More Fun In Baja

[goinoff]

6 bodies found in Tijuana house after shootout

TIJUANA, Mexico - Officials said they found six executed kidnapping
victims inside a Tijuana house where gunmen took refuge Thursday
during a chaotic three-hour shootout with soldiers and police.

...
Already this week, gunmen shot and killed eight people in Tijuana,
including two local police officers, as well as a district commander, his
wife and his 12-year-old daughter.
...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22721998/

[windsrf]

So, maybe the moral is to windsurf around Tijuana and then enjoy the rest of the more peaceable Baja?? Just got back from 2 weeks in Cabo Pulmo with medium to good winds - but flew over Tijuana. Understandably subdued windsurfing community there, and everyone focused on safety. David

[BajaVaya]

Just flew back from San Quintin. Flew down to P. San Carlos to drop off water, and 2 propane tanks for my next trip.

Wished I could stay, but I have a miserable cold and would rather not make it worse.

I have said this before and I will say it again (and probably again): In all the 40 years of flying and driving down to Baja, and all those years of talking to amigos, Gringo and Mexican, who also have houses down there -- I have yet to find one who actually came face to face with a narcotraficante, or organized crime honcho. Those guys are professionals, they deal in $ millions -- nickel and diming with turistas risks messing up their whole well-tuned, underground infrastructure. Articles in gringo newspapers are bad for business.

Does this make Mexico safe? No... it just means that incidents quoted by goinoff have about as much to do with windsurfing in Mexico, as the dozens of weekly murders, organized crime, etc in Inglewood, Compton, Watts and east LA, have to do with driving and shopping in LA.

If reading articles like that gives you 2nd thoughts about Baja then stay home because, statistically, the probability of you overshooting a bend in the road, or dozing off at the wheel and ending up just another cross on the highway are at least two orders of magnitude greater than an encounter with even a minor ladron. But who mentions that? Nor do they mention that your cross on the roadside will be in good company with those of other Americanos who thought that because speed laws are not enforced on the Mexican open road, neither are the laws of physics.

As to Nealpar being pulled in with an open can of beer, I wouldn't try that in Gringoland, let alone Baja. In the US, I doubt you would get off by handing over a couple hundred $. If there was a can of beer in the hand, was there beer on the breath? Thanks to all the "borrachos" killing themselves on the road (and, unfortunately, taking others with them) the cops have been told to crack down.

On a more +ve note. The waves at PSC were big, but inconsistent. Thanks (or no thanks) to the Santa Ana there was little wind (15 mph). El Socorrito had beautiful 8-10 ft waves in long lines, but no wind. Shipwreck and the breaks to Quatro Casas, from the air, had beautiful sweeping breaks with easy exits -- great for surfers. But no wind. (Shipwreck looked like it had its classic mile-long rides.)

To those interested in Baja Norte windsurfing -- if the weather service predicts Santa Ana, stay home. This has been my experience over the years. (I have, on occasion, experienced somewhat sailable wind during a Santa Ana, but it is unusual.)

[Epenrose]

Same old repeated Gringo stories.

There is an old stat I heard years ago that Baja has 10% the crime of San Diego county, I am sure it is pretty close to true.

I am sure we will all here how all Parisians are rude, England has terrible food and people with bad teeth, oh wait that one is true, Italians will rip you off at any chance.

These posts are such a waste of space and have that usual racist overtone, whether the poster realizes that or not. If you are going to post this crap that please make sure that you find the white man kills so on and so on.

White people are crazy, don't worry about the Mexicans and especially Baja. Respect the people, 99% are delightful, try the language, they'll love you even more, especially if you happen to be white.

And stop with these moronic posts unless it reads the follwoing:

"Drug barons hold windsurf group hostage to steal gear, find great wave spots and also are rumored to have lifted all beer supplies"

Otherwise shut the f^^() up with these postings.