U.K. Count Down - And - The Aftermath Statistics

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

We purchased our tickets last month.   We're taking an almost six-week trip to the U.K.  The plan is to spend a few days in London to get our bearings before picking up a car and heading out.  We will be visiting Wales, Scotland, and hopefully Ireland.  I'm sure it's not enough time, but none of us have enough of that anymore.  I've planned a southern route through Wales and then up the West coast of England to Scotland.  I need to check directly with the car rental, as there are many restrictions that require prior approval, plus a certificate for the ferry, along with additional fees.  

Some of the sights we plan on seeing in London, the first few days are Buckingham Palace, Picadilly Square, Harrods, to name a few, and when we return to London, the British Museum and the Natural History Museum.  We will be visiting two national parks, and hopefully, we will do some hiking there as well.  On our route, we hope to visit Stonehenge, take the ferry across the Mersey, and stop at Tiger Bay.  We're really excited about the trip.

Driving will be a learning curve, but they say it's best to start out in traffic and you can just follow along.  Makes sense until we get to a roundabout, that might be a challenge.  Food is another one.  Maybe I'll take off a few pounds.  Our trips to Spain and Italy proved to be healthy.  We were in the 14,000 to 22,000 step range.  I'm not sure what to expect when the fare includes beans on toast, bangers and mash, bubble and squeak, kidney pie, and so on.  I know we'll do well and we are anxious to try all the local fare.

Everyone is well aware by now of what went down with the cartels.  It was a complete disaster that could have been avoided had they never created Abrazos No Balazos.  Its affect has been devastating to both daily life as well as the economy.  

Stolen Cars

The economic impact of that one day:

$115,000,000 USD, 1 MILLION BUSINESSES AFFECTED, 4.8 MILLION EMPLOYEES (Businness adjusting their schedules, logistics routes slowing down, consumption postponed, and a perception of risk that makes everyday life more expensive)

Number of states affected in the 252 highway blocks that included burning commercial vehicles.

55 deaths (I believe it is as high as 70) that included soldiers from the Guardia Nacional.

In Puerto Vallarta alone, 200 cars were burned, 40 stores were destroyed, and this doesn't include the commercial vehicles and delivery trucks that were burned on highways.  In addition, there was looting not only by locals but by Americans and Canadians.  Be it a dozen or a hundred, it was an embarrassing display.

Insurance companies have announced that they will not provide new coverage for all vehicles in Jalisco, Michoacán, Colima, Guerrero, Aguascalientes, Guanajuato, Nayarit, and Zacatecas.  Good luck to those who may have a car in Mexico, be it on a TIP or plated in a Mexican state.  The rules are changing as the days pass.

Here at home, Operativo Gran Muralla (Great Wall) was implemented.  People were told to shelter in place.  Santiago was empty on what is usually a busy tourist day.  We had highway blockages in Linares, Allende, China, and General Bravo.  People were turned back as they entered the highways to Reynosa.  They were fools if they tried.

In the end, things have calmed down, but don't hold your breath.  As the cartels reorganize, renewed fighting will take place.  

The word on social media is that foreigners were never in danger, so many have continued their vacations.  These same people say how safe Mexico is if you are a foreigner.  I'm sure if it is a lack of morals or values, however, it shows very little respect for Mexican and the amount of death and damage that has occurred not only recently but over the last seven years.  The problem again is the language barrier.  Talk to local Mexicans, not those who cater to tourists, and ask them about disappearances, murders, and all the children buried out in rural areas.  The emotional and financial effects are devastating. 

Maybe tourists should spend a couple of weeks in Kyiv if they are so sure that they will not be in danger.  

Nix Finding A Good Van - People Who Have Disappeared

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

First things first.  We've been looking daily for a van we could convert into a van camper (Class B).  The search has been long, arduous, and fruitless.  Many of the vans have been imported and were imported during the period of AMLO.   Those laws were then deemed illegal and now that AMLO is gone you may own a vehicle with Mexican plates but crossing the border back into Mexico from the U.S. could imply confiscation.  

We had this beauty picked out and decided it was time for a formal inspection.  The van was perfect from the cosmetic side.  The van was used to transport construction workers who remodel KFCs and Pizza Huts.  These two restaurants are usually pair in the same building, and it is a Mexican corporation.  The van owner is a contractor and a very nice person.  The van was paneled in the back with "multipanel," a foam insulation product sandwiched between two sheets of laminate.  The floor has 3/4 inch plywood and rubber matting.  Looked good to me.  I drove it and drove quite well. 

We asked the owner if we could take it to the dealership for a complete inspection.  It was there for a day and a half. We received the final answer and were able to draw some conclusions.  The transmission is bad, and to find out, they would have to open it.  Upon opening, if parts are broken (I don't know jack about a transmission other than Park, Reverse) they would not put the transmission back together but change it out at $2000 to $3000 USD.  Other issues were suspension.  Not sure how I didn't notice these things on the very short drive.  

Conclusion:  The vans we looked at in person and online were beat to sh-- on the interior.  That was a dead giveaway.  This particular van, it is now obvious that it was paneled, floored, and covered up any damage.  In the end, purchasing a van for remodeling here in Mexico is out of the question.  Look at how the delivery trucks and vans drive when delivering snack foods, packages, Coca-Cola, etc. They have no respect for the vehicle, and the companies do no maintenance.  They drive them into the ground and then pass them on.  The same holds true with city buses.   

The red buses are gasoline and belong to the EcoVia route, which is a dedicated center lane on a few major avenues and requires an exclusive chipped card for the route.  The green buses are the new electric buses but have been damaged and abandoned.  Why?  Drivers beat the shit out of these buses on streets that are in disrepair and full of potholes, racing with other bus drivers to gain more passengers.

Next topic, and one that we find very disturbing.  Disappearances.  For those who know our area of Los Cavazoa, the highway has five walking bridges taking tourists back and forth.  Last week, there was a blitz by Las Madres Buscadores (mothers who have formed groups to find their missing children), and they are papering the cities with flyers looking for their loved ones.  The government has attempted to cover up over 100,000 missing persons (actually many more).  The government has now decided to remove missing persons from the lists if there is missing information; missing second last name, address, age, etc. or basic information.  

If you can, zoom in on the flyers.  The majority are young people who ended up being recruited against their will to work for cartels, sold into sex slavery, and we now know, unvoluntary organ donors. 

The people in these pictures are dead, will never be found and never will they return home.  Yet, people run around saying how safe Mexico is, but always ask on forums and FB pages about "how safe" a route is.  I wish no ill will to travelers, but take precautions and be safe.