Viva La Baja! Blog

Southwest Goes South to Mexico

noreply@blogger.com (Grupo Igartua) — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 15:26:00 +0000

According to an article on Jaunted.com this week, Southwest Airlines is teaming up with Volaris, a discount Mexican carrier, to send passengers to Mexico. "Starting on November 12 you can visit Southwest’s website to book tickets through a code share agreement to places like Cancun, Mexico City, and Guadalajara.", the article states.

Great news from my perspective, as you can link up from Guadalajara or Mexico City to any sunny beach destination in Mexico such as Los Cabos, La Paz and Puerto Vallarta, among others. Southwest/Volaris will also fly you directly to Cancun.

This option will allow US passengers to fly down via the new Southwest/Volaris partnership, maybe get to know the downtown Zocalo and historic districts in Mexico City or Guadalajara (highly recommended), and then take advantage of the spectacular rates being offered by all of Mexico's new breed of discount airlines, such as Volaris.

If anybody happens to fly down via the new Southwest/Volaris partnership, be sure to post comments on your flight experience here!

Passing the Torch - Viva La Baja! Blog Has Been Sold

noreply@blogger.com (Molly McHugh) — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 13:45:00 +0000

I am happy to report Viva La Baja! Blog is now owned by Sergio Igartua - Los Cabos resident & owner of Grupo Igartua.

Our family now resides in South America and I am immersed in a new online venture - South America Living - Web-full of info for folks wanting to travel or live in the countries Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru & Uruguay. Online soon at www.southamericaliving.com.

An introductory hello from Sergio:

"My name is Sergio Igartua and I’ve been in advertising and marketing for more than 15 years. My career has taken me from the U.S. to Costa Rica, and finally to Mexico where I currently reside.

During those years I’ve had the opportunity to provide creative services to diverse markets such as the U.S. Hispanic market, the Costa Rican and Mexican political arenas and, most recently, the Mexican hospitality market.

I own and operate Grupo Igartua, a travel marketing agency in Los Cabos, Mexico, where I’ve been living for the past 4 years."

Viva La Baja! was a fun project. Highlights of the past few years include: interacting with a lot of cool expats & locals I never would have met or known; learning about environmental issues on the Peninsula and the amazing folks who have worked for years to fight degradation of Baja waters, land & wildlife; writing articles for publications such as MexConnect, Our Mexico & my personal favorite... Sea Watch Mexico - who are doing some incredible work putting an end to illegal fishing & restoring the reefs of the Bay of La Paz with the Observatorio Ciudadano's program. A video about the program can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVqclsGGAZg.

I´m confident Sergio will put all the hard work & information to good use and wish him the best with his future endeavors.

Viva La Baja! & all its inhabitants, Molly

Mexican Fisheries Planning to "Exploit" Resources in Northern Baja

noreply@blogger.com (Molly McHugh) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:43:00 +0000

Look-out Northern Baja, Conapesca and CIBNOR are heading your way and have plans to "exploit" your resources by encouraging the harvest of tonns of fish. This is a follow-up post on the Million Dollar Plan. For background information look-over the three previous posts:

1. Baja Fish - How Would You Spend a Million Dollars?
2. The Million Dollar Plan - Who´s in Charge?
3. Update on the Million Dollar Plan

I contacted CIBNOR months ago via email and received an initial reply from a researcher but when I asked for additional information on how they planned to sustainably "exploit" resources in Northern Baja as was posted on their website in regards to Programa Nacional Rector and their assessment that tonns of 'pelagic' fish species are availble to be harvested in Northern Baja waters my contact ended.

One species of pelagic fish - fish that live in what is called the pelagic zone of coastal and ocean (offshore) waters - are Bluefin Tuna whos numbers are severly depleted and near extinction. Atlantic Bluefin Tuna are being considered by Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora(CITES)for a formal ban on all International Trade due to its endangered status.

This Oct, 2009 article in Scientific American explains the issue in greater detail: "Is the Bluefin Tuna an endangered species".

I wanted to know how they would be harvested as well? Using Drift Gillnets that destroy all ocean creatures in its path, including endangered Baleen whales that annually migrate through Baja waters, that Conapesca vowed to ban in 2008 yet never did?

In addition, the original documents I had reviewed in English are now gone from the website and replaced with false PR statements about the organization claiming: "For the Federal Mexican Government, the CONAPESCA is a strategic tool for taking care of our natural resources and to avoid the overexplotation of marine species."

A carefully orchestrated public 'face' to hide the actions that are going on behind the scenes and that are in the works regarding Programa Rector Nacional and the plans to give the go ahead for commercial fisherman to harvest - they use the word 'exploit' - tonns of fish from Northern Baja waters, including endangered Bluefin Tuna.

They claim not only do these large amounts of fisheries resources exist, but that they can be sustainably taken from Baja waters without negative repercussions. Look-out Northern Baja - CIBNOR and Conapesca are on their way.

Molly, author of Viva La Baja! Relocation & Real Estate Guide

Baja Travel - Taking the Ferry

noreply@blogger.com (Molly McHugh) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 16:57:00 +0000

The previous blog post covered bus travel on the Peninsula: Baja Travel - Riding the Bus. This post gives the basic run-down on riding the ferry - either one of them!

From mainland Mexico you can take a ferry across to Baja from Guaymas, Topolobampo and Mazatlan. Guaymas is located on the mainland in the state of Sonora while Topolobampo and Mazatlan are both in Sinaloa. Websites for all routes are listed below.

Approximate Travel Time and Costs:
The private cabins listed below contain two bunk beds, and may or may not have a private bathroom. Children up to age 11 are half-price on all routes. Infants up to one years of age are free.

Guaymas to Santa Rosalia: approximately 7 hours, $65 USD per person, $75 USD for a private cabin.
Topolobampo to La Paz: approximately 9 hours, 710 pesos ($71 USD) per person, 760 pesos ($76 USD) for a private cabin with bathroom for up to four people.

