Travelling in places where bling and a high profile are not wanted

[Christian P.]

Hurry up !!!, We are doing the invading thing much faster and cheaper :sombrero: :sombrero: :sombrero:

efuentes

I feel a bit sorry sometimes for people having such a bad image/impression a Mexico.
A few years ago I rode my motorcycle all over the country for the whole summer.

We went from Matamoros all the way down to Guatamala City through Chiapas (which had just reopened after V. Fox had taken power) and back up through Palenque and Veracruz.

All I have are positives souvenirs - great people, excellent food, awesome sceneries. Of course the border towns are always a bit dodgy and there were a couple of more "disturbing" situations but it would not be a true adventure without.

We feel in love with this country and I can't wait to go back.

 

[ExploringNH]

Let's try to formulate an educated answer without any prejudice.

...

Also, as I said several time before, speaking at least some Spanish is probably the best asset you can possess on such a journey - no matter what you are driving.

I hope you go.

Thanks for the response, and the first hand experience behind the response is just what I was looking for. Everyone I talk to seems to think that Mexico and Central America are just evil places with people waiting to jump out to rob you and steal your vehicle but none of these people have actually been. Im not so much worried about any local "bandidos" and thugs as I am of any government officials/police targeting us.

I spent a summer a couple years ago touring the USA on a $30k Italian superbike. I put 30k miles on that bike in a year and a half. People have talked the same way about places I went on that bike and I am crazy to go there. I had a few sketchy moments, but no problems, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

 

[Cabrito]

I have traveled extensively in Mexico mainland and baja by vehicle and the only time I had anything stolen was by the police. Small items like a flashlight at a road side check point. A couple of dollars for bribes. No big deal.
Puerto Vallarta Federales took one of my credit cards while they had me in jail and ran up $1500us in a day. I didn't get the card back. I did get my truck back with all items returned and they had it for three days and pulled everything out of it to search for drugs and guns.

I did come across banditos between Vallarta and Acapulco at night but we had been warned and saw them block the road ahead of us so we turned around and camped at a road side restaurant (the same one with the owner who warned us) they hid our truck behind the restaurant for us and guess what? All the truckers pulled over and slept at the same pull out where we were and when the Navy truck full of dudes with guns drove by in the morning all the truckers fired up their engines and took off down to Acapulco. Seamed like they knew the drill..


edit:
We always greet people in Mexico in Spanish and try to speak the language - that small bit goes a long way.
-m

 

[charlieaarons]

I stupidly drove my sort-of-unusual Unicat/Unimog onto a "dry" lake in Baja near a beach and got badly stuck. After about 1-1/2 days a Mexican fisherman showed up and after unsuccessfully trying to help us took my (Spanish speaking, along with me) daughter to find 2 Hummers of Mexican soldiers who we'd met 3 days previously. They found them, they came and helped us for an afternoon and the next am till we got out. I offered to pay but they refused.

Like the man said, speaking Spanish (and being polite) helps.

Charlie

 

[jcbrandon]

... Everyone I talk to seems to think that Mexico and Central America are just evil places with people waiting to jump out to rob you and steal your vehicle but none of these people have actually been...

That's the key bit of information in this. Fear of the unknown. Explorers, by definition, venture into the unknown.

Have a great trip and tell us about it when you get back. Perhaps your experience will help others plan adventures of their own, overcome fears, and contribute to better understanding of different places, peoples, and cultures.

 

[efuentes]

efuentes

I feel a bit sorry sometimes for people having such a bad image/impression a Mexico.

You don't have to, we deserve most of the bad image, however there are some of us trying to get all that behind, I might take us a while but we will get there. . We'll just have to convince the other 95% and most of the police force.

We feel in love with this country and I can't wait to go back.

You are very welcome, don't forget to drop me a message so I can put some Pacificos in the cooler.

 

[cruiser guy]

I have travelled a lot and I have yet to see a bunch of "bandidos" by the side of the road just waiting to steal a nice 2002 4Runner.

I don't think anyone is saying that folks are "lying in wait" for all the 4Runners that might happen by. What I am saying is that most vehicles that are stolen are stolen for parts and anything with an engine from a Toyota pickup/4Runner is EASILY sold for parts as that is the most common engine down here.

 

[UK4X4]

bling......its not needed don't take it...

If its needed equipment on the outside then make sure its locked.

You'll attract attention any way...just skin colour and clothes set you apart.

A nice truck in a rural area is not unheard of, just unusual

Being polite and speaking Spanish set's you apart from the average brash rude tourist

Insure your experience will be different to theirs, by taking lessons or study before you go

Getting drunk and clubbing till 3am will not help in keeping you or your truck safe

either in east LA or Puerto Vallarta.

Don't drive at night..........unless you really have to......the roads are bad enough during the day


Try to set up a place to stay by 4.30pm.....ie that gives you time before dark

There are horror travel stories for every country on the planet......90 % of the time most peoples visits go fine, of that another 5% planned their problem by doing stupid things drunk/ looking for drug's etc

2.5 % of bad happening with the police is due to attitude...just watch the US Police show's...

The other 2.5% of the thousands of tourists per year who get in trouble are unlucky.......and most of these are probably preventable by taking simple precautions


In every Latin American country there are nicely prepared trucks.

