A harmless Northern Baja sunrise. Photo: Mark McInnis
I called my mom yesterday to wish her a happy birthday. It was late because I was returning from yet another adventurous trip south of the border. In her cutest and most adorable mother voice she said to me, “Aren’t there enough waves in San Diego? And I don’t want your wife to become a young widow, either.” I love you too, Mom.
I’ve been asked about 25 different questions about surfing Northern Baja, but all of them culminate in the same question: “Is it worth it?” Northern Baja can be dangerous, as can the U.S. You can get lost in Northern Baja for sure. The street and highway signs always mess me up. But I get lost in the U.S. all the time, mostly due to Siri. Everybody in Northern Baja pretty much speaks some form of English, but the more I cross the San Ysidro, the more my Spanish gets better. Just the other day, I had a conversation for ten minutes, all in Spanish. I was pretty amazed. The lineups can get crowded, but crowded in that part of the world is about eight to ten people.
American’s reluctance towards surfing in Northern Baja has a lot to do with the reason lineups there aren’t crowded in the same way they are here in the U.S. If you take a look at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affair’s warning about traveling in Mexico, not only will you not want to spend a minute in Mexico, but you’ll probably stop eating burritos, tacos and other Mexican delicacies. Line after line is one negative nellie after another. From “Transnational Criminal Organizations or T.C.O.’s” to “kidnappings & disappearances including expatriates and police” to “road blocks on major thorough fares, preventing the military and police from responding to criminal activities” spark yet another internal argument not to go. Uncle Sam discourages any travel into “Border Areas,” which include cities in Northern Baja like Tijuana, Rosarito and Ensenada. Take a look at the State Department Warnings. There is plenty of truth to it, but at the same time, it’s like watching a bad Antonio Banderas movie. And in all honesty, between 2007 and 2008, Baja was like a bad Antonio Banderas movie. In most cases, it was worse.
What turns most surfers away nowadays isn’t the crime or violence in Northern Baja. Word has spread on the beaches in San Diego, and is spreading around Baja, about how things have changed for the positive. Just last month, the San Diego Reader published an article by Elizabeth Salaam titled “Baja is Back” that has tempted a lot of San Diegans to cross the San Ysidro. But no matter how much good press or positive rumors spread about Baja and its comeback, surfers will always remain somewhat reticent. With the new passport law that took affect a few years back, re-entry can take up to five hours if you are unlucky. One thing you don’t want to do in Mexico is stop in traffic. Stopping is bad. From getting stuck in the middle of a gun fight, to eating a bad Taco al Vapor while waiting in line at the border, things can go from bad to worse in a Mexican minuto. Nowadays, having a SENTRI Pass is the way to go.
What really gets me is how Mexican-Americans, with strong Mexican roots in Tijuana, are afraid to cross the border. My buddy’s mother always blesses us before we leave and constantly texts us when we are across to make sure we are safe. She is a strong and courageous woman and when I see her scared, I get a bit scared. Just a few trips south ago, a person staying in a room next to me was caught in the crossfire of a “hit,” receiving bullet holes in her driver-side door. I didn’t have the nerve to tell my Madre about this. She’d never let us cross again.
Hugo Torres, the former mayor of Rosarito, said in an interview: “The City of Rosarito had it’s lowest crime rate ever in 2010, but that is not the perception in the United States. People hear about violence in Juarez and the thought is that all Mexico is dangerous. Americans don’t know Mexican geography.” Torres was right but not about surfers. Surfers are rarely discouraged when it comes to good waves, and the region that Uncle Sam warns us not to visit in Northern Baja (aka border areas) are full of some of the most epic waves in all of Mexico. From K38 and it’s endless right, to the hollowness of Salsipuedes (which means “leave if you can,” no pun intended…well maybe a little bit) and the fast and mighty right of San Miguel, Northern Baja can fulfill a surfers most wildest and wet dream.
And the food. By God, the food. If you get a chance, stop by the Popotla fishing village on the dirt road just south of the Baja Studios. Fresh fish, local flavor and a whole lot of big birds waiting to fight over the scraps. Then there is the classic Taco Surf, at K38, serving up carne con todos. For you pescatarians, my personal favorite taco shop in Northern Baja, K38 Fish & Shrimp Tacos, is a can’t beat. If you’re lucky, Tacho will be serving up lobster burritos after your post Saturday surf.
I’ve been over a dozen times now, have gotten to know a lot of good people down there including local surfers, fishermen, expats and just regular down-to-earth La Raza. To say the least, there are some interesting characters living down there. Their advice for me while visiting Northern Baja are as follows:
1. Know where you’re going.
2. Don’t travel at night.
3. Minimize stopping while driving.
4. Learn basic Spanish–including greetings and small talk.
5. No matter how much you cross over, and no matter how much nothing happens, and no matter how safe it feels, remain aware of the fact that you are in Mexico.
6. Respect. Treat Baja like you do your home country.
It’s worth it to catch waves in countries like Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, Chile, Indonesia, the Philippines and so on–all developing countries which deal with similar issues economically (and some socially) as Mexico. Why not Northern Baja? But hey, don’t ask me, I’m still trying to convince my Mom and Madre.
