Notes from a gringo in Baja
I enjoy exploring the Baja Peninsula. In my travels, I’ve learned a few things. This document is a collection of notes that I share with friends to help ensure they have a fantastic experience.
*** THIS IS AN UNFINISHED WORK IN PROGRESS ***
CONTENTS:
Preface | When is Baja not ‘Baja?’
- ‘Baja’ vs ‘The Baja’ vs the states of Baja California (Baja Norte) and Baja California Sur (BCS).
Section 01| A Baja State of Mind — Understanding Cultural Differences
- Slow down; Be happy.
- Introduce yourself; inquire about their day; patiently wait for a response.
- Explain (in Spanish) that your Spanish is not good; ask if they speak English (some do, many don’t); prepare for smiles and pantomime.
Section 02 | Preparing to enter Mexico
- Vehicle Prep
- Documents
- Insurance
- Know what items are allowed / not allowed
Section 03 | Crossing the Border
- Know where you’ll cross and why
- Plan out your crossing; parking location; INM office location; Bank location; process for walking back and forth across the border if required
Section 04 | Driving in Baja
- Know the rules; understand the customs
- Understanding the variables make estimating drive times difficult
- Road conditions
- Night driving and animals
Section 05 | Mapping
- The philosophy
- The tools and workflow that I use (digital, physical and local)
Section 06 | Fuel
- Understanding the differences in availability
- Mapping fuel stations in remote areas
- Mind the Gas Gap
- Understanding the basic fuel scams
Section 07 | Money
- exchange
- credit cards
- ATM withdrawals
Section 08 | Communications
- Cell phones
- Satellite devices
- HAM radio
Section 09 | Camping / Beach Access
- Understanding and respecting property ownership
- Driving on the beach
Section 10 | Scams to be aware of
- Mordida
- Fuel Stations
- Bait & Switch
- Rental Car Insurance
PREFACE | What’s in a name?
Baja, ‘The Baja,’ Baja Norte, Baja California and so on. There seems to be so many names. What’s it all mean and why do people seem annoyed at me?
Most foreigners see the Baja Peninsula as a singular place or region and technically it’s correct to refer the peninsula as Baja or ‘The Baja Peninsula.’ What’s less commonly understood by foreigners is that the peninsula is comprised by two separate states — Baja California and Baja California Sur — similar to North and South Dakota, and North and South Carolina. Once you know this, it’s easy to understand why someone gets annoyed when you refer to their state incorrectly. I’ve tried (I still slip up on occasion) to train myself to refer either to the Baja Peninsula when I am discussing the region as a whole or to the specific state .
In addition to the physical and the geographical, I also see Baja very much as a meta-physical state of mind (yeah, I know, my ‘hippy’ is showing). More on that in the next section.
SECTION ONE | A Baja State of Mind — Understanding Cultural Differences
Slow down. As mentioned above I see Baja as much as a mental state of mind as a physical place. Vacationing in Baja is largely different than Hawaii or Florida. Sure you can find the ‘Americanized’ versions in Cabo or Ensendada, but the majority of the Baja peninsula is moving at it’s own pace. It’s on Baja time.
Preparing for a trip down across the border largely begins for me by a nagging desire to shed the pace of my daily life, to slow down and to focus on the positive vibes found so easily in Mexico. Frankly, I’m surprised there’s not more of an effort by Mexican government to stem the American pace and negativity we bring South. If Mexico wasn’t so dependent on America, they might be trying to wall us out.
Time is relative. When discussing time, Mexicans will often say manaña meaning “tomorrow,” or estos días meaning “these days,” or ahorita, a diminutive of the word for “now.” Using the word ahorita instead of ahora (meaning “now”) signifies that you mean “right now.” These references to time can sometimes be meaningless, though. Someone might say ahorita, or “right now,” but mean in a few days. They might say they will get back to you mañana, but truly mean “in the near future.” It can be hard to determine what people truly mean, but I’ve grown accustomed to using the phrases and I’ve learned to set a hard date when it’s needed.