Mazatlan to La Paz: approximately 18 hours, 800 pesos ($80 USD) per person, 250 pesos ($25 USD) for a private cabin for up to four people; bathroom separate. We´ve traveled this route twice, the cabins are simple with two bunk beds and a window. The boat is large and the ride smooth, you will most likely never notice a wave much less get seasick.

All three ferry systems have food and bar service, car and overnight accommodations. Dogs are allowed but must be in a kennel (or kept in the car) and cannot enter the cabins but stay outside on deck. We traveled with our medium sized Rat Terrier this way and he did just fine. No one bothered him, I was allowed to take him out of the kennel to walk on the deck - was just not permitted to enter the cabin area. Staff were helpful and seemed to keep an eye on him as well.

There is a full-bar on deck that has a large T.V. screen and shows videos, children are welcome. Meals are nothing special, very basic Mexican fare but an assortment of snacks are available for purchase.

More Information & Websites:
For more information on Baja Ferries, including the cost to transport a vehicle, click here to view.

The Santa Rosalia to Guaymas route has an additional website: click here to view.

Happy travels, Molly
Author of Viva La Baja! Relocation & Real Estate Guide

Baja Travel - Riding the Bus

noreply@blogger.com (Molly McHugh) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 09:46:00 +0000

Buy your boleto (ticket) at the taquilla (no, that is not Tequila!) and be on your way. First-class bus service in Baja is comfortable (movies & commodes), efficient (minus unavoidable road construction delays), and low-cost. Just be prepared for varied service and bus stations. No two are alike.

There are two primary bus companies serving the Baja California Peninsula: ABC and Aguila. ABC (Autotransportes de la Baja California) operates in the Peninsula from Tijuana to Los Cabos. Aguila serves travelers in Baja California Sur venturing from Guerrero Negro to the Los Cabos... and back! ABC has a website, currently in Spanish-only: http://www.abc.com.mx/.

Baja California Sur

In La Paz, anyone will give you directions to the main bus terminal (estacion del autobus mejor), on the malecon with: Sea of Cortez view, air conditioning and magazine and snack kiosk. If purchasing a premier plus ticket to ride on Peninsula Ejectivo, you also have a private room with computer terminals at your service – top of the line serving a direct route from La Paz to Los Cabos (only).

Wandering the off-streets a mile or so away, you may come across the less-fancy bus station with ATP (Autotransportes La Paz) service. First class busses as well but at less cost. ATP charges around $17 USD to Cabo San Lucas whereas Aguila on the malecon charges around $14 USD. Premier plus service will cost you a bit more.

Routes vary from one company to the other. ATP has no service to the East Cape, only to Todos Santos and other towns in the West Cape. As well, when you pay for a taquilla (ticket) one-way to a town, do not expect the same price heading back in the other direction. On ATP, a one-way fare to Cabo San Lucas from La Paz is around 150 pesos, but returning to La Paz will cost you close to 120 pesos.

Baja California norte

Two terminals for Tijuana – old and new. Old downtown terminal at Calle Comercio and Avenida Madero that serves local bus lines. The Central Bus Terminal (Central de Autobuses), with all the bells and whistles you would expect, is located at the corner of Lazaro Cardenas and Alamar.

ABC covers the entire Peninsula. You can take the red eye from Tijuana and arrive in Cabo San Lucas in approximately 24 hours. Cost is approximately $170 USD. All first-class buses are comfortably air-conditioned, have bathrooms (bring your own TP just in case), multiple ceiling-mounted T.V. screens for videos (often in English, once we had one in French… go figure) and reclinable seating.

From the U.S., tourists or North American escapees can tap into the entire system at the main Greyhound bus terminal in downtown San Diego and ride across the border into Tijuana.

Hot Tip: Planning a bus trip? Buy Dramamine, even if you have never taken an aspirin in your life. This goes triple if traveling with children. Also, even in the heat of summer bring a blanket. It is not uncommon for air-conditioning to be set on high and left there even as icicles form on the windows.

In summary, it is hard to know what to expect from one bus terminal to the next. Some have snacks and drinks available only, others a selection of these plus sandwiches and magazines as well as tourist trinkets. Then you stop through Los Barriles expecting a cold soda, and find a brick shell of a building with no amenities, only a primitive baño outback. Each town is different, plan ahead accordingly.

As well, bus drivers may stop for a few minutes at a snack kiosk when on a long stretch, but often times he or she will cruise straight through to the next scheduled stop. Unpredictability seems to be law in Baja.

Molly
Author of Viva La Baja! Relocation & Real Estate Guide

Learning Spanish in Baja - For Adults

noreply@blogger.com (Molly McHugh) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 11:16:00 +0000

Enough with the fish already. How about information for those who want to travel to Baja and work on their Spanish language skills?

A previous blog post covered Spanish language learning for children: Learning the Language - For Kids. This post is to offer a few options for adults who want to take Spanish courses.

The newest kid on the block in southern Baja is Spanish in Cabo who opened their doors in April of this year in the town of San Jose del Cabo. They offer competively priced immersion, group and private classes for all ages levels and abilities.

In addition, you can continue with your Spanish courses with Spanish in Cabo after the few weeks of fun in the sun is over via the Internet. They have an online program that allows you to take private one-on-one lessons from any location in the world with just a SKYPE connection and email account.

La Paz is a hotbed for Spanish language learning with multiple schools to choose from. A couple for you to contact for more information are Se Habla La Paz, S.C. and the Centro de Idiomas, Cultura y Comunicacion.

If traveling to La Paz for a language learning adventure, make sure to take a boat trip to Isla Espirito Santos Island to jump in the water and swim amongst the sea lions. It is an unforgettable experience.

Northern Baja has too many choices to adequately cover here - do an independent Google search online to wade through a multitude of options at all price ranges. For a quick start you can check out these schools, located in Ensenada and San Felipe respectively: Baja California Language College and the Universidad Autonoma de Baja California.

