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lesliego
Junior Nomad
Posts: 30
Registered: 4-30-2009
Member Is Offline
Mood: tired of rain
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kinda like the list, but not as long...
text
Hi there,
I have been following your site for the last couple of days, you guys seem like a great group! I have a few newbie-type questions, if you would
indulge me (I promise not to talk about how scary "the flu" is).
I'm going to be traveling alone (I'm a woman) to Baja. I speak pretty good Spanish and understand the culture and food. What I don't know is the
basics about traveling around in Mexico. So here's the big four:
1. What is the best way to carry around money? I don't have access to a debit card, cash and traveler's checks are all I have...
2. Sleeping/showering - I have read a lot about hostels, they sound inexpensive and for the most part like the best deal. I don't need TV, Wifi
etc... so, is that my best answer, or is sleeping out in a bag at a campground better, or?
3. Travel by bus? I want to travel all the way down to La Paz to check things out, should I take a bus, hitchike? Any clues? Everything I have read
suggests splitting my trip up so I'm off the road before dark. Can I do that by bus
4. So far it looks like tp, unscented wipes, sunscreen and tea-tree oil will be on my must have list, anything else?
Thanks all
Leslie
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
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If you don't have a debit card, travelers checks would be the most safe way although they're kind of obsolete and you may not be able to use them
everywhere.
If you sleep out in a bag, be sure you're in a safe location such as a campground.
DON"T hitch-hike. Take the bus or ride with new friends you can trust.
Don't leave home without that Tea Tree Oil. [what is that stuff ]
Have a good trip, Leslie and welcome to BajaNomad.
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TacoFeliz
Nomad
Posts: 268
Registered: 7-22-2005
Location: Here
Member Is Offline
Mood: Exploratory
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Hat. Don't forget a hat.
Have a great trip!
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lesliego
Junior Nomad
Posts: 30
Registered: 4-30-2009
Member Is Offline
Mood: tired of rain
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Hey you guys, thanks for the responses! I am so looking forward to coming to baja!
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Bob H
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5867
Registered: 8-19-2003
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
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Tea-tree oil..... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_tree_oil
Learn something new every day...
You must be on a tight budget, eh?
Take the bus. Do not hitchhike.
Bob H
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lesliego
Junior Nomad
Posts: 30
Registered: 4-30-2009
Member Is Offline
Mood: tired of rain
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Except, no turtles, right? And try not to kill any sharks unless I am going to use up all of it? Lol
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lesliego
Junior Nomad
Posts: 30
Registered: 4-30-2009
Member Is Offline
Mood: tired of rain
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Hey guys, WHICH bus? I mean I am assuming there is more than one?
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shari
Select Nomad
Posts: 13050
Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
Member Is Offline
Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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A big hearty welcome to nomadlandia Leslie. Good luck on your trip...wear your cash and only keep some in your wallet...buses are great and you can
take them overnight if ya want and sleep on them to save hotel rooms too. There are some hostels and you can shower at campgrounds too and there are
some very cheap hotels too...cheaper than hostels sometimes...ask for hoteles economicas.
There are some really cool cabanas at Playa Naranja...on the beach for 150 pesos...you can hitch into there...it is best to go to the Pemex stations
and talk to the gas jockeys and they will help find you a good ride..for example in Mulege to get to the beaches..all ya need is a blanket and hammock
and mosquito repellent.
San Ignacio is gorgeous and has nice campgrounds on the river...Sta.Rosalia is interesting and the Blanco y Negro hotel is super cheap..ask a cop
where it is.
Just use common sense and listen to your inner voice...if something feels wrong...dont do it. Have a blast...travelling alone, you will probably meet
lots of nice mexican families who might invite you home.
Let us know how it works out for ya...
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lesliego
Junior Nomad
Posts: 30
Registered: 4-30-2009
Member Is Offline
Mood: tired of rain
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The budget thing is more about coming back with the money I have left and staying...
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toneart
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4901
Registered: 7-23-2006
Member Is Offline
Mood: Skeptical
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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.
