tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62768516742440676462024-03-13T05:19:22.830-07:00Baja InfoGustavo Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16984954633903509197noreply@blogger.comBlogger144125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276851674244067646.post-89005826385695055092015-02-18T14:58:00.001-08:002015-02-18T14:58:00.693-08:00Top 10 food cities -- National Geographic Travel.- Ensenada Baja Calif Mex<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/top-10/food-cities/">Top 10 Food Cities -- National Geographic Travel</a><br />
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Ensenada, Mexico</h4>
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When the <a href="http://www.ensenada-tourism.com/" sl-processed="1" style="color: #044e8e; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Ensenada</a> market opened in 1958 and began selling fresh, local seafood, the fish tacos became the stuff of legend. Today, foodies flock to Ensenada’s many street stands serving the classic combo of fried fish and shrimp topped with mayo, salsa, and cabbage</div>
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Gustavo Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16984954633903509197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276851674244067646.post-82007596412476133162013-11-20T14:03:00.001-08:002013-11-20T14:06:48.786-08:00Mexican Insurance on MexicanInsuranceStore.com for Evaluating Baja Norte Homes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<h2 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Mexican Insurance on MexicanInsuranceStore.com for Evaluating Baja Norte Homes</strong><em></em></h2>
As you explore Baja Norte in search of a great vacation home, you will want to be sure that you are traveling legally and safely. <a href="http://mexicaninsurancestore.com">Mexican Insurance on MexicanInsuranceStore.com</a> is important as you search because it ensures that you are able to pay if you are responsible for an accident. While your initial search for property will be an exciting adventure, there are many circumstances that can be beyond your control. From a blown tire to a pothole in the road, it's important to be covered so that your search for Baja real estate won't leave you with a negative experience. Don't skip the purchase of <a href="http://mexicaninsurancestore.com/ace_platinum2.asp">Mexican auto insurance on MexicanInsuranceStore.com</a>. Rather, take as much time to review <a href="http://mexicaninsurancestore.com/ace_products.asp">Mexico insurance at MexicanInsuranceStore.com</a> as you do to explore potential properties for sale. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Mexican Insurance on MexicanInsuranceStore.com</em></span> is now required in order to drive on any highway or freeway in Mexico.
<h3><strong>Mexican Insurance on MexicanInsuranceStore.com - Liability Limits and Baja Expectations</strong></h3>
While foreigners are expected to carry proper Mexican insurance on MexicanInsuranceStore.com throughout the nation, Baja government requires all motorists to carry liability protection. This can be helpful, reducing your own risks if your vehicle is damaged or if you are injured in an accident during your Baja property search. Your <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Mexican auto insurance on MexicanInsuranceStore.com</em></span> will cover medical expenses for you and your passengers if you are involved in an accident in which the other motorist is uninsured. However, your Mexico insurance at MexicanInsuranceStore.com won't necessarily cover your property damages suffered in such an incident. Full coverage Mexican Insurance on MexicanInsuranceStore.com will allow for your repairs or vehicle replacement to be handled whereas liability-only protection won't. If you are crossing the border with your agent for just a day of property searching, you won't see a huge difference between liability and full coverage costs, making full coverage <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Mexico insurance at MexicanInsuranceStore.com</em></span> the better choice for the day.
<h3><strong>Spend Some Time</strong></h3>
You may want to experience a bit of Baja living before you actually buy a property in an area like Rosarito or Playas de Tijuana. Your real estate agent can assist you in finding rental homes to consider as you enjoy a trial of life in Mexico. You will want to purchase long-term Baja coverage for your vehicle to ensure that your policy doesn't lapse during your stay. You can select coverage for as little as one day or for as long as one year, ensuring that your plans don't go astray because of an accident that happens after your coverage has lapsed. Additionally, you will appreciate that there are many options for accessing the Internet when you are in the Baja Norte area.
<h3><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Mexican Insurance on MexicanInsuranceStore.com comes with FREE Roadside Assistance</strong></em></span></h3>
<a href="http://mexicaninsurancestore.com"><img class="size-medium wp-image-15062" title="Baja Real Estate Investment - RE/MAX Baja Realty" src="http://mexicaninsurancestore.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/a715-300x210.jpg" alt="Mexican Insurance on MexicanInsuranceStore.com" width="300" height="210" /></a>
<h3><strong>Baja Real Estate Investment - remax-baja.com</strong></h3>Gustavo Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16984954633903509197noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276851674244067646.post-44489699291717672912013-11-07T13:23:00.001-08:002013-11-11T10:43:31.653-08:00Mexican insurance with MexInsuranceStore.com and Smart Searches for Baja Property<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<h2 style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>Mexican insurance with MexInsuranceStore.com and Smart Searches for Baja Property</strong></em></h2>
Smart searching for the right property in Baja is important, and your real estate agent can help you to narrow your choices based on your priorities. It's important that as you drive through various Baja communities you carry proper liability coverage so that any unexpected incidents are covered. Just as your real estate professional can help with your land search, an agent who specializes in <a href="http://mexinsurancestore.com">Mexican insurance with MexInsuranceStore.com</a> can provide you with important considerations for your vehicular needs. You can review your options online to be sure that you are protected against various issues. Effective October 1, 2013 all drivers on Mexico highways must have <em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Mexican insurance with MexInsuranceStore.com</span></em> coverage or face a fine.
<h3><strong>Community Activity</strong></h3>
One of the important things to consider in selecting your home in Baja is the design of the community. You can find areas with affordable pricing but close spacing. You'll also find areas that are spread out, great if you like a more remote experience. In many rural areas, you'll find that traffic and activities are very laid back and peaceful. You still need to be sure that your <a href="http://mexinsurancestore.com/types-of-mexican-insurance/hdi-mexican-auto-insurance-scored-92-ranking-1-out-of-20-products/">Mexican auto insurance with MexInsuranceStore.com</a> is comprehensive enough to handle your potential liabilities and losses. Stray animals can create unexpected accidents, and your full coverage plan is important for ensuring that your repairs are covered. If you select an area that features many families, your liability coverage is especially important in case of pedestrian incidents. Be prepared with a good policy so that once you buy your home in Baja, you can enjoy it with peace of mind.
<h3><strong>Exploring Mexico Coastal Properties and <strong>Mexican insurance with MexInsuranceStore.com</strong>
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Many individuals find that rural properties in Baja Norte provide the opportunity to explore many unique land features. You can enjoy the mountains in San Pedro Martír. You can explore countless miles of tranquil beaches. You may want to bring ATVs or other off-road vehicles for more intensive exploration. Consider this interest as you look for a home that includes plenty of acreage or a large garage. You may want to build a workshop for protecting your off-road vehicles when you are away. Similarly, evaluate <em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Mexican auto insurance with MexInsuranceStore.com</span></em> that will cover ATVs during towing and during operation. While the coverage options for such vehicles may be slim, you will find some policies that are available for this need.
<h3><strong>Amenities and Services and <strong><strong>Mexican insurance with MexInsuranceStore.com</strong></strong>
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Your proximity to a larger city or the border may be important as you research properties in Northern Baja. It's more expensive to shop for your supplies in small tienditas, and access to services in larger towns can save money. Your real estate professional will help you consider all of these angles while your Mexican auto insurance with MexInsuranceStore.com agent will help you to explore the needs related to your driving in these areas.
<h3><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Mexican insurance with MexInsuranceStore.com comes with FREE Roadside Assistance</strong></em></span></h3>
<a href="http://mexicaninsurancestore.com"><img class="size-medium wp-image-14738" title="Re/Max Baja Realty - Mexico Coastal Properties" src="http://mexicaninsurancestore.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/a74-300x55.jpg" alt="Mexican insurance with MexInsuranceStore.com" width="300" height="55" /></a> Re/Max Baja Realty - Mexico Coastal Properties[/caption]
Mexican Insurance Store.comGustavo Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16984954633903509197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276851674244067646.post-42338245554810176342013-10-08T14:48:00.003-07:002013-10-08T14:48:46.756-07:00Americas Now...made in Mexico<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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In the eyes of many world travelers, Tijuana Mexico has long been seen as little more than a tourist trap across the US border for cheap souvenirs and tequila and for its prostitutes peddling their services on the back streets of Avenida Revolucion.
Its negative image cemented further by memories of violent turf battles in the streets between drug gangs and police in the not so distant past particularly this shootout back in 2008 that saw kindergarten children caught in the crossfire, having to be rescued from harms way by authorities.
And today visitors here often see daily arrests of criminal suspects outside Tijuana’s souvenir shops. One shop owner hoping tourists might focus on more positive attributes like Tijuana’s favorite son legendary rock musician Carlos Santana.
Santana aside what has gone virtually unnoticed here by the outside world is Tijuana’s extraordinary transformation in the last decade as a world class manufacturing center with armies of highly skilled Mexican workers. 165 thousand of them showing up for work each dayfor 600 hundred top foreign national companies here that are producing billions of dollars in exports each year.
A “business boom” said to be directly responsible for turning this once impoverished town of 3 million citizens into a modern middle class metropolis -- with elegant gated communities rivaling those across the border in San Diego, California. Housing developments built not from the “drug money” of Mexico’s narcotics gangs but from the hard earned pesos of an exploding working middle class moving into them.
A point man for Tijuana’s rise as a global manufacturing giant is Tijuana native Flavio Olivieri that is CEO of the Tijuana Economic Development Corporation.His nonprofit agency facilitating is the arrival of foreign multinational companies keen on doing business in Tijuana. He says they are a link between the companies and the government agencies and all of the services required to do business in Tijuana. Currently they have about 52 industrial parks that house close to 600 companies and manufacturing facilities. And they also have Samsung from Korea. They manufacture here their large format TV sets and their smart TV sets.
And not just a handful of them, but 17 million Samsung flat screen TVs with their “Made in Mexico” stamp are exported each year from Tijuana to retailers just across the border in San Diego and across the United States - and to the European continent.
