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Safe traveling in Mexico right now?
Hi everyone,
I'm planing to ride from San Francisco, leave in november, to South America, going through Mexico, obviousely. Baja and then zig zag through Mexico on to Guatemala. Now I just talked to a friend from Arizona and she highly recommends not to go because of the gang wars and people getting kidnapped and killed. She sounded serious and cancelled their mexican beach holidays. Has anyone any very recent information regarding safety in Mexico? Thanks, Helly |
My friend tells me New Zealand is dangerous because she saw horrible earthquake damage on the news last year. Should I avoid traveling to Nelson? Just kidding. But that is what your question reminded me of.
Yes, the drug gang violence is there in Mexico. It is reported in the US newspapers and on TV. But lets face it, sensational headlines sell newspapers and get you to read ads. I know people who canceled their New Zealand vacation plans because they saw sensational footage of earthquake damage in Christchurch. I just rolled my eyes in disbelief. New Zealand is a big country. Why not try the north island if you are afraid of Christchurch aftershocks. And Mexico is the same. Why not avoid the big cities and border towns where the violence is being reported. Mexico is a HUGE country with many friendly people and wonderful things to see and do. So I imagine your friend in Arizona is reading the news and it scares her. The reason more people don't travel from the US to south of the border is because their friends who read newspapers tell them it is dangerous. Which is fine by me, since it is less crowded and keeps the prices down. The thing is, there is violence in Arizona as well. Yet your friend still lives there and gets in her car and drives around. When I was in Arizona last year a crazy guy shot the Arizona representative to US Congress in the parking lot of a grocery store down the street from where I was staying on my way to Mexico. I felt safer riding through rural Mexico last year than downtown Phoenix. But come on! You're from EnZed. Kiwis are some of the toughest, most fearless travellers I have met. Who else eats muttonburgers and camps on a beach covered in sandflies? Mexico is cake in comparison. Heck yes, its dangerous to travel on a motorcycle from the US to South America. Anybody that tries to tell you different is deluded. So what? Its a hoot! Not to say you shouldn't avoid riding through the big Mexican border towns at night when the gang shootouts usually occur. And it would be prudent to avoid the big cities and stick to the rural mellow areas. As we say in the rural north central US: Buck up buckwheat. (perjorative slang for strength and courage). P.S. I Love Nelson. It was one of my favorite areas when traveling in NZ. Did a farm stay and spent my time remodeling the farm kitchen instead of working in the orchard in autumn (March). Wired the kitchen lights and plugs. Had to go to the government to get 220 wiring and switchs since they weren't sold commercially in stores. We flip the light switch up to turn it on and you flip the switch down to turn it on. We walk on the right hand side of the sidewalk. You walk on the left. I kept bumping into people until I figured it out. We go around roundabouts counterclockwise. You go around roundabouts clockwise. That nearly killed me. Finally learned to always keep my right shoulder next to the centerline. In fact I think riding on the left in New Zealand is probably more dangerous than riding in Mexico for a slow witted chap like me. Cheers, John Downs |
Mexico City
I agree with everything said except avoiding the big cities. Mexico City is one of the world's largest cities and really shouldn't be missed. We have great museums, restaurants, shops and a beautiful downtown area. If you want to come we can probably put you up and show you around just pm us or post here and we can fix it up.
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Mexico trip cancelled
Thank you John Downs and Garry Dymond for your reply and point of view.
