Is Mexico Safe?

[Otherguy]

Just as I occasionally crave Mexican in Italy, here is the best Italian restaurant in Playa del Carmen.

[KingsX]

Been here a couple of weeks with Cultural Adventurer. Rented casita. Great riding, very friendly people...no hay problemas.
Good camping in Satevo 7km from Batopilas at Raul Chavez'...take dirt drive to right JUST BEFORE the church, up to end. Camping, food, games at night with family. Cute daughters..........recommended.

Muy tranquilo aqui


Kings XXX y mas

[tricepilot]

Originally Posted by KingsX

Cute daughters..........recommended.

[kantuckid]

Originally Posted by tricepilot

Get this one

2nd !!!! that and keep it stored for pre-trip & evening planning. I like the Rough Guide map in my tank bag window for general reference(even though it is often somewhat wrong, it is plastic coated and easier to read enroute(read into that old fart wears reading glasses) and the one not to buy is the blue map sold in Walmart in MX. After my rough guide brand map was stolen I bought the blue whatever else its called-(sealed up) and it is terrible.

[kantuckid]

Originally Posted by tricepilot

The elephant in the room isn't the accuracy of the paper map product or how well your GPS works, with or without Bicimapas or any version of it.

The fun part is being able to figure out the Mexican highway signage system which on one hand is modern and state-of-the-art and on the other hand can be a rompecabeza (puzzle) of the highest magnitude.

And the real irony here is that being temporarily "misplaced" in Mexico is actually one of the very best charms of being down there. You never know what you'll discover.

The above can be proven by the fact that once a motorcyclist has been down there a time or two, they're never back here posting questions on where they can get a more accurate map or the latest GPS.

And then there's the part where entering some towns is the near equivalent to being on a bike then placed in a jug and shaken well and tossed out to fend for yourself.There were a couple of times I really wondered if I'd be in Guadalajara for the rest of my life? Signs behind trees, signs never made yet,signs that have become a floorboard or house building materials,signs that are spelled differently than the map, names that are not on the map, all in a days fun in Mexico!

[kantuckid]

Originally Posted by larrylarry75

I was kidding about the km thing, started using them in 1959 in Japan. Most metric bikes I've owned had/have dual-overlays on their speedos so no real need to covert, otherwise I've always used the .6 rule.

I personally love being babysat by my GPS, her voice is my main turn on. Besides I like being yelled at by a woman. Re. English data I find convenient but not mandatory, just nice to have if available. I'm deadly afraid of chatting with locals, they might grab me and take me away somewhere, make me eat strange food, drink foreign beer, ride on non-paved roads. I might not be able to find my way home again. I think we're more or less on the same pag

LL75

Karen is the only girl I've ever known to tolerate being cussed out and everythings OK a minute later

[Sjoerd Bakker]

Originally Posted by larrylarry75

If I were to travel as I do in the states and a number of other countries I'd take exits that look interesting; the net result of which is I'm often riding in areas that I haven't a clue about.
LL75

Bingo !!! that is about the best way to SEE Mexico . ....And I would add that if you stay off big highways you don't even need to take "an exit".
Highway number signs are used in a somewhat capricious fashion. You can be many kilometers from major federal highway #XX and suddenly come to a sign on the state or federal highway saying #XX. This is just done as a service , a reminder that the road you are on actually does eventually join with #XX
Leaving Guadalajara west the signs for Mex 15 will direct you to Tijuana and Nogales but farther down the road Nogales i s only mentioned off and on and other towns along the route get juggled about.This again is the reason for making up your own little "route sheet" with the expected towns in order so you won't have an anxiety fit .
As for getting mazed in city streets that is the reason for carrying a compass. Look at your map and find the compass direction of which way you want to head out of town and just find a street , any street, which moves you in that direction.

[Markkit]

Originally Posted by tricepilot

In chasing around researching interesting b/w photos of Old Mexico, I found another by Agustin Casasola, but in that process I found a website dedicated to the history of the Huarache.

Here is the link to the Huarache Blog. I think some of you will find it interesting.



Photo by Agustin Casasola

Ha! Thats my blog! Thanks for the link.

I must add that having ridden my DR650 from Portland, Oregon in to Mexico down and beyond Guadalajara to Michoacan the summer of 2010, despite the warnings by the US border agents in Presidio Texas, I found it quite safe. Mostly the roads were very light in traffic and Mexicans drive quite slowly so it felt safe. In tight traffic city situations I felt it was probably easier on my bike to weave out of a tight spot than if had been in a car. Many Mexican drivers are also quite courteous and will drive as far to the side of the road as possible to let you pass with oncoming traffic.

I got lost a few times trying the smaller roads and asked for directions and the locals were quite helpful. I was pulled over only once entering Guadalajara by a bike cop, but although not friendly he didn't try and fine me after he checked all my paperwork.

The only thing I was weary of were the odd horse walking on the road.

There are some photos of my bike trip to Mexico on my blog www.mexicanhuaracheodyssey.wordpress.com

[Bato]

Looks like our friend dwj-Donnie is doing some nice riding in baja

Here his spot tracker

ADV-rider

[Bato]

OldSchool @Comfort Tx

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

[SchizzMan]

Originally Posted by Bato

OldSchool @Comfort Tx

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

Nice!

What tires are you running?

[BobLoblaw]

went the wrong way down a few one way streets until I got used to looking for signage in locations like this

[Bato]

Originally Posted by SchizzMan

Nice!

What tires are you running?

METZLER M77R
and LASERTEC325H149

Bike feels ok at 70mph

[tricepilot]

Originally Posted by Markkit

Ha! Thats my blog! Thanks for the link.

I must add that having ridden my DR650 from Portland, Oregon in to Mexico down and beyond Guadalajara to Michoacan the summer of 2010, despite the warnings by the US border agents in Presidio Texas, I found it quite safe. Mostly the roads were very light in traffic and Mexicans drive quite slowly so it felt safe. In tight traffic city situations I felt it was probably easier on my bike to weave out of a tight spot than if had been in a car. Many Mexican drivers are also quite courteous and will drive as far to the side of the road as possible to let you pass with oncoming traffic.

I got lost a few times trying the smaller roads and asked for directions and the locals were quite helpful. I was pulled over only once entering Guadalajara by a bike cop, but although not friendly he didn't try and fine me after he checked all my paperwork.

The only thing I was weary of were the odd horse walking on the road.

There are some photos of my bike trip to Mexico on my blog www.mexicanhuaracheodyssey.wordpress.com

I hilighted in yellow some very remarkable comments about travel in Mexico. (Having just come back to the US from Mexico via Presidio, I laugh because a Presidio border agent told me the same thing).

I also thank you for another link (last line of your post) that will now cause me to lose the rest of this afternoon

[Sjoerd Bakker]

If you get off the really big highways you get to see the local countryside and some of the agricultural hazards .Notice the expert manner in which the strawbales have been built up and outward. Doubles the capacity of he truckIt also is a testimony to the expert knot tying skills.Nevertheless I try to stay a good length behind this kind of load






Yayyy! on second try I copied it from your post Trice Thanks.
I am struggling along with this stuff, something like feeling for dimes at the bottom of a pudle in the driveway with my work boots still on. The more I try the muddier it gets .