bajalera
Super Nomad
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Registered: 10-15-2003
Location: Santa Maria CA
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Trip Report (long-winded) La Paz-S. Juanico
Instead of our usual dash up Highway One to the border, this trip was to be a leisurely jaunt in search of places Steve and I remembered from the old
Carretera Transpeninsular--and it would also introduce his six-year-old daughter Nikeesha to new parts of the Baja boonies.
In the '60s my three subteens and I drove north from La Paz to spend several days with the editor of the newspaper in the town then called Villa
Constitucion. He was putting out a special edition to honor President Gustavo Diaz Ordaz, who was coming to inaugurate the port at San Carlos.
We joined the crowd at the airport, and Steve wandered off with the newspapers he'd volunteered to sell. On landing, the President's helo churned up a
great cloud of dust that blanketed us all--so everyone laughed, of course (if there's anything Mexicans are really good at, it's hanging loose in
situations like this). Steve was one of the boys Diaz Ordaz shook hands with, and I asked if he'd given the President a newspaper. No--he didn't think
a President would pay for one.
The town was eventually promoted from "Villa" to "Ciudad," and now that mouthful is being shortened to simply "Constitucion." Although the speed bumps
in most other Baja towns are labeled "topes," here they're "reductores"--which somehow makes them seem more ominous.
Instead of veering inland on Highway One we forged strait ahead onto 53, which obviously has less funding for upkeep--Santo Domingo has become Pothole
City.
The door of the Pacifico place was open but no one was home, so I settled for Tecate. (Economy-size bottles of Pacifico, which seems to be the
official brew of Nomads, are called "ballenas"--whales--and the label has one on it. I don't know why Tecate's big bottles are "caguamas;" they don't
have a turtle.)
Many of the roadside ocotillos (or palo adans, I'm never sure which is which) were draped with shaggy gray clumps of orchilla, a plant once an
important source of purple dye. Tons of the stuff were gathered in the 1800s and shipped off to Europe, and the duties provided BC Sur with enough
income to build the impressive Casa de Gobierno that once fronted on the La Paz square (although later torn down, a replica has since been put in its
place).
In early afternoon we reached the long grade leading down to Purisima Arroyo. From here to San Juanico the unpaved road bed is washboardy, but the
sandy alternative routes on either side are pretty good.
What I remember from San Juanico forty years ago are that several acres were covered with rusted tin cans, and beyond them was the skeleton of an old
fish cannery. A man with six toes on each foot appeared out of nowhere, offered to sell us some lobster and rowed out to his pots to get them. We had
limes, oil and reasonably fresh eggs, so I made mayonnaise and we all pigged out in grand style. In filling a lantern, however, my husband carelessly
spilled kerosene on the lobsters we'd looked forward to finishing off the next day, and if there had been a gun at hand I would have put a bullet
right smack between his eyes with no qualms whatsoever.
These days, if you park anywhere to take a longer look at the sweeping arc of San Juanico Bay, someone driving a beater pickup--who looks like a
rancher and often is one--is quite likely to pull up alongside and ask if you're interested in buying property. The federal government has deeded land
on the bay to ejido members from nearby areas, who don't dress like the guys from Century 21 but are nevertheless real estate agents. Several huge
homes have already been built on the fringes of the little town (with the traditional palm thatching that has become so expensive that only wealthy
people indulge in it).
Both sides of the road leading to the Scorpion Bay resort, near Punta Pequena, are now fenced. There's a great view from the open-air restaurant and
the food is good (although because of the isolated location a bit pricey). To judge from the stack of boxed games on a table--Scrabble, Yachtsee,
Scribbage--this would probably be a good place to meet intellectually inclined people who have run out of anything interesting to do.
We drove down the beach, passing the fish camp (the pangas all have motors now) and the stranded boat in the form of a whale--the sad remains of
someone's dream plan--and set up a tent. The moon came out, skinny but bright gold, and was flanked by the brightest star I've ever seen (must have
been Venus? Mars?). The Big Dipper appeared--in the wrong place--and Steve and I quaffed a nightcap or three and yakked.
Since the peninsula is famed for its star-studded skies, he woke up Nikki to see the marvelous display. She took a wobbly-headed glance upward and
said, "Okay Daddy I saw the stars, now can I go back to sleep?
At 6:00 the next morning the Big Dipper was again in the wrong place (but a different wrong place than before). Strands of gray ribbon streamed across
the black sky and gradually lightened--no pink or golden rays slashed through the high fog of this dawn. Steve made coffe on his dinky little Coleman
stove, and we set out for San Jose de Gracia.
