Mexico-Extreme Vacationing

[cooldude]

With all the problems in Mexico, is it really worth going? What is the draw? There are palm trees in other places too. Like Dominican Republic. 6.5hr flight from Vancouver non-stop, cheaper too. I've been there, fantastic culture and people. Yes, poor, but the people love tourists. No problems in the way of drugs or government, maybe hurricanes at times. Mexico, you can have it. What do you think?

[ILBT uh-huh]

Like your avatar. If I wasn't so manly, I would probably have one like that too.(teasing) Been to both places. Did the jungle canopy tour in Mexico with a cheerleading squad from Iowa. (zipline) Got brushed by a hurricane in the D.R. Wished I had gone to the bar on the beach for that one. Heard it was a lot of fun that afternoon. Turned into kind of a "private party" wink wink.

Personal vote? Go for the white sand and get into a volleyball game. You will be amazed at how soft that sand is. Like talcum powder. The black girls in the D.R. are absolutely amazingly beautiful too. I will never be able to figure out how anybody can be that black, I mean completely jet black. Astonishingly beautiful women. You're not going with a wife or girlfriend are you? If so, ya, Mexico is nice. Take her swimming with the dolphins. Experience of a lifetime. Make sure you get the videotape.

[juz516]

Lived in Mazatlan for 9 years, been here for 4 and will live there again. Where this unfortunate incident happened is on the busiest street/road in Mazatlan, and definitely not a known tourist area, as is being stated. Granted, it is about 4-6 blocks from the malacon (ocean), but not a well known place for tourists to frequent. Yes, the drug people are terrible and they do kill each other off, and sometimes an innocent bystander gets caught in crossfire. That part is terrible, but the way the media is painting Mexico is also terrible. One person on another site said that Canadians are being targeted....definitely not so....they also said that Canadians should be stopped from going there. If you are afraid, don't go...go somewhere else. If you do go, then enjoy the people, music, sites and sounds of Mexico...but don't paint all Mexicans in the colors of the drug rings. The things I have heard about Vancouver, Winnipeg and some other cities sounds as bad as Mexico and if people don't think the cartels stretch up here, then they are delusional. They call these killings "gang" related....but it is cartel related. I, in 9 years of living in Mazatlan, never even heard of a "gang" such as there is here in Canada.

[CatherineC]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog ... urders-map
There are certainly parts you don't want to visit.
It's not just the murders. The situation is only escalating and the feds have not been able to deal with corruption in the local / regional government and even within the police and armed forces. That is present even in the good parts and the government has not had success in dealing with that.
We're also seeing groups of serial rapists/killers operating in certain areas and it is believed that they are part of the military.
To me, Mexico is closer to "failed state" than it is to "vacation paradise"

[juz516]

I would like to see a graph/map of the murders in Canada in the same way.

[Phife]

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[ILBT uh-huh]

Did I mention the D.R. is topless? Mrs o-bm and I had quite the "view" from our chairs on the beach.

[juz516]

thanks, phife....but that just shows metro Van.....what about the rest of Canada, seeings how everyone talks about everything that happens in Mexico....I believe all would be shocked.

[WeatherWoman]

We just got back from a family vaction from Puerto Vallarta. It was the most affordable vaction for a family of four. DR is affortable for 2 persons but all inclusives wanted to charge extra for the kids and it doubled the cost compared to Mexico.

We went to the old town of PV twice and to be honest I felt more safe there then in Vancouver. It's cleaner, no beggers, family orientated, beautiful.

We have gang related shooting in my sleepy littel neighbourhood in the past 6 years....really it can happen anywhere and if you stay in the tourist areas of Mexico you should be fine.

DR is beautiful...more lush and amazing history but it's very very poor. We were is Puerto Plata 2 years ago and it's pretty safe....more petty crime etc. I would love to take the kids but it isn't family affordable.

[fvkasm2x]

I went to Mexico last month and had a wonderful time. A coworker is there right now and sent me an email saying he's having a great time.

The odds of getting killed are probably higher driving around here on a Satruday night.

[I Think]

The murder rate in Mexico is about twice that of the US, so it is more dangerous, but I love it there, the people are the most courteous.

Having said that, a chap I know (Mexican) has a mine about 100 miles south of the border, a little over a year ago, he was told that unless he ponied up $50,000 USD they would cut off the head of his wife & kid. He bailed and now is living in Texas.

[Woodenhead]

I had a great time in Cancun last summer. All-inclusive ***** resort = no worries.