BajaNomad - "why do you even bother?" "are you crazy?"

"why do you even bother?" "are you crazy?"

woody with a view - 7-12-2008 at 09:55 AM

this seems to be the first things out of the mouths of most everyone i know when i say Bia and i are heading south. there are many reasons to run the gauntlet of life and doing it south of the border just makes it that much more special. i mean, the getting there is almost as much fun as the being there, right? what gets you out of the house and heading south? what's your pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? why risk it all? what could be so alluring in such a lawless, forbidding, and desolate place (outside the cities and towns, anyways) such as baja?

why we go..........

[Edited on 7-12-2008 by woody in ob]

somewhere over the rainbow.jpg - 46kB

vivaloha - 7-12-2008 at 10:02 AM

Woody

Feeling that photo and the vibe buddy! Nice one!
but SHHH - some baja fearful folks might change their
mind and then come down and crowd up the waves...

BajaNomad - 7-12-2008 at 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by vivaloha
SHHH - some baja fearful folks might change their
mind and then come down and crowd up the waves...

Something I wrote almost 12 years ago in a post to rec.travel.latin-america (USENET):

USENET post via Google Groups site

"I think I'll raise a Pacifico to all of the paranoia that surrounds North
Americans on travel to Mexico, and *especially* Baja. For if it wasn't
for this, the place would be DELUGED with tourists!!!!!"

--
Doug

Thanks for that, Doug

thebajarunner - 7-12-2008 at 10:52 AM

And thanks for providing this place where, amongst all the angst and blather, there is still the embedded gem that reminds us why, indeed, we even bother to head Southward.

805gregg - 7-12-2008 at 11:37 AM

Nice looking wave Woody. I'll be there in 2 months.

fulano - 7-12-2008 at 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaNomad
Something I wrote almost 12 years ago in a post to rec.travel.latin-america (USENET):

USENET post via Google Groups site

"I think I'll raise a Pacifico to all of the paranoia that surrounds North
Americans on travel to Mexico, and *especially* Baja. For if it wasn't
for this, the place would be DELUGED with tourists!!!!!"

--
Doug

OK then, we are doing you a beneficial service by posting the news published in the Mexican newspapers about events in Baja that never makes it into the US newspapers...right?

Bajabus - 7-12-2008 at 12:03 PM

Hitchiked all over the USA and Africa. Been going to Baja since 91, lived there full time for 9 years only been robbed 2X, both in NYC.

I go to Baja because it is beautiful in just about every aspect. I sure do miss living there.

Al G - 7-12-2008 at 12:10 PM

I admit to pushing the lawless Baja theme...my goal is/was to inform the unsuspecting. People who bring loved one should know of the possible consequences. In reality it is a two edge sword...two groups benefit. The first time tourist that will most likely be turned off anyway, and the Baja adventurers, who benefit with less people.
The real question was/is Why?
my reason is simple...I cannot be ask by anyone to work. The choice is now mine...been under the gun for 40+ years. No one will call me there...to far away. I think it is the only place in North America I can live well without worry and not think of work.

Diver - 7-12-2008 at 12:15 PM

"why do you bother ?" "are you crazy ?"

YES, I AM CRAZY FOR BAJA. ONLY CRAZY PEOPLE GO TO BAJA !!

1000lbBlue - 7-12-2008 at 12:19 PM

se parece como unas de las siete hermanas...
I only wish I had the FJ60 packed and ready to roll...

[Edited on 7-12-2008 by 1000lbBlue]

crazy....hell yea!

eetdrt88 - 7-12-2008 at 12:43 PM

woody...that is a sick photo,actually got my adrenalin goin just lookin at that...im cravin some of that crazy rite now :lol:

DianaT - 7-12-2008 at 01:14 PM

Nice photo, nice thoughts! Thanks

Diane

Bruce R Leech - 7-12-2008 at 09:34 PM

I realy like this thread. thanks woody, and thanks Doug, and thanks all

Capt. George - 7-13-2008 at 03:36 AM

whiners and worry warts need not apply........stay home!

