Date:         Mon, 14 Jan 2008 08:45:11 -0800
Reply-To:     Pensioner <al_knoll@PACBELL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Pensioner <al_knoll@PACBELL.NET>
Subject:      Vanagon travels in Mexico
In-Reply-To:  <200801140944.m0E9iOUC009737@flpi094.prodigy.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Pretty clear from the consensus that you need to masquerade as a fine
upstanding peaceloving Canadian citizen, or have the proper heritage.
Display a CDN flag on your backpack your car your skinnydippin suit.  Carry
a few dozen loonies/two-nies with you just to enhance the masquerade, a
roots canadian olympic beanie or Edmonton Oilers jacket can add to the
costume.

I'd rather travel in MX than Uzbekistan Zaire Columbia Nigeria or even
Quebec (my quebequoise is awful, my spanish is tolerable and often perceived
as slightly humorous by those I meet in MX)

Insofar as high value cars as someone mentioned, In OUR opinion Vanagons are
high value cars.

Travel in the company of the wise, Mark, Dan, Benny, Frank, and learn from
them.

Read the Peoples Guide to Mexico and other publications from Carl Franz and
Lorena Havens.  Keep your fancy stuff discreetly hidden, don't do stupid
things.  Be gracious and humble, smile a lot and you will do fine.  A suntan
helps.  Separate your money into the main stash and the walkin cash.

Fer gawds sake don't be an ugly american or a tall poppy.

Yes crime is definitely on the upswing especially in BCN.  No more than
Philadelphia though, or East LA or even Stockton, CA.  All scary places.
Unless we have incidents on a per/tourist basis, most of this conjecture
about BCN is just that.  But remember only you are responsible for your and
yours, safety wise.  No 911 in the backcountry or the bordercountry.

Yes officer, I only use that Machete for firewood when I'm camping...

Buen Viaje y vaya con vanagon...

tiotimoteo, el buen computador, el viajero mas anejo, el camionero pobre...