# Laredo/nuevo laredo/& beyond.



## Chloe Callaghan (Jun 11, 2014)

Hello, everyone. 

I am your neighbor living right across the border in Laredo, Texas, wanting to walk across like I used to (Nuevo Laredo, weekly), and wanting to venture, once again, into Mexico (I visited Monterrey twice). But here is the deal: I took advice a couple of years ago to curtail my NL visits. Basically, those who had crossed regularly warned me it wasn't a good idea, that we should wait until things had calmed down. This past week I discussed with a few friends wanting to resume my excursions and also wanting to find a language immersion school in Mexico because I am now learning Spanish. My question: my Laredo friends (natives of Laredo) have described my quest as deadly, but I ponder whether they are particularly informed. Laredo is interesting, as is the rest of the Texas border that I have visited, but I long to "hop across" like I used to, move more into the interior, and get to know you. May I please have your opinion? 

Also, I am wondering this: I often feel I am an Expatriate already, living in Mexico, just on the U.S. side. Culturally-speaking, and custom-wise, am I?

That is, I have had 10 years in Laredo and now, when I go North-Ward, I feel a little (and sometimes a lot) in Culture-Shock.

Muchas Gracias.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Chloe Callaghan said:


> Hello, everyone.
> 
> I am your neighbor living right across the border in Laredo, Texas, wanting to walk across like I used to (Nuevo Laredo, weekly), and wanting to venture, once again, into Mexico (I visited Monterrey twice). But here is the deal: I took advice a couple of years ago to curtail my NL visits. Basically, those who had crossed regularly warned me it wasn't a good idea, that we should wait until things had calmed down. This past week I discussed with a few friends wanting to resume my excursions and also wanting to find a language immersion school in Mexico because I am now learning Spanish. My question: my Laredo friends (natives of Laredo) have described my quest as deadly, but I ponder whether they are particularly informed. Laredo is interesting, as is the rest of the Texas border that I have visited, but I long to "hop across" like I used to, move more into the interior, and get to know you. May I please have your opinion?
> 
> ...


I don't know anything about the situation in Nuevo Laredo these days, but as a general rule of thumb, I don't pay much attention to people giving advice about things they don't do. If I were you I would just do it. And I base that on lots of trips through other border towns, Tijuana, Mexicali and Ciudad Juarez.


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## Anonimo (Apr 8, 2012)

It would be difficult to give good advice, based on such a nebulous post. But, in general, the farther into Mexico I am (away from the border), the more at home I feel.


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

People on Expats fórums come in 3 group IMO

1. The scardey cats quoting articles and US Sate dept. website, many who have never set foot in Mexico,

2. & 3. Those that don´t believe a word of sensationalized reporting and [3] those that have the living here and have had experiencing of being in places here where things have and do happen and realized from those experiences and use critial thinking that the odds of anything ever happening to us or anyone else is much more than 100,000 to 1 on a bad day and go about our business with a watchfull eye towards petty crime. Drive where ever we want , bus it all over the country and stay out of strip clubs and dicey áreas at night.


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## Adveyesr (Jun 11, 2014)

I had the privilege of travelling through Laredo/Nvo. Laredo 4 different times in 2013. Both via bus and in my own vehicle with my family in tow. As a family we drove from Guadalajara to San Antonio and back. We did not have any problems. I also enjoyed the interior of Mexico much more than the border towns. If you are driving you own vehicle into the interior you’ll need to go through the process of obtaining a window sticker and paying a fee that you’ll then get back once you exit Mexico with your vehicle. You’ll also want insurance on your car from a Mexican carrier. Not difficult, just a few extra steps.


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## Chloe Callaghan (Jun 11, 2014)

What I especially like about each of these posts is that by reading each one I have come to feel increasingly.....mobilized.

Everyone worries so, and it is beginning to annoy me.


