Just another couple of anecdotes on good experiences (albeit back in the 70s).
As I said earlier, for several years Mike Connolly and I would take newbies to
Mexico over the Xmas holidays. Often we camped at Nacimiento del Rio Mante or,
on occasions, near some houses near the caves we were going to. We would almost
always take a canned ham for the family, candy for the children and, on
occasion, a little something to keep the old folks warm. They liked to see us
coming and often looked after our vehicles and belongings while we went caving.
I'm sure a lot of their joy in seeing us came from the gifts we brought, but we
were also very grateful to have someone looking after our stuff. One year, we
made a big long trip through an area where the roads were barely on the map. At
one point, I pulled to the side of the road near an apple orchard to wait for
car #2. While we were there, three little kids (the oldest probably 10) came
down from a house up on the mountain to see what was going on. At that time, I
used to carry an old Polaroid b/w camera with me. I had the kids line up
against the fence and took a couple of pictures of them. When they had
developed, I gave them to the kids and told them to take them up to their mom.
In about 10 minutes, just as car #2 drove up, mom came up and handed me a
package. In it were about a dozen homemade tamales. I told her that it wasn't
necessary, but she said she really appreciated the pictures. I guess she didn't
have any or many of her kids. When we got to camp that night, I pulled out a
big pan so I could steam the tamales, but most of the newbies wouldn't eat
them. I guess they'd heard too much about getting sick on food in Mexico. A
couple of others and I, on the other hand, feasted that nite. You're right,
Robert, I hope what is going on currently is just a phase and disappears soon.
Good people; good memories.> Date: Mon, 1 Dec 2008 21:03:24 -0600> From:
ralb...@austin.rr.com> To: pitboun...@gmail.com> CC: mamaarsc...@gmail.com;
cavera...@aol.com; power_lou...@hotmail.com; texascavers@texascavers.com>
Subject: Re: Re: [Texascavers] Safety in Mexico> > Just thought I'd contribute
a few details having grown up on the border > and traveling in northern Mexico
since the mid-60s. First ?I'll offer a > belief that these things have kind of
gone in waves. Our early travels > always involved la mordida with regularity
but that definitely changed > for the better and have not been really "bit"
since.> > As to drug trafficking I'd hate for people to think that this is a
south > of the border activity alone. As a young man working crops I was told >
more than once that I was not to work section X or Y prior to say 9am or >
after 7pm. And btw if I managed to alert him to approaching BP it would > be
appreciated. And yes that was a landowner's son giving the directions > circa
late '70s.> > I've made multiple trips to Creel and as early as '88 it was
obvious > that you did not go traipsing deep towards Batopilas without making a
> lot of noise in advance of your approach. Sinaloa was not particularly > safe
20 years ago.> > Buddy and I tried to recreate the "All the Pretty Horses" trip
in the > mid 90s. Got stopped by a group of seriously dehydrated Chilango >
soldiers 25 miles north of OCampo Coah. - despite their 50 caliber > machine
gun (I exaggerate not) they demanded nothing and we gave them > water as their
supply truck was a week late. Two days later we were held > at gunpoint by a
group of very nervous cops northeast of Torreon who > were surprised by our
sudden appearance busting through a thicket in > search of a road. It was a
very scary two hours later but once they > realized we weren't drug agents we
gave them some beer and there was > relaxed back slapping all around.> > My dad
and I broke down between Galeana and Rayones and after 14 hours > we never saw
another vehicle. I started walking and an hour later came > upon an old man's
house built into a gully. He sends a young boy up the > hill and 20 minutes
later his 20 something son complete with tear drop > tattoos at his eyes
appears acting totally deferential to the old man > and busted his butt helping
my dad and I get the vehicle going again. > They refused money but accepted a
bag of rice after we declined to stay > for dinner <we were already a day late
meeting somebody>.> > Anyhow - I've had friends beaten and taken for rides in
Reynosa since > the 70s. I lived 5 miles from where the college kid was boiled
and > eaten. but just like when I visit Bogota, NYC, London, Oakland, wherever
> - there are places you just have to be extra, extra, careful about and > the
Mexico / US border is one of them. I've had more innocent kindness > shown to
me in the heartland of Mexico than I've had in *safe* places > like Switzerland
and Singapore - I'm looking forward to this wave > passing as well. It won't be
easy but I believe it will pass. Till then > - be careful but don't let the
fear stop you.> > -Robert> > Nico Escamilla wrote:> > I hear all kinds of
stories about crime and whatnot and I live right > > here in Mexico where all
this stuff is unfolding and not one minute > > have I felt unsafe, of course
living in a small town (with bad guys > > presence of course) helps cause most
everybody knows each other and as > > long as you dont mess around with the bad
guys they just leave you > > alone, same applies to my stomping grounds
Vallecillo, Lampazos, > > Villaldama etc. if you make yourself not look like a
victim you will > > not be a victim, unless you seriously screw up.> >> >
besides, that list is aimed at british people who dont know better, > > its not
called nanny state for nothing. Staying safe in Mexico just > > takes common
sense.> >> > Nico> >> > On Mon, Dec 1, 2008 at 4:24 PM, Amanda Scott
<mamaarsc...@gmail.com > > <mailto:mamaarsc...@gmail.com>> wrote:> >> > I was
in Monterrey, Montemorales, and Linares the week before last> > for four days
on a work trip. We met with local growers,> > ranchers, and had a lecture from
a political science professor at> > Monterrey Tech among many other activities.
