25 replies to this topic

[rbakeremai]

First off, the site is great, I’ve found a lot of valuable information here, and I haven’t even scratched the surface. My wife and I and our pooch will be relocating somewhere in Baja, maybe Rosarito, maybe Ensenada, and until I got to this site I had not really considered TJ, but the area near the beach (the Playas?) seems appealing now too. My parents will likely follow as well. Temperatures that rarely exceed 85 degrees is the primary concern.

Proximity to the border is more of a convenience than a necessity. We are in our early 30’s, but we’re not wild at all, and so we’re hoping to find a fairly quiet area. We’re not exactly the Papas and Beer patrons; saw some stuff on you tube, wow. I’d send friends there all day long, looks like a really fun place, just not quite my pace. Finding a house to rent on the outskirts of town along the coast sounds ideal to me, but being unfamiliar with the area I’d love advice on whether that’s a good idea or not for whatever reason…

I’m coming from Phoenix, or more specifically Youngtown, which borders Sun City. Love the area, been here 12 years, but the heat has become way too much for my health to endure. I considered moving to San Diego, but got sticker shocked right out of that idea! I actually considered Costa Rica, but the weather was too hot near the beaches, so I got to looking at ocean temperatures and that lead me to north Baja. I know, I should have just looked down from San Diego. Don’t worry, I eventually catch on.

So if anyone can help with some advice that would be great. I’ve caught on about those who insist on speaking English, avoiding tourist areas in general, and respecting the slower paced culture. So what area would you prefer, Rosarito, Ensenada, the Playas area, or is there another area that’s just a hidden gem? I really like being tucked away from traffic. A beach house would be great, but not a huge deal. The lower the rent the better, but under $650 is the important goal.

I also want to know a couple things that I haven’t been able to find yet. Like is it legal to drive on beaches here? I know there are areas where it’s obviously not going to be permitted, but are the areas where it is? My father is mobile, but it’s getting harder on him. My dog is older too, and I imagine she might have some problems getting back to the car after a day of fun, and at 60 pounds I‘m not going to carry her. It would just be neat to be able to have a mobility beach day, you know?

Secondly, what is a good way to go when it comes to phones? I would like to have cell phones and be able to make and receive calls to the states. Health is one of my concerns, so keeping a life line is important.

On that subject, good medical care is important too. My mother is a 2 year lung cancer survivor, so being able to keep up on her medical issues is important. At least I know getting medications won’t be an issue!

And lastly, would having an older Lexus LS 400 make us stick out like or sore thumb, or more worryingly, a good target? I’m not all scared about safety, but I know having full coverage Mexican insurance would be a given. I’m in the process of looking for one, so should I reconsider? Am I just asking to have the car stolen? Would I be guaranteeing myself tourist prices when people see me pull up? I have an older 4runner, and I’m not worried about that, but I’m afraid the Lexus may be pushing it.

I have more questions, but I think this is enough hot air for now. Again, great site, and I see great advice here. Oh, and we speak very little Spanish at this point but we are working on it!

Thanks for reading!

Ryan

[RosaritoRosie]

Hello. Welcome! I am a relatively new member to the board as well as somewhat new to MX. It'll be a year in June and I continue to love it here. I am in Rosarito so I can only speak to how pleased I am with my living situation. I'm next to the beach and within a short walk to Calimax, swap meets, etc. I'm in a very quiet place - landlord lives on property which is gated. Perhaps my greatest joy was NOT seeing "NO PETS" in advertisements for housing! I go into TJ a few times a month; generally walk over the border as well. Haven't had any bad experiences but I do take care to use my common sense. I do not have a car - don't find it necessary right now. Perhaps a scooter in the near future. Anyway, just wanted to say "HI."

[Diane]

Second that - welcome! My family (husband, 18 y.o. son who has his own place here and 4 dogs) live N of Rosarito in a beach front house.

The $650 rent might be possible in this economy for a beach-front. I think I saw someone posting that you could places in the $600's at San Antonio Del Mar. My son has a brand new, very upscale 3000 SF rental at Rancho Del Mar. Ocean views, but not on the beach itself. His rent is $700 - his plan is to rent out rooms this season to buddies from the states.

