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Baja- San Quintin, San Carlos, La Ventana
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elenna



Joined: 30 Apr 1998
Posts: 97

PostPosted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 12:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, the story may be true, however, the probability of it happening to you is still the same--minuscule. It's too bad it's only the horrible stories that grab big attention and the media brings it home to the masses at a personal level.

It always pays to keep an eye out for trouble and avoid it when possible, but to let something like that influence a decision to visit one of the best wave sailing spots in the world, allows fear to drive your decisions and will kill the joy of exploring new spots and meeting tremendous people.

I admit, my first trip to Baja was infused with a sense of worry. I had read the web stories and partially bought into them and took extraordinary precautions to mitigate the risks. I rented a car for Baja, signed up for evacuation insurance, was constantly evaluating my surroundings etc. In the end, the car I rented had a blew out a tire and the spare didn't fit caused a huge hassle in TJ. If I needed evacuation, I would have had to drive to Ensenda (3 hours), then be flown out. It's actually faster to evac people to San Quintin if the problem is serious or just go for the border. And, I was seeing banditos at every turn on the way down. This raises the level of anxiety to point that can spoil a trip. Luckily, the blow out happened on the way back, trip was incident free, and we had a great time. I just dealt with it, vowed to take my own car, and be less afraid. All that effort spent preparing for the worst would have been better spent investing in our comfort at the point. We were serious under equipped for the wind and conditions. We had to serious ration the booze, ate dust for 8 days, and spent a couple of nights in the dark due to lack of propane. Now those are serious problems.

First Trip Camp.





When you look at the probability of violence happening to you in the US, I can cite many personal examples of violence that has happened to my friends and myself in San Francisco, and compare that to what is happening in Baja. I feel safer in Mexico. [img][/img]



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elenna



Joined: 30 Apr 1998
Posts: 97

PostPosted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 12:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The next year's camp. Note the wind blocks attached to the canopies.
[img][/img]
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elenna



Joined: 30 Apr 1998
Posts: 97

PostPosted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 12:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Let's try that again.
[img][/img]



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elenna



Joined: 30 Apr 1998
Posts: 97

PostPosted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 12:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

An average windsurfer throwing hero moves
[img][/img]



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craigsh



Joined: 16 May 2001
Posts: 42

PostPosted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 1:00 pm    Post subject: Mexico traveling Reply with quote

I know those guys that were robbed over Labor Day weekend and it was true.

Main thing is: Don't travel in Mexico at night if you can help it! The fake cop ploy only works at night. it's also safer in general for driving on those mountain roads. As with traveling anywhere in the world, you are more likely to get hurt or killed in car accidents then by anything else.

Best thing to do when going down there is to time your trip to hit the border at dawn. You can still get to San Carlos in time to set up camp and possibly get a session in before sunset.
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gerritt



Joined: 06 May 1998
Posts: 632
Location: Redwood City, CA

PostPosted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 1:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I agree. I do criminal defense work in the good ol' US of A (CA Bay Area) and can tell you the stuff described in the post that happened to the surfers, happens here too. You can be eating a hamburger at Nation's Restaurant one minute and in the middle of a take over robbery (ala Pulp Fiction) the next. Also a true story. LA area - even worse. Look what happened to Bill Cosby's kid, who stopped to change a tire on the 405.

If you want to travel to Baja without worry, contact Solo Sports. If you want to go yourself, get your buddies and caravan. Travel during the day.

The biggest worry are the drunk drivers. We had more than one encounter with wrong way drivers veering into our lane on the way down. I always love the shock and dismay when I explain to Mexican nationals now in custody in the US for drunk driving that it is illegal to drive here when drunk.
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windanseaphoto



Joined: 02 Nov 2015
Posts: 11

PostPosted: Sat Sep 15, 2007 1:24 am    Post subject: The official I got____ ripped off at baja 250 thread Reply with quote

http://www.race-dezert.com/forum/showthread.php?s=051e02f6f44290811818d31985f013eb&t=27439

"Team Uptite Racing had their sprinter van either broken into or the whole thing stolen 1 block from San Nicolas on Thursday. My friend Ed Teixeira had his pre-runner quad stolen from the same location on Friday - the cable was cut in half. We saw 2 trucks on the main road near Cazamar restaraunt with their rear windows busted out and everything stolen. We took taxis everywhere this time and left our trucks parked at our hotel. It makes me sick."

"Some one tried to steal our F250,camper and trailer at the cassitas. Luckily our starter bolts had fallen off on the way down and the starter wouldn't engage. They punched the door lock and the ignition. They also tried to steal the GMC parked behind us. My Toyota Tundra was parked right by them full of stuff and they didn't touch it."

"Our team driver paul went in to shower after the race to come out and find everything missing from his f250. he said the dome light was still on so he must have scared them off. door lock punched out and steering column a mess. location was the villa marina hotel just out side the parking lot.
sat night the was a genarator stolen in villa marina parking lot and a gps stolen from a pre runner. and the list goes on. "

"...after he left like about 10 minutes later the truck was gone. The truck was right in front of the room. I was in the truck like maybe 100 yards away and i saw the truck take off but i didn't see who was in it so i didnt worry then they went to go get something and the truck was gone."

