BajaNomad

calming Baja fears???

dizzyspots - 10-23-2009 at 01:21 PM

OK fellow Nomads, I need some help...was planning our 4th trip (yeah...still a rookie) to Gonzaga Bay...each time I post this on "our" sites...I get a lot of "Yay...lets go!!)...then bit by bit they bail...this time we had 14 possibles...narrowed it down to 6 "confirmed"...all of which bailed in the last 10 days...the last one this AM
Now some had schedule conflicts, sick kids etc...but how do you explain the "drug wars and violence in Mexico" is NOT where we are going???
Cancelled the trip, because I dont want to travel cross country with only 1 vehicle...just the "buddy system" common sense thing...so...so I just need to recruit travel partners form these pages??? (that didn't work either) or what??

JESSE - 10-23-2009 at 01:34 PM

Tijuana a city of 2 million, wich is the epicenter of the problems, has about 2 drug related murders a day. 97% of those murders, involve people in the drug trade, and rarely does an innocent person dies. Of those few innocent people that die, almost all are Mexicans.

Your chances of running into problems while driving tru Tijuana on your way to Gonzaga are a lot lower than crashing in a commercial airliner, or getting killed in a car crash at the Freeway.

noproblemo2 - 10-23-2009 at 01:38 PM

Try sending them Wileys report on his recent trip to Baja!!!!

dizzyspots - 10-23-2009 at 01:40 PM

How much time do you spend trying to convince folks...or do you just hope that you cross paths with other Nomads-to-be?
We almost cancelled last years trip, but luckily...the last couple at that time went with us and had a GREAT time...but there job picture changed or they would've made it this time...
Mike

noproblemo2 - 10-23-2009 at 01:48 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by dizzyspots
How much time do you spend trying to convince folks...or do you just hope that you cross paths with other Nomads-to-be?
We almost cancelled last years trip, but luckily...the last couple at that time went with us and had a GREAT time...but there job picture changed or they would've made it this time...
Mike

You can only say so much to those who believe what they want to believe. Try this post, but if they are negative, they will stay that way. Surfing at Sunset wessongroup Baja Trip Reports

dizzyspots - 10-23-2009 at 01:50 PM

where do I find wileys baja report...searched, but only found Nomads talking about Wiley??

Mexicorn - 10-23-2009 at 01:54 PM

Dude just get on the toll road and you'll be OK.
Geez I'm glad I've got Baja to myself but the locals are starving...

Bajahowodd - 10-23-2009 at 01:55 PM

This sadly illustrates the daunting task ahead for Baja tourism folks to try and convince people to come on back down. Unfortunately, bad and sensational news gets big play in the press. I can only think of one or two positive articles that have surfaced recently. In fact, there was one that primarily dealt with Rosarito that was posted on this board recently.

That said, we've made three trips down Baja so far this year, the longest being two weeks to Cabo and back. They were totally uneventful, and totally fun. So, there you have point of view. Four weeks this year so far, and we're planning to head down again in November. I note that dizzyspots is looking to be part of a group. FYI, our trips were just my wife and me. Although we did meet some great folks along the way. If there's any positive about the current situation, it's that traffic is way down.

noproblemo2 - 10-23-2009 at 02:00 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by dizzyspots
where do I find wileys baja report...searched, but only found Nomads talking about Wiley??
http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=42020

dizzyspots - 10-23-2009 at 02:09 PM

Not fearful...for the need of a group...just the rocky Puertocitos road...mechanical , etc...not much traffic in the middle of nowhere??

Edguero - 10-23-2009 at 03:00 PM

We are leaving tues the 27th for Punta Final until Nov 6th with 2 vehicles that have been down that road many times. If you you want to convoy with us let me know.

Bajahowodd - 10-23-2009 at 03:11 PM

Sorry about that diz. I probably wrote it wrong. Just trying to note that traveling is safe. You're the one that was frustrated by others dropping out from your plans.

Woooosh - 10-23-2009 at 03:55 PM

Letter to the Editor in Wednesday's San Diego Union Tribune...

"Narco-trafficers and Baja tourism:

Your Oct. 17 front page story "Mexican marines criticized for shootings" did little to explain how a heavily armed narco convoy of SUV's could disappear from the tourist-heavy toll road between Rosarito Beach and the Lobster Village (Puerto Nuevo) on a Sunday afternoon, let alone how the Mexican marines could mistake a single Jeep off-roading for that convoy and open fire on the youths inside. That same day both free roads to Rosarito Beach from Tijuana and Otay Mesa had mutilated bodies hanging from the bridges.

It may be statistically safe for tourists to visit Rosarito Beach, but the memories and visuals of a trip to Rosarito Beach could take a family a lifetime of therapy to overcome and is hardly worth the deep fried lobster at the other end."

Bajahowodd - 10-23-2009 at 05:09 PM

Maybe Juan Saldana might like to make you an assistant.:biggrin:

A picture is worth a thousand words!

David K - 10-24-2009 at 08:42 AM

Shell Island (20 miles south of San Felipe) to Gonzaga Bay:



















Having a great day at Gonzaga Bay!