As well Japanese electronics giant Sony has made Tijuana a major manufacturing base for its flat screen TVs. Toyota has a huge plant on the outskirts of Tijuana producing the popular “Tacoma” pickup truck for export in the United States.
US aerospace giant Honeywell employs nearly 15 thousand local workers manufacturing aerial defense systems for the US military.And San Diego based 3DRobotics has made Tijuana its manufacturing hub for its highly popular amateur unmanned aerial vehicles known as ‘quad copters” selling in most countries around the world.
So impressive are Tijuana’s manufacturing capabilities and output that the city of San Diego has become the first US city to open a binational affairs office in Tijuana to encourage more US-Mexico business partnerships says office director Mario Lopez. ATijuana has born Mexican American who commutes to and from Tijuana almost daily by San Diego’s trolley line to the US-Mexico border.
Mario Lopez says: “We think of this as a mega region the only way to really thrive instead of competing instead of looking at each other on different terms is actually creating synergy that’s the only way in the long term that we’re going to be able to compete with other places in the world.”
Though, “being able to compete,” say human rights groups, should not come at the expense of the Mexicans doing the work here, who they claim have historically been among the most exploited in the world.
While industrial parks like these across Tijuana have created thousands of jobs, there remains a contentious issue with many workers: Low wages. The minimum wage in Mexico, for example, is almost five times lower than the 7 dollars and 25 cents an hour workers earn in the United States.Admittedly a controversial issue, says Tijuana’s business facilitator Flavio Olivieri. He tells us the hour wage is about one dollar that is fifty cents. Well it is not a lot of money compared to the US. It is more than other parts of the world and Mexico.And people with that wage are able to get their benefits and be able to get insurance and loans for buying a house and they get all the medical services they require.
Olivieri says an example of how working conditions and benefits have improved here in recent years is the US Company DJO Global and its manufacturing plant in Tijuana voted one of the top 3 “Best Places to Work” in Mexico for two years running.
Its 2,000 employees assembling orthopedic products here are offered everything from free college education - providing they stay with and move up in the company to home loans to free health careto a weekly discount Farmers Market - set up out front of the plant to save employees the time and expense of food shopping elsewhere each week.
To a “Hollywood Star” style “Walk of Fame” for “Employees of the month” meant to boost morale. To this music system in the plant’s cafeteria “Karaoke Optional”
We requested an opportunity to interview some of the floor workers here -- but the company told us none were willing to take part.We were, instead, offered an interview with an employee from the Human Resources department.
Mildred Herrera Martinez claims the company changed her life for the better 13 years ago when she started work here on the production line at the legal working age in Mexico of 14.
Her hourly wage has risen from 1 dollar fifty cents to 5 dollars an hour - earning her 40 dollars a day - 200 dollars a week. She worked her way up from the production line and after, they helped her finish university. And now she has risen to a position with Human Resources.
Tijuana’s business leaders say the city’s manufacturing boom is slowly sending a message to its American neighbors to the north that Mexicans - when given the opportunity -- are capable of and happy to find jobs in their own country rather than crossing the border illegally for employment in the United States.
Flavio Olivieri says: “You know the perception of Mexico has been very negative...and played very strongly by the media and downplaying the capabilities...and the opportunities with Mexico. And I think Americans can really notice the partnership...that could be developed with Mexico...because we complement each other...and we can be more competitive if we work together.”
As for the issue of crime and security in Tijuana - Olivieri says drug war violence today is almost non-existent around the city.
And while every day crime still exists, he says, it’s no more than in other major cities around the world.
Flavio Olivieri thinks what really shows that crime is not a factor is the growth of companies. They continue to see existing companies to invest more and more and expand and expand.
Tijuana’s future, he says, is brighter than it’s ever been and thanks to a more highly trained work force capable of higher standard production methods. That is meeting the demands of more and more US companies opening manufacturing plants here. That has Mexicans, these days, feeling quite proud.Tijuana is making its mark as a global manufacturing leader.
Editor:James |Source: CCTV.com
www.bajainvestment.comGustavo Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16984954633903509197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276851674244067646.post-102209352323153232013-05-07T12:33:00.002-07:002013-05-07T12:33:29.752-07:00Viewpoint: Five myths about Mexico<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="display: block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 624px;">Mexico is a country with a growing middle class and strong democracy</span></div>
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As US President Barack Obama visits Mexico this week, he may want to consider the new realities of the country, says Shannon O'Neil, from the Council on Foreign Relations.</div>
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President Obama's visit to Mexico is part of a long tradition of diplomatic relations between the US and its neighbour to the south.</div>
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But while many Americans feel that they understand the basic economic and social forces that drive Mexico, the realities are much more interesting.</div>
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Here five myths about Mexico, that have a direct impact on American foreign policy, are debunked.</div>
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Mexico is no longer a poor country</h2>
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<img alt="Billboard advertisement signs for Motorola, King Kong and Telcel hanging over an Oriental Rug shop in Mexico City. " height="261" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/67366000/jpg/_67366847_mexico_city.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="464" /><span style="display: block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 464px;">Mexico City is a modern hub of commerce and culture</span></div>
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Though many Americans think of Mexico as a country of either wealth or poverty, by most accounts it is now a middle-class country.</div>
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A majority of Mexican households - incorporating roughly 60m people - now have disposable income. Half of the people in Mexico own their own car, and one-third own a computer. Nearly everyone has a television and mobile phone.</div>
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These new urban middle-class Mexicans are also investing in their children's education. There are now 45,000 private schools, comprising nearly a third of all Mexico's schools.</div>
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Student enrollment in universities and beyond has tripled in the past 30 years, from under a million in 1980 to almost three million today.</div>
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The rise of the middle class has affected Mexico's politics, too, with this segment pivotal in voting out the long-ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) in 2000, and then voting them back in to Los Pinos, Mexico's White House, last year.</div>
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This crucial voting bloc is increasingly up for grabs, rapidly joining the ranks of Mexico's proclaimed political independents.</div>
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They mirror the US middle class in their concerns, paying close attention to economic opportunities and security, two important issues in US-Mexico relations.</div>
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Mexican manufacturing doesn't harm US workers</h2>
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<img alt="Men work on an assembly line at a Mexican shoe factory" height="261" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/67381000/jpg/_67381897_mexico_factory.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="464" /><span style="display: block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 464px;">Basing factories in Mexico allows American companies to be more competitive</span></div>
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For Mexico, the biggest issues in the US-Mexico relationship are economic, and President Enrique Pena Nieto is hoping to deepen commercial ties between the two nations.</div>
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In his State of the Union address, President Obama praised Ford Motor Company for bringing jobs back from Mexico as part of a strategy to make "America a magnet for new jobs and manufacturing".</div>
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Yet this statement, at least with regard to Mexico, is mistaken.</div>
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It isn't that globalisation doesn't lead some jobs to foreign lands. It does. But by expanding abroad, companies become more competitive, supporting and creating jobs at home.</div>
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Ford increased its US workforce (and plans on adding thousands more jobs by 2015), but it hasn't stopped hiring in Mexico. It is expanding a plant in Hermosillo and adding over 1,000 positions in the last few years in the state of Sonora.</div>
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A study by two Harvard business professors and a University of Michigan colleague shows that for every 10 people hired overseas by American corporations, two new jobs are created in the United States.</div>
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Mexican immigrants are not going to keep flooding the US</h2>
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<img alt=" Male undocumented immigrants rest at the U.S. Border Patrol detainee processing center " height="261" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/67366000/jpg/_67366853_166402870.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="464" /><span style="display: block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 464px;">The net migration from Mexico to the US is zero, due to many factors. The US has cracked down on undocumented immigrants like these Mexican men being held by Border Control</span></div>
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The images of hundreds of thousands of Mexican immigrants illegally entering the United States each year, chased down by border patrol agents on foot, horseback, or truck, resonates widely. But this reality has changed.</div>
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The estimated numbers coming north each year are down to levels last seen in the 1970s.</div>
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In fact, a 2012 Pew Hispanic Report noted that the net immigration for Mexicans in and out of the United States was "zero". In other words the same numbers of Mexicans entered and left.</div>
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This can in part be explained by the US recession, but it also reflects changes within Mexico.</div>
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Mexico has undergone a major demographic shift in the last generation. In the 1970s, women were having an average of seven children, but today that number is closer to two - the same as the US.</div>
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With fewer citizens coming of age each year relative to the overall population, the decades where Mexico's "extra youths" headed to the US are over.</div>
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Mexico's democracy is not weakening</h2>
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<img alt="Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto" height="261" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/67366000/jpg/_67366678_167329493.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="464" /><span style="display: block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 464px;">Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto wants to expand business dealings between the US and his country</span></div>
