<![CDATA[
<BODY>
<center>
<table>
<tr>
<td width="125" valign="top">
<center>
<dt><FONT color=#0000ff><b><FONT size=4>Location</FONT>:
<table border="1" bgcolor="#fdfed3">
<TR>
<TD>
<center>
<dt><b><font color="#FF0000"><a href="history/index.html" target="_top"> General
Info</a><br>
Location:</font></b></dt>
</center>
<dl>
<dt><b><u><a href="bay-of-la/index.html" target="_top">Bay of L. A.</a></u></b></dt>
<dt><b><u><a href="pto-penasco/index.html" target="_top">Puerto penasco</a></u></b></dt>
<dt><b><u><a href="bajamar/index.html" target="_top">Bajamar</a><br>
<a href="baja-seasons/index.html">Baja Seasons</a></u></b></dt>
<dt><b><u><a href="tijuana/border-traffic-tj.html">Border
Traffic</a></u></b></dt>
<dt><b><u><a href="c-s-lucas/index.html" target="_top">C-SanLucas</a></u></b></dt>
<dt><b></b></dt>
<dt><b><u><a href="ensenada/index.html" target="_top">Ensenada</a></u></b></dt>
<dt><b><u><a href="east-cape/index.html" target="_top">East
Cape</a></u></b></dt>
<dt><b><u><a href="guerrero-negro/index.html">Guerrero Negro</a></u></b></dt>
<dt><b><u><a href="la-paz/index.html" target="_top">La Paz</a></u></b></dt>
<dt><b><u><a href="loreto/index.html" target="_top">Loreto</a></u></b></dt>
<dt><b><u><a href="c-s-lucas/index.html" target="_top">Los
Cabos</a></u></b></dt>
<dt><b><u><font color="#FF0000"><a href="mexicali/index-2.html" target="_top">Mexicali</a></font></u></b></dt>
<dt><b><u><a href="mulege/index.html" target="_top">Mulegé</a></u></b></dt>
<dt><b><u><a href="la-salina/index.html">Puerto Salina</a></u></b></dt>
<dt><b><u><a href="mulege/index-pc.html" target="main">Punta
Chivato</a></u></b></dt>
<dt><b><font color="#CCCCCC"><a href="rosarito/index.html">Rosarito</a></font></b></dt>
<dt><b><u><a href="san-felipe/index.html" target="_top">San
Felipe</a></u></b></dt>
<dt><b><u></u></b></dt>
<dt><b><u><a href="sanjose/index.html" target="_top">San Jose
d Cabo</a></u></b></dt>
<dt><b><u><a href="sanqui/index.html" target="_top">San Quintin</a></u></b></dt>
<dt><b><u>Santa-Rosalia</u></b></dt>
<dt><b><u><font color="#C0C0C0"><a href="tecate/tecate.htm" target="main">Tecate</a></font></u></b></dt>
<dt><b><u><font color="#FF0000"><a href="tijuana/index.html" target="_top">Tijuana</a></font></u></b></dt>
<dt><b><u><font color="#CCCCCC"><a href="todos-santos/index.html">Todos
Santos</a></font></u></b></dt>
</dl>
<DT>
</TD>
</TR>
</table></b></FONT></center>
<dt></dt>
</td>
<td VALIGN=top>
<center>
<b>
<CENTER>
<center>
<div align=center></div>
</center>
<div>
<div align="center">
<center>
<p><b><font size="+2" color="#009900">Welcome at Mexico Baja
Web Travel Guides.<br>
</font></b><b>Please select at the left menu the Destination
or subject of you choice you can also </b></p>
<p align="center"><b><a href="search.html"><font size="+1">Click
here to Search. </font></a></b><br>
</p>
<p align="left"><b>At the the request for more pictures we are
adding slide shows of various subjects, not all are ready
jet but the once we have are underlined and you are free to
click on them to see the Shows. </b><b>We also started adding
International Introductions in 5 languages, German, Spanish,
French, Italian and Japanese.</b></p>
<hr>
<font size="+6" color="#FF0033"><b>For firsttimers only</b></font><br>
<p align="center"> “<b>IF YOU GO TO MEXICO, BUY A GOOD LIFE
INSURANCE, WRITE YOUR LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT AND ARRANGE
FOR YOUR LOVED ONES TO BE TAKEN CARE OF!”</b> </p>
</center>
<p><b><font color="#0000CC">That is the first comment you will
hear from the “expert” who has eaten a taco or two in his hometown.</font></b></p>
<p align="left"><b>And then there are those well meaning neighbors
and friends who urgently want to convince you of all the dangers
you will meet on a trip to Mexico. From a very reliable source
they know of all the hair-raising things that can happen there.
