Mary Wells | 11/29/2008 6:33 am

The Gypsy Dispatches: First Person Accounts From Mumbai and Mexico

From Mumbai: I just had a call from my Swiss friend who just arrived in Geneva from Mumbai and when he was leaving his hotel in Mumbai to go to the airport and his elevator arrived in the lobby there was no one alive there, just a horrific group of dead people and blood everywhere and he saw a man with a gun but was hustled out onto the street by someone and into the restaurant next door where he and others hid in the dark all night in the confusion. He said the terrorists were shooting anybody and anywhere, it was total chaos.

From Mexico: Yesterday I just had another call from a friend in Baja who has a home near the lovely and luxurious resorts there who packed up and left and doubts she will return as the two drug factions are having a war there and up and down the south coast of Mexico and in Mexico City and they are cutting off heads and rolling them down the beaches and it is total Hell.

It is a good time to stay home and bless America for being as safe as it is.

Gypsy

Read more about: India, Mary Wells, Mexico, Mumbai, News

102 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

Pretty much, MaryLou… Because the Brits and Americans were specifically targeted in Mumbai, the media brought the gory details. One of the true horrors of the 20th Century was the absolute carnage that accompanied the partition of India. But statistics aren’t being kept for the number of people dying for lack of health care or street violence or any number of other indices in the United States, so there is no way to compare mano a mano against the other statistics.

By Mugsy Peabody on 11/30/2008 4:42 pm

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good grief. what a terrible recommendation

By Buh- Bye on 11/29/2008 8:50 pm

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Pi About legalizing drugs or going to Mumbai?

By Frannie Em on 11/30/2008 12:14 am

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going to Mumbai right now. oy!

By Buh- Bye on 11/30/2008 12:54 am

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Oy Oy Oy

By Frannie Em on 11/30/2008 1:49 am

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I hadn’t read the legalizing drugs posts. I was commenting on Maurine’s Canadian friend who was recommending travel to an unstable region in the throws of a terrorist attack as a way to support local tourism. Holy smokes! Bozo move there. As for the drugs issue — I guess my general take on everything is that, as long as you are a sane adult, what you do with and to your own body is none of other people’s business. As long as it doesn’t impact others negatively. Specifically, no bonking people on the head to get cash for drugs. I think people should just stay out of your personal choices, out of your bloodstream, out of your bed, out of your marriage, out of your medical records and out of your life decisions in general. If people spent less time trying to tip over other people’s boats, and spent more time bailing the water out of their own, we’d all sail through life easier.

By Buh- Bye on 11/30/2008 2:59 pm

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Pi Great take on it. I would have to agree, especially with the part about if they don’t rob from me for money for drugs.

By Frannie Em on 11/30/2008 9:05 pm

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Merrell….My thoughts exactly. Muslims and Islam aren’t any more ‘terrorist’ than is Christianity…it’s just the radical fringe nuts and this person disguised as a Groucho/Indian is rather ridiculous in his/her views…I ignore.

By Delete This on 11/29/2008 7:56 pm

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Mary Wells comments, “It is a good time to stay home and bless America for being as safe as it is.” Damn straight. Travel to the Mideast is begging for a violent death. Travel to Mexico is begging for being a victim of violent crime, or death. Travel to most of Africa, an almost sure bet of violence and death. Asia is no different. Travel to most anywhere around our world, is very dangerous. Any readers ever been locked up in the Tijuana jail? I have, for four days, at age sixteen. Horrors I witnessed, horrors I suffered, I could recount those but doubtful any readers would believe my telling. We suffer our share of crime and death here in America, but almost none know of the horrors which take place, daily, in other countries, horrors often sanctioned by and committed by governments and by their peoples. America is not completely safe, but is amongst the few countries of our world which are relatively safe. Go down to Mexico, inadvertently expose yourself to the Mexican legal system. Have yourself locked up in a Mexican jail. Should you survive, should you be able to bribe your way to freedom, you will never return to Mexico and you will think twice about visiting many other countries. Travel to another country to simply show “support” is nothing more than making a target of yourself and be sure someone will target you. You are much safer to get your kicks out on Route 66. Okpulot Taha Choctaw Nation

By Okpulot Taha on 11/29/2008 3:42 pm

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I guess we all make our choices. I have friends living in Cabo who feel far safer there than in the States. I’ve had foreign students who cancelled their semesters in the U.S. because their parents were terrified of the guns and violence they read about in this country. It’s all a matter of perspective. Please don’t tell me that it’s much safer here, because it certainly isn’t and we have the 9-11 and Oklahoma terrorist attacks as evidence. So if you choose to stay home because it’s “safe” you can do that, but to choose not to travel abroad because you think it’s too dangerous is just plain ignorant. There are areas of the world where travel is unsafe for anyone, and the State Department keeps current on them and issues advisories. India and Mexico are not amongst these areas. The attack that just occurred in Mumbai was a terrible, evil act. It could have happened anywhere. My grandson just got back from a six month semester abroad in India during which he travelled, alone, extensively and never met with anything but kindness and generosity. I have travelled in Mexico and so have most of my friends. A warmer, more welcoming people you’ll never find. You just have to be intelligent and make your plans with some good judgment.

By Maurine H on 11/29/2008 4:43 pm

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Maureen, your response to this most recent “terror” is well thought out and a response that most should use in their decisions involving travel. The events in Mumbai this week have been horrifying but terrorist attacks can happen anytime and everywhere. Keeping this in perspective and being cautious is always reasonable but living in constant fear of the unkown would be unbearable.

By Agyness O on 11/29/2008 7:51 pm

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Thanks, Agyness- whenever we let fear dictate our decisions about travel after an attack like this, the terrorists win.

By Maurine H on 11/29/2008 9:06 pm

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mo, you are right. back when ed meese was attorney general, i named a detroit street he should walk without bodyguards after he said something particularly repellant. mumbai is no more dangerous now than it was a month ago. but their lentil soup has too much fat in it.

By mary lou s on 11/30/2008 4:06 pm

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Mexico—-ya got that right—-San Diego’s bad enough—-having my 1st view of Mexico city, hard to believe—-one of earth’s richest oligarchies—-and one scary place—-go to Belize—-Costa Rica—-i never, having been ‘south-of-border’ a few times, understood anyone Vacationing there—-Mr. Taha no speak w/forked tongue—-as Monty Python would say, ‘Run away, run away.’ Mexico needs another revolution—-fat chance—-

By gulliver fourmyle on 11/29/2008 5:06 pm

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“San Diego’s bad enough” - are you joking? I lived in San Diego for 30 years. It’s one of the most mellow, delightful cities in the U.S. It’s also been recently named “one of the best places in America to live.” Costa Rica is another wonderful, friendly country and a great place to live. You’ve got to get out more gulliver.

By Maurine H on 11/29/2008 9:09 pm