Tag Archives: baja california

In Tequila’s Home, a Wine Region Comes of Age – The Guadalupe Valley

March 10, 2010

In Tequila's Home, a Wine Region Comes of Age - The Guadalupe Valley

In Tequila's Home, a Wine Region Comes of Age - The Guadalupe Valley

The first time I went to Mexican wine country, I found myself digging my car out of a muddy river bed at 11 at night. It speaks volumes about the area’s charm that this didn’t deter me from a second trip, four months later. This time, I destroyed one of my sedan’s axles in a pothole and popped a tire.

And yet, I still plan to visit again. Next time, I’ll bring an S.U.V.

Wine tasting in the Guadalupe Valley of Mexico is an adventure sport; not an endeavor for the weak of will. There is the matter of the roads. They are dirt-surfaced, they frequently require that you drive straight through riverbeds and, thanks to a winter of record storms, they currently resemble the pitted surface of the moon. Then there are the obstacles to actually tasting wines: many wineries require appointments, and a working knowledge of Spanish is definitely an asset.

Persevere, however, and you could find yourself at the bucolic ranch of Antonio Badán, sampling a generous glass of elegant Mogor-Badán Chasselas with the winemaker himself. Mr. Badán’s tasting room consists of a folding table in a corner of the small concrete building where he produces his wines. The chairs are wobbly; the walls are bare. From the tasting room, you can look over the vegetable gardens, the henhouse and the grazing cattle to the budding grapevines on the valley floor. read more »

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Baja For Beginners

March 10, 2010

Baja For Beginners

Baja For Beginners

“Looking after children can be a subtle way of giving up,” the novelist Edward St. Aubyn once wrote. If a vacation is thus a defining microcosm of family life at its presumed artificial best, then it will forever encapsulate your attitude of giving up, or giving in, or putting up a fight, usually at great cost to your nerves and sleeping schedules. It is the family vacations about which your children will brag or complain (or fake-complain) to their friends and future spouses and their own children, as in, “My parents dragged me to Epcot,” or, “My parents made me do the midnight watch on a month-long sailboat trip to Labrador.” In short, this is how you will be remembered.

And so, when we were invited to join two other families on a vacation to Todos Santos on the Baja Peninsula in Mexico, we eagerly hitched along. We’d been to Todos twice before with these same friends, but had since collectively amassed three kids, ages 2 and under. What better place, we reasoned, for preconscious children than a town where the coastline is so dangerous and unswimmable that one stretch is referred to locally as Killer Beach? This would be the perfect spot to spend two weeks pretending to relax as our toddlers charged heedlessly and relentlessly toward the 25-foot surf while we — not giving up, mind you — constantly looked after them.

Todos Santos is on the Tropic of Cancer, one hour north of Cabo San Lucas along a cow-frequented stretch of otherwise desolate coastal road. This is the edge of the continent; the entire weight of the ocean rears vertically upward at this precipice and smacks down on the sand so forcefully that at night, even a quarter mile from the beach, the windowpanes rattle in their casements.

According to my co-vacationing friend, the longtime surfer Chris James, Todos first became known among surfing circles for its legendary waves, which were in fact less legendary than the exertions required to enjoy them. As surfers claim, until the mid-70’s, there were no paved roads south of Tijuana (the stretch from La Paz to Cabo via Todos seemed to have stayed unpaved until the mid-80’s), which made the thousand-mile trip from the border arduously slow and surmountable only by four-wheel drives. Adding to the outlaw thrill was the risk that you’d flip your truck on the bad roads or have a gun pulled on you by a Federale. “Basically,” James admits, “Todos was a mildly scenic town with a great fish-taco stand.”

