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shari
Select Nomad
Posts: 13039
Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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Advice for tavellers re:safety precautions
We just spent an agonizing 3 hours trying to find out what happened in an accident just north of Vizcaino...bajaboy told us a car flipped over and we
happened to be waiting for guests to arrive here in the afternoon. So we wanted to check to see if it was them who had an accident...well, nobody
answered at the police station...nobody answered at the hospital but finally when we did get through, no one had been admitted in emergency...we
finally got through to the protecion civil office who told us the person who flipped was a woman named Kristy who was travelling in the company of her
cat and she was OK. So whew, it wasn't our guests, but where are THEY??? It is now 8:30 and we are worried......so once again I would like to stress
the point of please take our phone # or the phone # of someone who you can call in case anything bad happens. I will also now rething my normal
procedures and stress the importance of calling us if our guests get held up...OK yeah, this is baja..mexico time etc...but you must consider us here
waiting for you, thinking the worst when you don't show up...so please folks..think of your hosts and how they worry...please let them know if you are
going to be late...and it is very good practise to call from the road to let us know you are fine and on your way. It was awful for us thinking our
guests had an accident, and these anxieties could be relieved with a simple phone call. This was a lesson for us to get more detailed info from our
guests..maybe a cell # too. So if anyone is waiting for Kristy and her cat, I hear they are in Guerrero Nego dealing with the police.
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Jack Swords
Super Nomad
Posts: 1094
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: Nipomo, CA/La Paz, BCS
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Shari...after more than 100 trips down the peninsula I usually don't pay attention to "safety precautions" postings, but your insight and knowledge is
invaluable. So seeing you as the poster meant it was an important thread. Thank you for your contributions to the board and hospitality to fellow
Nomads.
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DianaT
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Posts: 10020
Registered: 12-17-2004
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You have a very good point. It is very difficult to be the one sitting, wondering, and waiting for someone --- the mind does not paint pretty
pictures. Brings back memories of when my boys were teenagers.
If one of your expected guests is delayed, a simple phone call would work.
Hope your guests arrived???
Diane
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toneart
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4901
Registered: 7-23-2006
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Mood: Skeptical
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Shari, or anyone who knows......What is the best cell phone carrier to use in Baja and where can it be purchased or rented? I have heard that you can
rent a cell phone and that the plan is reasonable, but if traveling, we would have to stop in a border town  to get it.
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toneart
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4901
Registered: 7-23-2006
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Mood: Skeptical
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Just after my last post I noticed a parallel string: cell phone; Moviestar or Telcel. But it doesn't address my questions. Shari, I would like to
know which cellphone service works best in range for your phone number, and where to get it. I travel alone it it would be comforting to know that you
are there. Hopefully it would also work in Mulege. I am going back down between the week of Christmas and New Years. (We'll talk by U2U about
availability at your place for a stop over).
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Bajagypsy
Super Nomad
Posts: 1416
Registered: 8-31-2006
Location: Bahía Asuncion BCS
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Mood: Living the dream
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I'm not sure if this has been answered but I to would like to know which cell phone service works for Asuncion, and if we bought one, and used cards,
if it would still be valid when we weren't there?
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Bob and Susan
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8809
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
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Mood: Full Time Residents
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shari...that's NEVER going to happen
too many variables on the road to your place
and...
WAY to hard for the normal vacationer to contact you at the "hotel"
some people will show up and others won't
you should get a non-refundable deposit
that's just the way it is in your business....
now...
if they were friends i'd get in the truck and drive up tp look for them immediately
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Minnow
Banned
Posts: 1110
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: Lost Wages
Member Is Offline
Mood: Embarrased Harry Reid is a Nevadan
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Bob, it does show the compassion Shari has for people. I don't think it is if the guests show up or not, but why the guest did not show up. No need
to get a cell phone people, just pull into any tienda and by a phone card and make the call. Shari's nerves will love you for it.
Proud husband of a legal immigrant.
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805gregg
Super Nomad
Posts: 1344
Registered: 5-21-2006
Location: Ojai, Ca
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Bob and Susan
shari...that's NEVER going to happen
too many variables on the road to your place
and...
WAY to hard for the normal vacationer to contact you at the "hotel"
some people will show up and others won't
you should get a non-refundable deposit
that's just the way it is in your business....
now...
if they were friends i'd get in the truck and drive up tp look for them immediately |
Thats a good idea that way if they are in an accident and can't stay, you will still get some of their money.
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BCSSurfer
Newbie
Posts: 2
Registered: 10-2-2007
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get an at&t phone with an international plan and choose your country as mexico. telcel is at&t's partner so you basically get telcel service
with your north of the border phone number. My iPhone works great just about everywhere in baja. it evens downloads my email as i drive.