Buena suerte! Molly
www.vivalabaja.com

Baja Hurricane Resources & Relief for Hurricane Jimena

noreply@blogger.com (Molly McHugh) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Hurricane Jimena lessened in strength before hitting Baja as a Category 1 Hurricane but still unleashed plenty of fury with wind and rain, causing catastrophic destruction in the central Baja area (Ciudad Constitution, San Carlos, Mulege, Loreto and other), and taking the life of an elderly Mexican man. Hurricane season runs officially from June 1st to November 30th. Most storms occur in the months of August and September.

A tropical depression is the first pre-hurricane stage, with wind speeds of 38 mph. The next phase pre-hurricane is a tropical storm, with winds from 39-73 mph. Tropical storms are given names. The flooding from the heavy rains of a tropical storm can wreck havoc of catastrophic degree in an area, such as what occurred in the town of Mulege from Tropical Storm John in September of 2006 and now again in 2009 - flash floods from rainfall plus winds courtesy of Hurricane Jimena.

When a tropical storm’s constant wind speed reaches above 73 mph, you have a hurricane on your hands and should be prepared to evacuate if it becomes necessary. You can read a list of Baja California Peninsula hurricanes from years prior to 1949 up until September, 2007 (Hurricane Henriette) online courtesy of Wikipedia - List of Huricanes.

To keep up-to-date on hurricane and storm activity, one online resource of many is The National Weather Service-National Hurricane Center at: www.nhc.noaa.gov. A more local resource is The Baja Insider – an eZine covering Baja California norte primarily. You can sign-up to receive news updates regularly via email, including during hurricane season. Visit their website for more information: www.bajainsider.com.

When a storm hits, local reports from Baja residents and travelers posted on popular list servs & message boards such as La Paz Gringos and Baja Nomad is often the best and most accurate information.

You can view the posts on Baja Nomad without having to sign-up or log-in. Go to the website, click on 'forums' and select a category. Members of Baja Nomad are currently organizing relief efforts for victims of Hurricane Jimena. Click on the heading 'General Baja Discussion' and you will see a thread title "Hurricane Relief Supplies". La Paz Gringos has information on where to drop-off donations in the La Paz area.

These efforts by expats are in addition to the support of local communities, both Mexican and foreign. The Mexican government sets-up shelters, provides relief supplies and aid, including protection for property owners from looters with patrols by the Mexican army as well as other support. When people are displaced from homes and in a state of emergency through no fault of their own, every little bit helps.

Molly
www.vivalabaja.com

Vigilance Program - Where to Report Fishing Violations

noreply@blogger.com (Molly McHugh) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 21:47:00 +0000

The last Viva La Baja! post gave the basics of the new (and first) citizen-funded and run vigilance program in La Paz: Hot News - Commercial Fishing Vigilance Program. For a more in-depth account of the program, including its origins in 2007, visit the Sea Watch Mexico website and read the article, Mexico's First Citizen-Funded And Run Vigilance Program Starts.

If you are not much of an online reader, and just want the hard, cold facts given to you in a viewable and informative YouTube video... look no further. Click here and wait a minute or two for the five minute video "Hookah Divers Are Killing The Sea" to load onto your desktop. You won´t be disappointed and most likely overwhelmed with emotion at the unecessary and all-encompassing destruction that has been, and is continuing to be, inflicted on the Sea of Cortez and its inhabitants, specifically in this video - species of fish that call the reefs home.

Illegal activities can be reported via email to Sea Watch at reports@seawatch.org. If you would like to participate more fully and/or become a member of Plataforma, please go to this Web page to sign-up: Observatorio Ciudadano. The page contains detailed information on the program and how participants can help stop the massive destruction being inflicted on the Sea of Cortez by commercial fishermen who - simply put - could care less.

As quoted from Sea Watch, "The goal of Plataforma is to get the vast majority of honest fishermen, both commercial and sports fishermen, as well as the cruising community involved in detecting and reporting illegal acts, thereby creating a net of concerned people with the common goal of protecting the Bay."

Go Sea Watch and Plataforma.

Molly, author of Viva La Baja! Relocation & Real Estate Guide to the Baja California Peninsula. Available to order at www.vivalabaja.com.

Hot News - Commercial Fishing Vigilance Program

noreply@blogger.com (Molly McHugh) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 11:35:00 +0000

A new 'Pescadores vigilantes' program has begun in Baja California Sur in an attempt to put an end to illegal commercial fishing interests (not local hook and line fishermen) in the Sea of Cortez. The program allows anyone to report illegal fishing activities anonymously without fear of retribution, either in person, by phone or via email. The illegal activity will then be published in the La Paz paper - every 20 days - that lists the boats stopped, the denuncias filed, what the authorities have done to date and the final resolution (fines issued).

The program is being funded by Sea Watch and it´s supporters at an estimated $8000 USD per month. Here is some background information provided by Mike McGettigan - founder of SeaWatch.

"We have been very busy starting a civil society sponsored and run vigilance program. It is under the banner of "Plataforma" and is being funded in it's first 90 days of operation by Sea Watch. The group "Plataforma" which Sea Watch helped start is now quite strong and is supported by Mexico's largest NGO's."

"We have always felt you have to start with Vigilance and enforcement. Otherwise you start by setting up marine protected areas, marine parks, sanctuaries, etc. and they immediately become the private fishing grounds of the strongest illegal fishermen. There are fishermen that fight (and pay) to have the rights to fish in the protected areas."

Things are off to a successful start - on the first nocturnal Vigilance program of Plataforma in the Bay of La Paz (June 22-24) they caught 8 boats fishing illegally. The illegal activity will then be published in the La Paz paper as mentioned above.

Mike states, "It will be a score card that forces the authorities to do their job which is to arrest boats fishing illegally and prosecute them."