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Although many feared that the 2012 return of the PRI would push Mexico back into its authoritarian past, checks and balances now exist and constrain whomever wears the presidential sash.</div>
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In Mexico's Congress, the three major political parties must negotiate to get any bill passed, and the nation's Supreme Court has increasingly exercised its autonomy to restrain both political officials and vested interests.</div>
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The country's media and civil society groups more generally are beginning to play an important watchdog role, questioning policies and exposing bad behaviour.</div>
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And finally, Mexico has reached a relatively enviable space, ranking in the upper tiers of nearly all relative international measures of democracy.</div>
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Mexico is not at risk of becoming a failed state</h2>
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<img alt="Teachers and students protest in front of anti-riot policemen in Acapulco" height="261" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/67366000/jpg/_67366918_167594840.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="464" /><span style="display: block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 464px;">Mexico has its share of protests, corruption and violence, but the country continues to improve its institutions</span></div>
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Over the last six years, some 70,000 Mexicans have been killed in drug-related violence, and tens of thousands more have disappeared.</div>
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Mexico's police have often been unwilling or unable to stem the bloodshed, and the judicial system too has failed - with just 2% of all crimes ending in convictions.</div>
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But while Mexico faces a serious security threat from organised criminal groups, the country continues to collect taxes, build roads, run schools, expand social welfare programmes and hold free and fair elections.</div>
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Its economy has grown steadily, if somewhat slowly, and Mexico maintains an important presence in multilateral groups and summits.</div>
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It has also begun the long and arduous path of professionalising its police forces and transforming its courts to create a democratic rule of law.</div>
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One thing about Mexico that remains true is the deep and now permanent economic, political, security, and personal links between Mexico and the United States.</div>
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For Presidents Obama and Pena Nieto, there is much to gain from a better understanding of each other's country.</div>
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<em style="line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Shannon K. O'Neil is a senior fellow for Latin America Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations</em><em style="line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> and the author of </em><a href="" style="color: #4a7194; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Two Nations Indivisible: Mexico, the United States, and the Road Ahead</a></div>
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<a href="" style="color: #4a7194; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">www.bajainvestment.com</a></div>
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<a href="" style="color: #4a7194; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">www.remax-baja.com</a></div>
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Gustavo Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16984954633903509197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276851674244067646.post-48353172471121459732013-04-08T14:26:00.001-07:002013-04-08T14:26:52.544-07:00Buying land near Mexico's coasts<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 24px;">Buying land near Mexico's coasts</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">T<i>his blog is written by Tim Johnson, the Mexico bureau chief for McClatchy Newspapers.</i></span><br />
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Read more here: http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/mexico/2013/04/buying-land-near-mexicos-coasts.html#storylink=cpy</div><br />
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<div class="entry-content"><div class="entry-body"><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">For nearly a century, foreigners have been holding deeds to land near Mexico’s borders or shoreline. The prohibition came as a result of fear of invasion by land or sea.</div><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Over the past four decades, foreigners have indeed been able to obtain beachfront property but through a bureaucratic process in which they set up a Mexican bank trust. The bank actually holds the deed. Through the trust, the foreigners enjoy basically the same rights as Mexicans.</div><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Now, change is in the air, and it could save money for thousands of American retirees and other foreigners who want to buy their piece of paradise in Mexico.</div><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Two days ago, none other than Manlio Fabio Beltrones, put forth a proposal to amend article 27 of the Mexican constitution.</div><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Beltrones is no ordinary politician. He’s a former governor of Sonora state, a former two-term congressman, a current senator, a perennial big shot of the Institutional Revolutionary Party and even a onetime presidential candidate.</div><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Beltrones, presented the proposal along with another PRI deputy, Gloria Nunez Sanchez, and early signs are that members of the center-right National Action party may get behind it.</div><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">But first, a little more history: Mexico had legitimate fears of invasion back during the 1917 Revolution. So the constitution minted then included a blanket ban on foreigners owning land within 100 kilometers (62 miles) of any border or 50 kilometers (31 miles) of any shoreline. <a href="http://www.bajainsider.com/baja-real-estate/coastal-property-mexico.htm" style="color: #075099; text-decoration: none;" target="_self">This website</a>says the ban includes the entire Baja Peninsula.</div><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Following a 1973 law that regulated creation of trusts, foreigners found a work-around. By paying around $2,000 for a permit and registration in the foreign investment registry, plus up to another $1,000 annually for bank trust administration fees, foreigners could buy land near the coasts and borders.</div><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">This has made quite a bit of money for banks.</div><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">In his proposal, Beltrones notes that fears of invasion are anachronistic.</div><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">“Hand to hand combat is no longer the way to settle disputes, thus the danger has disappeared of allowing foreigners to obtain property,” it says.</div><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The trusts, the proposal notes, have confronted foreigners with “high costs of setting up trusts and fee payments for various registration procedures, assessments, taxes and permits prior to the government authority.”</div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Some Mexican Realtors are already touting the proposed change, apparently eager to increase sales.</span></span><br />
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">But any constitutional amendment is lengthy. Beltrones’s proposal has to be passed by both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, then approved by 17 state legislatures before it becomes law.</div><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Moreover, the proposal would only affect those building housing with "no commercial objectives," and that a ban would remain on foreigners owning "direct dominion over the water." I'm not sure what that means. </div><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">www.bajainvestment.com</div><div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; height: 1px; overflow: hidden; width: 1px;"><br />
Read more here: http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/mexico/2013/04/buying-land-near-mexicos-coasts.html#storylink=cpy</div><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></div></div></div>Gustavo Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16984954633903509197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276851674244067646.post-57236600027591871882013-03-12T15:18:00.001-07:002013-03-12T15:18:20.190-07:00<div style="text-align: right;">
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<b><span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4f; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; text-align: center;">Amazing opportunity in Rosarito Baja California real estate:</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4f; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; text-align: center;">Foreclosed oceanfront property in Rosarito Baja California, Mex.! </span></b><br />
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<i>Presenting the best opportunity in Baja real estate: Paradise del Baja, a Foreclosed oceanfront property in Rosarito Baja California Mex. </i></div>
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It is Owner’s intention to effect the sale of the Property Paradise del Baja by sale of 100% of the shares of the company, which owns the property. Purchaser will obtain ownership of the Co. by purchase of its outstanding stock, and thereby its current ownership rights to Paradise del Baja in excess of $2 million Dlls of grading work. </div>
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Paradise del Baja consist of 6 parcels, combined into a single larger tract, with one very large sized parcel, two intermediate sized parcels, and 3 fragment sized parcels. Paradise del Baja a 5.97-acre parcel of land is situated in a magnificent location on Rosarito Baja California, Mex. with sweeping Pacific Ocean and beach views. </div>
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Developers with a taste for the peaceful views of El Descanso Bay in Baja, will be drawn to this beachfront property, a natural whale resting area. </div>
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Beachfront real estate in Baja doesn’t get any better than this, with views of turquoise waters and less than a mile from the renowned Puerto Nuevo dinning. Rising on an partially land graded parcel of land between the main highway and the Pacific Ocean, Paradise del Baja, a Rosarito real estate opportunity is unparalleled in the possibilities it presents for real estate development. Zoned residential and commercial, this land is available for many types of development, like hotels, condos, homes, shopping mall, etc. The Seller has conducted a Master Plan audit to identify potential uses for this Oceanside land. </div>
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This exceptional Rosarito Beach property can support a premier community that is zoned over 200 homes. Potential Features and Amenities: Seaside Multi-Family Residences, Seaside Single-Family Residences, Beach Club, Retail/Entertainment District, Reconstituted Beach, Community Sports Fields, Staff Housing and more. </div>
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Paradise del Baja an undeveloped but largely improved oceanfront property in Rosarito Baja, represents a stellar opportunity for development of a project that boasts world-class recreational activities within a short drive from the US border. The 5.97 acres of land on Rosarito Baja California is situated in the Cantiles Dorados area, 28 miles south of the border. </div>
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Contact us: </div>
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Toll Free.- 1866 588 2252 </div>
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US (619) 270 5446 </div>
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Mex (661) 100 2076 </div>
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rosaritobeach@topproducer.com</div>
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bajainvestment.com</div>
Gustavo Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16984954633903509197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276851674244067646.post-65997406067346698242013-02-27T13:55:00.001-08:002013-02-27T13:55:11.663-08:00Prepare for Your House-Hunting Adventure in Baja!
