Santiago
Ultra Nomad
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Registered: 8-27-2003
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Trip reprort
Spur-of-the-moment 1 week solo trip:
In anticipation of a later Spring trip I did a quick drive-by to scope out some areas I have not visited as yet (please excuse spelling errors):
Day 1: Left Sacramento at 2:30am Sunday morning towing a 15' Gregor with a kayak on top my Tundra and arrived at TJ about Noon - crossed in about 30
seconds. At second toll booth stopped for a break and gave a ride to Ensenada to a young man just off duty as a EMT tech. Had a great conversation
with him about his experiences on the toll road and his struggles to get legal status in the US. Arrived at San Quintin about 5:00pm and first
stopped at the La Pinta to check it out - major revisions and an $80/night tag chased me off to Cieto Lindo where I ate and literally crashed in one
of their rooms. By the way, my room had no holes in the walls or sheets.
Day 2: Left at 6:00am and breakfast'd at Mamma Espinozas on really good Huevos Mexicana. Heard a loud snort from the kitchen when I first asked the
waitress "Tiene Ud huevos?". What's up with that? Gassed up from cans at Catavina wondering what's the point of pumps at La Pinta if they are
never freaking on? Missed turn off to Gonzaga due to a faulty map in my fancy-pants GPS unit that had the road at least 2 miles further south.
Made it to Coco's Corner for the first time and was warmly welcomed as if I were a long lost friend: bought a beer, dropped off a bag of oranges which
Coco immediately started eating and admired the thong collection hanging from the rafters. Hoping that the yard-wide one is a joke. Coco made sure
that I was properly aired down for the run into Alphonsinas and away I went. Was able to get the yak in Gonzaga Bay when the onshore wind stopped
about 5 pm. Paddled 3/4 of the way to the light when, oops, a stiff offshore came up. Spent the next 30 minutes paddling like crazy against a
building wind chop. As I was very tired when I beached and the wind was really building, I bagged the idea of tenting at Rancho Grande and got a $45
room at Alponzinas and a meal. Day 3: Wind blew hard all night and was still going at 5:00am when I left. Stopped behind the completed? but
unopened Pemex, out of the wind, and brewed coffee. Aired back up at the llantera at the turn off and had breakfast there. Remembering the Mamma
Espinoza snort I simply ordered huevos mexicana and soon had a heaping plate of very good food. Don't be afraid of stopping at these places - I have
found friendly folks and good, basic food. Of course, the coffee is instant..... As all I had was a wad of 200 Peso bills from the ATM in San
Quintin, the making of change became a small comic play. We literally had to flag down a passing truck. I inquired about the location of the
facilities and was directed to an outhouse, tilted at 15 degrees out-of-plumb, at the far sounthern edge of the compound, right next to the hiway,
facing the hiway, with no door. I appologize to anyone reading this that was a member of the passing caravan of RVs. Arrived at Camp Gecko and set
up camp. Doc was not in camp all week as he was attending to business in TJ. Rained off and on all day and was very chilly. Was invited to dinner
with my neighbors, a couple from Victoria and a couple with their teen-age daughter from Minnesota. They had taken their daughter out of school for a
month to visit Baja. I don't recall my parents ever doing anything like that....
Day 4: Launced the Gregor at dawn and spent the morning cussing at baraccuda. No yellowtail and was chased off by a northerly by 10:30. Drove to
Animas Bay to check out camping spots for our upcoming Spring trip. The road has been recently graded and was in very good shape. From the turn off
to Animas I followed new tracks and "The Baja Catch" and made Animas in about 25 minutes. As it had been raining the last few days, there were some
mud spots but doable. when I arrived there was a couple there with there small daughter. The were from France and had been driving up from San
Francisquito. When he saw my Wilderness Systems kayak on my roof, he told me that he once was the importer for all of Europe for WS Kayaks. Good
Grief! Here I am on a deserted beach, 1000 miles from home, talking to a man from France about my kayak. Surrealistic Pillow.... Easily drove to
the end of the Bay to the fish camp (in use). On the way I passed a field of rows of stakes with netting spread over them. Anyone know what these
are used for? On the way back to Gecko it started hailing and storming very hard. The vados were running. When I broke thru the passing thunder
head, there was snow on the mountain peaks just west of Gecko. The weather cleared out the snow birds in Camp who were looking for the sun.
Went into town and had hot soup at Hammacus and checked email across the street (15 pesos).