Good news for Baja and all Sea of Cortez marine life.

Next blog entry - Where & how to report illegal activities.

Molly, author of Viva La Baja! Relocation & Real Estate Guide to the Baja California Peninsula. Available to order at www.vivalabaja.com.

Update on the Million Dollar Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Molly McHugh) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 21:51:00 +0000

I didn´t want to continue writing about Programa Rector Nacional without giving the primary Mexican organization in-charge - CIBNOR - a fair chance of responding and offering information about the program such as what has been accomplished, what is being worked on and what the end goals are. To read a previous background post on the Million Dollar Plan and CIBNOR, click here: The Million Dollar Plan - Who´s In Charge?.

I tried various contacts through their website and was eventually referred to the program called Ecologia Pesquera - supposedly that has folks working on Programa Rector Nacional. The information page on the CIBNOR website in English is located here: Fisheries Ecology. A short email was sent to the director of the program (maybe too short) that now needs a bit of follow-through and possibly a search for additional contacts and sources as I have yet to recieve any reply.

I was just hoping for a little information on how things are going as many are rooting for their success in using these funds to change the disastrous direction of the current state of things (over-fishing creating near-extinct species such as bluefin tuna), create sustainable fisheries laws and protect the future of the Sea of Cortez and all its inhabitants.

As new developments arise I will make new posts. Until then, we can all keep our fingers crossed.

Molly, author of Viva La Baja! Relocation Guide to the Baja California Peninsula, available to order at www.vivalabaja.com.

The Million Dollar Plan - Who´s in Charge?

noreply@blogger.com (Molly McHugh) — Tue, 05 May 2009 14:41:00 +0000

This is part II of a series on the 'Million Dollar Plan'. For background information read part I: Baja Fish - How Would You Spend a Million Dollars?

CIBNOR has been granted the contract to develop the PROGRAMA RECTOR NACIONAL: DIAGNÓSTICO Y PLANIFICACIÓN REGIONAL DE LA PESCA Y ACUACULTURA EN MEXICO E INCIDENCIA EN EL ESTADO DE BCS through CONAYCT. So the first question I asked myself is, "Who is CIBNOR"? Until researching online, I hadn´t a clue. And thanks to CIBNOR and their extremely well-done and informative website that includes an English version ( click here to view) I was able to gather the basics of their mission and purpose. I hope for additional posts about the proposed PROGRAMA RECTOR NACIONAL to be able to contact and communicate with someone at CIBNOR directly.

CIBNOR, or The Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, S.C., (Northwestern Center for Biological Reasearch) is a research center whose mission is to contribute to the welfare of society through scientific research, technological innovation, and human resource development in sustainable management of natural resources.

Quoted from the website: "CIBNOR was established in 1975 (initially as CIB - Center for Biological Research) by the Government of the State of Baja California Sur and CONACYT (National Council for Science and Technology) to promote the development of science and technology in the area."

Specialties that biologists and graduate students perform research in are the following: Agronomy, Algae, Aquaculture, Biochemistry, Biodiversity, Bioethics, Biotechnology, Birds, Cacti, Climate, Coasts, Computer Science, Conservation / Restoration, Contamination, Crustaceans, Ecological Regulation, Ecology, Ecophysiology, Education, Engineering / Artificial Intelligence, Environmental Economy, Environmental Impace, Enzymes, Fish, Fisheries, Genetics, Geographic Information Systems, Geology, Health, Hydrology, Marine Botany, Marine Organisms, Marine Turtles, Mastozoology, Microbiology, Mollusks, Nutrition, Oceanography, Oxidative Stress... to name just a few. Alphabetized topics continue to "W", ending with Wild fauna.

Scientific studies and articles on all these topics and others are posted on their website: Specialties. It seems there are more than a few very highly qualified folks in charge of the Million Dollar Plan. Can they get the results needed to protect the Sea of Cortez and all its marine inhabitants?

Molly, author of Viva La Baja! Relocation Guide to the Baja California Peninsula, available to order at www.vivalabaja.com.

Baja Fish - How Would You Spend a Million Dollars?

noreply@blogger.com (Molly McHugh) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:14:00 +0000

** Part I of a series on the 'Million Dollar Plan' to help Mexican fisheries and the Sea of Cortez i.e. the proposed PROGRAMA RECTOR NACIONAL **

Do you care about fish and the survival of all marine life in the Sea of Cortez? Yes... excellent. Now, how would you use a million dollars to create sustainable fisheries and proposed state laws to protect them?

That is the situation now given to the state of Baja California Sur (southern Baja, south of the Guerrero Negro 48th parallel dividing line) by the Mexican Federal Government. Baja Califonia Sur will be given an approximate one million dollars ($11,000,000.00 pesos) to write their own sustainable fisheries laws. The document was signed in the last months of 2007 and is currently in the process of being implemented in a three-phase process:

** diagnostic of "how are the things doing in our coasts"
** new fisheries law
** initiate a plan of how to manage the fisheries in Baja Sur

SeaWatch - is one organization following the proposal to ensure the goals of protecting marine life and creating sustainable fisheries are sufficiently met. The following background information has been provided by SeaWatch:

The Government of the State of Baja California Sur hired the services of the Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste CIBNOR to develop a project called "PROGRAMA RECTOR NACIONAL: DIAGNÓSTICO Y PLANIFICACIÓN REGIONAL DE LA PESCA Y ACUACULTURA EN MEXICO E INCIDENCIA EN EL ESTADO DE BCS " the results will be: A final and comprehensive report of that master plan, the proposed State Plan for Fisheries and Aquaculture and the Proposed State Law on Fisheries and Aquaculture. For this purpose the State Government got Federal Government's resources through CONACYT to pay for CIBNOR services ($11,000,000.00 pesos).

Coming Next: More on the 'Million Dollar Plan'. Is CIBNOR doing their job?

Molly, author of Viva La Baja! Relocation Guide to the Baja California Peninsula, available to order at www.vivalabaja.com.

