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M
Nomad
Posts: 392
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: Laguna Niguel, CA.
Member Is Offline
Mood: looking for joy...
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What's the SCARRIEST thing in Baja?
Well, we are getting some pretty good stories on the 'funniest' thread, how about this? whats the scarriest thing to ever happen to you in Baja? I have heard in the past some interesting tales from Nomads so this thread should
be pretty good. Here is one of my experiences.
I was on my third visit to El Tomotal and had driven as far south on the beach as Grunt could take me. There is a fish camp on the north end of the
beach and I wanted to put some distance between us. I found a great spot between some dunes that concealed Grunt and I, then set up camp. I still had
a couple hours before dark so I thought I would enjoy the sunset and do some beach combing. I have found some excellent whale bones here and even
found a whole turtleshell. I wrapped a sarong around myself, grabbed a net bag and for some reason grabbed my machete. I had wandered for about a half
hour or so, then heard a dog bark. That was strange since I was so far from anybody, but then I figured it was probably just some horny mutt looking
for love. I kept going, stopping now and then to study something or other, when I heard another dog. A different dog. 2 of them now. For some reason,
the nape of my neck started to prickle and looking around, I saw nothing. I decided to head back and having gone only a short while, I looked over my
shoulder and saw a swarm of dogs move over a dune, about ten of them.
I like dogs, some of my best friends are dogs, but these dogs were not my friends. They moved down to the shoreline not having spotted me yet and I
stood stock still. Then, a little terrior size dog spotted me and let out a yelp. They all saw me then. I was very worried at this point. They didn't
move but raised their noses to catch a whiff of me and I clearly rank of fear. A big sheapard was the first to take off after me and I turned tail and
ran for all I was worth which wasn't much. I moved down to the packed sand and tore off the sarong that was wrapping around my legs but I held on to
that machete. I kept going but glanced over my shoulder and saw them come to the sarong then tear it appart. A tug of war between a couple of them
slowed them for a bit and I gained some ground but not enough I feared. I grabbed a couple of rocks and turned around and stood stock still. They
stopped dead in their tracks, confussed that their prey was making a stand. I started moving backwards at a walk and after a pause, they started
walking towards me too. Grunt was only a hundred feet away and I was beginning to think I might make it but then that little terrior brat started to
run at me. I threw a rock at him and was really surprised when it landed right in front of him. He was surprised to and turned around and ran right
into the dogs coming up from behind. This momentary confussion let me close the gap another 50 feet but then they came at me with determined effort, I
made another 20 feet before the sounds of puffing, chuffing dogs made me spin around and throw my last rock, it slowed them for only a second, and
then they were right at my feet. I was swinging my machete for all I was worth while still backing up. They were growling and snapping trying to get
behind me, but my wild swings with the machete kept them in front. I made it to Grunt and was trying to get the door open while still defending myself
when a shaggy black dog leaped right at my head and I swung that machete for all I was worth. It caught him right on the shoulder and he let out a
yell that was louder than my own. The confussion gave me just enough time to leap into Grunt and barely slam the door closed in time. I almost wet
myself in relief and just sat there shaking. The dog I had hit was circling at the back of the pack, biting at his shoulder. He was bleeding pretty
good but he'd live. I sat and stared as the males went around Grunt and peeed all over her tires. After about 10 minutes, it was clear that they were
not going to leave, so starting Grunt, I abandoned my camp and gear. I drove down the beach about a mile but stopped before I came into view of the
fish camp. I still didn't want my prescence known despite all the excitement. It was almost dark and soon Baja would be tucked in for the night so I
jumped out and took care of some personal business then started to settle in for the night. My cooler, lantern and other inconsequential stuff was
back at camp so it would be a dark and hungry night.
I had fallen asleep pretty fast but was awoken when a dog jumped up onto the windshield of Grunt and then slid down, nails scratching. Little bastards
just were not going to give it up. I was safe inside but still creeped out knowing they were out there waiting for me to open the door. Let them wait,
I had no intention of getting out.
