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it's just next door, it's a world away, much of it wild and untamed. It's
a road adventure not for the faint of heart. For this episode, we're on
Mexico's Baja Highway One, where the desert meets the sea on this edition
of Experience America.
Our goal was to travel one thousand miles, the entire
length of the Baja Peninsula, all the way to the famous resort of Cabo
San Lucas. We would travel south from Tijuana to the very tip of Baja,
where the desert does indeed meet the sea, here at "Cabo". It's an experience
enjoyed by many these days.
Judy and Wayne Wood of California say, "We've been
away from home for a month, do you believe it? I mean, a whole month.
It's the first time we've ever done this. It's great."
They make an important point. Do not rush. Two thousand
miles down and back on these roads requires at least three weeks of travel.
This allows plenty of time for stops along the way.
Our route of travel took us from the border city of
Tijuana to the towns of San Quintín, Cataviña, Guerrero Negro, and then,
because of time constraints, we flew the rest of the way to San José del
Cabo. Our trip began in San Diego, twenty miles north of Tijuana. There
were seven of us traveling, including Experience America staff
member Craig Harris and his parents, Gordon and MaryAnn. We rented two
RVs, which brings up another important point. First time Baja travelers
should probably "buddy up" with at least one more vehicle. Bob Newstead,
a traveler from Vancouver, British Columbia agrees, "Just go with another
couple. As long as there's two of you together, you're pretty safe."
You'll encounter periodic checkpoints staffed by gun-wielding
federal troops, but chances are you'll be waived through. Keep in mind
that it's all part of travel in Mexico. Gordon Harris of Loomis, California
says, "You just have to learn to hang loose when you're traveling. You
accept what the country provides you."
Driving Baja provides you with an adventure unlike
any other. The landscape goes from crowded cities to expansive undeveloped
coastline, from lush agricultural farmland to dramatic desert terrain.
There's enough for every taste, from a movie studio tour to an encounter
with creatures who've been wintering here for thousands of years. You'll
see evidence of early human habitation, from Indian cave paintings to
the ruins of Spanish missions. We visited a site which was explored in
1765 and where Father Junipero Serra founded a mission in 1769. Gordon
Harris says, "I think people who simply go to San Diego, cross the border,
spend the day there, go back again, obviously will totally miss Mexico."
In general the roads are narrow, but good. There's
gas, food and lodging along the way. You might practice a little Spanish
before you go, but English is spoken almost everywhere. Do your research,
and bring guidebooks and a good map.
For more information about Baja visit www.turismobc.gob.mx
or call 011 52 6 634 3085.
Vagabundos Del Mar - Amigos offer Advice
 Meet
Fred and Gloria Jones, avid Baja travelers for more than 30 years. They
run "Vagabundos Del Mar" a non-profit Baja travel club based in Northern
California, and they were happy to share their insight and expertise with
Experience America's Vicki Liviakis. Their first tip is, "Be well
prepared." They say there are two vital pieces of information you need
to bring with you for your trip, one is a passport, the other is insurance.
Vicki explains, "It's very important. You must have
Mexican liability insurance for driving in Baja. Buy a policy before you
leave home. Your insurance agent should be able to help. If you don't
have Mexican auto insurance, you could end up in a lot of trouble."
Fred explains further, "If you hit somebody or somebody
hits you, then you've got a problem, because under their legal system
if it is serious then both parties go to jail until they figure out who
owes who. If you have the insurance policy, you're okay."
Along with insurance, you also need proof of citizenship
in the form of a passport and a Mexican tourist visa, available at ports
of entry and at Mexican consulates in the U.S.
Baja Driving Tips - Don't drive at night, don't
drive over 50 mph, carry spare parts, and top off the tank when you have
the chance.
Driving in Baja is not like driving in the states. The roads are narrow.
Traffic moves fast and trucks take up an entire lane. Fred says, "It's
what's referred to as 'white knuckle driving.' It requires your full attention."
He advises you to follow two simple rules. The first
is don't drive at night and the second is don't drive over 50 mph. Fred
says, "We've had a lot of friends who are no longer with us because they
violated those two rules."
So take it slow. Don't rush. Enjoy the scenery, but
keep your eyes on the road and fuel up when you can. Finding fuel requires
advance planning. There are few stations in rural areas and they tend
to run out of gas. The rule of thumb: top off the tank whenever you have
a chance.