Skeet/Loreto - 7-13-2008 at 04:09 AM

Al G.

WORRY LOOKS AROUND

SORRY LOOKS BACK

FAITH LOOKS UP!!

1967 read Ray Cannon's Book "The Sea of Cortez"
October 67 flew my little Cessna to Baja Sur-Fell in Love with the People and the Sea of Cortez
Lived and worked in Loreto until 2000

Met Capt. George and told him about Baja, he decided to stay, I knew Baja Sur would never be the Same!! So I left.
Moved to the Texas Panhandle for clean Air and Clean Water. Sure do miss those Yellowfin, Yellowtail, Dorado,Cabrilla, Sharks, Dolphins,Whales !!

Barry A. - 7-13-2008 at 09:21 AM

Well said, Skeet----------------(I still go back and look at my copy of Ray Cannon's book--------love it)

Now I retreat to little Independence, Ca (Owens Valley) where I own a house, and enjoy the country and people, and fish.

Viva Baja------Viva rural USA

Barry

jodiego - 7-13-2008 at 09:37 AM

Great photo Woody. Reminded me of a shot I have of me on my boogie board south of the border. I call it "the baja bomb". If venturing south in these troubling times is crazy, then I'm a total whacko and loving every empty lineup.
:lol:

Ken Cooke - 7-13-2008 at 09:40 AM

When I talk Baja, people ask, ¨Arent you scared??¨ Then, I bring up ColOmbia. Gotta live life on the edge... :lol:

Bob H - 7-13-2008 at 10:28 AM

Woody, I grew up in Miami - surfed a lot (longboards) in the late 60's there, goofy footer here - would have DIED for a wave like that! And, Hang TEN!
Bob H

Skeet/Loreto - 7-14-2008 at 03:32 AM

Barry A; you live in Manson Country!! Are you not scared that some of his followers will still be around Independence?
Just Kidding. I lived and worked Bishop and the area from Death Valley to Tonopah to Conways Summitt and South to China Lake. Spent lots of time on the Owens and into Amptheater Lake in the Sierras. Beautiful Country.

Back to Baja Sur: On spending time in Baja from 1967 on, each time I would come back to the States People would tell me that there was going to be a Revolution within the next Five years. I am still getting the same information wshen I tell people I lived in Baja. The first thing out of their Mouths is:
They will throw you in Jail and take your Property away from you. All BS of Course.

Of all the years in Baja Sur, the only True incident of Property being taken away was the Punta Banda Debackle.

Some times it seems as if the newer Generation of Americans and Canadians have been taught to "Fear" with out even attempting to "Go and find out the Truth of the Matter, instead of depending on someone else to tell you their version of the TRUTH.

Advice: Go through the Border at Tecate during the Day, stop at San Quintin and stay at the La Ciros Motel, get up 5 Am or just at Dawn and head South to Catavina, then to Guerrero Negro, across to San Roaslilla Mulege then Loreto. All described travel is during the Daylight Hours.

I would much rather go to Loreto/La Paz than South Central LA /East La/ Oakland/New Orleans/ Phoenix.

Anon The Preacher

woody with a view - 7-14-2008 at 06:22 AM

why we go? now you know.

some icing on the cake. world record spotfin.... :wow:

SiReNiTa - 7-14-2008 at 09:49 PM

wow...it's nice to see that people here really love our little paradise that ppl call baja...i have heard so much bad stuff up here in san diego that it sounds nothing like the place i live in...it seems to me that they are describing some very very far away planet...i know there are dangers but...think about it there are the exact same kind of dangers in everyones back yard...everywhere in the worl there are bad people doing bad things...and you don't know how big of a relief it is to see people speaking well of the places you love...it makes me proud and happy to see that many people really do love baja and everything that comes in that huge package....thank's to everyone for loveng baja...it makes us or me at least but i speak for many mexicans who live in baja and love it as i do very very happy to share and to introduce our world to others...you have to admit it's not very nice when you hear people talking bad bad stuff about something you love...any way i'm babbeling so blah lol

xoxoxox SiReNiTa

movinguy - 7-14-2008 at 10:23 PM

"are you crazy?"

