I will be travelling to San Quintin sometime in the summer from San Diego. Is this safe? Any precautiontions I should be taking? Only 2 of us will be
going, and we will be heading to Enseneda, than to San Quintin and possibly further South.
I heard I need to get a FMT card? Can I get this at the border as soon as I cross?
Thanks for the help!David K - 4-9-2009 at 03:49 PM
Why San Quintin? Only ask because it would be helpful if we knew what you wanted to do in Baja...
If in San Quintin, the Jardines motel/ restaurant/ RV park just south of town and just west of highway (signed)... at about Km. 1 or 2 , I believe?
Yes, FM-T at border, pull over for 'Something to Declare' right lane, park... go to INM office (facing parking) at far right.
Bring your passport and a pen. Fill out for max. days (180) and furthest point south on any Mexico trip in the next 6 mos. (Cabo San Lucas?).
Take card to bank window, a few feet down, facing parking... pay... then back to INM for final stamp.
There is NO CHECKPOINT in Baja Norte for the card... and not always looked at at Guerrero Negro (Baja Sur border).
Have fun...fishbuck - 4-9-2009 at 03:55 PM
If you go to San Quintin you are in danger of having fun but that's about it.aquariaguy - 4-9-2009 at 03:59 PM
I'm going with an eye doctor to do vision care in those parts of the country. First time in Mexico. I don't speak any Spanish either.
Any precautions I could take if I get stranded or anything? Do US cell phones work along that Mex Highway 1?tjBill - 4-9-2009 at 04:13 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by aquariaguy
Do US cell phones work along that Mex Highway 1?
If your cell phone company has international roaming it will work. But they will charge you an arm and a leg to use it. 24baja - 4-9-2009 at 06:16 PM
You are gonna love it, try the clams and the mangos, oh yeah have a torta....Fabulous!Fred - 4-9-2009 at 08:19 PM
Are you camping?aquariaguy - 4-9-2009 at 09:07 PM
We'll be doing eye care. Is it a safe town? I'll be going with a Mexican/American based in LA. What kind of precautions should I take? I'm not
sure where we're staying at, I hope I'm staying with the mexican doctor. We're also driving down. I'm trying to do as much research before I leave
on safety and stuff.BajaBella - 4-9-2009 at 10:35 PM
Caution: my husband says I have too many words. Whatever.
I live in San Quintin! What is San Quintin like? Here is an excerpt from a letter I wrote a friend back state-side, which described my heart in
October 08 -- one month after my official move here:
"The town of San Quintin is absolutely nothing to brag about - it is the armpit of Baja, as compared to the Baja I have seen… but the surrounding
areas - the bay and the peninsula and Cabo de San Quintin and the beaches and the farm lands and the hills and the volcanoes ... well it's absolutely
spectacular....
And as told to another friend:
“My life in San Quintin is not truly an idyllic 'beach' experience - although, we have been known to take off at any given hour and go to the beach
where we have a spot in the dunes we can take it all off and take in the sun while having lunch and a Mikes and do some reading... And we Do take the
truck to the beach and drive it - for MILES on the most pristine beaches, stopping here and there to enjoy whatever or nothing or a sunset - many
sunsets, in fact. And we take walks from our little (did I say LITTLE?) house from our small (did I say SMALL?) cul-de-sac, into our neighborhood -
can you say Barrio? and into town - which is not a town, more a highway with sorry excuses for businesses along its non-accessible sides -- to the
various Mercado’s where it is required to visit all of them to achieve a grocery list check off - And we Do eat the most delicious organic eggs grown
locally here…”
So I have been here 6 months now. I am struggling with the adjustment of doing life here as compared to how I was very used to doing life there:
More excerpt, answering the question "how is Life?"
"Different -- Learning to adjust to and accept the 'Mexican' way: of Life, of living, of thinking, etc., etc. is sometimes cause for a slight panic
attack. And.. I am learning - as always - to be patient - and to let go of the way I might have done things or know how to do things or want to see
things be done -- And so I get up in the morning - usually to the sound of dogs barking and vehicles idling (Mexicans like to start their cars about
23 mini before they actually climb into them and leave), but the sky is usually blue and the temperature is mostly hot - not too hot -- and when it
is, we take off for the beach and drive the minus tides and find a dune and eat our lunch or dinner or whatever."
It is safe. My common sense has me lock my doors and not flaunt what can be put away... ;-)
Bottom line. Leave your expectations at the border. I fell in love with Baja through servant work over 16 years ago -- I came in thinking we were
going to 'save the world' - the Mexican world -- and the scenes I witnessed, the stories I listened to, the incredible Lessons and Blessings I LEFT
here with, (far surpassing ANYthing I could leave here), were the Life Changing experiences I (and my kids and hundreds of other kids and adults I
encouraged to come since) will forever be thankful for. Again --- another story, another time, maybe. I knew then I would live here someday.. it took
a while - Life does that.. Have patience. EVERYthing moves slowly here (except the traffic through the heart of town) – so look both ways before
crossing – anything – anywhere.
And LISTEN. Listen to the sounds of the people and the stories they tell. Rich and proud and (for the most part) true.
San Quintin is nothing to write home about... (or is it - I'm still trying to rest in that answer) but for now and a while to come, it is where I call
home. I hope you will have a chance to feel the real San Quintin in your being -- that will require some time, a 4w drive and an adventurous spirit.
(The right travel partner is a bonus- you can overlook a lot with the right person sitting next to you). My husband has lived here over three years
now, and has been coming to Baja and San Quintin for 20 years.
