BAJA CRUISING NOTES

JIM

WHICH ANCHOR IS BEST?

GROUND TACKLE & TECHINQUES

YOU'RE DRAGGING: WHAT DO YOU DO?

I WANT TO CHARTER A SAILBOAT
BAREBOATING vs. A CREWED SAILING VACATION

LITTLE THINGS MAKE A DIFFERENCE: PART 1

THE WILDLIFE IN THE SEA OF CORTEZ

SEA LIONS

ARE YOU SAFE IN MEXICO?

CHUBASCOS

KEEPING COOL DURING THE SUMMER AND WHY AWNINGS SHOULD BE WHITE

DINGHIES AND MOTORS, THE BIG DECISION

Safety is always a concern for travelers to Mexico. The various news services always tend to grab the most alarmist stories, and blow them out of proportion. The same goes for the various bulletin boards on the Internet. Posting blatant unreliable statistics along with rumor only adds to the general bad press that affects the vision of Mexico by the public. Statistics on anything in Mexico are either nonexistent or biased.      For fourteen years various persons in the states have questioned whether I felt safe in Mexico. The answer is simple, yes. I always feel more relaxed driving in Mexico than when I go to visit family in California or Florida. Safety has a lot to do with your demeanor, attitude, and perception towards the local culture. You have to remember that you're in a foreign country, and all you really have to do is use a little common sense. I still feel that I must warn people that large cities can be dangerous. The same would apply to some tourist destinations and small communities where drugs are a problem. The safest places always seem to be the small villages and towns. They remind me of the way small towns used to be in the rest of North America, laid-back and friendly people who will always try to help you. The Baja is still that way. If you ask for help, you will always get it.      Like any place in the world, Mexico has crime. Without question, crime rates have been increasing over the past few years. That shouldn't surprise anyone coming from the United States, a place where crime and personal safety have become the number one concerns of the country. The crime pattern in Mexico is similar to that in the US; big cities generally have higher crime rates than small towns or rural areas. It is very foolish to travel at night in Mexico for a lot of reasons, but mainly because of animals on the road. Just remember that common sense and normal caution are necessary wherever you travel.      Baja California Sur, and especially La Paz, are very different from mainland Mexico. I have driven up and down the Baja more than twelve times without incident. I stay in secure places, but again I use common sense. I stay in small hotels where the Mexicans stay, and I don't go into remote places. I have always tried my best to blend in. La Paz has great taxicab drivers. There have been numerous stories of people leaving wallets in a cab, and subsequently having the cab driver return it to one of the various hotels or marinas. La Paz has 160,000 residents, and there is going to be some crime, but the odds of your experiencing it are pretty slim.      Once you tell your friends or family that you are going on a trip to Mexico, all the horror stories will come out. You'll very rarely hear that this is what happened to me. You'll hear innuendo and rumors, and "friend of a friend" stories. I've heard the same stories. If you found out the real story, it'd almost always be a case of "I would never have been there nor done that in the States." Why do it in a poor foreign country? Would you sleep on a remote beach next to a poor community with thousands of dollars in your wallet, and driving a new truck? Would you drive through a remote area where there are known drug dealers? Would you invite poor fishermen into your camp and start drinking with them? I don't think you would, but there are some that do these things either from excitement or from ignorance.      Below is an actual correspondence between myself and a couple who were going to be staying at the East Cape, a two-hour drive from La Paz. They wanted to take a day trip on "Irish Mist". A week before their trip a TV show featured a story on crime in Mexico. They were talking about Mexico City, but that didn't matter. Mexico is Mexico, isn't it? The e-mails back and forth sum up their fears, and the outcome of their trip. Good Morning Jim, Ray and I have been a little (a lot) concerned about the news/horror stories happening in Mexico lately. We are very troubled about having to make the drive to La Paz early Monday morning (5/11) for our sail on Irish Mist, and driving back. The news has been warning tourists to take extreme precautions when traveling, as a result of many robberies, and other misfortunes going on. Certainly as a resident of Mexico, you are aware of any problems. Have you heard or encountered any said unjust activities? Are there any situations on the highway we should be aware of? Thank you for your response, and hope you understand our concern in this matter. Warm Regards, Ray & Wanda Hello Ray & Wanda, I'm sending this from Isla Espiritu Santo, as we are on a charter. The folks that are with us came down by car. Two from San Diego, and a young lady and her Mom from Cabo San Lucas. The Mom dropped her daughter off and returned by herself to Cabo (right around 6pm). We have had many people do the trip from Cabo to La Paz with no problems. I don't know what horror stories you are hearing, but Baja California Sur is very safe to travel. In fact, the whole Baja is (from San Quintin, south). If I were in your position, I'd be more concerned about the traveling up in the States than here. They have had problems in Cabo later in the evenings at the new X-rated dance clubs, but that's all I have heard. If I thought that there was anything to be worried about, I wouldn't have encouraged you to come to La Paz. The drive from San Jose Del Cabo to La Paz is very safe. You should be more concerned about animals on the road than robbers. Now, the mainland is another story. On the mainland, or up in the Tijuana area, you have to be very careful. I do understand your concerns, but the news up in the States always blows things out of proportion when it comes to Mexico. I hope this helps. Best Regards, JIM Hi Jim, Hope you're having a great sail. Wish we were there! I was going to forward an e mail on the article I read on a Baja bulletin board, but I don't know if you could receive it while you are out on the boat. Thank you for your response on the safety issue. Your e mail did console us a great deal. Thanks again for the reassurance of our safety. We'll try and stay away from our news channels till then. Sea you soon. Hasta Pronto! Ray & Wanda Hi Wanda, This kind of bad press has been going on about Mexico for as long as I can remember. Bulletin boards are okay, but very alarmist. One never knows both sides of the story, or what really happened. This type of posting is a lot like reading the National Inquirer. Why even post it unless you have something that is half way believable? Weather here has been fantastic! Sunny and warm with light wind. See you on Monday. Warm Regards, JIM Hi Jim! Yep...we made it back to Leonero...and home. Boo-Hoo...I miss it there already. Just wanted to drop you a line to let you know how much Ray and I enjoyed our trip aboard Irish Mist. Especially grand was our kayak adventure at Balandra! This has been our best vacation yet. We'll have many fond memories to linger with us for quite some time. By the way, I just made your Irish Mist Rice and Bean Salad last night for a get-together we're having this evening with our group to share pix. Thanks again for the recipe. Every time we eat it I will think of our vacation onboard Irish Mist! Fondest Regards, Ray & Wanda

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