Unless you plan to join the cartel, become a high-ranking Mexican military or police officer before your next vacation, your chance of encountering danger is slim….
At least once a year, I go to Mexico. And, I’m not dead. Before every trip, well meaning relatives, friends, coworkers and clients insist I will die if I go to Mexico. And, yet, I keep coming back…. Alive. While I can’t guarantee your safety, especially on the US/Mexican border, I can tell you what to do to avoid the real potential for danger in Mexico.
Beware falling coconuts and uneven sidewalks. Even if you want shade, don’t park your chaise lounge right under a bunch of coconuts. If the wind is blowing, try to anticipate which way it will blow said coconuts, and adjust your position to avoid these projectiles!
Look down when walking. Uneven sidewalks abound (just like everywhere else not recently built) and I’ve noticed some deep holes. There is a particularly trecherous hole in the sidewalk in front of the Universidad of the Yucatan in Merida – or there was last June.
It pains me to see the entire country dismissed as a no-go zone for travelers, considering how safe and wonderful much of the country is. There may be reason to be concerned on the US/Mexican border, and some of the towns on the Pacific Coast, but the Yucatan Peninsula and the colonial cities in the center of the country are excellent places to visit, with a wealth of culture, history, people and culinary treats.
I love Mexico. I will probably live there one day.
Although I’ve been there at least 20 times, I have barely scratched the surface! Let me know if you would like information or suggestions about where to go in Mexico. Or feel free to post suggestions here about great places you’ve found.
For the latest US Government information about Mexico, click here.
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Originally posted on November 15, 2011.