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MEXICO: 23 DESTINATIONS TO SPEND THE WINTER MONTHS
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Real Time Blog:
Dated: March 7, 2009
From: Prince George, British Columbia
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Background:
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For anyone clicking into this blog for the first time, I am currently in the process of blogging - MEXICO: 23 DESTINATIONS TO SPEND THE WINTER MONTHS - that will eventually be a 55 part series.

The trip to Mexico was taken from December 13, 2008 to January 23, 2009. To date I have blogged four of 23 destinations and my last blog from Guanajuato was post dated to December 24, 2008. Today's blog is a "Real Time" blog - March 7, 2009 - because I am commenting on current events.
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How Safe is Travel in Mexico?
 
There comes a point when a preponderance of evidence tips the scales against any reticence to comment on a negative travel topic.

That preponderance of evidence arrived in my "Vancouver" blog on February 12, 2009 in which I wrote:

The "bad news" is that at the moment, Vancouver is gripped by a state of disbelief as a series of drug/gang related shootings have traumatized local citizens. In the last 11 days there have been a total of nine targeted shootings in the greater Vancouver area resulting in 4 deaths. Particularly troubling is that the shootings between alleged gang members have taken place in public areas putting bystanders at risk.

Vancouver Update: February 25, 2009

There have now been 16, apparently gang related, shootings in 16 days.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper visiting the Vancouver area today is expected to announce federal legislation calling for automatic first-degree murder charges for gang-related killings and a mandatory sentence for drive-by shootings.

Also this weekend hundreds gathered in Surrey (city next to Vancouver), including the mayor and local Members of Parliament, to protest against violence.

The newly elected mayor of Vancouver, Gregor Robertson, has called for a regional police force that would operate across the Greater Vancouver area.

Meanwhile Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan has described the Greater Vancouver area as the "gang capital of Canada".

Vancouver Update: March 5, 2009 (source: The Province)

No End in Sight to Violence - Gang Warfare: Five Shootings in Seven hours bring 2009 total to 27

Two dead as guns blaze across Metro Vancouver - Police scramble to respond to wave of violence after big gang arrests

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I almost feel guilty to even mention the negative press that Vancouver has been getting, for the city truly is a wonderful place. However, while peddling my half hour on a stationary bike at the gym, I keep reading about these negative events occurring almost on a daily basis and it is hard to ignore in my blogging.

That is Vancouver.......now, lets talk about Mexico.

As was the case with Vancouver, a preponderance of evidence this week about Mexico tipped the scales against any reticence to comment on negative events happening in that country. They were:

a) a travel alert issued by the U.S. State Department for travel to Mexico
b) a travel warning issued by Canada's Department of External Affairs for travel to Mexico  
c) the renowned CBS current events program "60 Minutes" had a report on the events in Mexico as well

Travel Alert issued by the U.S. State Department on February 20, 2009
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_3028.html

Here are some excerpts:

The greatest increase in violence has occurred near the U.S. border. However, U.S. citizens traveling throughout Mexico should exercise caution in unfamiliar areas and be aware of their surroundings at all times. Mexican and foreign bystanders have been injured or killed in violent attacks in cities across the country, demonstrating the heightened risk of violence in public places. In recent years, dozens of U.S. citizens have been kidnapped across Mexico. Many of these cases remain unresolved. U.S. citizens who believe they are being targeted for kidnapping or other crimes should notify Mexican officials and the nearest American consulate or the Embassy as soon as possible, and should consider returning to the United States.

U.S. citizen visitors are encouraged to stay in the well-known tourist areas of the cities. Travelers should leave their itinerary with a friend or family member not traveling with them, avoid traveling alone, and should check with their cellular provider prior to departure to confirm that their cell phone is capable of roaming on GSM or 3G international networks. Do not display expensive-looking jewelry, large amounts of money, or other valuable items.

The Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs updated its travel report on Mexico on Friday February 27 in light of the bloody drug cartel wars that have thrown some cities into chaos.

http://ca.travel.yahoo.com/news/capress/090227/utravel/20090227_mexico_travel_warning_2

Here is a summary of the contents as posted by Canadian Press:

The Department of Foreign Affairs recommends Canadians exercise a high degree of caution when travelling to areas in northern Mexico along the border with the United States.

Cities like Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez have become the frontline of a war between the government and increasingly powerful drug cartels. Mexico tripled its military presence this week in Ciudad Juarez, where even the police chief and the mayor's family have left town.

"Armed clashes between security forces and drug groups are commonplace in certain areas and could occur at any time without warning," the travel report reads. Travelers could get caught in the crossfire."

Last year, 20 per cent more Canadians travelled to Mexico than the year before, rising to 1.4 million people.