TMW - 10-24-2009 at 09:59 AM

Mike a lot of people feel as your friends do. They'll say yes when asked but then something always comes up and they drop out. Sometimes it's a real reason usually job or family related. But many people are afraid especially the last few years with the drug stuff going on. That said once your past the border areas your 99% free of it. I too had friends that would drop out as time to go came so I just went anyway with a friend, brother or my wife or alone by myself. I usually bring my motorcycle more as a spare tire than anything else. As far as traveling the road to Gonzaga unless you drive a rat trap your biggest problem would be a flat tire. Bring an extra spare, plugs and a compressor, a good jack and don't drive like your racing in the Baja 1000. If necessary be prepared to spent the night, someone will be along. There is a whole crew working on the road part of the way. Get a satellite phone if it makes you feel better.

I say go for it with others or alone and have a great time.

TMW - 10-24-2009 at 10:05 AM

I would also add, get to know some of the people along the way so that if needed you could ask for their help in the future. There are a lot of Nomads on this board that live in Baja. There are people in the Gonzaga area that run businesses that you may stay or eat at or buy stuff from that you could get to know. Coco is a good guy to know and can be very helpful when necessary. Of course he's a little further down but some day you may come in from that direction off hwy 1.

DianaT - 10-24-2009 at 01:01 PM

Sometimes it might be worth trying to calm the fears of others about traveling to Baja, but often I think it is a waste of time.

I know many people who have lived all their lives in the San Diego area and have never, and will never, cross the border. It is like telling some people you are moving to Central American, or to Baja and they go slightly crazy. Either they understand, or they don't. It becomes a wasted effort to try and change their minds.

We have traveled where you are going a number of times and always alone---the way we prefer to travel. But we also take along lots of provisions in case of a breakdown as one might wait quite a while for help.

I do understand you wanting a travel partner, however and wish you good luck!

SPOT Friend

bajaguy - 10-24-2009 at 02:27 PM

Dizzy.....get yourself a SPOT, put your friends on the account and they can track your progress. SPOT can also be used to send an emergency signal and summon help.

I have used it in the US and in Baja and it works great!!!

No hay problema

http://www.findmespot.com/en/

dizzyspots - 10-26-2009 at 05:54 AM

Got a SPOT...use it all the time
no fear fellow Nomads...this trip has been swapped to Kino Bay...jumping on a previously scheduled kayak club trip...but we'll get back to Gonzaga soon...or San Ignacio in the spring for the whales
guess I need to look for folks that WANT to go to Baja...and let the others figure it out or not
Vayo con dios mi amigos )(spelling?)

bajabass - 10-26-2009 at 07:37 AM

Great, go with the flow, and ENJOY! I am in La Mision almost every weekend, and there is no place I would rather be. Well, maybe 12-24hrs further south!!

Woooosh - 10-26-2009 at 08:38 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajaguy
Dizzy.....get yourself a SPOT, put your friends on the account and they can track your progress. SPOT can also be used to send an emergency signal and summon help.

I have used it in the US and in Baja and it works great!!!

No hay problema

http://www.findmespot.com/en/


Looks like SPOT has too many crying wolf too soon... FIrst responders call it "Yuppie 911"...

Front page 10/26/09 Union Tribune...

"Emergency beacons a bit too handy, rescuers say

Last month two men and their teenage sons tackled one of the world's most unforgiving summertime hikes: the Grand Canyon's parched and searing Royal Arch Loop.

Along with bedrolls and freeze-dried food, the inexperienced backpackers carried a personal locator beacon just in case.

In the span of three days, the group pushed the panic button three times, mobilizing helicopters for dangerous, lifesaving rescues inside the steep canyon walls.

What was that emergency? The water they had found to quench their thirst "tasted salty." If they had not been toting the device that works like OnStar for hikers, "we would have never attempted this hike," one of them said after the third rescue crew forced them to board their chopper.

The use of such devices is a growing problem facing the men and women who risk their lives when they believe others are in danger of losing theirs.
Technology has made calling for help instantaneous even in the most remote places. Because would-be adventurers can send GPS coordinates to rescuers with the touch of a button, some are exploring terrain they do not have the experience, knowledge or endurance to tackle.

Rescue offlcials are deciding whether to start keeping statistics on the problem, but the incidents have become so frequent that the head of California's Search and Rescue operation has a name for the devices: Yuppie 911.

"Now you can go into the backcountry and take a risk you might not normally have taken," said Matt Scharper, who coordinates a rescue every day in a state with wilderness so rugged even crashed planes can take decades to find. "With the Yuppie 911, you send a message to a satellhe and the government pulls your butt out of something you shouldn't have been in in the first place." From the Sierra Nevada to the Cascades, Rockies and beyond, hikers are arming themselves with increasingly affordable technology intended to get them out of lifethreatening situations.

While daring rescues are one result, very often the beacons go off unintentionally when the button is pushed in someone's backpack, or they are activated unnecessarily, as in the case of a woman who was frightened by a thunderstorm.

