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watizname
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Boy, this sounds like a really fun trip. My wife and I had a lot of fun exploring Baja years back. Always had thoughts of taking the ferry, but my
camper seemed programed for Punta Chivato and southern Baja. To old now, which sucks. Have fun, be careful, and try not to hurry too much.
I yam what I yam and that\'s all what I yam.
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WideAngleWandering
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Thanks! I like my Baja trips to be a bit leisurely so this has been a hustle. I've thought about doing more mainland trips but I usually get sucked
into a slower Baja way of being.
This time I'm on a mission.
Hopefully this works out. I just found a small beach I visited by bus / colectivo decades ago when I was a student.
From the pictures it doesn't look like its changed much. I hope to spend some time there. If I have it.
[Edited on 2024-10-21 by WideAngleWandering]
Traveling the Americas via my old land cruiser
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mtgoat666
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Quote: Originally posted by WideAngleWandering  | Well getting my slightly unusual vehicle imported was a hassle because I don't have all the expected VIN plates but after striking out at San ysidro I
was able to get it done at Otay. Took a while and I suspect they were getting approvals or something in the background.
Anyhow I made it to San Felipe after a marathon drive.
Now to figure out the ferries. There are no cabins available on the Tues ferry. The Thurs ferry would be seriously cramping my schedule.
So I am trying to decide if I should haul burro to La Paz and attempt the TMC ferry at 5pm on Monday.
Only problem is I slept way too long. Needed it. But we will see.
One thing's for sure - being in a hurry in Baja feels so wrong.
[Edited on 2024-10-20 by WideAngleWandering] |
Sounds like your schedule is unrealistically compressed. Probably would be better to fly. Next time fly. Save time and money. The money saved can
be used on nicer lodging.
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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soulpatch
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I've driven through Sinaloa a number of times this past year and the year prior.
I'm not likely to do it again for a long time, at least until things settle down.
Some of the checkpoints are actually cartel and some aren't but, hell, they're all in business and we got hot stopped in Mazatlan which was
interesting and the searches on the 15D got interesting as well.
You'll probably be just fine but, then again, a number of people I know personally, just like us, got turned inside out to the point of full body
searches ( clothes on ) and hit up hard for cash which, of course, we only had enough for the 3 tolls that won't take the PASE.
We saw other people handing over cash due to fear and also pocketing of cash by those that had it hidden in all the usual places.
It's just a bit of a weird time through there right now.
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mtgoat666
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| Quote: Originally posted by soulpatch | I've driven through Sinaloa a number of times this past year and the year prior.
I'm not likely to do it again for a long time, at least until things settle down.
Some of the checkpoints are actually cartel and some aren't but, hell, they're all in business and we got hot stopped in Mazatlan which was
interesting and the searches on the 15D got interesting as well.
You'll probably be just fine but, then again, a number of people I know personally, just like us, got turned inside out to the point of full body
searches ( clothes on ) and hit up hard for cash which, of course, we only had enough for the 3 tolls that won't take the PASE.
We saw other people handing over cash due to fear and also pocketing of cash by those that had it hidden in all the usual places.
It's just a bit of a weird time through there right now. |
Frightening!
I see the usa state dept travel advisory lists sinaloa as “do not travel to.” Colima, guerrero, michoacan, tamaulipas, zacatecas, and other areas
too.
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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soulpatch
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I'm not trying to stir any chiite here, so take this as just my experience.
Sinaloa has always been a little vibey for my tastes and back in 2012-13 I had some very strange encounters there with the law.
They all ended up fine but the spookiest was when the PJR had abandoned their normal checkpoint and there were about 50 cowboys on horses that all had
military looking weapons on them just kind of patrolling it.
A couple were dismounted and looked through my stuff, briefly, without saying a word and then waved me on.
This last year there have been a lot of stories, some from people I know directly that were robbed.
The people at the toll booths state that they are mostly ex-PGR and not legit but there isn't really anything they can do about it.
Who knows, I don't nor do I want to at this point but my relatively recent experiences driving through there got my and my wife's attention.
To be honest, I'm not that used to another man's hands in my pockets while having a guy on either side of me and one behind me patting me down nor did
my wife much appreciate getting searched thoroughly on the side of the road.
We thanked them for their thoroughness and professionalism when they finally told us we could leave and they laughed about that.
I also asked them if they could radio ahead to the next one coming up to tell them we were legit and they got a good laugh out of that, too.
My buddy got his dash removed by them and they decided the $600 he had in his wallet along with a few thousand pesos was theirs.
And, unlike me, my friend is Mexican.
Anyway, most people are fine, it just sucks when you hit the lottery with those guys.
This is kind of telling, too.
FWIW, my friends in Nayarit that are from Culiacán won't go up there now to visit family regularly like they did even into the spring of this year.