Peso to Dollar Exchange Rate - Can You Afford to NOT Live in Baja?

noreply@blogger.com (Molly McHugh) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 13:41:00 +0000

Life´s good, have another Tecate. Buy yourself a keg for that matter, at the current peso to U.S. dollar exchange rate of 15 plus to one, you can afford it. And maybe now you can afford that dream to live on the Peninsula. How long will the good times last? Your guess is most likely much better than mine but here is some basic information.

The last I heard of the exchange rate was when I wrote a feature story a few months back and called it a ´whopping´ 13 (pesos) to 1 (USD) - now what should it be called at 15 to 1... unbelievable? That's a bit how I felt when I did a quick check online this a.m. realizing I needed to update my relocation guide as it seems to be only increasing, not falling back to the approximate 11 or 10 peso to 1 it was for years prior.

According to this online graph at X-rates.com the current spike occurred in February - rising a peso from a January rate of 14 to 1 to the current 15 to 1. The increase to the current highs began in October.

If I was living there at present time (currently traveling abroad) I would simply be giddy. Living on a budget becomes much more fun when you get an additional monthly $200 USD or so. I would imagine those with the means and desire to buy Baja real estate are enjoying the current economic climate as well.

And again, how long is this current situation going to hold? Here is one online source - Financial Forcast Center, LLC - with predictions up to September, 2009. They guess in six months time the rate will return to approximately 13 (peso) to the USD. Still, an amazing value for those wanting to Go Baja.

Molly, author of Viva La Baja! Relocation Guide to the Baja California Peninsula, available to order at www.vivalabaja.com.

Free Travel Guide Download Now Available

noreply@blogger.com (Molly McHugh) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 13:50:00 +0000

Viva La Baja! Travel Guide - a basic resource for persons new to Baja who want to relocate or plan a trip is now available as a free and easy to dowload PDF file. The guide includes information on: driving the Peninsula with mileage between towns; side-trips; highlights of a town; rules of the road; taking the ferry to or from the mainland; riding the bus and more such as consulate listings and crime & safety information.

The guide was written for customers of Viva La Baja! Relocation & Real Estate Guide to the Baja California Peninsula but now is available for free to download for anyone who may find it useful. If you know of anyone - pass on the link!

Viva La Baja! Travel Guide Free Download.

The guide will be downloaded to your desktop as a PDF file. To read a PDF file on your computer you will need to have a version of Adobe Acrobat installed - most computers have this software but you can download free from here: Adobe Reader.

I wanted the guide to be a general resource with lots of great info and tips, but not to compete with some of the great guides on the market such as Moon Handbooks Baja - so did not put in restaurant or hotel listings except when is a highlight of an area. Moon Handbooks Baja is a comprehensive resource with hotel and restaurant listings (of course) - yet you have to pay for it - around $16 USD.

I will say, this is the best guide/resource you are going to find for free online. I have viewed the multitude of websites out there. None offer the extent of info I have researched and provided.

Go Baja, Molly
www.vivalabaja.com

Keeping U.S. Vehicle Registration Up-To-Date While Living in Baja

noreply@blogger.com (Molly McHugh) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 15:48:00 +0000

A new year means at some point your U.S.-licensed vehicle tabs are going to have to be renewed. When living in Baja and driving a U.S. auto, you need to have your registration and driver's license current, or are subject to a fine or worse - one American driving with false tabs in Baja Sur had his car confiscated by the Mexican Police. Not fun, don't let it happen to you!

If you want to keep U.S. registration on your auto and be legal in Baja and in the U.S., but can´t do that through your previous state of residence or it is too costly, here is a work-around that some others do. This information came from a member of LaPaz Gringo yahoo group. LaPaz Gringos is a nice low-key group for the Baja Sur area to ask questions, get info etc. You can sign-up for free here: La Paz Gringos.

The post on La Paz gringos was submitted by "The Bread Guy". Thank you Bread Guy for allowing me to reprint the below. The information was first posted on BajaNomad message board, according to the Bread Guy.

---------------- Quoted from La Paz Gringos ----------------

Rather than undergo the hassle and expense of renewing my California license plates, I successfully registered with the state of South Dakota. They do not require smog checks or proof of insurance and are much less expensive.

Just call Cathy Powell, treasurer, Clay County, SD at 605+677-7123. You must have a clear title (which you will submit along with the appllication), and a US mailing address. In the application one window asks for "South Dakota drivers license or Social Security number".

I was very honest with her about the situation and she was really great in talking me thru the process.... what a difference from the indifference of big time California.

Anyway, go to their website at: http://www.claycountysd.org/ and print out an Adobe file with the application. Fill-out each page as an original (You will not fill-out the last form as it is addressed to the lienholder , not necessary for your transaction). Then these forms have to be mailed as they are originals, and you include your title. I sent mine priority mail and had my new plates and tags in about ten days. The new title took about three weeks as it is actually processed at the state level.

--------------------- End Quote -------------------

OK, hope that helps! Molly, author of Viva La Baja! Relocation Guide to the Baja California Peninsula, available to order at www.vivalabaja.com.

Update on NOM-029 - Make Your Voice Heard!

noreply@blogger.com (Molly McHugh) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:43:00 +0000

"Take a Minute - Save Some Billfish"

That was the heading of an email sent on October 14th to my in-box from The Billfish Foundation. I signed-up for their email notification system and they do an excellent job of sending updates on what they are working on, current news reports, etc. You can sign-up here: The Billfish Foundation. On the left-side toolbar is a box to enter your email address, click 'signup' and that´s it!.

These are the folks in-the-know, who have been working for years on conservation issues around the world. When I wrote this blog entry: Can Mexico follow in Peru's Footsteps & Preserve Their Sportfishing Industry?" the information on Peru came from TBF's website.

