I am rather used to it, when people tell me "Don't go there, that place is dangerous, etc etc" before I start travelling again. But this time is is a bit different:

I was in a hurry to leave the US, because I wanted to be in Mexico for the festivities of Independence Day. But I did not enter the country via Ciudad Juarez, known as The most violent zone on earth outside a declared war zone. The open war between the drug cartels Juarez, Sinola and the police make this place just too hot. Last year 3075 people were killed here, and I do not want to fill up the statistics for this year.

But in Agua Prieta, the border town, where I spent my first night the situation is tense as well. It was not easy to find an hotel in this small town, and , when I finally found one, it was almost fully booked. But I was the only tourist, all the others were policemen. They seem to have moved here as reinforcement in the drug war, and live with their families in the hotel. A policeman made me clearly understand that my plan to go in the city for the festivities, was not a good one, far too dangerous. So I just had a few drinks with the police, and left the next morning for Chihuahua.

The road followed the for a while the fence between the two states, than I drove for most of the time in a flat and deserted landscape. I was stopped five times at police check points, but they always waved me on, not even asking for my documents. But on every one I have been warned, to be careful, that I was in a dangerous area.

In Chihuahua, same story: Do not do this, do not do that, do not go here, do not go there, it is too dangerous. There was indeed a gunfight that night, where three policemen were attacked, and one left for dead. I nevertheless went to the city centre to watch the last festivities of Independence day. I did not spot any other tourist. But there were armed policemen and private security agents everywhere.

Yesterday I left the dangerous Chihuahua province for Torreon but again I had to pass some police checkpoints, and had to listen to the same warnings. And indeed, this town is really dangerous: Last year 14 people were killed at a birthday party, and 2 month ago, 40 people died in just 48 hours....

Entering the Chihuahua province

The cathedral in Chihuahua

Shoe polishers