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Gulliver
Senior Nomad
Posts: 651
Registered: 11-18-2013
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While Barbara and I think over our options for this Winter, I will relate my story of perceptions.
In 1992, I was wandering about and decided to take the ferry over from La Paz to Topolobampo to ride the train up the canyon. Well worth doing, by the
way. At the top of the climb, I got out at Creel and looked around. Soon I spotted the usual decrepit local bus labeled Creel to Batopilas. A survey
of my map led me to buy a ticket for a wonderful and alarming ride back down to nowhere in the bottom of the canyon. As I am wont to do, I sought out
the bench in front of the Conasupo and took my place with the old farts. I looked at my bench mate, a Tarahumara about eighty years old. My vocabulary
of Raramuri was at most twenty words so I reverted. "Hola!
He looked me over carefully and then, in perfect American accented English, said, "Is it true that the area code for Los Angeles is 911?" I jumped a
foot. We all had laugh and I spent most of three days right there swapping jokes.
It seems that satellite TV had come to town and they had learned all of their English AND knowledge of our life from the news.
I have been prioritizing my fears. Cops on the take? Aggravating, depressing but old news. Being mugged? Statistically not that likely. As many of you
have said, plenty of that going on up North. Getting burgled, a significant chance.
We are putting together plans to use my prybar proof steel box/safe that will live inconspicuously in the cargo trailer. Buried under cheap camping
crap and looking like nothing much, we can stash computers, money and such. I am a machinist and I built this thing many years ago. It is impossible
to open OR remove without a cutting torch and/or a chain saw. It's painted green and says Coleman on it. I wanted a label that said Diapers Safe but
don't know how to spell it in Spanish.
We have not counted out Baja. The Cirio and Sierra Giganta call. On a related note, has CONASUPO managed to block off Rattlesnake Beach at P.E. or is
it still possible to camp there? The barbed wire used to come up and down yearly.
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captkw
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3850
Registered: 10-19-2010
Location: el charro b.c.s.
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Mood: new dog/missing the old 1
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Rattle snake
Hola,Far as I know its still open and that you may now get charged...or that the latest that I know of...you might U2U ligui (john) and/or camp at
Juancilto....john owns a Killer place there and would know!!
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wilderone
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3778
Registered: 2-9-2004
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I have to disagree about camping in remote places. 1. If it's remote, other people are simply not there. 2. If you are hidden from view, you're
practically invisible. 3. I feel safer alone than surrounded by others in a campground (it's also quieter and you have the immediate environment all
to yourself. 4. Not everyone is a thief.
Lots of places to camp and wander - lock the car of course, valuable hidden and out of sight, of course. You do that in a shopping center in any US
city and in front of your own house.
The coastal road south of Punta Baja - nobody there. Again - stay out of sight - very easy to do. Don't camp on the edge of the cliff.
El Marmol and surrounding area - plenty of places to go where nobody else does.
Mision San Fernando, Las Pintas, road to Mision Santa Maria - nobody there. When I spent 5 days backpacking to Mision Santa Maria I parked my car at
Sta Inez and asked them to watch it - paid them $5.
Explore to your heart's content around Mision San Borja - they'll watch your car.
Go to Conception Bay with the hordes 2 rows deep? might as well have a neon sign - "easy pickins here".
I had no problems at Requeson last year. There is a resident family and a couple economically-challenged people who check to see what campers have
left behind. I gave clothing to the family and food to the other guy.
You won't have any problems camping at Ojo de Liebre campgrounds either. And what Sherry said is right on. The vigilante police checked on me and led
me to a great camping spot. I was a bit concerned about wandering too far from my car because it was observable from the road; was gone a couple
hours, but no problems.
Really remote and nobody along 25 miles of road outside of Comondu. A few ranchos along the way, but you can easily camp out of sight, or ask to camp
on rancho property. Bring something to share.
There are plenty of places to go to enjoy whatever you like to do. the good ole days are gone where you'd pass a car on Mex. 1 every 20 minutes. You
just need to accommodate the trend, buy bigger tires and get out there.
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woody with a view
PITA Nomad
Posts: 15937
Registered: 11-8-2004
Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
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Mood: Everchangin'
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just go. be smart and don't expect a tweaker to be hiding behind EVERY cactus.
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Skipjack Joe
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8084
Registered: 7-12-2004
Location: Bahia Asuncion
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Wilderone makes good points and good recommendations. Follow her advice.
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Lee
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3455
Registered: 10-2-2006
Location: High in the Colorado Rockies
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Gulliver
The happiness is gone. The boojums will have to live on without me. Being a crime victim is not for me. The barbarians have won.
I'm sorry this is so sad. I came to your wonderful forum to inquire and with hope that I would become enthusiastic for a return to old haunts. What
has happened has been to remind me to follow my heart. |
This is a tough one. As you can tell, most if not all of the posts here say be careful -- don't think anyone is saying yeah they gave up on crime
and shakedowns in Baja and now go elsewhere.
It's possible, in my opinion, to find the peace and beauty you're looking in Baja but those places exist in California too and lots of other places.
It's possible to have a healthy paranoia (I call it eyes in the back of my head) and be comfortable with it. That includes dealing with cops who
have their hand's out.
In a world of have's and have not's, the hills have eyes.
US Marines: providing enemies of America an opportunity to die for their country since 1775.
What I say before any important decision.
F*ck it.
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