<p>There are many exciting real estate opportunities in Baja, Mexico. It's little wonder that so many people are flocking south of the border to check them out. If you plan to be one of them, you should do a few things to make your house-hunting excursion as productive as possible. The first step is to find a talented, experienced and knowledgeable real estate agent. You will get that and more with RE/MAX Baja Realty. You can make all of the arrangements for meeting with an agent from home too.</p>
<b>Buy Insurance</b>
<p>You probably have no intention of getting into trouble while looking for second homes or retirement homes in Baja. As long as you buy <a href="http://mexicaninsurancestore.com">Mexican car insurance</a>, you shouldn't have anything to worry about. Driving in Baja without <a href="http://mexicaninsurancestore.com/quote.asp">car insurance for Mexico</a> is a big mistake. The police are allowed to detain drivers who get into accidents and don't have coverage. You can easily buy high-quality <a href="http://mexicaninsurancestore.com/ace_platinum2.asp">Mexican auto insurance</a> online and have it ready to go when you arrive in Baja. Make sure to do so to ensure the smoothest, easiest visit possible.</p>
<b>Take a Look</b>
<p>After speaking with you about what you want in a Baja home, your agent will come up with a list of viable options. Upon arriving in Baja, you will be taken around to look at several of them. It's smart to bring along a notebook and camera to take notes and pictures along the way. Most people need time to compare and contrast their favorite options. In some cases, one property will immediately stand out and seem like the best option. Sometimes, though, the choice can be a lot more difficult. Either way, your agent will be there for you.</p>
<b>Buy a Great Baja House</b>
<p>By the time you find the house that's right for you, your agent will help you come up with a competitive offer. You may need to arrange for financing from your lender. Before you know it, closing day will be here. There is nothing quite like buying a beautiful home in Baja. You and your family will probably want to get it all set up to your liking right away. Whether it's a vacation home or a place to spend your retirement, your Baja home is sure to be perfect.</p>
bajainvestment.comGustavo Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16984954633903509197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276851674244067646.post-79265426368602921382013-02-25T12:50:00.002-08:002013-02-25T12:54:46.836-08:00How Mexico got back in the game<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: grey; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.2em;">By </span><span itemid="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/opinion/editorialsandoped/oped/columnists/thomaslfriedman/index.html" itemprop="author creator" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" style="background-color: white; color: grey; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.2em;">THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN</span><br />
Published: February 23, 2013<br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="line-height: 29.328125px;">IN India, people ask you about China, and, in China, people ask you about India: Which country will become the more dominant economic power in the 21st century? I now have the answer: Mexico.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="line-height: 29.328125px;">Impossible, you say? Well, yes, Mexico with only about 110 million people could never rival China or India in total economic clout. But here’s what I’ve learned from this visit to Mexico’s industrial/innovation center in Monterrey. Everything you’ve read about Mexico is true: drug cartels, crime syndicates, government corruption and weak rule of law hobble the nation. But that’s half the story. The reality is that Mexico today is more like a crazy blend of the movies “No Country for Old Men” and “The Social Network.”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="line-height: 29.328125px;">Something happened here. It’s as if Mexicans subconsciously decided that their drug-related violence is a condition to be lived with and combated but not something to define them any longer. Mexico has signed 44 free trade agreements — more than any country in the world — which, according to The Financial Times, is more than twice as many as China and four times more than Brazil. Mexico has also greatly increased the number of engineers and skilled laborers graduating from its schools. Put all that together with massive cheap natural gas finds, and rising wage and transportation costs in China, and it is no surprise that Mexico now is taking manufacturing market share back from Asia and attracting more global investment than ever in autos, aerospace and household goods.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="line-height: 29.328125px;">“Today, Mexico exports more manufactured products than the rest of Latin America put together,” The Financial Times reported on Sept. 19, 2012. “Chrysler, for example, is using Mexico as a base to supply some of its Fiat 500s to the Chinese market.” What struck me most here in Monterrey, though, is the number of tech start-ups that are emerging from Mexico’s young population — 50 percent of the country is under 29 — thanks to cheap, open source innovation tools and cloud computing.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="line-height: 29.328125px;">“Mexico did not waste its crisis,” remarked Patrick Kane Zambrano, director of the Center for Citizen Integration, referring to the fact that when Mexican companies lost out to China in the 1990s, they had no choice but to get more productive. Zambrano’s Web site embodies the youthful zest here for using technology to both innovate and stimulate social activism. The center aggregates Twitter messages from citizens about everything from broken streetlights to “situations of risk” and plots them in real-time on a phone app map of Monterrey that warns residents what streets to avoid, alerts the police to shootings and counts in days or hours how quickly public officials fix the problems.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="line-height: 29.328125px;">“It sets pressure points to force change,” the center’s president, Bernardo Bichara, told me. “Once a citizen feels he is not powerless, he can aspire for more change. ... First, the Web democratized commerce, and then it democratized media, and now it is democratizing democracy.”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="line-height: 29.328125px;">If Secretary of State John Kerry is looking for a new agenda, he might want to focus on forging closer integration with Mexico rather than beating his head against the rocks of Israel, Palestine, Afghanistan or Syria. Better integration of Mexico’s manufacturing and innovation prowess into America’s is a win-win. It makes U.S. companies more profitable and competitive, so they can expand at home and abroad, and it gives Mexicans a reason to stay home and reduces violence. We do $1.5 billion a day in trade with Mexico, and have been spending $300 million a day in Afghanistan. Not smart.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="line-height: 29.328125px;">We need a more nuanced view of Mexico. While touring the Center for Agrobiotechnology at Monterrey Tech, Mexico’s M.I.T., its director, Guy Cardineau, an American scientist from Arizona, remarked to me that, in 2011, “my son-in-law returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan and we talked about having him come down and visit for Christmas. But he told me the U.S. military said he couldn’t come because of the [State Department] travel advisory here. I thought that was very ironic.”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="line-height: 29.328125px;">Especially when U.S. companies are expanding here, which is one reason Mexico grew last year at 3.9 percent, and foreign direct investment in Monterrey hit record highs.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="line-height: 29.328125px;">“Twenty years ago, most Mexican companies were not global,” explained Blanca Treviño, the president and founder of Softtek, one of Mexico’s leading I.T. service providers. They focused on the domestic market and cheap labor for the U.S. “Today, we understand that we have to compete globally” and that means “becoming efficient. We have a [software] development center in Wuxi, China. But we are more efficient now in doing the same business from our center in Aguascalientes, [Mexico], than we are from our center in Wuxi.”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="line-height: 29.328125px;">Mexico still has huge governance problems to fix, but what’s interesting is that, after 15 years of political paralysis, Mexico’s three major political parties have just signed “a grand bargain,” a k a “Pact for Mexico,” under the new president, Enrique Peña Nieto, to work together to fight the big energy, telecom and teacher monopolies that have held Mexico back. If they succeed, maybe Mexico will teach us something about democracy. Mexicans have started to wonder about America lately, said Bichara from the Center for Citizen Integration. “We always thought we should have our parties behave like the United States’ — no longer. We always thought we should have the government work like the United States’ — no longer.”</span></span><br />
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<span class="italic" style="font-size: 15px !important; font-style: italic; line-height: 22px;">This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:</span><strong style="font-size: 15px !important; font-style: italic; line-height: 22px;">Correction: February 24, 2013</strong><span style="line-height: 1.467em;">An earlier version of this column misstated the amount the United States has been spending in Afghanistan. It is $300 million a day, not $1 billion a day.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/opinion/sunday/friedman-how-mexico-got-back-in-the-game.html?smid=pl-share" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;">http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/opinion/sunday/friedman-how-mexico-got-back-in-the-game.html?smid=pl-share</a></div>
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Gustavo Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16984954633903509197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276851674244067646.post-46014389731795565032012-08-21T13:05:00.001-07:002012-08-21T13:05:24.178-07:00Ensenada among the “101 Best Places to Eat in the World”<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
"La Guerrerense" seafood cart made it to Newsweek´s list<br />
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Sabina Bandera during her presentation at the LA Street Food Fest. Micaela Arroyo/SanDiegoRed</div>
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Ensenada’s iconic seafood stand “La Guerrerense” made it to Newsweek’s the “101 Best Places to Eat In the World”.<br />
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Inside the weekly edition from August 13 to 20, the culinary-themed article featured on the cover, lists gastronomic spots throughout the world, based on recommendations made by 53 renowned chefs including Anthony Bourdain, who early this year visited the stand, owned and managed by Mrs. Sabina Bandera.<br />
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“La Guerrerense, a humble street cart, is as simple as it gets. Doña Sabina Bandera Gonzalez serves up the most mind-blowing fresh, sophisticated, and colorful tostadas imaginable. Absolutely phenomenal. Worth drive from L.A.”, said Bourdain in Newsweek. “Incredibly phenomenal, it’s totally worth the trip from Los Angeles.”</div>
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The picture of Sabina and her ceviche tostadas leads the section dedicated to Latin America in the magazine’s countdown. The article recommends the clam, octopus and abalone tostadas.</div>
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With over 40 years of history, the emblematic stand located between First and Alvarado Streets in Ensenada, is famous for its ceviche tostadas, its salsas and its seafood cocktails.</div>
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Last July, La Guerrerense was awarded with the LA Street Food Fest’s highest prize beating over a 100 competitors from restaurants to street food stands.</div>
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Original Text: Alexandra Mendoza<br />
Translation: Karen.balderas@sandiegored.com<br />
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Gustavo Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16984954633903509197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276851674244067646.post-71619063214984875152012-08-15T15:19:00.001-07:002012-08-15T15:24:34.826-07:00For Baja California Winemakers, It's Fiesta Time | KPBS.org<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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August is the time for festivals in Baja, California - from cheese and bread to salads to seafood. The grandaddy of them all is the Fiestas de la Vendimia, the harvest festivals in Ensenada's lush Guadalupe Valley wine country.</div>
While driving to Ensenada one recent Saturday, I passed billboards advertising no fewer than five foodie festivals: The festival of cheese and bread; the festival of seafood and shellfish—even a festival devoted entirely to salads and salad dressings. But it’s a paella competition that brings me south of the border today.<br />
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Credit: Maya Kroth<br />
Above: The pre-paella contest entry from Team Chiapas,Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, July 14, 2012<br />
“If we win we get to go to the big contest in Valle de Guadalupe in the last weekend of August,” said Montserrat Vildósola, an architect from Mexico City and amateur paella chef. “There’s a contest where 100 paelleros go, and this is the contest you have to win in order to be able to contest there.”<br />
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Vildósola’s team is one of about a dozen competing today for a spot in the big paella contest that closes out the grandaddy of all Baja gastronomic festivals: the Fiestas de la Vendimia. That’s Spanish for harvest parties, and they’re happening now in Ensenada’s lush Guadalupe Valley wine country, a bucolic place where horses graze amid scenic vineyards surrounded by majestic purple mountains.<br />
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“Baja produces about 90 percent of the wine from Mexico,” said Joaquín Prieto, current president of Provino, the coalition of winemakers that coordinates the Vendimia. “Climate is the prime thing. We have the Pacific cold and the heat of the valley so it creates a microclimate.”<br />
