So… I drove down to Ensenada for some camping and fish tacos. Little did I know, it super cool to completely destroy car doors instead of the good old breaking of the windows, in order to steal the $6 dollar bills inside. And my Down Patagonia jacket I had left in there… for the freezing weather coming up in Northern Baja this time of year?
Well… the tacos were almost worth it… ALMOST.
So… anyone parting out an 06 Black Subaru Impreza of any sort?
Were you drinking in Hussongs getting the electric battery shock? My buddies and I used to go there 25 years ago to surf K38 before drving down to Ensenada to get completely messed up on cheap tequila and beer. Thank God those days are over. Is there still a campground at K55?
i use to go to that same area for surf. stopped doing that about 9 years ago after being stopped by the federalies…they took my mag fllashlights, both the big one and the little one. they had a check point heading north. there was about 12 of us in 5 different vehicles, they let everyone pass thru except us gringos, stopped and searched all 5 vehicles…NEVER AGAIN!
Sorry man, I stopped going to Mexico back in 87, used to live in San Diego, volleyball and surfing on the beach in Ensenada, but it was already getting bad, you had to take at least 200 dollars worth of 20 dollar bills to make sure you got back home.
Were you drinking in Hussongs getting the electric battery shock?
Been there done that. I must have been nuts!
Like many things I am sure that Ensenada is not what it used to be. I have fond memories of road trips down there from my Cousin’s place in Dana Point back in the 80’s. Even did the big Tecate - Ensenada bike ride one year. Epic! Free Tecate beer at the finish!!
Sorry to hear about the OP’s car. That did not look good and I am sure is going to be expensive to fix.
****Sorry to hear about the OP’s car. That did not look good and I am sure is going to be expensive to fix.
it will be, happened to me locally on my old car and they basically had to take apart the door, fix the metal, put it back together and repaint it. I had no valuables inside the car at all, happened at a public park parking lot, wonder what they were trying to do (and wish they had gone for the window instead!)
Yep,
Another proud supporter of the Mexico boycott here. There are better third world countries to go to. My dad went on a fishing trip there about five years ago and one of the guys crashed a rental car, (after the front suspension fell of while driving) and was killed. It took twenty grand worth of bribes to get the body back to the US. That was after a five hundred dollar bribe to keep the body in the fridge while the other check cleared. That place will never see one of my hard earned dollars by choice.
I am in Mexico all the time for business and pleasure. Just like the U.S. it really depends where you are. Border areas suck on both sides of the fence with all the drugs, guns and criminals crossing back and forth. I will never go back to TJ but I am in Mazatlan at least 6 times a year and have never had any crime issues. Just a 100 peso “fine” to a cop who clocked us doubling the speed limit a few months ago.
To all who think this is just a Mexico thing, park your car near a tourist spot or beach in Hawaii with anything of value visible and kiss your window and stuff goodbye. Every parking lot on the road to Hana sparkles with all the shards of rental car windows that have been smashed out. The “ice” addicts hanging out at Cook’s bay on the big island start looking at the contents of your car before you even get your kayak untied. Best advice I got was never lock your car in Hawaii unless you have paid for the extra rental car insurance.
I go every year at least twice for surf trips, but about 15 years ago I vowed to never stop shorter than San Quentin. I had my run ins from Ensenada north to the border, and it has just gotten worse every year. Southern Baja is still a beautiful place to visit, and hasn’t changed much in the last 30 years. Just have to get through that first 200 miles, I usually do that very early in the morning on a Sunday…Don’t give up, just get some extra time and keep driving. Surf is better further down too, and you can catch your own fish and make fresh tacos…
^ Ahh… thanks for the heads up. That makes sense too. This trip was kind of just to see how it was, I had never driven in Mexico before. This summer my friends and I are planning on taking a bit longer… we’ll have to head further south. Thanks for the tip.