! This is just stupid!

Of course I have not read all 674 pages either, so my opinion probably don't count!

Donnie ... There will be a test. Better start reading ...


. ;)

[dwj - Donnie]

Originally Posted by tricepilot

Hire a flock of señoritas to actually run the place. You sit back, collect the rent, and have your bunions massaged.

Maybe WORK ain't so bad!

[PirateJohn]

Originally Posted by miguelito

Well, I'm pretty sure if I read all 674 pages of this thread, I could find which bridge in Laredo/Nuevo Laredo is the least crowded to cross into Mexico, but I'm in Laredo now, and crossing manana, and just don't have the time to research it, so flame me at will ya bastids. Meanwhile, anyone who will just answer the question, TIA. Normally I would have crossed at Columbia, but timing and circumstance has brought me to beautiful Laredo, TX.

Too bad that I am just reading this now ;)

Old #1 is the lightest traveled crossing. Seldom any backup going into Mexico and if you come back at times other than rush hour there are seldom more than 3-5 cars in front of you.

Was watching Anthony Bourdain's show on the border towns a few days ago and they filmed several of the Nuevo Laredo scenes about 3 blocks from the bridge. And as a bonus he is seen riding a grey R1200GS in several scenes.

[dwj - Donnie]

Originally Posted by PirateJohn

Donnie ... There will be a test. Better start reading ...


. ;)

You talking about the stuff I write or the stuff y'all write?

[PirateJohn]

Originally Posted by Turkeycreek

Here is my story (abbreviated) for those thinking of living in Mexico. We moved to Banámichi Sonora almost 5 years ago. We live here full time and we built a small hotel and continue to run our motorcycle tour biz. Banámichi is on the Rio Sonora 135 miles from Bisbee, AZ. ( 3 hours) Tucson at 5 hours away so we are far enough away from the border towns but close enough to AZ pick up that Amazon purchase, see a doctor or go shopping. We are also 2 hours away from Hermosillo, a city of close to a million with a Costco, Home-depot and more. From Hermosillo, it is another hour or less to the beach at Kino Bay.

We have twisty roads to ride, great Mexican neighbors, only a few resident gringos, ADSL for internet, Vonage style phone and Netflix. If we were not working hard at the hotel we could be considered retired. The Rio Sonora area is peaceful with no problems. It is not a big tourist area. We get visitors from both the US and Mexico. We have no gated communities, no gringo enclaves (there are all of 5 of us.) and no building permits. We have good clean spring water feeding the municipal system, working sewers, paved roads and street lights in town, hot sprigs a few miles down the road and working cowboys on horseback. It is not resort living - something we don't want - and we have a great life here. Prices are lower on housing and raw land, food is reasonable and gas is about the same as in the US but it contains no ethanol. And we get to ride these roads. The locals are great folks, friendly and they have almost stopped treating us like gringos.

So let me throw in a pitch for the Rio Sonora if you are thinking about changing your life for the better.

You are fairly close to San Carlos, aren't you? I have always thought that if I won the Lotto San Carlos would be one place that I would see a lot.

[jimmex]

Originally Posted by Turkeycreek

Here is my story (abbreviated) for those thinking of living in Mexico. We moved to Banámichi Sonora almost 5 years ago. We live here full time and we built a small hotel and continue to run our motorcycle tour biz. Banámichi is on the Rio Sonora 135 miles from Bisbee, AZ. ( 3 hours) Tucson at 5 hours away so we are far enough away from the border towns but close enough to AZ pick up that Amazon purchase, see a doctor or go shopping. We are also 2 hours away from Hermosillo, a city of close to a million with a Costco, Home-depot and more. From Hermosillo, it is another hour or less to the beach at Kino Bay.

We have twisty roads to ride, great Mexican neighbors, only a few resident gringos, ADSL for internet, Vonage style phone and Netflix. If we were not working hard at the hotel we could be considered retired. The Rio Sonora area is peaceful with no problems. It is not a big tourist area. We get visitors from both the US and Mexico. We have no gated communities, no gringo enclaves (there are all of 5 of us.) and no building permits. We have good clean spring water feeding the municipal system, working sewers, paved roads and street lights in town, hot sprigs a few miles down the road and working cowboys on horseback. It is not resort living - something we don't want - and we have a great life here. Prices are lower on housing and raw land, food is reasonable and gas is about the same as in the US but it contains no ethanol. And we get to ride these roads. The locals are great folks, friendly and they have almost stopped treating us like gringos.

So let me throw in a pitch for the Rio Sonora if you are thinking about changing your life for the better.

