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Bad Karma: The True Story of a Mexico Trip from Hell
In the summer of 1978, twenty-one-year-old Paul Wilson jumps at the chance to join two local icons on a dream surf trip to mainland Mexico, unaware their ultimate destination lies in the heart of drug cartel country. Having no earthly idea of where he’ll get the money to pay his share, and determined to prove his mettle, he does the only thing he can think of: He robs a supermarket. And, if karma didn’t already have enough reason to doom the trip, he soon learns one of his companions is a convicted killer on the run, and the other an unscrupulous cad. Mishap and misfortune rule the days, and mere survival takes precedence over surfing.
Original photographs (including pre-kingpin El Chapo), and Wilson’s strong narrative style, combine to make this true story personal—in the tradition of Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer, and Motorcycle Diaries by Che Guevara—except this tale had to wait for the statute of limitations to expire before it could be told.
Original photographs (including pre-kingpin El Chapo), and Wilson’s strong narrative style, combine to make this true story personal—in the tradition of Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer, and Motorcycle Diaries by Che Guevara—except this tale had to wait for the statute of limitations to expire before it could be told.
256 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 11, 2019
1369 people are currently reading
2218 people want to read
About the author
Paul Wilson
2 books1 followerPaul is a lifelong resident of coastal San Diego, attending high school at a time when Independent surfing was an option for Phys. Ed., and Rock Poetry was passed off as an advanced English course. It didn’t take much for him to become disenchanted with formal education and drop out of The University of Southern California to embrace his entrepreneurial side. Paul is a multi-patented inventor, a photographer (oceanfrontphotos.com), and has built several successful businesses. Embracing his love of baseball and the ocean, he attends every San Diego Padres home game, and lives in Mission Beach, California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 267 reviews
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December 29, 2019Thank you everyone for reading my book! It was an amazing adventure and a fun story to reveal.
December 20, 2022
Stormy Weather
It began in a restaurant in the dark. Doesn't everything begin in the dark? The 3 guys were going to go surfing on mainland Mexico somewhere below puerto vallarta. But now they were sitting in a restaurant in the dark and the waiter came over with his children to shine flashlights so they can eat their food. Such Is the hospitality of Mexico. My friend and I experienced that same kind of hospitality in Mexico. We were sitting at a table eating and the waiter came over with the fly swatter and began killing Flies in front of us on our table..... Some kindness From others is not appreciated. But the kindness of the Mexican people has no bounds. At least, that was my experience as well as my friends.
This was such a wonderful story that I would give it 10 stars if I could. But I almost did not choose it to read because the title was kind of dorky. What happened to these 3 young guys was almost unbelievable, but then it really wasn't. I have been in cars that were stranded And I felt their tension as I had felt my own at times. To think that a VW bus would be stranded in the desert And They had to figure out how to get the engine out so that they can change some Seals. I believe I took my VW down to Mexico twice and the only problem I ever had was getting a fan Belt. They never stopped having problems. But it was not always Mechanical
How about finding a scorpion on your belly button, Or a poisonous Large banana spider in your room or you name it. And the most exciting part of this story happens at the end of the book when he has dealings with el chapo without knowing it, and these dealings had nothing to do with drugs. Well actually, every moment of this book was exciting.
Notice. This review has been dictated.
.
It began in a restaurant in the dark. Doesn't everything begin in the dark? The 3 guys were going to go surfing on mainland Mexico somewhere below puerto vallarta. But now they were sitting in a restaurant in the dark and the waiter came over with his children to shine flashlights so they can eat their food. Such Is the hospitality of Mexico. My friend and I experienced that same kind of hospitality in Mexico. We were sitting at a table eating and the waiter came over with the fly swatter and began killing Flies in front of us on our table..... Some kindness From others is not appreciated. But the kindness of the Mexican people has no bounds. At least, that was my experience as well as my friends.