Take the time for greetings and small talk. In America, we’re often in such a rush that we don’t take the time to get to know those that we interact with. Here, rushing to the point of a telephone call or meeting is seen as getting to the point. In Mexico, it can be seen as simply rude. Slow down, introduce yourself, ask someone how they are doing and listen to their response. Understand that in Mexico, there are higher priorities on family (vs our focus on work), on Nationalism (vs our Patriotism), and that truth as a concept is relative vs absolute. Here’s a good book that I enjoyed that breaks down some of these cultural differences.
Try to use the language. Start off slowly and pay enough respect to attempt to use their language. My Spanish isn’t great - I know it — but I’m often shown patience because I at least try to start a new relationship by recognizing that I am a guest and attempting to use their language. I start each new conversation with a big smile and an introduction in Spanish. Then I’m often asking them to slow down so I can try to follow along — “Lo siento, no entiendo. Por favor habla despacio.” If the conversation begins to eclipse my ability to communicate in Spanish, my go-to is “I’m sorry, my Spanish is bad. Do you speak English?” —” Lo siento, mi español es malo. ¿Habla usted Inglés?” Sometimes this works. Other times we’re at an impasse and forced to rely on smiles and pantomimes to get the point across. Irregardless of the outcome, the point is to try. By making the attempt and showing a little respect, I’m often shown a lot of kindness and patience.
Enjoy yourself. Remember, you’re in Baja for a reason.
SECTION TWO | Preparing to enter Mexico
TK Passport / FMM Visa reqs
Prepare the vehicle: For me a trip to the Baja Peninsula is a 3–4000 mile roadtrip. I want to enjoy myself while on the road and be able to trust in the capabilities of my rig, so it’s important to me to make sure it’s caught up on maintenance. I also spend time and money with my local mechanic to make sure that there aren’t any outstanding issues that need addressing before a long trip.
Basic Gear lists: Good AT tires, the ability to air down (and back up), extra fuel cans and basic recovery gear (kinetic rope, extraction boards, shovel) are the minimum equipment for any adventure that will likely see off road exploration. Beyond that, the amount of additional gear depends on the activities I’m undertaking (camping, mountain biking, paddle boarding, etc). This is a link to my full gear lists on Kit.co.
TK Vehicle Ins
Prohibited Items: National Health Services of Mexico (SENASICA) has guidelines on what is allowed and what is prohibited to bring across the border. Detailed information can be found on the SENASICA website. Download SENASICA’s PDF for more information on permitted and prohibited items.
In a nutshell (pun intended), NO Guns (rubber-band spear guns allowed, air-canister spear guns prohibited), No ammunition, No pepper/bear spray, No drugs (marijuana is still illegal in MX), No fruits and vegetables, No nuts, No meat. ….and more. Read the full list of prohibited items in this link. Personal prescription drugs must remain in original bottles with labels.
It’s important note that knives are also illegal to carry on your person in MX. Apparently they also cannot be within reach of the driver. This means they need to be stored with the rest of the camping gear in the back of the truck. On my Feb 2019 trip, I was out of the truck and letting the guys at the military checkpoint search the rig 3–4 different times. My Leatherman multi-tool was visible in the door pocket and my Gerber Covert Auto (highly illegal locking folder) was in my front pocket with the clip showing. No one said a thing. I think it was pretty clear that we were camping and off-roading and they expected we had the typical gear. My truck was also searched in secondary in both MX Customs on the way in and US Customs on the way out and no one in either of those situations mentioned knives. I feel like this is a law that is rarely enforced (LE can fall back on if needed), but I’ll make sure to store all ‘pointy things’ in the back and will leave my nicer EDC folders at home from now on.
TK list of prohibited items brought back into the US. Link to US Customs docs
SECTION THREE | Crossing the Border
Crossing borders can be a stressful experience. Long lines and long waits. Confusing rules. Stern faces asking questions designed to trip you up. Stern faces holding large guns.
I’ve learned that reading and understanding the rules goes a long way to taking the stress out of the situation. Knowing what you can and cannot bring across the border is important as is understanding when those rules are likely to be enforced.
I’ve found crossing at Tecate to be a more relaxed experience. It’s not always shorter because of the increased drive times, it’s not open 24hrs and the lines can be there on occasion but folks are generally friendly and helpful. Note that Tecate has had well-deserved reputation as a mordida trap (more on that topic below) for well past the last decade so I ignore the flow of traffic around me the best I can and make sure to obey all traffic laws. This includes full 3-second stops at each stop sign.
