Lee
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Registered: 10-2-2006
Location: High in the Colorado Rockies
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Trip Report: Calexico W. > Todos, Pt. 1
Crossed 1/31 Sunday 9am, 1 car in front of me. Green light, stopped at migracion bldg. on left, got lost finding 5. Stayed Sandollar in San
Felipe (thanks JZ). Told 1/2 checkpoints where I was going and waved through, other 1/2 South including SI were not manned. Zero traffic going S.
Terrasal in GN had 5 guests. Desk guy said GN was not doing OK, a gringo guest told me the hospital was full.
Saw a billboard that read: masks are mandatory in BCS. Loreto has a smattering of gringoes walking around without masks. All MX were masked.
Drying my dog off from the water at N. end of malecon, police stopped and told me to mask up. Yesterday, I was further down the beach walking back
to car and saw police talking with a gringa who had a dog on the beach. She said the police said the beach was closed due to virus. See MX
walking the beach through out the day so rules might apply to gringoes only. Don't know.
Loreto seems empty, otherwise, no gringos. Cafe Ole usually has people eating inside at tables, line for the counter, outside tables with groups of
ex-pats, now empty. Tables removed and spread out. Local market, cafes, have shallow trays filled with liquid to step in, towel on ground to wipe
shoes, local market taking temps before entering. Restaurants have dine-in, take out.
Guardia Nacional cars everywhere. In towns, on highway, in trucks. Easy to spot. Proceeding with caution next week to Todos and driving the
speed limit.
Cloudy since El Centro, Loreto sunny, breezy, about 75F.
Staying at Stephen's Cocos Cabanas and place is empty.
If I didn't need to be in Todos for business, I wouldn't be down here.
US Marines: providing enemies of America an opportunity to die for their country since 1775.
What I say before any important decision.
F*ck it.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64852
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Thanks for the report.
On the Mexicali southbound problem, where the signs pointing for San Felipe missing or pointing the wrong way after you crossed?
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Lee
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Location: High in the Colorado Rockies
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Quote: Originally posted by David K  | Thanks for the report.
On the Mexicali southbound problem, where the signs pointing for San Felipe missing or pointing the wrong way after you crossed?
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First time crossing there and thought there’d be lots of signs. Might have missed a sign or two. Possible I wasn’t lost. Even with
Carplay maps on, thought I was lost. Thought it would be a straight shot but wasn’t.
Returning that way and have concerns. Also thinking using the East crossing. Discover Baja looks like a map I could use.
Suggestions on either crossing?
US Marines: providing enemies of America an opportunity to die for their country since 1775.
What I say before any important decision.
F*ck it.
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David K
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Posts: 64852
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Ya, go to Tecate! 
(just get to the the gate before 2pm)!!
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Lee
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4 hrs SF to Tecate and another 1-2 hrs wait doesn’t make sense. I’ll take my chances in Mexicali. Thx.
US Marines: providing enemies of America an opportunity to die for their country since 1775.
What I say before any important decision.
F*ck it.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64852
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Hmmm... if that is what you think, ok.
I do the San Felipe-Tecate run in 3 hours easily and the border wait, midweek is 0-10 minutes... in NORMAL times. Who can predict it now?
I do not like driving 5-10 miles across a city, either... Tecate is a dream compared to Mexicali or Tijuana.
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RnR
Senior Nomad
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Have used the Discover Baja map and photo directions to Mexicali East northbound the last two crossings. They are current and 'spot on'.
First time the border wait was about 20 minutes. The last time (Dec 2020), there were two cars ahead of us. Both times, we arrived at the crossing
at about 11:00 am.
Have not tried Mexicali West so I can not compare the two.
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 18380
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Hot n spicy
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The horror! The horror!
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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AKgringo
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Location: Anchorage, AK (no mas!)
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| Quote: Originally posted by RnR |
Have used the Discover Baja map and photo directions to Mexicali East northbound the last two crossings. They are current and 'spot on'.
First time the border wait was about 20 minutes. The last time (Dec 2020), there were two cars ahead of us. Both times, we arrived at the crossing
at about 11:00 am.
Have not tried Mexicali West so I can not compare the two. |
I crossed northbound at the west entry twice in 2020. In March it was slow, but pretty straight forward to figure out where to go. In November it
was a clusterf... following detours to a completely different route!
It was about two hours and lots of annoyed drivers to get to the front. Unless the reason for all the detours has been corrected, I would try the
east crossing, even though I have never used it going north before.
Lee, if you are headed back to Colorado, Tecate would be extra miles out of the way, but San Luis could work out for you, and is an interesting change
from Mexicali.
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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Lexusallterrain
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| Quote: Originally posted by David K | Hmmm... if that is what you think, ok.
I do the San Felipe-Tecate run in 3 hours easily and the border wait, midweek is 0-10 minutes... in NORMAL times. Who can predict it now?
I do not like driving 5-10 miles across a city, either... Tecate is a dream compared to Mexicali or Tijuana. |
I like crossing on Tijuana, usually if I cross after 10:00 am during the week it is a 1 to 2 hours. so i purchase churros or cocos with red powder
while waiting.
I usually cross at Tijuana stay on left get border hwy hit Playas de Tijuana and then to Rosarito last exit. Then to Las Rocas Resort and enjoy the
views....Oh! i am dreaming maybe i should go Monday...
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64852
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: Originally posted by Lexusallterrain | | Quote: Originally posted by David K | Hmmm... if that is what you think, ok.
I do the San Felipe-Tecate run in 3 hours easily and the border wait, midweek is 0-10 minutes... in NORMAL times. Who can predict it now?
I do not like driving 5-10 miles across a city, either... Tecate is a dream compared to Mexicali or Tijuana. |
I like crossing on Tijuana, usually if I cross after 10:00 am during the week it is a 1 to 2 hours. so i purchase churros or cocos with red powder
while waiting.
I usually cross at Tijuana stay on left get border hwy hit Playas de Tijuana and then to Rosarito last exit. Then to Las Rocas Resort and enjoy the
views....Oh! i am dreaming maybe i should go Monday...
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Southbound, I agree with you, Tijuana is easy... I was speaking of northbound. Very little, like none, city traffic since you get right onto the
border wall road heading west to the toll road, instantly now.
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Lee
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3508
Registered: 10-2-2006
Location: High in the Colorado Rockies
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I've figured out how to drive Mexicali E. Between Discover Baja and Google Earth, I've memorized street names (generally useless for me) and more
importantly, landmarks. Costco, Garita II sign, etc.
Don't see a problem. Tecate is out of the way as I plan on staying in El Centro. To me, Tecate is the lesser of 2 evils: San Ysidro and
Mexical W. Luck of the draw, I've always had long waits at Tecate. Mid-week, mid-morning, early Sunday, usually 2 hours. So, I'll see and
report back.
US Marines: providing enemies of America an opportunity to die for their country since 1775.
What I say before any important decision.
F*ck it.
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El Jefe
Super Nomad
Posts: 1027
Registered: 10-27-2003
Location: South East Cape
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When we drove up mid November we spent a night in San Felipe and crossed at Tecate at about 10:30 AM. I thought they might have closed the crossing as
there were no cars in line. Got to the gate and there was one motorcycle ahead of me. Best crossing in my life!
Luck of the draw indeed!
No b-tchin\' in the Baja.
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