[Lee]

Raquel, don't even think about going to any cities along the US/Mexican border. And the Mexico/Texas are the worst

[star]

3 things, no?

Northern Mexico!

Absolutely not. That's the most dangerous area!

But you know I met a lovely family at IW who had driven there from Monterey. They were so cute. And they all spoke excellent English -- even the kids. I was sitting beside the husband and one of Rafa's doubles matches and there were so few seats that people had to split up. The mother and the daughter got seats right down by the court and eventually, the father got a seat by me and the son sort of in front of me. And during the warm up the mother and daughter were talking to Rafa as he came over near them to get a ball, and he gave them the most darling little smile. Afterward, I asked what they had said to him, and they told me in English that they said, "Please Rafa, give us a smile -- just a little smile, please." And that's what prompted the cute little smile. The girl was 13 and she was so happy and her mother was almost equally happy. It was fun to see how much the father enjoyed their happiness.

[star]

Originally Posted by Lee

Raquel, don't even think about going to any cities along the US/Mexican border. And the Mexico/Texas are the worst

Thank you, Vmamalee.

Horrible to think of Raquel anywhere in northern Mexico.

[star]

http://www.trust.org/trustlaw/news/v...ries-for-women

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/...violence_N.htm

http://www.sfgate.com/mexico/mexicom...re-2481047.php

You can go to Merida. I know people who own a hacienda on the outskirts of Merida and they say (and the article agrees) that there is a low crime rate there and not the drug wars. I also know people who vacation in Yucatan. But Northern New Mexico -- including Monterrey is off limits.

See this list?

http://urbantitan.com/10-most-danger...world-in-2011/

Also, St. Louis is a no go area.

http://newsflavor.com/world/worlds-m...ous-countries/

[arm]

How about Veracruz?

The list. So no Bogota? Damn.

Thank god, I have you two to take care of me.

But northern Mexico would be so close to you two

[savesthedizzle]

Very dangerous I forbid this also vSis

[star]

Originally Posted by arm

How about Veracruz?

The list. So no Bogota? Damn.

Thank god, I have you two to take care of me.

But northern Mexico would be so close to you two

Closer to death than close to us.

Anyway, it's a short flight from Merida to the U.S.

But, you sort of have to look at it like how likely are you to get caught up in something. I mean -- Juarez, that's just hell and no one should venture in there. It's so sad because these border towns used to be so great. Matamoros, Laredo, Juarez -- those were just nice places, but now they everything has changed. And it's bad for the people who live there not just because of the cartels and the violence, but the tourist business has dried up completely.

Ten most dangerous cities for tourists in Mexico.

http://www.gadling.com/2012/01/13/th...ies-in-mexico/

It almost makes me cry to see Mazatlan on this list. It was a great laid back town for tourists.

Also this guy does not give the green light to Veracruz.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2...ter-mckay.html

The east coast, Cancun, Merida, are still fine. Veracruz is a state I would avoid. When you have gangsters dumping 35 bodies on a freeway in the middle of the day, that just does not give me confidence about the city or the state of Veracruz.

[arm]

Originally Posted by savesthedizzle

Very dangerous I forbid this also vSis

Originally Posted by star

Closer to death than close to us.

Anyway, it's a short flight from Merida to the U.S.

But, you sort of have to look at it like how likely are you to get caught up in something. I mean -- Juarez, that's just hell and no one should venture in there. It's so sad because these border towns used to be so great. Matamoros, Laredo, Juarez -- those were just nice places, but now they everything has changed. And it's bad for the people who live there not just because of the cartels and the violence, but the tourist business has dried up completely.

Ten most dangerous cities for tourists in Mexico.

http://www.gadling.com/2012/01/13/th...ies-in-mexico/

It almost makes me cry to see Mazatlan on this list. It was a great laid back town for tourists.

Also this guy does not give the green light to Veracruz.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2...ter-mckay.html

Wait. They kill TOURIST? I thought we were talking about getting caught in cross fire or something. They actually kill tourists? But why? that doesn't make sense!!

EDIT: I read the artile and now I get it. But why is this happening? Why are the drud dealers getting so violent?

[star]

Why so violent? Yes. It's a good question. It's a fight for control of a very lucrative business. The U.S. consumer demand drives the market, but it's the control of the supply where the violence occurs. It's an escalating thing. The beheading of rivals doesn't scare off the competition? Well, let's tear out their hearts and see if that does. It's a brutal, simplistic approach, but I think it is common in a gangster society, and especially one where the authorities are either cowed or corrupted.

Here is a 2009 article out of Harvard that explains the increase in violence since the rigid control of the PRI was removed. http://www.gov.harvard.edu/files/Sab...edOnline_0.pdf

This article http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-10681249 has nice maps. At the bottom there is a map that lets you put your cursor over the particular state and see the death rate. There is a place at the top of the map to let you choose the year. There's also a chart at the very bottom. Chihuahua is particularly horrific, but is better in 2011 than 2010. In Yucatan the rate remains quite low.

This is an interesting blog with a recent entry on an arrest of one of the drug kingpins in late September and what that means. http://borderviolenceanalysis.typepad.com

[arm]

Finishing this Cardiology thing. Wait up for me

[arm]

Finished

Now time to clean up my room.

[Lee]

Third laundry in the washer

[Lee]

Originally Posted by arm

Finishing this Cardiology thing. Wait up for me

[Lee]

Originally Posted by star

I started a ragu this morning. So much chopping and cooking before it can be put to simmer. But now it is simmering and will be there for hours.

Now, I have to clean the kitchen. I put all the dirty dishes in the washer, but now, the kitchen really needs to be scrubbed from tip to toe and counters cleared off of collected debris and floors cleaned etc. etc.

I don't want to.

But there is a bright blue sky and cool breeze and all in all it's a lovely day.

I stayed away from making complicate things from scratch for a long time

[Lee]

Originally Posted by star

Why so violent? Yes. It's a good question. It's a fight for control of a very lucrative business. The U.S. consumer demand drives the market, but it's the control of the supply where the violence occurs. It's an escalating thing. The beheading of rivals doesn't scare off the competition? Well, let's tear out their hearts and see if that does. It's a brutal, simplistic approach, but I think it is common in a gangster society, and especially one where the authorities are either cowed or corrupted.

Here is a 2009 article out of Harvard that explains the increase in violence since the rigid control of the PRI was removed. http://www.gov.harvard.edu/files/Sab...edOnline_0.pdf

This article http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-10681249 has nice maps. At the bottom there is a map that lets you put your cursor over the particular state and see the death rate. There is a place at the top of the map to let you choose the year. There's also a chart at the very bottom. Chihuahua is particularly horrific, but is better in 2011 than 2010. In Yucatan the rate remains quite low.

This is an interesting blog with a recent entry on an arrest of one of the drug kingpins in late September and what that means. http://borderviolenceanalysis.typepad.com

The situation deteriorated rapidly in the last few years. There is a little fishing port called Rocky Point which was a favorite vacation spot for residence here. A few hours drive south with lots of vacation condos for rent. Rocky Point is pretty safe but the escalting drug war near the border which make the trip from the border to Rocky Point unsafe for travellers. I thought about going there many times but just not feel comfortable enough.