On the car - this is just my opinion. We ditched the luxury cars before we came down. We have a very reliable 5 year old large SUV. Our son drives a 1995 Jeep Cherokee (again, on purpose) David (our son) got stopped a lot with the big SUV - tinted windows, a little more luxury - and so he bought a smaller, older car to fit in.

We have neighbors who commute to San Diego every day to work from here. We work virtually, so as long as we have Internet we're fine.

A friend of mine just left after spending 10 days here. She said Rosarito is her favorite place on the planet (and she's lived in 3 countries). She was too scared to visit at first.

I don't know on the specifics of the medical care. My two stories: I have a friend who was diagnosed about 10 years ago with terminal, non treatable cancer. He went to a Rosarito clinic for 3 or 4 months for treatments that hadn't yet been approved in the states. He beat the cancer and he's still cancer free. if you ask him, he says he wouldn't trust a US doctor and always sends his family to Mexico for any kind of serious medical issue. The dental care in Rosarito is phenomenal.

My husband barely speaks Spanish, but has lived in Hong Kong and Korea besides the States, so he gets how to just kind of fit-in and make it work. I speak Spanish like a 4 year old (original post said a 3 year old, but I've progressed since then) and our son is fluent in Spanish.

My suggestion is to come down mid-week. You won't get the tourists as much then and get the chance to just kind of kick around. We originally came down to look at a house we found on Craig's List, but got lost. We stopped at a pizzeria to ask directions. They were so helpful that we went back to eat after we'd seen the place. At that point, we'd pretty much decided to take the 1st place we'd seen. There was an expat in the pizzeria who said she knew of another place we might want to see - and so that's how we found the place we have.

[rbakeremai]

Hello. Welcome! I am a relatively new member to the board as well as somewhat new to MX. It'll be a year in June and I continue to love it here. I am in Rosarito so I can only speak to how pleased I am with my living situation. I'm next to the beach and within a short walk to Calimax, swap meets, etc. I'm in a very quiet place - landlord lives on property which is gated. Perhaps my greatest joy was NOT seeing "NO PETS" in advertisements for housing! I go into TJ a few times a month; generally walk over the border as well. Haven't had any bad experiences but I do take care to use my common sense. I do not have a car - don't find it necessary right now. Perhaps a scooter in the near future. Anyway, just wanted to say "HI."

That's interesting about having one car, my wife thinks the same thing. When we travel we drive, and so that's why we were looking at an LS, it would make roadtrips a lot more enjoyable than in the 4runner. The pet issue is another reason I'm geeked about Mexico. In San Diego finding a place that would accept my dog seemed impossible (she's 60 pounds). Thanks for the reply and the good feedback!

[rbakeremai]

Second that - welcome! My family (husband, 18 y.o. son who has his own place here and 4 dogs) live N of Rosarito in a beach front house.

The $650 rent might be possible in this economy for a beach-front. I think I saw someone posting that you could places in the $600's at San Antonio Del Mar. My son has a brand new, very upscale 3000 SF rental at Rancho Del Mar. Ocean views, but not on the beach itself. His rent is $700 - his plan is to rent out rooms this season to buddies from the states.

On the car - this is just my opinion. We ditched the luxury cars before we came down. We have a very reliable 5 year old large SUV. Our son drives a 1995 Jeep Cherokee (again, on purpose) David (our son) got stopped a lot with the big SUV - tinted windows, a little more luxury - and so he bought a smaller, older car to fit in.

We have neighbors who commute to San Diego every day to work from here. We work virtually, so as long as we have Internet we're fine.

A friend of mine just left after spending 10 days here. She said Rosarito is her favorite place on the planet (and she's lived in 3 countries). She was too scared to visit at first.

I don't know on the specifics of the medical care. My two stories: I have a friend who was diagnosed about 10 years ago with terminal, non treatable cancer. He went to a Rosarito clinic for 3 or 4 months for treatments that hadn't yet been approved in the states. He beat the cancer and he's still cancer free. if you ask him, he says he wouldn't trust a US doctor and always sends his family to Mexico for any kind of serious medical issue. The dental care in Rosarito is phenomenal.

My husband barely speaks Spanish, but has lived in Hong Kong and Korea besides the States, so he gets how to just kind of fit-in and make it work. I speak Spanish like a 4 year old (original post said a 3 year old, but I've progressed since then) and our son is fluent in Spanish.