Grover recently noted that many first-time visitors to the peninsula "are simply astonished that there exists such a beautiful place." Well, that goes
for most of us old-timers, too.
Lera
\"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
Posts: 4863
Registered: 2-2-2003
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Hey
You said "long winded". I ran out of story before I was through reading.
Thanks Lera.
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Mike Humfreville
Super Nomad
Posts: 1148
Registered: 8-26-2003
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I've driven from San Ignacio, down the southern route to La Purisima and across the mountains to Loreto. I've never been to San Junico that I
remember. But as I reference the map in reading your words I see that I must have passed through there. But that was almost half a century ago and
it would be nothing like today.
Regardless, the point I'd like to make, invoked by your writing, obviously professional, that it isn't necessarily what we are observing, sometimes
it's the eyes of the observer that "translate" the information, sometimes into a different venue than that of the simply physical world and cause
others to live the moment and occasionally, visualize things from a standpoint other than their own and just appreciate that there are many wondrous
experiences floating around us, just waiting to be captured.
Thank you 'Lera
As a complete aside, when I was last on that road from San Ignacio southbound I was trying to fill a two day gap with some friends that had left L.A.
earlier than I could. Back then, as I remember it, the coast road was sandy and we passed only two or three simple buildings along all those miles.
At one, severeal hours south of the lagoon, we stopped to ask if the two guys working outside the simple house on something had seen a very red truck
and very yellow Baja bug pass by recently. They both agreed immediately that the had. But they could not come to agreement on the specific day. The
options we offered, in limited Spanish, were today, yesterday and the day before that.
It must be wonderful to live in an environment where you just don't care what day it is for years on end. For a lifetime? Perhaps. Thanks again for
your provocative post.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64532
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Approaching San Juanico from the South Pacific via space craft would look like this! (From http://www.wvvinc.com/Baja.htm )
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bajalera
Super Nomad
Posts: 1875
Registered: 10-15-2003
Location: Santa Maria CA
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Wow, DK, what a great view. Thanks!
Lera
\"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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Juan del Rio
Senior Nomad
Posts: 560
Registered: 6-8-2004
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Juan del Rio
Senior Nomad
Posts: 560
Registered: 6-8-2004
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David, how do you post photos...I have one I'd like to post of San Juanico.
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jrbaja
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4863
Registered: 2-2-2003
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Thanks David
Now I'm gonna have to go back to work cause I want em all! What a great site.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64532
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Juan del Rio: Is the photo on a web site or only in your computer files?
JR: When you order posters from Arman, tell him you saw what I posted on Nomad. I invited Arman to join us here. They are great and he has one for
each favorite area of Baja and will even do a custom area for you!
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jrbaja
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4863
Registered: 2-2-2003
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What a kick!
Good stuff Amigo!
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Juan del Rio
Senior Nomad
Posts: 560
Registered: 6-8-2004
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David, I'd like to do both...I didn't know I had an option and couldn't locate on the Board's FAQ's
I ordered both of the photos for San Juanico and they really are beautiful! Picked up a couple of frames and they now hang at Club Juan y Juan in San
Juanico. People who come over are amazed. The locals are always pointing at different areas and tell me interesting things I didn't know...a great
addition to the club for sure!!!
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64532
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Juan del Rio
The photo I posted of you at my first Viva Baja party (10-00) was a hot link from my web site where that photo lives http://vivabaja.com.vivabaja ... Here is my very non-tech directions:
1) Go to the photo on a web site... right click your mouse over that photo.
2) The photo info window will pop up... See the URL for the photo in the middle (starts with http://) ?
3) Highlight and then Copy that URL with the mouse and go to Nomad board's new post or reply window.
4) Just above the typing area (where I am tying this, for example), note 10 small boxes (the first one is a capital B), and click on the 7th box
(yellow landscape image).
5) A special pop up will appear, and with your mouse, paste that photo URL in the space provided (starting with http://). You might need to remove one
http:// if it doubles. Then click ok or whatever it says... The photo info will show up in the typing area and you can add text above or below the
photo!
TO ADD PHOTO from your pc's files:
Just below the place where you type your post is a button that says 'brouse'... click on it and your computer's files will appear there, just scroll
to the file and photo you want to post and click the appropriate button 'open' or something like that.
That's all!
I will be happy to coach you through it if my words don't make sense or I missed something. I will U2U you my cell phone and call me when you are at
your computer... tonight (late is okay).
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Juan del Rio
Senior Nomad
Posts: 560
Registered: 6-8-2004
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Here's what we're talking about :
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