It’s Not Worth Showing Off

[DE727UPS]

I can tell you everything you might want to know about Bisbee. Let me know any questions you have.

Is it safe to walk across the border for lunch at Naco? Not one of those places where narco gangs are shooting it out? I noticed there are a lot of dentists on the Mexican side for gringo's without dental insurance. Little town of Naco has like 5 dentists. There is an RV park on the US side I may hit later this year. For sure next winter if not this year.

 

[MikeD]

Is it safe to walk across the border for lunch at Naco? Not one of those places where narco gangs are shooting it out? I noticed there are a lot of dentists on the Mexican side for gringo's without dental insurance. Little town of Naco has like 5 dentists. There is an RV park on the US side I may hit later this year. For sure next winter if not this year.

Depends on the day. The cartels do what they want, waging their battles all along and through various border towns. and you have to keep your head on your shoulders. Being a gringo brings no special protection or status, either from cartels or from dirty government officials. Sasabe, AZ used to be a quiet little border town west of Nogales, for example, but two rival cartels have moved in to battle one another, and collateral damage isn’t something they care about. Naco, Agua Prieta just to the east…all have the same problems. From Falcon Lake to the LeBarons, bad events happen fairly often, they just don’t all get the attention that some do. If you go, go in, get what you need done, and leave.

 

[DE727UPS]

Thanks. It must be hard for you sometimes seeing stuff going on and you can't do anything about it cause it's on the wrong side of a line. I used to walk around Guadalajara looking like a dorky white tourist on layovers back in the 90's. Didn't think twice about it. Things sure have changed.

 

[MikeD]

Thanks. It must be hard for you sometimes seeing stuff going on and you can't do anything about it cause it's on the wrong side of a line. I used to walk around Guadalajara looking like a dorky white tourist on layovers back in the 90's. Didn't think twice about it. Things sure have changed.

Never used to be as bad as it has been in the last 20 years or so. Things were more underground back then, it would seem. At the Sasabe area now, you can see the gunfights going on just on the other side of the line, to the point where armed guys who had been shot a number of times, were stumbling over to the border barrier and collapsing over it looking for help and trying to get away from the battle. They’re still bad dudes, mind you, but ones who have just tapped out. With the tens of thousands of bodies pouring over the border each week in the 80 mile span of border now, these shot dudes are merely a different form of people.

 

[Lawman]

Depends on the day. The cartels do what they want, waging their battles all along and through various border towns. and you have to keep your head on your shoulders. Being a gringo brings no special protection or status, either from cartels or from dirty government officials. Sasabe, AZ used to be a quiet little border town west of Nogales, for example, but two rival cartels have moved in to battle one another, and collateral damage isn’t something they care about. Naco, Agua Prieta just to the east…all have the same problems. From Falcon Lake to the LeBarons, bad events happen fairly often, they just don’t all get the attention that some do. If you go, go in, get what you need done, and leave.

Spent 2 days in Laredo discussing operations with the FBI and Border Patrol….

We’ve clearly spent the last 20 years sending Rangers into the wrong houses at night. Mexico needs to amend its constitution to allow us to take support to their soil. A reconning is coming with this and doing what we did in 3-10 and leaving some heads on spikes for the guys that want to fill the power vacuum is the only language these guys understand.


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[MikeD]

Spent 2 days in Laredo discussing operations with the FBI and Border Patrol….

We’ve clearly spent the last 20 years sending Rangers into the wrong houses at night. Mexico needs to amend its constitution to allow us to take support to their soil. A reconning is coming with this and doing what we did in 3-10 and leaving some heads on spikes for the guys that want to fill the power vacuum is the only language these guys understand.


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I snapped this pic the other week. Mountaintop cartel bunker/fighting position, about 80 yards south of the line. Stacked rock bunker with OD tarp top and cactus for camo, with the firing/observation port looking north-northwest to a USBP FOB. As I popped up the mountainside ridge from the east (their six), two long rifles that were in the firing port immediately retracted. Had solar charging panels and supplies on the back side of it, and about 3 or 4 scouts manning it. I snapped the pic for intel quickly in a hover, then dumped back down the back side of the mountain, as I didn’t feel like taking small arms fire at my POS helo. This, is just one of many of the same here, just a new one.

