To Prospective Students

The trip and class to the Estero de Punta Banda this semester is safe. We travel only one hour down the Baja peninsula on the major highway. It is well patrolled by police and the Mexican Army – primarily for the feeling of well-being this engenders in American tourists – an important and valued part of their economy. We stay and do the bulk of our work at the Estero Beach Resort Hotel. It is a beautiful and peaceful hotel located on the water and surrounded by wetlands and migratory birds. A more secure setting can not be found in the US and we are far, far from the violence in Mexico (see the map below). I have been bringing my groups to this hotel for over 27 years. The owners and staff are long-time friends and we have a very friendly working and social relationship with them.

About Crime in Mexico. The crime problems in Mexico are wonderful material to sell news copy and evening TV news headlines. They are exploited to their fullest. Mexico is a huge country and we work on the Baja peninsula, far from the parts of the country experiencing violence. Further, in the areas that are experiencing violence, the targets are Mexicans involved the drug trade and occasionally wealthy Mexican families; no America tourists have been involved. There are problems in eastern barrios of Tijuana, but we do not even enter Tijuana. An Associated Press article in the Daily Breeze on Sunday, March 14, is devoted to the increase in American tourism due to the decrease in violence and any perceived danger to American tourists

The route we take crosses the U.S. border at San Ysidro and goes around Tijuana, continuing down the peninsula on the “scenic highway.” The highway is a beautiful and safe road with vistas of the rugged coastline and rocky beaches below which transitions into a country highway that is the sole road leading all the way to the end of Baja. The map below shows our route, wher the class is taught, and where the violence in Mexico is occurring.

I have taught this class, sharing its extraordinary learning experiences, for over twenty years without incident. It would be a shame for any student to miss out on this exceptional opportunity due to misinformation. I know you will enjoy this class like no other and learn much along the way.