My suggestion is to come down mid-week. You won't get the tourists as much then and get the chance to just kind of kick around. We originally came down to look at a house we found on Craig's List, but got lost. We stopped at a pizzeria to ask directions. They were so helpful that we went back to eat after we'd seen the place. At that point, we'd pretty much decided to take the 1st place we'd seen. There was an expat in the pizzeria who said she knew of another place we might want to see - and so that's how we found the place we have.

Wow, that’s a bunch of great info, thank you! The car thing is kinda what I figured. I have just been so stuck on getting an LS400, now I’m conflicted. If we get a place with a garage, perhaps I’ll get one anyway for our travels and utilize the 4runner for around town stuff. Even if I don’t get one, the sacrifice sounds like it will be worth it. We have been toying with the idea of a convertible bug (old beetle)…We could never do that in Phoenix.

We are planning to come down during the week in order to avoid the crowds, good call. Can you recommend a place to stay? My folks will be coming with us and there’s a chance our dogs will come with us as well.

We’re looking to make it a multitask trip, I need some dental work done. I went to Algadones and had my first bad experience with a Mexican dentist, the guy was a mechanic (nothing against mechanics)! I need to get some of his work corrected and I’m guessing a filling too. If you know of a particular dentist I’m all ears. For the first time in my life I have anxiety about going to the dentist because of my last experience. I heard there is some newer laser drilling or something that is available now?

We are also having this struggle of how much of a limit to set on rent. The idea of saving cash is very appealing, but so is having a lavish place! I suppose I’m really hoping for a quiet area, a garage, private fenced in yard, and just a roomy place. 1000+ Sqf. If I can find that for under $500, I’m a happy little camper, and it sounds like I might be able to find it.

Great to hear about the medical! And I think other ex-pats are going to be our best source for a lot of things, like where to go for food, shopping, auto repair, stuff like that. The language issue always helps too.

Thanks again for the great info!

So that’s 2 votes for Rosarito, anyone want to put in their $.02 about Ensenada or TJ? Living in a nice suburb of TJ is appealing now too. Ocean views are great, but so is a private yard (hard to find on a beach home) and to be honest I’d prefer to get more home rather than pay for the view. If I get both I wont cry about it though!

I’m also curious about Puerto Nuevo, looks like a nice little town, any feedback there or is it just a nice place to visit?

[RosaritoRosie]

JMHO - I rather doubt you'll find anything "lavish" for under $500, but if you really want it, you should check out Real del Mar - very exclusive and upscale with a ton of amenities - I lived there with some friends while looking for my own place and it is quite chichi. It's also a community where a luxury car would not be uncommon. And, lots of empty condos. I personally did not like it because I prefer closer access to beaches, etc, and my needs are more simplistic. They have a website - believe it's realdelmar.com.mx. Good luck in your search!

[BajaGringo]

Welcome Ryan!

Lots of nice places to be found if you like the coastal area from Playas to Rosarito. Check on Craigs List every day...

[rbakeremai]

I live in Playas de Tijuana. I own a house in La Perla Bahia, they rent for $900 or $1000. In fact there's an oceanfront house across the street coming up for rent soon. I like the La Perla development because it's a private, gated community with 7/24 security guards. That's the main reason rents are high. Plus the houses are just a few years old. Kids play in the street and at the small park. All non-residents have to stop at the gate and surrender their driver's license before they can enter.

http://www.bcba.com....ndex.cfm?lang=2

http://maps.google.c...U...mp;t=h&z=14

Security is your number one concern in Mexico. If something can be easily stolen, it will be stolen. I just got back from a 5 week RV road trip to the mainland and because of the good security, I had no concerns about the house or my two cars while I was gone.

Playas is a great community, middle to upper middle class, and everything you need within a few blocks. 20 minutes to the border, non-rush hour. It's isolated from the rest of TJ with only one main street in and out. It has its own police and fire stations, hospitals, all types of stores, banks, restaurants, movie theaters, parks, and the beach is fun during the summer with large crowds on the weekends. You never have to leave the area unless you want to. I also enjoy going to the bullfights and other events at the "bullring by the sea".