 

[Lawman]

I snapped this pic the other week. Mountaintop cartel bunker/fighting position, about 80 yards south of the line. Stacked rock bunker with OD tarp top and cactus for camo, with the firing/observation port looking north-northwest to a USBP FOB. As I popped up the mountainside ridge from the east (their six), two long rifles that were in the firing port immediately retracted. Had solar charging panels and supplies on the back side of it, and about 3 or 4 scouts manning it. I snapped the pic for intel quickly in a hover, then dumped back down the back side of the mountain, as I didn’t feel like taking small arms fire at my POS helo. This, is just one of many of the same here, just a new one.


View attachment 76022

Just a little amendment to the constitution and Cannon AFB is right down the road….

Probably do it right out of the hanger.


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[MikeD]

Just a little amendment to the constitution and Cannon AFB is right down the road….

Probably do it right out of the hanger.


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And soon, some of them will be coming here to Davis-Monthan. 55 years as a TAC/ACC base, is coming to an end with the retirement of the A-10 in short order.

 

[WacoFan]

Tell me more?

I'll look it up. Last I talked to them about it was 2008. They spent some of the year in Texas, the rest in Mexico. I need to look up the town. It was in one of the states bordering Texas.

 

[WacoFan]

Please don’t say San Miguel De Allende.

No, that isn't it.

 

[SteveC]

I have some old family friends of my parents - grew up around them and close. They sold their businesses in San Antonio in the 2010's and moved to old Mexico. Sounds like an American'ish colony and they are absolutely in love with it - plus the cost of living. They are also impressed with the health care available.

When we were vacationing in Panama last year we noticed a fair number of expat communities. Boquete, for example, was a pretty cool area with a fairly high number of expat residents (20%-ish?).

We asked a local how it all worked out since we had heard the Americans were in a gated community just outside of town. Paraphrased response; “It’s great. We feel very safe with them locked up in their own area.” …he said with a good natured chuckle.


Edit To Add: Google shows tons of info on expat living in Panama. Example: https://www.retireinpanamatours.com/post/the-panama-expat-communities/

 

[WacoFan]

When we were vacationing in Panama last year we noticed a fair number of expat communities. Boquete, for example, was a pretty cool area with a fairly high number of expat residents (20%-ish?).

We asked a local how it all worked out since we had heard the Americans were in a gated community just outside of town. Paraphrased response; “It’s great. We feel very safe with them locked up in their own area.” …he said with a good natured chuckle.


Edit To Add: Google shows tons of info on expat living in Panama. Example: https://www.retireinpanamatours.com/post/the-panama-expat-communities/

My Mexico experience is late 80's/early 90's and mostly border towns in the TX-MX border. Not "fancy" Mexico, but border town. And I absolutely loved it - the people were warm and gracious for the most part. Never got into trouble.. ALWAYS maintained SA but the food, etc - always loved Mexico. But also always loved crossing the border back home and not living in Mexico too. I don't see that changing.

 

[SurferLucas]

When we were vacationing in Panama last year we noticed a fair number of expat communities. Boquete, for example, was a pretty cool area with a fairly high number of expat residents (20%-ish?).

We asked a local how it all worked out since we had heard the Americans were in a gated community just outside of town. Paraphrased response; “It’s great. We feel very safe with them locked up in their own area.” …he said with a good natured chuckle.


Edit To Add: Google shows tons of info on expat living in Panama. Example: https://www.retireinpanamatours.com/post/the-panama-expat-communities/

I fricking love Panama…that’s been my most shocking (in a good way) layover at SJI. Great people, good food, USD is tied to their dollar…can’t wait to go back.

 

[SteveC]

I fricking love Panama…that’s been my most shocking (in a good way) layover at SJI. Great people, good food, USD is tied to their dollar…can’t wait to go back.