But the cities in question are not generally where Canadians travel. Snowbirds flock to the idyllic beaches of the Mayan Riviera, Puerto Vallarta, Hualtuco (sic) and other resort towns.


On March 1, 2009, the CBS program "60 Minutes" aired an episode entitled: "The War Next Door" which chronicled Mexico's battle against drugs, weapons, violence and corruption which is threatening to spill in a major way into the United States.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/02/26/60minutes/main4831806.shtml

Update: March 8 - Germany's Auswaertsamt (External Affairs) has now issued a travel advisory for Mexico
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/diplo/de/Laenderinformationen/Mexiko/Sicherheitshinweise.html#t2

Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/Mexico
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There are some interesting counter-arguments to the "doom and gloom" in the right hand column of the following website:

http://www.bajainsider.com/baja-california-travel/mexico-travel-warning.htm
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Tourism is one of the most important economic sectors in Mexico, making up 9.4 % of the gross national product. Mexico is a "tourism giant" even on an international scale. In 2000, Mexico was the 8th most popular travel destination, with 20.6 million arrivals.

The tourism sector is the largest "employer" in Mexico, offering some 3.2 million jobs. Some 9.5 % of all employees work in this sector.

In addition, the tourist sector will probably grow faster than any other industry in Mexico in the next few years. The World Travel & Tourism Council forecasts a 7.7 % annual growth rate (in terms of constant prices) up to 2012. (World Travel & Tourism Council (2002))

The optimistic economic outlook expressed above for tourism will take a body blow as the negative travel warnings and alerts and the pursuant international media coverage will only add to the woes already inflicted on Mexican tourism due to the economic crisis that gripped the world economy starting in 2008.


Why has Mexico been such a popular tourist destination?

I like to answer that question with "there are three reasons to go to Mexico in the winter months - No. 1 the weather, No. 2 the weather and No. 3 the weather". In the 42 days we were in Mexico we had daily temperatures ranging from 20 deg. C. in the interior to 30 deg. C. on the coast and about 4 days of cloudy weather in Chiapas (southern state). (These were daytime temperatures.) Compare that with last year's four-week Hawaii stay, which we made about the same time of year. We had about 10 days of sunny weather, a fair number of rainy days and much cooler temperatures. We kept wondering where would we have to go to get sunny weather and warm temperatures? The only answer I kept coming up with was Mexico.

Of course Mexico has much more to offer than good weather but the weather is a real bonus.

It should be noted that for many visitors, Mexico means spending most of their time in a resort on a beautiful beach far from what I would call the "real Mexico".

Remember, Barbara and I traveled in Mexico on our own, on public buses for 42 days. During that time we did not set foot in the safe confines of a single beach resort.  

Our travels took us from Mexico City as far north as Zacatecas then west to Puerto Vallarta and down the Pacific Coast to Huatulco, inland to Oaxaca and south to San Cristóbal de las Casas. From there we traveled north to the Yucatan Peninsula where we visited Campeche, Merida, and Playa del Carmen. We then flew home from Cancun. During our travels we took 32 public, inter-city buses and visited around 25 towns and cities. In that process we got a lot of exposure to Mexico. By the way, Mexico has a great system of inter-city buses. I have only seen better in Argentina whose "top of the line" buses remain unchallenged.

All this begs the question: Did we feel safe during our trip to Mexico?

Well, yes - with a few exceptions, fueled by pre-conceived ideas.

Shortly before landing at the airport in Mexico City I overheard the flight attendant say to the couple seated in front of us "Be careful - Mexico has the highest kidnapping rate in the world". The kidnapping warning was not new to me but to hear the flight attendant repeating the same information induced a split second of panic which ended with the question: "What are we doing here?" That was I talking to myself - I did not voice my concerns to Barbara.

The airport has a bad reputation that apparently is well deserved. That point is brought home in this report, which would make you think twice about exchanging money at the airport.

http://www.worldtravelwatch.com/09/01/mexico-frenchman-shot-in-robbery-near-mexico-city-airport.html

Also, be very careful around ATMs, which would be good advice anywhere in Mexico.

I was also aware of another warning: "Do not, under any circumstances, take the green, ubiquitous "Volkswagen Beetle" taxis from the airport due to their spotty record of driving clients straight into robberies or worse.

That left us paying the rip-off rate of $25 U.S. for an official taxi to the Holiday Inn on the Zocalo. That was considered to be "safe" since the taxi ticket was bought from a ticket counter right in the airport. I say "rip-off" rate because the drive to the hotel was only 20 minutes as it was late at night with minimal traffic. Perhaps in rush hour traffic when the same ride would have taken an hour, the price would have been more reasonable.  