That is a great area for sure. Just hot as hell in summer I bet. Galeana has a whole lot going for it: incredible dual sport riding, good street riding and high enough elev. for temperate climate. Very nice little town too.

[tricepilot]

Originally Posted by PirateJohn

You are fairly close to San Carlos, aren't you? I have always thought that if I won the Lotto San Carlos would be one place that I would see a lot.

Not too far away, I bought you a condo at this place. Alamos has a runway as well, so the private King Air can take you back to Texas as need be

Hacienda de los Santos, Alamos

[PirateJohn]

Originally Posted by dwj - Donnie

I have a border question for y'all.

I will be selling my home in Mississippi in the future and am strongly considering renting a house in Mexico within the next year. While it will be my only permanent residence, it would by no means be where I am at all of the time. Probably 50% of the time at the most. I like most of you, avoid border towns and generally spend no longer time there than I must, but I have a dilemma of sorts. I would like to be within a one day ride of Dallas, TX, plus I would like to have access to the US Postal System. Yes I know the USPS sucks, they lost between six and eight weeks of my mail earlier this year while I was in Central America, but I need them for prescription drug deliveries and a few other things.

Anyway, it appears that Ciudad Acuna south to Nuevo Laredo might be logistically within the area that would fit my needs. While I worked in Piedras Negras many years ago, living there was never a consideration, so I really know very little about the finer points of such an undertaking. I would probably handle all Mexico business in someone else's name and simply be an occupant in the house. That should make things a little bit easier!

I am very interested in hearing the Pros and Cons of the various towns along the border. Oh, I would also want to live across the border from a US hospital.

Thanks!

If one of your issues is prescriptions you might want to check around. Most meds in Mexico are cheaper although every so often I find something that is actually cheaper at WalMart in the USA.

have stayed in Piedras Negras and Del Rio. Can't say that I know them particularly well - some of the other guys here have more experience. Del Rio is in the same county (Dimmit) that I am working in and I am trying to think of a nice way of saying this ... I am a bit burned out with oil patch Texas and while I like the work I don't care to settle out here. This is genuinely No Country For Old Men (much of the film was shot in Piedras ).

Several of the guys that I work with have families and property in Piedras Negras. They like it and it's inexpensive. Del Rio is a small town but they are big enough to have an Applebee's and a WalMart, so that makes them a big town in the oil patch.

Everyone has their personal preferences. I was born in a small town in Kentucky and was delighted when the family moved to Cincinnati; not everyone likes bigger cities. With that said I have been looking casually for some cheap property around Laredo. Laredo is quite a bit more urban than Del Rio and has good shopping, an Interstate directly to San Antonio (don't discount how freaking big Texas is), easy access to Nuevo Laredo (surprisingly vibrant from what I have see), both Laredo and Nuevo Laredo have a good motorcycle scene, and you can hop on the toll road and get to Monterrey quickly.

Conversely, with a little peace beginning to return, you can ride Mexican Rt. 2, or take the old road to Monterrey if you want some more adventurous riding. Once you get to Monterrey there is a world of riding available.

Places to live in Mexico? I really liked Reynosa and the Rio Grande Valley. The downside is that it's a long slog from there to get to San Antonio and frankly, for myself, I see working in the Eagle Ford off and on for some time so Laredo is much closer for me.

If you need to be within a day's hard ride to Dallas then you can't go too far south. Monterrey is a great, urban European city. Tampico is very tropical. Tuxpam is tropical and the downtown along the river breathtakingly beautiful. If you like hunting and fishing there used to be quite a few gringos living a bit east of Victoria and handfuls living in different small towns along the coast. I have considered all of these places for myself but you would have a hard time getting to Dallas in 24 hours from that far south.

[PirateJohn]

Originally Posted by tricepilot

Not too far away, I bought you a condo at this place. Alamos has a runway as well, so the private King Air can take you back to Texas as need be

Hacienda de los Santos, Alamos

King Air? Then it was a modest Lotto winning. I was hoping for something a bit faster and with more range ;)

I was actually standing on the hill overlooking Alamos when a Cessna Citation of some sort came roaring out of their airport, and I remember thinking that was quite a contrast considering how modest the non-gringo portions of that town are. They had a home built local cable TV system that consisted of several home-type satellite dishes and dozens of strands of coax laying on the ground and running down the hill into town.

The pool hall only had one light bulb in it as I recall.

A far cry from the house that Carroll O'Connor owned at the time.

PS -

Trice, I can't open that link with my iPad. Sorry.

[PirateJohn]

Originally Posted by dwj - Donnie

You talking about the stuff I write or the stuff y'all write?

Just kidding with you. It goes back to those comments about reading all 15,000 pages of this thread ;)