However, if you investigate more closely, it is usually a good
friend who knows a co-worker whose wife has a girl friend and
she heard form another friend that ......</b></p>
<p><b> <font color="#FF0000" size="+1">FORGET ALL THIS NONSENSE!
! !<br>
</font></b><b><font color="#0000FF">If you want to visit Baja
California you will experience a little paradise</font></b></p>
<p align="left"><b>First of all you should know that your own
country would count itself lucky if they had such a low crime
rate. Sure, like everywhere in the world there are good and
bad people but here you can count on meeting more of the good
variety. As long as the police report section of the local newspaper
consists largely of fender benders or a stolen chicken, life
is good.</b></p>
<p align="left"><b>Visitors to the Baja are pleasantly surprised
by the warm hospitality with which the Mexicans welcome them.
As a woman you can stroll through the streets at night all by
yourself without fear of being molested.</b></p>
<p align="left"><b>It has nothing to do with “macho” if a man
enters the restaurant first. This is a tradition left over from
the times when the gentleman first checked the locality for
safety and appropriateness for his lady.</b></p>
<p align="left"><b>In the tourist restaurants they are already
used to the “new masculine manners”, however off the beaten
track a lady should still keep in mind to let her escort go
first.</b></p>
<p align="left"><b>Apropos Restaurant: It is important to know
that tips in the tourist areas run between 10 % and 15 %. If
you visit a restaurant where local people go, you give a tip
of 5 % up to a maximum of 10 %, no more!!!</b></p>
<p align="left"><b>Also, when shopping in one of those big grocery
stores, the boy who takes you groceries to your car receives
the equivalent of 20 cents as tip. That is really sufficient.
Please don’t make the usual mistake to say that these are only
worthless coins and the cute little guy is so nice and friendly.
You only spoil the children to the point where they have no
concept of the value of money. Many of the children take home
more money in the few hours they ‘work’ after school, than their
father can earn as wage the whole week. This may create problems
in the family. Furthermore, they will have a hard time once
they get to old for the job as “boy”.</b></p>
<p align="left"><b>The Mexicans are by no means envious; on the
contrary, they will honestly admire what you have. They do not
have the urge to own everything you do and are completely unselfish
and happy for you. Something they just don’t like is people
who brag about their worldly goods or money.</b></p>
<p align="left"><b>Sadly there are those visitors who live north
of the border and feel they have to impose their own life style
and “culture” on the Mexicans. Please distance yourself from
that kind of people. These are only a few suggestions.<br>
Now we want to talk about another important subject, money.</b></p>
<p align="center"><b>DON’T CHANGE PESOS OUTSIDE OF MEXICO! ! !</b></p>
<p align="left"><b>Not only do you get the worst exchange rate
possible, you don’t even need Pesos on your arrival. Take your
US Dollars and only change money whenever you need Pesos. Normally,
the best exchange rate you will get in the stores, NOT at the
banks. In some stores you don’t even have to buy something in
order to exchange your money. You can also just open up a debit
account at your own bank at home and take a plastic card with
your PIN number. With this card you can draw up to 300.00 US
Dollars daily. That way you get the best exchange rate possible.</b></p>
<p><b> DON’T TAKE ANY TRAVELER CHECKS! ! !</b></p>
<p align="left"><b>You will have big problems to pay with traveler
checks and the exchange rate is very low. This makes sense when
you know that there are North American vacationers who pay by
traveler check and immediately afterwards report them as stolen.
The Banks and stores then have big problems to prove that those
checks were legally received. This procedure can sometimes take
up to 1 year before they finally receive their due payment.
