Having lived in Lake Oswego, Milwaukie, Portland and La Pine I can say for a fact La pine has far less of a meth problem than anywhere I have lived. It really has no drug/crime/violence problems to speak of at all when compared to anywhere on the wet side of Oregon.
The State Dept has a detailed travel warning for Mexico, as it does for most dangerously unsafe countries. Check it out.
http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/alertswarnings/mexico-travel-warning.html Millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year for study, tourism, and business, including more than 150,000 who cross the border every day. The Mexican government dedicates substantial resources to protect visitors to major tourist destinations, and there is no evidence that Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) have targeted U.S. visitors or residents based on their nationality. Resort areas and tourist destinations in Mexico generally do not see the levels of drug-related violence and crime that are reported in the border region or in areas along major trafficking routes. Nevertheless, U.S. travelers should be aware that the Mexican government has been engaged in an extensive effort to counter TCOs which engage in narcotics trafficking and other unlawful activities throughout Mexico. The TCOs themselves are engaged in a violent struggle to control drug trafficking routes and other criminal activity. Crime and violence are serious problems and can occur anywhere. U.S. citizens have fallen victim to criminal activity, including homicide, gun battles, kidnapping, carjacking and highway robbery. While most of those killed in narcotics-related violence have been members of TCOs, innocent persons have also been killed. The number of U.S. citizens reported to the Department of State as murdered in Mexico was 71 in 2012 and 81 in 2013. http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/or/la-pine/crime/#description La Pine has an overall crime rate of 16 per 1,000 residents, making the crime rate here near the average for all cities and towns of all sizes in America. According to our analysis of FBI crime data, your chance of becoming a victim of crime in La Pine is 1 in 61.
Aren't I supposed to mock Zags for telling us his personal plans? Or are we all over doing so a this point? It's hard to tell when you're dealing with a man entering his 30s who still thinks he's 22.
If I were you, just google where the dope taco spots are. Some of the downtown area is nice, they have a nice church in PV. Maybe get wasted there during the daytime and walk around the beach and shit. Usually my M.O.
oh yeah, always negotiate the prices beforehand for taxi drivers. usually what I do, just say "hey, can i get to XXXX for $5".
Yeah. that's the downtown area. don't know about the resorts and shit. It was honestly a little dead, they had your "senior frogs" type places where there's a party on the 2nd story of some building, a hard rock cafe, and all the usual tourist traps. Try to find some real mexican food and shit though, just google ahead of time, you'll be glad you did. I can't stand hotel/resort food, especially in fucking Mexico. Street tacos and little shitty places is where its at. Don't buy anything there. Clothes, jewelry, etc, its all a rip off. Just spend money on booze, food and walk around.
Found this which kind of refutes that PV is an unsafe place: http://www.puertovallartatours.net/puerto-vallarta-safety.htm
Its not that its an unsafe place, you should be fine in general. Just don't walk in shitty dark alleys at 3am (I'e done these things though and its been fine). You can go out at night, be in a cab, just be in a group or with other people. Don't carry large amounts of cash, etc. Pretty common sense stuff. I've been in dangerous parts of mexico during the drug wars, some shady parts of mexico city and in acapulco (I know two people who were killed but they were mexicans). I wouldn't worry about it. Just carry cash inside your shoe along side your front pocket or something, have a second stash, just mind your surroundings.
what, fake ones? the real ones would probably cost more than they do here. the guy who owns oakley actually lives in my boss' neighborhood up in Acapulco.
do some research on Tequilas before you go too. Find out some good brands to take back from duty free. don't think you can carry on any from outside the airport.
