Date:         Mon, 29 Mar 2010 07:37:58 -0700
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: HIJACKED!!!!
In-Reply-To:  <227F45B040484BAA83AF7AA550AE5629@ZoltanPC>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

  Baja is generally 'safer' than the mainland, but not so near the northern
border with the US.  We've traveled extensively around in Baja for years.
Recently it's become our practice to not ever camp "remote" within 300 miles
of the border and to not camp anywhere near the Baja 1 highway without
plenty of other people around.  We now travel only during daytime and we
keep our eyes open for possible banditos, who've always been a problem in
Mexico.

   Bajenos blame the mainlanders for the increased crime in Baja.  One must
try to understand the culture..the essential Macho mindset that comes with
mainland Mexicans.   An insightful book about the Sierra Madre region of the
mainland and the way life is there is called "The Middle Finger of God"
Written by an 'adventure traveler' who's idea was  to traverse the Sierra
Madre mountain region of NW mainland Mexico, he 'catches' the essence of the
culture there quite well, in that recently -written  book.

  Even before this "Mexican Mafia Drug Cartel war" there were fairly
frequent incidents of car-jacking and robbery in Sonora..  It's too bad,
cause Mexico is  a great place for the most part.

  Don Hanson

>
>>
>> Same thing happened to friends on mine last year in Baja (two different
>> friends, two different episodes). Lost their trucks, ATVs, pretty much
>> everything.
>>
>>
>>
>> Convoys & daylight travel are starting to become a necessity.
>>
>>
>>
>> Jeff
>>
>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>
>> When convoys are a necessary thing I'd have to wonder why I was there, is
>> that still 'fun'?
>>
>>
>>
>> Rob
>>
>> becida@comcast.net
>>
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