ahhhhh - maybe that's why the screen name? Gotcha. I absolutely love Mexico, don't get wrong, and it's a huge reason why I moved here 13 years ago. I've travelled throughout Baja, backpacked alone in Oaxaca, and have gone all over the country into non-tourist areas. The problem within the last couple of years is the vandalism and property damage, drug smuggling, trashed desert, shootings, etc. for many of us who live within sixty miles of the border.
Well, you and Westy should get along just fine if you like the Baja. Why anyone would love that area is beyond me, though. LOL