From locals down there that I know, the current belief is that the bomb on the ferry was planted by business rivals of the owner of Barco Caribe, the third ferry service between Coz and the mainland. Not that it makes it great, and it was apparently planned to go off when passengers were not in the area (second floor, detonated at the pier). Not downplaying that at all, it's horrible but it does not appear to be narcos from what I am hearing (take it all with a grain o salt). Friends have told me narcos are happy with lax security and aren't likely to make it more difficult to get drugs across. And no known narco gang has taken responsibility, which is what usually happens I take it.

The state dept warning was actually directed only at us govt employees, who were barred from taking the ferry after the incident, as well as what appears to be a direct threat to the embassy.

In general, Mexico in general is under a "level 2" warning which basically means exercise common sense, don't be where you shouldn't, etc. This has been n effect since January. https://travel.state.gov/...-Pages/Mexico.html#/

News like this unfortunately will hurt the island's trade, but primarily because people generally read headlines and don't dig into the actual story.

As for me, I'd travel thru PDC on the ferry to Coz today if my boss would let me :)

Well since digging into the actual story starts with "from locals down there that I know, the current belief is..." I'll stick with the headlines. :)

Or, you could read the link which doesn't say "american tourists warned not to travel there" as the OP does. I'd trust a local over the local rag headline (which is wrong simply by reference to the state dept website) any day

You just used quotation marks to misquote me. Please report to 7th grade English class.

Haha touche. I was too lazy to scroll up to see what you said. Which I admit is really fucking lazy

I think I got the gist of it though :)

No prob.

You have some good perspective on the situation.

Between the noise with COZ and SA, it’s a bad time for exotic IM destinations.

I won't dispute that at all.

Coz is a pretty special place, and i have no problems walking around any neighborhood on that island at any time of night or day (and have). People can avoid the warning by flying direct but that's typically a few hundred $ more, and at least for me from L.A. is a 15 hour trip vs 8 to Cancun with the ferry.

To be completely honest, I am not naive but I always considered tourists in Coz as out of bounds. Cozumelenos are very proud and protective of their island, and know that tourism is the goose that lays the golden egg. That someone (business rival or narco) would place a bomb on a tourist ferry - even if allegedly on the second deck and detonated as people were leaving, but what if it goes off early, or a family decides to stay on the ferry, or... could have been multiple dead - shows both an extreme indifference for life and crosses a line. I will be watching it closely, and if tourists are now seen as legit targets doesn't need to be said that everything changes.

Sorry for the long post, been going there for 20 years, and have friends that live there and run businesses. It would be tragic to me if QR went the way of states like Chiapas, etc.

Jeez, these are the top two IM’s on my list . Cozumel is already paid for. Kona-qualifying races must be survived to get to the big dance...

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DFL > DNF > DNS

Jeez, these are the top two IM’s on my list . Cozumel is already paid for. Kona-qualifying races must be survived to get to the big dance... //

There are always warnings for different spots of Mexico, some of them should be heeded. But this one seems a stretch as they are not targeting US citizens, they have been collateral damage. I would not hesitate one iota if I were going to that area, as with many others in Mexico. More Americans are killed everyday in neighborhoods I have to drive through, probably the same where you live too. All about perspective, but of course fear and terror can be very powerful, which is why they are used as tools in these disputes..

Personally I’d have no qualms flying into CUN and taking the ferry from PDC (and in fact am doing so the week after IM coz, I’d be doing he race again if they didn’t move it).

But you can also fly direct to CZM and avoid that area entirely.

I have just spent 6 months travelling around Mexico and am still here (currently in Izmal, Yucatan). All the places you allegedly shouldn't be. back road, mountain roads, small villages in Sinaloa, Durango, Chiapas, Colima, Jalisco, Baja. We have stayed at something like 110 places all in. Sometimes in gas station car parks, sometimes just next to a river.

We run. Have run through tiny villages, country trails and tracks.

I categorically feel safer here than my home town. Than some places in Canada. Than places in the US. The people are absolutely amazing. We have been offered help whenever need. Had nothing but smiles and waves wherever we have been.

Mexicans rule. Period. If you are not cartel botherers there is very little chance of anything happening to you. It just gets media hyped when it does.

I have two posts on our travels here if you are interested. And some nice pics too.

Baha: https://thisbigroadtrip.com/...-loathing-in-mexico/
Mainland: https://thisbigroadtrip.com/...nd-for-the-mainland/

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https://www.pbandjcoaching.com
https://www.thisbigroadtrip.com

Thanks for the stories, sounds like you are having quite the adventure there. And yes, Mexico and its people are some of the most hospitable I have found in the world too. It is as if helping others gets you karma points, not how much money you can squeeze out of tourists..