There are several reasonably priced hotels. Spend a few nights and look around

Well lavish to me would be something bigger than my current 1000 sqf house that was a retirement community style house, which is very minimal and small feeling. I don’t know that I want to be in an area that is all that ritzy, just something spacious. I’ll keep my eyes peeled though, I‘m open.

I’m looking at heading out that way in a couple weeks. My friends in San Diego may not even go down with us because of what they heard about the violence. I won’t lie, it’s made me think twice about it, but my opinion is still that it is not aimed at gringos in general. I know there have been crimes of opportunity, like the guy who was robbed and killed after leaving the airport, and some have been robbed after exchanging currency. Has anyone been affected directly or indirectly by the violence?

Anyway, I found a few places between Rosarito and Puerto Nuevo that seem to fit the bill, but I‘ll have to see when I get there. Is that a good area? I almost prefer being out of the way like that, but those houses will probably not be in gated areas. Is that something I should reconsider? I’m not familiar with the area, I’m still exploring virtually until I can come down and see for myself.

The Playas de Tijuana area looks nice, and that La Perla area looks very nice but it’s probably too expensive for me, I really need to keep it under $650, and lower would be much better.

[BajaGringo]

There are some good places out that way but I would look around to check for security and services available...

[rbakeremai]

There are some good places out that way but I would look around to check for security and services available...

Something I just thought of. Somebody on another posting suggested just looking around for a place. How do you do that in guarded areas? Is there a rental agency I should consider? Is a gated community something that should be high on my priority list?

Puts me in a bit of a quandary, I’m not sure I want to be in an area dense enough to be guarded. Is thinking that being out of high traffic areas would be safer, is that bad logic? I wouldn’t mind living on a dirt road if the area is sparsely populated, or would that be more of a security issue? Is a good alarm and a scary dog sufficient, or do I need someone at a gate?

Thanks again for all the advice, it’s very much appreciated.

[BajaGringo]

Before making such decisions you need to just come spend some time looking around and get a feel for the general area. Then you can begin to look for what specific area works for you and fits within your comfort zone. That answer is different for each one of us...

[garyngo]

Hi Ryan,

I currently live in Playas.

I am not sure if it is technically legal, but I see cars and dogs on the beach all the time, so I don't think you will have any problems. But since you have a big dog, you might want to keep a close eye on him - there are lots of Chihuahuas here and I have heard that other dogs find them particularly tasty. I have seen Pit bulls and Rottweilers on the beach only a couple of times, but their owners seemed very attentive, so I would not think that would be a problem.

The northern end of Playas has most of the conveniences: shopping malls, grocery stores, banks, restaurants, etc. and I think because of this it is more expensive than the southern end which is more private. The best value for rentals seem to be on the southern end. There are many empty apartments here and it is definitely a buyer's market.

If you are in the area, I could meet with you and show you around, and share with you my knowledge of Tijuana, which is very little. But I could probably introduce to a couple of friendly gringo neighbors who know Tijuana and Mexico well. One is only in Tijuana 30% of the time but the other is here all the time except weekends.

Please be careful of the ads in craigslist, etc. that are in English directed towards gringos. Not only are many of these people dishonest, but these ads only represent a very small fraction of the actual available rentals. Hopefully when you get down here, you will have the time to walk around to call numbers found on se renta signs.

If I were to do my apartment search over again, I would have a Mexican that I could trust research an apartment that I was interested in, negotiate the best terms, without ever mentioning that it is for a gringo. A Mexican acquaintance of mine would get offered $250 for the same apartment which was offered at $350 to me, and the landlord would assure me how great of a deal they were offering me.

My landlord is a dual-citizen of Mexico and the U.S. and is a very nice guy, the apartments that he rents would not suit you, so there would not be a conflict of interest. He is not in Tijuana all the time, but if he was, I am sure he would help you out. One tactic you could employ is look at an apartment you are interested in yourself to find out the details. If you are interested in the apartment, my Mexican landlord could look at it and negotiate the best terms, not mentioning it is for a gringo. Then you could choose the best terms.

Good Luck.

[bajashrink]

Private vehicles are not permitted on the beach in Playas. There are signs warning of that on the vehicle ramps that go down there. Cops will ticket violators. Over the years I've seen a lot of such vehicles get stuck in the sand. Then you have a hefty towing fee to pay as well.

