How safe is it for me to travel to Michoacan and Guanajuato Mexico? (hair, house)
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My grandparents are very sick and I think the end is nearing for them. I really want to see them this winter in Michoacan, but I also want to take into account my safety.
My mother is a Mexican native and I'm a biracial american so you can imagine I definitely look like a "foreigner" when I visit Mexico.
I don't plan on being involved in any funny business,I don't drink,don't odd rugs,and I won't be out at night. The only thing that I believe might call attention to me might be my camera. Since I don't know when I'll ever be back, I'd like pictures of everything there.
The last time I went was in 2010 and i stayed for 2 weeks. I did notice that I was stared at, and when I visited Janitzio, many native children approached and asked me for "American dollars." In terms of safety, however, I didn't feel threatened since I stayed at a house full of tons of my large male cousins.
If I do visit this time, however, it would be for a time span of between 5-7 days, don't want to surpass a week, and I am still unsure of how many of those cousins will also be present. While there, I'd also love to visit the city of Guanajuato, so any advice about there would also be beneficial.
Also, which airport is the safest? I'm considering either Guadalajara or Morelia.
Location: San Diego CA>Tijuana, BC>San Antonio, TX
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ally2504
My grandparents are very sick and I think the end is nearing for them. I really want to see them this winter in Michoacan, but I also want to take into account my safety.
My mother is a Mexican native and I'm a biracial american so you can imagine I definitely look like a "foreigner" when I visit Mexico.
I don't plan on being involved in any funny business,I don't drink,don't odd rugs,and I won't be out at night. The only thing that I believe might call attention to me might be my camera. Since I don't know when I'll ever be back, I'd like pictures of everything there.
The last time I went was in 2010 and i stayed for 2 weeks. I did notice that I was stared at, and when I visited Janitzio, many native children approached and asked me for "American dollars." In terms of safety, however, I didn't feel threatened since I stayed at a house full of tons of my large male cousins.
If I do visit this time, however, it would be for a time span of between 5-7 days, don't want to surpass a week, and I am still unsure of how many of those cousins will also be present. While there, I'd also love to visit the city of Guanajuato, so any advice about there would also be beneficial.
Also, which airport is the safest? I'm considering either Guadalajara or Morelia.
Those kids at Janitizio approach everyone getting off the boats for money, so don't feel too special My mother looks full blooded native and those kids suckered her into giving them 1 dollar each.
My wife is 100% american of Polish decent with very fair skin, light brown hair and blue eyes when those kids approached her she gave them the cold shoulder and they scattered off to the next tourist. She was never hassled while in Michoacan at all but you are right, people tended to stare a but maybe its because she is pretty and not because she is white. Who knows. Remember, there are many gueros in Mexico especially in the big cities so just because you are half white american, doesn't necessarily mean you will stick out.
At the airport in Morelia, you will have walk out to the runway and board from there, thats the one thing I remembered of the airport there. I wouldn't say its safer or not than Guadalajara, Toluca, Mexico City, Tijuana or any of the other airports I have been to. If anything, its probably safer in that it is smaller and less chaotic as these bigger airports.
Your comments about bringing a camera make it seem like you are visiting a tribe in a far off jungle, Mexicans own Ipads, Cameras, and Smart Phones as well . If your family from Mexico are poor and live up in the mountains like my mother's family does, then yeah, technology might be foreign to them. I remember taking my little cousins from up in the mountain down to the city (Morelia) and I stopped at a Santander bank ATM to withdraw some cash, they were so amazed that the machine just spit out money. I got a good laugh out of it.
You will be fine, enjoy yourself be smart but don't be afraid...and my condolences regarding your grandmother.
Last edited by malcorub16; 09-30-2013 at 06:22 PM..
Maybe ... fly into Leon (the Bajio airport serving Guanajuato city) and out of Morelia, or the other way around. See if that routing works for you so you won't have to do any backtracking.
Below is a link to the current U.S. Department of State advisory for Mexico, with specific references to the insecurity in the state of Michoacan. After reading it and also consulting family members in Michoacan, you should be sufficiently informed to have a safe visit.