This was such a wonderful story that I would give it 10 stars if I could. But I almost did not choose it to read because the title was kind of dorky. What happened to these 3 young guys was almost unbelievable, but then it really wasn't. I have been in cars that were stranded And I felt their tension as I had felt my own at times. To think that a VW bus would be stranded in the desert And They had to figure out how to get the engine out so that they can change some Seals. I believe I took my VW down to Mexico twice and the only problem I ever had was getting a fan Belt. They never stopped having problems. But it was not always Mechanical
How about finding a scorpion on your belly button, Or a poisonous Large banana spider in your room or you name it. And the most exciting part of this story happens at the end of the book when he has dealings with el chapo without knowing it, and these dealings had nothing to do with drugs. Well actually, every moment of this book was exciting.
Notice. This review has been dictated.
.
October 22, 2020
DNF.
I got halfway through this read and couldn't get through another annoying conversation in which the author answers aloud and in his head followed by his friend imitating The Three Stooges after every piece of dialog.
Not to mention, this is not so much "The True Story of A Mexico Trip From Hell'' as it is just a lousy time across the boarder. I understand I only got halfway through this book and more exciting things may have happened past where I left it but it was just painful to get to the good bits.
I believe this story has a lot of potential but needs to be polished up for a more exhilarating, harrowing tale and reading experience.
I got halfway through this read and couldn't get through another annoying conversation in which the author answers aloud and in his head followed by his friend imitating The Three Stooges after every piece of dialog.
Not to mention, this is not so much "The True Story of A Mexico Trip From Hell'' as it is just a lousy time across the boarder. I understand I only got halfway through this book and more exciting things may have happened past where I left it but it was just painful to get to the good bits.
I believe this story has a lot of potential but needs to be polished up for a more exhilarating, harrowing tale and reading experience.
October 13, 2020
I hated the author right from the start. Complete and utter f**king moron too wrapped up in trying to be 'cool' to see that his mates were just using him for a cheap ride across Mexico. The random attempts at poetic insight and repeated fuckups made me want to hop a plane to the US and slap the stupid nut in the face with a wet fish. Why the hell this book has such a high rating is beyond me. Did he pay his readers?
June 26, 2020
Bad karma
True life story of so many young males trying to be cool or fit into Society, all the dumb stuff, and things that can, and will happen, now at 81 years old, I can relate too, and enjoy, and even laugh at my own miserable, yet fun, life experiences, l have, over the years burned most of the pictures of my past, and kept the experiences to myself, embarrassed, yet knowing it’s life, and growing up, I continue to try to do better, regardless how difficult it still can be. Been there! Great reading for me!
True life story of so many young males trying to be cool or fit into Society, all the dumb stuff, and things that can, and will happen, now at 81 years old, I can relate too, and enjoy, and even laugh at my own miserable, yet fun, life experiences, l have, over the years burned most of the pictures of my past, and kept the experiences to myself, embarrassed, yet knowing it’s life, and growing up, I continue to try to do better, regardless how difficult it still can be. Been there! Great reading for me!
May 1, 2021
This book was such an easy read for me. Author Paul Wilson gives you the keys to his Volkswagen bus and takes you on a ride back to 1978 into his horrific true story of what was suppose to be a dream surfing trip, turned into an absolute nightmare. Told from his perspective Bad Karma is a story of a series of bad decisions that led to.. well.. (see title of book) His descriptive story telling paints a perfect picture of the whole journey through cartel country and back. One of the best books I read so far this year.
I highly recommend this book!
I highly recommend this book!
June 2, 2021
This is why I sometimes keep reading a book I hate:
At the beginning of this one, I loathed the author and wanted the bad karma to rain down freely in his insufferable head. But I kept reading because the writing was engaging and vivid and before long I was really enjoying this memoir. It even made me laugh out loud at one point.
A good addition to my favorite kind of travel writing, the trip from Hell.
At the beginning of this one, I loathed the author and wanted the bad karma to rain down freely in his insufferable head. But I kept reading because the writing was engaging and vivid and before long I was really enjoying this memoir. It even made me laugh out loud at one point.
A good addition to my favorite kind of travel writing, the trip from Hell.
