BajaNomad - My wife is stranded in Mulege - please help me figure out how to get her home!

My wife is stranded in Mulege - please help me figure out how to get her home!

m.porosky - 4-9-2008 at 06:06 PM

Hello everybody,

My in-laws live in Mulege, Baja California at the Orchard and we live near San Diego, CA. My mother-in-law drove my wife to Mulege to visit on the basis that they will drive her back to the border in one or two weeks maximum. She has been gone for 3 weeks. The only form of ID my wife has with her is his Drivers License, Social Security Card and a copy of his birth certificate. She sent in for a passport (which also meant she had to send in her original birth certificate) about a week before she left. The passport and her birth certificate arrived the following day after she left and I have it in my possession.

Can she board an airplane to come back to the U.S. with the identification on her (Drivers License, Social Security Card, COPY of Birth Certificate), or does she need a passport? If she's able to board the airplane in Mexico, then I can give U.S. Customs at LAX her passport when she lands.

Is there any kind of Express Mail service that delivers to Baja California that I can overnight her Passport? FedEx doesn't seem to deliver there.

She can't get a ride back since everybody in her family seems to be too busy or have doctor appointments. She can't take the bus back because she doesn't have the proper form of identification, because as I understand it they stop you half-way and check. I do not want to risk her getting detained..

Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Diver - 4-9-2008 at 06:14 PM

Assuming that she got her FMT on the way down ??
That is all she needs to take a bus to the border.

At teh border, they will probably accept the copy of the birth certificate if all else is in order but you could also pick her up at the bus terminal in TJ with her new passort and cross with no problems
.

m.porosky - 4-9-2008 at 06:23 PM

Diver,

And there lays yet another problem. My mother-in-law is always in a hurry, so they didn't obtain FMT's on the way down to Mulege.. :mad:

They're mexican citizens, but she is not..

Thank you.

MexicoTed - 4-9-2008 at 06:27 PM

M.Porosky,

She could fly to Tijuana from La Paz, then cross the border. If she is a U.S. citizen, they will let her cross. They may ask her to go to secondary, but she will be able to cross.

Ted

Bob and Susan - 4-9-2008 at 06:30 PM

drive down and get her...
i did it every other week for a year...
mulege is ONLY 12 hours from the border in a car

express mail takes 1-2 weeks to arrive...belive me its true

with the items you say she has as id AND the receipt that she applied for a passport will get her on the plane

the question is...did she get an fmt at the border???
if she did she can ride the bus to tj and you can pick her up as she walks across

m.porosky - 4-9-2008 at 06:40 PM

MexicoTed: NOW THERE IS AN IDEA! Her uncle is leaving to La Paz this weekend and that is definitely a great idea about flying from La Paz to Tijuana. Does she need any special papers to fly within Mexico? What does going secondary mean?

What about Loreto to Tijuana? Do they fly to there from Loreto?

Bob and Susan: I've never driven in Mexico in my entire life, I don't speak spanish and I don't have mexican car insurance.. and worst of all I don't have a clue on how to get to Mulege! I'm not sure if she has the receipt that she applied for a passport or not.. this is something I didn't even think of.. I'm going to ask her if she took it with her when I call her in a few minutes. And if you read my second post above, she didn't get an FMT at the border..

And something else I'd like to share is that I'm a long time looker - I'm always on this forum here reading the posts and I've been following your pictures for a few years now Bob and Susan - I've always said that's the place I'll stay at if I go to Mulege, it's looking GREAT! Clean, clean and clean...

Thank you all for the help, I really, really appreciate it.

Mike

m.porosky - 4-9-2008 at 06:44 PM

Also, I saw a link in your website with Captain Mike with ScreamingAirlines, a private airline.. this might be another possibility.. I clicked on his website but it doesn't work. Does anybody have his phone number?

Thank you again.

DENNIS - 4-9-2008 at 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Diver
Assuming that she got her FMT on the way down ??
That is all she needs to take a bus to the border.

Why is that? You don't need an FMT to buy a bus ticket.

Diver - 4-9-2008 at 06:50 PM

Actually, you are right Dennis.
I didn't think the bus company would require the FMT but was thinking about GN - but they don't check FMTs on the way north, duh.
So either bus or flight option to TJ should work fine.
.

DianaT - 4-9-2008 at 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS

Quote:

Originally posted by Diver
Assuming that she got her FMT on the way down ??
That is all she needs to take a bus to the border.