There was a lot of> > discussion about the drug traffic from South America and
the> > resultant crime in Mexico. I think we probably even met a> > businessman
in the Mexican mafia - - - something was really off> > about him, his
employees, and his factory. Even the political> > professor admitted that the
government in Mexico is very corrupt> > which I thought was pretty interesting
to tell to a group of> > Americans. > >> > I think there is real danger in
Mexico, but we were fortunate to> > be with excellent guides and had safe
travels. > >> > Just my two cents worth.> >> > Amanda> >> >> > On Mon, Dec 1,
2008 at 3:48 PM, CaverArch <cavera...@aol.com> > <mailto:cavera...@aol.com>>
wrote:> >> > I enjoyed Louise's stories from Mexico, and hate strike a down> >
note, but I just received the following forward from my> > cousin. He was
contacting an acquaintance about joining a> > tour to the Tarahumara people's
Easter ceremonies in the> > Copper Canyon. He got the following chilling
response from> > the person who used to conduct these informal group visits to>
> the Canyon.> > > > I have been to this beautiful place, and heard distant> >
Tarahumara drumming to greet the sunrise. The canyon and its> > people will get
along without the Gringo tourists, I hope, but> > this is a very sad way to get
some privacy. > > > > Roger Moore> > Houston> > > > <<Hi,> >> > It is really
too bad what is happening in Mexico with the drug> > traffic. We lived in Creel
for ten years but decided to move> > to El Paso. The ceremonies are great to
see but its too> > dangerous to go there now. Unless things change I don't
think> > you should plan to go. We used to travel all over northern> > Mexico
but things have changed drastically in the last two years.> >> > I had to go to
Juarez yesterday and had to get rerouted by the> > federal police. I found out
later four people were killed. > > Our daughter lives in Chihuahua city and
said there were two> > people killed on the streets yesterday morning. She also
told> > us they are detoured in different areas of town almost daily> > because
of the shootings. Its really getting bad, even the> > local people are affraid
to be on the streets even during the> > day. > >> > We still have a home in
Creel, you may have heard about the> > the killings there, it made the national
news. Thirteen people> > were gunned down and the people responsible say they
will be> > back. The Catholic church has thirteen coffins in the square> > with
a large banner that reads welcome to the land of death.> > The local economy
has been destroyed because no one goes there> > anymore.> >> > In the cities
they are even putting up banners and publishing> > hit lists. Even the bigger
cities are like ghost towns after> > dark. Now they are starting to extort
money from businesses> > and burning the businesses if they don't pay.
Kidnapping of> > adults is up 40%. Over 400 people were killed in the first> >
few weeks of October. It's just a shame what is happening,> > it's affecting
the whole region.> >> > Well, sorry to get so deep into all that. We have
family and> > friends living with the violence so it seems pretty close to> >
home. We used to have groups of people come down but we quit> > taking people
there about three years ago. Its just isn't a> > good idea anymore. >>> >> > >
> Roger G. Moore, Ph.D., RPA> > President> > Moore Archeological Consulting,
Inc.> > 3511 Houston Avenue, Suite B> > Houston, TX 77009> > 713 861-8663 (R
Moore)> > 713 861-2323 (Lab)> > 713 861-8627 (Fax)> > cavera...@aol.com
<mailto:cavera...@aol.com>> > > > > >> >> >> >
