Mexico is safer than other popular destinations.

Wanna be good? Just do what he's doing!

The news publications in the US have been backing off on the dangers of Mexico lately. Mainly because they have actual news to report and don't need us right now. So in the interim, here are some interesting facts comparing crime in Mexican cites to similar cities in the US.

I received this article by email the other day. I don't know where it was originally posted.
Enjoy.

Mexico is safer than other popular destinations.

Mexico, one of the world’s great travel destinations, is often singled out for violent crime without telling the whole story. While there is sporadic violence along parts of the U.S. border, the majority of Mexico’s key tourism areas are not only safe, but safer than many other popular tourism areas. COMPARE POPULAR TRAVEL DESTINATIONS >

The Yucatan is as safe as rural U.S. states.

The magnificent beaches and ancient ruins of the Mexican State of Yucatan are among the safest and most spectacular resort beaches in the world. Yucatan’s low homicide rate is lower than the rural U.S. States of Wyoming, Montana, Oregon and North Dakota, West Virginia and several others. COMPARE U.S. CITIES TO MEXICO >

Mexico City is 4 times safer than Washington D.C.

The U.S. State Department in Washington issues warnings about Mexico, yet Washington D.C. is four times more deadly than Mexico City. Washington’s murder rate has been cut almost in half in the last 10 years, but it still averages 24 per 100,000 vs. only 8-9 per 100,000 in Mexico City. How do you suppose the U.S. State department would feel if the Mexican government posted travel warnings for the U.S. capital? Mexico City is a cultural treasure that is larger than New York, London or Paris. In fact, it is about the same size as London and Paris combined. LEARN WHICH AREAS OF MEXICO ARE SAFEST >

Understanding the size and scope of Mexico.

Mexico is the 14th largest country on the planet. Its famous beaches and cultural treasures are hundreds of miles away from isolated border violence. In fact, the U.S. State Department's travel advisory recommends avoiding only 4 of the country's 31 states. Take a 60-second crash course in Mexican geography and you'll feel smarter and safer. LEARN WHY SIZE MATTERS >

“Mexico’s violence not as widespread as it seems.”

After months of sensationalized stories about Mexico's border violence, USA Today finally published a story about the media hype. While the story itself became an excuse to re-tell some of the sensational tales, it did set the record straight by comparing U.S. and Mexican homicide figures. COMPARE VIOLENCE STATISTICS >

Politics & Profits drive sensational media.

Why is Mexico shown in a negative light? There is money to be made by sensationalizing violence. Drug cartels launch graphic attacks to secure and protect their turf. Media firms hype stories to sell more ads or magazines. And powerful politicians have an interest in slowing the growth of Latino voters in the U.S. Each group enhances perceptions with ulterior motives. The reality is simple: if you are in the drug trade looking for trouble, you can find it. If you are visiting Mexico’s touristic areas, you are safer than you are in many U.S. touristic areas.

Another Cabo del Este is over and in the books. Donna and I parked out past Miraflores with the pit crew and watched until Donna's son Pat Ryan came by. He and his racing buddy Keith Cleary did pretty well. Keith took 2nd and Pat took 3rd in the 700 Truck class. Off road racing is probably the top bi-cultural event here in Baja. I couldn't come close to estimating the number of spectators from Mexico, the US and Canada that were there but it was hundreds for sure. If you've never caught an off race here, do it!

If you like off-road racing, make plans to watch the Cabo del Este race that is being held on the 16th and 17th of February. This is always a good race. It's a fairly long race with lots of places to park and watch. Here is the course map; you can pre-plan your position.

I can't verify the information from this article but it seems to agree with what I have heard from others who have researched the new immigration rules.

This is from the blog, "Surviving Yucatan."

Effective Nov. 9, 2012: The INM started using the 2011 Law (Ley de Imigracion), with the regulations spelled out in the Reglamento, refined by the details in the Lineamientos. All together, they occupy roughly over 300 pages of government-speak legalese in Spanish. This article describes and summarizes the new issues visitors and foreign residents are currently working with when visiting or living in Mexico, including: How to Apply for Temporary Residency (Residente Temporal) or Permanent Residency (Residente Permanente). Since INM is changing and adjusting procedures daily as they implement the new Law, we have also created a simple post describing some of the latest updates at Updated Mexican Immigration Rules. As the changes settle down, and as Regional INM offices issue rulings and clarifications, there will be a consistent set of procedures for using the 2011 “new” INM Law. In the meantime Yucalandia is using this NEW master Immigration to Mexico article to cover all the current procedures. The following sections describe the current “new” basic requirements and procedures. * * * * * *

Click here to read the complete article.

