Monthly Archives: October 2009

Opening Of English-Language Mediation Center In Rosarito Beach Delayed Until Early 2010

October 19, 2009
Rosarito Beach

Rosarito Beach

ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO—The opening of an English-language mediation center in this city to hear disputes has been postponed until early 2010.

Budget issues and additional time needed for training have caused the delay.

The center under the jurisdiction of Baja Attorney General Rommel Moreno will attempt to resolve disputes and disagreements before it becomes necessary to take them into the court system.

The program is called Centro de Justicia Alternitiva and will be in the Pabellon Grand shopping center at the northern entrance to the city.

“We have an estimated 14,000 expatriates who live here and about a million tourists a year,” said Rosarito Mayor Hugo Torres. “This center will be a great step in resolving disagreements in English without court involvement.”

MEDIA CONTACT
Ron Raposa
619-948-3740
ronraposa@hotmail.com

—

Broswe for Rosarito Homes for Sale, Ensenada Homes for Sale, Baja Homes for Sale and Mexico Homes for Sale.

Posted in: baja communities, Baja Real Estate, Living In Mexico, Mexico Real Estate, Mexico Tourism, Rosarito, Rosarito News, rosarito real estate, rosarito tourism – Comments Off

Finally Some Good News on Travel in Mexico

October 16, 2009

Drug cartels. Murders. The news is often bad out of Mexico. Peter Ferry journeys beyond the headlines.

Finally Some Good News on Travel in Mexico

Finally Some Good News on Travel in Mexico

Poor old Mexico. Talk about kicking a guy when he’s down! Just when the price of oil plummets, American jobs dry up, and the fear of drug violence cuts tourism in half, along comes swine flu to cut it in half again.

OK, it’s time for a little good news. In May, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control lifted its recommendation against travel to Mexico; the swine flu isn’t so bad after all, and it probably didn’t come here from Mexico in the first place.

And now a little more good news. Drug violence is not a threat to ordinary tourists like you and me. This is according to the Mexican government, the U.S. State Department and me. Let me give you a little background.

I had driven to, in and around Mexico with impunity and pleasure, but that was years ago. Now I was planning two road trips, one from the border to central Mexico, another from Mexico City to Cuernavaca to Oaxaca and back, and my friends were alarmed.

“What about the drug war?” read more »

Posted in: Baja Real Estate, Ensenada, Ensenada Real Estate, Living In Mexico, Mexico News, Mexico Real Estate, Mexico Tourism, Rosarito, rosarito tourism, Tijuana – Comments Off

Where Americans Visit Most – Forbes – The top 20 foreign destinations of U.S. travelers

October 15, 2009

By Rob Baedeker – originally posted on forbestraveler.com

Where Americans Visit Most - Forbes - The top 20 foreign destinations of U.S. travelers

Where Americans Visit Most - Forbes - The top 20 foreign destinations of U.S. travelers

In a year when economic indicators took Grand Canyon-sized plunges, it should come as no surprise that fewer Americans jetted off to foreign lands than they did the previous year.

What may be surprising is that the decline in U.S. outbound travel wasn’t worse: Overall, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Travel and Tourism Industries (OTTI), American travelers to foreign countries totaled 63.6 million in 2008, the last full year statistics are available, just a one percent decrease compared to 2007.

Whether the downward trend will continue throughout 2009 remains to be seen, but indicators are pointing towards further decreases. OTTI’s data through May of this year show an overall 7.7% decrease compared with the same time frame in 2008. Akashi says Japan is “expecting just a flat line of the number of U.S. travelers this year,” and Fitch says Mexico had “a slight reduction of international visitors (1.9 percent) from January to May 2009.”

However, the ranking of overseas destinations is likely to be unchanged. read more »

Posted in: Baja Real Estate, Ensenada, Ensenada Real Estate, Living In Mexico, Mexico Real Estate, Mexico Tourism, Rosarito, rosarito real estate – Comments Off

Bring Your Medicare to Mexico

October 13, 2009

Bring Your Medicare to Mexico

Bring Your Medicare to Mexico

Suzan Haskins
Latin America Editor, International Living
International Living Postcards—your daily escape

Which foreign country will be the first in which Americans can use Medicare and Medicaid benefits?

Mexico, of course.

It just makes sense. Mexico is right next door to the largest market of health care consumers in the world. Some health services in Mexico can cost 12 times less than what is charged in the U.S., experts say.