Pilar’s Fish Tacos is, in the opinion of some locals, the indirect reason for the town’s gradual evolution from a mildly scenic town with a great fish-taco stand into a cultlike destination for an incongruous amalgam of gringos. As local myth would have it, the rancher who owned the land around Pescadero, a nearby village, decided, after the asphalt arrived, to open the San Pedrito RV Park. At about the same time — the late 80’s — the artists showed up, as did the first cafe with the first good cappuccino (still available at Caffé Todos Santos). The increasingly artsy vibe attracted the New Agers and the seekers, and soon after, the healers pulled into town. As Charlie Deal, the structural-integration specialist (i.e., nice Rolfer), said of his reasons for living in Todos, “The opportunities for personal growth here are just too great.” (Counters James, “I come here for the personal regression.”)
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Bonus Rains could mean a Banner Year for Mexican Wines

March 3, 2010

By Steve Dryden

Grape Vineyards in the Guadalupe Valley

Grape Vineyards in the Guadalupe Valley

The 2010 vintage is off and running with a large dose of rainfall soaking the soil and roots in vineyards across Valle de Guadalupe and other grape growing regions in Baja California, Mexico. So far we’ve received an above average level of moisture in a normally drought ridden region, thus bringing extra hope to growers and winemakers for this vintage. Most of the vines still remain in a dormant condition, but bud swelling is evident and it appears that an early bud-break may be upon us soon.

In addition, the winter weather in the valley (elevation avg. is 1,100 feet) has been mild and warmer than usual. Many vineyard managers and workers have already pruned their vines or are in the process of doing so. The only bad news is there are lots of weeds and wild grasses this year, but the surplus of water is a real blessing, making most wine industry personnel excited about 2010.

Highway construction in the valley continues to progress, but at times it seemed we went back in time about 100 years. This wet winter allowed locals and guests the opportunity to ford rivers, streams and large puddles of water as we toured the valley in search of wine, food and adventure. Now we know what it might have been like when the early settlers and the Russian Molokans hauled grain and goods to San Diego with horses and wagons. In 1925, it was a three day trip to downtown San Diego with teams of horses and wagons navigating several rivers between the valley, Tecate and Jamul. The good news is that the new road that traverses the wine country along Highway 3 should be completed by May 2010. It’s open now in some parts, but be ready for road hazards, mud, and dramatic bumps in the various (unmarked) surfaces of dirt and pavement. read more »

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Passport Requirement for USA and Canada gets ready

February 26, 2010

Passport Requirement for USA and Canada gets ready

Passport Requirement for USA and Canada gets ready

Tourists and Business Men from the United States and Canada will be subject to a new regulation imposed by the Mexican Government Secretariat, which will require starting on March 1st, the presentation of a passport book or card of anyone pretending to obtain a migratory permit to travel beyond the Mexican border. This was brought by the regional delegation from the National Institute of Immigration in Chihuahua (INM – Instituto Nacional de Migración).

For now, companies and corporations on the Mexican side of the border have already been notified about the changes in the new documentation requirements for the issue of immigration permits in the country.

As opposed to the naturalization letters or birth certificates that have been presented, the new rules have been modified and requirements will need to be fulfilled exclusively through the American and Canadian Passports, or their respective Cards that equally certifies their nationality. This was said by Julieta Núñez, INM Delegate.

Annually around 250 thousand people from these two nationalities come through the Chihuahua borders alone and from which about 20 thousand are working in different companies and corporations.

As opposed to the naturalization letters or birth certificates that have been presented, the new rules have been modified and requirements will need to be fulfilled exclusively through the American and Canadian Passports, or their respective Cards that equally certifies their nationality. This was said by Julieta Núñez, INM Delegate.

Annually around 250 thousand people from these two nationalities come through the Chihuahua borders alone and from which about 20 thousand are working in different companies and corporations.

—

Look for Rosarito real estate and Baja real estate.

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The Baja Blondes in Fox 5 Morning News

February 26, 2010

The Baja Blondes cast makes an appearance in FOX 5 Morning News with Chrissy Russo, Arthel Neville, Raoul Martinez, Shally Zomorodi – KSWB

Click to play video.

