Wanna caravan to Mexico?

[TxGypsy]

James brought it up, and it's not a bad idea.&nbsp; Anyone want to caravan in Mexico next winter?&nbsp; I'm planning on going to Mazatlan for a while and than maybe continuing down to Oaxaca at some point.&nbsp; <br><br>I'm familiar with Mexico since I lived there for a year and I usually spend winters there as well.&nbsp; I speak Mexican Spanish at I'd guess around an intermediate level.&nbsp; Well enough to have a normal conversation, but not enough to discuss much philosophy or your brother-in-laws heart murmur.

 

[RAILROADGREEN]

hey there, caravan a great idea, if i were a single gal and getting hit on all the time, i would'nt want to go alone!! a group&nbsp;poeple would be better j.m.o. i would be willing to lead a group down baja mexico, the mainland is to humid for this old man. but if i were to go, i think i go with you txgypsy. sound's to me you been an done it. fellow traveler gary

 

[user 423]

Are those non-cartel areas? <span id="post_message_1278451043">Oaxaca rings a bell somehow.<br></span>

 

[TxGypsy]

There isn't anywhere here in the US that I'd consider a 'non cartel' area.&nbsp; There are some areas that are worse than others.&nbsp; I mostly don't worry about it because I don't do stupid stuff.&nbsp; First of all, I make sure that I don't look like I have much money.&nbsp; I don't wear jewelry, flash wads of cash, wear fancy clothes or drive an expensive vehicle.&nbsp; Second, I don't do things that would make me an easy victim, like get drunk in nightclubs.&nbsp; I rarely go out after dark unless it is to something like a symphony or a play and I make sure and go with friends.<br><br>RRG I have never considered going to the Baja.&nbsp; Isn't it fairly crowded with Gringos and more expensive than the main land?&nbsp; I try to avoid places with a lot of Gringos.&nbsp; Mazatlan is the exception to that because it is beautiful.<br><br> LOL....I have no illusions about my looks.&nbsp; I'm single and a Gringa...that seems to be all that is required.&nbsp; Being relatively young doesn't help either (I'm 42).&nbsp; I go out of my way to dress plainly and some might even say severely.&nbsp; No make up and my hair in a pony tail.&nbsp; Definitely not anything like the eyecandy that is walking around down there dressed to the 9's!

 

[RAILROADGREEN]

hey now txgypsy, baja does have alot of americans, mostly retire and living on the gold coast area.&nbsp;(tijuana to ensenada)about eighty miles&nbsp;south of san diego. they live there because it is cheaper to live at the beach and&nbsp; the health care and drugs are cheaper. also they are still only one to two hours from the usa or san diego. i had a traveltrailer at cantamar beach for years before it got crowded, i sold it for that reason.&nbsp;an i bought a vacant lot at nine plams, in southern&nbsp;baja. it's about twenty miles&nbsp;(east) of san jose del cabo, (ie) the east cape&nbsp;area very&nbsp;tip&nbsp; baja.no tv, phone,or internet. if you any of those services,you have to drive about five miles, to a restaurat!!!. come on down camping is free on the beach.no bugs!!&nbsp;to hot FOR THEM. REALLY NICE IN THE WINTER TIME. men in mexico think it is there duty is to flrit with women. i have watch mexican&nbsp;women handly it with a mean ass stare!!!.&nbsp;as for me i'm a sixty year old man, so i don't get hit on!! lol. fellow traveler gary&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

 

[caseyc]

Hope you guys have fun! The "Gringo" word reminds me of the Netflix movie I watched called "Get The Gringo" with Mel Gibson.&nbsp; An entertaining movie! I've never been to Mexico, but maybe one of these days.

 

[dragonflyinthesky]

<br>ah texgypsy, I would love to go if you get another carvan together in a few years. Me being not nearly as good looking as I once was, I doubt I would slow the caravan down by &nbsp;being hit on. I will keep my finery and&nbsp;expensive jewelry home and leave the Escalade there as well. Wait, I don't have any of those things so no problem!<br>Dragonfly

 

[offroad]

Really like the idea.&nbsp; maybe see if Bob wants to do this.&nbsp; he is adventurous.&nbsp; Give my seven years and I will join you.

