Is Mexico dangerous?
 

A group of Spanish-speaking people used to meet in a restaurant in Spokane. I was sitting next to a Mexican doctor one day when I said I was afraid to travel to Mexico because I'd heard it was dangerous. He responded to my comment by saying, "It's not dangerous. I worked in Detroit for five years. That was dangerous!

What a ridiculous question. It's a huge and diverse country.

The State Department doesn't even have a single travel advisory for the entire country. It's broken up by State. States range from "Normal precautions" to "Do Not Travel".

https://travel.state.gov/content/tra...-advisory.html

I am offended by your calling my question "ridiculous." You are rude.

Peg, my wife and I have lived in Mexico full time for some 11 years and have traveled extensively thoughout the country for some 35. I still have both of my hands and my head. Just no hair. Coincidentally, not unlike your group, our friends in the states ask us 'aren't you afraid to live in Mexico?' Our friends in Mexico ask us 'aren't you afraid to travel to the US?' Our US friends hear of the cartel violence here. Our friends in Mexico hear of shootings in schools and the like in the US.
Are you considering a trip?

Baldone, we've read rumours that the coastal area around Pto Escondido and Zipolite et al, has become dangerous. We have never been to that part of Mexico. Might you know whether those rumours are true? Our short list of post-covid trips includes Oaxaca city and that coast.

I am done. the itinerary

I’ve had similar experiences with that poster. The ignore feature works great for antagonists like that.

I like your story. I know you know it depends where you go, Peg. Even within a given state some areas are more welcoming for visitors than others. For example the state of Jalisco has some known problem areas, while Puerto Vallarta is safe for tourists.

Z, I have not heard of anything unsavory about the Oaxacan coast. But then again, I've not been looking either. Probably the worst thing you could expect in Zipolite are images of Naked People that shouldn't be Naked burned indelibly into your retinas. That and riptides. But it's a beautiful area. We've not been along the coast for several years. Oaxaca city 3 years ago. And as Suze says, while there are some specific parts of the country that I'd tend to avoid, I wouldn't consider any part of Oaxaca to be dangerous, particularly the more touristed areas. Fwiw.

Lol. It seems this is a universal case where fantasy and reality collide.

Thx Baldone. Was reacting to reports of night muggings along one of the beaches. Don't even remember where I read that (Thorn Tree?) or when.
I am done. the sands

I didn't know for sure what you were referring to regarding safety. I too seem to recall reading of beach muggings somewhere; might have been Huatulco, I think. But it's been a couple of years. Could have been Acapulco. Or Zihuatanejo. Or Puerto Vallarta. Or Mazatlan. Or Tulum. Or Cancun. Or Playa. Or Rosarito. One advantage of a naked beach is that the risk of being pick-pocketed is probably pretty low. I wonder if there's a mask mandate in Zipolite. That'd be pretty funny to consider.

Peg - While I won't claim that your question is "ridiculous", I do wonder about the purpose of your question? Are you thinking of going to Mexico? We are off for a four month trip to Mexico in 2 weeks. Will visit maybe 10 cities and end up at the coast. I understand your question, because Americans in general have a poor image of Mexico. As your Mexican doctor said, Detroit, that's dangerous. When I tell people that I'm going to Mexico they are aghast. My standard response is "I'm going to Mexico, not Texas!"

When last in Mexico, Jan. - Feb. 2021, I say way more masks then in the U.S. I was kind of surprised.

For sure Tdiddy, I see very few gringos here in San Miguel without masks. Primarily locals and visiting nationals. Im curious about your tentative itinerary?

Hey Baldone,
I think we've spoken before, here is what we are doing: 8 days CDMX in La Condessa, 5 days Queretaro, 4 days Guanajuato, 5 days San Miguel, 3 in Morelia and a week in Patzcuaro and the then 2 months in Zihua and Troncones. This trip started with out desire to be in Patzcuaro for Dias de los Muertos, and then we just kept front loading it. So you are living in San Miguel correct? Maybe we can have a drink!

I have a question and I’m hoping we can discuss it without it degenerating into another set of political comments. I am also planning to travel to Mexico at the end of October, with the main purpose being to experience Muertos in Oaxaca City. I will also be visiting Puebla, CDMX (was there 3 years ago and loved it) and Taxco. On the Trip Advisor boards, someone posted that Oaxaca has officially canceled all Muertos festivities again this year. I will go no matter but Baldone or anyone else, have you heard anything about this?

Yo Tdiddy, not sure whether you've made reservations yet but if you haven't, for Patzcuaro we recommend Hotel Mansion Iturbe. It has a pleasant communal den. Perfect for quiet reading or whatever. Mrs Z and I had the place to ourselves and used that upper den to paint in and write in and do still-life photography. That was also where I had my first interview to become a sicario. I didn't realize that you have to supply your own gun.

I am done. le patina el coco

Sorry - I didn't mean to strike a nerve...but when someone asks a broad general question, is something salty, is something spicy, is it sunny there, is Mexico dangerous, it's not illogical to ask compared to what? Is Mexico dangerous? I'm guessing the poster is from the United States, so is Mexico dangerous compared to the United States, no politics, simple question. Look at the statistics and make your own choice.

I think Mexicans got familiar/comfortable with masking during the 2009 swine flu outbreak which started there. I was returning home through Mexico City in the beginning of February 2020, mask wearing was already widespread at the airport.

When COVID-19 directly affects your family, you wear masks.

Thanks Zebec - Yes, we booked a place about a year ago! At that time a lot of stuff was already booked. We tried to book a 3 day guided tour of the area but it was also sold out. People apparently have cancelled their plans because we were able to get a three day tour so we are really looking forward to it. What is a sicario?