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Prieto’s own winery, Tres Valles, is one of close to 70 now up and running in the region, operations that range in size from tiny mom ‘n’ pops that produce just a few hundred cases per year to huge commercial behemoths like L.A. Cetto. Over the next few weeks, most of them will be throwing parties to celebrate the grape harvest, anything from wine dinners with famous chefs to winery tours, cheese tastings, bullfights, concerts, circus performances, art exhibitions and, of course, the paella contest.<br />
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Credit: Maya Kroth<br />
Above: Chefs Otto Spohn and Juan Carlos Coutiño Ruizof of Team Chiapas with their pre-paella contest entry, in Ensenada, Baja California, July 14, 2012<br />
Another contest hopeful, Chef Otto Spohn, says he’s noticed a change in the clientele at his Tijuana restaurant this year, since US media like The New Yorker and Anthony Bourdain’s travel show “No Reservations” caught wind of what’s happening in Baja.<br />
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“Many people are coming from the north, crossing the border. Fortunately we have changed the image of Tijuana on the question of security,” Spohn said. “We are doing very well and people are coming.”<br />
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Organizer Prieto anticipates about 50,000 people—including Mexican President Felipe Calderon, who swung through the valley last week to kick off the festivities—will attend the Vendimia this month, a jump of more than 40% from last year. But only about 1 in 5 are expected to come from the United States, with most visitors hailing from elsewhere within the country, like Vildósola, who’s been attending since she was a girl growing up in Mexicali and still travels back every summer despite having moved to Mexico City.<br />
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“At first it was very regional,” she said. “There were a few winemakers, and now from the two or three that were here 25 years ago, there are 70. It’s a new life; it’s a new world. It’s changed for the better, but it’s different.”<br />
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“I think the big shocker for everyone about Guadalupe Valley is they would naturally be inclined to think that because its south of the border that it’s too hot to make wines that have elegance and finesse, and that’s not true at all,” said Robert Whitley, a San Diego-based wine columnist for Creators Syndicate who’s been keeping tabs on the Guadalupe Valley for almost 30 years. “It’s probably cooler than Napa in summertime. You have that diurnal effect of grapes having sunshine and warmth during the day that they need to ripen, and the cooling at night that preserves the freshness and the acidity. So it’s actually an ideal climate for grape growing.”<br />
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Above: Local Valle de Guadalupe wines being served at a Fiestas de la Vendimia pre-party in Ensenada, Baja California, July 14, 2012<br />
The Nebbiolo grape—the same one that makes famously pricey Italian wines like Barolo and Barbaresco—grows particularly well in Baja, says Whitley. In fact, he ranks L.A. Cetto’s Nebbiolo as the best in North America, on par with those from Italy’s Piedmont region, and has even seen it listed on menus in Parisian wine bars.<br />
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But if Baja wines are so good, why don’t we see more of them on supermarket shelves in the States? Explanations range from high import tariffs to the fact that most of these wineries simply don’t produce enough to meet even domestic demand, let alone international. Thankfully, U.S. Customs allows individuals to bring in one bottle apiece duty-free, so Americans who taste something they like at the harvest festival can still savor the flavor of Baja back home.<br />
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“Everybody comes to Ensenada in the summer,” said Vildósola. “This is part of the heart of Baja California.”<br />
www.bajainvestment.com</div>
Gustavo Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16984954633903509197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276851674244067646.post-1183989035716125272012-08-08T14:55:00.000-07:002012-08-08T14:55:22.629-07:00Robert Redford stars as 'perfect guest' at Rosarito Beach Hotel<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The Rosarito Beach Hotel considers all visitors to be important guests, but during June and July one guest in particular stood out.<br />
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He went by the name of Mr. Miller but there was no disguising who really was staying at the Baja California resort: Robert Redford.<br />
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The legendary actor occupied a two-bedroom penthouse on the 17th floor of the Pacifico Tower, and while he undoubtedly enjoyed spectacular ocean views and famous Baja hospitality, this was a working trip.<br />
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Redford was across the border for the filming, at nearby studios, of director J.C. Chandor's "All Is Lost," about a lone man's struggles against the sea.<br />
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For the spacious seaside hotel, which is still rebounding from negative publicity generated by drug cartel-related violence in Baja California, the business was much appreciated.<br />
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Production staff, including Chandor, occupied 140 rooms. Redford, 75, chose to stay at the hotel over a nearby mansion to be closer to his colleagues.<br />
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The actor and hotel staff reportedly did a good job of maintaining secrecy. Redford relied largely on room service and attempted to hide beneath a baseball cap when he did stroll about the hotel grounds.<br />
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He was described in a news release as the perfect guest.<br />
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Jorge Morales, a waiter at the hotel's Azteca restaurant, said that only one guest that he knew of recognized the true identity of Mr. Miller during his many restaurant visits.<br />
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"I told the customer that [Redford] was making a movie and was very tired," Morales said. "Please don't disturb him."<br />
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Morales was Redford's personal waiter and often served the actor Puerto Nuevo-style lobster and Don Julio tequila.<br />
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Before checking out, the actor posed for photos with Morales and other staff members. They, in turn, were struck by how unassuming Redford turned out to be. "The guy being so famous, how could he be so humble?" Morales said.<br />
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Redford also displayed a sense of humor. When asked to identify his favorite Mexican food he responded, "My favorite food is tequila."<br />
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He's the latest of many Hollywood stars who have visited the Rosarito Beach Hotel. They include Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Rita Hayworth and John Wayne.<br />
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Of the drug violence among rival cartels, which two years ago made daily headlines and frightened many tourists into thinking all of Mexico was unsafe, Redford said this: "It's unfortunate, since there are so many areas of Mexico that are safe to visit. More people should know."<br />
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"All Is Lost" is due to be released in 2013.<br />
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-- Top image shows the Rosarito Beach Hotel. Credit: ©Pete Thomas. Second image shows Robert Redford on the pier in front of the Rosarito Beach Hotel<br />
www.bajainvestment.com</div>Gustavo Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16984954633903509197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276851674244067646.post-80836384508138541662012-07-16T13:44:00.001-07:002012-07-16T13:44:00.357-07:00Hugo Torres Recognized for his Service to Mexico and the USA<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">Ron Raposa Media Services, Rosarito Beach, Baja California</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: small;">Several hundred people attended a July 10 ceremony in Tijuana at which former Rosarito mayor and hotel owner Hugo Torres was honored by the Sales and Marketing Executives of Tijuana as their organization's 2012 Distinguished Executive and Socially Responsible Businessman.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: small;">The award was presented to Mr. Torres for his many years of involvement in the social, political and business life of Rosarito and Baja California, including many projects to build stronger relationships between the United States and Baja California.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: small;">Mr. Torres, principal owner of the historic Rosarito Beach Hotel, has been a fixture in the Baja California and Rosarito business and political scenes for decades. He led the effort to incorporate Rosarito as a city in 1995, and twice served as city mayor.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: small;">As mayor from 2007 to 2010, he reformed the city police department, led Rosarito to its lowest crime rate in history, established a tourist police force, and worked closely with Baja California and San Diego officials on international projects.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: small;">"I am very honored to have been selected by this outstanding group, and to receive recognition for the importance of social responsibility," Mr. Torres said.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: small;">"As mayor of Rosarito from 2007 to 2010, I did things to make the city more welcoming to our visitors. We cleaned up the police department and started a special tourist police force. Those things were needed and were socially responsible things to do. They led to Rosarito in 2010 having its lowest crime rate ever.<br />
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"Aside from that, I have made it my mission in the past few years to spread the message that Baja is safe. That unrest in Ciudad Juarez doesn't mean unrest in Baja. That those who avoid criminal activity also avoid crime, be it in Rosarito or New Orleans. It's a message that needs to be told repeatedly."<br />
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"We're starting to see the results of efforts like that," he said. "At the Rosarito Beach Hotel, after several very bad years, we're having our best summer in memory."</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: small;">The award presentation was preceded by a video featuring highlights of Mr. Torres' life, from childhood to today. Along with business and political leaders, Mr. Torres wife Rosa Maria and the couple's five sons and daughters attended the ceremony, as did several expatriate residents of Rosarito.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: small;">Earlier this year Mr. Torres was honored by LEAD San Diego with its Charles Nathanson Memorial Award for Cross-Border Region Building.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: small;">Mr. Torres also has been a strong supporter of the arts, education and various social programs. He is president of the Baja Image Committee, a group devoted to promoting a positive and accurate portrait of Baja California on the region and in the United States.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: small;">----------</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: small;">www.bajainvestment.com</span></div>Gustavo Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16984954633903509197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276851674244067646.post-51202912136401512002012-06-19T14:44:00.002-07:002012-06-19T14:44:42.365-07:00Actor Robert Redford visits Tijuana<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #6a6a6a; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 13px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Robert Redford and his wife, Sibylle Szaggars, during a visit to the Tijuana Cultural Center last weekend. — Cecut</span>
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9:38 p.m., June 18, 2012</h6>
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<span class="dateline" style="border: 0px; font-weight: bold; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">TIJUANA</span> — <a href="http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2011/may/17/biography-renders-a-driven-complex-robert-redford/" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(106, 106, 106); color: #34546f; cursor: pointer; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Robert Redford,</a> the actor and director, has been in Baja California this month filming a new movie at the Baja Film Studios in Rosarito Beach.</div>
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Written and directed by J.C. Chandor, <a href="http://collider.com/j-c-chandor-robert-redford-all-is-lost/132704/" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(106, 106, 106); color: #34546f; cursor: pointer; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">“All is Lost”</a> tells the story of a man fighting for survival while adrift at sea.</div>
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The 75-year-old actor took a break from filming Saturday for a guided visit through <a href="http://www.cecut.gob.mx/" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(106, 106, 106); color: #34546f; cursor: pointer; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Tijuana’s Cultural Center</a> (Cecut) in the city’s Río Zone, together with his wife, the German artist Sibylle Szaggars.</div>
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The couple stopped by an exhibit of of Baja California artist <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMGwqZJf8Ys" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(106, 106, 106); color: #34546f; cursor: pointer; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Angel Valrá</a>in the center’s El Cubo gallery, and visited the Cineteca movie theatre, according to a news release. Redford told his hosts that he used to visit Tijuana as a teenager to attend bullfights.</div>