They worry too much about the drive and where they would sometimes meet family in Mazatlan their family doesn't feel safe driving there, now, with the
random stops of cars and the guys checking the messaging on the phones for associates.
It's really an odd time there.
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WideAngleWandering
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| Quote: Originally posted by soulpatch |
You'll probably be just fine but, then again, a number of people I know personally, just like us, got turned inside out to the point of full body
searches ( clothes on ) and hit up hard for cash which, of course, we only had enough for the 3 tolls that won't take the PASE.
We saw other people handing over cash due to fear and also pocketing of cash by those that had it hidden in all the usual places..
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Fun reading as I wait to board the ferry to Mazatlan.
This is the most harrowing personal account anyone has shared with me yet. I take it your stories are about the region north of Mazatlan? Or do I
need to be prepared for this sort of thing as I head south to Puerto vallarta and points beyond?
Traveling the Americas via my old land cruiser
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mtgoat666
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| Quote: Originally posted by WideAngleWandering | | Quote: Originally posted by soulpatch |
You'll probably be just fine but, then again, a number of people I know personally, just like us, got turned inside out to the point of full body
searches ( clothes on ) and hit up hard for cash which, of course, we only had enough for the 3 tolls that won't take the PASE.
We saw other people handing over cash due to fear and also pocketing of cash by those that had it hidden in all the usual places..
|
Fun reading as I wait to board the ferry to Mazatlan.
This is the most harrowing personal account anyone has shared with me yet. I take it your stories are about the region north of Mazatlan? Or do I
need to be prepared for this sort of thing as I head south to Puerto vallarta and points beyond? |
Read the usa state dept travel warnings. Read the news. Talk to locals.
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-tra...
From state dept.
Guerrero state – Do Not Travel
Do not travel due to crime.
Crime and violence are widespread. Armed groups operate independently of the government in many areas of Guerrero. Members of these groups frequently
maintain roadblocks and may use violence towards travelers. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping in previous years.
U.S. government employees may not travel to any area in the state of Guerrero, including to tourist areas in Acapulco, Zihuatanejo, Taxco,
and Ixtapa.
Michoacan state – Do Not Travel
Do not travel due to crime and kidnapping.
Crime and violence are widespread in Michoacan state.
Travel for U.S. government employees is limited to the following areas with the noted restrictions:
Federal Highway 15D: U.S. government employees may travel on Federal Highway 15D to transit the state between Mexico City and Guadalajara.
Morelia: U.S. government employees may travel by air and by land using Federal Highways 43 or 48D from Federal Highway 15D.
Lazaro Card##as: U.S. government employees must travel by air only and limit activities to the city center or port areas.
To view a map of the restricted areas, visit https://mx.usembassy.gov/maps-of-restricted-areas
U.S. government employees may not travel to other areas of the state of Michoacan, including the portions of the Monarch Butterfly Reserve located in
Michoacan.
[Edited on 10-22-2024 by mtgoat666]
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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WideAngleWandering
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| Quote: Originally posted by chippy | You can pop the top. I do with my alu cab camper. You park topsides on the deck. Fresh air,starlink and access to my fridge make it my prefered
ferry . |
Despite the conversation i had with the cargo dude...
They put me on the ramp!
This is going to suck lol. Chippy you're on my chit list
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chippy
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That does suck! I've always asked for and been put up on the deck.
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WideAngleWandering
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I am pretty tired but it was kinda nice sleeping out on the deck of the ship. OK the sleep sucked but watching the moon and the stars while gently
rocked from side to side wasn't bad.
I talked to lots of truck drivers about my plans. I am getting a lot of inconsistent advice from people on the ground.
The common thread seems to be that so many rural places have been destabilized that it is purely a matter of luck if I head for a beach and a mala
onda takes notice of me drivng by and calls his friends. Robbery and theft are the concerns.
I dunno. This feels very different from how people deacribed the route 2 years ago.
I think this means I am going to stick to the tollway to get to Oaxaca. I'll keep talking to people and maaaaybe do a coastal drove on the way back.
Now, to spend the night in Mazatlan or Sayulita ....
[Edited on 2024-10-22 by WideAngleWandering]
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mtgoat666
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Stick to the main highways. Don't boondock is areas you don't know.
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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chippy
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| Quote: Originally posted by WideAngleWandering | I am pretty tired but it was kinda nice sleeping out on the deck of the ship. OK the sleep sucked but watching the moon and the stars while gently
rocked from side to side wasn't bad.
I talked to lots of truck drivers about my plans. I am getting a lot of inconsistent advice from people on the ground.
The common thread seems to be that so many rural places have been destabilized that it is purely a matter of luck if I head for a beach and a mala
onda takes notice of me drivng by and calls his friends. Robbery and theft are the concerns.