It’s no wonder that Americans (and yes, Canadians, too) cross the Mexican border in frequently increasing numbers to avail of the high-quality but low-cost health care Mexico provides, including reduced cost prescriptions.

Already, the four largest commercial U.S. health insurers—with enrollments totaling nearly 100 million people—have either launched pilot programs exploring or offering overseas travel to countries like Mexico for health services. Some smaller health insurers and brokers also have introduced travel options for hundreds of employers around the country. read more »

Posted in: Assisted Living, Baja Real Estate, Ensenada, Health Care in Baja, Health Care in Mexico, Living In Mexico, Mexico Real Estate, Mexico Tourism, Rosarito, rosarito real estate – Comments Off

AMPI Charity Golf Tournament

October 8, 2009

Register on BajaCharity.com. Just click on this image!

Register on BajaCharity.com. Just click on this image!

Enjoy an October day of golf over Columbus day weekend in the beautiful location of Real Del Mar Golf Course ending with a catered dinner and dancing to the sounds of a big band. Save the date of Sunday, October 11th. Golf is open to all who want to play for $125 USD pre-registration, or $150 USD day of the event. Dinner & Dancing is $40 USD per person.

This will be a 4 man scramble, check in at 8:30 AM, play at 10:00 AM. There will be prizes, auctions, silent auctions and all around great camaraderie for a field of 145 golfers.

Dinner and dancing will be open for non golfers as well and we encourage the community to join us for this festive evening.

You will be helping the children and their families of Rosarito with the cooperation and participation of three of the City’s most involved charities; DIF Rosarito, Flying Samaritans, and Boys & Girls Club with AMPI, Rosarito Board of Realtors. read more »

Posted in: baja communities, Living In Mexico, real del mar, Rosarito, Rosarito News, Sporting Events – 1 Comment

Registration Underway For November 7 Rosarito-Puerto Nuevo Half Marathon

October 8, 2009

Registration Underway For November 7 Rosarito-Puerto Nuevo Half Marathon

Registration Underway For November 7 Rosarito-Puerto Nuevo Half Marathon

ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO—Registration is underway for the fifth Rosarito-Puerto Nuevo Half Marathon on Nov. 7, an event that organizers hope will attract 600 participants in various categories.

Categories for the event along the Pacific Ocean are men, women 18 to 24; 25 to 29 30 to 34; 35 to 39; 40 to 44; 45 to 49; 50  to 54; 55 to 59  and over 60 years. There also is a wheelchair category.

Trophies will be awarded for first, second and third place in each category, including wheelchairs. Cash prizes for the winners are first $400, second $300 and third $ 200.

For winners in the wheelchair categories first will be $150, second $100 and third $50. The winning Rosarito residents in men and women’s categories will each receive $200. They must prove at least three years of residence.

Commemorative medals will be awarded for the first 150 men and 50 women who finish and shirts given to each participant. read more »

Posted in: Baja Attractions, Baja Real Estate, Living In Mexico, Mexico Tourism, Rosarito, Rosarito News, rosarito real estate, rosarito tourism, Sporting Events – Comments Off

Readers chime in with memories of Mexico

October 8, 2009

By Logan Jenkins – San Diego Union Tribune

Rosarito Beach Fishing Pier

Rosarito Beach Fishing Pier

As you’ll see, I’m not alone in my self-imposed exile from Mexico, the bleating theme of last Monday’s column.

But my aging gringo ballad, freighted with nostalgia but spooked by narco-terror and congestion at the border, misses what’s verdad on the ground, many were quick to point out.

“You do not have to miss Mexico,” lectured Diane Kane of San Diego. “After years of living in and traveling to Baja, neither we nor any of our friends have any negative experiences to report. . . . In fact, we have had nothing but polite, friendly dealings with the locals.”

For a reality check, Kane prescribed a weekend at the Rosarito Beach Condo Hotel and a wine-tasting tour to renew this native son’s faith in what always seemed to be San Diego’s equal (if not better) geographic and cultural half.

Robert Gutierrez of Escondido sounded a similar theme.

“Both my family and I have so many wonderful memories that would never have occurred if I had allowed the warnings of people, whose only knowledge of Mexico is gained from newspapers and television, to have kept me on this side of the border.” read more »

Posted in: Baja Real Estate, Ensenada, Ensenada Real Estate, Living In Mexico, Mexico Real Estate, Mexico Tourism, Rosarito, Rosarito News, rosarito real estate, rosarito tourism, Tijuana – Comments Off

San Diego To Assist Baja California In Training New Tourist Police Force

October 7, 2009

San Diego To Assist Baja California In Training New Tourist Police Force

San Diego To Assist Baja California In Training New Tourist Police Force

ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO—The San Diego Police Department will help train members of a new Mexican metropolitan tourist police force that will patrol from Tijuana to Ensenada.

