# Safety of Villages vs Cities



## Mr. Christopher (Dec 27, 2017)

Are Mexican villages much safer and peaceful than cities?


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Mr. Christopher said:


> Are Mexican villages much safer and peaceful than cities?


Your question is much too general - it all depends on where the villages are located, how isolated they are, how welcoming they are to outsiders. Could you be a bit more specific?


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## Mr. Christopher (Dec 27, 2017)

I'm most interested in villages that aren't on the tourist circuit or too close to big towns or cities.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

and what will you be doing in those villages?I know some villages where I would feel pretty safe and others that would be hell, it all depends..


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

remember the Mexico saying" pueblo chiquito, infierno grande"! small town big hell..


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## Mr. Christopher (Dec 27, 2017)

Are there any specific factors which make a village much safer than others? What are they?


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Mr. Christopher said:


> Are there any specific factors which make a village much safer than others? What are they?


We might be able to help you better if you had a particular village or villages in mind. Mexico is a big country with many, many villages in it, all too varied to make blanket statements valid.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Factors? Tourist Circuits? Safer than? Too close? Peaceful? Relative to what? Opinion or fact?
Please quantify.
Have you ever been to Mexico? Where have you stayed? How long? Can you qualify for a visa? What lifestyle do you seek? Age? Health status? Other foreign experience? Etc. 
If you want answers, you really should ask questions that are specific enough to elicit answers, rather than useless generalities, which would not help you much.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Also depends on the person moving to the village, can he communicate inSpanish , will he live like the rest of the people , will he be working or goofing off all day, will he be part of the community or apart and on and on..
I know a foreigner who lives in an indigenous village in Oaxaca. Lives like a hermit , teaches English to some of the kids, keeps to himself and is perectly safe . He is not part of the community , helps out a little bit does not ask anything from anyone and is tolerated, not liked or disliked.. I have never seen him invited to any of the fiestas but I am sure he would be welcome if he had any interest in them. 
It all depends on the foreigner as well.

Also know a Mexican woman who decided to open a zen retreat in an other indigenous area, that one in Chiapas. She lives on the hedge of an Evangelist community. They call her the bruja because she does not go to their church, employs a few people from the village and she is very safe as well ..

It depends a lot on how the stranger lives in that community..

I would think it is the same in any village some people are respected and loved , some are tolerate or ignored and other piss off people and have to leave..


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## lat19n (Aug 19, 2017)

We were in Mexico City last weekend. Up and down Reforma there was a uniformed police person every 50 feet - like at every lamp post, on both sides of the street, extremely well dressed, shiny shoes. Off Reforma every intersection we walked past had at least 2 police people. It had to be one of the safest places in Mexico.

To me, a 'village' implies housing with earthen floors. I have not seen that in Mexico - but that actually is one criteria for free Seguro Popular. A step up from a village I guess would be a 'town'. There are towns in our area which go way back. They provide their own 'law enforcement'. They don't wear uniforms but they do live by the notion of 'an eye for an eye'. A while back a thief attempted to steal an empty tinaco. He was caught and a week or so later he was found dead in a tinaco. 

Our 'town' is a very safe place during daylight hours but maybe less safe at night - particularly on weekends. In years past the drug lords had their weekend/vacation homes in this area. The 'lords' peacefully coexisted and all was good. Then the 'law' clamped down and the lords were removed only to be replaced by more aggressive/combative folk who are constantly at 'war' with each other. Lots of be-headings / dismemberment. A lot of people prefer the old days.

Two things which seem to be recurring are a) restaurant robberies. The crooks will come into a restaurant at say 2PM, guns a blazing, and rob the patrons of their valuables. b) People withdraw money from an ATM or bank teller window and are later robbed. There are some who feel that the crooks are being tipped off by bank employees.


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## Mr. Christopher (Dec 27, 2017)

I'm in Colima.

