Here is the final installment of our recent trip to Baja....
SATURDAY JUNE 18th 2005
LOCATION North of Alfonsina?s El Faro
WEATHER Hot, Little/No wind
Awoke early this morning. First time on this trip to enjoy a sunrise. The earlier morning light started on the crests and high ridges of the
mountains to the west and slowly, smoothly crawled down them to the valley floor. As I watched the sun edged above the calm waters of the gulf as a
narrow strip of bright white light. It was only a matter of moments before the heat began, toes were still cool buried in the soft sands of our
campsite though.
Today was going to be a great day with so many things to enjoy. After the sunrise and breakfast Debbie and Sammie again headed for town while Justin
and I stayed in our new camp at El Faro. Justin and I just kicked it until the girls came back.
Shortly after their return, we were visited by Jose Alfredo, we gathered that he worked here picking up rocks from the beach. Debbie thought that
they might be Mexican Fire Agates. It was not to be though. It appears that they gathered a certain type of rock and gravel for building/road
projects. They received the princely sum of ten Peso?s (about $1.00) for a five-gallon bucket.
Went kayaking over to another beach by myself, kept hearing this hissing sound behind me, finally found out what it was, a small pod of dolphins was
swimming about a 100 feet from me. It was amazing to sit there in the kayak and watch them. Just hearing them was great, I do wish the kids were with
me.
It was a rocky beach that I had paddled to with 3 cool arches about another ? mile further up. I walked on the beach in the heat looking for anything
cool. Found some neat shells and a large bone from a whale or something. I am beginning to doubt that Graham Macintosh really walked around this
thing. Walking and driving what little bits of Baja that I have and having done many backpacking trips in the Sierra and Cascade mountians it just
doesn?t ring true.
When I got back me and Sammie did some tide pooling, turning over some rocks we found this crazy looking starfish that looked like this (drawing in
journal). Unlike most starfish it moved really fast. It turns it out it is called a brittle star. The best tide pooling was done by turning over the
rocks and seeing what was there.
Then we found a Pulpo. At least that is what the Mexicans call it. Strange, strange, strange. It kept dashing from rock to rock. At one point
while we tried to catch it used my sandal for cover. As I lifted my foot it would cling to the bottom until I reached the surface when it would let go
and dash off under the next nearest cover. The whole time Samantha was excitedly talking, ?There it goes!? ?It is under this rock!? ?Hurry catch it!?
?Does it bite?? One time it squirted its ink while we tried to catch it. Finally we captured it and brought it up for Debbie and Justin to see. They
were quite amazed by it.
Later that evening with the sun behind the mountains Sammie and I went kayaking. Right off shore where we saw a sea lion who kept surfacing and
eyeing us. Then diving under to surface nearby for another view. We were able to see the bottom while gently gliding on the surface. Pointing out
fish, stingrays, sea urchins and starfish to each other we enjoyed our evening paddle. It was only six to eight feet deep one hundred feet from shore.
We also saw some cool fish that were blue/yellow/gray and black. It really is great and if this spot is nothing compared to the many great spots for
sea life then we have been really missing out.
SUNDAY JUNE 19th 2005
LOCATION North of Alfonsina?s El Faro
WEATHER Not noted but it was hot
Late last night the wind picked up very strongly. While everyone slept I crawled out to make sure everything was secure. As soon as I was out of
the tent a gust folded the corner of the tent inwards, breaking one of the poles. I tied it down and removed the top from the canopy to prevent it
from blowing away.
Today we headed for the Green Pools and the Turquoise Mine. Filling up with fuel at high noon we are off. It is twenty-two miles there and takes
about forty-five minutes. We arrive at the Green Pools and spend twenty minutes checking them out. They do not quite live up to their names but it is
well over 100 degrees and there is water running through a series of pools for a hundred yards or so.
Driving on a little further we come across what appears to be the Turquoise Mines. We find veins of bright blue material running through the pale
rock. It is fun to explore the several pits and shafts. We are unable to find any good samples and the heat is starting to get to us.
I climb the ridge behind the mines for a better view. Coming across several more pits on the climb prevents me from reaching the top quickly. Upon
reaching the top one can see up the valley to the mountains enclosing it and there appears to be a road coming in from the west. I can see no signs of
it up close but it may follow the wash down below.
Wishing to spend more time exploring I wander from pit to pit only to be disturbed by the Jeep?s horn. Thinking about how hot it is and how few
supplies we brought with us Debbie is signaling for me to come down. As much as I want to stay, she is correct and I head down.
We arrive back at camp around 4:30 pm and when Justin is asked if he would like to go snorkeling again I am surprised to hear him answer ?Yes? so
quickly. Gathering up the masks we are faced with a challenge. We lost our better two masks at Villa Jesus Maria and only have the two small masks.
Removing the strap from the larger of the two we place it on the smallest one for Justin. With the other one I hope to have it stay on with water
pressure.
It works for me but Justin is having problems with water leaking in his mask. We are forced to surface every couple of minutes to fix his mask. The
water here is around 6 to 8 feet deep with scattered seaweed (?) providing shelter for a variety of sea life.
It was GREAT snorkeling! We saw six to eight starfish, one or two stingrays, a huge sea urchin and a bunch of fish. We saw the dark black ones, the
yellow and gray ones, the small camo ones, three different kinds of large ones including a school of about 30 large ones plus one cool one that was
black with neon blue stripes.
