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vgabndo
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3461
Registered: 12-8-2003
Location: Mt. Shasta, CA
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Mood: Checking-off my bucket list.
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JRBaja
I'd like your "take" on this one. It seems that within the first couple of hundred miles below the frontera it is possible to insult some Mexicanos by
assuming that they don't speak English, while in BCS, outside the cities, to make any assumption about a local speaking English can be equally
insulting. I've just sort of developed an "ear" for wheather maybe their English is better than my Spanish, vice-versa, or if we are both just
stumbling around (hopefully) working on amistad e comprension. Waddayathink?
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Capt. George
Super Nomad
Posts: 2129
Registered: 8-21-2003
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Military Checkpoints
Deborah and I have never had a problem with the young soldiers....
They have always been polite, however curious they may be. They must be astonished at the wealth of Norte Americanos.....Their salary is next to
nothing......I'm always a tourista on vacacion......
We speak as much espanol as we can, never encountered a problem because of that...As soon as they hear I was a soldier and Viet Vet and a Bombero from
NYC, inspections are forgotten and a comraderie occurs....
Always remove your sunglasses!
adios...........Vikingo
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jrbaja
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4863
Registered: 2-2-2003
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This is Mexico
although much of it has been highly influenced by gringos, especially in the border towns and resort areas.
My personal experience is that good hearted people appreciate our pathetic attempts at speaking their language. And they help us by slowing theirs
down and making sure we understand what is being said and correcting us when need be.
There are many bilingual Mexicans that will make fun of our attempts, call us "gringos" (honest Debra!) and not show the slightest bit of interest
in our learning as they are too busy getting money in one way or another, generally from tourists.
You don't really want these guys as friends anyway. They are by far the minority.
It's the good hearted majority that can be a real benefit to our lives. And they don't really have any physical boundaries.
Some of my best neighbors are Mexicans and I'm 1/2 hour from the border.
I guess my "take" on this is that I think that we as foreigners have a bad reputation to live down. Speaking Spanish (not talking louder) is a step
in the right direction and is appreciated by most everyone that lives here.
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Capt. George
Super Nomad
Posts: 2129
Registered: 8-21-2003
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DITTO JR
nicely put, my experience exactly.....
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Debra
Super Nomad
Posts: 2101
Registered: 10-31-2002
Location: Port Orchard Wa./Bahia de Los Angeles BC
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I've never had a problem a check point myself.......
I always smile, show respect and am very willing to make it as easy on them and myself as possible......however!
Until any of you MEN are traveling alone with with 2 small children, and have been a week delayed because of major car problems I don't think that you
can really understand what a sitting duck I may feel I am......and just how DONE I might be with check points and having my truck unloaded on the side
of the road (didn't happen, they were very kind, as I was to them) Playing 'Dumb' has worked for me, I have yet to un-pack my truck...alone in the
'out-back' with my child....(I've seen it in the rig ahead of me many times) so, go ahead.....blast me as a 'tourist' I'd be willing to put up my
passport visa stamps against anyones. I'm a traveler, not a tourist.
Ladies, please chime in on this.....All the guys talk about being pulled over and having to pay bribes, I've never had that happen, have you?
Again JR: the "gringo comment is wearing a bit thin.......give it a rest Amigo....you don't live in our heads, and to presume you do is arrogant.
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Capt. George
Super Nomad
Posts: 2129
Registered: 8-21-2003
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I Love When You're Angry!
Talk about give it a break....You sound like me on a bad day.......
Hope you have a better evening....
Equal Rights for All....unless I come back as a woman, I'd rather be non-liberated.
Chime in ladies, I can take it!
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jrbaja
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4863
Registered: 2-2-2003
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I bet those u2u's
are going off tonight!!
And Debra, read the thread I posted regarding gringos.
And get over your problem with being called one. It's when P-nche gets thrown in that you should feel insulted.
Playing dumb Talk to the guys girl. Especially if you have kids or dogs. The
soldiers can be really fun.
[Edited on 12/22/2004 by jrbaja]
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Debra
Super Nomad
Posts: 2101
Registered: 10-31-2002
Location: Port Orchard Wa./Bahia de Los Angeles BC
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Cpt. George.........HUH?
JR.....No, My U2U's aren't going "off tonight" I really wish some of the women would come forward, good grief......Truth is that many women have been
scared off by some of you men, that think they, we don't belong there (of course we are too "girle").....HUM.?.. is that where there are very many
Baja women that seem to feel a need to keep silent......guess they might have been taught well by their parents.......I wasn't (well maybe I was.....I
still speak my mind.)
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wilderone
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3779
Registered: 2-9-2004
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A lot of us women don't "feel a need to keep silent" - it's a question of joining in an egotistic peeing match - useless diatribe.
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Bruce R Leech
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6796
Registered: 9-20-2004
Location: Ensenada formerly Mulege
Member Is Offline
Mood: A lot cooler than Mulege
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DIATRIBE - official website - mp3, shows, photos, videos ... -
http://www.diatribe.de/
Bruce R Leech
Ensenada
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Sallysouth
Super Nomad
Posts: 1835
Registered: 10-9-2003
Location: Capo Beach
Member Is Offline
Mood: missing Baja...