And what about that camper, it looks to be a pop up, but I can't find the seam?? It must be from the low profile of the front, it looks super cool and aerodynamic. I travelled Baja for a dozen years in my Northstar pop up and 2500 Dodge diesel stick shift. I truly miss those days, now have to figure out how to navigate Baja with a family and 3 young kids..

Where you off to next???

I don’t believe you. Rapists, drug dealers, bad hombres all of them!

And totally jealous

I just spent a week in Playa and felt very safe the entire time....there was a shooting in town while I was there, but then again, pick your city anywhere in the world and the same thing can/does happen.

Does the State Department issue warnings on the inner cities of America because I'd feel a lot safer in Playa del Carmen than the inner cities of Chicago or Baltimore or a dozen others.

I bicycled around the world and if I listened to every warning about the dangers ahead I would have just locked myself in my house and not left my front door.

Sorry! :)

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https://www.pbandjcoaching.com
https://www.thisbigroadtrip.com

It's a hardshell popup. Other than a tented area at the front. The top half slides down over the bottom half, the seam is just under the XPCamper decal on the side in THIS IMAGE. See the black line that runs to the back? That is the seal. Here is what it looks like with the TOP POPPED.

Our overall route is HERE, but we are heading around the Yucatan coast next before dropping into Belize.

Our is a Cummins stick shift too, a 3500. Great engines! We've met a tone of people travelling with their kids, who seem to love it too. Apparently 'world schooled' rather than just 'home schooled' is now a thing. I think the difference is that there is almost no actual schooling in 'world schooled' :)

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https://www.pbandjcoaching.com
https://www.thisbigroadtrip.com

It's been a couple decades since I toured Baja in my truck. Back then I had no problems with the people at all, but the cops and law were pretty random. Maybe it's like the US where things have gotten better, but everyone believes it's worse because they watch the "news". Went to Playa last fall and no worries there at all.

I was checking out the website for that camper, thinking maybe I would one day get one, and WOW!!! $121,000.00 for a fully loaded one, I cannot believe they sell very many. For comparison the Northstar has most all the same amenities, with a few less details this one has, for about $15 to 20 grand.

This really is a rich mans toy, did you guys get a deal on it since you are promoting the hell out of them on your trip. Or is that price in pesos??? (-;

http://xpcamper.com/....xls&title=V1%20–%20Full%20Size%20-%20Prices/Specs

One can dream though...

Like a Sportschek bike compared to a P5 you mean. Two wheels, frame, seat has most all the same amenities :)

It's the details that matter.

For a start .... the Northstar is made of plywood. Which would last about ten minutes where I have taken mine. Someone did a video once taking a purpose built off road camper off road alongsiode another camper made of the traditional wood and staples. There wasn't much left of the wooden one. They can't handle the twisting. Everything else is entirely different level. I have almost 500w of solar panels charging 600 amp hours of batteries. I am not sure the Northstar has any at all. The Northstar also has to slide into a truck bed. Losing space all down the sides. The cost of the XP includes the flatbed and associated storage.

It really is like comparing bikes. You can buy cheap ones or you can buy expensive ones. As camper go mine is higher up the scale.
As expedition vehicles go it is low range really. The new Earth Roamer HD costs 1.5 million. Of course, if you don't go off road and don't go off grid for very long and also don't live in it full time, a cheaper, less robust one would easily suffice. Same as riding to work or doing Ironman I guess.

Like expensive bikes, it is the kind of thing you buy when thats all you do.

".. This really is a rich mans toy, .." It's not a toy. It's my home.

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https://www.pbandjcoaching.com
https://www.thisbigroadtrip.com

We have been through 50 stops maybe? Military, police and locals. All friendly, give advice and directions. We only got asked for a 'fine' once on the highway coming into Mex City, but we didn't pay and it turns out we were actually in the wrong anyway.

We haven't been ripped off either, we never bother asking for prices beforehand any more and always end up paying the same as the locals, which doesn't often happen in other countries. Not having to haggle here is a nice bonus. That said, we are rarely in very touristy places so maybe we'd have to watch out a bit more there.

We left our camper doors wide open by mistake once. Computers and stuff all just sitting there. When we came back I thought we had been robbed but, no. Just my stupidty and nothing taken.

Just realized that this thread isn't exactly tri oriented! :)

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https://www.pbandjcoaching.com
https://www.thisbigroadtrip.com