It was a restless night, but I made it through, without much rest though. In the morning, the dogs were gone so I headed back to camp and gathered my
gear. I was dissapointed that things had worked out this way, I had really been looking forward to exploring and trying to find some more mysterious
'rock circles' that I had found years ago with Graham. (Photos and an explanation can be found at David K's. website)
I went to the fish camp and spoke with a fellow who's name escapes me but he said that a couple of the dogs belonged to a fisherman that used to beat
them. When the guy moved on, he left the dogs to fend for themselves and since they were scared of people they didn't stay in the camp. They did find
some other dogs, and after awhile became a pack with an appitite and attitude. The guy said that nobody walks around by themselves because of it.. I
asked why nobody had shot them and he just shrugged.
I havn't been back since then, but I imagine those dogs must all be dead by now, by accident or by age.
Well, that's one of my scary stories. What's yours?
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SoCalAl
Nomad
Posts: 156
Registered: 6-8-2004
Location: Punta Banda, Ca
Member Is Offline
Mood: Hungry
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Wow,
I am a pretty calm guy but when it come to something like that my animal instinct kicks in and I would want to let the dogs have it. Survival
of the smartest,oohh fittest. Well I would have been fit with a machete and a car, enough for me. A few months down the line they would have been
collector items for another camper. And I would have always excused myself with well they could have killed me or some inicent kid. Sorry if some
disagee but that's just the way it is. Man I wonder what I would do if I didn't like dogs?  
Anyway, my scariest moment probobly came when??? Ohh thank God I have not had anything serious enough worth mentioning. Except for the
occational mordida or break down, nothing life threatening has occured to me in Baja..
Hope to here more juicy stories.
Alex L
Ahh Baja.... Where you can hear yourself think & commingling with the locals will humble you.
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Cypress
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7641
Registered: 3-12-2006
Location: on the bayou
Member Is Offline
Mood: undecided
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Bad Bow-Wows! Those mutts hadn't been taught proper respect. Crab bait is the
word that comes to mind.
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backninedan
Senior Nomad
Posts: 865
Registered: 3-8-2003
Location: Loreto
Member Is Offline
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Time share salesman
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Packoderm
Super Nomad
Posts: 2116
Registered: 11-7-2002
Member Is Offline
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On my next trip to Mexico, I plan on carrying around a sling-shot and a pocket full of ball-bearings in case something like that happens to me. Bam!
right on the head - Take that Fido!
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bajadogs
Super Nomad
Posts: 1066
Registered: 8-28-2006
Member Is Offline
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That's scary!
I've only had 2 dogs show aggression toward me and those were American dogs on Vacation. I hope to never witness a pack of bad Baja dogs! I have not
had an event scary enough to tell about.
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Sharksbaja
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5814
Registered: 9-7-2004
Location: Newport, Mulege B.C.S.
Member Is Offline
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A pack of Nomads
All wearing the same hats! Ay caramba!
DON\'T SQUINT! Give yer eyes a break!
Try holding down [control] key and toggle the [+ and -] keys
Viva Mulege!
Nomads\' Sunsets
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64856
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Here is M's EL TOMATAL photos: http://vivabaja.com/et
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: optimistic
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My scariest------
------other than being stuck in the muck at Bocas Grande midway between BOLA and San Francisquito with no possibility of getting help (or so I
thought)-------the scariest 3 days was when my custom made "baja trailer" disintegrated on the road from Gonsaga to Puerto Citos opposite Los
Frailes-----and I mean disintegrated!! On, and in the trailer were my Gregor, 2 outboards and related equipment, and most of my camping gear, etc.
While my son stayed with the "custom" trailer I had to make a long run to El Centro in CA to rent a trailer to rescue all my "stuff". There were lots
of bad things that happened that trip, but the trailer destruction was the worse. I do not advise trailers in Baja----they just don't seem to stand up
to the dirt roads.
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M
Nomad
Posts: 392
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: Laguna Niguel, CA.
Member Is Offline
Mood: looking for joy...
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I can count on you David
to fill in the blanks. Thanks for the link. That's a good picture of Grunt and I. I sure miss that ol girl.
Great stories everybody, thanks for posting those. Keep em coming, I'm loving this.
