New vaccine could quell Montezuma's Revenge

Travelers to Mexico sometimes fear the bandits of the highway. More likely they should fear the bandits of the bathrooms. Travelers' diarrhea is a bane to those traveling south of the border. If clinical trials of a new vaccine prove up as they have been, in the future you may be able to kiss Montezuma goodbye.

Researchers at The University of Texas School of Public Health have found that patients given a travelers’ diarrhea vaccine were significantly less likely to suffer from clinically significant diarrhea than those who received placebo, according to a study published in this week’s edition of the Lancet. Happily, you don't need to get needled for the fix--it's a patch-based vaccine.

The study, which followed 170 healthy travelers ages 18-64 to Mexico and Guatemala, found that of the 59 individuals who received the novel vaccine, only three suffered from moderate or severe diarrhea, while roughly two dozen of the 111 who received a placebo suffered from moderate or severe diarrhea. Only one of the 59 volunteers in the vaccine group reported severe diarrhea, compared with 12 in the placebo group.

Of the few vaccinated patients who became sick, the diarrhea lasted only half a day on average, while those in the placebo group endured two days of illness and more than twice as many loose stools. Although not statistically significant, the frequency of new-onset irritable bowel syndrome, a long-term consequence of travelers’ diarrhea, was three times greater in placebo than vaccine recipients.

The vaccine developer plans on phase 3 trials next year. If testing follows the typical pattern, hundreds if not thousands of folks will be involved to check for side effects as well as benefits. It could be a while before the "if and whens" of the approval process are completed. Meantime, hang onto the Pepto and remember, the expression is, "Donde es el baño?

State Department Finally Gets "Passport Card" Program in Gear

The collective government combine of the Secretary of State and Homeland Security has finally meshed the gears and let the clutch out. Taking the RV to Mexico or Canada? Now you don't need to buy an expensive passport, you can spend less and get in with a Passport Card.

We've touched on the idea a number of times. Instead of fully-blown passport, the card is a simple card about the size of a credit card, allowing land or sea crossings of the US border. It's much less expensive, $45 for a first-time applicant, versus $100 for a passport.

But there's still a few glitches in the system. As we wrote earlier, Homeland Security wants you to bring proof of citizenship when crossing the border--for most of us, that translates to a birth certificate. But when applying for the new passport card (or a passport) you'll need to hand over your birth certificate along with the application. Yes, you'll get your birth cert back when your new passport card arrives. But at this point, passport card processing times are taking (supposedly) about two months. So, what do you do about "proof of citizenship" in the meantime? Can you say, "Better have TWO certified copies of your birth certificate?"

When we queried local authorities about this seeming problem, they suggested we forget about the passport card and simply 'go for the gold,' and get a passport. After all, the processing time for a passport is now said to be a lightning fast four weeks.

For more information on Passport Cards, visit Uncle Sam's website.

Passports and Mexico: Changes Again!

Want to visit Mexico but don't have a passport? Don't worry! Uncle Sam's plans have changed once again. Check out our story in our sister blog, RVing Quartzsite.

RV rail tours through Copper Canyon discontinued

El Paso, Texas-based Tracks to Adventure no longer offers its railroad tours into Mexico's Copper Canyon after the Mexican government decided to prohibit the practice of allowing RVers to stay in their motorhomes or trailers that rode atop flat cars while traveling through the picturesque canyon in the northern state of Chihuahua. According to RV Business, the Mexican government said the practice was not safe, although Tracks President Larry Olsen said there had been no serious mishaps during the 33 years that he arranged trips for some 8,000 RVers. Tracks still offers the Copper Canyon tour but now RVs are parked and visitors take the 172-mile-long canyon rail in passenger cars.

Books about RV travel in Mexico and Baja. Click here.

Terror on the Baja

A California newspaper website says American RV tourists are increasingly reporting violent encounters with bandits in paramilitary clothing. See the story on our sister website, RVs in the News.

Faster return for RVers at popular Mexico border crossing

RVers returning from popular Mexico town Puerto Penasco through the Lukeville, Ariz., Port of Entry will now find the process faster according to a story in the Arizona Daily Star. Every Sunday and Monday, RVs will be directed into the commercial lane to help ease congestion. When the renovated Lukeville port opened in 1976, there was one hotel in Puerto Penasco, also known as Rocky Point. Today, there are 42 hotels and motels and 14 RV facilities that attracted approximately 2.3 million people in 2006, a nearly fivefold increase from 2001. The port with its three passenger lanes and one commercial-truck lane was built to handle 400 vehicles a day. This past fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30, the Lukeville port processed up to 5,000 per day on holiday weekends.

Best Times to RV in Mexico

Mexico is a diverse country and has diverse weather. The best time to RV in Mexico depends on where you want to travel and what type of weather you want to experience. We RV’ed Chihuahua with 5 degrees below in January and had balmy 60 degree weather in Puebla in July. When the summer heat and humidity becomes unbearable in August and September along the coast, the interior colonial cities provide a temperate relief.
Most folks come to Mexico when the weather turns cold in the US and Canada or just after Christmas. The second week of December marks the exodus southbound and highways are filled with rigs heading for warmer climates. By the 3rd week of March, most RV’s are heading North. As an experienced Mexican RVer I know that I better have a reservation and be parked at a destination that I want to spend some conserted time if I want to travel at this time. RV parks have waiting lists and you won’t get the prime spots.
Baja
The Baja has some great camping spots but during the winter months you will not be guaranteed good weather unless you are south of the Tropic of Cancer. Our favorite time to RV here on this magnificent peninsula is in November and early December and then in March to June. Late June to late September can just get too hot without AC and some of the best camping places just don’t have power; the Bay of Conception and Bahia de los Angeles.
The West Coast of Mainland Mexico is similar to the Baja. The Tropic of Cancer is just north of Mazatlan. Expect cool weather in December, January and February north of Mazatlan. South of Mazatlan tends to be perfect in late November through to June. If your goal is to get the best camping spots with the least crowds, go in late March to June. Likely you will have the RV Park to yourself or with only a few neighbors. If you RV in late June, July, August and September south of Mazatlan, expect unbearable heat.
The interior north of Guadalajara can be very cool in the winter months. The Copper Canyon for example, is far too cold during the winter for my liking and I found we just didn’t have enough bedding to make it comfortable. The summer months are perfect for visiting the interior Colonial cities and I highly recommend a trip at this time. Campgrounds are nearly always empty in the interior regardless of the season and are not a factor when planning a trip.
The Yucatan gets very hot in the summer and it too is crowded in the late December to March season. If you want to get the good spots, think October, November and late March to June.
Of course every camping spot on Mexico beach communities are filled with Mexicans during Semana Santa – Holy week and Easter. Best to stay put before and after the celebrations as the roads are filled to with impatient and risk-taking drivers.