They are hard at work again, in collaboration with Sea Watch , fighting to over-turn the "incidental by-catch agreement" of NOM-029. Here is the link to the online letter to Mexican officials - all you have to do is click, read the information and enter in your name & email address: Mail Campaign Bycatch Letter.

Sea Watch has done the work of submitting the letter to the right folks for you - click on send and your note (that you can personalize with your own thoughts and opinions) is automatically sent to five officials who - quoted from the website: "... share responsibility managing the resources of the Sea of Cortez".

Here is a quoted segment of the letter that you would sign, "The "by-catch agreement" permits and encourages commercial operations to catch and sell their valuable "by-catch", thereby driving local fishermen out of business and destroying the sport fishery. Without serious enforcement measures and changes to fishing techniques, we should expect that longliners working near the BCS shore will take around 90% of our valuable sport species. Furthermore, we should expect the sport fishery to be decimated by these practices."

Please help Sea Watch, The Billfish Foundation and all others who are working hard to preserve the sanctity of the Sea of Cortez and it´s spectacular inhabitants, by clicking the link above and having your voice heard.

The Spanish version of the letter is on this page: Mail Campaign Bycatch Letter (espanol).

Thanks to TBF and Sea Watch for this post, Molly

Importing a Car to Baja

noreply@blogger.com (Molly McHugh) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 22:58:00 +0000

For penance for my lack of recent posts I thought I would tackle this bear of a question. Reader beware - it is complicated and fairly confusing, especially as things most likely will be changing once again in the new year (January, 2009). Here goes...

Baja is a Free Trade Zone. You do not need a permit or to post a bond when entering the Peninsula by car. When entering the mainland these items are needed, but Baja is exempt from the regulations. If you need detailed information on importing a car to the mainland, please read Question #2 on this page: Viva La Baja! Questions & Answers.

Not having to post a bond or acquire a permit is great for those taking trips, staying for a few months, etc. but what about those folks who move permanently and want to import their U.S. vehicle so as to register as a Mexican car and therefore not have to maintain current vehicle registration and license from the U.S.? Therein lies the rub, so to speak.

As of March 2nd, 2008 the Mexican government excluded all vehicles for import other than year 1998 models. Calderon may turn back this regulation and allow imports again of vehicles 10 years and older via NAFTA original agreement but no one can say that will happen for sure. NAFTA agreement is scheduled to go into effect in the new year (January, 2009). Here is what NAFTA delineates:

"Only vehicles 10 years and older will be allowed in initially. Those age restrictions will gradually be reduced until 2019, when the used-car market will be completely open."

So maybe after the first of the year vehicles other than solely 1998 models will be available for import as older models are allowed back in - but there is no guarantee, Calderon can do as he chooses... 2019 may see an open market or may not.

Next blog entry: How to maintain car registration in the U.S. when living in Baja.

Molly, author of Viva La Baja! Relocation Guide to the Baja California Peninsula, available to order at www.vivalabaja.com.

Lack of Recent Posts on Viva La Baja! Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Molly McHugh) — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 15:30:00 +0000

I could be considered guilty of ´blog neglect´and maybe should be! My half-completed "Hallloween in Baja" post will have to be kept for next year. Currently my son and I are in a travel mode, just completing a major pain in the rear (unless you have tons of cash for airfare) journey from Central America to South America. Much of the time there has been little to no Internet service available... regardless, apologies for being lax on posts.

Upcoming on Viva La Baja! Blog:

*** Learning the Language - for Adults
*** Overfishing & Regulations Meant to Prevent it... Is it working?
*** Getting the Scoop in Baja - Online News Publications for Baja

And many more... but don´t want to give away too many ideas :)

Molly, author of Viva La Baja! Relocation & Real Estate Guide for the Baja California Peninsula. www.vivalabaja.com

Dengue Fever in Baja

noreply@blogger.com (Molly McHugh) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:23:00 +0000

Tis’ the season, unfortunately. In Baja, dengue fever outbreaks typically occur in September and October following hurricane season when water from tropical storms is available for mass breeding of mosquitoes. There are four different types of dengue fever, with no vaccines or cures currently available.

Classic symptoms of the illness are: a high fever that may last from 5 to 7 days; intense headache; joint and muscle pain; and a rash. The rash typically begins on the arms or legs three to four days after the beginning of the fever. Symptoms can range greatly in severity yet in general usually resolve within 1 to 2 weeks.

There is no specific treatment for dengue except well-intended advice to rest and drink plenty of fluids. After recovery from infection of one type you obtain some immunity against that specific virus but subsequent infections by any of the other three types of dengue viruses can be more severe.

Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever is the most serious form of this illness. In addition to the classic symptoms listed above, sufferers can experience internal bleeding, liver enlargement and circulatory shut down. Hospitalization is usually required. It is most common in children under 15 yrs of age, but is also seen in adults.

Health Alert: Dengue Fever & Children If you are the parent of a child who has had an episode of dengue illness, it is important to know that a second infection can be much more severe. Symptoms of Dengue Fever in infants and children are outlined on the Pediatric Oncall website.

The best tactic to prevent dengue is to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes. This includes sleeping in areas screened from mosquitoes, wearing long sleeves and pants and using mosquito repellents. Another protective measure is to destroy breeding sites containing standing water such as old tires, plastic packaging, pet water dishes, etc. Anything that holds standing water can breed mosquitoes.

Molly, author of Viva La Baja! Relocation & Real Estate Guide to the Baja California Peninsula

Learning The Language - For Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Molly McHugh) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:19:00 +0000

Note: This is an excerpt from the chapter “Children and Education” of the Viva La Baja! Relocation & Real Estate Guide. To view all topics covered in the eBook, click here: Table of Contents.

There are many alternatives for educating a non-Spanish speaking child in Mexico, and for acquiring language ability. An excellent way to start is to spend a summer in Mexico and have the child or teenager attend a summer program or camp. It is a fun, low-stress method of learning and can help you assess how quickly he or she will pick-up the language. It also gives a jump-start on the school year if enrolling your child the following Fall is your goal.

