<p>The State Department has issued a new travel advisory for Mexico. Thank goodness, I have no one going for Spring break. We are going as a family in June and staying in a gated community near Puerta Vallarta, Punta de Mita.
If anyone has or knows a college student going please have them read the advisory and take it seriously…</p>
<p>Thanks ebeeeee. We had a heated discussion on safety in Mexico about a month ago on this board. I hope some of the “Mexican travel endorsers” see this.</p>
<p>Thanks ebeeeee, I think. S1, in school in AZ, went last spring break and is planning another trip this March with his fraternity. I think they go to Puerta Penasco; I know they sleep on the beach. They are idiots.</p>
<p>Now I have something real to worry about.</p>
<p>For others, [url=<a href="404 - Page Not Found a link to the official Travel Warning.</p>
<p>It is a travel alert not a warning. Here is the current info.
[MIG:</a> Mexico Travel Alert](<a href=“404 - Page Not Found”>404 - Page Not Found)</p>
<p>Main problems appear to be in border towns.</p>
<p>Sorry, yes it is an alert not a warning.<br>
The main problems are in the border towns. Really, I think it is just that American kids don’t always understand that in Mexico as in many other countries they don’t have the same rights they do in the US.
Many years ago when I lived in San Diego, my brother came to visit and went to TJ. I warned him ahead of time to take it easy and particularly to be alert when walking across the border. He came home laughing, “sis you were right.” The guy behind me in line was kinda drunk and he kept pushing me but I stayed cool like you said and ignored him. Eventually the Mexican police came and hauled him off."
Had I not warned him, I doubt my brother would have ignored the guy.</p>
<p>There is so much violence in TJ right now and many people here in San Diego are not going anywhere near there. We have friends that use to go quite often to a place near Puerta Nueva which is about 30 minutes south of TJ. They would stay in a nice condo in a gated community and the kids would surf and swim and they would go out to dinner at night for lobster. She said that the last time they visited there a year ago they were the only Americans staying there and it did not feel safe as it use to.</p>
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<p>Mmmmm…Puerta Nuevo. I love that place, lobster, homemade guacamole and tortillas are amazing. I also adore Ensenada street tacos.<br>
When I was in school we did Spring Break in Rosarito Beach twice and never had a problem. However, with things the way they are now, I would most definitely warn college students to avoid going there. The border towns are just not safe right now. The Mexican Riviera is less dangerous.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t want my D to go but I wouldn’t have any problem returning to the tourist areas in Mexico. I have a different standard for her.</p>
<p>We have a home south of Tijuana in an ocean view community. It actually is quite safe here… but I don’t expect anyone to believe that. It actually also is safe in Tijuana if one is not part of the drug community, or, unfortuantely, part of the police or other officials fighting the drug cartels. </p>
<p>The “alerts” are understandable. But they, and negative publicity, are killing the economies in these areas. Friends of mine come down from San Diego all of the time. But they have actually been here and see that it feels safe. They are not relying upon overwrought publicity.</p>
<p>[KPBS</a> > News > Local News](<a href=“Local | KPBS Public Media”>Local | KPBS Public Media) The website referred to does not seem to be up and running yet. But I applaud this journalism professor’s desire to report accurately on conditions here in Baja California Norte.</p>
<p>Here we go - US colleges issue warning about spring break in Mexico:</p>
<p>[Colleges</a> warn students about Mexico travel](<a href=“http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090226/ap_on_re_us/spring_break_mexico_danger]Colleges”>http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090226/ap_on_re_us/spring_break_mexico_danger)</p>
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<p>How does a drug-crazed gun totting maniac know who is ‘not part’ of that community? Or a thrill-seeking (gun totting) thug who wants to be part of the action?</p>
<p>C’mon. Get real. If you go to Mexico and get shot don’t say you weren’t warned. If you survive to give it any thought that is.</p>
<p>The drug cartel hitmen are actually very professional, often ex-army and so forth. The collateral damage rate is also fairly low–the vast majority of the dead are people involved in the trade either in the cartels or on the police side.</p>
<p>I’d still avoid Tijuana/Juarez etc. like the plague, but Cancun and Acapulco should be fine…</p>
<p>"Mexico’s federal attorney general said Thursday that more than 1,000 people have been killed in drug violence so far this year, but that he believes the worst is nearly over.</p>
<p>In an interview with The Associated Press, Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora also said that 6,290 people were killed last year — the most specific government accounting yet of drug killings that doubled the 2007 toll." </p>
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<p>“About 90 percent of the dead were suspected drug traffickers, and most of the rest were police and soldiers, Medina Mora said. Innocents caught in the crossfire account for about 4 percent of the toll, he estimated.” </p>
<p>[The</a> Associated Press: AP Interview: Mexico’s AG says violence peaking](<a href=“http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jYi9uJ5KPFKEyw85qH6iT3Df7YyAD96JG7J00]The”>http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jYi9uJ5KPFKEyw85qH6iT3Df7YyAD96JG7J00)</p>
<p>So about 2 people every 3 days are innocent bystanders.</p>
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<p>Using “spring break” and “commensense” in the same sentence is a problem, whether you’re in Mexico or anywhere else.</p>
<p>After sending S1 the link, he replied that his school in AZ had already circulated it to all students. Subsequently, all but one of his fraternity brothers decided to cancel (except one who, as he said, “would visually fit right in”). Who says those frat boys don’t have any sense? So now his plans are hiking and camping somewhere more local. Thank goodness.</p>
<p>I’ve been to the mountains of Mexico on a motorcycle in the last 30ish days. Several close relatives have been to Mexican beach resorts recently, also. I am among the unrepentant “Mexico travel endorsers” mentioned (although I can’t stand Cancun or border towns of any size). </p>
<p>I’ll not repeat my past posts but …p.m. me with any questions.</p>
<p>Curmudgeon, if S1 was still planning on traveling to Puerta Penasco, I’d take you up on that offer. Dangerous travel or not, we don’t want to encourage him to have too much fun while in college…so we’ll let it be.</p>
<p>My sister and BIL, along with some long time friends are currently at a time share in Cancun. They report nothing different from last year - stick to the big airports, reliable transport to hotel, etc. OTOH, she is fluent in Spanish should they need to talk to the authorities…</p>
<p>archiemom, I might not let ME go to Cancun on spring break. :eek:</p>
<p>Several other perfectly acceptable destinations on the Riviera Maya. (One of which I let my one and only 18 y/o high schooler visit un-chaperoned with her 17 y/o bestie. Gran Bahia Principe Tulum/Coba/Akumal or some-such. Like a cruise on land. My sister and bro-in-law just returned. Loved it. Xel-ha. Chichen Itza, Xcaret. Can’t beat it for the $. )</p>
<p>curmudgeon - we’re heading off to Gran Bahia Principe Tulum in just over a week. Our first time there, and I feel completely confident. And the price was absolutely great!</p>