I dunno. This feels very different from how people deacribed the route 2 years ago.
I think this means I am going to stick to the tollway to get to Oaxaca. I'll keep talking to people and maaaaybe do a coastal drove on the way back.
Now, to spend the night in Mazatlan or Sayulita ....
[Edited on 2024-10-22 by WideAngleWandering] |
If you're gonna take toll roads then Sayulita isn't a very good option. You can now take the Tepic bypass and the Guadalajara bypass and save a ton of
time.
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WideAngleWandering
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Greetings from Sinaloa. After not getting much sleep last night I decided to rest up in Mazatlan rather than sayulita. On the plus side it is a
gorgeous city and I really like the Olas Altas neighborhood. I have a room with AC and a view of the sea and I got a decent meal (cargo ship slop was
not great).
On the downside it is hot and humid and I've already been beheaded twice.
[Edited on 2024-10-22 by WideAngleWandering]
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WideAngleWandering
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| Quote: Originally posted by chippy |
If you're gonna take toll roads then Sayulita isn't a very good option. You can now take the Tepic bypass and the Guadalajara bypass and save a ton of
time. |
I am thinking about taking the toll roads to Morelia and then dropping down to the coast.
I hear the roads near Puerto Vallarta are in very rough shape from storm damage. While I can traverse most roads and trails I don't wanna spend a ton
of time doing it.
I think that would just leave Acapulco as a challenge to navigate.
Now to put this against a calendar and see if i can put together a set of destinations that are achievable. Whatever route I take I am going to plan
it out more than I usually would rather than freewheel it.
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soulpatch
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Chippy has solid advice.
Take the toll roads and burn kilometers and meet your friends.
That road south of Vallarta can be a drag.
The toll roads from the Tepic bypass are great and on into Vallarta but, man, it can be ok or just slow south of there.
Those hills south of Vallarta drain a lot of water across that road.
I do love Mazatlan, it is a great place to hang and I've done a lot of running there, even in the summer when it's warm.
After getting hot-stopped there we used Ubers for most transpo....easier and safer and I didn't risk anything.
Sleep is good when your churning out distance.
Hopefully you clear the rest of Sinaloa with zero problems.
I know we sure breathed much easier once we entered Nayarit.
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WideAngleWandering
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Hot stopped? Not familiar with the term. I'm guessing that's a corrupt police stop? Story?
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AKgringo
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I haven't driven on the mainland since a Nov of 07 trip to Manzanillo, Melaque and surrounding areas. From what I am hearing on this thread, it
sounds like things have changed a bit!
For what it is worth, I broke down south of Mulege last April and got towed into Loreto to a mechanic the truck driver recommended. That mechanic,
and the one two doors down the road who rebuilt my alternator, were from Oaxaca. They had left the place they grew up in because they felt safer and
freer in Baja.
I am not liking what I am reading here, but I would probably be doing the same thing that W.A.W is right now to meet up with the right people!
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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WideAngleWandering
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I am hearing that the real issue with my coastal drive plans is Hurricane John that really messed up the roads a few weeks ago. Since I am on a
mission I am pivoting to the mountains.
So new plan:
Mazatlan -> Tequila (or maybe Amatitan)
Tequila -> Uruapan (visit Paracho)
Uruapan -> Patzcuaro (visit Santa Clara de Cobre)
Patzcuaro -> Oaxaca (with an overnight somewhere halfway)
[Edited on 2024-10-23 by WideAngleWandering]
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soulpatch
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I've been hot stopped twice in Mexico.
Once in Mazatlan which was not too long ago where we were looking for parking in the Golden Zone.
3 guys up ahead of us pulled their car into a space up in front of us blocking the road with the rear of their unmarked vehicle, got out and proceeded
to stand in the road with their side arms raised to the side but their fingers not outside the trigger guards,
They were wearing jeans and t-shirts and motioned for us to stop.
Naturally, we did.
They asked us if the truck was ours, who were we, wanted to see if we had phones with WhatsApp on them and then used an app on their phones to run our
VIN and compare it to our registration.
They started to explain they were police so I joked a bit about working for many years with good cops when I was a professional firefighter.
Once they confirmed the truck was ours and we were us they said they were concerned that we were Nayarit cartel as our truck has Nayarit placas.
Since we were headed to dinner right after that we smoothed it all out with some beers and caballitos.
The other time was in San Miguel de Allende about a year and a half ago and multiple marked cars pulled up in front of, to the side and behind me and
told me to pull over.
Two cops looked at me kind of confused but approached me with side arms out.
The ones behind us got out and stood behind their doors.
They ran the usual checks and then told me that a vehicle like mine had just been used in an armed robbery in centro.
That was that.
For sure the cops in SMA were cops.
The ones in Maz? That's what they said.
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