My Spanglish is horrendous. Partly due to the amount of Eng-lash spoken here. But, if you need a translator, we have a friend who regularly
translates for the Flying Samaritans who come through El Buen Pastor (The Good Sheppard) Hospital here in San Quintin. Are you working through here?
David K is right: The Jardines Hotel is a nice hotel with restaurant and like it’s named, beautifully landscaped surroundings – for San Quintin. http://www.hotel-jardinesbaja.com -- it is at about the KM 1 or 2 – there is a sign however, there is some very nice accommodations right in
town: Hotel LaVilla-San Quintin, for one: http://www.hotellavilla.biz/sanquintin.
If you are camping or RV’ing – I would recommend just next door to Jardines. Los Olivos – Very clean – Hot showers, Swimming pool, safe and secure.
Margarita and Tom long-time San Quintin’rs - lovely people..
[Edited on 4-10-2009 by BajaBella]David K - 4-9-2009 at 10:39 PM
Nice reply BajaBella, very nice!
Welcome new Nomads! Great to have more Baja fever spreading!!!aquariaguy - 4-9-2009 at 10:58 PM
Thanks for the reply BajaBella!
It made me feel A LOT more comfortable. I really hope it's safe, thats the only thing I'm worried about since I'm going in a very small group. Do
you have a contact # down there in case I run into trouble? Me and a mexican eye doctor will be doing eye screenings and stuff like that when I'm
down there.
You can email me at: aquariaguy@gmail.comBajahowodd - 4-9-2009 at 11:13 PM
Safety will not be an issue in San Quintin. I've encountered so many wonderful people there. Bella's post sums most of it up. The area has grown
immensely in the past decade owing to some visionaries who saw that they could easily compete with North of the border with a host of agricultural
products that didn't require the people to risk their lives trying to cross the border. Los Pinos is a huge agricultural operation that dominates the
labor force there. Amenities, such as firstclass supermarkets and department stores have not yet found their way to San Quintin. So, your last shot at
a Wal-Mart will be in South Ensenada. Safety? Do not worry. There is a very noticeable police presence in the San Quintin area. There have been
problems near the border. But if you just stay on the toll road, you will have no problems. Any possible problems won't even be in your itinerary, as
any other significant problems are reported to have occurred several hours South of San Quintin.BajaGringo - 4-9-2009 at 11:14 PM
San Quintin is safer than San Diego.Bajahowodd - 4-9-2009 at 11:23 PM
Amen.Udo - 4-10-2009 at 09:42 AM
Don't forget to eat the roasted clams at the roadside stands, as well as the fresh oysters. This is San Quintin/Lazaro Card##a at their best. Also try
their seafood soup. Don't forget that the local ATM's are in Spanish.aquariaguy - 4-13-2009 at 03:29 AM
Thanks all for the replies!!
Just wanted to say I got back from San Quintin, about 90 mins ago! Left San Quintin at 7:30PM and got back to LA at 2:30AM. Border was still about
30 minutes wait. Towns I went too were, San Quintin, Camalu (stayed in this town), Ensenada, Rosarito, and swung by the edge Tijuana. I was a bit
worried leaving that late, but it was awesome. Best of all, we stopped somewhere at the top of the mountains around 11PM and it was PITCH BLACK, a
little scared, but looked up in the sky and it was BEAUTIFUL. I've never seen that many stars in my life.
Mexican life is relaxed, but at the same time stressful! It was hard not having proper sanitation and no water pressure and sometimes no hot water.
I wasn't expecting much to begin with. But I did go to Haiti for 10 days last year and that was definitely worst. I'm definitely hoping to do some
vision care in the future when I graduate as part of VOSH. Well I have to sleep now, 3:30AM. Tomorrow I'm hoping to upload my pictures. Anyone know
any good sites where I can upload pics and comment on them as well and share them with friends? Thanks.Russ - 4-13-2009 at 07:03 AM
Glad you had a good Baja Experience. Thanks for your good deeds aswell!
Looking forward to seeing your pictures.
KenSkip_Mac - 4-14-2009 at 10:10 PM
Thanks for your kind and compassionate help for the locals. I would never call San Quintin the memorable Baja experience physically and economically,
but the people are not much different and the local can be much better if you are an open space or desert fan. Baja has so much to offer...but the
people are the icing on the place and the people dont change much when you are south of Ensenada IMHO.
Thanks again for making the place we love better for the people who live there all year. You are one of the special ones.Bajahowodd - 4-14-2009 at 11:16 PM
Really no comparison between Haiti and Mexico. Not saying that Mexico still doesn't have large pockets of poverty. Look forward to seeing your photos.BajaGringo - 4-15-2009 at 06:15 AM
San Quintin is a difficult town to really get to know; impossible if you only stay on the paved roads as the best spots are found off dirt roads and
on isolated beaches. The people of San Quintin who have warmly accepted me into their community are the real charm of this area IMHO. My biggest
challenge will be to avoid becoming an alcoholic. There are a couple of bars here where they won't let me take out my wallet...
4baja - 4-15-2009 at 06:55 AM
driveing on the beach baja bella? shame on you as i would never do that.
eetdrt88 - 4-15-2009 at 12:32 PM
if you plan on going in the water bring a wet suit,even in the summer the temp never rises much above 60....one of my favorite spots there is Ceilito
Lindo,good times and killer margaritasFred - 4-15-2009 at 01:25 PM
BajGringo............could you give the names of those bars. Heading that way next month. Thanks in advance. Also will be looking for a market.
Thanks again....I think
