No doubt you're familiar with stories about the country's horrific drug wars. I checked before we booked the trip and was assured that the drug violence had not reached either Mexico City or Oaxaca -- at the moment it seems most prevalent along the U.S. border and in Acapulco and Veracruz; there are also fears for Guadalajara.
Indeed, we felt perfectly safe and secure our whole trip, including walking home from the nightclub at 2 in the morning. The biggest danger was probably pickpockets in the subway, but we were careful.
Mexico City, in particular, is overrun with police and paramilitary officers, from several different agencies; some carry bulletproof vests and AK-47s, while others seem more like ordinary cops. One isn't always sure, of course, whether Mexican police officers are there to protect you or prey on you; but we had no troubles, and probably, all told, felt safer having so many of them around.
For obvious reasons this isn't something I was able to illustrate in photographs; but the heavy law-enforcement presence is real.
So if you do want to go to Mexico, don't worry. But do check first for the latest news from your destination.
And with that, thanks for reading, and I'll see you again after the next trip!
No comments:
Post a Comment