bahiamia - 6-2-2005 at 08:41 PM
Looks like they closed the Military checkpoint at the Bahia "Overlook" area...took down the shelters and everything. Nice for me especially, since I
got to see them twice every time I went to town...
bbbait - 6-2-2005 at 08:44 PM
This ought to be good......
surfer jim - 6-2-2005 at 09:45 PM
Take them down everywhere !!.....just serve to block traffic....
Bruce R Leech - 6-3-2005 at 09:26 AM
thay seaz a lot of drugs. I would not mind more of them.
KurtG - 6-3-2005 at 10:19 AM
A few months ago I was motorcycling into Bahia de Los Angeles after dark and the checkpoint was illuminated only by a small can of burning diesel oil
which I didn't see until I was blowing through the checkpoint with soldiers waving their arms at me. I hit the brakes while wondering if they were
going to pull out the spike strip, turned around and we all had a good laugh and then I was sent on my way with no search. I have always found the
soldiers to be very motorcycle friendly and more interested in the bike than any real inspection.
Pretty hard to hide
jrbaja - 6-3-2005 at 10:37 AM
a bunch of kilos on a motorcycle!
marv sherrill - 6-3-2005 at 11:44 AM
Very interesting - as my group was returning from Las Animas on May 22, one of my alummni students was driving alone and decided to get an early start
- once stopped and checked at the top of the hill, he continued on for 50 yards and remembered that he had left his wallet in the glove compartment
with $100 dollars in it - money for gas home - well it wasn't there - so he returned to the check point , and, as he speaks fluent spanish, began
reading them the riot act- so to speak - after 30 minutes and getting nowhere, he returned to Bahia and went out to the military base (navy - not
army) and complained to the comendant, who accompanied him back to the check point - For 2 hours he grilled the guys at the checkpoint - explaining to
them how Bahia depends on tourism and they were giving the town a bad name - unfortunately he did not get his money back, but was assured by the
comendant that this would never happen again - I loaned him some money for the trip backhome. Interesting coincidence about its closure....
David K - 6-3-2005 at 06:25 PM
Wow, I should say so! Thanks Marv!
4baja - 6-3-2005 at 08:03 PM
i prefer them there, they do no harm and do give a sense of security. was there last tuesday and every thing was the same, no problems.
they were a bunch of scared kids when I was there in April
BajaVida - 6-3-2005 at 08:10 PM
after getting the ok to go onward, I offered to give one guy some leftover food and wine
he kept looking over at the command post and told me that they could not have alcohol at the post and that he could not accept anything
thank God for the soldiers north of El Rosario, they, again after getting the signal to go on, gladly took what we had
unfortunately, as we were making the transfer, a troop carrier pulled in from the north, the soldier pretended to look through the boxes until the
truck went to the command post
he then called someone over and they hid the stuff we gave them in the sandbagged area east of the road
hope they had a good party that night
Debra - 6-4-2005 at 12:45 AM
Mia, when did they close it? I came through on Tue. the 31 May and it was still there. They didn't check anything, only asked where I had been, and
where I was going.
aha baja - 6-5-2005 at 12:22 AM
We've never had a hassle with the military. I've given them sodas on hot days and gave one soldier some flashlight batteries when he was inspecting my
tool kit in my truck. he had seen them and expressed a need for batteries as his flashlight was getting dim. I'm in their country and the best thing
to do is to be polite with them and say you are on" vacacion" and mention " pescado" if you've been fishing. I keep my wallet and passport in my front
pocket when driving.
Mia
Paulina - 6-7-2005 at 07:46 PM
I'm glad to hear that you'll finally get a break and be able to travel back and forth without getting the fourth degree every time. There's a
difference between doing their "job" and being down right nosey or unprofessional. You and I witnessed both the last time I was there. Looks like I
won't have to use the secret short cut anymore! Ja Ja Ja.
Thanks for keeping us updated on Bahia and it's goings on. Your posts are appreciated.
Saludos!
P>*)))><
Paulina...
bahiamia - 6-7-2005 at 08:31 PM
Howzit...
Oh man, I am so stoked that there's no mas checkpoint. I will not miss having to tell my life story every trip to town, both for and back.
How do I put this gently.....hmmmm.....well, let's just say they were "cramping my style"?!?!? Dang. It was gettin' downright personal there for a
while.
Anyway, all is well. Catch you later.
-Mia
David K - 6-7-2005 at 09:24 PM
You don't think they could hear you down in the canyon, P?
Paulina - 6-8-2005 at 10:20 AM
David,
How do you know our secret route is the old dump road? Maybe we catch the wind just right, maybe it's the Stealth mode button we had attached to the
dashboard, maybe it was the pink tutu I found during the last dump diving expedition? They didn't recognize me, that's it. But if we know secret
passage ways, wouldn't it make sense that the drug runners would know them too, if not others?
Oh well, I'm happy for Mia and others who live there full time who won't have to put up with it anymore.
P<*)))><
David K - 6-8-2005 at 06:20 PM
Because Paulina... that wash was the road route into Bahia, before they bulldozed in 1974 the new road (pavement was just being started in 1976). 
The kids will miss Mia's sweet smile
thebajarunner - 6-8-2005 at 06:51 PM
Poor guys are probably sitting in a barracks in Ensenada, after 10 hours of washing windows and scrubbing toilets....
dreaming about the great views from the hill, the nice visitors, and all the Cokes and batteries they can cadge...
Baja Arriba!!
'Runner's makin' me blush....
bahiamia - 6-8-2005 at 07:32 PM
Still glad there's no more checkpoint, and the wash is certainly not the only route that bypassed it, so it wasn't preventing anything anyhow.
Most of the soldiers were ok, but there were a few who truly bugged. Oh well, it's all a happy memory now, THANK GOODNESS!
[Edited on 6-9-2005 by bahiamia]