I believe that you should listen to the News really good! Because if you do, you will know that most all of the violence is drug related. Assuming that you are not going to be involved in the Drug Scene, your chances of encountering a problem are greatly reduced. Other than that, limit your time in border towns and avoid areas that don't look good. I have had no problems in over 40,000 miles and five or six months traveling in Mexico, including all of its states.
I always know where I am... Earth. And I don't care where I'm going, main reason I haven't bothered with a GPS up to now.
As they say, "wherever you go, there you are"... As long as its on a motorcycle or somewhere with my "toes in the water, ass in the sand" I'm happy..
OK, I'll say it. Mexico has it's own xhit-hole towns too! I can truthfully say that the traffic swallowed me up & spit me out when I passed through several. "If there was"(and there's some truth therein) a way to enjoy certain places/towns here & in Mexico-it's on foot! Some parts of Mexican towns(even some of the best ones & same in USA) can be very nasty in a variety of ways. Streets full of trash piled everywhere & blowing hither & yon! Streams dry or flowing with straight pipes & you name it in them. Do I love Mexico;YES! Does it have its nasties;YES! Talking about the USA's worst ten anything reminds me of the many lists of best colleges,best party towns,best place to retire,on & on,we all,like they say, have one, don't we? I def. don't want to live in SA,TX but had a fun couple of days there once.
I'd be reluctant to hang around Juarez these days, although I did spend a day there about 12 years ago and lived to tell the tale. Otherwise wouldn't worry too much. And while I agree with everyone about situational awareness personally I hang around Nuevo Progreso, Reynosa, and Nuevo Laredo - all border towns - and have no troubles. The most nervous that I have been when in Nuevo Laredo was when I went to get my hair cut and realized that all the young lookouts were getting their hair styled at the same place that I was at
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While riding back east from Tombstone we took NM route 9 through the Animas Valley to Columbus New Mexico where we checked in at Martha's Place (more on that later) crossed in to Mexico for dinner at the Pink Store& Restaurant(excellent) in Palomas. We took a stroll around town, dropped off a prescription at the Optica,my riding buddy got an eye exam by a doctor who was highly recommended by the owner of Martha's Place, had a couple of beers at a local cantina and rode back to Columbus after sundown. I must say that the border crossing was quick, the authorities were pleasant and the folks in Palomas could not have been nicer. I never once felt or saw anything that would cause me alarm. Went back the next day to pick up our glasses strolled around some more and departed for the east. Now a word about Martha's Place. Martha and her husband Javier were great hosts, very attentive to our needs and very informative about the area, Pancho Villa State Park, the border crossing and Palomas. The room with two beds and a bath was spotless and a bargain at $60. The restaurant served an excellent breakfast. Great place I recommend it. I just thought I would pass along my experience because I have not seen much about this area on this thread. Hope it helps someone. Here's a pic of Martha's Place.
No, Mexicans kill one another for money and drug territory (valuable.) It is Norte Americanos who kill others for no good reason. Think Aurora theater, Virginia Tech, etc., etc.
The modern equivalent to drinking from a stream then walking upstream :eek1 is drinking bottled water then visiting a water purification plant. Made that mistake once in Mexico. Never again. I no longer pack all the various supplies I once did. Just carry a large prescription bottle of Hydrocodone 10. Learned that can be traded for anything you need.
Can we stand down on this one? There's a measure of truth in each of these posts but none offer very much on this thread.
After you posted that you're sitting there thinking "just give him 5 minutes, I know he'll read that and be here in 5 minutes"
