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TRAVEL
DOCUMENTS: Regulations dictate that a Tourist Card
is required to travel to Bahia de los Angeles since
it is South of Ensenada. Please keep in mind that Tourist
Cards MUST be obtained at a border crossing (Tijuana
or Tecate, for example). DO NOT attempt to obtain
one in Ensenada; you will be assessed a fine for not
having it done at the border crossing where you entered
Mexico.
Baja
California State Tourism Website Page on Tourist Cards...
References:
Baja
California State Tourism Site;
Mexico's
Ministry of Tourism
Info Page; "Manual of Tourist Entry" available
for download - (PDF format)
View
Photos & Additional Information on How & Where
to Obtain Tourist Card...
ATM's:
There are no ATM's or banks in Bahia de los Angeles.
You can use a debit or credit card at Costa del
Sol, but only for payment of services there. You'll
have to bring cash down for all other use. When
getting pesos, the exchange rate will not be as much
in Bahia as it is either in Ensenada or near the border
on the U.S. side, so it's best to get your pesos at
either of those places. In Ensenada there are many,
many "Casa de Cambios" ...look for those that
say "sin comision", or no comission fee.
Prices:
Bahia is 7 hours from Ensenada to the North, and
roughly 12 hours from La Paz to the South; "so
close, yet so far away..." That being said,
realize that things have to be brought in from long
distances and the prices in town will reflect that.
Staying
in Touch: There are several places with internet
available, but since there are no land lines in Bahia,
the internet is satellite based. The speed will
be much slower than what you are used to, but at least
it's available. There are many places in town
where you can make a phone call; nearly every store
has one. There is also a central "phone office"
at Deposito
Lizeth that
has three lines, a fax machine, and internet. The
rates are close to a dollar per minute, so watch your time
and keep conversations brief if money is a factor.
Gas/Diesel:
There are two Pemex stations in town and both
have gas & diesel, the station on the West side
of the road also has premium. Both rely on the
town's electricity which in November of 2008 was brought
in from a power plant near Vizcaino, South of Guerrero
Negro. The system does at times go down, due to
weather, when working on the system, or other problems
down the line. When there is an outage, the stations
cannot pump gas.
Also,
the stations must wait until they have depleted
their holding tank before they can order a new
shipment. The reason being is that they have to
pay for a full tank truck and have to pretty much have
things empty to accommodate the load. When that happens,
there will also be a waiting period, which is usally
brief, one day or so and it is rare when both are out.
Stingrays
& Pufferfish: These are two common hazards
that people may not be aware of. High time for
stingray activity is March & April, but you should
use caution at all times. The threat is most severe
during low tide. Shuffle your feet along
the bottom; avoid stepping as that is a good way to
get hit. By shuffling your feet, you will "bump"
into any rays that are there, and they will move off
(but not far, so keep shuffling). More...
Pufferfish
contain a very poisious toxin that can cause death
if ingested. There have been several deaths over the
years by people eating this fish unaware of the danger.
Puffers are common in the shallow waters of the
bay, and caught many times off the beach. Click
here to view photo...
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