kinda like the list, but not as long...

Leslie,

Hitchhiking- Absolutely not! Not on either side of the border. How old are you? Are you just young and inexperienced (naive), or are you a newly "liberated" older woman who remembers when hitchhiking was a more acceptable mode of travel for some, and somewhat safer than these days?

Bus- I think that would be a good way to go. You will be surrounded by lots of people with the same common purpose; travel. I think taking the bus that travels after dark would be OK. Busses and trucks own the road at nigh and their drivers are experienced. Be sure to know the bus schedule so as to not be dumped alone along some remote junction or alone anywhere, for that matter.

What time of year are you traveling? There are drastic changes of climate and you will need to know what you need for clothing.

You are doing the right thing by inquiring here on the BajaNomad site. Wade through the BS that you will also inevitably get and glean the information you can use. There are always Nomads driving down. Some may have room for you. Just ask, if you want reliable and safe company.

You may find traveling companions along the way. Maybe not, because of the current climate of fear. There are not a lot of gringos coming south of the border these days for all the reasons you have read about. Those reasons are very real, but not insurmountable, if you travel wisely. Your hitchhiking question has me worried about you and your judgment.

Research your trip thoroughly. A woman traveling alone is quite vulnerable, but it can be done if you plan well.

Please continue to ask questions here and don't be discouraged by getting answers you might not want to hear. It is do-able. Many of us are very experienced travelers and especially in Baja. Feel free to U2U members if you don't want all your conversations posted to the general board.

OK, my head is spinning, and now I really feel like I have a clue about what i'm doing. Wait, that could be dangerous;

I had to read that twice.

1st off. Listen to Shari! She has helped lots of "newbies" and she has a sort of support network.
Secondly, don't sweat it too much. Traverlers checks are okay but a bit difficult to cash sometimes. But other than the cash thing most everything you "need" is available along the way somewhere. There might be a few things you "want" that you won't find. But so what.
Just get on your trip and take things as they come. It's funner that way!

oh yeah..sorry, I forgot to mention fishbuck!!!
no really guys...come on...give a newbie gal a break...invite her for a Pacifico...too bad Pompano is heading north.

Quote:

Originally posted by shari oh yeah..sorry, I forgot to mention fishbuck!!! no really guys...come on...give a newbie gal a break...invite her for a Pacifico...too bad Pompano is heading north.

I get no respect around here! But strangely enough I kinda like it that way.

Ok, it's been about 24 hours on this board and here's what I have learned:
1. Shari is the bomb and I'm going to love her - she may end up being the reason I persevere.
2. Money in your bra, in your armpit basically is probably safest. Beats the way my bank treats me.
3. Don't talk about eating turtles (but it sounds like they are really good so I probably will try to taste a mouthful sometime soon, right or wrong - it's the forbidden fruit thing now and someone here started it)
4. Don't kill any fish unless you can use every part, or at least ask someone to admire your sharkskin vest - if they can see through the flies.
5. Government is corrupt (well at least they admit it publicly here, how refreshing!); and the president actually seems to care about his people.
6. This place sounds like a giant Greatful Dead concert from back in the day, with the exception that the motto "leave nothing but footprints" doesn't really apply since there is lots of garbage, actually didn't we leave a lot of garbage behind even with our motto?
7. Everyone should be home with family and friends after dark.
8. I need to get more laid back.... (thanks guys) looking forward to it If you need help with your taxes let me know.
Lots of crappy stuff has happened to me in the last two years and I'm starting to feel like this place is the light at the end of the tunnel. Oh, no, not another train...

What? What did we do???

He did? There's always rehab.

Do what you can to visit Shari and Juan in Bahia Asuncion!!! I would go straight there if you could and then plan from there the rest of your trip. Say hi to Tuto if your down there.

Oh... hide a couple of 20-dollar bills in your shoes for a rainy day!
Bob H

Hey Leslie welcome aboard im from baja mexican live here in san diego. And love all these guys here on bajanomad im always watching and reading all there post everyday i dont respond much but im there everyday like yesterday one of them said the weather is like 90 degrees in mulege i got excited and i sure wished i could be there. I do recommened going to BAHIA DE LOS ANGELES its my santuary when i go on vacation once a year. Ruben and Amanda have kickback cabanas on the beach with or without a/c if its a little to hot. oh its called Daggetts campground. theres lots of beautiful places both on the sea of cortes and the pacific. Which side where you going or your just going to get lost? and see what happens kind of sorda? just have fun ..........