Dogs are permitted on the beach on a leash. The ones who enforce that are the lifeguards, who don't go on duty until around 9 a.m. So if you have a canine that's not aggressive, you can get a way with letting it run loose there in the early morning.

[rbakeremai]

Hi Ryan,

I currently live in Playas.

I am not sure if it is technically legal, but I see cars and dogs on the beach all the time, so I don't think you will have any problems. But since you have a big dog, you might want to keep a close eye on him - there are lots of Chihuahuas here and I have heard that other dogs find them particularly tasty. I have seen Pit bulls and Rottweilers on the beach only a couple of times, but their owners seemed very attentive, so I would not think that would be a problem.

The northern end of Playas has most of the conveniences: shopping malls, grocery stores, banks, restaurants, etc. and I think because of this it is more expensive than the southern end which is more private. The best value for rentals seem to be on the southern end. There are many empty apartments here and it is definitely a buyer's market.

If you are in the area, I could meet with you and show you around, and share with you my knowledge of Tijuana, which is very little. But I could probably introduce to a couple of friendly gringo neighbors who know Tijuana and Mexico well. One is only in Tijuana 30% of the time but the other is here all the time except weekends.

Please be careful of the ads in craigslist, etc. that are in English directed towards gringos. Not only are many of these people dishonest, but these ads only represent a very small fraction of the actual available rentals. Hopefully when you get down here, you will have the time to walk around to call numbers found on se renta signs.

If I were to do my apartment search over again, I would have a Mexican that I could trust research an apartment that I was interested in, negotiate the best terms, without ever mentioning that it is for a gringo. A Mexican acquaintance of mine would get offered $250 for the same apartment which was offered at $350 to me, and the landlord would assure me how great of a deal they were offering me.

My landlord is a dual-citizen of Mexico and the U.S. and is a very nice guy, the apartments that he rents would not suit you, so there would not be a conflict of interest. He is not in Tijuana all the time, but if he was, I am sure he would help you out. One tactic you could employ is look at an apartment you are interested in yourself to find out the details. If you are interested in the apartment, my Mexican landlord could look at it and negotiate the best terms, not mentioning it is for a gringo. Then you could choose the best terms.

Good Luck.

Thanks so much for the good information!

As of now I’m waiting for our passports, which seems to be taking forever, but I would greatly appreciate your time to show us around a bit. Really just a matter of figuring out when we would be coming down. When I have some idea I’ll send you a message and see if your schedule works out.

I’m glad to hear some feedback on the beach thing, The beach areas I was curious about driving on were the areas that aren’t populated, I‘m assuming down south. I just know that it pretty much not allowed anywhere that I know of in CA. Thanks for the feedback on this.

I really am looking for a house as opposed to an apartment I think. The dog needs a yard of some sort to run around in while we‘re out, even if it is small. I’ve come to realize that a garage and yard are a must for us. I also love my music, and I sometimes listen at a volume that could irritate a common wall neighbor, but wouldn’t bother someone living in a separate structure. I just don’t want to risk being obnoxious to my neighbors.

If your landlord were willing to negotiate rent for me I would certainly be grateful, though I don’t want to burden anyone. Once we get our passports I’ll let you know. Thanks again!

[rbakeremai]

Private vehicles are not permitted on the beach in Playas. There are signs warning of that on the vehicle ramps that go down there. Cops will ticket violators. Over the years I've seen a lot of such vehicles get stuck in the sand. Then you have a hefty towing fee to pay as well.

Dogs are permitted on the beach on a leash. The ones who enforce that are the lifeguards, who don't go on duty until around 9 a.m. So if you have a canine that's not aggressive, you can get a way with letting it run loose there in the early morning.

That's about what I figured. I'll be sure to obey the rules and keep out of trouble. The dog will stay on her leash too, unless the beach is empty. Thanks much!

[rbakeremai]

Before making such decisions you need to just come spend some time looking around and get a feel for the general area. Then you can begin to look for what specific area works for you and fits within your comfort zone. That answer is different for each one of us...

I think you are quite right, I need to see for myself. Just waiting on passports. It’s like waiting on Christmas.