My son and I spent a summer in Morelia, Mexico (July, 2007) to beat the heat of Baja and had a good time. He attended a Mexican professional, arts school – Belles Artes – for a month-long program in dance, painting, theatre and music for $75 USD. I wrote an article that contains information on available summer programs for children in Morelia. It can be read online here: Traveling to Mexico with Children.

Even a few days or a week at a hotel day care program can be beneficial. While Mom and Dad play, kids have fun and gain the experience of being in the care of adults who speak Spanish and English. An easy trip across the border, Rosarito Beach Hotel offers supervised kids camp for guests. Detailed information can be found here: Rosarito Beach Hotel.

Ecotourism Kuyima, located in San Ignacio, has weeklong summer camps for Mexican and American children: Adventure's for Kids. Your child would have the opportunity to interact with Mexican children, who may or may not speak English. Interacting with their peers outside of a classroom setting is often times the most effective way for kids to learn.

Viva La Baja! Relocation & Real Estate Guide has additional listings of summer camps, volunteer programs, environmental studies in Baja and other programs for teens and families.

Molly, author of Viva La Baja! Relocation & Real Estate Guide for the Baja California Peninsula. www.vivalabaja.com

Private Bilingual Education for Children in Baja - Norte & Sur

noreply@blogger.com (Molly McHugh) — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 16:15:00 +0000

Private, bilingual schools for Pre-K, Kindergarten, Elementary, Junior High and Highschool are found throughout the Baja California Peninsula. In Northern Baja (Baja Norte) the greatest number of private schools are found in the area from Tijuana to Rosarito. There are private, bilingual schools in Ensenada as well.

For Southern Baja (Baja Sur), the majority of schools are found in La Paz and the Los Cabos area (Cabo San Lucas & San Jose del Cabo). Loreto also has private schooling available.

For information on how to enroll a child in school in Baja, read the previous blog entry: Sending a Child to School in Baja.

Some private schools in Baja offer a bilingual education with curriculum in both Spanish and English. Others are primarily Spanish-only, with English classes. Private school hours typically follow the North American norm of 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Private schools have independent authority over their hours of operation and curriculum but must follow federal guidelines regarding enrollment, the same as with public schools. If your child cannot show proof of successfully completing the previous grade level, he or she will have to repeat the grade.

The three school levels covered here are Pre-escolar (Pre-school grades 0 to kindergarten), Primaria (Primary school grades 1-6) and Secondaria (Middle school grades 7-9). Highschool in Mexico is called Preparatory and is grades 10-12.

There are a few small towns with one private school, such as Loreto; the larger cities such as La Paz and Cabo San Lucas have many. In addition to monthly tuition, you will pay an enrollment fee (approximately one-months tuition) and book and uniform fees ($300 to $500 USD and up).

Private school tuition pricing varies greatly. In La Paz, Montessori La Paz is approximately $180 USD a month for tuition. In Cabo San Lucas, Papalote is approximately $350 USD per month. Below is a selection of private schools in the Baja California Peninsula. Visit the school for more information.

Private Bilingual Schools
Here is contact information for a few private, bilingual schools for both Baja Norte and Baja Sur:

Rosarito Beach:
• Colegio Colina de la Luz (1-6), Lazaro Cardenas 1400
• Instituto de las Americas Bilingüe (1-9), Floresta del Mar. Tel +52 661-22 442
• Colegio Ingles (1-6), Calles Rocio No 1030. Tel 668-02 515

Ensenada:
• Cristóbal Colon (1-6), Av Miramar 831. Tel +52 174-0024
• Colegio Rodríguez Cabrillo (pre-K and up), Calle San Martín No. 700. Tel +52 172-4640
• Colegio Valle de la Trinidad (7-9), Avenue de las Aguilas. Tel +52 003-5050

Loreto:
• Colegio Calafia Loreto (1-6), Calle (street) Colegio Num 20. Tel 613-135-0152

La Paz:
• Colegio Anahuac (7-9), Guillermo Prieto y Republica. Tel 612-122-1184
• Centro Infantil Montessori (pre-K), Normal Urbana Num 1680 ESQ. Tel 621-122-9268
• Colegio Maria Fernanda (1-6), Calle Cuauhtemoc Num. 1615. Tel 612-123-5188

San Jose del Cabo:
• Juan Mc Gregor (1-6), Km 24. 8, Carretera Transpeninsular. Tel 624-144-5595
• Instituto Particular International Libertad, A.C. (1-9), Morelos Num 17. Tel 624-142-0428
• Centro Educativo Cactus y Mar (1-6), Manzana 21 Lote 8. Tel 624-172-8288

Cabo San Lucas:
• El Camino (1-12), Callejón del Jorongo Num 210. Tel 624-143-2100
• Montessori Omeyocan (1-6), Jacarandas s/n Lomas del Pacifico. Tel 624-173-0156
• Colegio Amarento, A.C. (1-6), Km 6.7, Carretera Transpeninsular. Tel 624-145-8701
• Papalote (1-6), 5 de Febrero E/ignacio Zaragoza. Tel 624-144-4311

Molly, author of Viva La Baja! Relocation Guide to the Baja California Peninsula, available for order at www.vivalabaja.com.

Sending a Child to School in Baja

noreply@blogger.com (Molly McHugh) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:45:00 +0000

Your kids have had a blast in Baja. You have as well. They’re sold, you’re sold. Everyone is caught up in hyper-speed towards relocation until you realize... yikes! It is time to pull back on the Baja-bound, super-shuttle throttle – your children have to go to school.

You have three basic options for schooling your child in the Baja California Peninsula: public school, private school or homeschooling. My personal advice, based upon experience with both private and public school systems on the mainland and in Baja, is this; if your child is bilingual, and speaks Spanish fluently, you have any school in the country available to you, pick and choose.

