Price of gas is the least of the problems

[moisheh]

The above image is of our NEW 1988 Bluebird. We have not really travelled Mexico past Kino for a number of years. Mostly due to health problems. I am doing much better and for the last 12 months I have been looking for a nice unit that can withstand Mexican roads and Topes. Now that I finally have something I don't know if we will ever get to travel to the south. Our Mexican friends that often go to Maz for Semana Santa now fly as they are afraid of road travel. From Kino many do not travel beyond Guaymas. Without stirring up something against the rules crime is up double digits. The differences is not that crime is worse it is that the problem is not usually drug related. It is the common criminal or Wanabees. They jack cars, rob bus passengers and more. Even in old Kino robberies are on the rise. This normally Sleepy Hollow. We are considering selling our house and moving into one of the Trailer Parks. Some have closed and others are at less than 50% capacity. It is true that RV'rs are not normally the targets of professional criminals. But these 2 bit nut cases do not really care. RV travel in Mexico will just disappear. I am hoping that with the change of Government policing will become a priority. In the meantime we will go to Penasco, San Carlos and Arizona/ California . maybe some of the mission routes in Sonora. What a shame.

Moisheh

[bighatnohorse]

I can't remember which town, but they had a mobile truck/trailer for performing spaying/neutering.
With growing affluence, it seems people are seeing dogs more as pets than mere animals.

[Talleyho69]

Remember, no political posts and PLEASE be nice.

Mexico is not a war zone.

[DallasSteve]

I stay away from war zones and Mexico has a drug war in progress. Plus they won't let you take weapons to defend yourself. As John sang, 'Count me out.'

[Talleyho69]

We have a very active spay and neuter clinic in Zihuatanejo. Last year they neutered over 1800 dogs and cats. For people who live there, it is free. Literally every beach dog you see is sterile. It just makes sense!

[moisheh]

Sometimes I think Mexicans have the right idea when it comes to stray animals. Not long ago here in Kino the police would round them up, take the dogs to the desert and shoot them. At first I was shocked and upset. But if you saw those animals you too would understand. The dogs are sick, malnourished, often rabid, sometimes limping from an accident. There are e people in Kino that sponsor a spay and neuter clinic. Hundreds of animals have been rescued and then adopted locally. Great idea.

Moisheh

[Talleyho69]

My pet peeve is those that visit Mexico and take a dog home-Yes, that's commendable, however, what about the ones in shelters that are destroyed where they live?
To us it's almost the same thing as ignoring people in need.
We try to help both.....

[mexicoruss]

Here's the thing that will get me a lot of BOO's. We see poor people or people strung out on drugs and we are upset by that, it bothers us inside.....not much happens in that case. Then we have folks that see dogs in distress or puppies and they just have to collect them and care for them, they care for them more than their human neighbors. In my opinion that is wrong. There was a cartoon in Mexico showing an old couple on the side of the road that needed a ride to town, the Americans in a pickup truck stopped to say they didn't have any room for them as the back of the truck was full of what they considered stray dogs... just kind of makes me shake my head a little.

[moisheh]

Hi Russ: Yes there has always been crime. And poverty has always ben a problem. I just notice that both have increased. When my wife sees someone searching through the dumpster she makes a small dispensa for the poor soul. We try to leave our cans in a clear plastic bag beside the dumpster. But I am not imagining that the dumpster diving is a daily occurrence. These are not locals and I keep wondering why the come to a poor fishing village. My neighbours say they are drug addicts but I think they are just lost souls! Very polite and usually do not leave a mess. Sad to see. And we have posters on this forum worrying about gasoline going up by .01%!!

Moisheh

Moisheh

[Talleyho69]

You are definitely a glass half full rather than half empty kind of guy. That's great, and we agree with you wholeheartedly.

