Baja Escapes

[jtischer]

Greetings Escape Community
Three Escape 21’s are closing on a 40-day Baja California adventure with five other RV’s hosted by Baja Amigos. The trip started on November 6th from the Tecate border crossing and finishes tomorrow at the Mexicali crossing. We followed the trans peninsular highway MX-1 from Tecate down as far south as Los Barriles about an hour north of famous Cabo San Jose.
Our little caravan has 3 Canadian and 5 Yank RV’s and is ably led by Dave and Darlene Smith of Winnipeg Manitoba.
MX people have been warm, friendly and helpful. Visuals have been stunning as has the culture, history and wildlife. Experiencing Baja via RV is far better than jetting in and out of famous resorts with little contact with local people.
The entire Baja Penninsula was impacted by the Covid pandemic but Mexicans take the issue seriously requiring masks, temperature scans and hand sanitizing before entering even smaller stores and shops. Covid-deniers are not in evidence here.
The Baja 1000 race was underway during the first part of our trip so we crossed paths and camped with many of the support teams.
Today we are in San Filipe about 100 miles south of Mexicali and will make our border crossing tomorrow.
Wife Judy is doing an excellent travel blog making posts when we have cell or wi-fi connections. DM me if readers would like blog connection details.
A few pics follow, hopefully with correct formatting. Info on each photo is contained in the information.
Jim & Judy Tischer
Woodland CA
2013 Tacoma “Rocky” doing a fine job
2016 Escape 21 “Billie” doing an equally fine job

[Fox hunt]

I'm planning on going next year are you glad you went with this group?

[jtischer]

Absolutely! Baja Amigos has been first class from start to finish.
Great trip planning, attention to detail, and communications.
Wagon masters, Dave and Darlene Smith are quite experienced and excellent caravan leaders.
We were signed up to go last year but delayed a year because of Covid.
Greg & Ann Janke of Lompoc recruited us and we recruited next door neighbors Paul Gorenzel & Kristina Norberg. You might want to check with them for an evaluation.
FYI - Judy’s blog is: https://bajaescape.blogspot.com/

[Ron in BC]

I'm envious. We usually head to Baja in Jan. Little did we know when we returned home in 2019 that Covid was about to strike. The day we arrived home we heard that the first case of covid had showed up in King county where we'd been the day before.

We are still up in the air whether we'll head to Baja before Q'site. Or even if we'll be able to get to Q'site if they close the border again.

At any rate it sounds like you saw some of the "real" Mexico, not just the tourist trap hotspots that give Baja a bad name.

Ron

[jtischer]

Hi Ron in BC
It’s good to see your electrons. Hopefully you and family are well.
We met you at Qsite in 2020.
The Baja Amigos trip was a real joy from start to finish. Today we crossed the border at Mexicali and are camped tonight in El Centro. We’ll be home in Woodland Saturday PM.
Baja is a wonderful adventure that is experienced much better in an RV than flying in to a MX resort and flying out again.
RV parks are for the most part not as refined as we are used to in Canada and the US but it added to the adventure. Dan & Lisa Goy owners of Baja Amigos have been going to MX since 1985 so have developed many helpful relationships over the years.
As I mentioned in the original email, Dave and Darlene Smith were superb as Wagonmasters getting us where we needed to be and making changes on the fly as required.
Ours was one of the first 2021 caravans to make the jaunt so we had a pretty favorable response at most locations.
If you do chose to go, I don’t think you will be disappointed. Lots of Canadians head to Baja each year and enjoy it.
Let me know if you want more details and I’ll be happy to provide them.
Greg & Ann Janke of Lompoc and Paul Gorenzel & Kristina Norberg also of Woodland were the other 2 Escape 21 owners. All the rigs performed very well under difficult conditions and are a fine rig for a Baja adventure.
Best Regards & have. Happy New Year
Jim & Judy Tischer
(Pics to follow now that we have a decent wi-fi and can up.pad them)

[Ron in BC]

Yes, lot's of Canadians do go to Baja. Our favorite place, Coyote Beach, is about 50% Canadian.

Glad to see you came back through Mexicali. We've had unpleasant experiences retuning to the US at the Tecate crossing

Will enjoy seeing some photos.

Ron

[Mike G]

Do you think traveling in a caravan added a measure of safety?

[Rossue]

Originally Posted by jtischer

....Ours was one of the first 2021 caravans to make the jaunt so we had a pretty favorable response at most locations.

Let me know if you want more details and I’ll be happy to provide them. All the rigs performed very well under difficult conditions and are a fine rig for a Baja adventure.

Can you elaborate on the above points you made?

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by Mike G

Do you think traveling in a caravan added a measure of safety?