April 27, 2021
Amazing Disaster
Just when you think nothing worse could happen and the run of bad luck has to end, there’s more. Kept me interested until the end.
Just when you think nothing worse could happen and the run of bad luck has to end, there’s more. Kept me interested until the end.
April 21, 2021
This a true Mexican adventure story that could, most likely, never happen today and it is surprising these three unlikely travelers survived it to tell the story. It is the summer of 1978 and twenty-one year old Paul Wilson and two of his acquaintances decide to leave San Diego and go to Mexico to surf some of the best waves in the country. Paul is invited because he as a VW van and he wants to go because it seems like the cool thing to do and he sooo wants to be cool. It doesn't matter that he has no money and that one of his companions is a convicted murderer and the other is leaving his pregnant girlfriend behind to make the trip. Paul simply robs a supermarket for his share of the money. One of his companions steals a video camera from a Chinese tourist so they can capture their adventure and off they go. What could go wrong? You will groan along with Paul as so many things happen along the way that you keep thinking someone is surely going to die. They even meet up with Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman who helps them out of a scrape only to almost get them arrested when the police chase them while El Chapo has a truck load of drugs in his truck. I would have thought much of this book could be made up but Wilson has the pictures to prove it. Don't miss this one!
January 5, 2021
FANTASTIC!
Fast paced, down-to-earth writing style, this unparalleled adventure will set your imagination ablaze. From San Diego to several parts deep into Mexico, taking this trip with the author and his "friends" will grab onto you until you reach the final page. What great, gritty and concise writing. No platitudes or unnecessary gunk (opposite ends of the same spectrum)! The epilogue is endearing and wholly satisfying. There are feel-good parts backed up against hard realities of these kids' harsh and often unloving upbringing. However, the author offers no excuses. Taking responsibility for his misdeeds while sprinkling in doses of humor, he will link his arm in yours for a fantastic, breathtaking almost unbelievable journey...to Mexico, to San Diego, and to a little place of knowing a bit more about what is important.
Fast paced, down-to-earth writing style, this unparalleled adventure will set your imagination ablaze. From San Diego to several parts deep into Mexico, taking this trip with the author and his "friends" will grab onto you until you reach the final page. What great, gritty and concise writing. No platitudes or unnecessary gunk (opposite ends of the same spectrum)! The epilogue is endearing and wholly satisfying. There are feel-good parts backed up against hard realities of these kids' harsh and often unloving upbringing. However, the author offers no excuses. Taking responsibility for his misdeeds while sprinkling in doses of humor, he will link his arm in yours for a fantastic, breathtaking almost unbelievable journey...to Mexico, to San Diego, and to a little place of knowing a bit more about what is important.
November 12, 2019
What a story!
Read this book in fours hours and it's an amazing story. Recommended to me by a friend, the story and author have San Diego connections. Glad he made it all work out in the end!
Read this book in fours hours and it's an amazing story. Recommended to me by a friend, the story and author have San Diego connections. Glad he made it all work out in the end!
October 20, 2020
exceptionally unlikable characters, poor decision making, bad behavior, and very little worth rooting for. other than what happens next, I kept wondering when I would care about this group, and ultimately never really did.
July 14, 2020
Wilson’s chance to join two local icons on a dream surf trip to mainland Mexico that resulted in a complete disaster makes for a compelling debut memoir.
Being a one of the not-so-popular guys, twenty-one-year-old Wilson wasted no time saying yes to two local icons for a surfing trip to Mexico, unaware of his companions’ convicted manslaughter charges and unscrupulous personality. After robbing a supermarket for ration, Wilson sets on the road trip with his crooked mates. But bad karma follows them everywhere: mishaps and misfortunes rule their days, and mere survival takes precedence over surfing.
In the first few chapters, Wilson often cuts too abruptly between his strands of memory, making it a bit difficult to get the hang of the story, but the pacing soon picks up and his accessible, crisp prose and deeply-intriguing account make the reader turning pages non-stop. The trio encountered the perils of some of the country’s wildest spots: Wilson vividly renders the experience, including being stuck in their vehicle in a flooded river; struggling to put together the bus engine in the middle of nowhere; and surviving many nights in the unforgivable Mexican terrain.