[mexicoruss]

I don't know Moisheh...you may be reading too much or watching too much news and forgetting about enjoying your existence. There has always been poor among us. There also have been very industrial people as well. There has always been crime, and there has always been good people. Dwelling on negative things shortens your life. For every bad story you want to tell - I will counter with awesome stories of success, human wise and materially if it fits. Applying standards from another country, IE Canada to the folks here in Mexico is a mistake and makes for a apple versus oranges debate. The folks here in Penasco for the most part are hardworking and honest. We have a town of about 65,000 and yes we have petty crime but on balance it is a very secure and happy place to live. Before I throw anything away I put it out in front of my house as it is possible that someone else might need what I may be throwing away. When I lived in the states nobody would take my trash as usable but here it is different. Look for good things, stay away from negatives and you will be a happier person. You know I respect you and your opinion, it just seems that maybe you stray into the negative too much, I don't know. Have a great day!

[moisheh]

I know this does not directly affect RV'rs but homicides have increased by 15%. There are now 78 assassinations per day. This is reported by Agencia Reforma. That is a shocking statistic. Do tourists have an invisible shield? How long will it be before some innocent bystanders get caught up in one of these incidents? If nothing else reports of these incidents will kill the tourism industry. As for the prices of goods: I will never be able to figure out how a poor Mexican can live with the high prices. We live 65 miles form a booming city. New restaurants, major industries expanding. But the Pueblo dwellers starve. We have a large dumpster across from our house. It has never been unusual for people to open up the bags looking for cans. But this year it is a daily or nightly occurrence. They not only get cans but look for food or anything useful. A sign of the times?

Moisheh

[navegator]

Yes the price of fuel has gone up and so has the cost of living, everything now costs $10.00 to $15.00 pesos from December to today, some items go up and some come down and up again, except the fuel they make a big brouhaha about lowering the price of gasolina one Mexican centavo (cent) per liter it comes out to about 0,00055556 of a dollar per gallon, and after a few weeks it goes up 0.15 centavos per litro and on top of that you do not get the full amount, eventully somthing is going to go, lucky me I will not live that long, there is unrest but no one wants to first not yet anyway.

Al mal tiempo buena cara!

navegator

[Talleyho69]

Well said.

[navegator]

Some of you will not like this or disagree with what I am about to say.

Petty crime has bee rising yes, so has it risen in the USA so there is nothing new and calamitous, what is really happening is that the border is now more difficult to breach with drugs and humans, so the narco cartels corporations are diversifying, "la cosa nostra" style raqueteering and extortion is the next good business, the Coca-Cola bottling plant in Chilpansingo, Guerrero has been indefinitely closed, the local narcos wanted protection money, so it is among the different narcos guarding their turf and running out of work "that is running drugs to the border and South Americans", so they have to find a different source of money.

Gringos are not going to get targeted during the day, it is too risky for them unless they have Jeep, those are highly sought after as a status symbol but chop shops love them good money in parts.

There have been some innocent by standers that have gotten caught in the cross fire, all of them in Reynosa, Tamaulipas some in Acapulco and others in Cancun, the petty thief's know that the Mexican's most of the time will not want to get involved with the authorities, on the other hand the gringos will raise on hell of a racquet and the authorities will have to change the case from a number in a statistic to an open case to get the perpetrator, so the thief's do not want that, so far you are all safe.

How to go about your business, have dinner in the more affluent tourist parts of town and have dinner before sundown, do not go bar closing until 2:30 AM that is asking for trouble, things have changed a bit in the last 40 years, the same as in the USA, people forget that there was a massacre in McDonalds in San Ysidro in South San Diego some years ago, there was one today perpetrated supposedly by a naked German, my bet is he was high on meth they tend to get hot and get naked.

Do not drive at night and stay at secure places, boon docking in Mexico is not a good idea, you can probably do it in Baja but even there it is changing, the reason on the uptick in Cancun and Los Cabos are the miles of empty beaches where they can unload the Colombian product, by sea.

Be aware of you surroundings do not do anything stupid or dumb whether you in Canada the United States or Mexico, your life is worth more than any possession you may have with you, even if the leave you stark naked you still have the most valuable possession YOUR LIFE!

There is a saying in Spanish that states:

LA VERDAD NO PECA, PERO INCOMODA

The truth does not commit a sin, but it is uncomfortable

Be smart, be aware and above all be safe.

navegator