If your child is not bilingual, and has little familiarity with the Spanish language, tread cautiously. A private school may best suit his or her needs, where Spanish is taught for half the day and English the other half. For the English-learning part of the day they get to be the star student, counter-balancing the initial struggles and frustrations during the hours of Spanish instruction.

In immersion programs the instructors are trained to deal with issues faced by non-native speakers. They have to be to teach Mexican children English. In public schools they most likely are not. The cost of private schooling runs anywhere from $150 to $350 U.S. a month and up.

Mexican schools will welcome you as a foreigner – to a certain extent. In deciding what option may be best for your child, keep in mind that public schools in Mexico will not provide support for a non-native speaking child, as is common in many areas of the U.S, and other First World countries. Your advantaged and/or bright child may succeed effortlessly from the ages of three to seven years of age (approximately) when language acquisition is at its peak and little academic stress is put upon them.

Your middle school-aged child or teenager may or may not. A less-stressful first leap into the culture may be a summer program or volunteer abroad program. There are summer programs in Baja and on the mainland.

Another alternative is to start-out homeschooling and take it from there, making decisions based on how it goes and what resources are available in your particular Baja town. Some expat parents send their children to the local public program in the day or afternoon and homeschool English curriculum.

To enroll a child in public or private school in Mexico you must show proof he or she has successfully completed the previous school year and therefore is eligible to continue on to the next grade level. If there are no school records available, or the student does not pass final examinations, they have to repeat the previous year. In my sons’ fourth grade public school class one child was 12 years old.

The school will ask for a copy of the child’s birth certificate, a copy of school records showing completion of the previous year of study and photo identification for the child and for the parent. If your child has been homeschooling in the states independently of any school system you must create an official report for him or her that is validated in a way acceptable to the school.

Mexican public school hours are typically from 8 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Private school hours commonly follow the North American norm of 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Private schools have independent control over curriculum and hours of operation but must adhere to the same government-mandated guidelines for enrollment.

Molly, author of Viva La Baja! Relocation Guide to the Baja California Peninsula, available for order at www.vivalabaja.com.

Can You Catch Lyme Disease in Baja?

noreply@blogger.com (Molly McHugh) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:21:00 +0000

Time out in the Baja desert means ticks, yet thankfully not Lyme disease. There has not been a reported case of Lyme disease on the Baja California Peninsula, and those dedicated smart folks - scientists - have figured out why. It seems the organism that causes Lyme Disease can not survive in the primary host for ticks in Baja - lizards.

Lyme disease is contracted when a tick carrying the Lyme disease spirochete bites a host organism and passes the bacterium in the blood. Three different types of bacterium can transmit Lyme disease. In Baja and Western states in the U.S. such as Utah, Arizona and California the ticks feed off of lizards. Lizards have been found to have some type of substance in their blood that kills the bacterium present in the ticks stomach. The ticks then do not harbor the organism any longer so cannot transmit it to other hosts such as us humans.

In the Northeast, where Lyme disease in prevalent, the black-legged ticks feed off of white mice and continue to carry and transmit the bacteria. It is estimated that 50% of ticks in the Northeastern states of the U.S. harbor the Lyme disease causing spirochete, but is found in only 5% of ticks inhabitating the Western areas.

A trademark of the illness is a round, red rash on the skin where bitten. The infection can be treated successfully with antibiotics if diagnosed and treated promptly, but if left untreated can cause long-term, disabling symptoms.

An article describing the above in more detail can be found here on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website: Learn About Lyme Disease.

Molly, author of Viva La Baja! Relocation Guide to the Baja California Peninsula available for purchase at Viva La Baja!

Desert Series #4 - The Magdalena Plains

noreply@blogger.com (Molly McHugh) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 21:10:00 +0000

The fourth and final sub-region of the Sonoran Desert that encompasses land area on the Baja California Peninsula is the Magdalena Plains.

The other three segments were described in these previous blog entries:
Desert Series #1 - The Vizcaino Desert
Desert Series #2 - The San Felipe Desert
Desert Series #3 - Gulf Coast Deserts.

The Magdalena Plains sub-region lies south of the Vizcaino Desert(a designated Biosphere Reserve) and is the souternmost region of the Sonoran Desert. Located along the coastal plains and in the foothills this area receives less than 3 inches of rain a year, almost exclusively in the summer months from tropical storms.

The primary plant endemic to this area is the creeping devil (Stenocereus eruca) cacti, which literally grows along the desert floor. Thornscrub and other tropical plants, trees and shrubs can be found in the rocky inland foothills.

Molly
Author of Viva La Baja! Relocation Guide to the Baja California Peninsula, available to order at www.vivalabaja.com.

Desert Series #3 - Gulf Coast Deserts

noreply@blogger.com (Molly McHugh) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 17:09:00 +0000

The Gulf Coast section of the Sonoran Desert extends from Bahia Los Angeles along the Sea of Cortez to the tip of the Peninsula (San Jose del Cabo). The further south you travel in Baja the hotter (generally speaking)it gets, with temperatures on the Sea of Cortez side approximately 10 degrees higher than the Pacific Coast. Summertime temperatures in the Gulf Coast Desert region often rise above 100F. Sizzling hot.

The mountain ranges on the Peninsula create a rain shadow effect on the Sea of Cortez side protecting it from winter rains. Much of the moisture found in this area comes from tropical storms during hurricane season. These tropical storms, or chubascos as they are also called, can have winds reaching speeds of up to 200 kph.

Cardon cacti are prevalent on the Gulf Coast often in large tracts. They are less dominant in desert forests north as they can not survive the winter frosts. Other trees in the Gulf Coast Desert include palo verde, ocotillo, ironwood and elephant trees. There are few small shrubs in this region as there shallow root systems and lack of water storage don't survive the long droughts that can last several years.

Molly, author of Viva La Baja! Relocation Guide to the Baja California Peninsula