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superbum
Sep 19, 2002, 6:50 PM
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Hello! My name is Victor and I love to travel. Currently I live out of a backpack and am in the mountains of northern Idaho. At the start of November, a friend and I are going to set out to Mexico! We are planning to enter at Nogales and end up in Puerto Escondido. There I will try surfing for the first time. We are going to Hitch rides as well as train-hop if possible. Obviously we don't know the country at all, so I am looking for ANY info: What roads and cities are the safest/most hospitable? Where are good climbs along main roads? Do the Federales really take all of your money? We don't look like your average rich American, we are, well, climbing bums! Again, ANY info or travel stories are welcome. Thanks in advance...Vic.
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climbincajun
Sep 19, 2002, 7:01 PM
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I got no beta on Mexico, but highly recommend that you taste the rock here in Arizona on your way thru! PM me if you wanna...
Nogales is only an hour from Tucson...happy travels
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squishclimber
Sep 19, 2002, 7:34 PM
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You might want to do some research on Mexico before you go. I have traveled quite a bit in Mexico and have seen very few hithhikers. For one it is totally unsafe and for another most of the roads are way too narrow for anyone to pull over and pick you up. There are plenty of friendly people in Mexico, way more than in America, but you will stick out like a sore thumb to any unsavoury types. I'd recommend traveling another way.
Good luck and don't get killed
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thrillseeker05
Sep 19, 2002, 7:40 PM
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save a bit of money and find some family with a bike.. buy it. use it to travel on. then when you head back to the states give it back to them as a gift.
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dembrunjs
Sep 19, 2002, 7:42 PM
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Where does one who is living out of a backpack in the mountains plug in a computer?
Peace
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wlderdude
Sep 19, 2002, 8:13 PM
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Be really carefull and don't be out after dark. My brother was down in San Miguel de Allende, which is a rather quiet and wealthy town, and he got robed at knife point. They stabbed him him the back several times. Good thing heath care is cheap down there since he lost all his money!
Most Mexicans and other Latinos are really nice people, but most of them will gladly rid you of anything you leave laying around. Violent crime is not too difficult to avoid, probably about as easy as here in the States. Remember that just having light skin can make you look rich to the wrong people. But usually merchants just try and charge more.
As for looking like a bunch of poor folk, that probably isn't that good of an idea, either. Mexico has checkpoints everywhere. If you don't look like trouble, they won't give you any. Don't be afraid of the machine gun guys. They are not out to get you. No need to bribe them, either, as many will tell you to do.
Just be cooperative and they don't have any reason to bother you. That goes for just about anybody, anywhere in the world!
The way I would recomend to travel in Mexico is on the buses. The bus lines are very good and quite afordable. It is the way most people get around. In a lot of ways, it is like flying in the US. Taking a vehicle across costs a fortune; I would not recomend it unless you are rich.
I doubt hitch hiking would work very well.
Make sure you take your birth certificate or passport. Don't let the taxi drivers rip you off. Be careful what you drink.
My brother is back in Mexico right now. He has been living off of a few hundred dollars now for over a month and isn't planning on coming home yet. In fact, he is building a sail boat!
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superbum
Sep 20, 2002, 1:11 AM
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Hey thanks everyone, great tips, though a little pessimistic. Maybe I just have my head in the clouds. Being safe IS the number one priority so spending some dough would be worth it I guess. Do the buses just run in the cities or do they go allover? How cheap? Well thanks again and keep it comin!
vic
PS: There is a Computer plugged into a Wall in a Library in a Town by a Lake in the Mountains, to answer a question.
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cragchica
Sep 20, 2002, 1:53 AM
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I have done a fair amount of travelling in Mexico and aside from the initial shock of talking to Federales with machine guns... it's actually a lot nicer than travelling in the US. I have never hitch-hiked there, but I know people who have. I think if you have the guts to do it in the US, doing it in Mexico wouldn't be much worse. I would however, consider the fact that the area near Nogales can be very desolate. The towns are vey spread out and some roads get little traffic. Make sure you have sources of water in mind (even in the winter it's still a desert).