After doing a bit more research plus another very strong warning from my friend in Arizona, her brother works for the border intelligence service, I decided to cancel my trip through mexico. Too much potential for violence on the road. One concern is that drug gangs do do road blockages, dressed as military personal, kidnap, steal and sometimes do organ removal. Life seems to be not worth much to some gangs. Also there is a strong travel warning on the canadian govt. site that suggests not to travel to mexico or if you have to, use only planes for traveling. All that adds up to me not really wanting to ride my bike in that kind of environment. I've changed the shipping of my bike to Lima and start there my 6-12 month journey there. Ciao, Helly |
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Did you miss read the above posts ? Mexico is as safe as any where else you intend travelling. Just choose a border crossing, get a 100Ks past it and relax. Do *not* bypass Mexico. It is a beautiful country full of good people. You can get shot in LA/New York etc etc, just as easily. We did 3.5 weeks in Mexico last year (and went to see Garry in Mexico City). All military stops were real ones. *No* problems. The US/Canada gov warnings need reading carefully. eg: The US site warned that if we went to Lago De Atitlan (Guatemala) the road was closed and the "back" road was full of bandits. As it turned out the back road had been tarmac'd and was patrolled by police because of these stupid false warnings. If we had not gone, we would have missed a great experience. You are missing a great country and a great trip. |
It's disturbing how much scare-mongering goes on. It's not just an American thing either - I think every government does it, either through wanting to 'err on the side of caution' or something more sinister (making the grass seem greener on this side of the fence).
I've never seen anything in the European press about forced organ removal, although we did have some pretty graphic reports of people being disemboweled for opposing drug gangs in Mex. |
I think we sometimes forget that "adventure travel" ...or whatever we want to call it means different things to different people. To some it might mean flying to Cancun and going on a bus tour and to others it might mean rolling our eyes at the exaggerated news reports and rumors loosely based on some isolated events, and heading out anyway. To others it might mean going into active war zones.
We're all at a different "level" when it comes to travel. But it still saddens me when someone decides to bypass an absolutely amazing country due to internal drug violence, not directed at travellers, and exaggerated news reports. I found Mexico to be one of the highlights of my visit ...from the lonely, rugged stretches in the north, to the central colonial cities filled with hospitable people, to the culturally rich south, to the long stretches of Pacific coastline. I'd go back in a heartbeat to meet more of these wonderful people. By going directly to Lima you'd also be missing the very interesting and friendly Central American countries. Guatemala is one of these small countries jam packed with wonderful discoveries around just about every bend. I too was warned not to stray from the Pan American there. Of course I ignored the scare mongering and explored the back roads around Lago Atitlan and found them to be absolutely spectacular, not to mention quite thrilling on a motorbike. Not once did I feel threatened or in danger while travelling in Mexico (6 times via various methods) and Central America. ...Michelle www.scrabblebiker.com |
totals US vs Mexico
Mexico - est. 35K drug related murders in 3-4 year period
USA - est. 14K+ murders EVERY YEAR 4 divided in 35K equals 8.75K.....Mexico GOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL USA ! :oops2: http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cr...ers-per-capita http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cr...-with-firearms |
I honestly think that the vast majority of the folks murdered in Mexico the last few years have been involved in the drug trade in some way. If you are a tourist passing through, stay away from the drug scene, and use a bit of common sense, Mexico is still a relatively safe place. I can't see how Lima is really all that much safer than a large city in Mexico.
And besides, this is -motorcycle- touring we're talking about. I think that dealing with crazy drivers and city traffic poses a far, far greater danger than being mistakenly shot at by drug dealers. |
I live on the border mostly
at Palomas Mexico
the official word from people I know who may be involved with the Narcos is that, 'seguro' (for sure) in Palomas, it's hand's off the Gringos, and no dealing drugs in town to them...otherwise you get buried with 19 others about 5 miles south of town... ..same people have told me that this is SOP for all of Mexico...don't kill tourist, don't deal drugs to them...it brings the military in hot n heavy - and they shoot back. I think except for the small time crooks and snatch thieves, Mexico is safer than Detroit. Zig |
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He'd better miss that then. And I heard the FARC are up to tricks again in Columbia, then they have all those nasty road blocks in Bolivia. If he goes straight to Chile he should be ok there, except in Punta Arenas where there seems to be some shooting of Prostitutes going on. And he won't want to go to Argentina, all the police are corrupt there (apparently :-) ) |
Me and my wife are riding two up around the world. Currently we are in Mexico and it just so happened that we stayed in Veracruz two nights ago only a few miles away from where they dumped the 35 bodies. We only found out the next day when I was reading the paper. Even with all that going on we don't feel that Mexico is more dangerous to travel than anywhere else in the world. The people are friendly and helpful. Of course you need to use common scene just like anywhere else. I must say that we felt more worried driving through some neighbourhoods in the US than driving around Mexico. The element of crime is everywhere so don't let that stop you, just get out there and enjoy the world, you are the lucky one being able to do so having the means and the freedom to venture wherever you want to.
