Thanksgiving 2021 - Change Of Vacation Plans (Not Going To Zacatecas)

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Here's hoping everyone is enjoying the holiday and of course Black Friday!  We're thankful for all our friends present and past and also for the opportunity to RV with so many people who like being on wheels and who have taught us so much over the years.  There are so many memories to recount of times spent in Veracruz, Hacienda Contreras, San Miguel de Allende, Texas, and all the places in between.  Let's hope we can put the pandemic behind us this next year and move with a bit more freedom and see some of you again.  We're itching to go to Spain and France and many other destinations.  Happy Thanksgiving!

We planned on going to Zacatecas on our Christmas vacation and then to San Miguel de Allende.  All that has changed.  There is a cartel war going on in Zacatecas.  The government is sending 3800 national guard and army soldiers to the area.  We were wanting to spend a week at the Sierra de Organos Natl Park but it is in the middle of the triangle.  You can see the statistics below in the two charts.  

We're not concerned about being shot but during these continuous battles, there is an increase in carjackings, extortion, and bribes as they need money to do their thing.  They are also using the homemade monster tanks that they create using heavy-duty dually pickup plated with armor.  For kicks, I called the national park office and said nothing other than asking if they were open to campers.  He advised me it was a no-go for overnight stays.

Zacatecas is in first place for murders, 440 in just two months, 11.2 per 100,000.

This graph shows the states with the highest homicide rates with Zacatecas first followed by Baja California, Colima, Guanajuato, Chihuahua, and Sonora.

You might be wondering what is going on.  Zacatecas is bordered by eight states which makes it easier to escape with their merchandise.  Hwy 54 runs from Manzanillo on the coast to Tamaulipas on the eastside.  Manzanillo as a port has ships sailing back and forth from China bringing in raw materials used for the production of fentanyl and other chemical-based drugs.  The dispute is between cartels over territory.    Interestingly enough, the ex-governor is now a senator and his brother is the current governor while another is the mayor of a large Zacatecan city with the highest number of shootings and murders.  

That won't stop us, we'll just go somewhere else.  It might be best to take the RV to San Miguel and while we are at our new house we can park it nearby or at San Ramon Rv Park hopefully at a very low storage rate.  There are plenty of places in Queretaro to RV such as Peña de Bernal and Amealco de Bonfil, both pueblos magicos.

We left the keys for the painter, actually a friend of ours.  He sent pictures of the work he has completed on the doors, closets, and door trim.  The color was the best we could do and it is much better than the mustard yellow that was originally there.  All the houses in this development had the same ugly color.  We're shopping for a refrigerator and a gently used dining room set.  All the lighting was installed last week before we left so things are shaping up.  We're excited to finish so that we can have visitors.  

We didn't celebrate Thanksgiving again this year.  However, I couldn't help but do something.  Yesterday I stuffed a chicken and made a truly delicious cauliflower casserole that comes from a Keto diet program.  I'm not on keto, but I made this before and it was really good. 

Thursday we head to McAllen to get a booster shot and do a short shopping list, mostly vitamins from Costco.  We want to limit our contact during the holidays so we will shop early a.m.  We'll spend the night and then come home.  I need my reading glasses from the Dollar Store.  I can order them online, but they have a minimum purchase of 100 pairs per order.  Still, it's only $100 USD but then what do I do with 100 pairs of glasses that are 1.75 magnification?