Besides, the traveler check is really outdated in this day and
age.</b></p>
<p><b>Therefore: Plastic and PIN number!</b></p>
<p align="left"><b>If you have time on your hands between flights
and want to buy in a duty free shop, think carefully. Here are
only some of the items you can buy cheaper in any store in Mexico:<br>
Cigarettes: Depending on brand name they cost about US $ 2.50
to US $ 9.00 for a whole carton.<br>
Alcohol: Rum, Brandy, Vodka, Tequila are about US $ 2.00 to
US $ 10.00 per liter (quart).<br>
Cosmetics and perfume of brand names known all over the world
are between 50 % and 70 % cheaper than in Canada, USA or Europe.<br>
Then there are shoes, shoes, and shoes. Here are many shoe stores
with first class shoes at prices from US $ 2.00 to US $ 50.00.
For instance some Florsheim, you buy them in the USA for about
US $ 360.00; here you pay for the same model about US $ 40.00.</b></p>
<p align="left"><b>Clothing is according to Europe fashion but
much cheaper. Fabrics you can buy at prices that back home you
can only dream about. Do you need new curtains? Calculate about
US $ 2.00 to US $ 3.00 per meter. It is worthwhile to buy the
material in Mexico.</b></p>
<p align="left"><b>Now, about food and drink:<br>
First of all the water: There are the most awful stories. Contrary
to the mainland, where there are indeed problems in some areas,
in all of Baja California is only absolutely pure drinking water.
Furthermore there are many companies whose trucks deliver purified
water in 5 gallon bottles for the very worried.<br>
If you want to be absolutely sure, you take this purified water,
boil it twice, add purifying tablets, boil it again, add 6 drops
of bleach, boil it one more time, then throw it out and drink
beer. ( OK, just kidding .)<br>
By the way, the Mexican beer is excellent and is similar to
the German brew.</b></p>
<p align="left"><b>Regarding fruit and vegetables you have to
know that nearly all is organically grown. Chemicals are too
expensive and are rarely used. So, of course everything tastes
differently. Also the meat has to be mentioned. Because Baja
cattle and chicken are not treated with hormones or other chemicals
it is simply delicious. For instance the true gourmet will appreciate
the T-bone steak barbecued on a mesquite Grill. So, again: No
chemicals, no milk from cows with injected hormones. If by chance
you keep the milk after the expiration date, it won’t spoil
and become bitter like in the USA or Canada, but like in the
good old times you will have perfectly healthy and drinkable
sour milk. Even the eggs are mostly from free roaming hens and
taste very good. Only if you want to loose weight are you in
the wrong place. There are many excellent restaurants with a
cuisine that will attack your waistline. Again there are many
rumors that the food is very spicy and for non-Mexicans indigestible.
NONSENSE ! ! !</b></p>
<div align="left"><br>
<b>With only a few exceptions, the food is normally spiced.
You yourself make it as hot as you like. The street vendors
sell very tasty and absolutely hygienic food. Besides, the person
who handles the food is not allowed to handle the money. If
he does, he loses his license. So, you see, you can really enjoy
the street food too. </b></div>
<p align="left"><b>However, even the healthiest person sometimes
needs medical attention. Here you can receive the best medical
care at a true bargain price. In case you cannot afford even
this low cost, you will be treated free of charge! ! Only if
you live in Mexico, you will have to buy Mexican health insurance
at a yearly rate of about US $ 220.00 for 2 persons.</b></p>
<p align="left"><b>Before you open your mouth at your dentist
at home you should know that the Mexican dentists also are first
rate and charge a lot less than you are used to in your country.
The instruments they use are the latest in dental technology.
One of the dentists in La Paz already works with laser and drilling
has become painless. So you can have that troublesome tooth
fixed without pain and your pocketbook will not suffer.</b></p>
<p align="center"><b>Of course that doesn’t mean that you have
to go to the dentist or that you have to get sick or even start
smoking at these low prices. By the way, you can also buy very
good Mexican cigars. Enjoy a genuine Havana with a superb Baja
wine, let the sun smile on you and you will experience an unforgettable
vacation.</b><br>
<br>
<font color="#009900"><b>The Baja truly is one of the last corners
of paradise on earth, worth discovering.</b></font></p>
</div>
</div>
</CENTER>
<font color="#3333ff"></FONT></b></center>
</td>
</tr>
</table></center>
</body>
]]>