RFI: Mexican vacation spots

[PNWTO]

I love Cabo and the area around it, good eats and not too sketchy aside from a turf war that has mostly wrapped up. However, while we get to Cabo about twice annually we will be in Cancun in about a month and definitely will be practicing some safety and won’t be downtown too long after dark. Cancun is a totally different vibe than Baja and the locals are much more pessimistic about the crime.

Luckily you can day drink at the resort...

I love the peoples and cultures down south and honestly have only had one event that weirded me out. Obviously, mindset needs to be there as well as awareness and preparation.

[Dismas316]

Here’s a good article your friends should read from Greg Ellifritz

https://www.activeresponsetraining.n...se+Training%29

[willie]

Between 2000 and 2013 there were 215,000 known murders in Mexico. Police corruption is astronomically high. I used to fear them more than the cartels. Be prepared to pay a hefty bribe should you be required to deal with them. American diplomats will be of no help. Leave knives at home. Do not drive. Avoid drinks with ice. Carry and take Pepto Bismol tablets. They have slight antibiotic effect. Take ass wipes and Prep H and a couple rolls of Charmin aloe. You'll need all. Buy bottled water for brushing teeth.

[PNWTO]

https://www.activeresponsetraining.n...se+Training%29

That's a great article and really offers a valid reason for why stereotypical tourists doing normal tourist shit shouldn't be too concerned. I will say the "low visibility" of the beach drug trade is much more blatant in correlation to how many college kids are around. Sadly, that trafficking example is fairly sobering... I will say I have seen many more eastern europeans in Cancun than Cabo... for whatever solace that is worth.

Between 2000 and 2013 there were 215,000 known murders in Mexico. Police corruption is astronomically high. I used to fear them more than the cartels. Be prepared to pay a hefty bribe should you be required to deal with them. American diplomats will be of no help. Leave knives at home. Do not drive. Avoid drinks with ice. Carry and take Pepto Bismol tablets. They have slight antibiotic effect. Take ass wipes and Prep H and a couple rolls of Charmin aloe. You'll need all. Buy bottled water for brushing teeth.

Respectfully, those hygienic concerns aren't worthy of a second thought if you are around any "tourist holes" and I have had a few adventures off the beaten path with Mr. Cuervo as a guide and have yet to incur any digestive wrath. The local "police" will shake you down if you are being obnoxious, prudish, or showing any lavishness. Or, if you are college-aged then the locals will definitely fuck with you and take your bluetooth speakers and anything else that can be sold secondhand.

I am glad that between my party days in Mexico and the present I have spent some time with Ed Calderon and would encourage his classes to all.

FWIW, if Cancun is on the radar then the Villa del Palmar is fairly far away from the city center and isolated, with no beach hustlers. There is a public ferry nearby that will get you to Isla de Mujeres for cheap.

[YVK]

South of Puerto Vallarta. A bit away from touristy touristy places, bars, and turf areas Still enough places to enjoy the ocean and tequila. Quiet and serene. We used local buses (OMG, OMG, killed on streetz), bought food and water on local markets (OMG, OMG, here came diarrhea never) and in the shops, went to small villages and nobody cared who we were and why.
When we came back home, we read something like that was a bloodiest month over there. The only pops that I heard were of champagne bottles.

It is a second world country with a prolific narco business. Stay away from areas of such business or places where said businessmen project their wealth, and you'll be fine. I don't like laying on the beach for more than two days straight and local culture doesn't excite me so I am not looking forward to going back but I would if I wanted to. My wife, an attractive and decidedly un-Mexican looking woman, went three times by herself. Wonder how many people in the world decide whether to come to US or not on the basis of Chicago, St. Louis and Baltimore daily news.

[PNWTO]

Great post, @YVK. The shit down there is awful and full of tragedy but the public safety issues are full of hyperbole. There are legitimate concerns but I feel safer at the central Marina in Cabo than I do in downtown Metroville, USA.

The fact that most Americans are horrible tourists and travelers doesn't help, either.

PS, I really enjoyed my time in PV, too.

[Drang]

Stratfor: Murder in Mexico: What's the Danger to an American Tourist?

... the best way to avoid falling prey to criminal violence is to avoid places in which it is most likely to occur, such as strip bars and seedy clubs in which drug-selling occurs. Moreover, many foreign victims of crime in Mexico were drinking to excess, using drugs or staying out late at night. We recommend that tourists visiting Mexico stay at their hotel or resort grounds after dark and avoid drinking to excess or using drugs. In some of the drinking-related incidents, assailants spiked beverages with incapacitants such as GHB, Rohypnol or fentanyl, so we recommend you not accept drinks from unknown people or leave your drink unattended. What's more, it's a good idea to avoid going onto the beach after dark.

And speaking of the dark, avoid driving at night, even on the highways. That means that if you're flying into Mexico, schedule your flights to arrive during the day and use pre-arranged transportation to get to your hotel or resort, as Mexican taxis, particularly the illegal ones, can sometimes be used for express kidnappings and sexual assaults.

Haven't read the whole thing word-for-word, just skimmed it, but I believe they'd agree with Greg Ellefritz in the article linked twice (so far.) The quote above and the one following are from the end; I sort of jumped past the part where they were analyzing statistics...

As the old adage goes, you're more likely to die or suffer injury in a traffic accident (or fire or other accident) than you are to suffer harm at the hands of a criminal. That's why it's critical to pack a stop-the-bleed kit and other first aid equipment, a good-quality flashlight and smoke hoods, as these items can literally be lifesavers. For the rest of the time, exercise proper situational awareness and common-sense security and you're unlikely to encounter many problems on your trip south.

[BigT]

The felt the most like shit was about to go south on my travels where Philadelphia and Nuremberg.

Follow the rules of stupid.

And this bit I say with respect, don't be an "ugly american" and you really don't need to be paranoid about travelling.

[OldRunner/CSAT Neighbor]

Zero beaches per the OP's first post but my 32yro dau. & I just returned 10 days ago from San Miguel.
A town of 140K w/ a large expat presence in the central highlands of Mex w/ a 1.5 hour drive from Leon which is the nearest aeropuerto.

Again no beaches but she was there working for 5 days before I joined her & we had zero persec issues while staying in an AirBnB in the center of town.
Have heard about it since the mid 80's when a cat from my hometown moved there & all in all we had a VG experience & I REALLY liked the $ vs. peso exchange rate

[Rex G]

Zero beaches per the OP's first post but my 32yro dau. & I just returned 10 days ago from San Miguel.
A town of 140K w/ a large expat presence in the central highlands of Mex w/ a 1.5 hour drive from Leon which is the nearest aeropuerto.

Again no beaches but she was there working for 5 days before I joined her & we had zero persec issues while staying in an AirBnB in the center of town.
Have heard about it since the mid 80's when a cat from my hometown moved there & all in all we had a VG experience & I REALLY liked the $ vs. peso exchange rate

Is that San Miguel de Allende, so very popular with gringo retiree expats, who stay there most of the time, returning to the USA every six months, to maintain “tourist” status?