Mark :scooter: |
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I live in Leon, Mexico (Central Mexico), Before I live in Monterrey, Mexico (North East) I agree with all how says Don´t avoid Mexico... Its a matter of be aware. Its more danger to be hitted by a Car that to have a Holdup with a gun. Going to Sturgis this year, in a secundary road a crazy guy liteeraly try to run my bike and me off the road, almost killed me...So you know how important is to be aware when you are riding in traffic.... In this roas there were no cars, but this truck almos killed me... In Mexico, now is not recomended to ride at night. But I can tell for sure that the sates in North Mexico like Chihuahua, Coahulia, Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas, MUST BE AVOIDED. If You are coming from San Francisco, You can Cross Tijuana, and go all the Baja to La Paz, take the ferry to Mazatlan, and go down to Guadalajara Jalisco, where you can make a very nice and beautyfull stop in Puerto Vallarta, and after Tequila, Jalisco From Jalisco all the way down is Mexico, City, Oaxaca, Chiapas, all this places and roads are in great condition and secure.. If you want more information or routes, I will be glad to help you or any one else. I have ride for 16 years Alaska, USA, Europe, México... and what kill is distraction and be hited by a car, NOT A GUN... Only Bikers Know more about security than people reading news in there office.. Dont stop being a Biker, I trust more on comments likeKusi1 and other Bikers, than the news... Forget Shipping to LIMA AND ENJOY THE EARTH.... JOEL |
Mehiko
I've worked in Emergency Departments for years. The most common place for somebody to be when their illness or accident occurred was "lying on the couch" (usually a heart attack). Think about it.
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Ok that's it
I'm selling my couch.
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traveling in Mexico right now?
I still have my couch, but I do not sit on lie on it. I let my guests have that priviledge.:thumbup1:
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Thank you ...
... Zigeuner53, Kusi1 and Joel33, your information is very helpful.
I'll ad Mexico at the tail end of the trip, bike's already on its way to Lima. Ciao, Helly |
Any word from people on the ground?
I'd really like to know about which places in Mexico, if any, are to be avoided. It's fair to claim that the news media has blown things out of proportion, but posts from people who are there or who have been there recently would be much more useful and appreciated by me. Thanks!
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Two Canadian tourists murdered in Mexico the past couple of days. The boyfriend of one was also murdered. Seems like a common happening there. Adventure riders like to downplay the dangers but the truth is that travel in Mexico is much more dangerous than in the USA or Canada. Not saying you can't travel there and return safely but if it's adventure you want that's the place.
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I live in Mexico City which is as safe as a city with 20 million people can be. The north of the country seems to be the most dangerous. Border towns being some of the worst. In spite of this I would still travel anywhere in Mexico and not worry about it too much. Use common sense, which may not be that common. Avoid travelling at night. Don't go looking for drugs unless you like problems.
Having said that we have put up about 70 travellers over the last 5 or 6 years and only 1 has had a serious problem. He was killed in a traffic accident. You are riding a motorcycle in a foreign country that will be by far your biggest risk. If you plan on coming to Mexico City send me a PM or post here and we can fix something up. Safe travels |
The two Canadian deaths, and the numerous others are senseless tragedies.
