https://advrider.com/f/threads/news-from-the-sierra-tarahumara.1478315/#post-41334757 An interesting letter showing a food shortage in the Tarahumara territories
Attacks on tourists are bad for business and the bosses do not tolerate them. Free agents who rob tourists are usually spoken to harshly by the higher ups. The gun battles you read about are gang on gang fights over territory, often with the police and the military in the middle. A convoy of armed men will roll into a town and the local sicarios will challenge them. Sometimes locals get caught in the crossfire and killed. When it is over, it is over for a while and the police and military hang around for a week to quiet things down. It is terrible but it is not everywhere all the time.
Hola Amigos! I posted a thread last night in the Latin American Regional forum but someone told me should post here so here I am... I am currently traveling solo through Mexico for the next 2-4 months. My plans are wishy-washy at best and I'm just kind of going where the wind blows me. I just wrapped up my 4th night in the country in Ensenada and tomorrow will be rolling out again heading a ways south to camp along the coast for a few days. Anyways, I know at some point I'm going to get lonely on this trip so I wanted to put feelers out there for anyone who lives in or is also currently traveling through Mexico from now until maybe February/March timeline. As of now I plan to spend about 3 weeks criss-crossing my way down Baja to La Paz, where I will then take the ferry to the mainland to continue my journey. My Spanish is shit, but I'm trying my best to learn as much as I can. Would love to meet up with people along the way and travel together for a day or two, or even just do a day ride. I'm an ok dirt rider, but less confident when I have my full load, and I'm scared of deep sand... I'm doing about 50/50 camping and AirBnB. I'm on a '17 Africa Twin. I'm going to keep monitoring this thread and try to be more active on this site while I'm down here and hopefully share some of my adventures! (had an account here a while ago but I forgot my login and password so just made a new one). Anyway feel free to reach out if you think our paths might cross or I might roll through your home town. I enjoy exploring big cities just as much as back country so I'm pretty much down for anything.
Have a great trip ! Did you stop at the border and get your FMM ? (Tourist visa) you will need it to get your TVIP ( temp vehicle import permit) if you want to get on the ferry in La Paz to the Main Land. If you didn’t then stop at the government offices on Rte.1 just before the entrance to the town of Guerrero Negro they used to issue them there. You can’t get your TVIP without an FMM from your port of your entry into Mexico.
Ridejessedrive , if you had an" account" on adv in the past what was your name or handle, your nom de plume under which you posted ; or you never posted anytime and forgot even that ? I' m sure the admin folks could get you reunited with your first effort's contents We can't know anything about what you may already have posted so like Perceire I will suggest that you make sure you bought the FMM AND the TVIP at the border when you entered Mexico .You can NOT pick up the FMM at the ferry docks and without the FMM you can NOT get the TVIP which indeed is sold there,but during a limited range of hours . And then you would NOT be let onto the ferry . But maybe you knew all that from your previous visit(s) ?
In his first post in the Latin America forum, he mentioned he had acquired both FMM and TIP in Tecate. https://advrider.com/f/threads/¡hola-im-riding-solo-through-mexico-all-winter-long-anyone-want-to-meet.1478262/
LINK Last week in Tamasopo on a whirlwind roundabout in the Huasteca with three riders and two drones. I had sold a Mavic Mini to Trail Boss (Richard) and he took it to the site in the link, Puente de Dios in Tamasopo. I didn't know he didn't calibrate the compass or set the home point. Not sure if those are the specific reasons the drone went out of control, but it hit the trees and went underwater. If you listen closely in the link, you'll hear Richard say "I wasn't a good enough pilot!" In all fairness, another drone guy, from Mexico, also saw his drone start to drift out of control. It could have been the deep location. It was about 30 feet down in the pool, in a cave eddy, when a site staff member who had snorkel gear overheard our convo and offered to go look for it for a fee. He was gone about half an hour when he found it. Good thing I put the florescent orange stickers on it! Here is the result: Luckily it's covered under DJI Refresh so it's on it's way to Dallas for the replacement process.
I've read two or three differing opinions on whether or not you should calibrate the compass or set the home point. For sure, set the home point. But some think constantly re-calibrating causes problems. Personally, I think the best way to ensure you don't have issues is to be sure it's calibrated. Maybe if you're flying in the same place, calibration isn't an issue but certainly if you travel with the unit, you should calibrate it.
Beautiful place. I have a couple of mini drones I use in my apartment. I haven’t had the courage to buy an outdoor drone yet. I crash my minis way too often for that.
Your question is valid, and safety should be your primary concern anywhere, so we are not trying to downplay it, but even in the worst areas ADVRiders (and foreigners in general) get a free pass in Mexico and are allowed to see Mexicos problems from a distance. There is no flying under the radar in Mexico, bad hombres know you are there, and usually look the other way. If you take Uruapan as an example, in the state of Michoacan which doesn't have the best reputation. Uruapan is the 3rd most dangerous city in the world per capita, Yet I spent 2 weeks there and had a blast, and have read of others who have at least spent a night or two without issue. Meanwhile a local cabbie was catching up with my local friend and the cabbie told him how he had been kidnapped a few weeks ago, and thrown in the trunk while the drove all crazy for a few hours leaving him with injuries, but at least alive. If they think a cabbie has money, they know we have money. For our safety, the best thing you can do is be smart, and not flash around your cash. If you know you are going into semi hot areas such as Michoacan or Guerrero, then ask the question more specifically, so we can help you plan, but most problems are wrong place wrong time, or someone acting stupid. This is the best way to see Mexico, I am down here indefinitely, and all over the map but should be in Michoacan through Feb or later so feel free to reach out if headed that way...of course the offer is for anyone South of the border.
Mexico is very safe, they are selling cubrebocas everywhere. (No I don't wear that in public, kids can read, and I am to classy for that) Safety 1st amigos!
Episode 1 of last week's ride to the Huasteca. Film by Trail Boss. Filmed on a GoPro Hero 9, an iPhone, and a DJI Mavic Mini. Edited with Filmora.
New PM: https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/11-new-destinations-added-to-the-list-of-121-pueblos-magicos/
I am sure there are great Pueblo Magicos, but I am certainly jaded after going to a few that felt like duds. It is definitely used as a ploy to get people/money to those pueblos, and usually only a little money gets to the people if any. Houses within 1 block or so of the centro will be restored and newly painted (giving it a slight disneyland/fake feel). You get outside that immediate area, and you see the typical houses falling apart. It is tough to know what PMs are worth going to at times.
