dtbushpilot
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3288
Registered: 1-11-2007
Location: Buena Vista BCS
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Mood: Tranquilo
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dt and Ged's excellent baja adventure ride. Day 6: La Purisma to San Ignacio 146 miles
We were having a great time in and around La Purisma but we had a lot of territory to explore so reluctantly, we packed our bags for today's ride. We
hadn't originally planned to go back through San Ignacio but we were headed to the Viscaino Peninsula and the SI lagoon was in our way so we decided
to hit San Ignacio for 1 night before heading to Bahia Asuncion.
I was eagerly anticipating the breakfast that we had arranged for and could hardly wait to see what was in store for us. We walked over to the house
that the visitor from the evening before had pointed to and cautiously entered the fenced yard. The first thing I noticed was a fresh animal hide and
gut pile laying off to the side of the yard but I didn't let that bother me, I could smell food cooking....that led me to believe that they were
fixing breakfast not us.
We walked past the kitchen..
and around the corner to find a table set for 2. Our hostess motioned for us to sit and began serving food. There was a pile of fresh home made
tortillas, a plate of goat cheese and fresh squeezed hugo de naranja. She placed a plate in front of me that was covered with runny refried beans and
a chunk of mystery meat.
I don't know if it was the setting or the uniqueness of the experience but the food was great....much better than it looked.
We ate our fill and took a few minutes to look around. Our hosts were very friendly, gracious and accommodating, I wish I had asked their names. There
was a patriarch, daughter and husband and a cute, camera shy little girl.
I never could get a decent picture of the girl but I think Ged did, he will probably post it in his report.
We walked around a bit and took a few pictures of their place and of our host making cheese.
We thanked our new friends for the meal and headed back to the motel so that I could wait (impatiently) while Ged did his 45 minute routine of loading
all his crap and putting on all his gear. It's kinda entertaining to watch but after the twentieth time you've seen it it gets a bit tiresome.
We already had enough fuel to reach San Juanico so we headed out. We took the dirt turn off just outside of town and after a bit intersected the new
paved road to SJ.
I had never been to San Juanico so after we gassed up the bikes we took a ride through town and and checked out one of the famous surf breaks.
I wrote down the GPS co-ordinance because I knew that some of you would want them but I can't seem to find them now.
We headed North out of town on a pretty fast washboard road. We rode through a couple of pretty cool rancho type towns and somewhere after Camino de
Enmedio we started running into silt beds, a little at first but a lot before long. I came to one particularly bad one where the silt was about 16"
deep in the place where you would go to miss the deep stuff. I thought about waiting for Ged to go through it as a photo op would surely be
forthcoming but I decided to press on.
After a couple more miles I stopped next to a small bush that afforded a bit of shade and waited for Ged. He seemed to be taking a long time to catch
up and I was afraid that I had indeed missed a good picture for my ride report. Just as I was considering going back to look for him I heard his bike
coming. He pulled up next to me, turned off his bike and took off his helmet. There was a large cloud of dust hanging in the air but it wasn't coming
from the road, it was coming off of him. He looked like he had been in a silt fight and lost.
"What happened Ged" I asked, already knowing the answer. "Nothing" he replied, "why do you ask?....."You're covered with silt" I responded. "Oh that.
We don't have silt in Canada so when I saw it I wanted to stop and play in it....you know, like you desert rats like to do when you come up North and
see the snow for the first time. I laid down and made a few silt angels...they were cool, you should have seen them"........I think he fell down but
his story was so good that I didn't challenge him.
So on we went with me leading the way even though I didn't have an electronic tour guide, there was only one road so Ged felt that I couldn't get very
lost. The road was getting less and less traveled and the silt wasn't getting any better when I came upon a huge silt bed coming from the right with a
locked gate ahead. I saw that there was a ranch off to my right so I skirted the worst of the silt and headed for the ranch. The road was a real mess,
the worst silt I had ever seen, it was obvious that it had been part of last years Baja 1000 course. I was hoping that we wouldn't have to go that
way.