Your comments about bringing a camera make it seem like you are visiting a tribe in a far off jungle, Mexicans own Ipads, Cameras, and Smart Phones as well . If your family from Mexico are poor and live up in the mountains like my mother's family does, then yeah, technology might be foreign to them.
You will be fine, enjoy yourself be smart but don't be afraid...and my condolences regarding your grandmother.
Yeah that's my biggest beef about the 'is mexico safe' threads... as if we can't afford basic technology.
Even poor people are pretty proficient in technology. There's a huge black market in electronics, and who do you think handles those?
To the OP... if it's your family, you need to just take the risk and go. This isn't going to be a vacation or a leisure trip, and you will be with people that know how to get around.
Most Mexican kidnappers know that plenty of American tourists are broke white people with nothing to offer in terms of savings and ransom.... if that's any comfort to you.
My grandparents are very sick and I think the end is nearing for them. I really want to see them this winter in Michoacan, but I also want to take into account my safety.
Also, which airport is the safest? I'm considering either Guadalajara or Morelia.
Leon or Del Bajio airport is also more convenient with many connections to US airports. Your safety is not an issue, but do worry about pickpockets (but that's good advice for almost anywhere).
Also, which airport is the safest? I'm considering either Guadalajara or Morelia.
What you mean safest? All airports in Mexico are safe for any matter.
Flights from Morelia (MLM)
To / Time / Airline
Ciudad de México 56m Aeromexico, Aeromar Tijuana 3h 21m Volaris Cancún 2h 30m Volaris Chicago, USA 4h 0m Volaris Dallas, USA 2h 35m American Houston, USA 2h 12m United Los Ángeles, USA 3h 47m Volaris
I went to Morelia for three weeks and fell in love with the place. It was safe, honest and modern. The town is wired up with all the latest of everything but still has a historical center built starting in the 1500's. Imagine how good I felt stopping into a Telco cellular store to look at the latest Samsung galaxy phones while I was inside a 500 year old building. Loved it!!
I went to Morelia for three weeks and fell in love with the place. It was safe, honest and modern. The town is wired up with all the latest of everything but still has a historical center built starting in the 1500's. Imagine how good I felt stopping into a Telco cellular store to look at the latest Samsung galaxy phones while I was inside a 500 year old building. Loved it!!
I really liked Patzcuaro in the state of Morelia. I could also recommend Uruapan, but that is a little like the Wild Wild West. As I remember it they had only a single full size jet per day (flew to Tijuana) and there was an army of police to check the luggage.
While Morelia is a colonial city, I found the architecture a little more monotonous than Guanajuato and Guadalajara.
I will tell you what anyone else will tell you...if you are going to a little rancho...no one will bother you as long as you are not nosy and are not doing anything you shouldn't be doing anyway. I am a blonde hair blue eyed girl from Indiana and I lived in Michoacan for over a year without any trouble at all....i also lived in Ciudad Juárez for 3 months without any issues. I used to drive around Juarez by myself without fear...and when I lived with my husband's family in a rancho that isn't even on the map we often visited Morelia, and also Araro and Acambaro Gto. people look....but, they don't mean anything by it. We have also driven down to Michoacan several times from both the crossing in El Paso, TX and Laredo and the only issue we had was a greedy cop who pulled us over for no reason but, we just gave him $50 and went on our way. We areally planning to go this summer when our kids get out of school and I am sure everything will be fine.
Does the OP think they are going to an African nation with a civil war going on? Instead of answering these paranoid questions with delicate answers trying to reassure people, we should question the nonsense of the tone of the question. To do anything else just condones this endless attitude towards Mexico.
The OP wouldnt go on the California board and ask if it's safe to visit Disneyland even though Anaheim has high crime levels and every other store and restaurant legally rips every tourist off with premium prices for lousy quality. Why dont people ever seem afraid to go there?
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My mother looks full blooded native and those kids suckered her into giving them 1 dollar each.