On the other hand, almost 1.5 million Canadians visited Mexico in 2010. I can only assume that the numbers for 2011 were similar. The number of Canadians murdered in Mexico for 2011 was 6. So that means that approximately 0.000006% of Canadians visiting Mexico were killed. Those are odds that I can definitely live with and I would hardly consider it "adventure" ...unless I feel that interacting with helpful, friendly, caring, interesting people is considered an adventure. All I can say is that I must have been one of the "lucky" 99.999994% of Canadians who didn't get murdered while visiting Mexico 6 times. Of all the places I've been (Mexico, Cuba, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, USA, Canada, Barbados, Antigua, Morrocco, Germany, France) I've only once truly feared for my safety. That was right in my current home town of Victoria, BC (metropolitan population 330,000), where two drunken young men briefly taunted four of us in the early morning hours. Mexico definitely has its' problems but let's keep it all in perspective. The chances of being murdered in Mexico are still pretty darn slim regardless of a number of tragic deaths. A quick search on Google will reveal that Mexican cities generally have a lower murder rate than many cities in the USA, yet people visit those US cities in droves. I'd honestly rather travel to most places in Mexico than many places in the USA, where I don't feel particularly safe in the big cities with their high crime rates. ...Michelle www.scrabblebiker.com |
Now that these threads arise at a rate of approximately once every ten minutes--all day, every day--it's possible to identify a few patterns. For example, the overwhelming majority of those claiming terrible peril are not, have not, and will not ride motorcycles through Mexico. Of those like myself who have recently done so, virtually all report no particular problems or worries.
That must mean something....but what? Uh... that we're all clueless ninnies, maybe? No, that doesn't seem right. Give me time: it'll come to me. Mark |
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IT was an amazing trip
November and December 2011 Crossed the border at Tijuana, caught the ferry road along the Pacific Coast. Never had to stop for any reason about 20 miles later at a Fed checkpoint. The numerous checkpoints were welcome betweeen there and Cabo San Lucas.
Baja is a magical land not to be missed. Yes we are adventurers. Most people stay home on their couch. That is not us. Have no fear! Live fully! Just do it! Have fun and be careful. |
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These two folks were murdered in Huatulco, a small seaside resort area. I taught English at the local university campus there for three years, so I still know and chat with a few people living in the area. I'm told that the local rumours are that the boyfriend was involved in the drug trade, and these two were not quite the innocent tourists that the Canadian media make them out to be. I've also read reports in online Mexican newspapers that their bodies were found with hands tied behind backs, their throats cut, and the bodies burned on the beach - yet somehow that information didn't make into the Canadian media. The media here in Canada reported the official line that they are believed to be the victims of a random robbery. Sorry, but you don't burn the bodies of people you rob - you grab their valuables and get away as fast as you can. What's the truth? I'm not sure, but I think it's safe to say we don't always get the truth in a quick 30-second on the local 6 o'clock news... |
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Regardless of whether these unfortunate Mexican/Canadians were innocent victims or not, the fact remains that the chances of foreign travellers being murdered in Mexico are extremely slim. Much slimmer than being run over by a motorist back home who "didn't see you". ...Michelle www.scrabblebiker.com |
Road to Guatemala
Hi Joel,
thanks for the advise. I am leaving in three weeks to Argentina. I will do the baja option. From Mazatlan I want to avoid Mexico DF. What is my best option, thanks AGAIN, Arpon I live in Leon, Mexico (Central Mexico), Before I live in Monterrey, Mexico (North East) I agree with all how says Don´t avoid Mexico... Its a matter of be aware. Its more danger to be hitted by a Car that to have a Holdup with a gun. Going to Sturgis this year, in a secundary road a crazy guy liteeraly try to run my bike and me off the road, almost killed me...So you know how important is to be aware when you are riding in traffic.... In this roas there were no cars, but this truck almos killed me... In Mexico, now is not recomended to ride at night. But I can tell for sure that the sates in North Mexico like Chihuahua, Coahulia, Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas, MUST BE AVOIDED. If You are coming from San Francisco, You can Cross Tijuana, and go all the Baja to La Paz, take the ferry to Mazatlan, and go down to Guadalajara Jalisco, where you can make a very nice and beautyfull stop in Puerto Vallarta, and after Tequila, Jalisco From Jalisco all the way down is Mexico, City, Oaxaca, Chiapas, all this places and roads are in great condition and secure.. If you want more information or routes, I will be glad to help you or any one else. I have ride for 16 years Alaska, USA, Europe, México... and what kill is distraction and be hited by a car, NOT A GUN... Only Bikers Know more about security than people reading news in there office.. Dont stop being a Biker, I trust more on comments likeKusi1 and other Bikers, than the news... Forget Shipping to LIMA AND ENJOY THE EARTH.... JOEL[/QUOTE] |
Helly, everything I have heard bears out what others in the thread have said. I'm headed through Mexico to Guatemala and points south at the end of November.
