Is Mexico Safe?

[tricepilot]

Originally Posted by larrylarry75

PS - izzant the panacea that little gland below your gizzard that makes you get up to pee three times a night?

No, thats Negro Modelo

[WeazyBuddha]

Spanish Instruction

In another thread someone mentioned Michel Thomas. I have no idea if it is any good.

What worked for me was being born in Mexico to parents who spoke only Spanish.

[ChangoGS]

nothing like old style late night far away AM radio stations in spanish, movies in espanol, or even the news ,music, total immersion.
kinda like Pachanga = Pechangas !!!!!

[acejones]

Originally Posted by tricepilot

No, thats Negro Modelo

But, isn't Negra Modelo a panacea ? It has been for me.

[ChangoGS]

I feel a hot wind on my shoulder
And the touch of a world that is older
I turn the switch and check the number
I leave it on when in bed I slumber
I hear the rhythms of the music
I buy the product and never use it
I hear the talking of the DJ
Can't understand just what does he say?

I'm on a mexican radio. I'm on a Mexican - whoah - radio

I dial it in and tune the station
They talk about the U.S. inflation
I understand just a little
No comprende, it's a riddle

I'm on a mexican radio. I'm on a Mexican, whoa-Oh, radio
I'm on a mexican radio. I'm on a Mexican, whoa-Oh, radio

I wish I was in Tijuana
Eating barbequed iguana
I'd take requests on the telephone
I'm on a wavelength far from home
I feel a hot wind on my shoulder
I dial it in from south of the border
I hear the talking of the DJ
Can't understand just what does he say?

I'm on a mexican radio. I'm on a Mexican, whoa-Oh, radio
I'm on a mexican radio. I'm on a Mexican, whoa-Oh, radio

Radio radio... Radio radio... Radio radio...
I'm on a mexican radio. I'm on a Mexican, whoa-Oh, radio
I'm on a mexican radio. I'm on a Mexican, whoa-Oh, radio
Radio radio... What does he say ?

[PirateJohn]

Mexican Radio by Wall of Voodoo ... now that brings back some good memories!

Wolfman Jack, who gained fame by broadcasting from Ciudad Acuna and Rosarito Beach:

[ChangoGS]

[MikeS]

Originally Posted by tricepilot

Your answer HERE

Hey Tricepilot, thanks for the input. I like how you organized the learning modalities. My first time to MX last year, I had already learned a tiny bit of Spanish from my Pimsleur lessons. I agree, being there and trying to communicate works best. Nothing scrambles the brain better than hearing familiar words, and not being able to process them fast enough. That experience worked well for me to weld the words in to my mind, so next time I understand what's said. On my last trip, and my upcoming February trip, the language is part of the experience and the adventure.

I figure, for this trip, I better put to memory the phrase, "Quiero una habitación con dos camas." And, learn a few more food words - like "fish taco". Maybe I should learn to say, "Don't shoot!" -

[Bato]

Originally Posted by ChangoGS

nothing like old style late night far away AM radio stations in spanish, movies in espanol, or even the news ,music, total immersion.
kinda like Pachanga = Pechangas !!!!!

Or far better EL ENCANTO DEL AGUILA Now in Blu ray

[tricepilot]

Originally Posted by MikeS

Nothing scrambles the brain better than hearing familiar words, and not being able to process them fast enough. That experience worked well for me to weld the words in to my mind, so next time I understand what's said.

This couldn't be said any better. Take your Barron's, your Rosetta Stone, your Pimsleur, your movie subtitles, and your flash cards and you still have a tree with no leaves. We still all learn like children, in context of a real world. Each little experience in a natural setting puts a leaf or two on the fluency tree.

[basstodave]

Hello experienced Mexico travellers
I'm considering a loop from Tucson-Mexacali-Tecate-Ensanada-Las Salinas-Mexacali-Tucson. Let's say 4 days on my Wee-Strom. Rain gear, one change of clothes, a few layers and a sufficient wad of cash. I'm no Mechanic but everything is tight and up to date on the bike, including my recent caliper conversion.
Has anyone done this and is it interesting riding or just a dull slog on pavement?
I need insurance??? Vehicle permit??? Passport card?????