I don't think I've ever met a person who wasn't interested in whales. They are the largest mammals on the earth. Some species swim thousands of miles from Alaska to the Baja to have their babies and then swim the same thousands back with said babies. Moby Dick is fiction but it was based on true accounts of Sperm whales ramming whaling ships and sinking them. (A distant relative of my wife Donna, was on the Essex which was sunk by a Sperm whale, chronicled in "The Heart of the Sea.")

If you've ever seen a whale close up in the sea, you know how mesmerizing it can be: Beautiful and graceful, large and thrillingly scary when they are too close!

Not long ago while having coffee at Roadrunner Cafe, I met a man who has made a career out of watching whales, Urmas Kaldveer. Urmas has been doing scientific research on the great whales for years, observing them from all sizes of watercraft including his kayak and from below with diving gear. He sat with me for quite awhile, answering my uneducated questions with much patience. I was a little envious until it dawned on me that he has probably logged thousands of hours on his word processor while recording his work. Whew!

If you see him around Los Barriles, you might be able to corner him and chat for a bit. If you do, don't tell him I said it was ok. If you don't have that chance, you can read in detail what he's done, learned and experienced in his book, THE OTHERS “The Whale People.” It was published by Balboa Press and is now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and of course Balboa Press.

You can also read about many of his experiences on his blog which includes some great photographs.

Posted from http://losbarrilesbcs.blogspot.mx/
We just returned from San Diego via Mex 1. The carretera just keeps getting better. There was very little construction and where there was, it was only for short distances. There are stretches of new pavement all the way down. The most impressive piece is the “Cuesta del Infierno” or "Hill From Hell" just North of Santa Rosalia. Feels like a whole different road. Wider, new lines and signs. Still make sure you have good brakes before traversing!

We cross at Tecate usually. Less traffic, reasonable inspectors. Plus we like driving through the wine country. Much of that road is new also.

We stayed at a different hotel this time in Santa Rosalia, the Tourist Hotel on the South end of town. (somehow our reservations at the Baja Cactus were lost...) Nice place. Less fancy but new and clean and secure. Ate breakfast at Mama Espinosa's.

Since we were pulling a trailer and our pickup was loaded, we took 3 days to get home. There are plenty of gas stations now but before crossing the dead zone between el Rosario and Guerrero Negro, fill up. If you get low on gas, You can buy gas from various "resalers" at Cataviña and other place for a bunch more than retail. If you get in trouble, stop and ask somebody where can you get gas.

Had fun at the military stops. Most of the young men wanted to flirt with our granddaughter Erika. Naturally I didn't take advantage of the situation... One young man asked if she was my daughter, I said, "no, she's my granddaughter." He then asked if I would like to be his grandfather. Instead of saying no and risk insulting him, I explained that she was already taken and had a 2 1/2 year old son. He didn't seem the least bit bothered by that.

By the way don't be nervous at the military checkpoints. If you don't have drugs or guns or some other obvious thing that could get you tossed in the slammer, you are ok. These kids are bored, tired of each other and most are a long way from home. I've never been robbed or felt threatened by these kids. Think of your kids or friends kids who are away from home for military duty. A big smile and friendliness is usually reciprocated. I sometimes have stuff in the car to hand out like candy bars or bottled water. They are normally very appreciative. Read this if you've never driven the highway.

We stayed our last night at the Hotel Santa Fe in Loreto. There's a big sign outside that says, "$490 pesos per night" or something. It's misleading. That is for single occupancy. My buddy Larry (lawyer in his last life) wanted to know why our quote was more than double the price shown on the banner outside. The clerk explained. Larry said said something to the effect that it was a scam and a ripoff. The clerk replied very politely, "Yes, I know. It is our policy." I mean, how do you respond to the the brutal truth? It was pretty funny. By the way, the hotel is nice, has large rooms and a decent restaurant attached. Also has secure, walled parking.
That's about it. I didn't say a lot about road conditions because they are so good compared to only 10 years ago.

Here is a little historical perspective on Land's End in San Lucas. The first image is from 1852. The view is looking NW as depicted on the postcard. The water looks like it was rough that day....
The second image is a photo taken in the early 70's from about the same perspective.

With apologies to our visitors who have come to enjoy the beautiful sunshine of los Cabos,

IT"S RAINING!!!! Woo Woo!!!

We haven't had a nice rain like this in what seems like years. Actually, I think it really has been years! The photo above shows slight flooding near the estuary in Santa Rosa. It was taken by a friend in San Jose del Cabo. Earlier, this same area burned pretty well.