Descriptions of the ill-fated incident that puts Wilson in the path of the pre-kingpin El Chapo and his notorious cartel capture the incredible danger the young man puts himself in. Wilson adeptly explores the generosity, honor, family ties, and faith of the average Mexican.
Original black and white photographs beautifully capture the essence of the men’s wild adventure.
An adventure story and the journey of personal discovery at once, this is a must read.
Being a one of the not-so-popular guys, twenty-one-year-old Wilson wasted no time saying yes to two local icons for a surfing trip to Mexico, unaware of his companions’ convicted manslaughter charges and unscrupulous personality. After robbing a supermarket for ration, Wilson sets on the road trip with his crooked mates. But bad karma follows them everywhere: mishaps and misfortunes rule their days, and mere survival takes precedence over surfing.
In the first few chapters, Wilson often cuts too abruptly between his strands of memory, making it a bit difficult to get the hang of the story, but the pacing soon picks up and his accessible, crisp prose and deeply-intriguing account make the reader turning pages non-stop. The trio encountered the perils of some of the country’s wildest spots: Wilson vividly renders the experience, including being stuck in their vehicle in a flooded river; struggling to put together the bus engine in the middle of nowhere; and surviving many nights in the unforgivable Mexican terrain.
Descriptions of the ill-fated incident that puts Wilson in the path of the pre-kingpin El Chapo and his notorious cartel capture the incredible danger the young man puts himself in. Wilson adeptly explores the generosity, honor, family ties, and faith of the average Mexican.
Original black and white photographs beautifully capture the essence of the men’s wild adventure.
An adventure story and the journey of personal discovery at once, this is a must read.
May 19, 2021
Wild and raucous read. Just what I expected and wanted. A fun account of a road trip from hell by VW Bus from San Diego and down through Baja and southwestern mainland Mexico back in 1978. It was also a good reminder of how travel used to be before GPS, smart phones, and constant connectedness. Light and easy read and worth a few hours (I think I sat and read it 3 or 4 hours over 2 sittings) of your time.
BAD KARMA: The True Story of a Mexico Trip from Hell ** Read in Grooms Beach, Grenada (May 2021)
BAD KARMA: The True Story of a Mexico Trip from Hell ** Read in Grooms Beach, Grenada (May 2021)
September 5, 2020
Awesome adventure story!!! Must become a movie!!!
I picked this book up and never wanted to put it down! Every chapter was riveting and unbelievable, until you see the pictures that back up this true story! This book covered every range of emotional response to the characters involved: Funny, exciting, worried, sad, compassion, anger, joy, amazement and so much more. I felt like a forth passenger on the trip experiencing all the ups and downs that they did. It was an easy thrilling read, well written and I highly recommend this! Bad Karma should be a made into a movie! It would be a blockbuster for sure!
I picked this book up and never wanted to put it down! Every chapter was riveting and unbelievable, until you see the pictures that back up this true story! This book covered every range of emotional response to the characters involved: Funny, exciting, worried, sad, compassion, anger, joy, amazement and so much more. I felt like a forth passenger on the trip experiencing all the ups and downs that they did. It was an easy thrilling read, well written and I highly recommend this! Bad Karma should be a made into a movie! It would be a blockbuster for sure!
December 16, 2020
I love old VW buses. My friend owns one and he loaned me this book, which centers on a surf trip from CA to Mexico in one of these buses. What a wild trip! Bad Karma is certainly the case. You want to feel bad for the author and his 2 “friends” for some of the situations they get in, but the friends are such jerks and the author himself should have known better. Ah well, such is the story of youth. Curious about the hijinks on this trip? Let’s just say that El Chapo the drug kingpin figures into the story (before he became the kingpin) and that the author had to wait for the statute of limitations to expire before he could write it.