http://snipr.com/reno-padre-atitlan Here are some reasonable guidelines for safety. Others with experience in Mexico, please add corrections, additions and deletions. 1) Take off reasonably early in the morning and plan on being at your overnight location an hour before sunset. 2) Chain your bike at night through the frame to a pole or immovable object in a lighted area (if available). 3) Don't park the bike at a bar and hang out until the late night hours. 4) Don't dress in wealthy style or stand around chatting on a smartphone in the middle of nowhere. 5) Enjoy the cleanliness of the towns and the warmth of the people. I find Mexican towns cleaner and the people less crass than in the US. Other suggestions? The world is full of people who forego adventure and excitement in life for excessive safety. They lose out. Weigh counsel based on the type of people giving it. Cheers! |
Mexico is Great !
Hope this gets to the right thread... Mexico has been great..The people, the cops and the military.. Im riding solo and I crossed the border at Eagle Pass Texas about 3 weeks ago...It was Fine... Yes military is everywhere, armed and ready to fire at a moments notice..Police toooo... I havent been stopped once. They are looking for drugs and weapons..Just get south of the border asap..I have spent time in San Miguel de Allende, Oaxaca city, Puerto Escondido, San Cristobal de Las Casa and a bunch of places in between...I'd cross the border again... All The Best.. Eliza
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You can die anywhere
In the early 80's I traveled all over northern Mexico. Near the border there were often openly well-armed (m-16,ak's, not just pistols) guys who were involved in the drug trade and they couldn't care less that I was there. Of course all I heard in the US was that I'd die, be robbed, run over, blah, blah, blah and all that happened was I had many excellent trips and met some awfully nice people. Oddly, one of those well-armed people struck up a conversation about my bike (81 bmw R80GS) which made me a bit apprehensive. As it turned out, he had exactly the same bike himself and we had a great conversation. Had I listened to the doomsayers, I'd have missed out on some great trips. Remember, you are not going to live forever and it's better to die doing something you love than die at work. That would be truly depressing.
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This is one thing I know about Mexico after traveling and studying there for many months. The people in general are terrific. They are family oriented and have a culture as rich as any if not more so. And it is fortunate the family is so strong.
The system of governance sucks. By design. The design occurred many scores of years ago after some revolution when the founders/fighters/generals got together to decide what kind of country was to be crafted. They were not Washington, Jefferson or Lincoln. Their model was Spain. Spain was the most subjugated of all Roman colonies during the heyday of the Roman empire. Forced labor in the mines, all that sort of thing. Really horrible. So I guess you could say the founders did not know any better. Any way what they decided to do was to structure a system that would favor the rich, wealthy and land owners. And it worked. They do not call Mexico the perfect dictatorship for nothing. The way they did it was through laws relating to education. Basically they said let's stop educating people after they reach the sixth grade. So you can imagine what happened. Pretty much nothing. This is not to say that there have not been improvements in the lives of the masses and especially in recent years. The middle class is growing. From the perspective of the traveler in Mexico it simply means stay out of politics unless you want to get your head blown off. I would not miss traveling to Mexico for anything. The people are wonderful in general, The food is one of the best cuisines in the world in my opinion and because there has not been rabid development as in the United States you get the feeling of traveling in a time gone by life style and architecture in some of the more remote areas. To me, that is a very pleasant experience. |
Hey Helly, I am doing the same thing you are. I am leaving from Oregon in a week or so and i plan on crossing the border into mexico around the beginning of November. I have been given the same advice about 100 times. I just decided to look around and see if anyone would be interested in travelling together. I am planning on going through Baja as well. Saftey in numbers. My email is rpopma89@gmail.com. Please feel free to email me if you are even slightly interested even if it's just to compare travel plans and preparations. My goal is Tierra del fuego. Cheers!
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Helly posted in 2011. You might think about starting a fresh thread.
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