andgil

Does anyone have a feel for how things are in Acapulco right now? My son is down there on Spring break. The hotel lines appear to be jammed. I cannot get through.

emd3

Stewbear on this board posted last evening from Acapulco, but did not mention the killings. I asked him on his thread about what the buzz was there about the killings, but he has not answered yet.

Typically La Familia gets in and out with these drug killings. This time, like almost two yrs ago in Urupan in the state of Morelia, they made a public spectacle with some of the decapitated bodies, this time leaving them on a street where there are clubs that tourists frequent. LA Familia is typically very clear about who they are targeting, and it is not civilians and tourists, it is other drug gang members. And typically they do not get randomly shoot civilians and tourists.

bfish

It is very BAD!! Do not send your kids. Costa Rica is a much better choice.

qwovadis

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/world...violence_x.htm

www.travel.state.gov Mexico

they have started killing US Embassy personell in Juarez

Diplomatic staff families are leaving in droves.

Select another safer destination in Carib or CA

till thing quiet down...

qwovadis

more up to date link here...no tourists currently involved

ACAPULCO, Mexico -- At least 13 people have been killed in a Mexican Pacific coast state plagued by drug gang violence. Guerrero state police say the dead include two decapitated men whose bodies were left on a scenic road packed with…
Huffingtonpost.com·3/12/2010

reidy11

I am in Acapulco currently with my college daughter for spring break. I go down here after the drug/police killings over the weekend. It seems if you stay in the main tourist areas then everything is ok. The violence seems to be between the drug cartel and the police. From what I have been reading - the issue is police are being killed off quicker than they can be hired. (Look at Time article) Most tourists don't even know the killings happened a few days ago. I am not staying in the Acapulco Bay area but went there yesterday - it does not seem very crowd - as a matter of fact, many of the hotels (mine included) are not even close to capacity - which seems strange given its spring break - thus must have something to do with the killings here. MTV is at one of the main hotels and there did not seems to be very many college kids there. We walked the streets and felt reasonable safe.

The phones probably have more to do with the fact that most of the college kids have them turned off. The phone fees are outrageous here.

Try not to worry too much - its safer feeling then the media is making it out to be. But I will be going somewhere other than Mexico on my next vacation.

andgil

Thank you for your reply, Reidy11, as you are there, as is my son, and this was the feedback that I really was searching for. The news I can read - but to get a feel for how the situation is can come from only someone who is there. BTW- his hotel lines were down -and/or constantly busy circuit - and I was able to get in touch with him via text messages. (fyi...I signed him on to a plan through at+t - which I will cancel when he gets back to the States - also blackberry to blackberry texts are free and most of his friends are on blackberry) He is safe and staying close to all the Spring break action and his friends. I will be happy when he is home. Thanks again. Enjoy your time with your daughter.

andgil

Hi
Just an update on my son's stay during 2010 spring break. He found out about the killings while in line at the Los Angeles airport. Reporters all around - interviewing the kids, including my son. Anyway, he still went. While a bit nervous he soon relaxed and just used his NYC street smarts. He stayed close to his friends. They did not walk the beaches at night. They took taxis everywhere. He went to the MTV party. It was highly guarded, which kinda freaked him out with all the rifles and guns. MTV cancelled their evening events because of the killings.

BTW - in almost every cab that they took - the kids where offered cocaine.

All in all he had a great time - but next year he will be going someplace else if I have a say in it.

Too bad for Mexico and it's people. Nice place, nice culture and very nice people.

I just returned from Puerto Vallarta on March 2nd. Their business has been hit hard too. With the recession and then the arrest of an affiliate of the Los Valencias gang along with the discovery of drug processing in PV has once again reminded me as to why I am not going to purchase a place in Mexico.

Stewbear

I never heard about the shoot out until about 2 days AFTER leaving Acapulco from a guy on the beach in Zihuatanejo.

emd3

The murders of the pregnant American consulate worker and her husband, and another spouse of an American consulate worker leaving the same birthday party in Juarez in mid-March has complicated the situation for Americans. But it was in Juarez, which is basically a war zone in the drug wars. We have plans to rent a home in central Mexico in San Miguel this summer and we are going.