The wife told me the other day when checking out at Walmart... the lady behind her was taking things out of her cart... they start talking and the
lady says "we just have to cut back on how much we spend"...
And the amount of sq./Ft of commercial is like HUGE ... the malls are dead, as are the strip malls... many of the tenants can't make it go... if ya
ain't got folks coming in spending money...
My neighbor, who runs is own set of double for hauling rock ... dirt ... etc hasn't worked in over two years.. another retired early as there was no
work, used to rehab commercial buildings all over ... high end company out of Beverly Hills ... no work.. many other examples of American workers
without jobs.. hence no money for vacations... down to Mexico... or many, many other places
When in Prescott AZ, about a month ago, we met more foreign folks that US .. a group motorcycle tour from Germany, about 25 people.. another group
from England.. also doing the motorcycle tour of the Southwest ....
"When in Prescott AZ, about a month ago, we met more foreign folks that US .. a group motorcycle tour from Germany, about 25 people.. another group
from England.. also doing the motorcycle tour of the Southwest ...."
Think you kinda made the point against your original supposition. It's not so much money as it is security. The Germans were here, across the pond.
But, they weren't in Mexico. Just sayin'.
Originally posted by bajalou
Europeans flood that part of the southwest every summer.
yeah, like they'll feel secure spending their Euro's right now. People outside
of Mexico see and feel the tough economic times faced everywhere by almost everyone. For some reason Mexico feels like they are being unfairly picked
on and haven't at all accepted there has been a true economic shift. Shift to what... don't really know yet because all the economies are truly
co-dependent. It is too bad the major cruise lines bailed out of some ports of Mexico. Mexico could blame them instead of the press, but Mexicans
are used to conspiracy theories, not economic ones.
[Edited on 6-27-2011 by Woooosh]
\"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing\"
1961- JFK to Canadian parliament (Edmund Burke)
I remember years ago when the Zapatistas raised cane in Chiapas, there were all kinds of warnings and the tourist avoided the place. Oaxaca at that
time was a tourist haven.
Than, Oaxaca had it's issues with APPO a few year back, and the tourist abandoned Oaxaca. I happened to spend a month in San Cristobal de Las Casa's
that summer and the tourist had all flocked back to Chiapas. There were little Zapatista dolls and souvenirs every where. People were fascinated with
what had happened during the uprising and it had become a big tourist attraction.
Although Oaxaca is yet to completely recover from 2006, still last summer there were more tourist than I have seen since before the APPO show.
I believe economy permitting someday the tourist will return in Mexico. It will most likely be after the Drug wars settle down.
Meanwhile, I guess people can go visit Vietnam, I understand that has become a major tourist attraction. Back in the 60's & 70's. who would have
thought?
Originally posted by Woooosh
"9% lower than the same period in 2010... One of the reasons international tourism has stopped coming is the perception of insecurity."
When I did my outbrief in Bagdad, yep that Bagdad, I told the folks I had a drive/fishing trip down Baja planned when I got back to San Diego. The
Iraqis and Americans were both surprised and told me they thought Mexico was too dangerous. Even in Bagdad the news of 'dangerous Mexico' is pretty
common and accepted.
yes, Ed, i remember you telling us that story and it is indeed amazing that in IRAQ, they consider Baja dangerous !!!! Just incredible how much
damage those druglords are causing ..... they are relatively in such a small part of such a huge country, but boy, the repercussions are just
astounding. Heck ... the Iraquis are afraid !!
Originally posted by BajaBlanca
yes, Ed, i remember you telling us that story and it is indeed amazing that in IRAQ, they consider Baja dangerous !!!! Just incredible how much
damage those druglords are causing ..... they are relatively in such a small part of such a huge country, but boy, the repercussions are just
astounding. Heck ... the Iraquis are afraid !!
Actually, Blanca, they are everywhere in the country. It is the second largest industry and source of revenues in Mexico. It is a very organized
activity designed to move, transport and sell drugs on the streets of every town in Mexico. Every town has somebody in the drug trade in charge of
the street peddlers, even every town in Baja. Even in La Bocana. You just don't move in those circles so you are unaware of what is going on.
