Plans Change

Go ahead and say to yourself “Thank (insert name of whatever deity you worship) he’s come to his senses.”  Just please don’t say it to me.

I received an e-mail from my cousin Alejandra this week.  Ale lives in Merida, Yucatan but grew up in Monterrey and like me, has a lot of family there.  She’s a university professor, intelligent and sophisticated to say the least.  She doesn’t fear life nor is she given to knee-jerk reactions (At least I don’t think so).  The short version of her e-mail was “don’t ride your motorcycle through Mexico.”  The violence is widespread, sporadic and happens in almost every state.  Several that I planned to visit and ride through, Chihuahua, Durango, Veracruz, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas are particularly bad. 

As it turns out, some of my relatives in Mexico and their friends have had violent encounters.  No one has been hurt, thankfully.  But they’ve been in or near areas when a shootout happens.  One of my cousins in Monterrey is part of a network that texts/e-mails each other to advise of roadblocks (criminal) and shootouts.  This is how they stay safe.  Or try to.  Another female cousin was followed by another car one night and had to pull into a hospital to seek refuge.  And the daughter of one of Ale’s friends had her car taken from her.  By guys who put guns to her head.  When she went out to pick up pizzas one night around 7:00.

Yucatan is still safe for now.  Baja California, aside from Tijuana and Mexicali, is pretty quiet.  I’m considering limiting my Mexico riding to Baja.  Or skipping Mexico altogether, as much as I hate the idea.

Law-abiding Mexicans (as in most of the country) are angry at their President for starting the drug war.  As you may know, the government started prosecuting drug lords, which led to power shifts, which led to shooting in the streets.  I am oversimplifying this to an almost embarrassing degree.  Ale asks “why are we fighting a war in Mexico to keep drugs out of the US?  This is as much the US’s problem as anyone’s, but the killing happens in Mexico. “

I could take my motorcycle trip down there, have a great time, and not have a moment’s real trouble.  But I’m no longer willing to take the chance.  As I said, I may change the trip drastically and got to Baja or I may do the original trip, just without Mexico.

Can’t say I’m not flexible.