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The Baja Blondes A Lifestyle Reality Show

February 2, 2010

The Baja Blondes - A Lifestyle Realty Show

The Baja Blondes - A Lifestyle Reality Show

Written By Melinda Bates

To the eternal questions, “Why are we here?  What is the meaning of life?” and, “Do these pants make my butt look fat?” we can add the perennial, “Do blondes really have more fun?”

The answer is clear to all those privileged to be invited to last week’s screening of the pilot of The Baja Blondes, a Lifestyle Reality Show, and it is an unqualified “YES!”

Blondes was created by Susanne Stehr and Debbie Shine, permanent residents of Baja, Mexico, and directed and produced by Robin Mackenzie, a part time resident of Baja, through her company, Tatblue Productions, LLC .  These are women of a certain age who have designed a life here they could never have back in the USA. Lives of freedom, beauty, creativity and friendship.  Lives open to the positive and unexpected adventures of Mexico, a country they adopted and deeply love.  Their goal is to promote Baja to an American audience in a positive light, by showing American women living and working in their communities up and down the gorgeous coast.

The pilot introduces our three protagonists in their lives and careers in the Rosarito to Ensenada area, while making clear that in Mexico, life is NEVER all about work.  In fact, they show us the Mexican dream:  affordable luxury, easy living, accessible health care, an ancient culture, fabulous food, award-winning wine and the excitement of living in a foreign country.

The screening took place at Northern Baja’s premier community, Palacio del Mar.  Guests marveled at the elegant reception areas, lounges and gorgeous landscaping that draws the eye straight to the only indoor pool on the coast, with the infinity pool and ocean beyond.  All the outdoor surfaces are clad in simple and dramatic gray granite. The look is both Mexican and modern.  Indoors, ceilings disappear in the distance above and the sense of space conveys the height of luxury.  The private theater with its comfortable seating and huge screen was the perfect venue for this beautiful event.  Surely residents will equally enjoy hosting their own Super Bowl party there!

Many prominent members of Tijuana and Rosarito’s business and social communities attended, including Raul Aragon, Director of Tourism for Playas de Rosarito, Laura Wong, editor of the Baja Times, Dr. Alejandro Quiroz, one of the area’s top plastic surgeons, Melinda Bates, speaker and author of White House Story, a Democratic Memoir, and Michael and Nancy Rosenberg, who together owned and operated “MARCO Entertainment” for 25 Years, managing the careers of over 100 Olympic and world champion athletes and international stars including Dorothy Hamill, Peggy Lee, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Tai & Randy, David Brenner, Quincy Jones, and Oksana Baiul.

Sponsors for the evening’s cocktail party and screening included one of the area’s largest real estate brokerages:The Baja Real Estate Group, Click-On, an internet café and mail service for American residents of Baja, The William Hitt Center of Tijuana, offering specialized diagnosis and treatment medical services, Serena Senior Care, providing a wide variety of services, from nursing care to plumbing, for the American community along the coast, and the Rosarito Inn, generous hosts of the production crew for the Baja Blondes.  Their amazing hospitality convinced everyone to return to Baja every chance they get!

The Baja Blondes reality show will travel to Cabo San Lucas, Tijuana, the Valle de Guadalupe Wine Country, Loreto, San Felipe, and all over the Baja peninsula, all the while highlighting American women who live and work in this part of heaven, where their creativity can flourish in a safe and welcoming place.

In addition to producing further episodes, The Baja Blondes plan to establish a retail store and advisory travel arm to assist women traveling in Baja.

*The Baja Blondes is a non-profit Mexican corporation solely owned by Susanne Stehr, Debbie Shine and Robin Mackenzie.

—

Browse for Real Estate for Sale in Baja California and Real Estate in Mexico.

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What do I need to know when crossing the San Diego – Tijuana border? By Miguel Sedano.

January 21, 2010

What do I have to do when crossing the border?

