Been using Google Earth Plus to grid search for small villages along the Pacific coast between Michoacan and Chiapas that are not on any maps. With it I can see the villagers' foot trails through the jungles and mountains, especially if any of the images were made during the dry season.

Using GE, I once was able to avoid going near an interesting "farm" east of Zitacuaro, where I'm sure I would not have been welcome. I stayed far away from there and later saw police reports coming out of Morelia stating that The Michoacan Family were located in that same area. There's not so much a problem with The Family, it's the local cops, who've had friends beheaded, that will think you're supporting The Family and take you for a one way hike in the jungle.

Yep, GE has many uses, but getting caught with a satellite view of some areas down here has caused me some very tedious discussions while being searched, which is happening more often than usual. I now Google birds native to the areas I'll be traveling in, and print and carry two or three color pics of the local birds among the relative GE images. I always carry small binoculars on my pack strap for scouting a trail, and I make a point of letting them be seen during a search. It's worked so far, and the macho cops all get a good laugh from my bird pictures... sometimes they get in an argument over the birds' names. I guess the police don't feel threatened by a birdwatching gringo, they (mistakenly) think gringos are all wimps anyway, especially birdwatchers.. I also now know the names of some of the birds I see.

The 40 pounds of Spanish Bibles in my pack help to disarm the police here too. I offer a Bible to every cop that stops me, most ask for more copies, so... I've added a nylon hand-carried duffel full just for the searches, in order to have some Bibles left when I get through the check points and off the roads.

But, as things would be down here, the cops don't have any problem with me carrying a 20 inch machete in full view. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Brum