Another warning was of several bus robberies on the route from Puerto Escondido to Huatulco along the Pacific Coast. This was a bus route we were intending to take so there was some concern about that stretch of road. Fortunately by the time it came around to taking this long bus ride I had completely forgotten about these concerns. This proves that in most cases "ignorance is bliss".

Our stay in Mexico City was pre-planned to be short and that was due to pre-conceived concerns about security. It would be safe to say that the police concentration in Mexico City is unprecedented, but hey, if it works, why not?

As our blogs from Mexico City will attest, we confined ourselves to the well-known tourist areas of the city and concerns about security were not a factor while we were there.

Without stealing the thunder from my blog, the same can be said for the rest of our 42-day trip. Security was not a factor while we were traveling in Mexico.

For example, both Barbara and I love walking and that is what we did endlessly to explore our 23 destinations in Mexico. Usually within 15 minutes of finding a hotel room we would be gone for the rest of the day and night in our explorations. This is after all exciting stuff to be in a city for the first time in one's life and to just go and discover. I emphasize "night" because that is a beautiful thing about Mexico - the inner cities or "centro historicos" are full of life and people late into the evening. The inner city streets are not deserted after 18:00 as they are here in Prince George, British Columbia where I live. I am compelled to take an evening walk here in Prince George in the sub zero winter cold and I am the only person walking out there and if anyone should come from the other direction I have reason to be concerned. That is not the case in Mexico. The streets are full of people; rightly or wrongly there is a feeling of security in numbers.
On another note in all our bus travels I often remarked that there was a lack of non-Mexicans (tourists). Despite that, we never felt any sense of unease or danger although I always picked seats in the first half of the bus on the right side of the bus. Some of the driving was what I would consider "on the edge" and it boggles the mind that these drivers navigate these winding roads on a daily basis and where passing is often extremely difficult.

Another aspect of bus travel was the frequent military check points. This meant that the bus had to stop, soldiers would walk down the aisle of the bus and every once in a while remove some young person for what I would presume to be an interrogation and search of person and luggage. It never lasted more than 15 minutes. On occasions like this I would think that it would be a good idea to get locks for our luggage, if for no other reason than to prevent someone from using us as "mules" in transporting drugs. It always remained an idea; I never did buy locks for our luggage.

Speaking of buses stopping, Mexico must be world champion when it comes to having speed bumps, known as "topes", on its highways. They are enormously frequent, anywhere there is a built up area along the highway, and enormously effective at slowing traffic to a crawl. I would hate to think how many tons of hydrocarbons are spread into the atmosphere on a daily basis by millions of Mexico's vehicles slowing almost to a stop and then accelerating again as they rush to the next tope.

Unfortunately this is the only way that vehicles will slow down in a country where the automobile is king and where the pedestrian is "fair game", meaning get out of the way and don't expect me to stop. This is the general case with a few exceptions, which we shall mention in our blogs.

Does the fact that we felt safe during our travels in Mexico mean anything?

No not really, since the perception of safety, at least until something happens, is entirely in the eye of the beholder.

On that note, I was annoyed by Barbara's subtle taunting of my concerns around ATM's and the necessity to wear a hidden money belt while traveling. It just goes to show that her assessment of the situation was different from mine and that my level of concern was higher than hers.

There are many factors that make tourists or expats choose a destination. Mexico has many positives but at the same time it does have a significant negative that was the cause for the travel warnings and alerts to be issued. This will be enough to redirect a significant number of travelers to other destinations.

It all depends on how the psyche is adverse to risk. If a high degree of risk aversion is part of your personality it would be best to confine travels to one of Mexico's spectacular beach resorts and to stick to organized tours.

Travel is not without risks, so it comes also down to risk management.

A good start would be to do research on the Internet and study guide books to be aware of potential risks. My only concern about that is that there is enough "doom and gloom" out there (including this blog) that one would be disposed to never go anywhere.

Despite risks, there are always the unflappable travelers that go where no "ordinary" tourist dares to tread.

For example, during our travels in Mexico we met several travelers who spoke highly of Antigua, Guatemala including a couple of Canadian expats in their eighties from Collander, Ontario. During the winter they live in Ajijic (a future blog) and they had in previous years driven to Antigua, Guatamala.

Yikes! I would never travel to Guatemala, what about the death squads of Guatemala City?