M
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DanO
Super Nomad
Posts: 1923
Registered: 8-26-2003
Location: Not far from the Pacific
Member Is Offline
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Scariest and stupidest. A few years ago northbound just south of the old Maneadero checkpoint, on the winding uphill stretch between the bridge and
the top of the hill, I got impatient and pulled out to pass a semi that was crawling around the curve in the middle of the hill. Big mistake. I was
about 2/3 of the way to passing the semi when a large panel truck coming the opposite direction, fast, swung into view around the top of the curve. I
thought we were goners, because there's just not enough road to accomodate three large vehicles there, and the semi was using up a good chunk of the
middle to boot. I floored it and tried to shoot the gap before the oncoming truck and I ended up occupying the same space (according to the laws of
physics, I knew this to be impossible). The driver of the oncoming truck swerved so that his right side tires were in the dirt on the right -- where
there is only about 2 feet of soft shoulder, and then just lots of air. I shot through the gap with only a few inches between me and the semi on the
right and me and the downhill truck on the left, and watched in the rearview as the downhill guy somehow avoided rolling off the edge and wrestled his
truck back onto the pavement. My wife really jumped all over me for that one.
Whew.
\"Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible.\" -- Frank Zappa
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Bajamatic
Senior Nomad
Posts: 571
Registered: 8-31-2006
Member Is Offline
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I need to take 5 after just reading that.
yuletide
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Diver
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4729
Registered: 11-15-2004
Member Is Offline
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Dare I say CHUBASCO ?
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Sharksbaja
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5814
Registered: 9-7-2004
Location: Newport, Mulege B.C.S.
Member Is Offline
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Have you ever had .... a living nightmare...
been incarcerated and placed in an open cell with 60 young gringos and 20 badass mofo Mexicans. Held without charges and denied the opportunity to
post own bail, call anyone or see a judge? Watch as fellow countrymen get raped, robbed and beat-up. Or suffer w/o water, food and warm clothes for
days while others shoot-up drugs, stab other inmates and a generally scare the living crap out of you by the minute.
Did you ever read Midnight Express?
Say hello to Ensenada jail circa 1970.
Kept me outta that town for 25 years by golly.
For what, you ask of my ordeal......... para nada!
 
DON\'T SQUINT! Give yer eyes a break!
Try holding down [control] key and toggle the [+ and -] keys
Viva Mulege!
Nomads\' Sunsets
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AmoPescar
Senior Nomad
Posts: 835
Registered: 7-15-2006
Location: North San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Need a Fish Taco and a Pacifico!
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NOT My SCARRIEST thing in Baja...but
M...your dog story reminds me of years ago when I was Managing a large Retail Dept. Store. I was called to the store in the middle of the night when
the Alarm system went off. I entered the store with a Police officer and his dog. As the dog left his handler to sniff around, he sniffed his way
around a long rack of hanging clothing. As he turned a corner heading back towards the officer and myself, he suddenly began snarling, barking and
moving towards ME! Well, I want you to know that...I just about WETTED myself!!! Luckily, the officer called him off before he got ot me.
Michael
[Edited on 9-30-2006 by AmoPescar]
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8947
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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Having the bartender threatening to call the police on me after I told him I was, "Out of money."
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Frank
Senior Nomad
Posts: 861
Registered: 6-5-2005
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Is it time to leave yet?
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Mirror slap @ GN, happened so fast I wasnt scared until I was back home and changing the side mirror out.
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AmoPescar
Senior Nomad
Posts: 835
Registered: 7-15-2006
Location: North San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Need a Fish Taco and a Pacifico!
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NOW...My SCARIEST thing in Baja...
Was actually a string of things which happened, as my Son, his friend and I were driving South to the East Cape for a fishing trip.
Let me start off by saying that...I KNEW that I should NEVER drive at NIGHT!! But, we had gotten off to a LATE start
from home that morning. Well, I allowed my son to badger me into driving a bit further, because they wanted to get there a bit earlier the next day,
so they could get in some fishing time.
As we headed South on 1 out of Guerrero Negro towards Santa Rosalia, we were driving along with few cares, when I suddenly realized that the
approaching Semi Truck was well into my lane and was not moving back into his lane. So, to avoid being crushed, I had to quickly swerve out of his
way, which meant going off the right shoulder of the road. Luckily, the road did not have very much of a drop-off at that point and after some
fishtailing in the dirt, I was able to regain control and get back on the asphalt.
Well as you can imagine, that scared the H_ _ _ out of me and my Son's friend who was riding in the front with me. My Son, who I had let badger me,
was asleep in the back seat and never knew what had happened!!
