Police reputation suffered extensively in Mexico. Or else the policeman gave me helpful traffic advice. I was pleased to miss their presence in small villages and towns. Always be aware of possible dangers and travel in self-defense mode. Police corruption cannot be denied but tales regarding it can flourish in a mutual climate of mistrust.
Banks provide a great incentive for robbery.
Melaque's bank was robbed several times over the past years. According to my friend's grandmother who winters there annually, the bank was closed by l997. I interpreted this information to mean that I needed plenty of small denominational traveler's checks tucked into a money belt. Thus began the intimate ambivalent relationship between my money belt and myself. I had never worn one before or frankly, never known anyone to wear one.