Ensenada Warnings and Dangers

Whenever I go outside the US, one of the things I stop doing is drinking the the local water, or use it to brush my teeth. ap water in Mexico is not necessarily contaminated, it just may contain different flora and fauna than US and Canadians are used to, thus causing possible indigestion. To be safe, you should always use purified water when brushing your teeth, when rinsing raw foods, or any other time you use water with the possibility of it being consumed. Other things to think about is the ice for that coke; Ice tea, and fresh fruit juices ( I learned these the hard way).

All restaurants and markets throughout Baja and most of Mexico will serve and sell purified water (agua purificada). This purified water is the same as what US and Canadians are used to drinking, so you should not have any problems if you stick to drinking the purified water. If you do experience problems, most of the brand-name medications used in the US or Canada are also available at markets or pharmacies in Mexico.

Although in general most people probably won't get ripped off shopping in Ensenada, there are a couple things you can do to avoid giving bad merchants a chance to cheat you. First, if at all possible, take your purchases with you instead of having merchants ship them to you. Second, it may be better to pay cash instead of using a credit card. The pottery shop in the Plaza Marina shopping mall had good prices, but they double-charged us for shipping, didn't pack materials well, and when we turned in a claim with the post office for the broken pottery that arrived (shipped COD), the Post Office sent the refund to the shop, so we never got our money. Also, we paid by credit card and the shop charged us pesos at a rate that added about 15% to the price we had agreed upon in dollars.

last i heard, thes are the customs limits:

up to $400.00 in merchandise
TJ is Duty Free Zone
Don't bring back Fruits
100 cigar max
200 cigarettes max

(if you by Cuban Cigars- TAKE off the wrappers, and toss them in the trash or stash in companions bags)

Make sure you never leave your car at the side of the road unattended. Buy Mexican insurance, or check with your rental company, some will sell it, (for about double the price, but the convenience may be worth it - up to you)

many hotel / motels have "gated" parking lots. The extra $$$ for the room, may be worth it.

The tap water is NOT safe to drink. Fortunately, bottled water isn't hard to find. However, it's important whenever you order raw foods in a restaurant that you ask if they were washed in 'agua purificado.' If you're not sure, do not eat it unless you want to spend your vacation sick to your stomach!