Fred also suggests that you bring along spare parts,
a tool kit and extra tires. You can buy some parts in Baja, but they're
difficult to find. In terms of water, fill your tanks before you cross
the border. Once you run out, refill them in Mexico, but not for drinking.
Baja Drinking Tips - Tecate or Tequila, but
Don't Drink the Water
Gloria says, "I use the water for bathing. I will use it for washing dishes.
However if it is suspect, I'll put a capful of Clorox in the rinse water."
For drinking and cooking, use only purified bottled
water, available in Mexican grocery stores.
Baja Shopping Tips - Buy a Mexican Phone Card,
but don't buy prescription drugs or exotic leather
Staying in touch with home can pose a challenge, especially since most
U. S. cell phones don't work in Mexico. The solution is to buy a Mexican
phone card available at many gas stations. They're convenient and good
at pay phones.
In terms of safety, remember to stay only in secure,
designated RV parks or campgrounds. It's not safe to just pull of the
road to camp. Finally, while crossing into Mexico is easy, coming back
is another story. For instance, the Tijuana to San Diego checkpoint is
among the busiest in the world. You could end up waiting in line for a
couple of hours, so be patient. And remember, what you bring back from
Baja is as important as what you take in. Tijuana and other border towns
are filled with discount pharmacies, attracting Americans trying to buy
prescription drugs often without the prescription.
Joe Misenhelter, United States Customs Inspector explains,
"For example, if you cannot go to a pharmacy and just buy medications
over the counter, you need a prescription for them, [you] generally are
going to need a prescription to bring them in from the foreign country.
If they are prohibited here, they are probably prohibited to bring back
across the border."
So to bring back prescription drugs, you'd better
have a prescription.
Other red-flagged items include Cuban cigars and "leather
goods" made from endangered species. If you're not sure about it, don't
buy it.
At the U.S. border, a customs inspector will ask you
a few simple questions. We were told that RVs are more likely than some
other vehicles to be tagged for so-called "secondary inspections." But
if you've done nothing wrong, there's no cause for concern.
Joe explains, "For people who wonder, 'Why did I get
selected for inspection, why was I sent to secondary?' Successful smugglers
want to look exactly like you, normal, honest, innocent people. If you
get selected for inspection, don't take it personal. We have to do our
job to protect the United States."
For more information about Vagabundos Del Mar visit
www.vagabundos.com
or call 530-823-7228 or 800-474-2252.
For more information about United States customs visit
www.customs.gov.
For more information about insurance visit www.mexicoinsurance.com
or call 800-909-4457.
Our "Baja adventure" began as many do, crossing over
the border at Tijuana, a city of more than one million people with a long-standing
reputation as a tawdry, tequila-soaked border town, a haven for San Diego
servicemen in search of a "good time."
 But
in recent years, the city has worked hard to clean up its act, especially
along Avenida Revolucion, the popular shopping and restaurant district.
Gone are many of the seedy strip joints and pleasure palaces. In their
place are discount pharmacies and restaurants whose names you'll probably
recognize. While it's not exactly sanitized for the visitor, the city
is comfortable and more tightly controlled. Paul describes it as a kinder,
gentler Tijuana where they let you know that you can be arrested for disturbing
the peace.
Every year millions of Americans cross over for day
trips. They "lunch" at places like Caesar's where the world-famous Caesar
salad got its start. And they shop. The Greer family came from Oklahoma.
Earl Greer says, "I feel safe as long as I stay where the crowds and other
tourists are."
If you're traveling beyond Tijuana, you'll find lots
of helpful information at the tourist office at the upper end of Avenida
Revolucion. It's not far from the autopista, the two-lane toll road running
from Tijuana to Ensenada 70 miles south. At the beginning, the road parallels
the border and runs right along the high fence keeping our two countries
apart.
 Because
we'd spent so much time touring Fox Studios and Tijuana, we didn't cover
much ground our first day out. But we did build up a powerful appetite.
So our next and final stop was for food! We chose Puerto Nuevo, about
halfway between Ensenada and Tijuana, an attractive seaside village with
more than two dozen "themed" restaurants. Off the coast, fishermen ply
the waters for "California Spiny" lobster. They're not as large nor as
well known as the east coast variety, but delicious, nonetheless, and
every place in Puerto Nuevo serves them. A grilled lobster dinner served
family-style with beans, rice, and huge freshly-made flour tortillas,
will set you back about $25 per person, including drinks and tip. Paul
exclaims that his giant tortilla "looks like a washcloth!"
