Date:         Sat, 24 Mar 2012 15:34:33 -0700
Reply-To:     mark drillock <mdrillock@COX.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         mark drillock <mdrillock@COX.NET>
Subject:      Re: re. Trip Report, Baja Whales 2012,part 1, long, boring
In-Reply-To:  <CAHTkEuK2Orm06_rqDXRL=+y37z7W144hTm=5wENtW11hPfSoQQ@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

As much as I enjoy visiting there I can't think of many ways Baja is
ahead of the US. But Baja is not a country, it is just 2 isolated states
of the large country of Mexico. The vagaries of immigration laws vary
from country to country but most countries take measures to keep those
they consider undesirable from becoming long term residents. I did not
personally find it hard to get my Mexican FM-3 but I guess if you failed
the background check they would turn you down or want you to jump
through more hoops. Tourists don't need one so not Vanagon content anyway.

There used to be some old abandoned bays and split window buses that
were highway landmarks in the middle of nowhere for many years. They and
the other old abandoned cars were cleaned up some years ago when scrap
metal prices shot up and a clean highways program was initiated. You can
still see a dead bus or two and a few dead Vanagons, all parked on
private property and some have clearly been there a while. Most of these
are in tourist areas so I presume they got left behind when some tourist
had serious troubles that couldn't be fixed. Other than a famous VW shop
in LaPaz you would be unlikely to find competent Vanagon service much
south of the border. About 10 years ago the VW dealer in LaPaz turned me
away but did send me to that independent shop who had the part I needed.
I have recently heard of other Vanagons and Syncros who were helped
there too, with parts and service.

The Mexican watercooled bay window buses were once a common sight used
for commercial delivery vehicles but I haven't seen one in Baja for a
few years at least. There were once so many that some must still be
around somewhere. Vanagons have never been a common sight other than
visiting tourists. We ran into a few during this last trip, mostly near
Mulege. A few years ago I started seeing some with Baja plates in the
border areas. Lots of vehicles that fail Calif smog end up headed south
and I have been to San Diego auto auctions where such vehicles were
offered for sale only to bidders who would be removing them from the US.

Mark


Don Hanson wrote:
>
>    Baja is in many ways ahead of the US.     They have a very stict
> immigration system and they enforce their labor laws.  You will NOT see
> 'guest workers' everywhere in Baja.  Gringos are not allowed to work in
> that country without extensive Immirgrtion documentation. .........
> You can not work on your neighbor's house, unless you have FM-3
> immigration status..and that is quite difficult to get. .........
>
>     It is a great place for a Vanagon, for sure.   I've been going to Baja
> since forever in various vans, starting with my 1957 Splittie.   Yes, the
> countryside has radically changed in the northern part until you pass Bahia
> San Quintin....We never stop in that northern section to stay over night in
> the Vans....be like camping in a really rough part of any American city...
>
>    If you get off Baja route 1 and explore, especially below about Guerro
> Negro....you will find the locals quite friendly usually and the side road
> and back roads? a bit 'free-form'....out in the desert when there is room,
> when one track gets all washboard....they simply drive on a different
> track, so there may be 10 choices of which fork....but they always seem to
> end up at the same spot, eventually.   For a while, there were at least 3
> burned-out Vanagons along the roadside in various spots along the main
> highway.  Mexican mechanics know how to work on them...Have good tires when
> you head south...
>