July 12, 2021
A 21 year old Paul Wilson and 2 of his local friends decide to take a surfing trip to La Ticla Mexico. In order to get money for the trip, Paul robs a supermarket. His 2 buddies going along on the trip also have done some shady stuff beforehand.
Therefore, I think you know how this books got its title! And let me tell you, bad karma is an understatement! Well, kind of…
I wanted to laugh at some points due to how unfortunate this trip really was for these 3 guys. You almost can’t believe it, it’s truly one misfortune after another!
There are many photos throughout the book, which makes it even more fun to read. It’s hard to believe it’s a true story.
Therefore, I think you know how this books got its title! And let me tell you, bad karma is an understatement! Well, kind of…
I wanted to laugh at some points due to how unfortunate this trip really was for these 3 guys. You almost can’t believe it, it’s truly one misfortune after another!
There are many photos throughout the book, which makes it even more fun to read. It’s hard to believe it’s a true story.
November 4, 2020
Unbelievable!
And yet, it is totally believable, and so goes the dichotomy of a story that reads as a tall tale but in actuality is as true (as real) as its author.
The story had me laughing and my jaw dropping in horror at the same time.
I too hate mosquitos, so I loved when he said "breed the little bastards with sharks and you could rule the world", how true!
I really appreciated the epilogue, knowing what became of each person. Somehow, I wasn't surprised to learn the fates of a few.
Thank you for sharing this amazing journey.
Lorie
And yet, it is totally believable, and so goes the dichotomy of a story that reads as a tall tale but in actuality is as true (as real) as its author.
The story had me laughing and my jaw dropping in horror at the same time.
I too hate mosquitos, so I loved when he said "breed the little bastards with sharks and you could rule the world", how true!
I really appreciated the epilogue, knowing what became of each person. Somehow, I wasn't surprised to learn the fates of a few.
Thank you for sharing this amazing journey.
Lorie
April 28, 2020
In Pursuit
I chose this rating because I found myself not being able to put the book down, reading constantly. After a while I began to think they had so many obstacles but kept on pursuing their goals. Also that the Lord was always there to bail them out of their youthful, foolish decisions as if He was pursuing them.
I chose this rating because I found myself not being able to put the book down, reading constantly. After a while I began to think they had so many obstacles but kept on pursuing their goals. Also that the Lord was always there to bail them out of their youthful, foolish decisions as if He was pursuing them.
October 22, 2021
This was not for me. An alternate title for this book could have been “Detailed Stories about Car Trouble.” Subtitle: “And Bad Weather.” Lots of unlikeable men, almost no women. Some odd religious undertones. Did not enjoy.
April 26, 2021
Fun read
Fun story of one trip with all the crazy events you would never expect along the way. Very enjoyable read.
Fun story of one trip with all the crazy events you would never expect along the way. Very enjoyable read.
April 28, 2021
Wow
An amazing story well told!! Spent a few late nights because I had to stay with him till he resolved his many incredible situations .
An amazing story well told!! Spent a few late nights because I had to stay with him till he resolved his many incredible situations .
December 7, 2025
Interesting memoir of the Mexico surf trip from hell . . . just a snowballing series of bad decisions and worse luck, and before long the reader finds themselves gripped with finding out how they ever got out of Mexico alive.
Overall, the three main protagonists all sound like terrible people to me, so sympathy was not forthcoming from this reader, but the author’s efforts to paint the picture of their experience did elicit empathy from me as I found alternately feel the heat, the sweat, the fear, the nausea, and the panic of their hellish journey.
Overall, the three main protagonists all sound like terrible people to me, so sympathy was not forthcoming from this reader, but the author’s efforts to paint the picture of their experience did elicit empathy from me as I found alternately feel the heat, the sweat, the fear, the nausea, and the panic of their hellish journey.
January 12, 2021
A gift from a friend who visited last summer, I thought I'd never get to reading this; my TBR is over 1,000 and I had no reason to add this to it. But a January 2021 book challenge required that I read "a book about Karma," so looks like the time has come! No more guilt!