Hi guys,
Greetings from rainy, windy Brookings, Oregon. Think lower left corner. It is blowing and raining so hard right now I can hardly remember the sun. I gotta tell you guys I am sitting here in a million dollar house overloking the ocean, lighthouse, mountains -- everything everyone would think one could wish they had, and while I am grateful not to be outdoors right now, I wish I was down there with you all and los mexicanos. I am overwhelmed by how loving and caring you all are. I wish I was there right now, I sure could use a hug.
Shari - I am coming to see you first. I am waiting impatiently for new beginnings and time on the beach with you and the dear doggies. Can I bring you anything that would be a treat from US? All I have is dark purple nail polish... and a recipie in my head for mole....

Bajagringo, boy if the price you pay for love is this - what I am going though - I must be a billionaire and just not know it. Thank you for your sensitive and caring post. I'm having a hard time typing, because I'm crying, finally. I am taking all of your good advice.

Dennis, voyage begins Tuesday.

Von - going to get lost and found. Thank you for directions.

Fred. You are so lucky to have been able to have talked to you wife. My friend Craig refused to talk about what was happening to him and this is what makes me so sad.

Everyone - you know I'm gonna enjoy the trip! Hard to type an exclamation point when you are crying, but hey. You guys are fabulous. Hope I can be there with you all and contribute something like you have all given to me.

I owe you all a beer, or a dish of mole. You can take me up on that.

Amen! Brother! Well said!

Brookings, the La Jolla of Oregon.
Isn't this place one of the "many banana belts" Oregon and Washington are famous for.
And now all that rain.

Lesliego,

I'm glad the people here have welcomed you as they have. I am sure you will have many bright days ahead of you soon.

I recommend you try to get a hold of a copy of the, "People's Guide to Mexico" It's often available at the library, and in most bookstores. It is a fun read and it was instrumental in giving me confidence and helping me comfortably travel in Mexico the first few times I went there.

If you want to travel by bus, travel cheaply, know the culture, and read some funny Mexico travel stories this is a good book to have. It's won't tell you where to go.. but just what you might expect on the way and how to deal with it.

If you want, check out the website. There is lots of good info there and its free. The author and his wife are kind souls and have traveled all over Mexico for years. I don't take it with me, as I have it etched in my memory.

http://www.peoplesguide.com/

Now on to some more advice.

Get an ATM card if you can, its just easier. Travelers checks are a PIA IMO..

On the bus-
- Pack your valuables in a daypack, with some TP, a good book, and most importantly a good sweatshirt for the frigid A/C. (Carry this on with you, I put my bag by my feet - strap wrapped around my leg while I sleep vs. overhead)
-Your main bag goes down below. Some buses will match a claim tag to your bag.. don't lose it.. Either way.. put your name/address on inside of bag.
-Don't sit in the rear.. the bathroom and area just outside it gets to smell a little after a few hundred miles..
-I prefer the right side, midway back.. you can watch bags being loaded/unloaded at stops from here. (I've traveled tens of thousands of miles via bus in Mexico and never had anything stolen.. but its still calming to see which bags are being offloaded)
-Expect to be stopped and searched at military checkpoints. No big deal. The soldiers are nice, as long as you don't carry anything illegal.
-Carry some snacks. The bus will stop at some towns and people will come on selling burritos, sodas, etc.. If you leave to get food in the bus station.. take your daypack that has your valuables with you. Many bust drivers will anouce a 15 minute stay etc.. but it is good to ask them.. so they check for you before you leave.
-Limit your bus trips to 6 hour legs if you can.. It's 22 hours from the border to Mazatlan.. oh.. so brutal.. Just think.. you could be in Mexico city from TJ just a mere 48 hours of solid bus riding.. It's no fun.. break it up
-Except for Christmas and Easter.. you can pretty much just show up at a bus station and be on you way within minutes or hours.. no advance purchase needed; but, buy your bus ticket a day before you leave whatever town you are in to keep waiting to a minimum.

Other advice..

Take some photos from home. Photos of your home, places you like, friends, family, pets, local landmarks, etc.. Locals love to look at photos from somewhere else and they truly are worth a 1,000 words.


Remember it's Mexico. Start with plan A, move to plan B, find out that plan C is on holiday, laugh your way to plan Z. Things get done, just not the same way or on the same schedule.

You will have a good time and find what you need. Enjoy and let the light shine in.