Why is that? You don't need an FMT to buy a bus ticket.

I wonder if they check bus passengers for FMTs at Guerrero Negro?

bajaguy - 4-9-2008 at 06:59 PM

Well, all of this is a relief........my glasses are dirty and I thought the post said "wife strangled" instead of "wife stranded"..................

MexicoTed - 4-9-2008 at 07:00 PM

They may ask her for ID and her FMT (tourist card) at the La Paz airport, but since she is flying within country, they most likely will let her fly. I actually was in the Cabo airport a couple months ago when I met a gringo who didn't have a passport so he flew TJ to Cabo and then was returning. He said they didn't ask for a birth certicate or FMT upon leaving back to TJ, only when he flew TJ to Cabo. I guess my answer on that is I'm not 100% sure, but worth a try if you want to pay for it. Otherwise, it's the bus. I don't think any airlines fly between Loreto and TJ.

As far as secondary, it's where the U.S. Customs agents send you if they are suspicious or if you don't have proper papers. They don't do it all the time, but can.

Good luck,
Ted

Keri - 4-9-2008 at 07:32 PM

This is off his avatar here on nomads
http://www.carefreepartner.com/CaptainMike. Good Luck. You could also go talk to Don Johnson at Serinidad, He may be able to help you,k

longlegsinlapaz - 4-9-2008 at 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bajaguy
Well, all of this is a relief........my glasses are dirty and I thought the post said "wife strangled" instead of "wife stranded"..................

Well, I'm glad you got that cleared up!

Bob and Susan - 4-9-2008 at 08:45 PM

m.porosky ..."My family owns the Orchard Vacation Village in Mulege"
http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=19075

you better "come on down" and see what they have
there's only one road...spanish not required

insurance can be easily purchased online 24-7 at http://www.bajabound.com

your family is well known and respected n mulege

the bus station is up the road from the Orchard...
your wife can take the bus overnight and arrive in tj in the morning
~$65 usa

if she's worried about fmt she can get that in santa rosalia with a small fine to pay

maybe she should just "hang" until the family returns to the states
the weather is getting warmer and alot of people in the village are leaving
she could ask around for a ride

there is alot worse places to be "stranded"

capt. mike - 4-10-2008 at 04:41 AM

i am in milwaukee now or i'd go.
but i am not a private airline.
i am not a charter service either.

it is HUGELY expensive to fly a private plane to mexico and back today.
i can't even afford it myself anymore!!

you should take a plane loreto or la paz or a bus.

i have a new ISP so my websites are all defunct until i can rebuild them.

Alan - 4-10-2008 at 05:34 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Keri
You could also go talk to Don Johnson at Serinidad, He may be able to help you,k

Not sure I really see the problem in your situation and can't understand why you don't just pop the top off another cerveza and prop your feet up on the coffee table but if you are really committing to this see the above post or have your wife go to the nearest US consulate. Passport problems and getting Americans home is their specialty.

Are you really sure you don't want more time to rethink your actions? :lol:

Alan - 4-10-2008 at 05:37 AM

I notice you said your WIFE has HIS Drivers License and HIS birth certificate but that's okay, I still think the consulate will also help your kind.

jkruk - 4-10-2008 at 06:31 AM

Will be in sd on Sat. pm crossing at tecate early am sun. Think we will be staying in El cajon sat night at motel 6 Home email jak6827@aol.com traveling to chivato jim :yes:

Gadget - 4-10-2008 at 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Alan

Quote:

Originally posted by Keri
You could also go talk to Don Johnson at Serinidad, He may be able to help you,k

I'm of the same opinion sort of. What I can't get my little pea brain around is how you are married to a woman whos family lives in Mulege, she went down with them and you have never been to Baja in your life or driven there ever.

Not really any of my business the whos and whys, but I would have been with her on the trip. Just MHO. No offence intended.

toneart - 4-10-2008 at 10:51 AM

Can´t she ride back with Roberto? He is going back and forth to Ensenada and I think he is leaving again tomorrow.

You would expect family to help, but then..............??

tripledigitken - 4-10-2008 at 11:06 AM

Take Bob & Susans advice:

Get a FMT in Santa Rosalia, then either hitch a ride with someone going north, or take the bus.

With this post you should get an offer. A lot of people are starting to head north about now.