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For dinner, the actor and his wife dropped in at Mision 19, the restaurant owned by chef Javier Plascencia that has been the <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/06/18/155298652/chef-tempts-tourists-back-to-tijuana-by-focusing-on-the-food" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(106, 106, 106); color: #34546f; cursor: pointer; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">focus of much U.S. media attention</a> in recent months.</div>
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www.bajainvestment.com</div>
</div>Gustavo Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16984954633903509197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276851674244067646.post-45236058978141655482012-05-23T12:23:00.002-07:002012-05-23T12:23:30.407-07:00Robert Redford returns to the big screen. Will be filming in Rosarito Baja Studios<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It was back in 2007 when we last saw <strong>Robert Redford</strong> on the big screen with Lions for Lambs which he also directed. Now <span style="color: #d12e2e;">The Hollywood Reporter</span> confirms that the actor will return from the hand of <strong>JC Chandor</strong> with the film <strong>All is Lost,</strong> a story of survival at sea a man that Lionsgate will distribute.</div>
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Chandor met Redford in the Sundance Film Festival last year when the latter presented <span style="color: #d12e2e;">Margin Call</span> and after rumors that the actor could participate in his next film, Redford and Chandor finally reached an agreement. The film will have the same producers of her debut, <strong>Before the Door Pictures</strong> and will begin filming this summer in Baja Studios Rosarita Beach, Mexico, which was built by the Fox Titanic.</div>
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The film will be financed also by the almost brand new <strong>FilmNation</strong> the famous producer Glen Basner, who was highly excited to join a renowned actor and a promising young filmmaker:</div>
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"The combination of an exciting, new director and actor Robert Redford is iconic as a collaboration of the audience around the world will take notice.</div>
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By the time Redford is the only actor in this release confirmed to take place almost exclusively at sea and I would bet that after the incredible deal that got Chandor for his first film, and considering that now has won itself a large and Redford, names that may arise in the coming months to complete the deal will likely be very striking.</div>
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Currently the tireless Robert Redford is in post production the film <strong>The Company you Keep</strong> in whom also we will see in front of the camera next to Shia LaBeouf and Julie Christie, playing Jim Grant, an undercover activist go after a reporter who has discovered his identity. So here this is probably the role he really get to see the big screen after five years without action. Yet the good news to know that active, both in front and behind the camera, really promising projects.</div>
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Personally I will be very attentive to <strong>All is Lost</strong> having been Margin call a true demonstration of quality management with great performances. I value a director, and screenwriter, who managed what others so far not been able: to understand financial and economic crisis. Furthermore, if All is Lost focuses on a story of survival, as has my attention almost won.</div>
</div>Gustavo Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16984954633903509197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276851674244067646.post-3743499430983514662012-05-22T14:26:00.000-07:002012-05-22T14:26:21.127-07:00Mexican Officials Hit Road To Promote Baja Tourism<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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May 4, 2012</div>
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Hugo Torres, the former mayor of Rosarito Beach, Mexico, is on a mission to "replace fear with facts" and again lure U.S. tourists to his beloved Baja California.<br /><br />Torres and Juan Tintos, Baja California's secretary of tourism, were in Las Vegas on Thursday as part of their tour across the Southwestern United States, spreading the word that the Mexican state just south of San Diego is full of great spas, wineries, restaurants, beaches and other attractions.<br /><br />Thanks to increased border security, travel advisories from the U.S. government and negative perceptions of ongoing violence from drug cartels built over years, U.S. tourists are not traveling south of the border at the same rate as before the Mexican drug war caught the attention of international media.<br /><br />While violence does exist in Baja California, it rarely touches the state's tourism community, Torres and Tinto told the Las Vegas chapter of the American Marketing Association during a presentation at Bali Hai Golf Club.<br /><br />The number of tourists entering Mexico by plane hit 22.7 million in 2011, the most ever, according to statistics released in February by the Bank of Mexico. Yet, air travel to Mexico from the United States dropped 3 percent last year. The gains came from other countries such as Brazil, Russia, Peru and China.<br /><br />Torres said that as news of the war between Mexican authorities and rival drug cartels spread in 2008, tourism from the United States to Baja fell off a cliff -- 70 percent, to be exact. Torres said the region had since recovered about 20 percent of that figure.<br /><br />"The city of Rosarito had its lowest crime rate ever in 2010, but that is not the perception in the United States," Torres said. "People hear about violence in Juarez and the thought is that all of Mexico is dangerous. Americans don't know Mexican geography."<br /><br />Torres also pointed to long border waits to re-enter the United States and a new regulation mandating U.S. citizens have passports to visit Mexico that took effect in 2010 as deterrents to increased tourism.<br /><br />One Las Vegas travel adviser acknowledged wariness about travel to Mexico.<br /><br />"We are getting a lot of questions on safety in Mexico, and I would say we didn't see as many college students asking about Mexico for spring break as we used to see," said Donna Steele, a AAA Travel counselor. "There is a reticence to go to Mexico. People are wary, and I think parents have been telling their kids, 'No,' when it comes to Mexico."<br /><br />Steele and other travel agents in Las Vegas said they discouraged travel to border areas, including Tijuana, but have generally told their clients that most tourist areas, including Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and Mexico City, are safe to visit.<br /><br />The most recent U.S. State Department travel advisory on Mexico, issued in February, cautions against travel to northern, but not southern, Baja and 18 other states.<br /><br />"You should exercise caution in the northern state of Baja California, particularly at night. Targeted TCO (Transnational Criminal Organization) assassinations continue to take place in Baja California. Turf battles between criminal groups proliferated and resulted in numerous assassinations in areas of Tijuana frequented by U.S. citizens. ... During 2011, 34 U.S. citizens were the victims of homicide in the state. In the majority of these cases, the killings appeared to be related to narcotics trafficking," the advisory states.<br /><br />Tintos said he had met with U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and had discussed the travel advisory.<br /><br />"We told him what goes around comes around," said Tintos, who estimated that Nevada sends the third highest amount of U.S. tourists to Baja after Arizona and California. "If they lift the advisory and we get more tourists, then our economy will be healthier. In turn, our residents will have the money to visit the United States."<br /><br />The new campaign includes video testimonials from U.S. citizens and celebrities who live in and visit the Baja peninsula. The state hired a U.S. public relations firm and is touting attractions like wineries, top-flight restaurants, bicycle and automobile races, fishing and surfing. The campaign also involves the "road show," which visited 18 U.S. cities last year and has already landed in six in 2012.<br /><br />The Mexican state also is promoting its film industry. The largest water tank in the world for use in filmmaking is in northern Baja -- James Cameron sank the Titanic there -- and several films are made in Baja each year. If Baja is safe enough for Hollywood, the thinking goes, it should be safe enough for U.S. tourists.<br /><br />In one testimonial, celebrity chef Rick Bayless talks about filming an entire season of his show in Baja.<br /><br />"I encourage everybody to come and explore," Bayless says.<br /><br />Other initiatives the state has advanced and is promoting to prospective tourists are new border crossings and improvements at existing ones, an "enhanced" California driver's license that would allow holders to use that for U.S. re-entry in place of a passport, development of convention centers and resources for large events in the region, and medical tourism.<br /><br />Rafael Villanueva of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority attended the presentation Thursday and said he was open to collaborative efforts that would draw more tourists from Mexico to Las Vegas and vice versa. Measuring the market is problematic, he said, because those who drive from Tijuana to Las Vegas most likely enter in San Diego and are counted as Southern California visitors.<br /><br />"We've never negated the fact that there's violence," Tintos said after his presentation. "It is just like any other tourist destination in the world; you have to take precautions and be smart. I was mugged in Philadelphia. It can happen anywhere. ... We have a lower crime rate than many U.S. cities." </div>
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<strong>Source:</strong> (c)2012 the Las Vegas Sun (Las Vegas, Nev.)</div>
www.remax-baja.com</div>Gustavo Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16984954633903509197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276851674244067646.post-78240157150567603012012-05-21T12:13:00.002-07:002012-05-21T12:13:28.932-07:00The Landmark Rosarito Beach Hotel Establishes Easter Weekend Records<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">By Ron Raposa</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO---The landmark Rosarito Beach Hotel this Easter weekend had its highest occupancy rate in a decade and the largest number of guests in its 87-year history.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">The Friday and Saturday occupancy rates of up to 88 percent were the highest for the holiday in 10 years. With the hotel expansion in 2008 from 230 rooms and suites to 500, those figures this year gave the hotel its largest number of Easter weekend guests ever.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">“This was a wonderful turnout for both the hotel and all of Rosarito,” said hotel owner Hugo Torres. “It’s an excellent indicator that regional tourism should have a strong summer.”</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Other parts of Baja also had a strong Easter weekend, which included improvements in domestic tourism, a category that has been especially strong in recent years.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">While hotel occupancy increased by 17 percent in 2011 from the year before, the region had seen significant declines in tourism the few previous years, partly because of some highly publicized violence among drug cartels in various parts of Mexico.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">“That though was largely confined to the cartels; in fact Rosarito had its lowest crime rate ever in 2010,” Torres said. “However, it’s taken time for people to realize that we are a very safe and extremely welcoming tourist destination.”</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">“Now that message has gotten out to the U.S. --- largely through our expatriate and other residents --- and U.S. visitors are returning and apparently will continue to do so this year in significantly larger numbers,” he added.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Torres also is president of the Baja Image Committee, a public-private group that works to distribute accurate information about the region.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">In addition, the Rosarito Beach Hotel is promoting special packages and rates to attract visitors. Those include some rates as low as $109 in its 18-story Pacifico tower, which opened in 2008 with 271 luxury suites. This Easter weekend was the first time it has been filled.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">The hotel offers fast passes to guests for quicker border crossings when they return to the U.S. plus a number of special events to make their stays more enjoyable.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">This year, Cinco de Mayo weekend coincides with the spring edition of the very popular Rosarito-Ensenada 50-Mile Fun Bike Ride and oceanfront packages are offered starting at $79. The offer is both for people wanting to spend Cinco de Mayo in the holiday’s home country and those involved in the ride, which has attracted hundreds of thousands over more than 30 years.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">On July 7 the Flying Samaritans will hold its third annual July 4th Beach Barbeque at the hotel. The gala seaside event attracts hundreds from the city’s 14,000-member expatriate community as well as visitors from the U.S. All profits benefit the group’s free clinics.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">“We’ve got many other promotions this year, including our Spring Romance spa and wine package from $99, plus those who spend a $100 at the hotel get a complimentary Fast Pass to speed their return border crossing,” said hotel sales and marketing director Daniel Torres.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">More details on these promotions plus many others offered at the legendary hotel are available at www.rosaritobeachhotel.com</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">The Rosarito Beach Hotel and Resort is a Baja landmark that has hosted millions of visitors since opening in 1925. With more than 500 rooms and suites, its amenities include restaurants, bars and an elegant spa. A luxurious 18-story tower with 271 suites opened four years ago.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">The Rosarito Beach Hotel also offers time shares and full ownership of luxury suites through its condo-hotel program.</span></span>