'There's controversy over these devices in the first place because it removes the selfsufliciency that's required in the backcountry," Scharper said. "But we are a society of services, and every service you need you can get by calling." The sheriffs office in San Bernardino County, the largest county in the contiguous United States and home to part of the unforgiving Death Valley, hopes to reduce false alarms. So it is studying under what circumstances hikers activate the devices.

"In the past, people who got in trouble self-rescued; they got on their hands and knees and crawled out," said John Amrhein, the county's emergency coordinator. "We saw the increase in non-emergencies with cell phones: people called saying Tm cold and damp. Come get me out.' These take it to another level." Personal locator beacons, which send distress signals to government satellites, became available in the early 1980s, but at a price exceeding $1,200. They have been legal for the public to use since 2003, and in the past year the price has fallen to less than $100 for devices that send alerts to a company, which then calls local law enforcement.

When rescue beacons tempt inexperienced hikers to attempt trails beyond their abilities, that can translate into unnecessary expense and a risk of lives.

Inst year, the beacon for a hiker on the Pacific Crest Trail triggered accidentally in his backpack, sending helicopters scrambling. Recently, a couple from New Brunswick, Canada, activated their beacon when they climbed a steep trail and could not get back down. A helicopter lowered them 200 feet to secure footing.

In September, a hiker from Placer County was panning for gold in New York Canyon when he became dehydrated and used his rescue beacon to call for help.

With darkness setting in on the same day, Mono County sheriff's deputies asked the National Guard for a high-altitude helicopter and a hoist for a treacherous rescue of two beacon-equipped hikers stranded at Convict Iske. The next day they hiked out on foot.

[Edited on 10-26-2009 by Woooosh]

bajalinda - 10-26-2009 at 08:39 AM

Here is an excerpt from our development description that has had positive feedback.

"Baja California Sur is a peaceful and safe state. Drug-related violence has dominated news headlines in recent years, yet Baja Sur lies away from the drug transport routes where most violence takes place. A recent report by CIDA - Índice de Incidencia Delictiva y Violencia 2009 shows Baja Sur with cartel-related deaths of 0 (national State average 5.7) and a Violence Index of 4.7, half the Mexican national average of 10.6 and below that of the United States, whose national Violence Index is 5.62."

Google CIDA - Índice de Incidencia Delictiva y Violencia 2009. The report is in Spanish but summarized above for Baja Sur.

Woooosh - 10-26-2009 at 08:44 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajalinda
Here is an excerpt from our development description that has had positive feedback.

"Baja California Sur is a peaceful and safe state. Drug-related violence has dominated news headlines in recent years, yet Baja Sur lies away from the drug transport routes where most violence takes place. A recent report by CIDA - Índice de Incidencia Delictiva y Violencia 2009 shows Baja Sur with cartel-related deaths of 0 (national State average 5.7) and a Violence Index of 4.7, half the Mexican national average of 10.6 and below that of the United States, whose national Violence Index is 5.62."

Google CIDA - Índice de Incidencia Delictiva y Violencia 2009. The report is in Spanish but summarized above for Baja Sur.


I don't think anyone is comparing Baja Sur to border crime dangers and rates. That's why Baja Sur has it's own marketing commercials. For now they aren't saying "skip Rosarito Beach and head down to the real Baja" , but they soon will...

dizzyspots - 10-26-2009 at 12:54 PM

I have worked as a Paramedic for 30+ years and can relate intimately to the earlier post BUT it is NOT the fault of the beacon or the SPOT...the SPOT comes with fairly clear guidelines on what is a "need for assistance" and what is a "911" emergency. The SPOT device is nearly impossible to activate by mistake...the 911 button is recessed into the case and has to be held down for a 3-count...that being said...2 things come to mind...first is a recent t-shirt siting..."ya cant fix stupid" and an old addage in my field..."Stupidity feeds my family"

Common sense should prevail, but often does not

mike

arrowhead - 10-26-2009 at 02:29 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajalinda
A recent report by CIDA - Índice de Incidencia Delictiva y Violencia 2009 shows Baja Sur with cartel-related deaths of 0 (national State average 5.7) and a Violence Index of 4.7, half the Mexican national average of 10.6 and below that of the United States, whose national Violence Index is 5.62."


You are making the mistake of comparing a specific geographic area (Baja Sur) to the entire US. But Americans don't live in the entire US. They also live in specific geographic areas, and the areas that tourists come from tend to be more affluent. For example, the violent crime index for La Jolla is 2.57; Mira Mesa 1.88; Rancho Bernardo 0.74 and the entire San Diego PD area is 4.40. They are all much lower than Baja Sur, especially when you consider that the San Diego statistics include almost all the area between the I-8 and the border, which has already been ceded to Mexico.
So going from Rancho Bernardo and Baja Sur, the violent crime index is over 6 times greater.

...and then you have to talk about the property crime index. Dios mio.

Bajahowodd - 10-26-2009 at 04:21 PM

Ceded to Mexico? And what of that embarrassing and abominable wall, with its accoutrements?