Armed Civilians on the Most Dangerous Road in Mexico [DO NOT TRAVEL ZONE]

We took a road trip through three “do not travel” states in Mexico and lived to tell about it. Along the way, we were stopped, saw armed civilians, and witnessed the most beautiful coastline we’ve ever seen. We wanted to share this experience not to scare you, but because there are some important lessons about Mexican culture and the state of affairs in the country today.

May is from Colima but used to live in Guerrero, where her mom is from. For her birthday she wanted to spend time together as a family where she grew up. We had two options to get to Zihuatanejo for the road trip, but the coast was the fastest route. The only problem was that we had to travel along the coast through Michoacan - an area that sees a lot of narcotraffic.

Violent crime, mostly a side effect of the black market economy is the main reason this area is included in so many travel advisory lists. The US States Department considers the three states we were traveling through “Level 4 - Do Not Travel” advising US citizens to avoid these states altogether.

Learn about what happened, how to handle a similar situation with the phrases you’ll need in Spanish, and how this all ties into Mexican culture.

Table of contents:

Updates | 0:52
-Leaving Puerto Rico
-Immersion Retreats
-May’s Birthday

Road Trip | 2:05
-Car Rental
-Do Not Travel Zones
-Armed Citizens

Safety Phrases | 18:11
-What to Say if Stopped
-Identification?
-Conclusion

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We're Jim and May, a gringo/Mexican married couple dedicated to helping you learn Spanish and travel the world with confidence. We teach "real-world travel Spanish" to show you how to navigate the Spanish-speaking world. Learn about places to visit, cultural differences, food, and the traditions that make each country unique. Learn Spanish, travel the world. ¡El camino es el destino!

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