It's a hard question to answer for us. We've never had any problem when it's just been us. But the times that other folks tagged along let us stop for night in isolated places that we wouldn't have on our own. And my wife definitely is more comfortable when there's other folks with us. So, happy wife........so I don't mine people tagging along if it makes her more comfortable.

To put it in perspective, there are areas in the US that I'm not comfortable in on our own.

Ron

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

It's a hard question to answer for us. We've never had any problem when it's just been us. But the times that other folks tagged along let us stop for night in isolated places that we wouldn't have on our own. And my wife definitely is more comfortable when there's other folks with us. So, happy wife........so I don't mine people tagging along if it makes her more comfortable.

To put it in perspective, there are areas in the US that I'm not comfortable in on our own.

Ron

Ron,
Can you elaborate on the areas you are not comfortable being alone

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Ron,
Can you elaborate on the areas you are not comfortable being alone

There was a place in South America where there were "strangle mugging" warnings. Nothing like walking down a pitch black street in those conditions.

But closer to home East LA comes to mind. We were in a location where it looked like two rival gangs were starting to have a bit of a tussle. Wondering where to hide if bullets started flying definitely makes me uncomfortable.

One hard and fast rule for Baja seems to be don't go to an isolated beach by yourself, incidents have happened in those types of situations. No doubt there's safety in numbers, not because it's Baja, but because the potential for crime is universal.

Ron

[cpaharley2008]

I agree there are parts of any metropolitan area that if you are not a local should not be visited. As far as suburban areas, I feel comfortable just about any where. Of course I have a 85lb dog that travels with me and is my second set of ears at night.

[Ooshkaboo]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

There was a place in South America where there were "strangle mugging" warnings. Nothing like walking down a pitch black street in those conditions.

But closer to home East LA comes to mind. We were in a location where it looked like two rival gangs were starting to have a bit of a tussle. Wondering where to hide if bullets started flying definitely makes me uncomfortable.

One hard and fast rule for Baja seems to be don't go to an isolated beach by yourself, incidents have happened in those types of situations. No doubt there's safety in numbers, not because it's Baja, but because the potential for crime is universal.

Ron

I have a pretty good understanding of these fun things, I just returned from the Harbor Freight in Ferguson, it’s right next to the Walmart and Payless shoes everyone saw go up in smoke.

Most people from this area are afraid to go there, but it’s a great location and many decent people live there. It’s only a small percentage of people who are bad news, but they are Beirut bad.

I’m not sure about Mexico but I can tell you since the last time you were in the US a few things have changed so continue being careful.

I won’t be crossing any border that doesn’t allow for my personal protection friends.

God Bless the USA…

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by Ooshkaboo

God Bless the USA…

It's all yours.

[jtischer]

Ron
I’m going to try and send you several photos that I compressed earlier today. There is a description with each one. Please give me a read if this system works to post photos here.
Thanks
Jim Tischer

[jtischer]

Hi Mike
Thanks for your eyes on.
Safety was of course a consideration but our greater concern was not being familiar with Baja, it’s history, culture, geography and reasonable places to stay. Dan and Lisa Goy owners of Baja Amigos have been going to Mexico since 1985 and have developed many useful contacts. They also prepared an excellent resource guide that lined out our complete itinerary, places we would be staying at as well as an overview of culture, history etc. Both Judy & I came away with a better understanding of Mexico and it’s people as opposed to many of the horror stories we are all familiar with.
As I indicated in the original post, the people were warm, friendly and quite helpful.
Our Spanish is rudimentary but with our Spanish phrase books and Google translate we got along just fine.
Hope this helps.
Love SLO, have been to a number of great seminars at Cal Poly.
Best Regards
Jim Tischer

[Ron in BC]

Thinking about the question of what makes or has made me uncomfortable in Baja I'd have to say the military checkpoints. The first time we went through them we'd have been more comfortable with either a caravan or being with others familiar with them.

They are at fixed locations and staffed by young armed soldiers. They're poor and they see us as rich. There have been a few petty incidents but you learn pretty quickly how to deal with them and control them. Firmness and smile go a long way.

Again, we've never had any problem with them. There have been reports from time-to-time of police trying to collect "fines" on the spot but we've never ever even been stopped.

Ron

[jtischer]

Originally Posted by Rossue

Can you elaborate on the above points you made?

Hi Rossue
Thanks for the eyes on however I’m not sure what your specific question is or what areas you
would like me to elaborate.
Could you be a bit more definitive and I’ll respond.
Thanks
Jim Tischer

[Rossue]

Hey Jim- " all rigs performed well under difficult conditions ...elaborate please.

[Rossue]

Also-"Ours was one of the first 2021 caravans to make the jaunt so we had a pretty favorable response at most locations." What does that mean- do later groups get a less favorable response?