Oh, cool...but is it safe? That is a popular response we have heard to our recent decision to move to Mexico. Although, I have to admit that the vast majority of people have told us that we are making a fantastic decision (and even more people saying: 'Can I come visit')! Honestly, I am not really worried about the drug violence drama that has resulted in travel warnings and less tourists packing their bags for Mexico (after all, I have lived in sketchy Venezuela, have seen some shady border towns in my travels, and was even told that I was going to be killed in the middle of the night by a punk kid in Mendoza, Argentina because I wouldn't give him money...which did get the best of my nerves). I believe the lack of tourists heading down to Mexico will allow us to have a more authentic Mexican experience. Although I am willing to bet there are still enough tourists, heading south of the border, that I will find it necessary to recite this common expat statement multiple times, in my two year stay, to some Mexican locals...'we live here, we are not like the other gringo jack-asses running around town'. My general attitude as a cautious, shove my money in my bra, won't walk on a dark beach at night type of traveler that I am, is this... ALL people are intrinsically good. I won't lie, there are times that I get spooked and I have had to close my eyes for a second and remember to breath. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale...that guy is totally going to jack-us...inhale, exhale! I still believe all people are good! A prime example was this summer while walking across the mile long border of Costa Rica and Nicaragua; which I think is one of the easier border crossings I have experienced. After we crossed, using a hand drawn map from Brian, the owner of Casa Brian in Samara, Costa Rica, we jumped on a local bus on the Nica side, jumped off in the middle of no-where as recommended by a random person on the bus and Brian's map, crossed the highway a little ways, and stood waiting for another bus to pass. To say that I put my faith in the goodness of humanity is an understatement. After a few minutes of waiting a girl came over to wait for the bus and I shared a tangerine with her as we waited....it was all good!
Some friends, who are fellow explorers, loaned us a Moon Travel Guide (click on anything bold to go directly to the link) to Puerto Vallarta and the amazing People's Guide to Mexico by Carl Franz and Lorena Havens. While reading some articles in the People's Guide to Mexico and Carl's blog, I discovered some interesting statistics on safety and thought I would share them. Although I am not worried about my safety in relation to the drug cartels of Mexico, I like to see numbers; after all, I did major in a degree that tracks trends and numbers. Here are some interesting links to safety:
Travel Safety in Perspective: USA vs. Mexico(Published May 18, 2011) Officially, 111 U.S. citizens were killed in Mexico last year, a third in just two cities. Almost all of them were involved in illicit vocations, usually the trafficking of guns, drugs, or people across the border. This is 111 out of close to 8 million visitors....You know who else had 111 murders in one year recently? Boston, and Las Vegas, and Orlando.
The Geography and Dynamics of Modern Mexico (Published July 18, 2011) This post investigates the chances of being a fatal victim of drug violence in various places in Mexico and compares these with the chances of being a fatal victim of a traffic accident in the USA.
Yes, I realize these statistics are comparing two totally different things but when it comes to taking the high risk of driving a vehicle in the United States, nobody has asked me if it is safe or advised me against it.
Zoom in on the map to see that Puerto Vallarta has no travel warnings issued by the U.S., Canadian, or British governements (published January 10, 2012)
And just for shits and giggles, let's see what is-a-brewing in the good ole' U.S. of A as far as crime and safety (FBI report published in 2010 and Forbes Magazine 2011).
Here are some of our favorite reactions to notifying friends and co-workers of our move to Puerto Vallarta:
~ "Awesome, is that in California"??
(K-dawg, we know you were joking)
~"That is my favorite place in the whole world. The weed is shit, but I love Puerto Vallarta"
(Good to know but not really of interest to us...being the whole drug cartel problem, murders and all)
~ "¡Felicitaciones! Un nuevo capítulo en la vida. Los dos son un gran ejemplo para muchos"
(Thanks Josh and great Spanish by the way)
~"YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! Loveeee this ♥ "
(I've scoped out some studios...come teach a retreat Bethany)
~"Congrats! Hee Haw! Surfing Punta Mita to the north es primo"!!!
(Hope to be out in the water with ya, sometime soon, Ashley)
~"You would be silly to pass up this opportunity but will be greatly missed".
(Headmaster of my school)
...and there were so many more words of encouragement from all of our friends! Thank you to everyone for your support!
Stop reading this silly blog post and start searching for a cheap plane ticket to Puerto Vallarta people!!
Some friends, who are fellow explorers, loaned us a Moon Travel Guide (click on anything bold to go directly to the link) to Puerto Vallarta and the amazing People's Guide to Mexico by Carl Franz and Lorena Havens. While reading some articles in the People's Guide to Mexico and Carl's blog, I discovered some interesting statistics on safety and thought I would share them. Although I am not worried about my safety in relation to the drug cartels of Mexico, I like to see numbers; after all, I did major in a degree that tracks trends and numbers. Here are some interesting links to safety:
Travel Safety in Perspective: USA vs. Mexico(Published May 18, 2011) Officially, 111 U.S. citizens were killed in Mexico last year, a third in just two cities. Almost all of them were involved in illicit vocations, usually the trafficking of guns, drugs, or people across the border. This is 111 out of close to 8 million visitors....You know who else had 111 murders in one year recently? Boston, and Las Vegas, and Orlando.
The Geography and Dynamics of Modern Mexico (Published July 18, 2011) This post investigates the chances of being a fatal victim of drug violence in various places in Mexico and compares these with the chances of being a fatal victim of a traffic accident in the USA.
Yes, I realize these statistics are comparing two totally different things but when it comes to taking the high risk of driving a vehicle in the United States, nobody has asked me if it is safe or advised me against it.
Zoom in on the map to see that Puerto Vallarta has no travel warnings issued by the U.S., Canadian, or British governements (published January 10, 2012)
And just for shits and giggles, let's see what is-a-brewing in the good ole' U.S. of A as far as crime and safety (FBI report published in 2010 and Forbes Magazine 2011).
Here are some of our favorite reactions to notifying friends and co-workers of our move to Puerto Vallarta:
~ "Awesome, is that in California"??
(K-dawg, we know you were joking)
~"That is my favorite place in the whole world. The weed is shit, but I love Puerto Vallarta"
(Good to know but not really of interest to us...being the whole drug cartel problem, murders and all)
~ "¡Felicitaciones! Un nuevo capítulo en la vida. Los dos son un gran ejemplo para muchos"
(Thanks Josh and great Spanish by the way)
~"YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! Loveeee this ♥ "
(I've scoped out some studios...come teach a retreat Bethany)
~"Congrats! Hee Haw! Surfing Punta Mita to the north es primo"!!!
(Hope to be out in the water with ya, sometime soon, Ashley)
~"You would be silly to pass up this opportunity but will be greatly missed".
(Headmaster of my school)
...and there were so many more words of encouragement from all of our friends! Thank you to everyone for your support!
Stop reading this silly blog post and start searching for a cheap plane ticket to Puerto Vallarta people!!