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Bob H
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5867
Registered: 8-19-2003
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
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Bus.... ABC bus.... Bob H
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lesliego
Junior Nomad
Posts: 30
Registered: 4-30-2009
Member Is Offline
Mood: tired of rain
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I'm newly liberated, 40ish and yes, I still remember the days growing up in the SF bay Area when hitching a ride was easy and safe. I'm coming down
now, next week and would love to find a Nomad, (or six) to hook up with. I do feel better having checked this board and am grateful to all of you for
your feedback. Would love to know what I should know about the weather.
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shari
Select Nomad
Posts: 13050
Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
Member Is Offline
Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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leslie...up in the right corner of this page is a U2U icon for private messages...under the log in...check it for a new message.
Do try to meet nomads...it has been a great experience for me...bajagringo is a great contact in San Quentin, and try bajame in san ignacio...you can
U2U these folks...maybe some others will chime in here from La Paz who you can hang with.
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BajaBruno
Super Nomad
Posts: 1035
Registered: 9-6-2006
Location: Back in CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Happy
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As Bob H says, ABC buses are nice. The one-way price from Tijuana to La Paz is about 1,700 pesos for Plus service. Their site: http://mr.mardecortez.net:8124/
Christopher Bruno, Elk Grove, CA.
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lesliego
Junior Nomad
Posts: 30
Registered: 4-30-2009
Member Is Offline
Mood: tired of rain
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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 ;
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24baja
Senior Nomad
Posts: 952
Registered: 2-3-2009
Location: Grants Pass Oregon/Bahia de Los Angeles
Member Is Offline
Mood: Wishing we were in BOLA
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Hey leslie, welcome to the board! To be on the safe side I wear a double material sports bra and have a hole clipped under the arm areas where I can
slide our money into, less detectable in that spot.
Have a safe journey and please do not accept rides from people you do not know and be off the roads at dark. Lots of luck and enjoy the beauty and
the majic of Baja we have all come to love, Connie
[Edited on 5-1-2009 by 24baja]
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Fred
Senior Nomad
Posts: 500
Registered: 3-15-2007
Location: Las Vegas
Member Is Offline
Mood: Laid Back
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You speak spanish and that will be a big help. Think postive and don't do anything you would in the states and you will have a great trip. Baja is
very stress free. So just get laidback and have fun.
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rhintransit
Super Nomad
Posts: 1588
Registered: 9-4-2006
Location: Loreto
Member Is Offline
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1. if your only alternatives are cash and travelers checks, wear a money belt or such and carry both, cashing checks for small bills as needed.
2. hostels are few and far between but fine when you find them (La Paz area). good places to meet others in your travel budget/mindset. camping out
okay IF you stick to areas with other campers. most beaches have no facilities at all, it's bushes and solar showers. if you sleep out in a bag,
remember to check for scorpions and other pests, and wear bug repellant. you'll want some sort of pad as the ground can be hard and you aren't going
to find grassy sleep areas. most people are unpleasantly surprised by the cost of hotels/motels, do look for them when you've had enough of baby
wipes but expect to pay 25-30 bucks and upwards for not much. that said, you can pay a lot more, again for not much value. look at rooms before you
pay.
3. never hitchhike. ever. period. buses...ABC or Aquilar. the former tends to be more 'del paso', fewer stops, but both are comparable, though
the latter is frequently a bit cheaper. they'll let you out anywhere, so stopping/breaking up the journey is not an issue. no refunds, though, so
buy a ticket only as far as you expect to go.
4. you've got the basics. if you are an adaptable budget traveller, there's not much you can't find locally if you forget something. I always
bring decent tea bags, contact lens solution for gas permeable lenses, polarized sunglasses haven't a clue what tea tree oil is so I can assure you
it isn't essential
I have travelled for many years in Mexico as a single female and feel safer here than in the USA. trust your gut, don't be stupid, and enjoy.
reality\'s never been of much use out here...
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Fred
So just get laidback and have fun. |
I had to read that twice. 
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BajaGringo
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3922
Registered: 8-24-2006
Location: La Chorera
Member Is Offline
Mood: Let's have a BBQ!
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You and me both brother. In fact I still am not quite sure...
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