BajaNomad

55 things about Ensenada...

Mateo45 - 5-23-2007 at 01:20 PM

(reprinted from ecobaja)

Speed bumps will take out the bottom of your mini-van
You will get stood up. Bank on it.
If you don't know what it is, don't eat it.
Brain can be served in a tortilla.
Stomach can be served in a tortilla.
There are many different types of mole (a typical salsa). It takes a while to
find one that
you like.
There is no Taco Bell.
Motorcycles don't have to stay in a lane.
Car alarms are ignored. Always.
You might see cows or horses on the freeways.
Dog poop happens.
Bus drivers are not afraid to hit you.
If you get there on time, you're early.
The electricity can go out for no apparent reason.
You can buy almost anything on the side of the road, or in the boarder line
wait.
Dogs are used as a house alarm.
Dogs bark at all hours.
There will be someone trying to give you a flyer at a signal light.
Also at a signal light someone will put some chocolate bar or other goodies on
your
windshield, if you don't want to buy it then leave it, he'll get it before you
drive off.
Clowns juggle at intersections.
Stores might be open at the time they say they are open, but probably not.
Nobody will leave a message on your answering machine.
Nothing ends on time.
You can get knock offs of just about everything.
There's one gas company…government owned pemex…no competition there.
They pump your gas for you, may even wash your windshield while they're at it.
The gas guy for your house may try to rip you off.
They paint lines on the street by hand.
Movies are mostly in English with subtitles.
If someone will be late or not show up to a meeting, they will probably not call
you to tell
you about it.
Stopping at a red light most of the time is optional.
There might be a pothole big enough to eat your car in your lane at any time.
Don't pronounce English words with an English accent or nobody will understand
you. For
example, you must pronounce "hot dog" with a Spanish accent.
By the way, "awt doug"(a hot dog) is the full thing (dog, bun, ketchup, etc). A
salchicha is
just the hot dog and can be used as a pizza topping.
If you buy a hot dog it will come with mayonnaise, diced tomatoes and perhaps a
bacon
piece wrapped around it.
Ketchup goes on pizza, eggs, popcorn . . .
A money loan to a friend should be seen as a gift.
The word translated "right now" can mean anytime in the (maybe) future.
2nd street is for tourist shopping.
If you need to change lanes, just stick your arm out the window (see the link in
# 35)
You can do just about anything in your car if you put on your flashers.
Pretty much everyone has a cell phone. Even the deaf because of text messaging.
If you call a cell phone, you pay for the call.
Traffic roundabouts are dangerous. You could get stuck in one all day.
In just about every parking lot, and in the boarder line wait, someone will ask
you if you
want your car washed, whether it needs it or not.
I hope you like mayonnaise. It will be loaded on your sandwich.
Uneven pavement is a fact of life.
You can buy corn on the cob smothered with mayonnaise and chili powder.
Popcorn at the movies must be accompanied by hot salsa and lime.
The trunks of trees should be painted white…I think it has something to do with
bugs.
Babies should be covered all the way pretty much at all times. There is no such
thing as
"dressed to warm" for baby.
Children are not allowed to drink cold drinks or they will get sick.
And no one should step on cold floors, or jump in cold water on a hot day for
the same
reason.
Baby car seats are optional.
Coca Cola from a bottle goes great with tacos.

Slowmad - 5-24-2007 at 08:58 AM

A bump for this non-stock intro to the board...
Bienvenidos.

:coolup:

Hola...

Mateo45 - 5-24-2007 at 10:21 AM

....nice to meet you too.

Whale-ista - 8-8-2016 at 08:14 PM

I was looking up "white tree trunks" and found this old post. It mentions the trees being painted but gives no reason. It's an interesting post though- still funny & relevant.

So- does anyone know why trees are painted white in Baja and elsewhere? Is it to protect them? Help them be more visible to drivers?

And does anyone know what happened to Mateo?

bajaguy - 8-8-2016 at 08:20 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Whale-ista  

And does anyone know what happened to Mateo?





Yeah......he is still trying to determine the difference between Boarder and Border

ehall - 8-8-2016 at 08:58 PM

Sunburn. It is done to citrus trees here in az.

