I run tour groups to Latin America, including some parts of Mexico. I regularly have people express shock that I ever go to Mexico. I've had people say they'd never "risk it." My own grandfather was extremely troubled about it... and when I finally convinced him that in fact there are ways to travel to Mexico safely, he wanted me to cover my website with assurances that people can expect to survive my trips.
(This is the same grandfather who just went to Washington, DC, one of the most murderous cities in the US. He didn't spend the whole time fearing for his life. His anxiety for his safety is very selective, and Mexico is what gets him uptight.)
All this paranoia pisses me off... so I wanted to draw some attention to the State Dept's latest travel warning for Mexico. It was just published last week. Hop below the fold for the details.
The US State Department regularly issues travel warnings for countries where travelers may encounter danger. They're very thorough. They specify in detail which areas are dangerous and which aren't, bless their souls.
So last week, the travel warning for Mexico was updated. Some overarching themes of the report:
--Yes, as you may have heard, the Mexican gov't is engaged in an ongoing struggle with drug cartels. That's gotten very ugly at times.
--Mexico is also extremely serious about protecting its tourists and all the money they bring in. The drug cartels aren't trying to harm tourists or other foreigners. If anyone started targeting tourists, esp in areas that depend on tourism, I expect the government's response would be fast and furious.
--Stay away from northern border areas and major drug trafficking routes. These are areas where the cartels are extremely active and the rule of law is more compromised.
--Like anywhere you travel, you don't want to wear lots of expensive jewelry, flash big wads of cash, or otherwise draw attention to yourself and your wealth. (For those of us who don't even have expensive jewelry or big wads of cash, this is less of a problem ;-)
--Do your homework. Some areas are very dangerous, others aren't. The report spells it all out.
A special shout out for Guadalajara. This is my favorite place in the world. It's safe. I feel safe when I'm there. My friends there all tell me they consider it safe for anyone not involved in the drug trade. The State Dept considers it safe. If you've got any thoughts of visiting, DO IT! You'll love it.
Special disclaimer: Safe and dangerous are relative terms. I consider my home of Austin, TX to be safe, but sometimes there's a murder or a fatal traffic accident or a robbery. My safe is not the same as 100% risk-free; nothing is 100% risk-free. So if I say it's safe to drive in Austin, and you get in a wreck here, don't blame me.