patrick.net

I have only been over the border to Mexico once, to Ensenada with a girl friend who wanted to go there many years ago. I was most impressed with the obnoxiousness and drunkenness of the various Yanks that were down there. They were quite an embarrassment I thought. Since I have never been back, I don't know if that is typical.

Ceffer says

They were quite an embarrassment I thought. Since I have never been back, I don't know if that is typical.

Americans like the booze for sure. The bigger problem is groups. Destination weddings and major birthdays. We're going in a few weeks for a 50th birthday bash in Cancun. I'm a sip a beer an hour guy on vacation, don't drink hard liquor and don't act like an ass. And if people act like fools in our group I will just remove myself and walk the resort. I usually get 3-5 miles in a day.

Canadians are nice in the states, but international traveling Canadians are complete pinkies up snob cunts. Euros are the same. They are soooooooo rude and nasty to people and staff. They travel to these places 1-2 times in their life and act like they're a big deal. They don't understand the food is going to be different than their home country and then bitch and whine. "I spent X dollars and expect better" types.

Back to the OP, the groups you join for towns, resorts, etc. always get testy. I read, but don't engage. I figure some people are just unhappy, which sucks, but not my problem. You think I wanted Biden the last 4 years? Hell no. I didn't bitch about it. I'm also not chatting on a site for a different country and bitching about it.

And yes I do bitch about CA but my federal dollars do get sent there. So I do think that's okay if in the US as a citizen.

clambo says

This post may probably be ignored; read it at your peril.
I'm in a Facebook group in La Paz Baja California Sur, Mexico.
Originally I joined to help someone sell something to them.
Anyway, these mostly Canadians are all flipping out today. Some are posting they hope Trump dies. WTF?
I have noticed it's difficult to establish friendship with the typical English speaking expats here; they're often kooks, drunks, weirdos, etc. running away from the reality up North.
Some of these kooks have run away to Florida too come to think of it.

I avoid gringos especially in groups in mexico...I find them to be embarrassing, loud, entitled, and obnoxious.

WookieMan says

I figure some people are just unhappy, which sucks, but not my problem

i really don't give a shit if they are unhappy.

komputodo says

WookieMan says

I figure some people are just unhappy, which sucks, but not my problem

i really don't give a shit if they are unhappy.

I don't. Some are just vindictive crazy people. Hence why I don't interact. The online arguments go bat shit and not logical.

Baja Sur is too far west to be on any major cartel routes. They’re insulated from that threat and probably think Trump is crazy to designate cartels as terror organizations. Ask why they didn’t settle in Sinaloa or Baja Norte, though.

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Yeah down in Mexico the Canadian ex pats are mostly the smug left wing authoritarian and weirdo versions of Doug and Bob McKenzie

They probably are that delusional that they think Trudeau represents the Second Coming of Christ

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goofus says

Baja Sur is too far west to be on any major cartel routes. They’re insulated from that threat and probably think Trump is crazy to designate cartels as terror organizations. Ask why they didn’t settle in Sinaloa or Baja Norte, though.

Too far west??? Insulated??? It's actually a major route because of the low population. It's one of the few cartel corridors where they are organized and don't fuck around with each other. It's a peninsula with open access to South America and Mexico's oldest established routes.

ElYorsh says

It's a peninsula with open access to South America.

I see they can bring up drugs by airplane or ship and drop off at tip of the Baja California peninsula, and then bring it in via ground transportation on the NAFTA route ultimately to Hollywood, Washington DC, and Wall Street coke head$

AD says

ElYorsh says

It's a peninsula with open access to South America.

I see they can bring up drugs by airplane or ship and drop off at tip of the Baja California peninsula, and then bring it in via ground transportation on the NAFTA route ultimately to Hollywood, Washington DC, and Wall Street coke head$

Wasn't a friend, but knew a guy from high school that would run drugs. We're talking 80-100lbs of weed from Mexico. He'd go to CA Southern border. He got caught. Sentenced to 10 years I think only served 2.

I don't know that part of Mexico or it's military/police presence. But you have what would be the 5th largest country on the planet in CA to sell to. And find Midwestern white guy that can move the product to Chicago area and go undetected. Baja Sur is probably just one cartel controlling it with only one choke point to the east. Makes the territory easy to control.

WookieMan says

And find Midwestern white guy that can move the product to Chicago area

sounds like you :-/

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AD says

ElYorsh says

It's a peninsula with open access to South America.

I see they can bring up drugs by airplane or ship and drop off at tip of the Baja California peninsula, and then bring it in via ground transportation on the NAFTA route ultimately to Hollywood, Washington DC, and Wall Street coke head$

The cartels wage war in the mainland while they traffic quietly by going across the water and up the peninsula.

ElYorsh says

The cartels wage war in the mainland while they traffic quietly by going across the water and up the peninsula.

Put US Coast Guard in the Gulf of California such as at its entrance and where it ends

yeah the war in the mainland is the decoy or distraction

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ElYorsh says

goofus says

Baja Sur is too far west to be on any major cartel routes. They’re insulated from that threat and probably think Trump is crazy to designate cartels as terror organizations. Ask why they didn’t settle in Sinaloa or Baja Norte, though.

Too far west??? Insulated??? It's actually a major route because of the low population. It's one of the few cartel corridors where they are organized and don't fuck around with each other. It's a peninsula with open access to South America and Mexico's oldest established routes.

You tell me. I find loads of Mexico cartel route maps that look like this. Baja Sur is grey or otherwise off the major routes:

Those are the routes that have been discovered. The reason why Baja Sur looks like that is very obvious.

