No Wrong Turns: Buying or Renting a Surfboard in the Baja

by Kelsey Mulyk on

Tom is a huge surfer and I have always wanted to learn. So when we set off on this adventure surfing was a definite part of the plan. I have tried a couple times on other vacations but since we have been living in Calgary (which is smack in the middle of the Canadian prairies) I have never had enough time to really learn how…until now.

Baja California Sur is a huge surfing destination. Many of the ex-pat locals are surfers who found a killer surf break, bought a bit of land (when it was cheap) and never left. From Todos Santos all the way down the coast past San Jose Del Cabo you can find anything from mini waves to learn on to massive breaks for the advanced. But you need a board, and maybe a few lessons, before you can ride the waves.

We knew we needed boards and, unfortunately did not listen to a good piece of advice we received about where to purchase a board. The best place to get a board is in the States. Most of the boards in Mexico are imported from the US making them more expensive to buy. We were rushing to get into Mexico and looking back it would have been smarter to shop around for boards in the US.

Ah well, live and learn. On a surfboard mission we ran into Andy, a surfer from way back who manages the San Pedrito Surf Hotel, his recommendation was to try Costa Azul Surf Shop in San Jose Del Cabo. We headed there and managed to buy pretty decent used boards. Tom ended up with a Lost board, and the one I now own (but cannot stand up on) is an Olea, a locally made brand by Alejandro Olea, Costa Azul’s owner.

Costa Azul offers rentals at a pretty decent rate, rates start around $20 US per day, wet suit not included (I suggest getting one, the water is pretty chilly!). They also rent skim boards, body boards and snorkeling equipment for those not into surfing. Lessons for $55 US include a board, rashguard and hour-long lesson with an instructor. Two other locations, Todos Santos and Los Cerritos, offer rentals and lessons for those looking to catch a wave.

“No Wrong Turns” chronicles Kelsey and her husband’s road trip — in real time — from Canada to the southern tip of South America in their trusty red VW Golf named Marlin.

Hey Chicago and New York: Get away to Mexico City this Memorial Day for cheap

by Grant Martin on

People often don’t think about traveling over the holidays before it’s too late and ticket prices have gone through the roof. Good thing you’ve got me around. Just be glad you don’t know me personally, I’m always pestering people to buy tickets and they hate me for it.

Anyway, we’ve been looking for good tickets to buy for my girlfriend and I over Memorial Day, and blogger Jeremy (aka, Yaro, aka SATIJ) stumbled on a great fare to Mexico City over that weekend. For a paltry 280$, you can get yourself into the cultural and economic center of our neighbors to the south from either Chicago or New York, leaving Friday or Saturday and returning on Tuesday, the day after the holiday.

Oh but it gets better. If you want to book today or tomorrow, there’s also a 50$ off rebate that you can use with Northwest. So your ticket price drops to 230$.

Use a month long search on the NWA website to find your tickets out of Chicago or New York. You’ll also find that the fare is good for multiple weekends in April and May as well.

Mexico City to big and dirty and scary for you? It’s actually not as bad as it used to be. Take a gander through their wikitravel page and I think you’ll be impressed at what you see. And if you need any personal advice, ask Yaro for some tips and he’ll hook you up. Ask him about his nicknames while you’re at it.

I’ll see you in Mexico City. Just don’t forget your passport.

No Wrong Turns: Live Rent Free in Mexico

by Kelsey Mulyk on

Baja California draws thousands of vacationers each year who fork out wads of cash to stay in cookie-cutter hotels. I prefer to stay in more low-key places for two reasons: number one, I usually don’t have the cash to live the lux life and number two, I’d rather experience more of the culture than see another typical hotel lobby. But, if the opportunity came up to stay in a nicer place and experience the culture all for a decent price I’d be up for it . And it might just be possible, in fact, it just might be free… which happens to be right in my price range.

How’d you like to visit Mexico and stay for free in your own place?
Seriously….for free.

If you have a couple of weeks on hand, the money to pay for a flight or the desire to drive yourself down you could have yourself an inexpensive and amazingly beautiful vacation. How you ask? Become a housesitter.

Since we arrived in Mexico, many of the folks we’ve met have managed to stay here for months on end just by taking care of homes and picking up odd jobs here and there.

Many homeowners in Mexico are Americans and Canadians who spend half the year chilling out in Mexico and the other half at home. Understandably, a major concern for them is leaving their homes empty for months at a time. They are looking for trustworthy and reliable people to take care of their homes, keep their plants alive, babysit pets and discourage theft. When all is said and done, it’s a pretty easy job, and somebody’s got to do it.