The rain puts us out of our daily patterns a bit but the long term benefits far outweigh the temporary inconveniences. The ranchers' cows can quit eating store-bought hay and enjoy fresh greens right in their own back yard. Oh, you're a vegetarian. Never mind. But just think, now you know where your house leaks and can fix the leaks before the next rain!! Right, you said that last time and your wife is mad again. Sorry. Well then, there's the pretty factor: Our whole countryside will be be blazingly green in days. Your next guests will be amazed at the beauty of our area and want to return soon. What's that? You hope they never come back? Alrighty then, just enjoy the rain: It's not often we get this much rain without the side effect of 100 mph winds!

This was just published in the Baja Pony Express newsletter. If you have a fideiocomiso, it may pertain to you.
_______________________________________

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR US CITIZENS AND
THEIR IRS REPORTING.

a. IRS ruling on fideicomisos - I am attaching the IRS ruling that Amy Jetel, a lawyer in Austin, TX, received last week. I had written a notice in the Baja Western Onion about it a month or so ago. It's a private letter ruling, meaning that only the taxpayer to whom it was addressed may cite it as authority in a court case. As a practical matter, an IRS agent is unlikely to contest it in a case involving another taxpayer. It will be published on the IRS website in a month or so.
*** Editor's Note: Link to copy of ruling in PDF

Format: www.bajawesternonion.com/documents/Redacted_PLR_Fideicomiso.pdf

It's important because it means U.S. holders of fideicomisos are not required to file forms 3520 and 3520A. - John, john_g_brant@yahoo.com

b. This is the notice that was posted a month ago: Early this spring, Amy Jetel, a partner with the Morgan Adler Buxton Jetel law firm in Austin, Texas, requested a ruling from the Dept. of the Treasury that a fideicomiso is not a foreign trust that requires a taxpayer to file forms 3520 and 3520A. The Treasury advised Amy last week that it intends to rule in her favor. Amy expects to receive the written ruling by the end of the month. It may be a month or more after that before personal information is redacted and the ruling published.
If the ruling is published as a Private Letter Ruling, as is more likely, it only binds the IRS with respect to the taxpayer who obtained the ruling. If published as a Revenue Ruling, it binds the IRS with respect to all taxpayers. As a practical matter, it is unlikely that the IRS will take an adverse position to a Private Letter Ruling issued by the Treasury.
If you want your own ruling, you can reach Amy at 512-370-2750. The process is not inexpensive.
I have no connection, financial or otherwise, with Amy. John

Jack Kautz of Lodi, CA may have shattered the 46-year-old I.G.F.A. twenty-pound line class record which was set on June 15, 1966. Although unofficial until the line is tested and other catch details are verified, the 101-pound 2-ounce monster hooked at 9:30 am, Friday, June 22, 2012 could shatter the existing 85 lb 13 oz record caught by Willard Hanson in La Paz back on June 15, 1966.

Travel Detective Blog: Why I Travel to Mexico

FEATURED POSTS, MEXICO & CENTRAL AMERICA, SAFETY & SECURITY, TRAVEL DETECTIVE BLOG, TRAVEL NEWS — ON MARCH 22, 2012 8:16 AM

This past week Peter was down in Ixtapa, Mexico to prepare for his upcoming radio broadcast. Even passing through Mexico City’s 7.0 earthquake on Tuesday didn’t to dampen his enthusiasm for travel within the country. Read his latest blog to find out why he is still traveling to Mexico and you should too.

Let me state something from the outset. I am not an unabashed apologist for Mexico, or its spokesman or an endorser. I am writing this as a veteran traveler to Mexico who has been going down there since 1973 without a single incident.

I am growing tired, and somewhat impatient with expressions of concern or worry — as well intentioned as they may be — about my traveling to Mexico.

Every time I am about to fly there — to Cancun, to Cabo, to Ixtapa, to Mexico City and many other locations — my friends, and sometimes even strangers advise me to “be careful,”, “be safe,” or worse…”watch out.”

Watch out for what? great people? great weather? great service? affordable, memorable experiences?

Most Americans share, as a group, two notable, and embarrassing traits: we are geographically ignorant and culturally insensitive. And, at every possible opportunity to travel, we embrace the worst four letter word that starts with “f”: fear.

It’s sad, it’s unfortunate, and at the very least, it’s embarrassing. Instead, we need to get out there and find a map. Then we need to study it to put things in proper perspective Yes, the drug cartel wars in Mexico have taken a terrible human toll. Depending on which figures you believe, upwards of 40,000 people have been killed in the last five years, as gangs fight other gangs. Often public displays of those deaths, those visually powerful images have created a serious public relations problem for Mexico and have allowed thousands of Americans to succumb to their fears.

We went to the 'new' racetrack just past San Pedro on the way to La Paz today to see the Megacable Grand Prix. Donna's son Pat Ryan has a class 1 car and raced so we naturally had to go check it out. We've been to several races and in fact before I met Donna, I had gone to the track in Santa Anita a couple of times with friends.

