 Peter Fowler’s Good Info For Gringos
Living in Baja, Second Edition
By Marsh Cassady
STAFF WRITER
“Peter Fowler gave me a copy of his book,” said Gabriella Mendez of the Hearing Aid Store in Chula Vista. “I’m Mexican American and visit Baja often. Even so, the book is very useful.” She was talking about the first edition of Fowler’s Good Info For Gringos Living in Baja.”
The second edition has just been published, and it is even more useful! For those of you unfamiliar with the book, it’s a guide to help both foreign residents and visitors to learn the ins and outs of living in Baja California and also to learn more about the people and the culture.
If you are familiar with the book, don’t worry that the new edition has left out or changed anything you found useful. All the information is there, as well as new information, some in already existing chapters and others in new ones.
The most important change is the book’s reorganization. That is not to say the first addition was faulty or wrong. But the second edition divides the information into two sections.
Part I is titled “Need to Know,” and Part II is “Nice to Know.” The first part has six chapters, one of which is new - “Auto Insurance” - and one of which is greatly expanded. This latter deals with real estate and real estate law in Mexico. Though essentially the same material is included in this addition, there is additional detail, which certainly is helpful for those seeking to buy property.
Throughout the book, Fowler lists various services and people you may want to contact. The author has availed himself of most of these services. However, those he includes are merely suggestions and are not meant to be inclusive. In other words, they are intended to point the way for the reader.
Besides the section on Mexican real estate and auto insurance, the first consists of chapters on “Visas and Immigration,” “Mexico’s Criminal Justice System,” “How to Get Help if Victimized,” and “Moving Household Goods across the Border.” Each of these has information that most likely you will need to know. The chapter on auto insurance, for instance, emphasizes the need for both visitors and foreign residents to be insured. There’s no law that you have to do so, but the consequences can be pretty dire if you don’t.
Part II contains another chapter titled “Common Conversions,” which shows how to convert the U.S. (or English) measurement into the metric system. Another added chapter lists a variety of medical personnel across the border - mostly in the Chula Vista area - along with their specialties.
Although the book remains the same ideal size for carrying in a shirt pocket or purse, approximately 4¼ by 5¼ inches, it contains thirty pages more than does the first edition. Even though I’ve lived in Baja for more than a decade I learned some things from both editions that I hadn’t previously known and which I found very helpful.
Another addition to the second edition is the inclusion of ads for various services and businesses here in Baja. A first reaction may be that this is a kind of “selling out,” simply a way for the author to make money. But think again! Fowler included ads only for reputable businesses, those he knows or checked out himself. So if you don’t know where to find a good dry cleaner, leaf through the book. In case of a medical emergency that requires you or a loved one to return immediately to the U.S., once more leaf through the book
Fowler’s style of writing is informal, straightforward and precise, exactly as it should be for this sort of publication. The author speaks from personal experience, from trying to discover how things are done here, how they differ from the U.S. At times, he experienced difficulties or delays in seeking what he needed or wanted. Thus, he wrote the book so others wouldn’t have to go through what he did. Keeping it handy can definitely save you a lot of time and maybe even your life.
Therefore I highly recommend the second edition of Good Info for Gringos Living in Baja. If I didn’t already own a copy, I’d hurry out and buy one.
For information on sales, contact the author at peterfowler@info4gringos-baja.com. Or visit his website at http;/www.info4gringos-baja.com.
(Former book reviewer for two national magazines in the U.S., as well as a newspaper of the arts, Marsh Cassady is the author of fifty-two books. The latest is Baja y Yo. You can reach him at marshcassady@yahoo.com.)
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