Select carefully the lane to enter the country:
•    Nothing to Declare Lane
It is used when your exemptions do not exceed the permitted limits
•    Self-declaration Lane
It is used when you bring goods worth more than the personal or family exemptions, or when the amounts of goods exceed those amounts allowed in your personal luggage
Upon crossing the border, your vehicle will activate the Automated Selection Mechanism (stop light). When crossing the border on foot you will be asked to activate the mechanism:
o    The red light indicates that your luggage will be inspected
o    The green light indicates that you can drive through the Customs facilities without inspection
If you or your vehicle has been selected for inspection, a Customs Inspector will conduct the examination. If the Customs Inspector finds goods that should have been declared and you did not do it, the Inspector will classify and appraise the goods and will impose the corresponding sanctions.

If you mistakenly choose the wrong lane, you may approach a Customs Inspector and ask for a classification and appraisal of your goods for the corresponding payment of duties and taxes.

Customs Inspection

In some cases the customs Automated Selection System (stoplight) may determine, without human intervention that your belongings will be subject to customs inspection.

This is a simple procedure. We would appreciate your cooperation in order to make it an agile one too. Please follow our customs personnel instructions. They must treat you with courtesy and respect while they ask you to open your luggage and proceed with its inspection. Also, they must handle your belongings with care. Remember that all persons entering Mexico are obliged to comply with Mexico’s customs provisions.

What can I bring in duty free?

•    The items allowed in your personal luggage, according to the length of your trip
•    Up to 75 USD per person in permitted goods, or its equivalent in other currencies. Passengers traveling with family members (spouse and children) may combine their personal exemptions only when arriving together on the same vehicle. In order to claim this additional exemption, passengers must have the corresponding commercial invoices or receipts available
•    Beer, alcoholic beverages, manufactured tobacco and motor vehicle fuel (except for the fuel contained in the vehicle’s fuel tank) may not be included in this additional exemption

Which items may be included in my personal luggage exempt from duty?

1.    Goods for personal use, such as clothing, footwear and personal toiletries and beauty products, as long as they are appropriate for the duration of the trip, including wedding party items.
2.    Two photographic cameras or video recorders, 12 rolls of film or videocassettes; photographic material; two cellular telephones or radio phones; a portatil typewriter; an electronic calendar; a portable computer (laptop), notebook, omnibook or similar items; a copier or portable printer; a portable projector, and their accessories.
3.    Two sports equipment, four rods, three speedboats with or without sails and their accessories, trophies or recognitions, provided that they can be transported normally and commonly by the passenger, one stair climber and bicycle
4.    A portable radio for the recording or reproduction of sound or mixed tapes; or a digital sound reproducer or portable reproducer of compact discs and a portable reproducer of DVD’s, such as a pair of portable speakers, and their accessories.
5.    Five laser disks, 10 DVD disks, 30 compact disks (CD) or magnetic tapes (audiocassettes), for the reproduction of sound and five storage devices or memory cards for any electronic equipment.
6.    Books, magazines and printed documents.
7.    Five toys, —included those that are collectible— and a video game console and videogames.
8.    One device that permits measurement of arterial pressure and one for glucose, as well as medications of personal use; in the case of psychotropic’s the medical prescription should be shown.
9.    One set of binoculars and a telescope.
10.    Valises, trunks and suitcases necessary for the movement of goods.
11.    Passengers over 18 years of age, may introduce a maximum of up to 20 packs of cigarettes, 25 cigars or 200 grams of tobacco and up to three liters of alcoholic beverages, and six liters of wine; in excess of the above, cannot be imported without complying with applicable regulations and restrictions.
12.    Baby travel accessories, such as strollers and baby-walkers
13.    Two musical instruments and its accessories.
14.    A camping tent and camping equipment, as well as their accessories.
15.    Handicapped or old travelers may introduce items for personal use, useful to have a better performance of their activities, such as walkers, wheelchairs, crutches and canes.
16.    A set of tools including its case, it might have a hand drill, wire cutters, wrenches, dices, screwdrivers, current cables, among others.
17.    Beddings, that will be able to include a set of matching sheets and pillowcases, a set of towels, a set of bath, a set of table linen and a set of kitchen.
18.    Up to two dogs or cats, maybe introduced as well as their accessories, provided that the corresponding zoo sanitary import certificate issued by (SAGARPA) is presented to the customs officials.

