Safety and Mexico

Finally some good news on Mexico: Tripadvisor published their Travelers Choice 2011 and in their world top 25 you will find 2 hotels in Mexico, the Banyan Tree Mayakoba in Playa del Carmen and the Welk Resorts Sirena Del Mar in Cabo San Lucas. Congratulations to our colleagues!.

Besides that, Merida and Cozumel have been chosen by the The International Committee for the Banner of Peace of the United Nations within the top 100 of safest places-towns in the whole world. Read the whole article in Spanish on:
http://www.yucatan.com.mx/20110105/nota-9/58272-merida-oficialmente-nombrada-una-de-las-100-ciudades-de-la-paz-a-nivel-mundial.htm

With all the ongoing bad news on the drugs war, the country can use positive publicity like that !. I know Merida quite well, half of the construction materials we built Maya Luna with had been purchased in Merida, and last week we were there again for a short holiday, visit some friends and do some shopping. We always stay in the Dolores Alba, a colonial hotel in the center of town. There is busy traffic outside, but as soon as you enter the building, you will find an oasis of tranquility. With a small pool and a lot of shops and the main plaza within 10 minutes walk, a perfect place to spend some days in this beautiful, old colonial town.
Merida indeed is a very safe city, I have never felt uncomfortable there, and even after dark I would walk around alone and not be afraid. That said, I would say that I feel absolutely safe in so many places, cities and towns in Mexico…Especially in the Yucatan Peninsula.

Lately the drugs war going on in Mexico has been in the news a lot, as well as in Europe as in The United States and Canada. Most of this war on drugs takes place near the border, and that’s more than 3000 km from where we are living. So here at Costa Maya you don’t notice anything at all from it. Friends who have visited us in the past 8 years, know how tranquil, quiet and safe it is where we live. And safety has never been a subject of conversation when I was visiting family and friends in Holland. But this time when I was back in Holland a few months ago, all of a sudden everybody started to ask me if it was safe to live in Mexico. Emails with reservation requests more and more contain questions about safety.
Apparently the media have done their "work" thoroughly; those who never have visited Mexico, have nowadays the impression that behind every corner in Mexico there is a drugs lord hiding and you risk to get caught in a cross fire. They have no clue how big Mexico is, and that a big part of the country is still safe to visit, especially the Yucatan Peninsula.
Personally I think as a tourist, the chance is bigger that your airplane is going down while flying into Mexico than that you will be involved in or notice something form the drugs war.

So lets hope for more positive news on Mexico...so that we can share our beach, the sun, the warmth, the Caribbean sea, the little breeze, the blue sky, the million stars at night and of course our spacious bungalows and excellent food with a lot of people who decide to visit this beautiful country
Hope to see you soon in Mahahual…