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Speaking Spanish
In the past years I have traveled up and down Baja with my daughter.We have been stopped several times by the military and never had any problems,
except one time when one of the soldiers wanted to know if mija was single and could he call her for a date!She had to explain that the baby I was
feeding was'nt mine but hers,and that she was, indeed married!When they ask where we are from and where are we going, she explains, in Spanish, that
she is a Mexican fishing captain and citizen.Well that usually dazzles them and they send us on our way.Yes, George, always take your sunglasses
off!They like to see if you are hiding anything or are "on" something.Its a matter of courtesy.
[Edited on 12-22-2004 by Sallysouth]
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bajalera
Super Nomad
Posts: 1875
Registered: 10-15-2003
Location: Santa Maria CA
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I'll have to plead guilty to being a woman who's chimed in on some of those "useless diatribes." [Why should you guys have all the fun?]
I never had any problems at check points, back in Olden Times when I was the jefa traveling with three children. Although a couple of times soldiers
asked if we had any fruit and I knew this wasn't an official policy because of a Med-fly invasion, I didn't mind donating a few oranges or bananas to
poor souls stationed out in the desert umpteen hundred miles from anywhere.
I'm no longer behind the wheel and there are a lot more check points now--but we've still never had any problems. From what I've seen, families seem
to get full-court-press inspections less often than surfer dudes and young men with scroungy beards.
Lera
\"Very few things happen at the right time, and the rest never happen at all. The conscientious historian will correct these defects.\" -
Mark Twain
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Bob H
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5867
Registered: 8-19-2003
Location: San Diego
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Never, ever, throw your soiled toilet paper in the toilet to be flushed. Properly and neatly wrap it up and dispose of it in the trash can provided
close by.
Sometimes that can ain't so neat, huh?
Bob H
The SAME boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg. It's about what you are made of NOT the circumstance.
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Capt. George
Super Nomad
Posts: 2129
Registered: 8-21-2003
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Debra
Ignore my last statement, it's just something I use to say to a very dear, though liberated lady friend.....
Banter, simply banter......
I love this site!
el Vikingo
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bigzaggin
Nomad
Posts: 441
Registered: 5-27-2004
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Mood: way too ites
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My two cents...
1.) You are not a local. Don't act like one. Just because you've been posted up for a few days/weeks on the point, don't scowl at the next crew to
arrive. You did not discover this or any punta. That you've been going there "since blah blah blah" does not justify giving attitude. If you want
to be a crabby ass, go back to NorCal and hole up with your trusty mutt and cache of guns. Bajaparanoia - the irrational fear of "people" disovering
"your spot" - will ruin the trip for both parties. Relax. Be selfless. Exhale. You will have a better time.
2.) Forget everything everyone has ever told you about proper packing. The single most important item for a quality Baja trip is a beer coozie.
Tecates get warm fast. You will be the envy of you campmates.
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marla
Nomad
Posts: 287
Registered: 10-29-2003
Location: Long Beach
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Smile!
Stop and slow down and say "Buenos Dias."
Keep your gas tank half full.
Also, I am with Debra here. Speak as much Spanish as you can to everyone EXCEPT at the military checkpoints. Twice now they wanted me to unload my
whole car and I just nodded agreeably like an idiot and kept on smiling like I didn't understand and finally they get frustrated and tell you to move
on.
If a man walks in the woods for love of them half of each day, he is in danger of being regarded as a loafer. But if he spends his days as a
speculator, shearing off those woods and making the earth bald before her time, he is deemed an industrious and enterprising citizen. Henry David
Thoreau
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Bruce R Leech
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6796
Registered: 9-20-2004
Location: Ensenada formerly Mulege
Member Is Offline
Mood: A lot cooler than Mulege
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wouldn't it be better to cooperate with them it is there job to keep US all safe. and you would do a lot to eliminate the dumb American Gringo image
if you don't play dumb.
Bruce R Leech
Ensenada
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bajalou
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4459
Registered: 3-11-2004
Location: South of the broder
Member Is Offline
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My experience at a army checkpoint about 6 -7 years ago.
I was towing my 1970 VW Bus. - had lost a fan belt and burned the heads. Had several frustrating days before heading back with it in tow. Stopped
by a checkpoint and was found to have counterband - amunition. No guns. The army unloaded the entire van including 10 boxes of business records that
were on top. When they had looked thru them they reloaded all exactly as I had them. This all took about 2 hours. They radio'd thier commanders and
then told me "The ammo is prohibited to all but the army, they clips will be returned to you at the headquarters in about a week if you wish to get
them." I told them the clips were my gift to them, and went on down the road. The next day my girlfirend was going back the other way with the
truck we were towing with, and they laughed with her about the ammo. Two days later I came thru with the Van. no problems - no extensive search.
Then one pointed to a low tire and they changed it for me. All this because I didn't take time to do a double check before entering Mexico. Dumb
move on my part. But in the old country, I would have been double checked each time I came by up until this day. I'm glad this was not the Border
Patrol group.
Moral of this story - double check the things in your vehicle - you might have something you don't remember that causes problems..
No Bad Days
\"Never argue with an idiot. People watching may not be able to tell the difference\"
\"The trouble with doing nothing is - how do I know when I\'m done?\"
Nomad Baja Interactive map
And in the San Felipe area - check out Valle Chico area |
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Dave
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6005
Registered: 11-5-2002
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Bruce R Leech
it is there job to keep US all safe. |
From what?
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jrbaja
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4863
Registered: 2-2-2003
Member Is Offline
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Drogas y armas
aren't they doing a good job
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