By the way, read some of your articles and you are very well written. The “list” story about moving down is something that put me much more ahead of the game, and I look forward to reading more. I just need to come down and slow down it seems. This is evident in me worrying about everything and trying to make decisions a bit too soon. Thanks again!

[rbakeremai]

Wouldn't mind living on a dirt road? Just make sure it's the upwind side and not at a low spot (mud when wet). I don't mean to bum you out but security and general cleanliness can hit some pretty deep lows in Mexico. Look for pavement. I think it's a requirement anywhere between TJ and Ensenada.

Also look into the water supply. Where does it come from, who owns the source, how often does the pressure go to zero? Another reason I like Playas de Tijuana is that the water is city water, always good pressure. Once in a while it is shut off for repairs somewhere but just for a day or two, the pila never runs dry. And there's a purified water store just up the street. We buy 25 gallons (5 bottles) at a time. I don't even let the dogs drink city water.

Thanks for the honest reply, I think you're right, a dirt road my be a little beyond my comfort zone. Country living appeals to me, but I don't want to be too country while in the city. This is why I come here!

[rbakeremai]

So now that I have been there and love the area, there are a few things I have decided. A gated community is not necessary for me to feel safe, but a garage is still important. I will be living on the on the outskirts of town, probably around Rosarito or Puerto Nuevo. No reason other than I tend to like solitude.

I must thank everyone here for there input and insight to living in TJ/Baja. Because of this site and the advice, I was much more prepared than I would have been otherwise, and I am so grateful.

I’m sorry I did not post up sooner, I’ve had some pressing issues that took up a great deal of my energy. Garyngo, I’m sorry I did not get a hold of you before I came down. I got my passport and came down 2 days later. I even forgot the numbers of a few realtors, and had no phone or internet for a week. But we still had a great time and really didn’t miss being out of touch!

So now I have some other questions:

Coming from Phoenix (via I-8), would it be faster to get to Rosarito by going through Tecate? Looks like it would cut some miles off, but are the roads decent, and could you tow a trailer through the border there without an issue? Are there any serious mountain grades on that route?

Does anybody know how electricity is billed down there? We have a time advantage plan where it is cheaper to use electricity after peak hours, just curious if there is anything like that there?

Is there a known way to rig your ice maker to use bottled water?

Can you buy temporary US car insurance for travel into the states?

Are propane tanks down there set up differently? Is there ever natural gas supplied or is it always propane?

Anyway, I have my eye on a house that overlooks the ocean, it’s over 1300 sqf, has a decent side yard for the dog and a garage. Negotiated it down to $500 per month, so I’m pretty happy about that. It’s on a paved road, which is good. I just need to see it in person before I sign a lease, but it looks really good. Dare I say it almost looks too big, but I think I could get used to it. = )

There are a couple other places that we will look at, but I think that one is the ideal setup for us. I will be sure to check on the water supply, and there is internet and phone available, so I’m good there. Think I’ll still get Dish Network signal?

Again, thanks so much for all of the help, it’s priceless.

[dragonfly4moose]

First off, the site is great, I’ve found a lot of valuable information here, and I haven’t even scratched the surface. My wife and I and our pooch will be relocating somewhere in Baja, maybe Rosarito, maybe Ensenada, and until I got to this site I had not really considered TJ, but the area near the beach (the Playas?) seems appealing now too. My parents will likely follow as well. Temperatures that rarely exceed 85 degrees is the primary concern.

Proximity to the border is more of a convenience than a necessity. We are in our early 30’s, but we’re not wild at all, and so we’re hoping to find a fairly quiet area. We’re not exactly the Papas and Beer patrons; saw some stuff on you tube, wow. I’d send friends there all day long, looks like a really fun place, just not quite my pace. Finding a house to rent on the outskirts of town along the coast sounds ideal to me, but being unfamiliar with the area I’d love advice on whether that’s a good idea or not for whatever reason…

I’m coming from Phoenix, or more specifically Youngtown, which borders Sun City. Love the area, been here 12 years, but the heat has become way too much for my health to endure. I considered moving to San Diego, but got sticker shocked right out of that idea! I actually considered Costa Rica, but the weather was too hot near the beaches, so I got to looking at ocean temperatures and that lead me to north Baja. I know, I should have just looked down from San Diego. Don’t worry, I eventually catch on.

