Might wanna stay away from Mexico for a bit. Violence, hitmen, gangs and drugs are rampant and have taken aim at the police. These are hard core fellas and are leaveing an average of 20 bodies in the street per day. am not sure of the reason but found this video that should perk your attention if your thinking Mexico to go  exploring.

http://www.ktsm.com/news/coordinated-attacks-on-juarez-police

Anyone with more info please put up, I for one was planning a Baja run in Spring....changing plans

There is plenty of wide open desert space in Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico,California and Utah and some of the people there even speak Spanish. Why bother with Mexico and put yourself in danger?

This is true, the sand all looks the same, and it gets HOT and COLD.

I've been watching Mex. and i'm worried my Baja 1000 trip will be re-oriented. I've talked with lots of folks who go to the baja but none who have gone through the area within the last 9 mths.

I keep checking the US travel warings site

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_970.html

I have been to Tijauna and driven farther south many times when I lived in San Diego and Jaurez when I liven in El Paso. The Mexican people are generally the kindest, gentlest folks in the world. Not really the rogues that you hear about in the news, those are the same people that you would hear about in any city that has crime and makes the news.

If you are going to Mexico and MUST drive your vehicle, stop on the US side and get Mexican road insurance. Mexinsur is a good one. Their logo is two auto keys with a symbol of a statue between.

You have absolutely NO RIGHTS in Mexico as a US resident and no matter what your US insurance says you are not covered for anything. It is a small price to pay for some kind of protection under Mexican law. Be prepared for the unexpected that your US plates will bring you, and be patient. Go in a group and if you have the time and can arrange it there is a 4x group in Mexico that would love to show you their country and meet you. There is a 4x group in San Diego that makes trips to Mexico often, is in tandem with the 4x group in Mexico, and would love to take folks with them.

Happy trails

I have driven across and crisscrossed Mexico a couple of times, never any problems.  I agree that the Mexican people are some of the nicest people I have ever met in the world.  It seems to be gang on gang and drug crime, similar to Japan and China. 

That being said, haven't been to Baja, but Conventional Wisdom seems to be to drive non stop from TJ to Ensenada during daylight hours.  I know a couple that for years have lead  kayak tours down from San Diego.  They ran into MAJOR problems, that included gun point, raped and pilaged. Lucky to be alive.

A Mexican college buddy of mine just stopped by for a long weekend on his way to China.  He is a successful businessman in Monterrey Mexico and said he is wondering what car to get next when he trades in his Volvo XC90.  He brought up the fact that some cars are less likely to get on kidnappers radar than others.  A strange consideration to have to have when car shopping, I thought.

Well I am glad I am not the only one concerned, I like the group thing and then again I lose my freedom at the same time to go right when they go left ya know. I like the deseret ideas  and may just go that route and practice before going into te big unknown of another country, probably best in my opinion.

Thanks guys

Steve

It's true there are problems in MX, but we've never had a problem other than being short changed, and that's my fault for not counting my change at the time. One time we overlooked a suitcase while loading into our cab at the airport and another cab driver chased us down to stop us from leaving it. He didn't have to do that. We've been exploring the small towns north of Puerto Vallarta on the Pacific Coast, and in our experience people are extremely kind and generous, but won't save you from your own stupidity. Nothing but screens on the windows of the houses we've rented, and never a problem. We even had to specifically tell our maid the money on the counter was her tip so she would take it.

As Dan notes above, you probably have little to worry about unless you're involved in the drug trade. This violent warring between the police and drug cartels has been going on for years now, and it's extremely brutal. Our friends who winter there say it's common sense: If you're driving, stay on main roads, don't drive at night, don't give people rides, and don't buy drugs. We usually don't rent a car because taking cabs is cheap and always an interesting experience, but many, many people drive down from the states, and if you were in a group of offroad rigs with a certain air of 'machisomo' about them I doubt you'd have a problem. Sure, there are exceptions, things can happen, but an overly safe and cautious life is a waste!

Remember the most important Spanish phrases:

!Dos mas Don Julio añejo Margaritas con rocas por favor! Y, donde esta el baño?

I should mention that my friend, a Mexican immigrant who grew up in Mexico City, has not been back in 20 years. He says it's too dangerous.

Even the Mexicans are afraid of Mexico City.  Seriously  Big time.

In 1988, when I drove from Michigan to Puerto Vallarta, I stopped in Monterrey ,in Nuevo Leon, Mexico at my college friends house for a few days.  Told him I wanted to go to Mexico City just to explore and see what it was like with 20 million people.  He said absolutely not.  His mother and brothers and everyone in town said absolutely not.  I was all set to go  in the morning until his mother came rushing out with the morning newspaper with headlines of an earthquake in Mexico CIty.  We went thru Guatelahara instead.

Last year  on the Yucatan we met a young guy from Mexico City whose face was all scared up.  He told us he and a car load of friends in Mexico city were hit by a drunk driver and everyone in the car died but him.  He said he will never go back.  Seems to be a recurring theme.

After seeing Beijing with 20 million people and going to school in Tokyo, and dating a girl from Sao Paulo with 20 million people, I was on this "worlds biggest cities" kick for a while.  Thank God I made it thru that faze.  Maybe thats why I like travelling FS roads so much.

 Its a tuff call, though. A dream of mine is to drive my van down Baja, then ferry across the sea of cortez and continue down and around to the Yucatan.  Then up and over to my friend's place in Monterrey, and home via my uncle's place in Flagstaff Az.

My Fiancee's parents drove down all thru Mexico in '71, in a short wheel base diesel Land Rover, all the way from Seattle, with her older brother in tow, who was 1 1/2 yrs old at the time.  They found a bay outside of Toulumb on the Yucatan, that they fell in love with.  They snorkeled and fished there for three months.

Good friends of mine (a married couple) went to Baja this winter for two or three months and had no problems.   Their 16 month old son seemed to enjoy it as much as they did. 

They like to cross at Tecate, a little to the east of TJ, saying its much less frightening, less hectic, etc.

http://ultramarathonpaddling.blogspot.com/search/label/Baja