As I turned off my bike and took off my helmet a rancher came out to greet me. He handed me a note written in English on one side, Spanish on the
other that explained the plight of the people living at the ranch. The note indicated that they had little water or fuel and supplies had to be
brought in from a great distance on a very bad road and could I help them out with a donation....sure I could. Even though this ranch (Rancho El
Cuarenta) looks to be on a well traveled road looking at the map it really is in a remote place. The rancher indicated that I could take the road
through his ranch where it intersected the main road (that had the gate across it) I told him that I was waiting for my buddy so he invited me in to
sit in the shade. After a bit I heard Ged coming. The sound of his bike stopped about where the bad silt and locked gate were. I couldn't see him from
where I was at the ranch but I assumed that he was trying to figure out which way I went. It seemed to be taking him a long time to get going but then
I heard his bike fire up and saw him come over the hill toward the ranch. I waved him down and he pulled in.....sporting a fresh coat of silt....
"More silt angels"? I asked. He gave me that STFU you smartass look and replied "no, I fell down, I twisted my ankle under the bike and it hurts.
Wanting to be sympathetic and supportive I was going to say " gee Ged, that's too bad. Can I get you a cold drink of water? Let me take a look at your
ankle, we wouldn't want to take a chance of you riding injured". But instead I suffered my second Freudian slip of the trip and said "well dust off
your dress and let's go Shirley, it's a long way to San Ignacio".......That was supportive wasn't it?
So on we went. The road, where there was one didn't show any signs of recent use but looking at the map and GPS confirmed that we were on the road
shown in the Almanac. Eventually the road got better and we were able to make pretty good time. I stopped periodically to group back up with Ged who
seemed to be doing fine after his "off bike silt adventure". We arrived in San Ignacio mid afternoon, checked back in at Rice and Beans and hit the
shower. I was pretty thirsty after a long dusty ride so after a quick shower I headed to the bar for a beer.
I was beginning to wonder what had happened to Ged when I saw him limping across the parking lot towards the bar. "How's that ankle" I asked..."Oh,
OK, a little sore" he replied. "Well, hold a beer on it, maybe it will feel better". It really didn't look very good and was already showing bruising
and an attractive lime greenish tint in his lower leg....or maybe he just didn't wash it very good when he showered...I'm not sure.
He had a pretty impressive bruise on his gut too....it hadn't been his best day on a bike....
Lucky for him he had a caring, compassionate friend to help him in his time of need
To be continued.....
[Edited on 3-23-2011 by dtbushpilot]
"Life is tough".....It's even tougher if you're stupid.....
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64848
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Wow... what a report... good local village info. too. Rancho Cuarenta (40) has been there for ages and ages... too bad they can't produce enough
income. It had been a Baja 1000 checkpoint or pit stop for over 40 years, whenever the race went to La Paz.
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motoged
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6481
Registered: 7-31-2006
Location: Kamloops, BC
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Mood: Gettin' Better
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DT,
I am still shaking silt out of my skirt....
Don't believe everything you think....
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dtbushpilot
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3288
Registered: 1-11-2007
Location: Buena Vista BCS
Member Is Offline
Mood: Tranquilo
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I think I got the photobucket gremlin fixed......they expected me to be able to do computer stuff to fix it.....they just don't understand my limitations.....dt
"Life is tough".....It's even tougher if you're stupid.....
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motoged
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6481
Registered: 7-31-2006
Location: Kamloops, BC
Member Is Offline
Mood: Gettin' Better
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| Quote: | Originally posted by dtbushpilot
I think I got the photobucket gremlin fixed......they expected me to be able to do computer stuff to fix it.....they just don't understand my limitations.....dt |
DT,
Oh,,,,,some of us do 
Don't believe everything you think....
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TMW
Select Nomad
Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
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The man you met at Rancho Cuarenta is Tomas. He has at least two sons I've met, they are Tomas Jr and Martin. He also has a brother that lives there
but I don't remember his name, he looks a lot older than Tomas and at first I thought it was his dad. I think they are good people. They often help
people get unstuck in the silt beds near their rancho. They have fallen on hard times the past several years. The Loco Mocos group had asked that
anyone going by their place donate food, clothing and money if possible. I took them food supplies last October and plan to do it again during the
upcoming NORRA race in May.
When you approched his rancho the main road goes off toward the left and on to Laguna San Ignacio. You apparently went on across his ranch land which
was the way the Baja 1000 came thru last Nov.
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