Greets everyone from Nogales, Mexico!

[gimmethesimplelife]

Just thought I would check in and say hi from Nogales, Mexico. I am down here for a couple of days meeting some family members of my fiance that are in Sonora. I was a bit worried about this but I seem to have passed all the family tests so far as they were very kind and welcoming to me and I also am feeling very safe in Nogales. My experience thus far with Nogales is that it is nothing like the media is portraying it to be, at least if you are out and about in broad daylight and not seeking trouble and have legit and legal reasons for being there.

Anyway, greets to everyone and wow. It is so great to be engaged to someone wonderful and it is so nice to be back in Nogales again after having been away for eight years. Wow, eight years without this place as a feature in my life. Far too long. Rob

[JaneV2.0]

Hola! My beloved has family in Sonora, too--the Yaqui branch. Enjoy your stay!

[Tussiemussies]

Sounds like you are having such a nice family visit. I am glad for you that things have gone so well!

[Lainey]

Have fun! I went there for a day trip many years ago. Liked seeing the stalls and stores with stuff for sale like beautiful leather bags.
One memory: I had my mother with me who was 68 years old at the time. We passed an elderly woman who was standing on the corner begging. Everyone walked past her but my mother, who turned and gave her some money. I was glad she did that and was miffed at myself that I hadn't thought of doing the same. That one gesture has stood out to me to this day in my mind - one elderly woman helping another.

Anyway has Nogales changed much since your last visit?

[Tussiemussies]

Laundry, what a beautiful memory of kindness and compassion...

[Teacher Terry]

Have fun!!!

[gimmethesimplelife]

Have fun! I went there for a day trip many years ago. Liked seeing the stalls and stores with stuff for sale like beautiful leather bags.
One memory: I had my mother with me who was 68 years old at the time. We passed an elderly woman who was standing on the corner begging. Everyone walked past her but my mother, who turned and gave her some money. I was glad she did that and was miffed at myself that I hadn't thought of doing the same. That one gesture has stood out to me to this day in my mind - one elderly woman helping another.

Anyway has Nogales changed much since your last visit?Some of the stores and restaurants I remember are no more - didn't survive the effects of far fewer Americans coming down for awhile due to the cartel violence and the Great Recession. There seems to be less crafts for sale overall and what is for sale seems to be lower quality overall - but then I didn't spend a lot of time looking for crafts. Some of the businesses - such as the Frey Marcos Hotel (nicest hotel in the tourist area) have remodeled and the Frey Marcos is now on par with an upscale US hotel. There seem to be many more dentists and doctors - but I didn't see any optical places (wouldn't be surprised if that were soon coming).

Over the past eight years Nogales has made some efforts to clean up the tourist area and there are a couple of pedestrian only streets now with benches. I saw some landscaping efforts and the sidewalks in the tourist area seem to be more level and I'm liking that a lot. My last visit there in 2007 I saw hardly any police and now the tourist zone is crawling with tourist police and I also saw a number of local police cars cruising around but no Federales. For awhile there during the cartel violence the Mexican government sent Federales to Nogales and I didn't see any anywhere - maybe they've been sent down to Michoacan where things are still intense with the cartels?

Overall I've seen improvement and I'm glad to have Nogales back in my life again and I hope it stays quiet there. I'm sure trouble is available there if you are looking for it but my take is that most people there are average everyday struggling Mexicans just doing what they have to do to put food on the table - given the declining standard of living in the United States, isn't that something most people can relate to here? Rob

[gimmethesimplelife]

Laundry, what a beautiful memory of kindness and compassion...I've always brought down a few dollars in quarters with me for the beggars by the border. Regardless of what economic challenges I've faced in the US, these people have it harder and out of respect for that plus the fact that I am a guest in a foreign country that has done so much for me over the years - I feel I have to give something back somehow. This is a good place to do it to my way of thinking. Rob

[larknm]

Rob, you sound so good.