Originally posted by BajaBlanca
yes, Ed, i remember you telling us that story and it is indeed amazing that in IRAQ, they consider Baja dangerous !!!! Just incredible how much
damage those druglords are causing ..... they are relatively in such a small part of such a huge country, but boy, the repercussions are just
astounding. Heck ... the Iraquis are afraid !!
Actually, Blanca, they are everywhere in the country. It is the second largest industry and source of revenues in Mexico. It is a very organized
activity designed to move, transport and sell drugs on the streets of every town in Mexico. Every town has somebody in the drug trade in charge of
the street peddlers, even every town in Baja. Even in La Bocana. You just don't move in those circles so you are unaware of what is going on.
"You just don't move in those circles so you are unaware of what is going on"... and that tenuous separation is the only thing keeping Mexico from
going completely down the tubes. Just today: Police Chief near Monterrey killed in his office, 80 migrants hauled off trains by the Zetas for
execution like the N-zis did (well- the N-zis didn't make them fight each other to the death in Gladiator battles like the Zetas do), and yet another
video of TJ police torturing a man (suffocating him with a plastic bag). It is hard to imagine how Mexico can get control of all this twisted
violence.
\"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing\"
1961- JFK to Canadian parliament (Edmund Burke)
Originally posted by Woooosh
"9% lower than the same period in 2010... One of the reasons international tourism has stopped coming is the perception of insecurity."
When I did my outbrief in Bagdad, yep that Bagdad, I told the folks I had a drive/fishing trip down Baja planned when I got back to San Diego. The
Iraqis and Americans were both surprised and told me they thought Mexico was too dangerous. Even in Bagdad the news of 'dangerous Mexico' is pretty
common and accepted.
EdZ KG6UTS
OB, Borrego and Baja
I could relate to your story Ed. I have a very good friend who is an Iraq Chaldean( Christian non-Muslim) who use to car pool with me at times. He use
to be scared of Tijuana, and thought war torn Iraq was much safer! After a few trips to Tijuana/Baja with me he didn't think it was dangerous at all.
He use to get a kick that he could pass himself off as Mexican, although a few Mexicans figured out he was Arab. And I was always amazed at the border
check point where the Border Patrol agents didn't bat an eye he was from Iraq and always let him pass right through with maybe two or three questions
at most.
I guess when you actually visit or live in those places like Tijuana or Baghdad it's really not scary at all and you wonder what all the fuss is
about. However, if you only depend on the news which is often sensationalized you get a different sense how those places are actually are because the
news often portrays Baghdad and Tijuana as war zone with bodies lying all over the place.
----
Over in the Tijuana tourism front the Chamber of Commerce.
Julián Palombo Saucedo, vicepresidente de turismo is feeling quite optimistic about local tourism to Tijuana this summer and the 4th of July from
neighboring US states close to the border, California, Arizona, and Nevada. Palombo said there is an increased presence of gringo tourism, although
it's still predominately Hispanic or Mexican, and he probably means Mexican-American too, and they come and visit places like Hidalgo market, the
Mercado de Artesanías, The Tijuana Cultural Center, and the many fine restaurants in the area. I could probably think of a few other places they
didn't mention in the article. He also mentioned a large influx of tourists visiting Tijuana when they come to drop off or pick up relatives or
friends at the airport.
I don't think these people care about truth in numbers, they don't even have Calderon's current tourist numbers being down 9% from last year. This is
the same people who brought us the "Rosarito Gringos in Paradise" video series...
I'll save you some time... They blame the media, 99 percent of people killed are in the drug trade and the gang fighting in the hills of TJ has no
impact on the tourist sectors. These guys get paid to talk- so you have to excuse them if they are content-deprived.
[Edited on 6-29-2011 by Woooosh]
\"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing\"
1961- JFK to Canadian parliament (Edmund Burke)
I don't think these people care about truth in numbers, they don't even have Calderon's current tourist numbers being down 9% from last year. This is
the same people who brought us the "Rosarito Gringos in Paradise" video series...
I'll save you some time... They blame the media, 99 percent of people killed are in the drug trade and the gang fighting in the hills of TJ has no
impact on the tourist sectors. These guys get paid to talk- so you have to excuse them if they are content-deprived.
