Whale-ista
Super Nomad
Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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Conversations on the road 2: military check points (southbound)
Traveling on a Friday from Ensenada to GN.
First checkpoint: (wave) Passale
Second checkpoint (north of El Rosario): (wave) Passale
Third checkpoint (Jesus Maria?) (holds up hands)
Officer in charge: A donde viene?
Me: Ensenada.
Him: (looks at truck) Y tu esposo?
Me: No esta.
Him: (Smiling) Mi amigo es solo (points to colleague).
Me: (laughing) Gracias, pero el es muy joven, y soy vieja.
Him: Pero estas sola!
Me: No, tengo mi pero, y viajando a ver familia y amigos al sur.
Him: (looks in camper on truck) Y el camper, es tu papa?
Me: (still smiling) No... es mio.
Him: (looking confused) Tuya?
Me: Si, mio...
Him: (giving up) ....passale
Me: Gracias! Adios!
(To be fair, I get similar questions from mechanics in San Diego...)
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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chavycha
Nomad
Posts: 373
Registered: 1-20-2014
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Heh! We've had nothing but pleasant experiences and conversations with the guys manning the checkpoints the past couple of years.
A few weeks ago, south of San Felipe where the road goes to crap, there's a lonely outpost on the one-lane track. We passed through at about 6pm.
Him: "Are those your dogs?"
Me: "Yes."
Him: "Are they gifts?"
Me: "Huh? Gifts?"
Him (to colleague): "How do you say in English, regalos?"
Me: "Huh? Gifts???"
Him: "Huh?"
Me: "Huh?"
Him: "Can I have the dog? The big one?"
Me: "You don't want him."
Him: "Oh? Why not? Does he bite?"
Me: "No. But he's realllllllly stupid."
Him: "We all say that about members of our families."
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dtbushpilot
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3288
Registered: 1-11-2007
Location: Buena Vista BCS
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Mood: Tranquilo
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In years past I would try to say as little as possible but I try to chat them up a little these days. They seem to appreciate my attempt at Spanish
and usually get a good laugh at my expense.
Him: Tienes drogas o armas de fuego?
Me: No necesito armas de fuego, tengo manos de piedra.
Him: Hahahahahahaha....pasale.
"Life is tough".....It's even tougher if you're stupid.....
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sancho
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2524
Registered: 10-6-2004
Location: OC So Cal
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15 yrs. back, the checkpoint 20 mi. no. of San Felipe,
before the current bldg., the Military guys had NOTHING
to sleep in, or over them,
their sleeping quarters was under a blue plastic tarp
strung up between Octillos, the checkpoint guy really
wanted my sleeping bag, it was Jan. or so, I imagine
it gets cold at nite. Another time coming back to Cabo
on the ferry that used to run to Vallarta, a guy, Military
or otherwise, was looking thru the camper, he asked me
if I had any Cafe, I said yes, naturally I thought he was asking
about Coffee, after a few tense moments, I convinced
him I didn't have any COCAINE (cafe)
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
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Our experience has mostly been that the only Southbound checkpoint that doesn't just wave you through is the one outside of San Ignacio.
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EnsenadaDr
Banned
Posts: 5027
Registered: 9-12-2011
Location: Baja California
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Mood: Move on. It is just a chapter in the past, but don't close the book- just turn the page
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God forbid you are a woman traveling alone and own your own car and aren't married. Then they really think you are a crazy gringa!!
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
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Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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Military checkpoints
I always make it a habit to address the military by rank at the checkpoints. It not only shows respect but breaks the ice.
When approached by a soldier or marine at the checkpoint my first response is:
a sus órdenes = at your orders
Then add the rank:
Private = Soldado (no insignia on hat)
Corporal = Cabo (one black horizontal bar on hat)
Second Sergeant = Sargento Segundo (two horizontal black bars on hat)
Usually the person in charge of a checkpoint is a senior non-commissioned officer, a First Sergeant (Sargento Primero - three horizobtal black bars on
hat) or a junior commissioned officer, either a Sub-Lieutenant ( Subteniente - one vertical gold bar on hat) or a Lieutenant (Teniente - two vertical
gold bars on hat)
That is your Mexican military lesson for today.......and Bob's your uncle
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MulegeAL
Nomad
Posts: 298
Registered: 8-25-2009
Location: PDX/Mulege
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I ask them if "wheelie" is OK.