So if anyone can help with some advice that would be great. I’ve caught on about those who insist on speaking English, avoiding tourist areas in general, and respecting the slower paced culture. So what area would you prefer, Rosarito, Ensenada, the Playas area, or is there another area that’s just a hidden gem? I really like being tucked away from traffic. A beach house would be great, but not a huge deal. The lower the rent the better, but under $650 is the important goal.

I also want to know a couple things that I haven’t been able to find yet. Like is it legal to drive on beaches here? I know there are areas where it’s obviously not going to be permitted, but are the areas where it is? My father is mobile, but it’s getting harder on him. My dog is older too, and I imagine she might have some problems getting back to the car after a day of fun, and at 60 pounds I‘m not going to carry her. It would just be neat to be able to have a mobility beach day, you know?

Secondly, what is a good way to go when it comes to phones? I would like to have cell phones and be able to make and receive calls to the states. Health is one of my concerns, so keeping a life line is important.

On that subject, good medical care is important too. My mother is a 2 year lung cancer survivor, so being able to keep up on her medical issues is important. At least I know getting medications won’t be an issue!

And lastly, would having an older Lexus LS 400 make us stick out like or sore thumb, or more worryingly, a good target? I’m not all scared about safety, but I know having full coverage Mexican insurance would be a given. I’m in the process of looking for one, so should I reconsider? Am I just asking to have the car stolen? Would I be guaranteeing myself tourist prices when people see me pull up? I have an older 4runner, and I’m not worried about that, but I’m afraid the Lexus may be pushing it.

I have more questions, but I think this is enough hot air for now. Again, great site, and I see great advice here. Oh, and we speak very little Spanish at this point but we are working on it!

Thanks for reading!

Ryan

Hi Ryan,
My name is Bosa...pronounced like "Rosa" but spelled differently. Perhaps my mom knew something way back then?
My boyfriend and I moved to Rosarito 4 months ago and love it. I too came from a hot place...Las Vegas...yuk and my boyfriend, Jimmy came from muggy Mississippi.
I personally suggest Rosarito, as it is smaller and much easier to maneuver around in. It has one main street and that is primarily where all the businesses are.If you decide to move here, we can meet you and your wife and mom and the pooch and would be glad to show you a few things that we learned along the way. We don't have phones, but I understand Nextel is what all the locals do here. As for your Spanish, I suggest you brush up on the basic phrases, colors, things like that, write them down in a small notebook that you can carry around. The following 2 websites are really good: www.smartphrase.com & www.howtosayin.com. You can type in the words or phrases and it will translate. Also, for local news, you can read the BajaTimes newspaper: go to www.bajatimes.com
Good luck

[rbakeremai]

Hi Ryan,
My name is Bosa...pronounced like "Rosa" but spelled differently. Perhaps my mom knew something way back then?
My boyfriend and I moved to Rosarito 4 months ago and love it. I too came from a hot place...Las Vegas...yuk and my boyfriend, Jimmy came from muggy Mississippi.
I personally suggest Rosarito, as it is smaller and much easier to maneuver around in. It has one main street and that is primarily where all the businesses are.If you decide to move here, we can meet you and your wife and mom and the pooch and would be glad to show you a few things that we learned along the way. We don't have phones, but I understand Nextel is what all the locals do here. As for your Spanish, I suggest you brush up on the basic phrases, colors, things like that, write them down in a small notebook that you can carry around. The following 2 websites are really good: www.smartphrase.com & www.howtosayin.com. You can type in the words or phrases and it will translate. Also, for local news, you can read the BajaTimes newspaper: go to www.bajatimes.com
Good luck

Hey Bosa, I appreciate the input. I bet you’re not missing Vegas this time of year! It’s 115 as I type this here in Phoenix. Nothing like hibernating in the summer! It’s even too hot to swim during the day, yuck.

Yeah, when we get settled down there a bit it would be fun to meet up! Have you discovered Tacos el Yaqui yet? So good.

I appreciate any tips! We have been listening to coffee break Spanish, which is pretty fun and amusing to listen to, but it is Spain Spanish which is a touch different, but it helps for the basics. I really need to start reading more Spanish though. I’ll check out those websites you suggested. Thanks again!