1969-70, way southern Mexico (maybe only surfboard within 500 miles !!), Lolas’ place…sand floor, thatch roof, cheap rusty metal chairs…best seafood. From the jungle, down the dirt/rock road, big flatbed arrives, 8-10 guys from the tortuga (turtle) factory. We share the one big table; Lola comes over, holds her apron out and says, “PISTOLAS”. I think, who has guns here ?..com’ on ! Well, EVERYONE took out a gun…I gave up my knife. The local jaffe didn’t bother anyone, unless your weed was below his going rate. The criminals lived in Mexico city, I was told. Life was good. What happened ?? Huge population increase…USA turning central america into a killing field (can’t let those Maya speakin’ commies upset Capitalist wet dreams), oh yea, been there, in an army prison…home base for the mysterious death squads that the government can’t find. So between poverty and being murdered, where do the people escape to ?? Hmmm. When NAFTA went into being, cheap tax payer subsidized US corn flooded into Mexico…corn farmers there had to leave. This post is going on and on, sorry…One last thing about corruption. When Nelson Rockerfeller was gov. of New York, two of his security advisors were Henry Kissinger and my best friends’ uncle, a higher up in the mafia (name withheld for obvious reasons). Yes, corruption on every level immaginable has el norte bleeding. Maybe GoldmanSacks and their friends in Washington can turn things around. It’s not difficult to figure out why some folks are waiting for J. Christ or invisable space ships to take them far away. I think I’ll go fix that nasty rail ding now. peas
I was listening to NPR about a month ago and heard the most reasonable explanation for the madness.
The ruling political party of 100 years was the PRI. They had an agreement with the drug cartels. The PRI was voted out due to corruption, and the PAN was voted in.
The PAN is trying to do what it can to clean things up, but have enraged the cartels. The cartels are now using terrorist tactics to scare the population into restoring the PRI. That is why the cartels are now killing the innocent and uninvolved. You are a target not for simplistic monetary gain as in the past, but now you will be killed for the sensational headline.
Mass executions of school children, women, tourists, politicians, police officers and their families… It is no longer a matter of watching your back for trouble, you are now a target.
The quote is “dipping the beak”, “getting a taste”!
Corruption is a self perpetuating plague that only grows and rots society at all levels.
We are only 10-20 years behind Mexico the way our own society is falling apart and the Corruption in Government is excelerating.
I work with people that still drive Norte from Mexico and I hear the stories and see the pictures.
Kidnapping is huge in Mexico and even when the ransom is paid the Payees usually get another note and another note until they are sucked dry.
More often then not they never recover the body of the loved one and if they do there is not enough left for an open casket.
Anyone traveling in Northern Mexico now should do so with a large group of people period end of story.
I know of an instance a local family in TJ bought their first new car drove it straight home from the dealer and lost possession of it in front of there Condo while waiting for the garage door to open up.
They bandits where waiting for them.
As someone said there are safer saner less expensive countries to go to.
While in the Navy I spent six months In Central and South America From Panama all the way around back to Panama never had an issue traveling and surfing alone NOT ONCE!
Mexico I got rousted for money darn near everytime.
I never flashed money, drove a beat up old toyota, never got drunk, went to bed early played it very low key.
My best experiences where
Chile Surfed renuaca north of Vina De la Mar CHile was awesome!!!
Peru Right off of Pizza street Coquimbo/Lima Awesome!!!
Panama Tetas and Rio Mar!!! Fun.
Ecuador No clue where I was when I surfed couple of hours outside of manta
Guatemala Pulled in to refuel at Puerto Quetzal and watched 20 foot epic surf puerto EScondido style.
Venezuela pre Chavez in dirty old Caracas
Columbia Cartagena
Even Brazil was fun. Surfed in Rio Cabo Blanco and the left at ipenima.
.…first you should re read what I commented before
then, better all this paranoid cause more waves for less surfers.
-just last week a local sufer from here came back from Zicatela (P Escondido) without any problem
around 3 months or so surfing there.
