The Road Ahead

Well, i think i am buggered in the shipping department - it would appear that my package of bike goodies has been lost in transit by the USPS, a first for me. The most important item was probably tires because it is difficult to find 700c touring tires or 29er mtb tires in latin america - economies of scale that sort of thing, besides being a luxury item. I called all the bike shops in the yellow pages, which still beats the crap out of the internet for searching businesses, and nada nothing zip f' all in the tire department in the Rio Grande Valley - but hell only 1.1 million people live here. . . Anyhow, the idea is to have some mtb tires that are in stock in Binghamton sent to a local address via UPS or FedEx. I joined www.warmshowers.org, a hospitality site for touring cyclists, and sent out some emails to area folks in the hope of getting a shipping address. Let me say once again Chenango Point Cycles rocks! we really have no idea how good we have it until we do not. I know i could walk in there and find everything i need on the shelf.
I am looking forward to some expansive landscapes going into Mexico. If you happen to read things like the US State Dept. travel advisories, then you could get really concerned about crossing into mexico - http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_970.html.

But that is there job. I am not a drug dealer, or police officer, or military so there is no reason to target me. And i feel sorry for the poor bastard that wants to empty my bank account because i beat him to it!
Realistically, if you look at crime statistics the United States is a pretty dangerous place - we beat Mexico in assaults, burlaries, car theft, and we are about tied in firearm related homocides. But nobody mentions Columbia, Guatemala or Paraguay, which are a much better places to get shot statistically. I could drop a Mexican in any number of U.S. neighborhoods and wish them the best of luck. Yes, there is a drug war in Mexico but it occurs in locations strategic to that war - mainly the borders. So my plan is to cross early in the morning at a quiet crossing and by noon time i will be 50 miles away - most criminals i have known are not morning people.
A note on statistics, i like to use www.nationmaster.com because it is transparent in its sourcing and allows comments. Stats are not truth just a snapshot from a position, you really do need a lot of statistics to develop a picture, and then it is only statistical.
More significant than any statistic - people bicycle touring say they feel safer riding in Mexico and touring, in general, is easier in Mexico. I have been to dangerous places heard bombs and gunfire, and just like anywhere else, don't be an idiot, smile, and keep your eyes open . Don't forget hundreds of millions of people go about their daily lives and nothing ever happens to them - often to their disappointment.
As to my actual route thru Mexico well . . . vamos a ver.