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LIFE IS GOOD IN MEXICO

Is Mexico Really Unsafe?

The media tends to sentimentalize crime in Mexico.  Statistically, however, Mexico is quite safe.  Even mild-mannered nations, such as Switzerland and Sweden, exceed Mexico in murders, according to Nations Master.com. 

Places one thinks of as idyllic Caribbean retreats have at least double the homicides of Mexico. 

New Orleans and Washington D.C. are far more dangerous than Mexico City.  Unless you are involved in the drug trade, you are safer in most parts of Mexico than in the U.S., when analyzed statistically.

Well-known travel expert, Peter Granberg, relayed to Consumer Affairs reporter, Daryl Nelson, the following: "If you look at the map, Mexico is a huge country.  Whatever violence is happening, is mostly, Mexican toward other Mexicans.  Americans are not being targeted, and let's take a look at where it's happening.

It's happening in locations where Americans don't even go ~ in Nuevo Laredo, Ciudad Juarez ~ for instance; and, if you actually look at the real numbers of how many people have been killed in the drug violence (it's staggering), there's no getting around that.  Depending on who you believe, between 40,000 to 60,000 people in the last twenty years.

Ask yourself, of those, how many were Americans?  I can tell you, less than twenty people ~ of those twenty, I think seventeen people were vacationing American drug dealers, because look where they were killed.  They were killed in places like Nuevo Laredo and Ciudad Juarez."

Our State Department warns of only four 'hot zones' within Mexico.  They are: Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango and Tamoulpas.

Baja California Sur is considered a very safe location in which to travel.

The solution is simple, when moving to, or visiting Mexico, avoid border zones, cartel hot spots and dark abandoned roads; otherwise, you are quite safe.

mezcal distilled alcoholic beverage
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Mezcal, or mescal, is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from the maguey plant (a form of agave, Agave americana) native to Mexico. 
The maguey grows in many parts of Mexico, though most mezcal is made in Oaxaca.[2] A saying attributed to Oaxaca regarding the drink is: "Para todo mal, mezcal, y para todo bien, también." ("For every ill, Mezcal, and for every good as well.").
It is unclear whether distilled drinks were produced in Mexico before the Spanish Conquest.[5] The Spaniards were introduced to native fermented drinks such as pulque, also made from the maguey plant. Soon, the conquistadors began experimenting with the maguey plant to find a way to make a distillable fermented mash. The result was mezcal.[6]
Today, mezcal is still made from the heart of the maguey plant, called the piña, much the same way it was 200 years ago, in most places. In Mexico, mezcal is generally consumed straight and has a strong smoky flavor. Though mezcal is not as popular as tequila (a mezcal made specifically from the blue agave in select regions of the country), Mexico does export the product, mostly to  Japan and the United States, and exports are growing.
Despite the similar name, mezcal does not contain mescaline or other psychedelic substances.

The mash is allowed to ferment, the resulting liquid collected and distilled in either clay or copper pots which will further modify the flavor of the final product. The distilled product is then bottled and sold. Unaged mezcal is referred to as joven, or young. Some of the distilled product is left to age in barrels between one month and four years, but some can be aged for as long as 12 years. Mezcal can reach an alcohol content of 55%. Like tequila, mezcal is distilled twice. The first distillation is known as punta, and comes out at around 75 proof (37.5% alcohol by volume). The liquid must then be distilled a second time to raise the alcohol percentage.
Mezcal is highly varied, depending on the species of agave or maguey used, the fruits and herbs added during fermentation and the distillation process employed, creating subtypes with names such as de gusano, tobalá, pechuga, blanco, minero, cedrón, de alacran, creme de café and more.[4] A special recipe for a specific mezcal type known as pechuga uses cinnamon, apple, plums, cloves, and other spices that is then distilled through chicken, duck, or turkey breast. It is made when the specific fruits used in the recipe are available, usually during November or December. Other variations flavor the mash with cinnamon, pineapple slices, red bananas, and sugar, each imparting a particular character to the mezcal.[13] Most mezcal, however, is left untouched, allowing the flavors of the agave used to come forward.
Not all bottles of mezcal contain a "worm" (actually the larva of a moth, Hypopta agavis that can infest maguey plants), but if added, it is added during the bottling process. There are conflicting stories as to why such would be added. Some state that it is a marketing ploy. Others state that it is there to prove that the mezcal is fit to drink, and still others state that the larva is there to impart flavor.
I think the secret is-drink enough mezcal and you  won't care what the worm tastes like or if it has a place in the bottle.

This is the Baja Peninsula.

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When You Take Your Car to Mexico

There is no Temporary Import Permit within the entire Baja peninsula.  Your vehicle will need to be licensed at some point.  When you register your vehicle it must be at the border of Baja, which will be Tijuana.  Mexican registration is $1,500.00 U.S.D.  Many Americans have found a way around this.

You can obtain Mexican auto insurance issued by an authorized Mexican insurance company.

If you rent a vehicle in Mexico, your U.S. insurance doesn't cover you.  An additional policy must be obtained from the rental agency.  Liability insurance is all that's required.

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Don't eat the fish.

One of the great perks in Mexico is going to a fisherman landing area and buying fresh fish.  The fish is wonderful and usually less than ten dollars.  However, one should be careful during the summer, when the temperatures are high.  Many of the boats have poor icing facilities, if any.  Your fish may not have been kept as cool as necessary.  We had some guests at our villa who became ill from shrimp they purchased off a truck in town.

I went fishing and caught some great tuna and Dorado.  The fisherman cleaned our fish and we even ate some fresh, raw tuna on the shore.  What a great experience. Temperatures were mild and the fishing was great. 

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