Northern Mexico Safety, drug wars, etc.

[jklotz]

Howdy. Been away for a while, hope everybody has been well.

A friend and myself are going to to Mexico to ride around for 3 weeks in September. I am wondering if any of you have had issues with the whole drug war thing? We were thinking about crossing over in Presido, heading down to Creel, then maybe pop over to Guymas on the pacific side, then figure it out from there. I've got a buddy in Zacatecus, so my guess is we'd cut over that way, then head back through Aguas Calientes, then Chiuaua, back home.

I've been 4 times now, never had any issues. My only concern now is the whole drug war thing. I've heard the banditos are having impromptu road blocks and doing who knows what. Anybody been down that way recently? I don't think I'm going to let it stop me, but I'd sure appreciate some tips from anybody who's been around those parts as of recent.

Thanks!

[Road Hog]

Best advice I got on Mexico was to cross early in the morning and then don't stop till lunch. Stay 100 miles from the boarder and things are good. Mexico is great, you said you have been before so you know that but so many are worried about Mexico due to drug wars and stuff on boarder which tends to put a bad light on a great country with lots of good people.

Bob

[markharf]

Every week or so someone asks this question, and oddly enough the answers never change. Cautious people respond as Road Hog does above. Less cautious, of which I seem to be one, respond that all is more or less fine.

Yesterday I rode main highways and backroads from Chihuahua up to Agua Prieta--including a final hour at dusk winding through the mountains precisely paralleling the border about a half-mile to my north. The day before I road through Torreon, among other places. A few days prior, I came upon a roadblock just as they were felling the first trees across the highway; I didn't even have a chance to start saying my hellos, shaking hands and prattling about world peace (which is my basic approach at roadblocks) before they motioned me around and through, even moving a tree trunk aside so I didn't have to leave the pavement. I'd rather ride Mexico than New York, that's for sure.

What was the problem again? Oh yeh, danger. Drugs. Violence. Criminals. Sheesh.

Caveat: YMMV.

Mark

(from Douglas Arizona, where the local violence-prone gangs, who are heavily armed and wear a variety of uniforms claiming law enforcement responsibilities, have not yet mistaken me for their assigned prey, who speak Spanish and tend to have differently-tinted skin)

[jklotz]

Yea, ok. That's pretty much what I figured. I always cross the border early in the am anyway, as I want to be able to get where I'm going and avoid border towns anyway (is it just me, or are border towns all over the world crap?).

I appreciate the input. We are going anyway, but I had to ask. The media has really sensationalized this, and sometimes it's difficult to separate fact from ratings.

Travel safe,

James

[geoffshing]

The Cuidad Juarez/El Paso border Xing point (Texas) has been closed indefinatley reported from the BBC this morning. Would that have a knock on effect on your chosen Xing point..?

[Laser Jock]

Originally Posted by geoffshing

The Cuidad Juarez/El Paso border Xing point (Texas) has been closed indefinatley reported from the BBC this morning. Would that have a knock on effect on your chosen Xing point..?

????

No.

The Juarez Consulate not the border has been closed.

The Juarez crossing is a huge artery coursing with roughly 63,000 people per day.