About $200 billion every year is laundered through the US financial system. The IRS this year can track payments on Paypal etc for amounts greater than $600 per account holder to harass regular Americans.

The federal government sure the shit knows who is moving $200 billion around. They went ahead and fined TD $3 billion last year for laundering money. No, they didn't send a single banker to jail. If they put a few thousand bankers in jail for financial crimes, the crap would end just like that.

Slightly off the subject, but just more bullshit about Canadians in La Paz.
They have a reputation of being cheapskates among the local Mexicans.
I notice in Facebook discussions they pay much attention to 1. prices of things 2. how to get "good deals" and whatnot.

Two Jewish kids walked by a church with a sign: "Convert to a Catholic and make $100 today."
"I'm going to check that out." one kid says to the other.
He comes back a half hour later: "So, did they pay you $100?"
"That's all you people think about, money!"

ElYorsh says

Those are the routes that have been discovered. The reason why Baja Sur looks like that is very obvious.

This is not like finding lost pyramids using LiDAR. Cartels make themselves known, as we’re unfortunately learning in the US. Extortion, kidnappings, murder, police infiltration, etc.

clambo says

They have a reputation of being cheapskates among the local Mexicans.

Bingo. Every resort we visit Canadians are cheap asses. Euro's are up there too. Toss a guy or gal a buck a drink. I tip $10 at buffets at AI's where I'm doing most the work. Guess what, I get my mimosa faster the next day.

I don't think people realize how shitty they're paid in Mexico. "We have our minimum wage" so you just assume they get paid that in their currency? Hells nope. Without tips these people need to carpool home to a shitty apartment. I tip too much at AI's. They shouldn't call them all inclusive. When a human does something for you, you pay them. So many arguments on other sites.... Be a decent human. If you can't afford it, don't go.

@ElYorsh Baja Sur, besides being undeveloped roadwise, is very inconvenient for South American drug routes. Too far west. The west coast of S America is the same longitude as our east coast:

Get out and travel to get some life experience. Trying to figure things out by believing internet propaganda will just leave you more clueless.

clambo says

Two Jewish kids walked by a church with a sign: "Convert to a Catholic and make $100 today."
"I'm going to check that out." one kid says to the other.
He comes back a half hour later: "So, did they pay you $100?"
"That's all you people think about, money!"

LOL. This is Grade A Ballbusting Humor.

goofus says

ElYorsh Baja Sur, besides being undeveloped roadwise, is very inconvenient for South American drug routes. Too far west. The west coast of S America is the same longitude as our east coast:

Easiest way in I think was his point. Cartel territory that is easily protected on the east at the pinch between CA and the Gulf. International waters so you have realistically no issues if you're boating correctly and following the rules. All it takes is a 56' Sea Ray to move 1k lbs of some sort of drugs from south America. That's $5k in fuel depending where you're coming from.

Dump the product on the tip and take a camper van that can handle the roads. One cartel can easily control it and no one would really know. One boat could easily be $10M payload. Not talking a monster yacht either.

ElYorsh says

Get out and travel to get some life experience. Trying to figure things out by believing internet propaganda will just leave you more clueless.

I’m not one for appeals to authority, but Economist, Stratfor, and basic map reading suggest one answer, and Yorsh another. I’m sure there’s drug running and corruption in B Sur too, just not “major cartel routes.” Ah, forget it.

goofus says

ElYorsh says

Get out and travel to get some life experience. Trying to figure things out by believing internet propaganda will just leave you more clueless.

I’m not one for appeals to authority, but Economist, Stratfor, and basic map reading suggest one answer, and Yorsh another. I’m sure there’s drug running and corruption in B Sur too, just not “major cartel routes.” Ah, forget it.

There's official documented cases about cartels using the Federal Police in the area to close part of the highway and landing retired commercial airplanes to unload tons of cocaine. There lots of places to store it safely and cross it in smaller amounts.

El Chapo was caught using small submarines all the way from Colombia to Baja Sur.

As ElYorsh mentioned, there is cartel activity almost everywhere in Mexico.
Among the Mexican states, Baja Sur has a low level of such problems, but the bottom line is: nowhere in Mexico is entirely safe.

I have often told starry-eyed expats seeking to live down here, e.g. lady from British Colombia Canada : "Don't sell everything to move down here; you may encounter some trouble and want to leave, it isn't entirely safe."

There was a case a few years ago of a cartel big shot who "retired" and was living in La Paz quietly, sort of like a protected witness hiding from the other gangsters.

They see people dressed up like "Katrina" in Day of the Dead celebrations and think "oh, this is so much fun, what a cool culture, I love it here!"

Then they try to figure out how to do normal shit like buy a house, register a car, etc. and find out what a pain in the ass it is.
Other normal shit which is a huge pain in the ass is simply driving 6 miles to the Walmart outside of town; each trip is a thrill, with the excitement of avoiding a car going 35 mph and a tractor trailer just behind you on the only road up to Tijuana.
No signal lights in most places, rather 4 way stop sign intersections: guys typically blow through them so you are likely to have a crash not your fault. I am driving around with a guy in my new truck, he's a "copilot", another set of eyes to help me just drive through town.

clambo says

As ElYorsh mentioned, there is cartel activity almost everywhere in Mexico.
Among the Mexican states, Baja Sur has a low level of such problems, but the bottom line is: nowhere in Mexico is entirely safe.

Baja Sur has a monopoly. Not sure the cartel. Policing it is hard. Mind you I haven't been, but if that region has been bought off, no one is going to even know about the drug trade. Cops and military look the other way because they don't want to die. Some ass hole underling cartel members might cause a problem, but it seems as stabile as Chicago.