February 23, 2026Monday, February 23, 2026

Just a thought… Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent. [Isaac Asimov]

Well, this isn’t the blog I had planned for you today; that will have to wait until next week. I hadn’t intended to be in an area that is the focus of much of North America’s attention today, but here we are.

Sunday began early but pleasantly enough: Rob and our friend Chris FaceTimed the hockey game with me from the condo in Sidney, BC so I could watch. But shortly after shutting down the feed and writing today’s journal, I got a message from my Airbnb host:

I hopped on Google to find out just what was going on. Apparently a high profile drug lord was taken out (permanently). How big was El Mencho, a nickname derived from his first name? Well, there was a 15 million US dollar bounty on his head – that’s a record amount and who knows if it’ll be paid. But it’s believed that rather than a war between factions, the aftermath of his death was an explosion of rage from his followers. At least, that’s what we’re hearing from people with their ear to the ground. And cbc.ca. They’re doing a great job from their post in Mexico City.

Visitors and residents of a wide swath of Mexico, from Puerto Vallarta to more than four hours down the highway near where my sister Cindy lives in Lake Chapala area, are advised to stay indoors until we get the “all clear.” Roads were blocked by burning vehicles. Some WiFi was out (at least according to Cindy and to hockey fans who lost their hotel lobby feeds yesterday morning in the middle of the first period). Cars and buses were burned and used to set up roadblocks to stop military vehicles, shots were fired, and airports and all transportation in, out, and around the areas ground to a halt.

One poster on my Facebook page told of a friend who was two hours away from PVR when their plane was turned around. Aw, man! Porter, Air Canada and WestJet all halted flights in and out of the main PVR airport; anyone travelling here is advised to check before heading out. Which you are smart enough to do anyway, I know.

You can imagine the pandemonium this caused as hotel guests gathered in their lobbies, thinking they were departing, and were now awaiting word on where to go and what to do in order to stay safe. Everyone, from residents to visitors, was told to remain indoors; my host reminded me (as did a few ex-pats down here) to make sure my phone and extra chargers were all fully juiced, and asked if I had enough food and water. My fridge and freezer are basically stocked for the remaining 3 1/2 weeks I’m here, while any water I drink is either from a water service that delivers weekly, or simply boiled in the kettle. I’m just fine, the dogs are paper trained and we have a tiny fenced yard should a biological emergency arise. So all is well.

In fact, between occasional updates on Facebook, I spent most of yesterday cosy in bed watching season two of ER and cuddling with the dogs. As of this writing Sunday evening I have no worries; our neighbourhood is gated with a man at a booth by whom any cars have to pass in order to enter or leave. I doubt he could stop cartel members but that’s not something I’m thinking about right now, as it would appear that tourists are not being targeted.

We’re in a quiet neighbourhood and from what I’m seeing and hearing around us, it is certainly staying that way for now. I see images of the destruction near the famous Malecón in downtown Puerto Vallarta, the nearby Costco and – in the other direction from us – even in bucolic Bucerías. I count myself extremely fortunate to be as cocooned as I am.

Already people are saying they’re changing their future travel plans from Mexico to other countries like the DR. My opinion is that this too shall pass, and I would expect the area to return to order quickly; tourism means a lot to the wonderful Mexican people, especially from Canadians who are now skipping right over the US. As Lisa said yesterday, “Boy, this didn’t happen in Palm Springs!” but I responded with a photo of a neighbour’s across the street from the house where we stayed last year in nearby Cathedral City, California.

Violence can, and does happen everywhere. And without being foolish, I’m not letting an aberration – if indeed this is what happened yesterday, time will tell – keep me from living my life. I’ll pay attention to our government’s warnings and do as I am told. But I’m not afraid. Call it naïveté or the innocence of living in Canada, where a mass shooting draws together leaders of all political parties in grief and renewed calls for gun safety, but I’m hoping for the best. I choose to believe the beautiful locals who say this is definitely not the norm.

And so, on we go, waiting for the green light to head out and carry on with our lives, trusting the Mexican government to get a hold of the bad guys who brought fear and death to the streets of this usually serene part of North America. Mexico needs our love and support, and I’m going to continue to hold the good people of this country in my heart.

Got a different opinion? Please let me know: call the voicemail line at gracefullyandfrankly.com (it’s a little microphone icon on the bottom right) and Lisa and I will discuss this further on Thursday.

Also, there’s also a new story at erindavis.com and Drift with Erin Davis tomorrow: part two of the supremely sleep-inducing History of the World by H.G. Wells. Don’t worry – I won’t tell you how it ends. (That was a joke.)

Sweet dreams.