How many of you grew up in a small town, where you left your windows open to catch a cool breeze on a hot July night, or left your car unlocked with the windows down when you went downtown to grocery shop? I grew up in a town like that, and am living in one now: Manzanillo!
This is not to say that you should throw caution to the wind, and dare a poor person walking by to pinch your car stereo, but, everything considered, Manzanillo is one of the safest places I've lived since I grew up in Branson, Missouri. Sure, the accents are a little different down here, but that's nothing to be afraid of, and in fact, you'll find that Manzanillo's people are some of the nicest and most honest in Mexico!
Manzanillo is a tourist town; its citizens and businesses depend on you having a great and safe time while you're here. Not only is the Mexican army and navy based in Manzanillo, but so is our PGR ("just say 'no' to drugs" cops). Even our traffic police wear buttons that state: "Say no to bribes"!
Crime is virtually non existent here, especially violent crime. This is not Guadalajara or Mexico City. You can feel safe driving on any road in the state of Colima. On some back roads, such as this one, you might get caught up in some heavy traffic, but even then, it can be a very "moo-ving" experience.
There are some areas of major Canadian and American cities that you wouldn't dare walk down the street in broad daylight, much less at night. In Manzanillo and the state of Colima, you can go anywhere, and never have to worry, even the "red light district." This small, 2-block-long area, is also called the "zona tolerancia," or tolerance zone. There are a couple of bawdy houses, where women do the Mexican version of bump and grind to pulsating loud music.
Naturally, since Manzanillo is a port town, the sailors and merchant marines frequent this area for their night on the town. The section is interspersed with adjoining homes, and at night you'll often see families sitting out in front of their houses on the sidewalk, while the kids ride their trikes and push-cars in the street.
This is not to say that you want to go to the red light district, get rip-roaring drunk, and stumble down a dark alley at 2 a.m. with money falling out of your pocket. You wouldn't do that at home, either, would you? Don't look for trouble, and you won't find any.Our local newspaper, the "El Correo," does have a police page, and sometimes there's actually a crime on it. Not often, however. Usually, it's filled with a car accident or two, alcohol-induced fist fights (sort of a "macho man" thing), or perhaps a juvenile running away from home. Once in a while someone described as "mentally confused" is taken back home, or placed in the hospital for observation. Such was big time crime in Manzanillo this month. Not much going on that would make a TV mini-series called, "Manzanillo Vice"! (Maybe "Manzanillo Nice," but that wouldn't sell.)
Even on national election day in July, when everyone, particularly foreign television newscasters, predicted riots and unrest, the day passed tranquilly without incident. Mexico and its citizens proved the "doom and gloom" folks wrong again. And there were record turn-outs at the polls.
Sept. 16, Independence Day, also passed without a single injury or fatality. You'd think when it's all you can drink everywhere in town, and everyone is shouting the "grito," or the Mexican cry for Independence, someone would get a little rowdy. Not so in Manzanillo. But we sure did have fun that night, gringos and Mexicans alike.
There was Mariachi music everywhere, fireworks, the Ballet Folklorico from the University of Colima, and mock cockfights! Mexicans are very proud people, and it made me very proud of my adopted country, and even prouder of its citizens.
Though there are many cultural differences, it is wonderful to learn about them all. It is also good to know that as a single woman living alone, as I do, you can feel safe and comfortable. The state of Colima, one of the smallest states in Mexico, is rich in resources, and every dirt road leads to some place new and exciting.
I go anywhere and everywhere, by myself: camping, driving the back roads, to nightclubs, and remote beaches. If I can do it and feel safe, you can, too. I've met many interesting people, and saw many wonderful things. Drive to a remote beach, and you'll never know what you'll find.
Quit worrying about your safety just because some government agency issued a travel advisory. The bureaucrat sitting in a high rise office in Washington, D.C. and passing judgment on an entire country has most likely never visited Manzanillo, and certainly has never traveled the country as extensively as I have! That would be like telling tourists not to take their kids to Disneyland because there was a drive-by shooting in East LA! Please!
Manzanillo isn't Mexico City, nor is it Los Angeles, New York, Detroit or Toronto. Every city in the world has its plusses and minuses, but Manzanillo is, for all practical purposes, one of the safest and most friendly places on earth.