Aptly titled, Wilson frames some obnoxious, immoral behavior and god-awful decisions as the acts that earn him some bad karma. I couldn't stand this surfer dude, and I looked forward to seeing him earn his just desserts. Never once rooting for him, I did enjoy the vicarious surfer trip via VW bus through Mexico that was doomed from the start. Chapter 5 had me laughing uncontrollably, and the rest was a wild ride. I appreciated how positively Mexican culture was portrayed, but I didn't love the writing style. Wilson is not a professional writer but had a life experience worth telling, so I'm not going to judge. I doubt I can write any better! But he did keep me engaged, so this is a solid 3-star book. I'd recommend this to anyone who wants a light read about a misguided surfer's misadventures in which he earns himself some bad karma and reaps its consequences over the course of 5 weeks.
Aptly titled, Wilson frames some obnoxious, immoral behavior and god-awful decisions as the acts that earn him some bad karma. I couldn't stand this surfer dude, and I looked forward to seeing him earn his just desserts. Never once rooting for him, I did enjoy the vicarious surfer trip via VW bus through Mexico that was doomed from the start. Chapter 5 had me laughing uncontrollably, and the rest was a wild ride. I appreciated how positively Mexican culture was portrayed, but I didn't love the writing style. Wilson is not a professional writer but had a life experience worth telling, so I'm not going to judge. I doubt I can write any better! But he did keep me engaged, so this is a solid 3-star book. I'd recommend this to anyone who wants a light read about a misguided surfer's misadventures in which he earns himself some bad karma and reaps its consequences over the course of 5 weeks.
October 6, 2020
This is a surprisingly good book. Not because I did not expect it from the writer, I have never heard of him before. But because as a 73 year old white female living in NZ it would not appear to be my usual genre of choice. No I have no idea why I choose it apart from the fact in my lifetime I too have had 'trips from hell' but nothing to do with meeting drug dealers etc.etc. So I suppose I was drawn to it knowing that I could always stop reading it at any point in time. I did not stop reading and found it interesting and very readable. So thank you for a good tale told well.
Dorothy
Dorothy
May 10, 2020
I was not sure what drew me to buy this book, but I was likely the VW bus/Mexico/SanDiego connection. I am glad it caught my eye, as I really enjoyed it and in fact, I stayed up until 4 last night finishing it! What an adventure-I have been in lots of those places mentioned, but not back then when it was so rough and real. The pictures are a bonus, really personalizing the story of 3 young guys looking for adventure and acceptance in the world. Well told tale all around-I recommend!
December 21, 2019
OMG! Dude
This guy rivals AND in my opinion surpasses Bill Finnegan for sub- human surf-dude of all time. Paul Wilson was a somewhat limited time frame with a “surf- trip from hell” to tell. Finnegan’s Barbarian Days takes a much longer hardcore to the bitter end approach. Both books are worthwhile reads and quite amazing stories of survival.
This guy rivals AND in my opinion surpasses Bill Finnegan for sub- human surf-dude of all time. Paul Wilson was a somewhat limited time frame with a “surf- trip from hell” to tell. Finnegan’s Barbarian Days takes a much longer hardcore to the bitter end approach. Both books are worthwhile reads and quite amazing stories of survival.
April 22, 2025
Done via 🎧 on a road trip! Amusing enough to pass the time, but you’re essentially listening to the story of 3 douchy guys who travel to Mexico and everything that can go wrong, does. In the 70’s before modern technology could have prevented half the calamities, these guys still make some very bad choices. A beer with El Chapo sounds cool though.
December 12, 2023
Entertaining true story about a man and his two friends that decide to take a trip to surf in Mexico back in 1978.
February 17, 2020
Wow! Wow! Wow! Is all I can say. What an exciting adventure! I DEFINITELY see a movie being made about this book. Paul Wilson is a great story teller and does such a fantastic job of keeping you engaged in the story. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a light easy read that is exciting and will keep you turning page after page!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 267 reviews