Ads for housesitters in the Baja run in many of the local publications like the Gringo Gazette (I know…the name really is awesome) and the El Calendario de Todos Santos. Being a green thumb, pet-lover, or fixer-upper type can help to secure a position and a solid reference will do wonders. Housesitting is a great way to check out Mexico and the most you have to worry about are utilities and food.

How great is that? You could live rent-free for months in Mexico (sweet!), possibly in a really swanky pad (even sweeter) How could it get any better?

HouseSitMexico.com connects housesitters with homeowners all over Mexico. Housesitters-to-be can register for $20US (only until March 31st and then it will go to $30) to place an ad about their availability and qualifications. Access to the database of homeowners looking for help is granted once registered.

I don’t know about you guys but I am signing up right now!

Has anyone house-sat in Mexico before? I’d love to hear how it went.

“No Wrong Turns” chronicles Kelsey and her husband’s road trip — in real time — from Canada to the southern tip of South America in their trusty red VW Golf named Marlin.

America’s still fattest, but Mexico is catching up

by Aaron Hotfelder on

Less than 20 years ago, the problem facing Mexico wasn’t an overweight population, but one plagued by hunger. Today, Mexico rivals only the US in the percentage of obese citizens, with a new survey revealing that 71% of Mexican women and 66% of Mexican men are overweight.

Diabetes is now the leading cause of death in Mexico, responsible for roughly 70,000 deaths each year. The rise in obesity has been blamed largely on the proliferation of soft drinks, fast food, and increasingly sedentary lifestyles, three things I’ve always thought of as being “as American as apple pie”– a telling expression.

Mexican health officials fear that, if the current trend continues, Mexico will overtake the United States’ current role as the fattest nation in the world. I can just see Lou Dobbs having a field day with this information: “Mexicans are once again taking a position that should be held by Americans.”

More here, and my apologies to the boys in the photograph.

No Wrong Turns: Easter in Mexico….No Mini Eggs Here

by Kelsey Mulyk on

You won’t find any pastel colored eggs, chocolates or fuzzy white rabbits in Mexico during Easter. In fact, there isn’t a speck of the materialistic, Cadbury-bunny-laced Easter we have come to know and love at home. And, believe me, I looked for those addictive Mini Eggs everywhere.

Mexicans are predominantly Catholic and Holy Week, or “Semana Santa” as it is known here, is the most important religious holiday of the year. Kids get the week before and after Easter Sunday off and it is a time for family and church. These two weeks off are equivalent to our Spring Break so travelers can expect beaches and hotels to be crowded…make your reservations early.

Tom and I caught a little bit of the celebration on Good Friday (Viernes Santo). The devout congregate in groups all over the city, each outfitted with a large cross. These groups walk throughout the neighborhoods towards the church, stopping at homes to perform prayers and blessings. Eventually all the groups meet at the church for the service. In other parts of the country, the crucifixion is reenacted and passion plays are performed. One of the biggest celebrations is held in Iztapalapa, just south of Mexico City.

“Sabado de Gloria”, Holy Saturday, tells the story of the betrayal of Jesus by Judas. Papier mache Judases are created and then burned or destroyed as part of the ceremony. The service we attended was not so inclined and instead included readings by from both the Mexican and English community. People just kept piling in and eventually all the seats were taken leaving latecomers standing in the aisles. Women were hanging onto restless children, statues of the Virgen de Guadalupe were clutched tightly in hand, thousands of candles were lit and re-lit, bottles of water were raised for blessing and children, trussed up in their best clothes, were baptized and welcomed as members to the Catholic church. The evening ended with a shower of bright fireworks that could be seen from all over town.

Two words of advice on attending a church service:

Many Mexicans turn up casually dressed, but it is wise to be respectful and dress appropriately. Women should have their shoulders covered and men should wear a nice shirt and pants.

It is worth bringing your own candle so you can participate in the service. A ton of candles are lit during this event…it is like one big bonfire waiting to happen, so make sure you know where the closest exit is or sit near someone with a big bottle of water.

On Easter Sunday, Domingo de Pascua, Mexicans attend Mass and then spend the rest of the day enjoying the company of family and friends, sadly for me, it is not filled with bunny trails or chocolates either, sigh.
Anyone want to send some Mini Eggs my way?

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“No Wrong Turns” chronicles Kelsey and her husband’s road trip — in real time — from Canada to the southern tip of South America in their trusty red VW Golf named Marlin.