 

[offroad]

so what exactly does one drive in mexico that will not be pulled over?&nbsp;

 

[RAILROADGREEN]

hey offroad, so you don't want to be pull over, hum!! i guess you could take a bus. they run all over mexico?. and alot of the retiring poeple like take bus ,less driving the better and its alot cheaper, i have been driving in mexico for over forty years and never had any problems. in all kinds of vehicles as a weed smoking surfer never had a prolbem.as far as the cartels go's, they launder a large amount of money into the tourism industry = don't mess forginer or american's in baja&nbsp;,an mexicans have respect for older poeple. i feel save in baja and i have more freedom down there. now main land mexico i have'nt been to in over twenty years, so i really don't know what's going on there!! but with over a millon americans live there in mexico&nbsp;and more on the way live can't be to bad ?&nbsp;fellow traveler gary

 

[TxGypsy]

The trick is to know when NOT to pull over.&nbsp; A transito(traffic cop on foot) with a whistle signaling you to pull over is strictly looking for a mordida(literally a little bite).&nbsp; I never pull over for them.&nbsp; What are they going to do....run you down?&nbsp; ALWAYS pull over for federalies!&nbsp; Every time I have been pulled over by a police officer in a car it has been to check my papers, ask me a few basic questions and I'm on my way with nothing ever mentioned about a ticket or asking for money.<br><br>I did meet with an enterprising couple of 'police' on a mountain road once.&nbsp; There was an old, and I'm pretty sure non-running police car on the side of the road.&nbsp; They had a cord leading from it to something they held in their hand, while standing beside the road, that was supposed to be a radar gun.&nbsp; When the one started trying to flag me over, I planned to do what I normally do and drive right by....until the other one jumped in front of me on the road!&nbsp; Their set up took some effort and it took guts for the guy to stop me, so I figured they had earned their mordida and I handed over 50 pesos(US about $4).&nbsp; I call stuff like that 'paying my Gringo tax'.<br><br>A good bit of advice for when driving in Mexico is to get a state ID from your home state before you go.&nbsp; They can't tell the difference between and ID and a drivers license.&nbsp; Even something with your picture on it with official looking info that has been laminated will do.&nbsp; Don't ever give your real license, give them the ID.&nbsp; They will invariable want to have that in their hands before they start talking about mordidas.&nbsp; If they get too far out of line(like the one that wanted $200 US before I learned not to stop for transitos) you can just take their picture...tell them you will be turning them into the tourism board and if that doesn't work...just drive away and let them have the ID as a souvenir.

 

[Lostinspace]

Back about 1975, we were doing a quick 2 week tour of Mexico. Towing a Lovebug, it's like a fiberglass Cassita. Towed with a 1974 Datsun pickup.

So we're in stop and go traffic on a divided 4 lane in the middle of Mexico City. This local cop walks up and says we ran the red light back two blocks. I don't even remember if there was a light. He says he has to give me a ticket. <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"> you see where this going. I ask him how much the ticket is and where I pay it. He says it's 80 pesos, $4 back then. And I can pay him. So I gave him $4, but I got this great story to tell at parties about how I bribed a Mexican pig cop. And he was the stereotypical pig cop too.

I love Mexico. Have a lot of good experiences and stories of that trip.

 

[TxGypsy]

I have hundreds of funny stories from Mexico.&nbsp; I think that is one reason I keep going back, even after trips that turn into nightmares, it is always an adventure.&nbsp; I always see something there or experience something that that you just aren't going to see in the US.&nbsp; Like the two young men who were proudly driving their riding lawnmower-3 wheeler hybrid vehicle through town.&nbsp; Wish I'd been a bit faster with my camera and got a picture of that one.&nbsp; The crazy, singing taxi driver...possibly the longest taxi ride in the history of Mexico.&nbsp; The timeshare saleswoman that had been taught not to take no for an answer....I'm pretty sure she had a nervous breakdown later that afternoon after trying to get in my face.&nbsp; Training a new butcher to cut bacon that is thick enough that you can't read through it.&nbsp; Thought the poor fellow was going to have a heart attack when I had him cut 3/4" thick pork chops.<br><br>Lordy I don't need to get started on this....I'll be here all night typing!

 

[dominique21]

Vandwelling in a 3rd world country where the police are more corrupt than the criminals? Sounds reasonable to me, where can I sign up?

 

[wandering mike]

two winters ago I spent 3 months in Mexico. &nbsp;Crossed at Laredo, down to San Miguel de Allende then to the south of Guadalajara, out to the west coast at Colima, up the west coast. &nbsp;Then at Hermosillo, I crossed the Sierra Madre to Chihuahua and exited back to the US in the Big Bend area of Texas. &nbsp;3000 miles. &nbsp;Not one incident of any kind. &nbsp;(Except for the one transito police guy in Sayulita who jumped in his truck and led me to the RV park when I asked for directions.) &nbsp;Not too many RV'ers that year. &nbsp;Mostly Canadians. I felt safer than I do in Houston. &nbsp;The parking lot overnighting tends to be in 24 hour Pemex stations though, not Walmarts. &nbsp;The Mexico thread on RV.net is pretty active. &nbsp;Blog of trip starts here: &nbsp;<a href="http://abueloloco.blogspot.com/2011/12/crossing-and-week-one-in-mexico.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://abueloloco.blogspot.com/2011/12/crossing-and-week-one-in-mexico.html</a>

 

[owl]

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I would venture to say, you are safer almost anywhere in Mexico than Chicago, Oakland, East LA. Mexico is full of some of the most beautiful people on earth, of course you can't trust what I say, cause I am one of those crazy positive guys!