</div>Gustavo Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16984954633903509197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276851674244067646.post-5398057650650973632012-05-01T12:55:00.003-07:002012-05-01T12:55:36.755-07:00Chef Anthony Bourdain dishes on travel, family<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The Travel Channel host likes Baja's creative chefs but not his 5-year-old's culinary choices.</h2>
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Nancy Mills</h5>
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Food guru <a alt="" href="http://www.anthonybourdain.net/" style="color: #004276; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="">Anthony Bourdain</a>, 55, visits Finland, Portugal, Malaysia and Croatia in the eighth season of Travel Channel’s <a alt="" href="http://www.travelchannel.com/tv-shows/anthony-bourdain" style="color: #004276; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title=""><i>No Reservations.</i></a></div>
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<span class="pp"></span>But his favorite is Baja, Mexico. “There’s an incredible culinary scene going on there at a time when the tourist industry has been pretty much devastated,” he says. “I was really impressed by the do-it-yourself attitude of the chefs. They’re cooking as innovatively as they can for Mexican clientele. Parts of Baja, Mexico, are really beginning to resemble Tuscany.”<span class="aa"></span></div>
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<span class="pp"></span>The foreign land he has yet to conquer is the palate of his daughter, Ariane, 5. Her favorite foods are “grilled cheese sandwiches, pasta with butter and hot dogs,” Bourdain says. “I don’t want to twist her arm, but I’d much rather see her eat sheeps’ eyeballs” than fast food.<span class="aa"></span></div>
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<span class="pp"></span>Because of travel, Bourdain has little time to cook. Exception: “When my wife’s family visits from Italy, I’m ridiculously, goofily happy, and I volunteer to cook every night.”<span class="aa"></span></div>
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www.bajainvestment.com</div>
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<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></div>Gustavo Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16984954633903509197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276851674244067646.post-35886726385135068062012-05-01T12:54:00.000-07:002012-05-01T12:54:08.919-07:00New Reading and Writing Program for Underserved Children<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.bajatimes.com/admin/imagenesCargadas/33107PMnew%20reading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.bajatimes.com/admin/imagenesCargadas/33107PMnew%20reading.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Baja Times</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">The Rosarito Friends of the Library will sponsor a unique new reading and writing program for underserved children in Colonia Morelos, an area located east of downtown in the far hills. The program, which will be held at the small Morelos public library, will begin on Saturday May 19 and will run for five successive Saturdays, terminating on June 16 with a gala final Fiesta.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Fifth and sixth grade participants will read brief biographies and family histories of selected Mexican heroes, and their comprehension, recall and writing skills will be practiced by providing written answers to prepared questions about those heroes. Each participant will also follow a prepared format to construct and write his or her own family history. The family history will require that the young writers interview parents, grandparents and other family members to gather as much information as possible for inclusion in that history. Spanish speaking volunteers will guide and assist the participants and score the written quiz answers and family history with credit given for penmanship and composition skills, spelling and grammar, neatness, completeness and timeliness.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Participants will compete for prizes such as new bicycles, scooters and roller skates which will be given to top achievers, and there will also be prizes for participants who exhibit the greatest improvement during the program. Snacks of fruit and juice will be offered each week along with numerous door prizes, and the final Fiesta will feature live entertainment, a dance contest, hot dogs, drinks, fruit, cotton candy and more door prizes for all kids who successfully complete the program. Additionally, each family history will be individually bound and displayed at the Morelos library before it is returned to the young author.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">The reading programs for kids always generate great enthusiasm and eager participation, and the program is expected to fill up quickly. Because of the small size of the Morelos library the program will be limited to 45 participants.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Donations are requested to help fund the program, and Spanish speaking volunteers are also needed. Contributions to the Friends of the Library can be made by contacting Allan Browne at 661.612.3487 or by email at allan1browne@yahoo.com or at International Mail Center in Oceana Plaza. The phone number at the International Mail Center is 661.612.0155, and board member Elizabeth Carbajal can receive your donation there. Help us to help the young minds of Rosarito - support these youth reading programs.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">www.bajainvestment.com</span></div>Gustavo Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16984954633903509197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276851674244067646.post-91806090098118528902012-04-03T12:17:00.001-07:002012-04-03T12:17:58.561-07:00Rosarito Beach Hotel Plans Specials To Promote Ongoing Tourism Increase<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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MEDIA CONTACT: <br />
Ron Raposa <br />
ronraposa@hotmail.com <br />
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Following last year's 17 percent increase in U.S. visitors, the landmark Rosarito Beach Hotel has a number of price promotions, packages and special events planned to continue the ongoing upswing this year.<br />
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With Easter week a popular time for vacation and holiday getaways, the hotel offers a weekday package from $79 that includes an oceanfront room and two dinners for adults, plus free stay and dinner for two children under 12. The Easter weekend rate starts from $109.<br />
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This year, Cinco de Mayo weekend coincides with the spring edition of the very popular Rosarito-Ensenada 50-Mile Fun Bike Ride and oceanfront packages are offered starting at $79. The offer is both for people wanting to spend Cinco de Mayo in the holiday's home country and those involved in the ride, which has attracted hundreds of thousands over more than 30 years.<br />
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On July 7 the Flying Samaritans will hold its third annual July 4th Beach Barbeque at the hotel. The gala seaside event attracts hundreds from the city's 14,000-member expatriate community as well as visitors from the U.S. All profits benefit the group's free clinics.<br />
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"We've got many other promotions this year, including our Spring Romance spa and wine package from $99, plus those who spend a $100 at the hotel get a complimentary Fast Pass to speed their return border crossing," said hotel sales and marketing director Daniel Torres.<br />
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More details on these promotions plus many others offered at the legendary hotel are available at www.rosaritobeachhotel.com<br />
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The Rosarito Beach Hotel and Resort is a Baja landmark that has hosted millions of visitors since opening in 1925. With more than 500 rooms and suites, its amenities include restaurants, bars and an elegant spa. A luxurious 18-story tower with 271 suites opened four years ago.<br />
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The Rosarito Beach Hotel also offers time shares and full ownership of luxury suites through its condo-hotel program.<br />
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www.bajainvestment.com<br />
</div>Gustavo Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16984954633903509197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276851674244067646.post-16261862493681816402012-03-21T12:53:00.000-07:002012-03-21T12:53:29.131-07:00U.S. expats want tourists to return to Baja California<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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ENSENADA In their campaign to bring back U.S. visitors, Baja California authorities are increasingly looking to a new source of support: testimonials from members of the state’s U.S. expatriate community.<br />
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Tillie Foster, 79, is a U.S. expatriate who lives in Ensenada and is queen of her local Red Hat chapter. In the background are dancers from a local high school who served as entertainment for the first Baja International Community Mega Mixer. / Photo by Sandra Dibble * U-T<br />
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Through family connections, business contacts, social media, radio programs, promotional videos — any means that are at hand — residents such as Tillie Foster have been gladly stepping up to support their adopted home.<br />
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“Baja’s been good to me. I’ve made so many friends here,” said Foster, 79, a member of the Baja Image Committee who moved to Ensenada from Orange County 36 years ago. “I hate to see what’s been happening over the past five or six years.”<br />
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Foster was one of the promoters of the first Baja International Community Mega Mixer, held last Thursday at the historic Hotel Riviera del Pacífico, a civic and cultural center in downtown Ensenada. The gathering drew an estimated 300 expats from different parts of Baja California, many of them eager to share their viewpoint about life south of the border.<br />
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“It’s more relaxed. We’re done with snow, we’re done with cold,” said Gary Pliley, a 64-year-old retiree from Utah.<br />
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“You make friends here that you could call at two in the morning if you needed help,” said Carol Main, 69, who moved to Baja California from San Diego.<br />
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Also at the Thursday event was Vivian Scott, a marketing professor from Nevada. She was instrumental in persuading Las Vegas-based radio host Les Kincaid to broadcast his one-hour program, “Wines du Jour,” from an Ensenada hotel later that day.<br />
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“We have an investment in Baja,” said Scott, who with her husband owns a condo in San Felipe. “The farther you get from Mexico, the more entrenched the negativity.”<br />
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Ensenada, like tourist destinations statewide, has been struggling to bring back U.S. tourism. Hotels, restaurants and other businesses across Baja California have been working to recover from the sharp decline of American visitors since 2006, the result of a combination of factors, including the U.S. economic downturn, clogged border crossings, a new U.S. passport requirement and fears of crime in Mexico.<br />
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“The strongest testimony, the best, is from people who live here in our state,” Ensenada Mayor Enrique Pelayo, said as he addressed the Riviera gathering.<br />
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North of Ensenada, Rosarito Beach saw roughly a 70 percent drop in U.S. visitors from 2005 to 2010, said Hugo Torres, owner of the hotel and the city’s former mayor. For the first time in years, the downward trend was reversed, he said, as his hotel registered a 17 percent increase in Americans in 2011 over 2010.<br />
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Torres, who is president of the Baja Image Committee, has joined state tourism authorities in seeking out the support of members of the expatriate community, made up of an estimated 25,000 full- and part-time residents.<br />
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Their endorsements “are one more way of projecting an image that things are right, conditions are right for people to come down,” said Juan Tintos, Baja California’s Tourism Secretary.<br />
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Last year, Tintos’ office commissioned a 10-minute promotional video titled, “What is Baja?” The video draws heavily on interviews with U.S. visitors, residents and promoters such as Gary Foster, who runs the twice-yearly Rosarito-to-Ensenada bike ride.<br />
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“Turn off the TV and talk to someone who’s been there,” said Foster, whose event has suffered from the drop in U.S. visitors. “The tourists that travel to Baja are the best ambassadors Baja has because they know the real story.”<br />
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sandra.dibble@utsandiego.com • (619) 293-1716 • Twitter @sandradibble<br />
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www.bajainvestment.com</div>
</div>Gustavo Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16984954633903509197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276851674244067646.post-53976047977319339762012-03-21T12:18:00.000-07:002012-03-21T12:18:31.864-07:00Mexico's Booming Economy – What Investors Need to KnowBy Richard Houghton & Sean O'Neal
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Mexico's economy is on fire and now is the time to invest, if today's news headlines are any indication. Check out the impressive array of information below, which we have gleaned from a wide variety of stories written recently by some of the world's most respected financial institutions and reporting agencies.