Panama was very cool.

 

[ppragman]

I'll look it up. Last I talked to them about it was 2008. They spent some of the year in Texas, the rest in Mexico. I need to look up the town. It was in one of the states bordering Texas.

Well, to be honest, my wife and I are considering how we can spend a few months a year somewhere warm? I don't know, the kids are in school so that's a challenge, but theoretically... if I could get a remote job, we could basically bail out of the cold here for 1.5 months in the winter with the kids, and I could probably get away from the could for closer to 2.5 months? (let's be real my wife won't let me do that, 2 months at most).

I still love it here, but I'm so ready to not be cold every year, and the dark has started to get to me in recent years.

 

[Lawman]

Well, to be honest, my wife and I are considering how we can spend a few months a year somewhere warm? I don't know, the kids are in school so that's a challenge, but theoretically... if I could get a remote job, we could basically bail out of the cold here for 1.5 months in the winter with the kids, and I could probably get away from the could for closer to 2.5 months? (let's be real my wife won't let me do that, 2 months at most).

I still love it here, but I'm so ready to not be cold every year, and the dark has started to get to me in recent years.

Unless you want to just live indoors 3 months of the year go somewhere else. If you’re snowbird’ing that’s a method. But understand you are moving to an area that is exploding in real estate value due to the investment opportunities (Texas Triangle) or you live in the middle of nowhere.

Texas is like an inversion of lake effect Cleveland Winter paralysis. Summer is just brutally hot, and because of the type of veg and foliage you’re exposed to it even when you’re out in Nature. There is no shade because the trees are really just massive shrubs not canopy. I’m lucky because we have live oaks in the back yard that shield most of it, but even then it’s bad enough in the central hill country that you can’t just leave a dog outside, much less kids.


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[DPApilot]

I never fingered a stripper. I did see my dads hog.

Ladies and gentlemen…

 

[DE727UPS]

I decided about 5 years ago I needed to be south in the winter. Presently, I do south Orange County, CA, but it's insanely expensive. I did Hawaii for a while but the commute was going to suck and I felt like it wasn't going to work for me long term for a lot of reasons. Southern AZ is on my list now. Easily half as expensive as the OC. And not desert like PHX. More like high desert with some trees and natural green here and there.

 

[MikeD]

I decided about 5 years ago I needed to be south in the winter. Presently, I do south Orange County, CA, but it's insanely expensive. I did Hawaii for a while but the commute was going to suck and I felt like it wasn't going to work for me long term for a lot of reasons. Southern AZ is on my list now. Easily half as expensive as the OC. And not desert like PHX. More like high desert with some trees and natural green here and there.

Gila Bend. Or Quartzite. Quartzite is RV Mecca in the winter.

 

[///AMG]

Unless you want to just live indoors 3 months of the year go somewhere else. If you’re snowbird’ing that’s a method. But understand you are moving to an area that is exploding in real estate value due to the investment opportunities (Texas Triangle) or you live in the middle of nowhere.

Texas is like an inversion of lake effect Cleveland Winter paralysis. Summer is just brutally hot, and because of the type of veg and foliage you’re exposed to it even when you’re out in Nature. There is no shade because the trees are really just massive shrubs not canopy. I’m lucky because we have live oaks in the back yard that shield most of it, but even then it’s bad enough in the central hill country that you can’t just leave a dog outside, much less kids.


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Yeah, no offense to Waco or some of the other Texans in here, but I once lived in Texas, and you'd have to kill me before my body resided there again. That was years before it was "cool", and it seems to suddenly be this cool "decamping" liberal tech WFH fantasy to move to somewhere like Austin (which used to be cool, as far as TX went at least), but I mean, it is basically California now. With everything I wouldn't want associated with California. Specifically living near those types of people. Enjoy the COL "improvement", trading a much prettier, more interesting environment, for dirt and humidity, and what will soon be the same COL as every other lemming from Silicon Valley follows suit.