Been asking myself that when I'm driving home from my girlfriend's along the Via Rapida at 2 in the morning . . .

I've always loved Baja, and now I even love Tijuana - I'm either fearless or stupid and don't particularly care to know which one. :cool:

Capt. George - 7-15-2008 at 03:42 AM

Deborah and I have not met a kinder, gentler people then those we live with in Abreojos. And that same spirit seems to exist along the entire coast north of us to Ascuncion...Viva Baja.

We can hardly wait to cross the border (at Tijuana) and head on home to Punta Abreojos

el Vikingo de Punta Abreojos

BajaBlanca - 10-8-2011 at 05:06 PM

el Vikingo - there are some folks here who are looking for Debbie - is that your wife ??? It is soemone named Clint from El Boleo in santa rosalia and the numbe he has is 156- 2022 but I just called it and was told

NO HAY DEBBIE AQUI

pls call us at 156-0056 today, if possible !!

woody with a view - 10-8-2011 at 05:24 PM

Blanca

you just responded to a 3 year old thread! try U2U instead. :light:

Bajafun777 - 10-8-2011 at 05:38 PM

Gave up on trying to convince people it is safe in Baja, however still invite them down to visit when I stay down in Las Gaviotas for 4 months. Just do not want to do summers in Imperial Valley anymore nor do I have to.

Explore and travel up and down Baja, have driven all the way to Cabo back to La Paz taken Baja Ferry over to mainland and driven all the way to Puerto Vallarte and then back to Nogales then home. The "bad dudes" have not gotten me yet but I also travel smart. I do not drive on long trips at night, do not run around a town until I know about it nor where to go or not go, have good Mexico auto insurance and keep common sense about me by not doing something that I know is just risky. If you get a "gut feeling" about something then go with it and get the hell out of there.

The people we have met, friends we have made and adventures we have had more than make our next trip down South just too long before it happens again. Never get tired of waking up to the Ocean and those interesting Baja happenings we all experience while in Baja. Have met so many people that are nomads or friends of nomads. I get people to check out bajanomads for the real interesting things they can do which many share on this site.

Will have my Jeep running again thanks to Ken Cooke steering me to another site that had the right direction for a place that could do the entire bigger engine change out that my Wrangler needed. Thanks again Ken and I get it back from MIT in El Cajon in two more weeks, YEA!! So, just enjoy Baja and don't worry about defending it with the nuts doing these bad crazy things off and on. Take Care & Travel Safe---- "No Hurry, No Worry, Just FUN" bajafun777

mtgoat666 - 10-8-2011 at 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by woody with a view
this seems to be the first things out of the mouths of most everyone i know when i say Bia and i are heading south. there are many reasons to run the gauntlet of life and doing it south of the border just makes it that much more special. i mean, the getting there is almost as much fun as the being there, right? what gets you out of the house and heading south? what's your pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? why risk it all? what could be so alluring in such a lawless, forbidding, and desolate place (outside the cities and towns, anyways) such as baja?

why we go..........

[Edited on 7-12-2008 by woody in ob]

i suppose it's all good and fine, until the day you become a victim of crime. until then, don't worry, be happy!

Bajafun777 - 10-8-2011 at 06:25 PM

Like crime won't happen to you in the States?? Come on, if it is your day for a bad crime day, then it is your day, so if it happens in States or Mexico it happens, right? Think the people killed in work places, malls, colleges or home invasions in the States really thought about a lot of people being killed or harmed all at once in the States by gunmen? If you spend your whole life worrying about the bad things then you miss so many of the good things.