"Seems like teams need to get together and hire a couple of security guards on 24 hour shifts to watch their chase trucks/race trucks/trailers and haulers when parked in front of hotels. "

"The story is about my husband and the team members. They stayed at Papa Quayos (next to the Coral) for this last race. On Thursday night they went to bed, locking the doors as anyone would. Someone used a KEY and came into the house through the front door. This man went into the room my husband was sleeping in and took his wallet, cell phone, passport and money bag from the nightstand next to his head. Scary. This same person proceeded down the hall next to the second bedroom in the house and took a wallet and watch from the nightstand (next to a sleeping man) in that room too.

"Last year our kids were at the 500 with us. From our room at Papa Quayos a Playstation, the games, perfume and clothing were taken. The year before, at Papa Quayos, one of our team mates had a wallet and wedding ring taken from his nightstand while sleeping. We thought that the PSll issue was the maid. We must be slow learners or just trusting people.

This last trip was the final straw. This event could have been fatal- really. What if one of the guys had awaken during this whole thing?

I am the wife and Mom. The kids and I will not go back to Ensenada, the town is dirty and the crime rate is incredibly out of control. "

"We returned from a long day in the desert and parked our Suburban with enclosed race trailer (incl. car) in between Hospital velmar and Las Dunas hotel. Went to get a bite to eat, returned at 11:15 and it was all gone..."

"On the main highway in front of the Villa Marina there was an F-150 broken into through the rear passenger side window. "

"This thread is the exact reason we are not going to race the Baja 500 this year. We were planning on it, but after the Riviera Mark Post fiasco with the police and everyone getting ripped off, it is not worth it for us to go down there. I really enjoyed Mexico, but is just not worth the risk right now until things get cleaned up down there."

"A few years ago, we were racing the 500, while pre-running, my brother was shot. Yes, shot by 3 locals wanting my brother and mom to stop so they could rob them. My brother chose not to stop because he had our mom in the car and did not want any harm to come to her. They fired 3 shots into the car, luckily, his was "only" hit in the leg."
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noshuzbluz



Joined: 18 May 2000
Posts: 791

PostPosted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 10:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I went to San Carlos 10 years ago with Solo Sports. It was pretty wild. Kevin, the owner was in tight with the federales. They came into camp the first few days and partied with us. We were pretty uncomfortable with them at first because they had a M16 in one hand and a Pacifico beer in the other. Shocked They finally put all their guns in one of the Humvees and had one of them guard it. They let me and Kevin drive one of their Humvees up and down beach/cliff. We got some pretty funny stares from the people camped out! The Lieutenant (the head guy) let me wear his jacket and hat and get my picture taken in the Humvee. I sheeot you not!! It was pretty wild doing shots of tequila with Lieutenant one night. Once we both started getting drunk, it didn’t matter we could hardly understand one another. He kept saying “Yer my amigo” and I’m thinkin’ Buddy, I’ll be anything but your lover, you got the guns! Embarassed
Pretty Freeekin Wild!!! Very Happy

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capetonian



Joined: 11 Aug 2006
Posts: 1196
Location: Florida

PostPosted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 1:15 pm    Post subject: Re: The official I got____ ripped off at baja 250 thread Reply with quote

windanseaphoto wrote:
http://www.race-dezert.com/forum/showthread.php?s=051e02f6f44290811818d31985f013eb&t=27439


Having spent more than half of my life in third world countries I can tell you that everything you describe is normal when very poor people get to see what rich people have and there is not an honest justice system (yes, to most poor third world people even middle class Americans are extremely rich. If you can afford to drive an SUV or have a Playstation you are very rich in their eyes).

I am not condoning their theft, just explaining why it happens. Maybe if we fixed America (i.e. got rid of agriculture subsidies that take away the ability of 3rd world farmers to compete, got rid of ethanol subsidies that don't reduce our dependence on foreign oil but do cause food inflation in Mexico and elsewhere, etc, etc) these issues wouldn't exist.

And yes, I am one of those flippin bleeding heart liberals who happens to think that the free market is the best way to run the world and that our government is being ruined by lobbiests and dumb ass regulations and subsidies and interfering in the rest of the world when we have enough problems at home, and that the federal reserve is not a friend of free markets as they practice interest rate "price fixing" and yesterday's rate cut is short sighted and won't help a single subprime borrower but will make sure the fat cats on Wall Street keep their billion dollar bonuses. Wow, that was off topic!
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nealpar



Joined: 25 Oct 1998
Posts: 624

PostPosted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 6:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Capetonian, don't even get me started.

But let me just say......the big ol' USofA is not what it used to be, and it sure isn't heading in the right direction. I came here from a former eastern bloc country in Europe 30 years ago, and back then, we felt like we won the lottery by being able to live here, especially in California.

However, during trips back to Europe in the last 4-5 years, a sick feeling comes over me, like maybe my family made a mistake coming to the US. Things aren't peachy perfect in Europe either, but for a European, good old USA is starting to feel like an undefinable, and culturally confused mess, full of people with a subpar education, and NOT AT ALL such a great place to live.

I sometimes think that the only thing keeping me here is my addiction to the good weather, the surf and being able to play in the Ocean. (very few European places can measure up in this respect) However, this country is run by greedy SOB's, who are bending over to special interest groups and running this country WITHOUT VISION!!! Biggest problem = the state of the educational system. It's as if the masses are purposely kept from getting a good one, so that the greedy rich 5% can continue to keep the power in their hands.

OK, I'm ready for wome wind now, to take my mind off all this!!! And no, I'm not a communist...although my memories of being one at age 6,7,8 aren't so bad.
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