Seeking a VILLAGE that's:

1) Warm year round, no rainy season
2) Agricultural
3) Quiet 
4) Safe and quiet

Any recommendations?


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## lat19n (Aug 19, 2017)

Mr. Christopher said:


> I'm in Colima.
> 
> Seeking a VILLAGE that's:
> 
> ...


okeechobee fl

Edit : perhaps Apopka


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

There are fewer and fewer earthen floor as the Federal government has a program to build cement floors piso firme and are doing a pretty good job of it. There ae still houses with dirt floors but fewer and fewer.. In the cuip od whatever that form is called that has all the questions to determine who is poor and on which everyone lies.. they ask do your house have dirt floor, How mnay cracks in the wall does it have , how wide are they.. How many holes does the roof have and so on..So there are still dirt floors but most people who do not want dirt floor can pretty easily get cement floors from one program or another.

Yes indigenous villages also have there own police which is another story altogether but they can be handy.. I found myself in Aldama last month without a way to get back to San Andres Larrainzar and I asked the municipal police to give me a ride and they did for 100 pesos for two people.. We would have to sleep in Aldama without them so they came in handy..I told them the price was a little steep and they told me take it or leave it..end of bargaining.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Except for the no rainy season Naha , Chiapas sounds perfect.. Beautiful forest, 3 hours from Palenque or from Ocosingo on dirt road and small paved road. agricultural, quiet, one main street, friendly Lacandones.. no phone almost no internet or tv and sometimes no electricity, simple nice houses, decent food. Lots of those villages in the jungle but some are at war with their neighbors and this one is not..


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## lat19n (Aug 19, 2017)

citlali said:


> Except for the no rainy season Naha , Chiapas sounds perfect.. Beautiful forest, 3 hours from Palenque or from Ocosingo on dirt road and small paved road. agricultural, quiet, one main street, friendly Lacandones.. no phone almost no internet or tv and sometimes no electricity, simple nice houses, decent food. Lots of those villages in the jungle but some are at war with their neighbors and this one is not..


Right - the rainy season was a show stopper for me as well. Actually - perhaps Mr C would be better off looking in Guatemala (that is virtually Chiaps, no ?) - but in the mountains there is (torrential) rain there as well ?


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

well there is a reason the jungle is green all year round.. Naha is higher than Palenque so it has much nicer climate as well.. Pretty much everyone there is Presbyterian and evangelist.. but nothing is perfect..


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Mr. Christopher wants to live in an agricultural area that is warm all year round and has no rainy season. Forgive my ignorance, but at least in Mexico, isn't the rainy season needed for the crops to grow?


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## lat19n (Aug 19, 2017)

I think Mr C needs to travel Mexico for himself...


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

lat19n said:


> I think Mr C needs to travel Mexico for himself...


He has already told us that he is in Mexico, in Colima.


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## lat19n (Aug 19, 2017)

Isla Verde said:


> He has already told us that he is in Mexico, in Colima.


And where else has Mr C visited in Mexico and what were his impressions ? What caused him to select Colima ?


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## Mr. Christopher (Dec 27, 2017)

Hola Isla Verde,

I'm new and don't have a premium membership and I want to send you a private message (about Mexico). How can I do that?

Mr. Christopher


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Mr. Christopher said:


> Hola Isla Verde,
> 
> I'm new and don't have a premium membership and I want to send you a private message (about Mexico). How can I do that?
> 
> Mr. Christopher


You don't need a premium membership to send PMs. Just click on my username and a menu will drop down. Then click on Send a private message to Isla Verde, and take it from there.


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## Mr. Christopher (Dec 27, 2017)

I clicked on your name but there is no option for sending a private message.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Mr. Christopher said:


> I clicked on your name but there is no option for sending a private message.


That's odd. Did a dropdown menu appear at all?


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## Mr. Christopher (Dec 27, 2017)

I think I was able to send you a private message.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Mr. Christopher said:


> I think I was able to send you a private message.


Got it! Will write later today.


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