According to Goldman Sachs, Mexico's rapidly advancing infrastructure, increasing middle class and rapidly declining poverty rates will foster a higher GDP per capita than all but three European countries by the year 2050. This estimate might be conservative, when you consider that according to Forbes magazine Mexico's economy and GDP was already 11th in the world as of 2010, which Bloomberg, CNBC and Reuters all noted was a growth of 5.5 percent that year – the most in the last decade.
Furthermore, NASDAQ has called Mexico “one of the world's largest developing economies,” pointing out that per capita the Mexican economy is already larger than those of China, India and Brazil. In addition, UK Trade & Investment has announced that it expects Mexico's economy to surpass the UK's by the year 2040, also pointing out that the UK is one of the largest investors in Mexico.
A report by the Financial Times compared Mexico's current economic state to that of Spain 20 years ago, while IT exports from the country are expected to surpass $3.5 billion US in 2011 according to a report by Forbes Magazine. In addition, the European Union is working to improve its ties with Mexico by making it a “strategic partner,” while Honda has announced intentions to invest around $800 million according to a report by USA Today. Also of note, Bloomberg covered announcements from Nissan, General Motors, Mazda and Volkswagen to invest more than $400 million each in auto manufacturing facilities throughout Mexico.
With all of this growth and international interest, it's no surprise that Bloomberg recently reported that Mexico has raised its forecast for foreign direct investment in 2011 to $20 billion US – a figure that is a full 11% higher than previous predictions.
www.bajainvestment.comGustavo Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16984954633903509197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276851674244067646.post-6561070545821716012012-03-21T10:58:00.002-07:002012-03-21T12:31:47.457-07:00How to Find Gas at $1.46 Less Per Gallon (Really)By Dennis Romero Fri., Mar. 16 2012 at 7:00 AM Comments (6) Categories: Economy
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Tricia Wang
What if we told you we knew of a place where you could save about $1.46 a gallon on gas -- today?
What if we told you, while you were in the neighborhood getting your cheap gas you could also dine on meals that have the foodie nation buzzing, get a huge discount on your prescription drugs, and take a picture with a zonkey (that's a zebra crossed with a donkey, but not really)?
You'd say we sound like a cheesy salesman using the "what if we told you" ruse? Yes, but other than that you'd be all about this.
Well, not so fast.
You see, this non-mythical land of gas and gastronomy is 135 miles away, at least. So you'd have to dedicate a day to it. And the savings would do you no good unless you really wanted to go there anyway.
But you do:
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starlen
Tijuana scenery.
A round trip drive to Tijuana with a car that gets 20 miles per gallon, with an average L.A. gas price of $4.35, will cost you nearly $59 in fuel.
But if you fill her up in TJ (yes, despite what the New Yorker says, even locals have been calling it TJ -- for decades) you can see a savings of $20 on that 13 or so gallons it would take for your outing.
The San Diego Union-Tribune says the savings between SoCal gas prices and Tijuana gas prices, given the peso exchange rate, is about $1.46 a gallon.
And, yes, people in Southern California are already taking advantage of the discount.
Heck, $20 dollars in Tijuana can buy you like a couple buckets of beer, a huge bag of crap weed (don't try bringing it across the border, though), or a nice dinner for two.
Of course, Mexican gas is not as complicated as California's clean-burning blends (and that's part of the reason why it's cheaper), and finding Mexican gas with high enough octane for this reporter's car would be a feat.
And then there's this: They kill people in Mexico. A lot of them, it seems. But mostly they're people in the business. Yeah, that business.
But that's none of your business, so you're probably safe.
And some locals now claim that things are much better in Tijuana -- so much so that the rich folks are starting to move back there from their second and third homes in San Diego.
Given all that, it's still a little bit of a gamble -- like betting on the greyhounds at Caliente.
But $20 certainly gives you a few more chips to play with.
[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]
www.bajainvestment.comGustavo Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16984954633903509197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276851674244067646.post-6030103124545269662012-02-01T11:42:00.002-08:002012-02-01T11:42:49.286-08:00Affordable Green Homes in Baja, by scenic highway, close to US border!Located by Tijuana Coastal and Rosarito Beach. Just 15 minutes to the border.<br />
On my last drive down to Baja Mexico for the new year celebration, I took my friends to the incredible new "little" development of "all-green" homes just south of the border! they where amazed.<br />
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Thus, I felt compelled to write this blog for you all to read, about the first genuine GREEN HOME development in northern Baja California, Mexico, located just 15 minutes south of the border, in the beautiful Baja California, designed by the Award-winning Architect group led by Guillermo Martinez De Castro. <br />
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This development is funded by a joint US-Mexico Development Fund.<br />
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Yes, many people and groups are investing and owning beautiful homes and condos in Rosarito Beach, Tijuana coastal and Ensenada real estate again! <br />
Gardenhaus in Baja, is an innovative development of town homes surrounded by beautiful gardens and walkways arranged around a centrally located ocean view pool and deck. Gardenhaus is set in a raised platform 10 feet above the street for maximum exposure to the Pacific Ocean, privacy from the surroundings and access to an underground parking.<br />
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All the homes have spectacular ocean views from 2nd and 3rd floor balconies and terraces with some specially situated homes offering ocean views from living areas and 1st floor terraces. They also offer views to the fabulous Coronado Islands, which are right in front!<br />
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As you might be aware, our Baja sunsets are espectacular!<br />
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Gardenhaus will have state of the art electronic entry and video surveillance systems controlled from the security office located at the entry gate.<br />
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GREEN FEATURES <br />
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SITE PLAN:<br />
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•Low maintenance & low water consumption landscaping<br />
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•Recycled decking<br />
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•Rapidly renewable construction materials<br />
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•Recycled treated water for gardening<br />
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•Compact fluorescent and low voltage lighting<br />
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•Eco-friendly architectural design<br />
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•Park-like grounds<br />
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•High efficiency lighting<br />
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•On site recycling bins and garbage pick up<br />
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•Secluded patios areas<br />
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•The buildings are designed and detailed to be durable and low maintenance<br />
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HOMES<br />
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•Passive ventilation design for climate comfort<br />
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•Salvaged and recycled building materials<br />
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•Thermally insulated walls and roofs<br />
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•Low-E dual pane windows<br />
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•Compact fluorescent and low voltage lighting<br />
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•Water saving appliances<br />
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•Energy star appliances<br />
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•Low VOC (volatile organic compounds) & low toxic paints<br />
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•Low VOC carpets<br />
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•Low-pile of less allergen-attracting carpet<br />
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•Recycled Fiber cement siding<br />
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•Recycles plastic lumber<br />
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•Advance framing/extra insulation<br />
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•Superior wall insulation levels<br />
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•Sound insulation<br />
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•High efficiency water heaters<br />
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•Environmentally friendly decking<br />
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•Porous paving that minimize water runoff<br />
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•Widespread use of daylight and careful space planning<br />
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•Natural lighting<br />
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•Sustainable wood for cabinetry<br />
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These beautiful and affordable Baja homes are located in northern Baja, Mexico, on the scenic highway from Tijuana coastal areas and Rosarito Beach... and their prices start at only $99,000 USDls. for a 3 Bedroom & 3 Bath townhome. Larger units start at only $145,000 USDls. for a 4 Bedroom & 3 Bath townhome, with superior ocean views, next to the swimming pool and decks. <br />
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Please do let me know if you would like to see it, I'd be glad to show you these Baja affordable properties.<br />
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You may contact me at 619-632-7045 or visit me at www.Remax-Baja.com or for these exact Baja homes click at http://www.remax-baja.com/homes-page09.php <br />
As you might expect, prices for Baja homes and condos are expected to go up around 10% this year!<br />
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A Baja homes, condos, lots MLS page is www.BajaInvestment.comGustavo Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16984954633903509197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276851674244067646.post-1143533559756762202012-02-01T11:42:00.000-08:002012-02-01T11:42:19.158-08:00Foreign Buyers See Big Bargains in U.S. Real EstateBellow you will find an article that appeared today on Rrealtor.com newsletter.<br />
I find it very interesting.<br />
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This is so true that it is going on. And we are not just seeing it in california, but in Baja California real estate too. We are seeing many foregin and mostly national (regional) buyers coming to invest in rosarito beach and Ensenada, Baja homes, condos, lots and even hotels and restaurants.<br />
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In Rosarito beach, about 15% of the population is from the United States. They help with city projects, many times as volunteers, they help sustain the Baja businesses with their patronage, they bring friends and family to stay at Rosarito and Ensenada hotels, and to buy Baja homes and condos all over.<br />
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As many mines are being "discovered" in central Baja California, we are also getting Chinnese investors here in Baja, mostly in Ensenada. Please read on!<br />
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Please visit us for the best of Baja real estate, at www.BajaInvestment.com<br />
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thank you, Gustavo Torres<br />
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<blockquote>Foreign Buyers See Big Bargains in U.S. Real Estate<br />
Daily Real Estate News | Friday, January 13, 2012<br />
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Foreign investors are finding plenty of deals in the U.S. when it comes to real estate, and, as such, more international investors are flocking to key states to buy their piece of the American Dream. <br />
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Mexico is the top country of origin for foreign buyers purchasing U.S. homes, according to a recent study by Credit Sesame, which used National Association of REALTORS® data for its findings.<br />
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“In this period of tremendous uncertainly globally, real estate here is a safe haven,” Susan Wachter, professor of real estate and finance at University of Pennsylvania, told MSNBC.com. <br />
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The top destinations of foreign investors for U.S. real estate purchases are: <br />
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1. Florida: Thirty-one percent of all home purchases in that state are made by foreign buyers, with most coming from Cuba, Haiti, and Colombia.<br />
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2. California: 12 percent of all home purchases (most coming from Mexico, the Philippines, China, India, and Vietnam)<br />
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3. Texas: 9 percent of all home purchases (most coming from Mexico, India, Vietnam, China, and the Philippines)<br />
</blockquote>Gustavo Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16984954633903509197noreply@blogger.com0