Udo - 8-9-2016 at 08:40 AM

A local explained the white tree trunks:

1- It is not paint
2- It is to repel ants and other insects from traveling up the trunks
3- The white is a combination of white plaster, water, and julienned NOPALES cactus (The oval prickly pear). Ants hate white cement powder and white plaster. The locals mix the plaster with water and soak the NOPAL in it to form a thin paste after the liquid soaks in a bucket for a few days. They then paint the tree trunks with the paste.
Quote: Originally posted by Whale-ista  
I was looking up "white tree trunks" and found this old post. It mentions the trees being painted but gives no reason. It's an interesting post though- still funny & relevant.

So- does anyone know why trees are painted white in Baja and elsewhere? Is it to protect them? Help them be more visible to drivers?

And does anyone know what happened to Mateo?

David K - 8-9-2016 at 09:16 AM

I think I first saw the white painted tree trunks, in La Paz, in 1966.

durrelllrobert - 8-9-2016 at 09:30 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Whale-ista  
I was looking up "white tree trunks" and found this old post. It mentions the trees being painted but gives no reason. It's an interesting post though- still funny & relevant.

So- does anyone know why trees are painted white in Baja and elsewhere? Is it to protect them? Help them be more visible to drivers?

And does anyone know what happened to Mateo?

In South Korea they wind rope tightly around the bottom third of tree trunks every fall to protect them against the winter cold and remove it every spring.

sancho - 8-9-2016 at 11:15 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Mateo45  
(reprinted from ecobaja)


Bus drivers are not afraid to hit you.
Dogs are used as a house alarm.
Stopping at a red light most of the time is optional.












Good stuff, my experience riding bussess and bicycling is
that bus drivers get an unearned bad rap, there was a book
about Mex roof dogs, used as deterrants
I've bussed TJ/La Paz a few times, those trans Hwy 1 bus drivers are pro's





[Edited on 8-10-2016 by sancho]

DENNIS - 8-9-2016 at 12:08 PM


Years back when we would drive through Mexico, top to bottom.... side to side....we would notice everywhere rocks on the side of the road painted white. We wondered then why we never saw the little man who painted them.
Some things are best left to imagination...I guess.

Udo - 8-9-2016 at 03:24 PM

Yes, I was rear-ended by one because i made a full stop at a stop sign.
Also, bus drivers pay no attention to traffic lights. When red in their direction, they turn on their flashers and barrel through.
I have seen many cars make a left turn from the right hand dirt road...against a red light, but have only seen two busses do it so far.
Quote: Originally posted by sancho  
Quote: Originally posted by Mateo45  
(reprinted from ecobaja)


Bus drivers are not afraid to hit you.
Dogs are used as a house alarm.
Stopping at a red light most of the time is optional.












Good stuff, my experience riding bussess and bicycling is
that bus drivers get an unearned bad rap, there was a book
about Mex roof dogs, used as deterrants


[Edited on 8-9-2016 by Udo]

Left turn

J.P. - 8-9-2016 at 04:30 PM

I used to wonder why Drivers in in Mexico put their Left Turn Signal on and then pull off to the right then turn left across both lanes of traffic.
I have since learner that's the proper way to do it.:light::light::light:

gsbotanico - 8-9-2016 at 05:50 PM

Great list, Mateo45. I can vouch for all 55 of them. I've seen them all. I've been rear ended several times when stopped at a red light.

As for the white paint on tree trunks, it is done on trunks to prevent sunburn before there is a good leaf canopy. I've seen it in many parts of the world. It's done as a decorative thing in zócalos throughout Latin America. A block away from the zócalo and the trees often don't have the paint. Go figure. I sometimes think gardeners do it out of habit.

kimberleygd - 8-13-2016 at 10:44 PM

oh my God and the dust.

The mole-I'm interested in that one,could never figure out what the heck it is.

I've never seen a clown at an intersection, do they just hang out there and juggle?

And no one ever eats any plain fruit, it's always sprinkled in that spicy stuff. I feel weird.

Rear end protection

bajaguy - 8-14-2016 at 09:04 AM

I use one of these

http://www.harborfreight.com/dual-hitch-extender-69881.html

And one of these

https://www.amazon.com/Go-Rhino-460B-HitchStep-Receivers/dp/...

Been rear ended several times in parking lots and on the highway, no damage to my vehicle. While stopped in a construction zone on hwy 1, one unlucky driver hit me and it buckled his hood, ripped off his front bumper and popped out both of his headlight clusters....I brushed off his paint flakes and drove away