Wednesday, February 3, 2010

More Violence

And this one is a little unsettling.

I've mentioned here before that our favorite beach is Barra de Potosi -- a stretch of beach at the southernmost end of a 9K beach just south of Zihua. The airport is at the north end and you can see Barra from the air when you land. The water is cleaner and bluer than in Zihua, there are less people, you can actually see the fish in the water (and watch the birds fishing for them), and there's a lagoon around the bend that you can explore by canoe.

We go there maybe once a month and always tell people to make sure and include a daytrip there in their plans. Every friend and family member who's visited here has been there -- that's where we saw three whales last year with my mom, dad, and sister.

Well, last week someone (or multiple someones) shot as passing vehicles. It didn't make the same headlines as the shooting in Ixtapa, but once again, tourists were targeted. I don't know many details or I'd include the links here.

A narrow two-lane road winds through the fields from the main highway to the beach, and once you're on it there aren't many options for getting off, aside from stopping at someone's house. Yet there are lots of places for people to hide. We never go there at night because the restaurants all close around 6pm so I can't say what it's like there after dark.

Ibis brought some tourists there on Friday and stopped off at the new ecological park on the way. He met a local ex-pat on the tour and when he returned to the parking lot, discovered the man's van had been broken into. Inside the parking lot. The logical assumption is this is all the work of the same people (the shooting near Barra, not the Ixtapa shooting -- they are almost an hour apart) but my bigger concern is: what if they aren't? I always tell people that the economy here sucks and people are getting desperate, but I never imagined people being shot at in broad daylight.

It's really too bad. I'd have loved to gone there once more before I leave.

13 comments:

Lisa Miles said...

It's a shame how people can scare and ruin something for everyone with violence. I'm glad (for your safety) that you'll be leaving soon. Sorry you can't go back one more time.

Spy Scribbler said...

I'm so glad you're leaving. It sounds like perfect timing. *hugs*

Although I'm very sorry you'll be parted from Ibis!

Adam said...

Bah. :-(

*Lotsa hugs for you, Ibis and Owen*

Adam

Penguin said...

It will be good to have you back here. It will be bad that you will be without Ibis. Anyway we can get him residing in Toronto or Windsor?

erica m. chapman said...

Oh man, that is so scary - I'm glad you're returning here. Sorry you, Ibis & Owen have to go through that. Thinking of you.

Melanie Hooyenga said...

Lisa, this particularly disappoints me because I LOVE going there.

Natasha, me too. We're going to see his family this weekend. Hopefully no more shoot-outs there.

Thanks Adam.

Penguin, we're talking about a lot of options, so it's just a matter of time. Fingers crossed.

Thanks Erica.

Anonymous said...

Ack! That's just so sad all around.

Nadine said...

I'm so sorry. It's devastating when a place one loves is no longer safe. ((hugs))

I'm glad you will soon be out of there, I just wish Ibis was out of there too.

Robin said...

That's so sad. These people don't realize they're literally ruining their country. I'm glad you're leaving. It's getting so dangerous!

Unknown said...

So sad...

WendyCinNYC said...

That's scary, and so very misguided. The economy sucks so let's add to the misery by potentially decimating the tourist industry.

Glad you're coming back.

Moll said...

How sad. What is the country doing to bolster the economy and support folks who are struggling?

Melanie Hooyenga said...

Gypsy, it really is.

Nadine, you and me both.

Robin, that's it exactly. Some people say "oh, the criminals won't target tourists or do this and that because it'll hurt the economy". Thing is, they're already struggling, they don't care about "the economy." They just care if they can eat.

Mary & Wendy, yeah...

Hi Rebecca. As far as I know, nothing. Mexico doesn't have an infrastructure like the US so people really are on their own. That's why families live together longer -- they have to take care of their own.