Si!
Then I ask them pico, medio, or GRANDE wheelie.
It's always "Grande wheelie!"
At that point I consider that I am under orders from the mex militar to wheelie out of the drug and weapons checkpoint, and I do my best to comply.
Every time.
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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Mood: Optimistic
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Army Checkpoints
I have a compulsion to paint...things.
For a few years, I drove my camo-painted Surburban down the Baja Road and would stop at the first Army checkpoint.
Officer in charge, "Senor, that color is reserved for the Mexican Army."
I said, "Sure, no problemo..where do I go to join?"
After a good laugh, all the soldiers wanted to stand next to the Duk Truk for a photo with my 'retrievers'. Always a good way to break the ice in
those forlorn places.
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64755
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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The Hwy. 5 military checkpoint is just over 30 miles north of San Felipe traffic circle... just south of the Hwy. 3 junction...
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DavidE
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3814
Registered: 12-1-2003
Location: Baja California México
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Mood: 'At home we demand facts and get them. In Mexico one subsists on rumor and never demands anything.' Charles Flandrau,
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For years my quip was
No tengo armas
Drogas
Explosivos
Ni Osama Bin Laden
Very few times that did not bring grins.
A Lot To See And A Lot To Do
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
The Hwy. 5 military checkpoint is just over 30 miles north of San Felipe traffic circle... just south of the Hwy. 3 junction...
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And?
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64755
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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And what? It is a map with the road mileage north of San Felipe to the Hwy. 3 junction (the checkpoint is between that and 'Crucero la Trinidad').
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DocRey
Nomad
Posts: 180
Registered: 2-27-2013
Location: SADM, Playas de T.J./Rancho Cucamonga, CA
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Mood: Cautiously Optimistic
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DK, I for one appreciate your " pearls of wisdom, for my necklace of knowledge ".
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sancho
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2524
Registered: 10-6-2004
Location: OC So Cal
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Back in the day, the Checkpoint so. of Ensenada, the
Army guy going thru the glovecompartment, pulls out
this glue plunger, that was used to patch an inflatable I
had for fishing. If one had a VIVID imagination, like this
guy did, he, if only for a few seconds, turned to me
as if it was some sort of needle, as in hyperdermic,
scrambling thru my Spanish to come up with some word
resembling glue, I think I came up with cement, which
satisified him
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watizname
Senior Nomad
Posts: 772
Registered: 8-7-2009
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A few years back I was living in Arizona, and my front license plate said "No Sniveling." After dealing with the checkpoint, one soldier was pointing
to the front of my truck and trying really really hard to pronounce the two words. He kept saying something, and I just couldn't, for the life of me
figure out what he was asking. It took about five times of him asking and pronouncing it different ways and finally pointing to the plate before I
got what he was asking. Try explaining that phrase in spanglish.
I always get out with "No drogas, no armas, no papas, no dinero." 
I yam what I yam and that\'s all what I yam.
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EnsenadaDr
Banned
Posts: 5027
Registered: 9-12-2011
Location: Baja California
Member Is Offline
Mood: Move on. It is just a chapter in the past, but don't close the book- just turn the page
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usually they ask where you came from, "De Donde Viene?"
and where are you going? "A Donde se dirige?"
I never got as far as no drugs no guns but then again I don't drive a huge truck or motor home.
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treuboff
Nomad
Posts: 127
Registered: 8-27-2013
Location: prescott az
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They have the first question then I take over. ¿Quieres guantes (do you want gloves?) Quieres soda? Quieres gafas del sol? Asking questions halt
inspection also comes to a halt. They are happy and I am happy and on my way. The One at Gonzaga gets the same but since they are in BFE they get
balls and bats or soccer balls and always the same results.
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