Later, as we got further down the DARK highway, we encountered a man who was waving at us to stop. Thinking he might be a bandit, I was very leery to
stop. But, as I slowed and rolled down my window, he cautioned us to drive slowly and be careful, as a bit further ahead, a Chevy SUV had hit a cow.
As we passed them, the cow was laying just off the highway and the Chevy was 75 yards off the highway with a smashed-in front end.
BUT...that was not ALL we were to encounter that night!!! As we drove through the DARK downhill, curving, winding mountain portion of the highway on
the way to Santa Rosalia, we came around a curve and the traffic was stopped and backed up several hundred yards behind an accident. A Gasoline Tanker
had crashed on his way south and had the highway completely blocked.
WELL...It finally sunk in, that...WE WERE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE DRIVING AT NIGHT!!!! I told the boys we were not going any further and I
made a U-turn and headed back up the highway. After a couple of miles, I found a dirt road and headed up it a mile or so, where we stopped and went
to sleep.
The next morning, we awoke and headed South again. As we came to the accident site, the Tanker had been pushed off to the side of the road, so that
traffic could drive around it.
And yet...our adventure was not over yet!!!! Shortly, we came upon an OLD Mexican's OLD Pick-up, loaded to the hilt with USED furniture and such,
JUST LIKE you see on the freeways her in CA. As we headed up a hill behind him, I didn't feel I could pass him safely and so I was relegated to
following him slowly up the hill. As we crawled SLOWLY up the hill, my truck, suddenly DIED! I stopped and tried to restart it, but, no luck! I told
the boys to get out and off to the side of the road...just in case somebody encountered US. I let it roll backwards to a flat spot off the side of the
highway, where after some coaxing, I was able to get it restarted. We had no more problems with it heading south, but had some at the East Cape and a
couple more on the way back North. It turned out to be a Fuel Pump/sender problem, which the dealer at home was able to solve. While in Baja, one
thing we found which would help get it started, was to stand on the rear Bumper and get the truck bouncing up and down. That was a pretty funny sight
to see!!
SO, TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT...DO NOT DRIVE AT NIGHT!!!! IT IS NOT SAFE AND YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT DANGEROUS THING YOU MIGHT
ENCOUNTER!!!!
AMO (Michael) 
[Edited on 9-30-2006 by AmoPescar]
[Edited on 10-17-2006 by AmoPescar]
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8947
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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| Quote: | Originally posted by AmoPescar
NOW...My SCARIEST thing in Baja...
SO, TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT...DO NOT DRIVE AT NIGHT!!!! AMO (Michael)
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I hit a deer on the way north towards Catavina at only 5:15 p.m.! The Jeep was loaded down with gear, tires were aired down to about 15 p.s.i., the
front swaybar was still disconnected, and we were going 40 m.p.h. Traveling around a corner, the two deer got stunned by my headlights, and ran out
in front of me. He hit his head on my steel rocker guard, and got knocked out, but my door is still banged up. Brad Green pulled the deer towards
the shoulder when the deer woke up and ran into the desert... My wife was hyperventilating the whole time...
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TMW
Select Nomad
Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
Member Is Offline
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I can't think of ever being really scared to the point that my life may be in danger. But I have had some close and interesting moments. In 1989 my
buddy and I were prerunning the Baja 1000 to La Paz. We had never been to Baja Sur before. On the section from San Javier to Insurgentes it got dark
and since we were riding motocross bikes with no lights we decided to leave the race course and follow the road to the paved hwy. Well we got lost
mostly due to only having a poor flash light to see by. Anyway we stop at a ranch for help and finally get to the paved hwy. We follow the white
center lines to town. As we get into town 3 pickup trucks with young men come upon us yelling at us. Frankly not knowing spanish wasn't helping. They
were driving in front of us, beside us and behind us. I really wasn't sure what they wanted, maybe they didn't like the race coming thru there. Maybe
they were just a bunch of Sat. night rough necks looking for someone to hassel. Anyway we all head to hwy 1 and turn left for a couple of miles to
where our chase trucks were waiting. We pull up and stop and the truck guys stop too. They were race fans and just wanted to talk about the big race
coming in a couple of weeks. With all the poor Spanish and poor English we actaully had a great time talking with them for about 2 hours.
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