The training agreement was formalized in a letter of intent signed Monday at San Diego City Hall by Mayor Jerry Sanders and mayors of the Baja California cities of Tijuana, Rosarito and Ensenada.

The new force will patrol primarily the 50-mile coastal tourist corridor from the U.S.-Mexico border to Ensenada. Exact size of the force and other details will be developed in the next few weeks prior to the start of training.

The goal is to have the force in operation by early next year. It will be designed primarily to deal with visitors from the U.S., Baja’s traditional main market.

“We’ve always prided ourselves on our working relationship with our friends to the south,” Sanders said, adding that the economies of the two regions are closely tied and both benefit from binational tourism. read more »

Posted in: baja communities, Baja Real Estate, Ensenada, Ensenada Real Estate, Living In Mexico, Mexico Real Estate, Mexico Tourism, Rosarito, Rosarito News, rosarito real estate, rosarito tourism, Tijuana – Comments Off

USA: California medical tourism association formed to promote Baja

October 7, 2009

Baja California Medical Tourism Association (BCMTA)

Baja California Medical Tourism Association (BCMTA)

Baja California Medical Tourism Association (BCMTA) is a State of California non-profit mutual benefit association. It is the only association outside the Republic of Mexico totally dedicated to advocating and promoting medical services for the entire state of Baja California. BCMTA will represent all of Baja California not just one location or cluster

BCMTA aims to help provide medical service seekers access to Baja California’s highest quality, affordable and compassionate medical services. It has offices in Tijuana, Mexico and San Diego, USA.From the Mexico border north through the Greater Los Angeles Region there are 24 million residents.

The huge number of Americans traveling to Mexico has seen many agencies; hospitals and clinics open to medical tourists, or set up specifically for them. While many offer excellent care at reasonable prices, some are taking advantage of the modern equivalent of the California gold rush.

Choosing a clinic or hospital is a lottery, and incompetent or dishonest surgeons and agencies cheat a few unlucky medical tourists. BCMTA wants to offer a “Seal of Approval” to people seeking medical services, information and referrals in the Western United States, with emphasis in California’s vast Hispanic and non-Hispanic population. BCMTA wants to make available a network of highly accredited health care providers dedicated to the practice of providing treatment with healing in mind and dedicated to wellness programmes. The organization believes that the practice of medicine requires of its practitioners an advanced level of competence and above reproach moral values. BCMTA considers for membership only those who meet this code of values. read more »

Posted in: Assisted Living, Baja Real Estate, Health Care in Baja, Health Care in Mexico, Living In Mexico, Mexico Real Estate, Mexico Tourism, Rosarito News, rosarito real estate, Tijuana – Comments Off

S.D., Baja officials working on tourist-friendly police force

October 6, 2009

By Leslie Berestein
Union-Tribune Staff Writer

Police Training

Police Training

SAN DIEGO – City officials in San Diego and Baja California are drafting a plan for San Diego cops to train a bilingual, tourist-friendly police force that would work south of the border.

The idea, announced Monday at San Diego City Hall, is to create a unit called the Metropolitan Police to patrol the tourist corridor between Tijuana and Ensenada and points farther south. Officers from the police departments of Tijuana, Rosarito Beach and Ensenada, and possibly the state police, would be trained in how to better interact with visitors.

The hope is to create a stronger sense of security for tourists, business visitors and others who travel to the region, officials said, and restore Baja California’s battered tourist economy in the wake of drug violence that has caused many businesses dependent on visitors to close.

“If they come down here and see what is happening, they will change the perception they have,” said Hugo Torres, mayor of Rosarito Beach. The city already has a tourist police unit composed of close to 30 municipal officers.

Unlike the tourist police, the new unit will perform the bulk of its work along Baja’s Highway 1, said Cesar Santiesteban, secretary of public safety for Ensenada. The training with San Diego police would enable the Mexican cops to learn “how American police think, how American police work,” Torres said. read more »

Posted in: baja communities, Baja Real Estate, Ensenada, Living In Mexico, Mexico Real Estate, Mexico Tourism, Rosarito, Rosarito News, rosarito real estate, rosarito tourism – Comments Off
« Older posts