In which cases should I pay taxes?

•    Remember that you are entitled to bring in up to US$300 worth of goods in addition to the goods included in your personal luggage, and that you are allowed to combine this amount with family members
•    If you exceed this exemption, or if your family’s combined amount exceeds the combined exemption, you must pay duties and taxes. There is a flat 15% rate of duties and taxes, which is applied only to the amount exceeding the exemption (individual or combined). You must fill out a payment form, which is available at the Customs counter
•    If the value of the goods surpasses three thousand dollars (per family member) after subtracting the US$300 exemption, or if any of the goods is subject to non-tariff regulations or restrictions, you must hire the services of a customs broker. Private brokerage services are always available at the airport
•    From November 1st, 2009 until January 10th, 2010 you will be able to import goods in the mentioned procedure, as long as its value does not exceed 3,000 dollars
•    If you bring a desktop computer, you may pay duties and taxes by filling out a payment form as long as the value of the computer and its peripherals and accessories do not exceed US$4,000. If the total value of the computer and its peripherals and accessories exceeds US$4,000 you must hire the services of a customs broker

Which other items must be declared?

•    Animals, agricultural products and medications
•    If you are carrying more than US$10,000, or its equivalent in other currencies, in cash, checks, money orders or any other monetary instrument, or a combination of them, you must declare the amount exceeding US$10,000. You will not have to pay duties or taxes, but you must declare it on the Customs Declaration form. Failing to declare it is a violation of Mexican Law and such violation is sanctioned with administrative and even criminal penalties

Which goods are restricted?

•    Firearms and ammunition. In order to import firearms and cartridges you must secure an import permit from the Ministry of Economy and from the Ministry of National Defense.

For further information please visit the following websites: www.economia.gob.mx  and www.sedena.gob.mx.

Which goods are prohibited?

In accordance with the Law of the General Taxes of Import and Export, the following products are prohibited for the import and/or export:
•    Alive predator fish, in their states of young fish, youthful and adult
•    Totoaba, fresh or cooled (fish)
•    Frozen Totoaba (fish)
•    Turtle eggs or any class
•    Poppy seeds (Narcotic)
•    Flour of poppy seeds (Narcotic)
•    Seeds and spores of marijuana (Cannabis indica), even though when they are mixed with other seeds
•    Marijuana (Cannabis indica)
•    Juice and extracts of opium, prepared to smoke
•    Extracts and juice derived from marijuana (Cannabis indica)
•    Mucilage and condensed products derived from the marijuana (Cannabis indica)
•    Stamps or printed transfers in colors or in black and white, displayed for their sale in envelopes or packages, even when they include chewing gum, candies or any other type of articles, containing drawings, figures or illustrations that represent childhood in a degrading or ridiculous way, on attitudes of incitement to violence, to self-destruction or in any other form of antisocial behavior, known like Garbage Pail Kids, for example, printed by any company or commercial denomination.
•    Thallium sulfate
•    Insecticide (Isodrin or Aldrin)
•    Insecticide (Heptaclor or Drinox)
•    Insecticide (Endrin or Mendrin or Nendrin or Hexadrin)
•    Insecticide (Leptophos)
•    Heroin, base or hydrochloride of diacetylmorphine
•    Medication prepared with marijuana (Cannabis indica)
•    Medication prepared with acetylmorphine or of its salts or derivatives
•    Skins of turtle or doggerhead turtle
•    Goods that have been declared as archaeological monuments by the Secretariat of Public Education

For effects of the Customs Law, the import or export of prohibited merchandises is causal so that the customs authorities come to a precautionary detrain from said merchandises and the means of transport. Likewise, it constitutes an infraction related to the import or exports of this type of merchandise and is sanctioned with a fine: Therefore, these merchandises happen to be property of the Federal State, regardless of the penal sanctions establishes by the Penal Code.