-I ride motorcycles too and in other forum some fellas talked about the EDR (El diablo run) in baja calif riding (very long distance you know)
without any problems
And Steve Irwin played with wild animals until… well we all know how that ended…
Indo always has travel warnings , it’s full of terrorists, people trying to plant drugs on you at the airports, your chances of dieing on light aircraft are the heighest in the world, riding motor bikes in bali is asking for death ect ect Spend more than 3 months on land up north and your almost garraunteed to get Malaria, dengue possibly both or a long list of other infections. Better not go there anymore either.
Steve Irwin was a legend and now we’ve lost the original crocodile hunter Malcom Douglus too, dam shame. R.I.P Steve and Malcom, you bloody legends!
this thread is politics and nationalism. nothing to with surfboard designs.i find it offensive and i ask that the moderators should lock it?
Hi Paul,
It is intended to be about surf culture, where it is safe and prudent to go, and places to avoid. I really liked the pictures from your side of the world you posted a while back. Some postings made me want to visit. Some postings were about how the locals preferred to keep it to themselves.
I started this thread because so many of us (me included) grew up making surf trips south of the boarder. I wanted to keep everyone safe and alive. News started coming out about people dying down there. Just looking out for others, no political intent.
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this thread is politics and nationalism. nothing to with surfboard designs.i find it offensive and i ask that the moderators should lock it?
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FACTS, about Mexico, are very ''inconvenient'' to the PC crowd. I've been going there since I was 14 years old. I love the food, the fishing, the surfing, the Aztec and Mayan sites. BUT, I stopped going there almost ten years ago, for all the aforementioned reasons. I do not think a ''lock'' is called for. The information is a valuable service to anyone considering travel there. Others may be more comfortable there, than I am. That's fine. The opportunity for an informed decission is presented here.
i disagree . i call for this thread to be locked . i have detected overtones of racism and the thread was started on the argument that the article is a fact.
and as marsh said . check your embassy travel warnings before you go anywhere
Mr. Cannon, I can see how you could misconstrue the meaning of the topic. What it seems to you is certainly NOT the case. The shift in attitude and conditions between Mexico and the U.S. has deteriorated to the point of govt. issued warnings to all travelers.Warnings issued from BOTH sides of the border. You have no idea of the impact of this change on the south western United States. Stop and think for a minute and ponder: A group of armed renegades from Queensland begins to strongarm and rob people from neighboring states including outright murder. They set up shop and begin to snipe (KILL) those within rifle range from New South Wales, as has just recently occurred in Texas. Wouldn’t you want fellow citizens to be aware of the potential danger? The problem has spilled into our home state of California to the tune of 3-4 MILLION!!! ILLEGAL Aliens. The violent drug cartels are here on our home turf in our National Forests setting up drug labs and growing operations, polluting the water supply, poaching wildlife, starting devastating wild fires. They are armed with semi automatic rifles and engage in fire fights with the authorities and shoot at local citizens trying to enjoy the outdoors. If they act so brazenly here on OUR turf, how do you think they will act on their own where they know travelers are forbidden to posses ANY type of firearm for protection. With all due respect you are talking out your A$$ without the proper knowledge to comment. Educate yourself on the matter and then offer an INFORMED opinion. The seminal reason for this topic was to inform ALL those wishing to travel into Baja (mainly) and other Mexican states. Granted, this may not be the forum for political agendas, but this topic is pertinent to those here in the South West United States and other parts of our country. If you find it offensive, don’t read the thread. This site is for an exchange of ideas, news and innovations, NOT a place to try to simply state what we feel is emphatic reasoning. There are two sides to the coin, but this topic is multi-faceted to which your are not up to date on current conditions.What you think and feel are not the only ways of looking at things.
Hi Folks,
I happen to agree with Mr. Cannon in this case. This thread started out interesting and informative – definitely something of interest to surfers and surfing. However, it’s clear the discussion has degraded to politics and sociology. Not the realm of Swaylock’s.
Mike