I wish I was stranded in Mulege! :spingrin:

Skipjack Joe - 4-10-2008 at 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by bajaguy
Well, all of this is a relief........my glasses are dirty and I thought the post said "wife strangled" instead of "wife stranded"..................

I can relate to that.

There's a nomad who logs in as 'awfulart' here and every time I see it I read it as 'awfulfart'.

vandenberg - 4-10-2008 at 11:41 AM

Now, if you would have just got in your vehicle, hauled Burro to Mulege to get your better half,him/her. you would be halfway home by now.
Just a thought. :biggrin:

fishbuck - 4-10-2008 at 11:55 AM

Maybe she doesn't want to come home!
You can't tell me that people who live in Mulege don't know how to get to TJ and the border. If she wanted to come home she would have asked someone there how to do it.

m.porosky - 4-10-2008 at 07:51 PM

Alan: Did you just say what I think you just said? LOL!! I've been married to her for 35 years. I meant "her", not "his". We're just so frustrated over this!

Gadget: I'm not sure why, but I guess I've never gotten around to going down there. My wife and kids fly there, but I haven't made the trip yet..

toneart: The original plan was that Roberto agreed to drive her back to San Diego. He's just too busy right now to have the time to drive her back as originally planned... enough said.

Oh, and fishbuck.. she drove down there with my mother-in-law, so she doesn't have her own car to drive back to the border.

I spoke with her on the phone the other night and she did bring along the receipt for her Passport, so things are looking up.. she's going to see if she can board the airplane with the paperwork she has, or if her mother might be able to drive her to the border after all.

As far as why not just popping the top off another cerveza and propping her feet up on the coffee table is because something is going on at home here and she needs to get home as soon as possible.

Thank you again for all of your help and ideas, I'll keep all of you updated!

Mike

[Edited on 4-11-2008 by m.porosky]

Gadget - 4-11-2008 at 10:44 AM

This is indeed a very interesting tale. I hope SHE, you had us a little worried there Mike, gets home safe.

35 years huh, boy they sure haven't done a very good job of impressing on you how very beautiful that area is. I'd get on them for that, you're missing it.

bajalera - 4-11-2008 at 01:58 PM

The helpful TJ consulate. Now there's a novel idea.

Pappy Jon - 4-11-2008 at 03:54 PM

If I had in-laws in Mulege I'd be all over it multiple times a year. Do they want to adopt a 50 year-old curmudgeon?

BajaWarrior - 4-11-2008 at 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Gadget
This is indeed a very interesting tale. I hope SHE, you had us a little worried there Mike, gets home safe.

35 years huh, boy they sure haven't done a very good job of impressing on you how very beautiful that area is. I'd get on them for that, you're missing it.

Hell, I'll go get her just for an oppurtunity to see Mulege again!

Unbelievable!

cabokid - 4-13-2008 at 09:30 PM

try DHL mail service. I have sent papers to cabo and they received in 24 hours

Bajame - 4-15-2008 at 12:09 AM

Think it over real good before you make a move on this. Wife there, me here. :rolleyes:

Also absence makes the heart grow fonder is what they say. :smug:

This might be the break you were looking for! Order meals on wheels and that will cut your exspenses in half! Call in Maids and More and then with the money you save Travel any where you want to go! See, there always good in every bad situation.

vandenberg - 4-15-2008 at 06:42 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by cabokid
try DHL mail service. I have sent papers to cabo and they received in 24 hours

You can actually send your wife through the mail. :?:

Cypress - 4-16-2008 at 03:36 PM

Bye- Bye Honey! :lol:

Ford - 4-22-2008 at 09:57 PM

Just a little tidbit of info for you since you haven't been down there... If you give her a bus pass and a fist full of $50 dollar bills she can get anything and anywhere in Mexico. I think I can understand why you don't go to Baja

...If my In Laws lived there I would Vacation to Hawaii as well!
Maybe after everything gets sorted out for you, you can take a boys trip to Hawaii or something and get "stranded" with a couple cervezas.....

Hook - 4-22-2008 at 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ford
Just a little tidbit of info for you since you haven't been down there... If you give her a bus pass and a fist full of $50 dollar bills she can get anything and anywhere in Mexico. I think I can understand why you don't go to Baja

No kidding. This sounds like the desire to return doesnt equal the desire to have her back.

It's not that hard to accomplish............and the family who runs Huerta Saucedo would know that in spades.

toneart - 4-23-2008 at 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Hook

:lol: