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T

The Limey

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Joined
Jun 11, 2008
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62
I hope to do a 18 month tour of the US , Canada , Mexico

I?ve heard quite a few horror stories about Mexico is it that bad also is the cost of living in Canada &  Mexico the same as America.

If I can do America on $2000 / $3000 per month  will it cost more or less in Canada & Mexico I know this is like asking how long is a bit of string.

Things like are camp sites cheaper in Mexico , gas prices , food etc also any security tips on where not to go.


Regards and thankyou for you help Paul
 
As much as I hate to say it, Mexico is very bad right now, especially on or near the US border.  The government is locked in a near civil war with the narco-gangsters and the gangsters are killing each other.  Just off the top of my head, Baja California de Norte, Sinaloa, and Guerrera and the area around Juarez are pretty hairy right now. The upper middle class is moving out of Baja to the San Diego to avoid the wave of kidnappings in Tijuana.   If you go, go with a lead caravan.  Also you will need good Mexican insurance in the best of times and places.  US or any foreign insurance will not do.   Fuel and general cost of living in Mexico has traditionally been cheaper than the USA or Canada.   

Canada is nice.

The length of a piece of string is twice the distance from one end to the center.

 
Paul,

Mexico is a huge country, so it's hard to generalize. You could check out our RVing outside the USA message board for some prior discussions.

There were some relatively recent reports of people getting held up, robbed, kidnapped, or whatever by banditos in some border towns. Some perennial Mexican visitors, including some tour guides, decided to call it quits and not go back. We postponed a planned visit to Mexico last winter, thinking we'd wait until the dust settles.

Carl makes a good point about going with a caravan. Safety in numbers I guess.

Check out our Trip reports, journals & logs message board and the Trip reports area of our library for some great reports from forum members who have spent time south of the border.
 
Thanx Carl & Tom

It sounds like the story's are true about Mexico don't get me wrong I still want to go , I may have to link up with a caravan .


Last time I was in South Africa they were fitting flamethrowers to cars to prevent car jackings so mexico cant be as bad as that I hope  :eek:.

Thx again guys for the info Paul 
 
... they were fitting flamethrowers to cars to prevent car jackings so mexico cant be as bad as that I hope
Click to expand...

Nah, they use machine guns down there. Much more civilized.
 
As an ex-limey and living fairly close to the Mexican border (40 miles away in So. CA), I wouldn't venture there right now, not across my local border crossings, anyway.  There have been the occasional report(s) as Tom mentioned, kidnapping, robbery etc. but they are few and far between.  If they were that rampant we would here of them, I'm sure, on our local TV news.  I recently Googled ' Mexico kidnappings' and tried to verify how bad the situation was, but did'nt come up with a whole lot  Nevertheless, it's not really somehwere I would like to visit by road at this moment.  If you still have the urge, when you get here, leave the MH at a campsite and take 3/4/7 day cruise out of LA or San Diego.  They are fairly cheap, run virtually everyday, 365 and you get the best of both worlds.  Still, there is plenty to see this side of the border and even 18 mos. may not be long enough.

A couple of years ago I toured a small portion of Western BC, Canada.  That took a month and I barely scratched the surface of BC, let alone the other Provences.

BT

 
Thanx for the info BT

With a bit of luck things might change by the time I get out there 


Paul
 
Carl L said:
...

The length of a piece of string is twice the distance from one end to the center.
Click to expand...

Is this some secret handshake kind of thing?  ???  ???  ???
 
I live in El Paso, and I would not recommend an RV trip south of the border right now.  As the others have mentioned, there is a power struggle going on right now between the cartels and the govt.  While most civilians who arent' involved in any of this aren't generally bothered, you could find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time.  I venture into Juarez just long enough to go to the dentist, and then right back over the bridge.  The wife and I used to go down for dinner at least once or twice a month....not any more.  The Juarez police (mostly corrupt) are being gunned down daily.  The Mexican military are patrolling the streets of Juarez right now to try to stabilize the situation....but don't seem to be making any headway.  It fortunately hasn't spilled over into El Paso.

But to give you an idea of the severity, one kingpin has announced that he is going after Felipe Calderon personally....and wishes to take the reigns of the govt by force.  What you have right now is a situation not unlike Al Capone with Chicago.  Half of the govt are on the drug lord's payrolls.

There's plenty to see on this side of the river.  Now would be a good time to do that. 
 
Hi Frizlefrak

Thankyou for the warning I may just have to give it a miss ..............shame I was looking foward to going but hey as you said there's plenty to see on the US side of the border.


Paul
 
To this point, I don't see much response regarding Canada.  It too is a VERY large contry in which you could easily spend the entire 18 months, but only if you have a coach that is fully winterized.  It is over 3,000 miles (5,000 kms) coast to coast, and you'll never get to the northern coast, although you can get up quite far, and that's a great Motor Home trip, up to Whitehorse.  We're 20 to 25% vlarger with half the population, so there is a lot of natural undevelopped areas.  Gas, booze and smokes are definately more expensive, but food and campsites are likely cheaper.  I'm sure you'll find lots to do over here.
 
Thanx Hfx_Cdn
I keep forgetting how big your country is + Canada I don't expect to see it all only the very best bits and thankyou for the info


Paul
 
If you want to see the best, then you had best plan on coming East.  The four Atlantic Provinces can easily entertain you for months, there is just so much to see, or as we say it in Nova Scotia "so much to sea".
 
The Limey said:
Hi Frizlefrak

Thankyou for the warning I may just have to give it a miss ..............shame I was looking foward to going but hey as you said there's plenty to see on the US side of the border.

Paul
Click to expand...

There is some comfort to be had that a lot of Mexican culture is found north of the border.  In particular you can find it in full bloom in towns like El Paso, Tucson, AZ, and Los Angeles and San Diego, CA.   New Mexico is a special case, they have a well developed Spanish/Mexican/Indian culture that goes back into the 17th and 18th centuries.  The state is worth a visit all by itself.  In fact, if I were you, I would give New Mexico the time you would have given Old Mexico.



 
There's just so much to do and not enough time  :(I wish you could get a 5 year visa I also love blues music muddy waters , john lee hooker , robert johnson so I have to visit some blues and jazz clubs.


Thanx for tips guys I will have to start making a list ,  would just like to say thanx to the whole forum for the welcome and the help you have given me.

Paul 
 
If you like blues, keep an eye out in any of the towns you visit....lots of small towns have music in their parks. Watch the local papers.

Wendy
 
Thanx Guys
I will put them on my list I do play at bit myself  :D Wendy but I will not get the guitar out till I go boondocking as I would hate to spoil someones vacation  ;D


Paul
 
I know there are music camp outs all across both Canada and the US, all at various time of the year, and most types of music.  For example, coming home from the cottage today, we saw a bluegrass get together just breaking up.  I'm sure that you could plan several weeks of entertainment by searching the web, and looking on the map.,
 
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