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cbuzzetti
Nomad
Posts: 193
Registered: 5-22-2006
Location: Atascadero, Ca
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Mood: Lookin for a vacation
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I use my ATT/Cingular phone and buy the Mexico plan for $4.95/mo extra.
It does cost $.60/min to use for all charges and works anywhere that the Telcel or Moviestar system is active.
You must have a quad band phone for this to work.
It may not be the cheapest alternative but it does work well.
I am able to get reception up to 10 miles offshore while fishing as long as there is a tower nearby.
I get better reception in Baja than I usually get at home.
Go Figure!!!
BajaBuzz
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Dave
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6005
Registered: 11-5-2002
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I like your style
| Quote: | Originally posted by 805gregg
Thats a good idea that way if they are in an accident and can't stay, you will still get some of their money. |
Are you an attorney? 
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shari
Select Nomad
Posts: 13039
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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I really don't understand Bob & Susan's laughing faces...this is serious and not laughable at all...we were very worried..and whether it's not the
way it's done in this "business" I don't give a pinch of coon caca...the point is that "guests" who are often friends.... or soon to be friends are at
risk driving here and we worry and care about their welfare...not their deposit. We usually have lots of correspondence with our guests before they
come...I have decided for my own piece of mind and their safety to do things a little different now and ask guests to please just call from the
road..there are lots of places to do that from and it's good for guests to know how to do this and can contact us in an emergency too...
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Paulina
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3810
Registered: 8-31-2002
Location: BCN
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| Quote: | Originally posted by BCSSurfer
get an at&t phone with an international plan and choose your country as mexico. telcel is at&t's partner so you basically get telcel service
with your north of the border phone number. My iPhone works great just about everywhere in baja. it evens downloads my email as i drive.
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Sheesh, the highway is dangerous enough with all those black cows hanging out on it, let alone you're downloading your email from behind the steering
wheel as you tootle on down the road ? There are times when being unavailable is a good thing.
?>*)))><
\"Well behaved women rarely make history.\" Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
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Paulina
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3810
Registered: 8-31-2002
Location: BCN
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Shari,
I get what you are saying, and the deposit is not forefront in your concern, rather the safety of your guests/ future friends. Your point with me is
well taken.
There have been times when I was expecting company in Bahia and heard through the grape vine that there was an accident on the road in. I've driven
that road many times looking for my delayed visitor, or the person who fell on bad driving luck, just to give a hand. Someone was missing their
arrival. So, like I said, good on you for making the post.
Ps. I need your phone number.
P<*)))><
edit: need that number for my baja journal!
[Edited on 12-10-2007 by Paulina]
\"Well behaved women rarely make history.\" Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
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DianaT
Select Nomad
Posts: 10020
Registered: 12-17-2004
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toneart and Gypsy
We bought our cell phone at the TelCel store in Bahia Asuncion. It is an inexpensive phone and uses the cards---only pay for time used.
However, after two months, the time runs out, but when you buy a new card you get the unsed time back---Actually, it is not time but money left since
different calls cost different amounts.
The two biggest problems I had was getting the phone registered which has to be done and all the directions were in Spanish -- much I waded through
and understood, but not all of it. However, the lady in the BA TelCel phone who speaks no English helped me get a hold of an English speaking
service rep so I could register the phone.
Also, at the suggestion of another nomad, I looked for the directions in English on the Internet and found them. Before that, we stopped at a big
TelCel office in the Home Depot Center in Ensenada for help as I knew someone there would speak English.
Good luck
Diane
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Dave
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6005
Registered: 11-5-2002
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Dianne, from the menu you can set your phone to English. Scroll through and find the language page.
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DianaT
Select Nomad
Posts: 10020
Registered: 12-17-2004
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Dave
Dianne, from the menu you can set your phone to English. Scroll through and find the language page. |
Yes, I found out how to do that, but I still needed the written directions and found those on the Internet.
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Bajagypsy
Super Nomad
Posts: 1416
Registered: 8-31-2006
Location: Bahía Asuncion BCS
Member Is Offline
Mood: Living the dream
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thanks jdtrotter for that information, I think I'll buy one when we go down next
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motoged
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6481
Registered: 7-31-2006
Location: Kamloops, BC
Member Is Offline
Mood: Gettin' Better
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| Quote: | Originally posted by shari
I really don't understand Bob & Susan's laughing faces...this is serious and not laughable at all...... |
Shari,
Your concerns are well-expressed and appropriate, IMHO. Perhaps your spirit of hosting is represented here...as is perhaps that of the those who laugh
at the issue.
Ged
Don't believe everything you think....
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