Mexico and the U.S.

Photo: The military is VERY visible in Mexico these days.

The attached video is a first test. Behind me is a new hotel/timeshare going up.

 I met a former NY cop at our bar a couple nights ago. He said that some of the hotels being built on Mazatlan's beaches did not have deep enough footings; he said one building appears to be leaning towards the ocean. 

Another person told me that they sat through a presentation on another hotel -- this one being constructed with a material that the sales people said can bend instead of break (like bricks) in a storm. I took a photo of one new one going up that was just plain brick covered with stucco -- so construction quality varies greatly. About 1 hotel is going up for every 10 timeshares.  You can "buy" something for as little as $150,000 to $250,000 (foreigners can only lease for 99 years if the place is within 50 km of the ocean).

Apparently timeshares are the rage and everyone seems to be in the real estate business. These guys will offer you a "free" Fiesta ticket or a breakfast in exchange for a 90 minute presentation that makes high pressure look like a fire hose.  They want your driver's license number and a valid credit card expiration date.  I don't recommend giving that out. They approach you on the beach or in front of a hotel and promise a "freebie." You'll get the "freebie" but at a cost.

But like I said, the more tourist jobs that are created here, the fewer immigrants will be heading north for jobs in the U.S.....