I do not believe many of us are fools in our travels and some have made a set plan of action if the bad comes to them when driving of what they are willing to do or not do. I guess these choices would not be the same in States as you can carry your weapons here with you, however in Mexico it is a no go on the weapons. So, when driving I guess your vehicle becomes your weapon if you need to react to bad crooks trying to do you harm. These are choices hopefully that most of us will not have to make but maybe again we will some day! Now, my wife and I always say a prayer when in Mexico and States each morning at breakfast to keep ourselves, relatives or friends safe. I guess we let the God take the wheel, HMM? Take Care & Travel Safe--- "No Hurry, No Worry, Just FUN" bajafun777

Curt63 - 10-8-2011 at 07:01 PM

Si, poco loco

Stay covered bro..

and tight lines

Good on ya!

woody with a view - 10-8-2011 at 07:27 PM

Quote:

i suppose it's all good and fine, until the day you become a victim of crime. until then, don't worry, be happy!

Baaaaaaa, Baaaa, Baaaaaaa..... :light:

chippy - 10-8-2011 at 08:06 PM

But wait there´s no DK leg to pee on??????This is an old thread. :?:

[Edited on 10-9-2011 by chippy]

vgabndo - 10-8-2011 at 08:24 PM

We have to drive the length of Alta CA to get to the frontera. We lock our doors for the first time since the last trip, and go from a rural town with one home invasion EVER, grinding through the central valley arriving at Bakersdiego. Just like Tijuana/Ensenada, there isn't really much of any way around it but in SoCal no one is going to stop to help you if you have a problem.

The nervous stomach starts for me at the Grapevine.
It is a brutally boring drive in the states, I look forward to getting past the first reten, then I relax a lil bit.
Maybe a dozen families from my community spend regular time in Baja. We have had friends visit us in Mexico, and become hooked.

I agree that the stresses of the drive SOB are part of the allure. I tell people that it is adventure travel with a white line. Be smart, be prepared, and stay a little scared in the appropriate environments. (incidentally I finally counted the wheels on a video we took of a truck we passed in January; two linked truck tractors and total of 72 wheels! It did have good pilot cars.)

We drove to Belize for our honeymoon in '92. We'd have loved to have made a home there, but cheese and rice that's a long 8200 mile RT. We decided on Baja and it was no mistake.

Normal people worry me. I find a lot of Baja visitors are not real normal. I like that.

En mi corazon soy un parte Mexicano. I am at home in Mexico.

Becoming conversant in a second language has been a pure joy. Starting at age 50. My thanks to every Mexican who suffered with me through those years of true idiomatic ugliness. It is a little better now. And...the best protection against a lot of common errors and problems suffered by folks in Baja who SHOULD be fearful if they speak no Spanish.

I expect if I play my cards right there'll be plenty to satisfy me until I just can't get there, or we have our own roof there again.

Serenita, you aren't the only one who rambles..... :spingrin:

BajaBlanca - 10-8-2011 at 08:36 PM

I know it was an old thread but guess what ???? I had to get a hold of george somehow and I wasn't even sure that el vikingo was in fact George or that Debs was his wife LOL I had never met any of them !! so i did a search and this old old thread was what I found first ...

no sooner had i sent this note and el Vikingo and Debs and Brenda who owns las casitas hotel in santa rosalia walked up the steps of our home !!! It was quite bizarre ....

turns out we had the wrong phone number ....in the end we all had a good time on the front porch. finally I got to meet our punta abreojos neighbors!!

BornFisher - 10-8-2011 at 09:40 PM

Woody--those are some fine, fine fish right there! Haven`t eaten a Spotfin in a few decades, but I`ll trade you my secret surf spot for you secret fishing spot!

woody with a view - 10-9-2011 at 07:18 AM

take it to U2U. you go first!

edit: 2

[Edited on 10-9-2011 by woody with a view]

Ken Cooke - 10-9-2011 at 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bajafun777
Will have my Jeep running again thanks to Ken Cooke steering me to another site that had the right direction for a place that could do the entire bigger engine change out that my Wrangler needed. Thanks again Ken and I get it back from MIT in El Cajon in two more weeks, YEA!! So, just enjoy Baja and don't worry about defending it with the nuts doing these bad crazy things off and on. Take Care & Travel Safe---- "No Hurry, No Worry, Just FUN" bajafun777

Gary - It's great to hear that I was able to help you with the information on the JustRuns listserve. Here's to cool summers!