I have a niece who is an adventurous traveling folk singer.
She's considering driving by herself from SF to Cabo, hoping to pick up some singing gigs along the way.
I think:
(a) She's unlikely to pick up any paying singing gigs and
(b) She may be taking a risk driving through Baja to Cabo by herself.
As I've never done the drive, I value the input of the forum.David K - 11-22-2018 at 02:41 PM
Tourists cannot work in Mexico.
It is as safe as driving anywhere in the U.S. if not safer.
If this is her first time driving in Baja, she should read all the recent advice posts here for other newbies.willardguy - 11-22-2018 at 02:52 PM
sounds like an adventure!bajaguy - 11-22-2018 at 03:00 PM
Driving is not a problem as long as she has Mexican insurance and an FMM
"Working" as a tourist is highly frowned upon by Immigration and Taxationsancho - 11-22-2018 at 03:07 PM
Sure the Tourists can't do lucrative activities in Mex
is true as stated in Immigration regs, but quite sure it happens.
Don't know what the temperament of Imm Officials
would be though, ranging from mild to not so mild BornFisher - 11-22-2018 at 03:37 PM
Lots of traveling troubadours down Baja way. Most gigs are pass the sombrero!!surfhat - 11-22-2018 at 03:41 PM
Make sure she has a vehicle with a truck suspension and 10ply truck tires that can handle the potholes and all that the roadway has to offer, along
with a good spare or two.
Two, so you have a spare for the spare. I learned thug the hard way in the 80's. One spare is not enough. Some cans of fix a flat are a handy quick
fix to get you going enough to make it to the next town.
As if it needs to be stated, avoid driving at night. Whats the rush? Why miss out on the beautiful landscape views.
Happy and safe travels. bajaguy - 11-22-2018 at 03:41 PM
Make sure she has a vehicle with a truck suspension and 10ply truck tires that can handle the potholes and all that the roadway has to offer, along
with a good spare or two.
Two, so you have a spare for the spare. I learned thug the hard way in the 80's. One spare is not enough. Some cans of fix a flat are a handy quick
fix to get you going enough to make it to the next town.
As if it needs to be stated, avoid driving at night. Whats the rush? Why miss out on the beautiful landscape views.
Happy and safe travels.
2 spares is way over kill for driving down hwy 1. Stop scaring the guy. There is a tire shop every 50 miles; locals probably don't even carry 1
spare.
And the comment about the truck suspension is even more ridiculous.
[Edited on 11-22-2018 by JZ]willardguy - 11-22-2018 at 03:51 PM
open mic nights are common......she won't get rich but a good way to meet folks in the biznorte - 11-22-2018 at 05:25 PM
Even though some think it is safer than the USA, there are miles of very narrow road with no tow trucks or police around. David K - 11-22-2018 at 05:52 PM
My "safe" comment was in regards to crime and not anything implyed to driver's ability to deal with highway conditions. I did refer the OP to see the
other recent threads on driving down the peninsula.4x4abc - 11-22-2018 at 09:53 PM
I would say - just go and sing.
The best adventures happen that way.
Any car, any tire will do.
10 ply tires are for bad drivers.
by the way, since the discovery of steel belted tires, tires with more than 3 plies are raremtgoat666 - 11-22-2018 at 10:53 PM
Make sure she has a vehicle with a truck suspension and 10ply truck tires that can handle the potholes and all that the roadway has to offer, along
with a good spare or two.
Two, so you have a spare for the spare. I learned thug the hard way in the 80's. One spare is not enough. Some cans of fix a flat are a handy quick
fix to get you going enough to make it to the next town.
As if it needs to be stated, avoid driving at night. Whats the rush? Why miss out on the beautiful landscape views.
Happy and safe travels.
You are ridiculous!
Most Mexicans are driving Small passengers cars with those small donut spare tires.
Only really stupid gringos think you need a 2-ton truck to go to the grocery store!BajaBlanca - 11-24-2018 at 07:39 AM
In my humble opinion, I think the niece should have a relatively newish car with excellent tires.
Being that it is illegal to work while one is a tourist, sing for the fun of it and not for the moolah!
I think some of the local kids here in our tiny village of 1500 people, would really enjoy meeting her and perhaps learning/teaching some guitar
songs...I would be happy to be the intermediary and set connections up! How old is she? That is a good question.mtgoat666 - 11-24-2018 at 08:23 AM
Most members of this site live in fear of the Mexican cartel, but nobody seems to see any danger of a young girl, possibly a gringo girl, traveling
alone from San Francisco to Cabo. Personally, I think Mexico/Baja, are pretty safe, but even I think this is a bad idea.
I don’t think most nomads are afaraid of the cartels. I think they are afraid of criminals, and rightly so as they are present in baja, like
criminals are present everywhere — the world is full of meth, and meth-head criminals are unpredictable and violent, same as everywhere, whether
Sioux Falls South Dakota, Guerrero Negro BCS, or Newport Beach CA
I think women can travel alone,safely, just like men can travel alone safely, just need to use common sense.
Re cartels, all nomads should watch Narcos Mexico on Netflix. It’s a dramatization of the story of the Guadalajara Cartel in the 1980s.JoeJustJoe - 11-24-2018 at 09:56 AM
Maybe I should rephrase my statements. American ex-pats, here, are overly concerned about homicides, robberies, and skakedowns, against other
Americans, but not so much if they happen to Mexican Nationals.
I'm just surprised not one person except the OP, wondered if this is even a good idea for a young female American to travel alone by car to the end of
Baja peninsula, looking for gigs.
I don't mean to be sexist, but I have a daughter, and I would think it would be a stupid move for a young girl to travel that distance alone. Young
girls, are usually not losers, and have friends, so just take someone with you.
The other thing I wonder since it has been years that I have drove all the way down to Cabo( I take commercial airlines now) Are there even a lot of
honky-tonk, type bars along the route where she could play American folk songs without the locals throwing things at her?
If so I see nothing wrong with her working nightly gigs at different bars, under the table and being paid in cash.
Somehow I doubt the OP will answer BajaBlanca, question.
