Baja Calafornia Mexico

[Desertdigger]

I will be leaving next month for my 6 months living on the beach in Baja. It just came to me that there might be someone on here who also goes there. Or who wants to go and don't know the ropes, so to speak. There are hundreds of miles of beach and numerous old town sites to search and most have never been touched. I have a small fishing camp on the beach 40 miles south of San Felipe BCS. There is plenty of camping spots for any kind of camping , most primitive camping is free and you will rarely see any one else other than the big holidays. Same goes for the interior mountain areas. I take trips from my Casa up to 200 to 300 miles away. I will try to attach a picture of some of my finds, the picture is the haul from an area about 300 X 300 Ft. and was 2 days worth of hunting by 2 people sharing my Lobo Super Traq. The coins were all silver both US and MEX and dated in the 1800,s there are some small gold nuggets, a lock with the last patent date of 1747, some unidentified buttons which I have posted on this forum in the past, many cartridges of different calibers including some "Pin Fires" and "Henry's", some were never fired. All this came from a Mexican friends property in an old gold mining area, there are also "Tourmaline" crystals for the rock hounds.
? So if anyone is foot free and not a jerk I would let them accompany me on one of these trips, everyone pay own expenses. I can advise on border crossing requirements and so forth.
? As far as carring a metal detector to Mexico it is ileagal and all treasure belongs to the state. When I asked the Mexican Consul about it he said just throw it in the trunk of your car and go on, thats what I do!! That being said I have been going for years. The main things they do crack down on are drugs and guns, if you have guns and ammo , leave them at home and clean you vechile good so no empties are even found, an empty round will get you much grief! Drugs, don't even think of them, the USA funds the Mexican Army and 3 or 4 other kinds of cops to catch you and they will. I reserve the right to search the baggage of anyone traveling with me or in my camp, I do not want to go to a Mexican jail, every thing else is negotiable. ( I sometimes escort Adventure Tours groups in Baja and every one signs a waiver on drugs and still the idiots buy or bring it, when we catch them they are expelled with no refund of their money for the trip.)
? Anyone want to go? Contact me. I am going around the 4th of October to open my camp for the winter, then on a trip to the famous Malarrimo Beach for beachcombing around the 30th of Oct.and then to Mission San Borga and other areas of interest. I have to return to the states on November 16th and will be going back to Baja on Nov 22nd. If anyone needs escorting, I cross the border at Andrade , Calif which is right at the Arizona /Calif border and its about a 3 hour drive to San Felipe and another 1 hour to my camp. Questions?

 

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[lab rat]

Sounds like fun! I've been to the beach near Santo Thomas once, but didn't find anything besides a few bits of wire and a soda can.

I've resisted going back due to the stories I've heard of corruption in the Mexican Police-- I've heard way too many of them! And the way people drive in Tijuana is like they are deliberately trying to get us Gringos in an accident, so they can collect our insurance! (I crossed at San Ysidro).

Question: If carrying so much as an empty cartridge can get you in trouble, how do you bring back old silver and antique bullets?

 

[Desertdigger]

All those stories are just that stories, and Tijuana is not Mexico. I have been going for years and the only problem I have ever had was from Americans. A few rules: Don't mess around with,the women, bars, dope and anything not your business and you will have no trouble, This is not a smart A----D answer but you bring them back very carefully!! Remember you are in their country, be respectfull of their customs and try to learn a little Spanish and you will have no problem. People that have a problem with the police create it them self's, #1 if you are not violating the law and you a=re stopped do not pay a bribe but demand to see the judge, ( it better if you do this in Spanish) bribes are ileagal and if you offer one you can be arrested and jailed, if you truly violated the law then pay the fine at the police station, if all the lily livers that pay those cops off would quit there would be no problem, but I you were making $5 a day and had a family to feed would you not try to add to your salary? Yes off course you would but the Mexican Government needs to solve its own problems and until they can bring them self's to do so the situation will remaim. The average working Mexican hates the situation but has no power to change it and as long as the president can move to Dallas or Houston at the end of his term in office with 1 or 2 or more millions of dollars of the people of Mexico's money the situation will be the same. 8 people in Mexico control the entire economy, thats power!

 

[Desertdigger]

Whoops, Forgot to add that I am off for Baja on the 5th of October and will be hunting Malarrimo Beach in November, it is known as "The Grave Yard of the Pacific" and is one of the worlds top beachcombing spots, there are many old wrecks there back in the sand dunes with brass spikes, glass fishing net balls from Japan and Korea, US Navy sono-buoys and lots of other stuff, one visitor picked up 28 bottles with notes in them over a weekend. Hurricane Javier passed right over it this month so maybe it scattered some of that Spanish galleon money around! I am going to go see!

 

[lab rat]

Thanks, Desertdigger-- and good luck to you! Maybe I'll go brush up on my Espa?ol, and catch up with you in the not-too-distant future! (What's the Spanish work for 'Judge'?) 8)

 

[coinshooter]

Oh man, if I weren't married with kid, I'd be going in a heartbeat! Read a book called "Into a desert place" by Graham (?) Nash?. Can't remember the guys last name, but the experiences he had were some of the best adventure you could ever have. He walked from the U.S. border near San Diego to the tip of Baja and back. Great read, I couldn't put it down. I met this guy when he came back to the U.S. to promote his book. Nice english guy with adventure in his blood. We have a guy from our club here in San DIego that goes down there for 3 mos every year. He's down there right now hunting down treasure stories. 8)

 

[lab rat]

His name is Graham MacIntosh-- wonderful British fellow, used to be a school teacher. I've read his book also, and met him some years back. Last I heard he was in the process of starting a burro ranch down there somewhere, probably near the old boleite locality. He had some great stories to tell!

In fact I believe he was instrumental in starting the Baja Explorers club, where you can get Mexican car insurance, maps, books, Spanish lessons, etc. A great support group! They are located on Clairmont Drive just East of the 5 in San Diego.

 

[Desertdigger]

Yes I have met him. he is a regular at the Baja Book signing held everyyear. he has another book about wanking the length of Baja with a Burro. Look on some of the old posts in the archives on http://forums.bajanomad.com/
for more about Graham.

 

[brucepfen]

Desert Digger,

I've been going to Mexico for quite a while now, and I would love to do some detecting down there. I am headed south for a trip to Baja in February and I will be taking a buddy and a couple of metal detectors. Is there any chance you would like to meet-up somewhere and go hunting? If not, could you give us some guidence on where to hunt. I know Baja pretty well...Don't worry about drugs; we are both Law Enforcement Officers (My buddy just retired), and we are both new to Detecting. Any help or guidace would be appreciated. Please email me...Enquiring minds want to know...
brucepfen