Low key travel in Latin America would be,

a 1970 chevy silverado, with no tail gate, 10 bute sacks in the back, a goat tied to the roll bar, no door handles
1 front light - tail lights tied on with string

Wearing a worn white cowboy hat a checked shirt from the 60's, boots with
nailed on soles, a moustache and a deep weathered tan.

Other than that...you'll stand out....enjoy


Really though, take whatever you want, be careful, take precautions and enjoy the experience....

Still worried about the truck....don't take it......

Read lonely planet or any of the shoestring series

Pack a rucksack, take 1/2 back out
Buy a ticket to somewhere reasonable touristy, like Peru
Take local buses, leave your trip plan reasonably open, with a general idea of when and what you want to see and go with the flow....

Not much to loose, cheap compared to a vehicle based trip, more mobile, meet more like minded people, bus at bus stations etc,, back packers migrate to each other.....enjoy.

God I waffle on, but at least I have been there........and have the T-shirts:smileeek:

 

[CSG]

I don't know much about Mexico, Central America, or South America other than what I read and a couple of visits to border towns. However, I could spend the rest of my life exploring the American West and not see all of it much less the rest of the country. I'd rather see the USA first and keep my dollars here.

I'm sure there's equally and perhaps even more spectacular country south of us but I'm quite happy exploring the USA. I'd go north to Canada before I'd go south to Mexico. Actually, we've gone to BC and Alberta a couple of times already over the years.

 

[Whitey]

I have traveled extensively in Mexico mainland and baja by vehicle and the only time I had anything stolen was by the police. Small items like a flashlight at a road side check point. A couple of dollars for bribes. No big deal.
Puerto Vallarta Federales took one of my credit cards while they had me in jail and ran up $1500us in a day. I didn't get the card back. I did get my truck back with all items returned and they had it for three days and pulled everything out of it to search for drugs and guns.

I did come across banditos between Vallarta and Acapulco at night but we had been warned and saw them block the road ahead of us so we turned around and camped at a road side restaurant (the same one with the owner who warned us) they hid our truck behind the restaurant for us and guess what? All the truckers pulled over and slept at the same pull out where we were and when the Navy truck full of dudes with guns drove by in the morning all the truckers fired up their engines and took off down to Acapulco. Seamed like they knew the drill..


edit:
We always greet people in Mexico in Spanish and try to speak the language - that small bit goes a long way.
-m

Great bit of advice right there. ALWAYS SPEAK SPANISH whenever you stop the car. I've done quite a bit of driving in Mexico. Being a gringo, in certain parts of the city meant keeping an eye out for carjackers.

DO NOT for a minute confuse/compare driving a motorcycle around the U.S. to driving a single mile in Mexico.

Like others have said, educate yourself to the political climate of the area before you go. Cartels can be very active in certain areas and aren't very subtle when they send messages.

I've never been south of Mexico, but I'm sure their are a host of other hurdles to cross on your way down to Brazil. Prepare for lots of paperwork.

 

[prepmech]

I've had to leave my rig unattended overnight in some pretty shady spots here in the U.S., here is what I always try to do to prevent being a target:

1. Always park under lights, and within view of a window
2. Remove radio's face plate, and hide any other "eye candy"
3. Refrian from driving aggressivly or drawing attention to myself
4. Modified the jeep so that I am the only one who can start it, and it cannot be hotwired
5. Rear windows are tinted to hide gear inside, installed locking storage box in rear so that even if they get into the jeep they still can't get the stuff inside
6. Fuel tank and belly skid plates to prevent fuel and cat converter from being stolen
7. Security nuts/bolts on external accessories
8. Doesn't apply to me anymore, but playing music loud or having car audio stickers on your rig is just begging to have it broken into

 

[Harald Hansen]

Random tought: A collegue of mine built a carputer installation from scratch, including a retractable screen that hides away in the dash. Of course the side of the screen is still visible when retracted, but he fitted it with a bit of Velcro. So whenever he parks, on goes the faceplate from the ugliest beat-up old radio cassette player imaginable. Nobody wants that!

 

[MoGas]

This one time in Wisconsin my truck was broken into. All they took were my Wu Tang Cd's.

What about the Credence?

:safari-rig:

 

[24HOURSOFNEVADA]

What about the Credence?

:safari-rig:

AAHH!!! Man! They stole the Credence!






















Classic movie.

 

[michaelgroves]

I don't know much about Mexico, Central America, or South America other than what I read and a couple of visits to border towns. However, I could spend the rest of my life exploring the American West and not see all of it much less the rest of the country. I'd rather see the USA first and keep my dollars here.

I'm sure there's equally and perhaps even more spectacular country south of us but I'm quite happy exploring the USA. I'd go north to Canada before I'd go south to Mexico. Actually, we've gone to BC and Alberta a couple of times already over the years.

Each to their own, of course, but for me, part of the thrill of adventure travelling is the "unknown" factor. You could indeed spend a lifetime travelling in the USA and still not see all of it. But what you'd see is all the USA - different scenery, sure, but you'd miss all the diversity of attitudes and opinions and problems and the general "foreign" atmosphere - the good and the bad.

We're all more comfortable in our home countries, and even after having visited around 70 different countries, I still feel a few nervous butterflies when I enter a new, unknown one. Crossing a border is still an amazing experience - just a few hundred metres, and all the rules change!

Rgds,

Michael...