I don't know if thrillseeker was joking or not, but his suggestion is actually a good one. I almost joined a friend in biking from Tucson to the Gulf of California beach in Puerto Penasco. He said he had a wonderful time doing it and had no problems at all!
But, yes, buses are the most common mode of transportation and they are pretty cheap.
Whatever way you decide to travel, just be aware of what you're getting yourself into. Be safe.
~Andria
P.S. Drop me a line when you're in Tucson, and you'll have a place to stay for sure.
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paintinhaler
Sep 20, 2002, 2:10 AM
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dembrunjs, I was thinking the same thing.
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atg200
Sep 20, 2002, 2:09 PM
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the buses go pretty much everywhere in the country, and vary from really cheap and uncomfortable to moderately expensive and luxurious. the bus systems in just about all latin american countries are fantastic.
how much the ticket costs depends on how far you are going. i've never spent more than a few dollars on a ticket, but i've never ridden a bus there for longer than 4 hours either.
hitchhiking is possible, but way sketchy in places. i've not had a problem down in the central highlands near towns like amecameca and tlachichuca, but i absolutely wouldn't do it up in sonora or near big cities like mexico city or puebla.
take the bus.
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oldandintheway
Sep 20, 2002, 11:19 PM
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Word to the wise: La mordida
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coreyr
Sep 21, 2002, 12:50 AM
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Your in Northern Idaho??? Send me a pm. Let's go climb! If you don't have your gear we can at least go get a beer. Corey
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ruff
Dec 5, 2002, 2:39 AM
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I was a Mormon Missionary in Baja California Norte and I probably hich hiked 1000 times without a problem, but if your going to take that rout don't expect to cover too much ground, because people are always turning off the roads you want so you have to find another ride. They don't have highways like in the states, and the one's they do have are toll roads. On a good day I could travel 40 miles in one ride, and in an hour but on a bad day to cover the same distance it took 7 rides and about 3 hours don't worry about the police or any thing, if you do have problems just give them like $5, but make it seem like it's your last $5 or the'll go for more if you have any Q's contact me
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wlderdude
Dec 5, 2002, 5:46 PM
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My brother is back from Mexico. If my memeory seves me correctly, he worked about a week and half to save up the money he needed to live down there for 3 months. Granted, he camped on the beach and ate coconuts he picked out of the trees, so he really wasn't living the high life, but he managed to live cheaply.
If you have means of making a few hundred dollars, I would just do that and ride the bus. That's what my brother did.
He bought a bike while he was down there and even built a sailboat. The bike got stolen the day before he was going to leave. He was giving it away, anyways.
He had lots of stuff stolen.
You might look into keeping most of your money in a bank account and accessing it in small quanitities with an ATM card. That's what I did in Chile.
The Lain American people are so cool.
Have fun!
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melkuj
Dec 19, 2002, 4:14 AM
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Are you still in Mexico? I am heading there in 1 week and I am looking to climb. If youre not there anymore, did you do any climbing? Where? I will only be in the south -- my route is Mexico City through Guatemala. Would love to meet up and climb!
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superbum
Jan 31, 2003, 4:42 PM
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Wow...thanx for all the advice...currently I am in Tucson, AZ. Just got back into the states last week. We ended up bussing it all the way down to Puerto Escondido and back. I didn't do any climbing though...not to many spots right on the coast there. In fact that is part of the reason I am in this American desert right now...To squeeze the Lemmon!
If anyone wants to hook up in Tucson:
vicsahobo@hotmail.com
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one900johnnyk
Jan 31, 2003, 5:36 PM
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wow iwnet hitching around mx. last spring and i ended up in a town along the baja peninsula and i met this kid name vic who was travelling around w/his pack. that's wild. keep a weapon w/you but if you aren't stupid about it you should be okay.. should be b/c no matter how small mexicans are five of them can still take your ass...
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