One of the first questions people ask before they go to Yucatan is, “Is it safe to travel in Yucatan?” In this video, Yucatan resident Kristine Ellingson describes her experiences with safety in Yucatan. She includes what she calls, “Checkpoint Charlie,” the Yucatan Military Checkpoints, as well as rifle-toting Mayan farmers, and the general paranoia most Americans feel about safety in Yucatan.
Kristine has lived in a Mayan village for over 21 years. At the same time, she’s been married to a Mayan man. She knows what she’s talking about when it comes to safety in Yucatan. Interestingly, she finds that many tourists over-react to situations that could lead to theft in the U.S., but not in Yucatan.
She’s also the author of a wonderful book called, Tales from the Yucatan Jungle: Life in a Mayan Village, which describes her experiences of Yucatan and living in a Mayan village close to the Uxmal ruin site.
In the list below, you’ll see the timeline for specific topics in the video:
00:00 Your paranoia needs to stay up in the States.
00:18 People leave things in their car–it’s still there.
01:12 You go through “Checkpoint Charlies”, as I call them.
01:30 And you’re not going to have a problem with them
01:36 But driving around Merida and on the Peninsula
01:48 This is like walking back in time some 45 to 50 years.
02:01 That’s why I like it down here.
Here are the credits for the video:
- Photographs of the Military Checkpoint: Copyright 2012 Carol Chapman, used with permission.
- Photograph of the Uxmal Ruin Site: Copyright 2008 John Chapman, used with permission.
- Photograph of the Riviera Maya: Copyright 2008, Miriam Balsley, used with permission.
- Photographs of cornfield and corn, royalty free from Pixabay.com
- Video footage: Copyright 2012 Carol Chapman
- Music: Sony Creative Software Cinescore royalty free music, “Surf Rock City,” composed by Patrick Johnson