But it makes you give it a second thought when you see an elderly couple undaunted by driving to Guatemala. By the way, Antigua is supposed to be a beautiful colonial city famous as a center for Spanish Language study. On the other hand, can it be prettier than San Cristobal de las Casas? (future blog) (let's hear from someone who has been to both)

Another traveler we met in Playa del Carmen (future blog) from Vancouver was traveling by himself on the spur of the moment to do some diving from the atolls of Belize - known as one of the best places to dive after the Barrier Reef of Australia. Because of what I have read about Belize City I was not about to travel to Belize. Well the fact of the matter is that if it had not been the end of our 42 days we would probably have tagged along just to see the atolls. What we learned from him was that a flight from Vancouver to Belize is $1,500 (round trip) while a flight to Cancun could be had for half that amount. From Cancun it is a short bus ride to the border with Belize and from there it is a short, cheap flight in a small aircraft to the world's second spectacular barrier reef.

The third example that pushes the limits is the women who are traveling by themselves in far off places. They are not numerous but noticeable nevertheless throughout Mexico.

Suffice it to say one of the joys of traveling is to converse with other travelers. Even an introvert like myself becomes incredibly outgoing when traveling because it is super easy to strike up a conversation. In talking with other travelers one comes to the realization that many travelers are not afraid to push the envelope and venture into areas that are off limits to the conventional traveler. Well I guess there is a reason why there is a category of travel called adventure travel and that does not tend to be to Cancun nor the French Riviera.

The point being that the more you travel the more you are likely to venture beyond the ordinary and the more your limits for risk aversion are raised. (lowered)?

Getting back to the concept of risk aversion, the term "comfort zone" also describes the situation well.

Given the known facts, are you comfortable to travel within this zone? That of course raises the concept of "information" and the fact that one never has all the information.

Since we almost never have all the information it comes down to a matter of perception - a perception that is largely formed by what we see and read in the media. The perception is also growing that drug trafficking and its related activities are rapidly is becoming as much of a threat to world order as terrorism.

As I said in the case of Vancouver, the perception has become bad enough for me to write about it. The perception in Mexico has become even worse in the last little while with the travel alerts and warnings. Therefore I feel compelled to comment on the situation.

Mexico is the perfect place to "Spend the Winter Months" but then again every silver cloud has a dark lining. Wait a minute; do I have that idiom right?    

Oh, yes - one more thing.

Recently there was a discussion in a Travelpod Forum directed at the question - "Where Would You Like to Live?" My answer at the time was pretty clear - why Switzerland, of course!  

Well that was then and this is now.

Switzerland in the winter has cold, damp and often cloudy weather. It also has a preponderance of dour people paying very high prices, living in cities where the sidewalks are rolled up as early as in Scandinavian cities, and that is early.

So if I had to answer that question again, I would want to live in beautiful, vibrant Mexico with its beautiful colonial cities and gorgeous Pacific and Caribbean beaches, towns and cities and yes, yes of course, there is the fabulous weather.

That's the dreamer in me, then there is the realist that says - let's check out Thailand and check back on Mexico later.

As I write so glowingly about Mexico I am reminded that the beauties of Mexico contrast sharply with the poverty that is so readily evident throughout the country. That is the paradox of Mexico, that is the reality of Mexico and that is also the breeding ground for many of the ills that are the topic of the travel warnings and alerts.

Be that as it may, right now we are reliving our wonderful 42-day stay in Mexico as we write about the events in our blog - after that we shall see.

Just to confuse the situation even more, why would I want to live anywhere else than "Beautiful British Columbia - The Best Place on Earth". That phrase is not my invention - that is the official slogan of the provincial government of British Columbia. I think the weather would have something do to with my desire to live elsewhere.

This morning over breakfast, I wanted to take a 'last kick at the can" so to speak by asking Barbara the following question:

If the travel alerts and warnings had been issued previous to our departure for Mexico, would you have been willing to travel there? Her answer was: "The problems don't seem to be in any of the areas we would have been traveling to, so what is the big deal."

I had to ask myself the same question and I finally decided that I would have probably opted to go back to our original choice of destinations for this trip - Panama and Ecuador.

You see, the website: "International Living" has been touting both countries for years as great places for expats and long-term stays. Therefore I wanted to explore both countries. It was only last year that in their annual survey that they placed Mexico as the No. 1 place for expats in their yearly ratings. It was thus that we went to Mexico.

"International Living" admittedly never mentions "doom and gloom", but I do seem to notice lately a decided shift towards Ecuador and less about Mexico. For reasons that I don't know, their former darling, Panama, is now rarely mentioned.

Finally, there was an unexpected story in yesterday's newspapers that ties together the problems in Mexico and the problems in Vancouver.

http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/595881 
March 12, 2009
The topic continues to generate more interesting information. Check out "Dangerous Destinations" at tripadvisor.com
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/index.php?rn=222561&cl=12414062&ch=8033027

March 13, 2009http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=12490238&ch=4226714&src=news
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Comments/Questions:    travelswithlobo@yahoo.com
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Coming soon: San Luis Potosi - A Different Kind of Christmas