Mexico

[grahamlallen]

Hi

We are about to set off from Anchorage to ride down to Panama - the questions is there seems to be a lot of problems in Mexico at the moment can any one give us advice about riding safe through Mexico. We are planning to cross in at Noagles and continue on down the central west.

Any help, hints, advice would be gratefully received.

Ride safe

Graham

[markharf]

My advice would be to first read the current threads which address precisely your question. If you still have unaddressed issues after that, return here and ask away....but try to be specific.

The wording which was suggested to me in another context was "Have you tried a search?"

Hope that helps.

Mark

[buyarbi]

I just crossed into mexico at nogales today . There is no evidence of anything to be troubled about. All the people were very helpful. The ride south to Guamus was a furnace but the road was fine and again no sign of anything to be concerened about ANYWHERE at any stop. Buy your mexican insurance at the border not in nogales and change some money into pesos at the border also if you have not already got some.
Bill

Originally Posted by markharf

My advice would be to first read the current threads which address precisely your question. If you still have unaddressed issues after that, return here and ask away....but try to be specific.

The wording which was suggested to me in another context was "Have you tried a search?"

Hope that helps.

Mark

[BlackBeast]

We are in Ensenada at the moment and only been in Mexico for a day and a half; so my comments are based on that. There is hardly a tourist in sight. The other people we have met were other bikers also headed south. We have wondered around after dark (on foot) and haven't felt threatened or unsafe.

[garrydymond]

According to the TV 28,000 people have been killed in the war on drugs in the last 4 years. I don't have specific information but from what I can see probably 30% of those are military and police, 69.5% are drug dealers and .5% are innocent bystanders. So if you are not in the army etc nor a drug dealer the chances of something happening to you are very very slim. You are at a much bigger risk of being involved in a traffic accident so if you are not worried about that why worry about the drug war.
If you come through Mexico City (and why wouldn't you as it is an amazing city with a ot to see) you are welcome to stay with us. We can put you up and show you around and will even give you breakfast if you wash the dishes.

Garry

GarryHostel.com

[Sjoerd Bakker]

By all means read up on the posts re: Mexico security here and on ADV site.Put your mind at rest. GO.
As to the suggestion about changing dollars to pesos, only do that if you want to dispose of your US cash ,but I suggest hang onto a stash of US $$. You will need US dollars Panama which has always been that way and in El Salvador where it is now the legal currency ,as is the case in Ecuador also.
Rather you should just take your bank card into an automated bank machine (Cajero Atomatico) in Nogales, MEXICO These ABMs are easy to spot since EVERY bank in town has one. Take out the maximum daily allowance, around $500 and you will be set for a week or more.Do not use credit cards for this purpose, you will be hit with high interest rates .
Another pointer for Nogales entrants- no matter if you use either of the two border crossings you do not have to worry about getting your paperwork done there. All this can be done down the highway.
There used to be a customs terminal about 25km south of the city where the tourist cards and import permits were done up but a recent AAA notice stated that a NEW terminal was now put into use this year much farther south nearer Hermosillo or the state line with Sinaloa.Can anybody confirm that ?
Whatever the case , you will have no great problems. Relax and enjoy the ride.

[DLbiten]

Do not do any drug or gun deals. As with most of the press fear and hate sells the press doing Mexico is the same. Gas up before you cross the border do all the silly paper work do not forget Mexico insurance for the bike and the paper work for it as well you will need as go south. (the first Mexican state you do not I think) Once you get done with all that get 50 or 100 miles from the border and most all you problems will be gone.(I just do not like border towns) Most of the killings are in citys on the border and towns with the people on holiday (as that is where the drugs are)
Mexico is as safe as Canada or the USA as far as getting shot. You do not want to ride at night as animals like to sleep on the road (then they do that in the USA and I bet Canada to) dont drink the water or ice (unless it is treated) there are topos like speed bumps in the road and if you see some rocks in the road look out can be anything.

I did not know about the new terminals be a better spot to all the paper work

[Sjoerd Bakker]

Re: NEW CUSTOMS TERMINAL on Mex 15

I went home checked my stuff and found the AAA source I mentioned.
In the AAA Mexico Tourbook 2010 edition ,page 27 , among a number of page advertisements for Mexico there is the folowing

"NEW VEHICLE CHECKPOINT LOCATION MAKES IT EASIER
Visitors to Sonora are now able to drive directly to such cities as Guaymas ( San Carlos),Hermosillo,Kino Bay ,Magdalena and Santa Ana without the time consuming process of obtaining a car permit .
Paperwork to to obtain the decal for visiting points further south than Guaymas ( Empalme ) will be done at a new checkpoint on Highway 15, just south of the Guaymas by-pass on the road to Ciudad Obregon.Travellers intending to go beyond Sonora will still have to obtain a federal "Banjercito " permit.
This allows Americans to visit the State of Sonora without paying the customary ( Federal )vehicle registry fee , but requires motorists to show proof of US residency ,a visa to visit Mexico , adriver's license and proof of vehicle ownership."

The notice is accompanied by a small map showing that the area where NO car permit ( i.e. TVIP) is required is the entire area WEST of Mex 15 from Empalme north to the USA and Baja borders and the wedge of Sonora which lies NORTH of Mex 2 from Agua Prieta west to Mex 15

The new Mex 15 Empalme terminal then would mean that even if you took the ferry from Santa Rosalia in Baja to Guaymas , you could do so without first having the TVIP.
However if you intended to ride from Agua Prieta or Naco south on Mex 14 and other roads you still must obtain the TVIP at the border before heading south to Moctezuma and Hermosillo.
Entrants from any of the western border crossings could suffice with just getting the tourist card at the border if they are spending more than 72 hours en route to the new terminal.
The ad does not specifically state that tourist cards are also issued here but I assume that such is the case since that was also done at the earlier terminal just south of Nogales.
The ad also only refers to "Americans" but it is assumed that as before these rules apply to ALL tourists .
My question now ----Is the South Nogales Mex 15 terminal being kept in operation too or is it closed ?

[MikeS]

Yes, take up Garry Dymond's offer and always slow down at the 'topes' (speed bumps) otherwise you might blow your forkseals of you hit them too quick.

If you're bothered about the mainland part, why not ust go down Baja for the beaches then get the ferry from La Paz? There's also a great off road section from Los Mochis all the way to Creel.

Originally Posted by grahamlallen

Any help, hints, advice would be gratefully received.

[buyarbi]

The place we got the paperwork done was 21 kilometers south of nogales on highway 15. I am calling that point the border crossing since there were no others.
Bill

[TravellingStrom]

Originally Posted by DLbiten

Mexico is as safe as Canada or the USA as far as getting shot. You do not want to ride at night as animals like to sleep on the road (then they do that in the USA and I bet Canada to) dont drink the water or ice (unless it is treated) there are topos like speed bumps in the road and if you see some rocks in the road look out can be anything.

I agree with most of the above, except the water issue. I drank the local water everywhere, straight from the tap and did not have any stomach problems from it. In fact I did this throughout north, central and south america and I do not have a cast iron gut either. The only place I did not do this was a specific place in Mexico I stayed which had a sign above the sink saying the water is undrinkable. It was in a bathroom of the motel I was staying at, so I think it was just cover your arse stuff and was probably OK.

Mexico was one of the nicest places I travelled through, I would like to go back and do the bits I missed

Cheers
TravellingStrom