Day 5: Launched and trolled off of Mona as a slight south wind was up but soon it glassed out. Sped to Punta Malo in the calm to fish the reef there
and just kept going south as there was only a gentle south breeze. Made it almost all the way to north Animus Bay (did not fish the southern reef)
before a darkening sky scared me back to Gecko. However, no storm or wind came up all day. Deservedly got my a** chewed out by Beach Bob that night
when he found out I went to Animus in a 15' Gregor with storm clouds everywhere. (I'm not a complete fool - I always have enough provisions to survive
3 days in relative comfort if I have to beach the boat to wait out a blow).
Day 6: clear morning with no wind so headed out to Smith Island determined to find the yellowtail. No sooner than making Ventana than a strong
westerly came up and I spend the next 3 hours catch and releasing spotted bay bass in the leeward side of the islands. The wind laid down about 9:30
and I made Smith island but found no Jurel in the usual and the unusual spots. A stong easterly came up and I beat it back at half speed in full fowl
weather gear in a 2' chop. As soon as I make Gecko the wind stops and the bay is glass for the rest of the day. I bug out at 3:00 pm and make Mamma
Espinosas by 7:30, driving the last hour in darkness but with a full moon and no clouds I could turned my headlights off.
Day 7: Up at 5:00am, crossed at Tecate at noon behind a suspiciously familiar RV caravan and home at 9:30pm.
In general, I found Gecko basically deserted with only passing campers stopping in for 1 night going south. Beach Bob says that he has measured 7
inches of rain so far this year and the desert really shows it. Anything that can make a flower or turn colors is doing so. You can not see the dirt
desert floor for the green grass.
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FrankO
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Posts: 301
Registered: 11-10-2002
Location: Ocean Beach
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Great post. Heading to Bahia de Los Angeles in 2 weeks and again in a month. That "tiene ud. huevos?" cracked me up. Next time ask the guy in back,
see what he says.
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Don Jorge
Senior Nomad
Posts: 639
Registered: 8-29-2003
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Thanks for the report! We are leaving in one week for our annual baja desert flower photo trip. 7 inches of rain!
Better buy more memory cards because this year is going to be epic!
By the way, did she have "huevos" or eggs? LOL!
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David K
Honored Nomad
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Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Great Baja trip report Santiago! Sounds like 'global warming' is really taken hold in Baja with all the rain, flowers, snow on desert mountains, etc.!
LOL
It took me a while to figure where you had breakfast after you made coffee at the (closed) Alfonsina's Pemex... I think it was at Laguna Chapala ('the
turnoff'), yes? Those truck stop cafes are very good, indeed! Huevos y Machaca or huevos y chorrizo are yummie... So if "Ud. tiene huevos", you will
try the truck stops!!! 
[Edited on 3-7-2004 by David K]
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Neal Johns
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Registered: 10-31-2002
Location: Lytle Creek, CA
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Mood: In love!
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Santiago, you are not the first Gringo, nor the last, to ask a lady in Mexico "do you have balls?" 
My motto:
Never let a Dragon pass by without pulling its tail!
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Mike Humfreville
Super Nomad
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Registered: 8-26-2003
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Great stoory Santiago. Just for a minute I thought I might be back on Amigos...
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Debra
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Registered: 10-31-2002
Location: Port Orchard Wa./Bahia de Los Angeles BC
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Thanks for the report!
Great! FYI, I think that place at the juntion to Gonzaga has about the best eats in Baja! I figured it had to be good when I spotted the semis there
the first time I stopped, truckers always know the good places! (though the bano leaves alot to be desired!) 
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surfer jim
Super Nomad
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Registered: 8-29-2003
Location: high desert
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Enjoyed the story....especially the outhouse....room with a view?....
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top
Newbie
Posts: 12
Registered: 12-26-2003
Location: salem.or
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Mood: depends on the weather
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great
great report........i agree with mike humfreville......i had wondered where all the bold fishermen and ladies had gone,need alot more reports like
this to keep the daydreams going........
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bajalera
Super Nomad
Posts: 1875
Registered: 10-15-2003
Location: Santa Maria CA
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Interesting report, Santiago. Before somebody told me that eggs are also blanquillos, I asked a guy at a tienda if he had huevos and he said yes, but
he didn't care to give them to me--and a couple of people standing there laughed themselves silly. This is probably a vast conspiracy to make gringos
feel stupid!
bajalera
\"Very few things happen at the right time, and the rest never happen at all. The conscientious historian will correct these defects.\" -
Mark Twain
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jrbaja
Ultra Nomad
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Registered: 2-2-2003
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Lera
We don't need any assistance with that me thinks. Although, they as you know are quite proficient at it.
I think I may be in La Paz tomorrow so if I have time, I will call. This is a material buying trip so anything can happen!
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