Thanks
Dave

[PirateJohn]

Insurance on a bike? We discussed that recently. I don't get it, but most of the guys here disagreed with me and thought that it was wise to get insurance.

You really should spring for a passport. You can get back into the USA without it if you sweet talk the nice guy at the border and have other ID, but Mexico may ask for it, especially if you get a tourist card.

The conventional wisdom is that you need a tourist card in Baja and Sonora state but the exception is that if you stay in the "Border Zone" for 72 hours or less then you are excluded. That's why you can run into these border downs overnight and so forth.

I am not sure where the Border Zone is in that part of the country (I do know that the Aduana offices for entry at Nogales used to be pretty well out in the desert) but it's typically about 32 miles wide, so I'd be willing to bet that if you stayed on Mexican Rt. 2 that you could avoid getting either or tourist card or a vehicle permit, especially if you ducked back into the States for at least one night in order to avoid breaking that 72 hour rule.

Baja Norte doesn't require vehicle permits. I have forgotten about Sonora but as I recall my feeling is that they don't require a vehicle permit either.

The other side of the coin is that a tourist card is only about $20, so the question would be "why bother?". If I were you I'd probably get one just in case you decided to explore deeper into Mexico.

Tell 'em that you plan to travel for 6 months in Mexico, even if your trip is just a few days. Same price, and the card will remain valid for a longer period of time.

Good luck!

[larrylarry75]

Originally Posted by tricepilot

This couldn't be said any better. Take your Barron's, your Rosetta Stone, your Pimsleur, your movie subtitles, and your flash cards and you still have a tree with no leaves. We still all learn like children, in context of a real world. Each little experience in a natural setting puts a leaf or two on the fluency tree.

Been thinking about this a bit and everything said pencils. I've done a fair amount of traveling in non-English speaking countries and never really had any issues. Smiles seem to go a long way with regular folks as do total blank stares for those times when the Garda/Policia are in your face. What the hell, if I get arrested for something I'd be both amazed and probably amused. I still intend to try and add a few more words to my meager vocabulary and I think more importantly, do a bit of research on what's considered taboo in Mexico.

I'm muddling around a bit on which bike to ride, I've got a half dozen in the barn and 3 are on my short list, an '06 Ninja 650R, an '00 Aprilia Pegaso w/Sputnik hack, and a '10 Honda NT700v recently acquired from an inmate. I like 'em all, the Honda's the only one I haven't really thrashed around much. It's a shafty though and I like that a lot. Got a PM from an inmate with some good advice, pics, maps, etc., and he commented "ride the one that's most comfortable." Man after my own heart. To clarify a bit I usually don't ride off-road (unless my attention drifts) so I expect most bad roads encountered won't be any worse than the Alcan to Prudhoe Bay? This is more of a curiosity question, given past performances I probably won't decide until the day I leave.

LL75

[SchizzMan]

Beware la Policía Dormiendo! The speed bumps in Mexico, called topes, come in many shapes and sizes, some painted some not, some marked by signs some not. I've high-centered my Harley with 5.1" clearance on an especially tall tope.

Consider the bike's clearance and what part(s) will suffer damage when you don't. You might need to remove the Ninja's lower fairing to make it work. Others have done so. Adding a skid plate to a bike might do the job.

Topes make the GS a great bike for Mexico. Your new-to-you Honda looks promising.

[PirateJohn]

The Pegaso is roughly a first-generation BMW F-650 where none of the parts seem to interchange. That's probably a good bike to take for a first trip into Mexico. Oh wait ... "hack" ... I read "rack"

It sorta depends on where you want to go because one of the dirty little secrets of Mexican travel is that you can get to many cities by way of Interstate quality toll roads. But what's going to get you are the topes (like Schizz pointed out) or you will find that the transitions between the good road and the parking lots can be pretty severe. The skid plates on my GS BMW's always got a healthy workout.

The other thing that you may find is that many towns have a surprising number of dirt or deeply sandy streets when you least expect them.