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## Chloe Callaghan (Jun 11, 2014)

Also, on a perhaps-philosophical level, or maybe it's just practical, do I have a finite number of "Thanks" clicks before I deplete them? I am new to this forum and want to thank you, but now ponder whether I have a total of 10 for my forum lifetime, or an infinity. 

You see...._this_ thinking proves I need Much More Travel.


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## Adveyesr (Jun 11, 2014)

Chloe Callaghan said:


> What I especially like about each of these posts is that by reading each one I have come to feel increasingly.....mobilized.
> 
> Everyone worries so, and it is beginning to annoy me.


Travelling by bus is a relatively inexpensive and overall great way to travel throughout Mexico. Depending on where you want to go, might be easier than the hassle of driving your own vehicle.


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## coondawg (May 1, 2014)

My wife, Mexican, and I live 1/2 time in Leon, Gto. and 1/2 time in central Texas. We drive back and forth and have been for 12 years. For both of us, the scariest part of our trips is going through Nuevo Laredo. We both have a big smile when we cross to Texas, or we make it to about 40 miles south of Nuevo Laredo. We have had some close calls in Nuevo :Laredo, with police (Federales), and some people claiming to be police. Once, they were about to take my car and drive us to a "police station" on the other side of town. Fortunately, they had stopped me about 100 yards from the bridge with my car's motor running, so as they were trying to open our doors, I accelerated and made the bridge and quickly paid and we were in Texas quickly. That was really scary, and we do our best not to venture off the beaten path, and not to stop at all, except for car permit and tourist card. Lots of violence in Nuevo Laredo (on May 4, 2014, there were 9 bodies hanging on the bridge we pass under to go to Texas and to Monterrey. Not the first time for bodies hanging on this bridge. Kidnappings are at an all time high in Mexico at this time, and that includes border towns. We feel much safer in Leon, and in the interior, but we keep a very low profile, never wear jewelry out in public, nor our best clothes. We have an old Mexican car that we drive while in Mexico and keep our NOB car in a garage. We live in a poorer neighborhood (maybe only 2-3 other Americans in all of Leon, a city of about 1.5 million people, and we fit in very well. Do we still do the things we want to do? Sure, life must go on. But, we have been doing this for 12 years, and have had many experiences and by now know what we can do and what we can't do. The people here that tell you to "come on down" are those who also have lots of experience in Mexico, so they are very familiar with what they can and can not do, or where they can go. They expect you will be able to make the same basic judgements as they do, but they forget that you are a novice, and a novice can NOT do as they do in Mexico, no experience. They fail to tell you all the precautions that they take, and they all take many precautions. Just because they did not have any problems, DOES NOT guarantee that there are not problems in that area, nor is it a guarantee that it is safe for you or others. I'm sure you already realize these things, as you sound intelligent to me. Just remember, this is Mexico, not the USA. It has lots of positives, but also lots of negatives. Mexico is not for everyone, and certainly not for someone that is naive. ( I am not suggesting that you are). Be wary of those who claim that there are parts of the USA much more dangerous than Mexico, and Mexico is much safer. They are idiots. Mexico is a country where less than 3% of the people who commit crimes are put in prison. That should tell you something about caution. Good luck.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

coondawg said:


> The people here that tell you to "come on down" are those who also have lots of experience in Mexico, so they are very familiar with what they can and can not do, or where they can go. They expect you will be able to make the same basic judgements as they do, but they forget that you are a novice, and a novice can NOT do as they do in Mexico, no experience. They fail to tell you all the precautions that they take, and they all take many precautions.


Living in Mexico City, I don't take any precautions I didn't take when living in large cities in the States, and I have never had any problems so far.


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## coondawg (May 1, 2014)

Isla Verde said:


> Living in Mexico City, I don't take any precautions I didn't take when living in large cities in the States, and I have never had any problems so far.


Exactly my comment, you do take the same ones that you had been taking in a big city NOB. (Not sure the OP has lived in a big city NOB.)


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