Is Mexico Safe?

[MikeMike]

All trout I have had came fresh from the mountain streams, I think Craneguy dined at La Cabana del Tio Yayo or such on the way into Coatepec.

[Craneguy]

Originally Posted by MikeMike

All trout I have had came fresh from the mountain streams, I think Craneguy dined at La Cabana del Tio Yayo or such on the way into Coatepec.

One block further on from our breakfast spot.

[MikeMike]

Then it wasnt good old Tio Yayo.
This needs investigating. By the way, the Oxxo in the video needed Tyson working security!

[SR]

Originally Posted by mark883

I hope you have noticed that some streams are nicer than others around Mexico. I'd kinda like to know where my fish came from.

The stream at Tula (across the suspension bridge) walking from downtown to the pyramids was a gag-reflex tester.

Agreed, there are plenty of beautiful streams in Mexico. Don't make me pull out my pictures.

It area is called La Salta de Agua Llovida and it is located a couple hours west of Durango city. This area is a nesting ground for Guacamaya (Military Macaw). In the breeding season you can see dozens of them flying around. I think of parrots as being tropical but they look for high mountains with pine trees to nest in in the summer. This stream has trout in it.

[mark883]

What?!

No discussion of the rock types visible in the waterfall picture?

You're not slacking on us SR, are you?

[SR]

Originally Posted by mark883

What?!

No discussion of the rock types visible in the waterfall picture?

You're not slacking on us SR, are you?

It is all volcanic rock, rhyolitic tuff, "ignimbrite". Each one of those layers in the photo represents an individual eruption phase. I wouldn't want to be within a 200 Km radius of this area when that upper >30m thick tuff came blasting out of a huge volcanic caldera. That would have been about 20 million years ago.

[dwj - Donnie]

Originally Posted by TRAVELGUY

When living in Costa Rica I could buy a sim card for my cell phone to get local service and rates. Are sim cards available in Mexico now and where can they be bought?

Thanks;

TravelGuy

I use AT&T, for an extra ~$18 per month I can use my US minutes from the US to Mexico, from Mexico to the US or from Mexico to Mexico. That is with the At&T 450 plan, you can also do it with the plan that has additional minutes, but you can't do it with the unlimited plan. Also, while in a southern location recently where I could not get reception, I paid one peso per minute in one of the telephone booth places.

[noshoes]

Originally Posted by dwj - Donnie

I use AT&T, for an extra ~$18 per month I can use my US minutes from the US to Mexico, from Mexico to the US or from Mexico to Mexico. That is with the At&T 450 plan, you can also do it with the plan that has additional minutes, but you can't do it with the unlimited plan.....

Unlimited plan wants $30 a month for 80 (roaming) minutes.
I don't remember the other prices for more minutes tho..

[Craneguy]

Originally Posted by dwj - Donnie

I use AT&T, for an extra ~$18 per month I can use my US minutes from the US to Mexico, from Mexico to the US or from Mexico to Mexico. That is with the At&T 450 plan, you can also do it with the plan that has additional minutes, but you can't do it with the unlimited plan. Also, while in a southern location recently where I could not get reception, I paid one peso per minute in one of the telephone booth places.

I have that plan from AT&T, and it's a decent deal. The big problem is data. You can easily run up a mortgage payment sized bill if you're not careful with a smartphone. I make few calls, but use a lot of data so it didn't make sense for me.
If you only want to nake calls, use a roaming plan. If you have a smartphone and want to use google maps a lot (navigation or translation for example) and don't want to be wifi only, go with prepaid.

[dcstrom]

So I was headed toward Durango from Guanchochi today, had decided to take 24 south, just before Parral, for two reasons - it looked shorter but also twistier than the other option, Mex 45 from Parral.

There's a Pemex and an OXXO at that intersection. In front of the OXXO there's an old guy selling knick-knacks. I pull up for some lunch and we start talking, he's asking me where I'm going. I tell him Durango, he says which way? I point across the road to 24 south and he starts getting fairly animated "Solo, no, solo, no" and wagging his finger at me. He says going the Parral route is better.

While I'm having lunch I'm wondering if an old boy sitting on the pavement qualifies as "local knowledge" in this case, and should I take his advice? I'm thinking about asking the Pemex guys what they think, but I'm leaning toward just going via Parral since I'm not particularly wedded to taking 24. The next minute a truck with a manned machine gun mounted in the bed takes off down 24 - I guess that seals it eh? I took the old guys advice and went via Parral.

I'm not paranoid, just cautious and feeling my way... trying to figure out what "signs" to take notice of and what to ignore...

Here's the road not taken... anyone know if there was any truth to what the old guy was saying?


View Larger Map

[Bato]

Originally Posted by noshoes

Unlimited plan wants $30 a month for 80 (roaming) minutes.
I don't remember the other prices for more minutes tho..

Come on lets keep the guy rich

[tricepilot]

^ Looks like he's Slimmed down

[SR]

Originally Posted by dcstrom

The next minute a truck with a manned machine gun mounted in the bed takes off down 24 - I guess that seals it eh? I took the old guys advice and went via Parral.

Oh man, you should have followed the machine gun. Unless the next guy down the road has an RPG, behind that truck should be the safest place around. Was it military, private body guards or narcos? That would factor into my decision making more than the machine gun alone.

Give me a shout if you have time and want to meeting up. My office is in downtown Durango city.

[tricepilot]

Originally Posted by dcstrom

......he starts getting fairly animated "Solo, no, solo, no" and wagging his finger at me.

The obvious message was no Hope for you

[dcstrom]

Originally Posted by SR

Oh man, you should have followed the machine gun. Unless the next guy down the road has an RPG, behind that truck should be the safest place around. Was it military, private body guards or narcos? That would factor into my decision making more than the machine gun alone.

Give me a shout if you have time and want to meeting up. My office is in downtown Durango city.

Don't know what they were, they were in camo gear so I assumed military... what would a narco wear?