Something different each time

What should you expect when you stop at military checkpoint in Baja California? It varies.

There could be anywhere from two to a dozen young soldiers, some armed, some not, some who know a little English, most who don't. They might simply wave you through. They might ask you where you're coming from (¿De donde vienes?) and where you're going (¿A dónde va?) They might ask you to step out of your vehicle. They might take a quick look in your rig, or they might poke around a bit.

At my most thorough stop, one soldier asked for my passport (a first for me); another with a clipboard asked me several questions, like my home town, age and vehicle type; two climbed around in the van, tapping on the ceiling and walls; and another took photos. Maybe all this was because a superior officer was on duty, with eight soldiers at parade rest by the checkpoint. Can't slack off with the boss around. They didn't give me a hard time. Mostly we just struggled to understand each other.

No doubt military checkpoints are a bigger deal in other parts of Mexico, with everyone getting a complete going over. That wasn't my experience in Baja. This time, anyway. Maybe things would have been different if I looked more like a nervous smuggler instead of a dimwitted old tourist.