Several miles south of Puerto Nuevo we worked off
that dinner and spent the night at an RV park right on the beach. Like
many parks in Baja, this one called "Baja Seasons" offers both hook-ups
and motel rooms. It also offered something extra as well, room service
coffee served right at your rig.
 After
fortifying ourselves with orange juice and oatmeal, we headed south, but
not for long. We had a little problem, a propane leak in the RV that followed
us, so the "Green Angel" linked up with us and we test-drove our rig on
the road to see if our leak would persist. The "Green Angels," or Los
Angeles Verdes, are roaming mechanics in green trucks who drive Baja's
Highway One in search of stranded motorists. Our Craig Harris called for
them on his cell phone, but if you are cell-less, you can sit back and
wait and they'll show up sooner or later. The service is free and sponsored
by Mexico's Division of Tourism. Don't expect help for major repairs,
but for minor problems like ours. We'd thought we'd fixed our leaking
tank earlier, but it persisted so we pulled off the highway where the
"Green Angel" mechanic bled all the gas out of the propane tank. These
guys are really very helpful.
For more information contact the Green Angels at 011
662 43479. Emergency phones labeled "SOS" are found along Baja's Highway
One, but we saw few south of Ensenada.
For more information about the Baja Seasons Villas
and RV Park call 800-754-4190.
 Beyond
Ensenada, the last "major" city for hundreds of miles, the landscape becomes
largely agricultural. We were surprised to roll past fields of strawberries
and vineyards, fueling Baja's burgeoning wine industry. After buying groceries
and traveling at a fairly leisurely pace, we set up camp that second night
in the town of San Quintín.
That evening we relaxed with a filling dinner and
good company. RV sites at this park didn't cost much, about $10 with hookups.
It sounds like a bargain, but you get what you pay for. As we mentioned
earlier, there are a lot guide books out making recommendations on places
to stay on the Baja, but take those recommendations with a grain of salt,
because things change very quickly down here. What looks good in print,
for your taste, might be a bit rustic. The park with motel where we stayed
was listed in our guidebooks as pleasant, clean and newly refurbished.
While the RV sites were no frills, but fine, the motel room where two
of us stayed clearly needed work.
Our third day out began with a stop south of San Quintín
in the town of El Rosario. We topped off our gas tanks, then bought a
local talisman called "el ojo de Dios" meaning "The Eye of God" for good
luck on the highway. We hung it in our RV window.
 Past
El Rosario the landscape makes a rather sudden and dramatic change. You
begin to spot spindly odd plants called "cirio" or "boojum trees" and
stately "cardon" cactus, resembling Arizona's giant saguaro. Barrel cactus
and huge boulders fill in the blank spots. This is the Desierto Central,
Baja's vast central desert.
As desolate and uninhabited as this part of Baja is
today, imagine what it must have been like thousands of years ago. Even
way back then, humans lived here. Evidence of that can be found in cave
paintings in the area. Alejandro Gomez-Sanchez says the paintings were
created by Indians who inhabited this region hundreds, maybe thousands
of years ago. No one knows for sure.
 To
find the cave paintings you have to keep a sharp eye out for a small,
hand-painted sign a couple miles north of the village of Cataviña. Here
you'll meet Alejandro who owns the land on which the paintings are located.
For a couple of dollars, he will guide you up a somewhat steep, rocky
cliff to the cave.
Alejandro says what these paintings represent is as
much of a mystery as the people who made them. Most likely, it's just
ancient graffiti, made by someone who discovered this cave as a way to
escape the scorching desert sun.
 And
speaking of which, two miles on down the road we came to a very pleasant
oasis in the middle of the desert, the village of Cataviña and a small
resort called the Hotel La Pinta where we parked the RVs, then indulged
in an impromptu cocktail party and enjoyed some fine Mexican wine. Paul
offered a toast, "Here's to hugging to the right without running off the
highway in Baja."
While most people see Baja by RV or car, some have
found a more adventurous way to travel. The same night we pulled into
Cataviña, so did a "convoy" of helicopters on a flightseeing tour down
from San Diego. They took us on a spectacular spin for a bird's eye view
of the area.
For more information about the Hotel La Pinta call
800-262-4500 (from the U.S.).
For information about RV rental, sales and service,
contact Beaudry RV in San Diego, CA at 800-588-5242 or visit www.beaudryrv.com.
For more information:
Cabo San Lucas | Fox
Studios Baja | Whale
Watching
Visit the RV Travel
section of Funroads.com for more travel destination suggestions, tips and
resources.
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