The track at San Pedro is NICE. Not a bad seat in the house. We could see most of the track apart from 2 curves. In the trophy truck race, the cars that came in 2nd and 3rd exchanged the lead 3 times. One car rolled but landed upright and continued to race.

If you've never gone to an off road track race, let me give you some pointers:
>Parking is generally chaotic. Find a place that you can't be blocked in. The best is to park as close to the entrance as possible and walk in to the track. Then when there is a mile long line trying to leave, you walk past them, get in your car and bully your way into the line only meters from the highway.
>Don't assume there will be shade. take an umbrella or something suitable. At today's race, there were a BUNCH of shade kiosks set up and if you knew about them early, you could rent one. We had one and there was room for 30 people under it and it came with chairs! Good thing since a whole bunch of friends showed up and joined us....
>Take coolers with drinks and food. There are always food booths but don't be caught short.
>Be careful where you decide to watch the race. Figure out if loose pieces of car or a runaway tire could be thrown into your midst. Standing close to the track on the outside of a curve for instance.

I've featured the water park before but it is so cool that I'm going to post it again. We've been several times and it never gets old. If you've never been, you are missing a full day of fun for very little money. It's located about 15 minutes North of the San Jose del Cabo airport.

My wife and I drove to San Jose del Cabo this afternoon to watch our friends Marci Castro and Robert Drake entertain at the new plaza downtown located next to the Tropicana Restaurant. I have never seen the two play together and wow, was it worth the drive. Marci and Robert both play around San Jose and Cabo. Both are very busy so find em and go check out the music. Here's a taste for your pleasure.

Yes, they exist. Here it is. Online even. Why might you want one? Well if you live here and speak some Spanish, it becomes real clear that you don't understand a large percentage of what the locals are telling you. Why? Slang. These guys have more slang than my Uncle and his buddies in Mississippi.

Instructions:
Aggressive mode: Don't just pull some word off the list and sling it out there. Pick a word and read the examples. Say you want to meet a pretty Mexican girl and say something flirty to her. If you click on "mamacita" this example comes up with the definition: "Oye mamacita, que buena estás."

Defensive approach: Keep a pen and notebook with you. What am I saying? Keep your notes app or your recorder open on your iphone. Record a phrase that you overhear in conversation. Figure out what is actually being said. Easy, no?!

This is actually kind of entertaining because of the online, linked setup, you can click on a word and find out it's meaning. Have fun!!!

Here is another excellent article about safety while traveling in Mexico published by the good folks over at Lonely Planet. Let me know what you think about this opinion.

Read more:
Are Americans safer in Mexico than at home?

We went to the races last weekend over at Todos Santos. The race is the Wide Open Dessert Challenge. Fun race; 2 laps of about 70 kilometers each. Donna's son Pat and his copiloto Keith raced Pat's Class One car the "Warlock." Here are a few photos. Click here to see some short videos including Steve Berry's unscheduled pit stop to fix a flat.

Somehow the estuary caught fire a few days ago. I have 2 sets of friends who live on the edge of the arroyo. The fire was stopped almost on their property lines! One of them, Mike H. sent me these photos. Fortunately, the wind changed a bit and the local bomberos did a fine job in arresting the spread of the fire.

On a quiet street in La Paz, nestled in a residential section, there is a colorful doorway that beckons you in with the smell of good coffee. Did I say "good" coffee? I meant great roasted coffee, a place that is number one on my list of places to stop in La Paz. Not only can you stock up on coffee beans just out of the roaster but you can sit in their coffee bar and enjoy one of the best coffees I have found anywhere in Baja. I usually get a latte. It is hard not to drink it right down. Instead it is a "sipper" that you must savor to the very last drop. Consider that I rank this coffee so high, even though I have been in some of the trendy shops in Seattle where coffee is king and the competition is fierce. The address is 1650 Colima Street. I would tell you just how to get there but then that would be such a non-Baja thing to do. Instead, I will give you their internet link: http://www.cafelachoya.com.mx/cafelachoya.html

One other clue. . Colima is a one way street. Happy coffee to you.

Pages

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Mexico is safer than other popular destinations.

The Yucatan is as safe as rural U.S. states.

Mexico City is 4 times safer than Washington D.C.

Understanding the size and scope of Mexico.

“Mexico’s violence not as widespread as it seems.”

Monday, February 18, 2013

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Friday, November 16, 2012

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Monday, July 9, 2012

Friday, June 29, 2012

Monday, June 25, 2012

Monday, June 18, 2012

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Monday, May 28, 2012

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Monday, April 2, 2012

Apture