If all this information seems to complicated for you, at Palacio del Mar only 35 minutes south of the border you will have a 24/7 concierge service that will be more than happy to assist you with any small or big request.

If you want to discover the only truly concierge service in the Rosarito area, as well as all the amenities of a 5 star resort, just call Miguel Sedano (619-200-7408) or email (Miguel.sedano@bajarealestategroup.net) for a private tour of Palacio del Mar Condos & Spa.

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One man’s war zone is another’s paradise

December 16, 2009

Originally Posted on the L.A. Times.

By Richard Marosi
December 14, 2009

From the insulated safety of Baja’s luxurious seaside gated communities, American expatriates say reports of kidnappings and violent drug cartels seem a world away.

Beach in Rosarito

Beach in Rosarito

Reporting from Rosarito Beach, Mexico – Bob and Carol Dawson love living in Baja California, but the region’s violent reputation has put them on the defensive. They have been called delusional and reckless — all because they choose to live in an oceanfront gated community about 30 or 40 miles and a world away from the U.S. border.

Americans living in this part of Mexico are often grilled, half-jokingly, about their sanity. They get asked whether they’ve seen decapitated heads rolling down the street. Friends wonder whether they wear bulletproof vests or drive around in armored cars.

When the Dawsons moved here in 1999 to retire, they were enticed by the area’s charm and peacefulness. They bought an expansive home with ocean views for $175,000. “Live like a millionaire without a million bucks” is the local real estate mantra.

In recent years, the tranquility has been eclipsed by the mayhem of battles between the Mexican government and organized crime. Military trucks brimming with heavily armed soldiers have rumbled through the manicured grounds of luxury developments; gunmen pepper local police stations with automatic-weapon fire; and Baja California’s most notorious crime boss once eluded authorities by running through a beach popular among American retirees. read more »

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Cuba Gooding Sr. Named Goodwill Ambassador, Receives Rosarito Key

December 8, 2009
Cuba Gooding Sr. Named Goodwill Ambassador, Receives Rosarito Key

Cuba Gooding Sr. Named Goodwill Ambassador, Receives Rosarito Key - Photo by Laura Wong.

ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO—Noted singer Cuba Gooding Sr., was presented a key to Rosarito and named a goodwill ambassador for the city by Mayor Hugo Torres at a weekend concert here.

“I am humbled by this, it means a lot to me,” said Gooding, who is best known for his 1972 super hit “Everybody Plays The Fool” as lead singer of the Main Ingredient. He also is the father of well-known actor Cuba Gooding Jr.

Mr. Gooding, who has a vacation home in Rosarito, said he is troubled because some in the U.S. have gotten the impression that Rosarito is unsafe because of the government’s crackdown on drug cartels and wanted to help correct that impression. read more »

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En route to security summit, Rosarito mayor is crime victim

December 8, 2009

Rosarito Beach Mayor Hugo Torres, 73, says he became a crime victim for the first time last Thursday.

En route to security summit, Rosarito mayor is crime victim

En route to security summit, Rosarito mayor is crime victim

And the crime wasn’t in Mexico. Torres parked his 2008 GMC sport utility vehicle at San Diego’s Fashion Valley mall to do some shopping. He was on his way to the second Binational Mayors of the Californias Summit in Santa Ana.

His SUV, parked in a covered lot near Macy’s, was locked and the alarm was activated, but a thief still was able to get in and steal the mayor’s traveling bag, briefcase and two cell phones. Also missing was Torres’ portfolio and papers for the meeting he was about to attend.

One of the topics on the summit agenda was binational security — though security at U.S. shopping malls during the holiday season was not among the items scheduled for discussion. read more »

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