We’ve learned from several sources you do not want to drive a rental car from Hertz or Avis in or around La Paz because you will be pulled over. There are several stories of Americans who rented cars to drive to the other side of the peninsula and were pulled over for various reasons by Baja police and were told they had to pay $200 USD on the spot. Most Americans comply. The alternative is to rent a car from Baja rentals because they don’t display a rental car sticker and their cars are seldom pulled over by corrupt police.
We met a couple, Jay and Carolee, who have lived in La Paz for 12 years in the marina next door to where we are staying. Someone in their marina drove this Canadian Firefly car down from Canada about 15 years ago and abandoned it when they moved out of the area. The marina residents quickly adopted it. This car hasn’t been registered or insured since it arrived. It is parked on the street, unlocked with the windows down and nobody bothers is. The marina folks all pitch in to keep the little car running.
Jay drove us across town today in this car to Comision Nacional de Areas Naturales Protegidas to buy our national park passes. The park office was gated with a guard but they let us in thanks to Carolee’s ability to understand and speak Spanish. We went down a long hall to an office, knocked on an unmarked door, and were able to purchase our national park passes for 3600 pesos ($187). We need the passes when we sail to the islands next week. It was really difficult to find which agency sold the park passes. People must not purchase them even though they are required if you are visiting a national park.
On the way, Jay explained the driving rules. Alto (stop) signs don’t mean stop. They mean look while you drive through the stop sign. If someone hits you, don’t expect them to stop. If they hit you while you’re walking or riding a bike, don’t expect them to stop. It must have been your fault. If you are pulled over by the police do not admit you know any Spanish and act like a tourist. Don’t say anything or provide any documentation (you may not get it back). Most residents don’t have car insurance so the locals drive their cars no matter what condition they are in. The roads are bumpy, dusty and in need of repair. We noticed this the first time we rode our bikes to Chedraui to buy groceries. The main street in town has police officers directing traffic during rush hour.
The Mexicans in this town are very kind, friendly and resourceful. They seem to be able to fix anything that is broken or they know who to send you to. We are going to meet Sergio (once we find his house). He is the guy in town that does stainless steel welding. We would like to get davits made for lifting our dinghy out of the water.
It’s fun trying to figure out how to get things done. It’s all part of the adventure!
Leave a Reply