[Edited on 6-29-2011 by Woooosh]
Does it really bother you Wooosh seeing it's not the American tourists who are dying in high numbers in drug related Mexican cartel activity?
Somebody has to counter all the negative stories about violence in Mexico. I don't know of anybody in Southern California who has a casual knowledge
of Tijuana, Baja, or other place in Mexico, and hasn't heard the stories about the violence and thinks the border cities are extremely dangerous. I
have had people who have limited knowledge about Mexico tell me that I must be insane because I like to visit Mexico and the border areas. ( of course
many people believe I'm insane anyway)
The job of a tourist board or agency is to promote tourism. They could let others like the sensationalized newspapers give all the gory details of
cartel violence and heads hanging from the bridges, and they have the US State department to warn them also.
Frankly I don't know what Woooosh and his ilk want from tourist agencies who get paid to promote tourism? Life goes on. It's not violence all the time
in Baja especially during the day in the tourists hot spots.
I think guys like Woooosh get confused over their problems living in Baja, and believe the casual day tourists will face the same problems that
Woooosh may have. Sorry Woooosh but you probably face a 500 percent greater danger of getting shot, mugged, or kidnapped than the typical day tourist
that comes to Baja.
"Sorry Woooosh but you probably face a 500 percent greater danger of getting shot, mugged, or kidnapped than the typical day tourist that comes to
Baja."
Yup, that's a pro-tourism and "It's Safe to Visit TJ/Rosarito" platform if I ever heard one. I'm no longer considered a tourist in Mexico- so if me
or another from the 12,000 strong expat community here get knocked-off, you likely won't read about it- it's considered "local interest". right?
I've had an extortion, car theft, carjack attempt and two kidnap attempts here. That's not bad for six years really, some of my neighbors have gone
through worse, much worse. So long as there are real estate and hotel driven tourist boards who get paid to twist the truth and numbers- there will
be people like me to point it out to them. That's how it works- right? Fair and balanced? nope.
I'll bet the next thing the Tourist Board says is "Please Feed the $1 an hour Parking Meters of Rosarito". geeesh. They don't even consider the
economic factors contributing to the tourism decline.
[Edited on 6-29-2011 by Woooosh]
\"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing\"
1961- JFK to Canadian parliament (Edmund Burke)
Originally posted by Woooosh
"Sorry Woooosh but you probably face a 500 percent greater danger of getting shot, mugged, or kidnapped than the typical day tourist that comes to
Baja."
We've been going to Baja since 65 with some big breaks for kid raising etc. I guess the thing we do is be mannerly, speak at least enough of the
language, and avoid the 'party venues'. Now that I have no hair color, well maybe three...red /gray/gone, we don't look like threats or targets of
opportunity.
Originally posted by Woooosh
I've had an extortion, car theft, carjack attempt and two kidnap attempts here. That's not bad for six years really, some of my neighbors have
gone through worse, much worse.
[Edited on 6-29-2011 by Woooosh]
Woooosh, Your comments about what has happened to you and your neighbors has given me so much food for thought. I am so, so very sorry that you have
had to deal with such awful things. It is a wonder you don't pack up and move.
Really, I don't know how you deal with it. I have always been so blessedly oblivious to the violence of our little planet. I know it goes on around
me, but honestly your comments are about as close as I have ever personally come in contact with it.
Please know, I do not make light of your misfortune. It does make me aware that life is not all roses and daisy's. Again, I am so, so sorry that
these things happen.
[Edited on 6-30-2011 by Eli]
[Edited on 7-1-2011 by Eli]
BajaNomad » Baja News » Calderon won't make his tourism goal: 2011 numbers 9% lower than the same period in 2010.
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People outside
of Mexico see and feel the tough economic times faced everywhere by almost everyone. For some reason Mexico feels like they are being unfairly picked
on and haven't at all accepted there has been a true economic shift. Shift to what... don't really know yet because all the economies are truly
co-dependent. It is too bad the major cruise lines bailed out of some ports of Mexico. Mexico could blame them instead of the press, but Mexicans
are used to conspiracy theories, not economic ones.