My method for crossing the border and getting our FMM Visas stamped depends on how many vehicles I’m traveling with and whether we’re pulling trailers. If I’m solo or traveling with only a couple of normal passenger vehicles, I pass directly through customs. I expect to be pulled into secondary for a search because the well-equipped overland rigs often get inspected bc the border agents likely assume there’s a higher likelihood that outdoorsy folk will be carrying prohibited weapons and ammunition. Note that it’s also illegal to carry fuel in jerry cans across the border. My cans have only been checked once, but I know it’s not allowed. Once I clear the gates of the MX Aduanas (customs) compound, I go one block and then circle the block with a series of three right turns to return to the INM office at the Aduanas building. There is usually a guard out front who moves the cones out of the way and lets you park in the portico (see pictures below).
We walk into the building and get our pre-paid / pre-printed forms stamped (this is discussed in the Preparations section above). Remember, this step is mandatory. Failing to get this stamp nullifies MX vehicle insurance. If you are filling out the forms and paying the fee at the border, those two steps are typically separated into a multi-step process to cut down on graft. On our last run through, the bank teller was closed so the INM office collected our funds directly. I believe I paid $36 USD. We then return to our vehicles and slowly and carefully make our way to either Hwy 3 towards Valle de Guadalupe and Ensenada or Hwy 2 towards La Rumorosa and Mexicali.
For large caravans or vehicles pulling large trailers, the tight confines of the neighborhood and minimal parking at the INM office makes this difficult. I’m aware of groups using the paid parking lots just N of the border on the US side and walking through to get the FMM Visas stamped on foot. My understanding is that as you leave the office, you need to turn right and exit the compound through the turnstile, make a left and cross the street to access the northbound customs turnstile and walk back through customs. This seems much more complicated than just turning left as exiting the INM office and walking back up the sidewalk to the vehicles, but I haven’t tested that option personally yet.
Additional notes on customs:
Southbound: My experience is that MX customs agents are most concerned with drugs and guns and ammo. On my last two trips, I had been camping previously to approaching the border and had a fridge full of food, extra fuel cans on the roof, multiple camping knives (including a large machete) and was wearing my EDC knife in my front pocket. I’ve since learned that these items are illegal and will cross w/o fruit and veggies and will store the knives in the rear of the vehicle to maintain proper compliance. …and I’ll make sure the extra fuel cans are empty.
Northbound: In addition to the list of prohibited items discussed above, there is an import limit of 1 Liter (1L) of alcohol per adult. Also, no firewood. I’d forgotten that I still had firewood sitting in a bin on my rear bumper and just as I was clearing customs, an inspector from an adjacent lane notified the inspector in my lane. The sent me into secondary inspection where the firewood and some of the vegetables in my dry-box were seized while others were not. I was worried that they were going to seize the Mexican craft beer I had purchased but they didn’t bother opening the fridge.
TK link to US CUstoms list of prohibited items
My experiences with customs at the border lead me to believe that they are looking for much larger violations. I’ll continue to work to follow the guidelines and I’m thinking about working to identify a soup kitchen in Tecate that would take the food items that I can’t take back N with me.
Section 04 | Driving in Baja
- Know the rules; understand the customs
- Understanding the variables make estimating drive times difficult
- Road conditions
- Night driving and animals
Section 05 | Mapping
- The philosophy
- The tools and workflow that I use (digital, physical and local)
Section 06 | Fuel
- Understanding the differences in availability
- Mapping fuel stations in remote areas
- Mind the Gas Gap
- Understanding the basic fuel scams
Section 07 | Money
- exchange
- credit cards
- ATM withdrawals
Section 08 | Communications
- Cell phones
- Satellite devices
- HAM radio
Section 09 | Camping / Beach Access
- Understanding and respecting property ownership
- Driving on the beach
Section 10 | Scams to be aware of
- Mordida
- Fuel Stations
- Bait & Switch
- Rental Car Insurance
TK
Helpful Links:
Gear:
Resources:
About the Author: Matthew Mangus is an accomplished outdoorsman with almost 50 years of experience exploring and recreating in the outdoors but is still learning new things every day. Matthew serves as the Creative Director for mangai.rollin, an experiential and content marketing agency that works and plays in the automotive, outdoor and vices industries.