It was so much fun weaving through the seaweed, pointing out the different creatures and enjoying the time spent with my son in the warm waters
that I wished it would never end. All to soon it was time to head in with the sun setting and our stomachs growling. One thing that was strange is
that underwater we could here all these clicking, hissing noises, a mystery for another time I guess.
After a few snacks Sammie and I went tide pooling in the evening light. We called Debbie down, tried to call Justin but he said no. Saw the regular
starfish, a bunch of the funny, skinny-legged ones, saw a couple on sea anemones and a bunch of sea urchins. There was also a bunch of holes that had
these little lobsters (?) in them. We feed them a couple of the starfish and a dead octopus. That really upset Sammie. Then we went octopus hunting,
chased one for about twenty minutes and it squirted its ink 4 times. He finally got away. We found another, which we caught in the hat.
It is almost a full moon and around 11pm. We are all sitting around talking on our last night in Mexico. We talk of our favorites parts and some
of our not so favorites ones too. Tomorrow we head out through Puertecitos, San Felipe and Mexicali to Coalinga. It will be a long drive, probably
about ten to eleven hours.
Nature wise it has been a great trip, we saw coyotes, roadrunners, quail, doves, pelicans, eagles, buzzards, frigates, seagulls, cormorants, geese,
white lizards, rabbits not to mention all the sea life. Wasn?t too bad on the Jeep, Muffler/Exhaust problems, power steering reservoir. Hood bumper
rubber piece, stereo, kayaks moving around.
MONDAY JUNE 20th 2005
LOCATION El Faro-San Felipe-Mexicali-Mohave-Bakersfield
WEATHER Not noted but HOT, 115 degrees in Mexicali. 104 degrees after sunset.
Loaded up and left El Faro at 10:17 am heading towards Puertecitos. VERY HOT! We hit pavement just north of Puertecitos and good pavement about twenty
miles further north. Between San Felipe and Mexicali we stop and take a break and again the Jeep will not start. After trying for ten minutes it
finally catches to everyone?s relief since we happened to stop in the middle of nowhere and it is well over a 115 degrees.
We hit Mexicali and cross the border around 5 pm. Not to friendly border guards (ours), not rude just not friendly. No welcome or anything! We fill
up, get some American junk food, and spot a thermometer that reads 115 at 5:20 pm. OUCH! At one of our rest stops the kids write USA in the dust on
the Jeep.
We head northwards past the Salton Sea just after sunset and hit Mohave around 11pm. We cross the Tehachapi?s and arrive in Bakersfield around 1
am. We are way too tired to make it to Coalinga so we stay in this chitty motel for the rest of the night
TUESDAY JUNE 21RST 2005
LOCATION Bakersfield-Coalinga-Home (For Me)
WEATHER Not noted, pleasant though
We make it to Coalinga around 11 am. Debbie and the kids will be staying her for a few days and I am back on the road at 1:30 pm. I make it home to
Redding around 8 pm. It is hard to believe that yesterday we were in Mexico and it was 115 degrees. Today I am 700 miles north of the border and it is
70 degrees at 8pm. After just leaving I am ready to go back and I sit here typing this I wonder if I could make it down in October, probably not, but
it is great to dream!Sharksbaja - 7-18-2005 at 12:09 AM
Thanks, nice details. You have good thing goin' with the kids. Muy Bien! Sounds like you guys are Baja freaks. Cool.
"One thing that was strange is that underwater we could here all these clicking, hissing noises, a mystery for another time I guess."
I always love diving in prolific waters. What you are hearing are animals. All types of animals make noises.
[Edited on 7-18-2005 by Sharksbaja]Fatboy - 7-18-2005 at 12:44 AM
Thanks for the link, Sharksbaja! It is cool to do something you never done, you learn so much...David K - 7-18-2005 at 07:31 PM
Great report Fatboy... The best news on what is in Baja is from reports like yours! I am looking forward to your next trip south!yankeeirishman - 7-19-2005 at 07:24 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by David K
Great report Fatboy... The best news on what is in Baja is from reports like yours! I am looking forward to your next trip south!
Your report here is the most "hands on" views I have seen at the Nomad forums! Excellent detail, written with visual clarity, and a level of
simplicity. It describes an true family adventure. Your last name Swiss?!
115 degrees and you are complaining? Oh come on ol? mate! Redding was 111 degrees yesterday. Say?you have a rough idea how hot it was as you stayed at El Faro?Fatboy - 7-19-2005 at 07:56 AM
Quote:
Redding was 111 degrees yesterday. Say?you have a rough idea how hot it was as you stayed at El Faro?
Yeah, Redding has been HOT for a week now. At 7 pm on my way home from gold panning on Clear Creek above Whiskeytown Lake the temp was 113.
El Faro was hot, it did not seem to be as breezy. No wind probably high 90's to 101 is what it felt like. Any breeze blowing off the gulf really made
a difference though.Tomas Tierra - 7-20-2005 at 08:33 AM
the clicking noises you heard are sea urchins chompin on kelp,...TTFatboy - 7-20-2005 at 09:16 AM
Tomas..
Are you serious!?!?!?!?
That would be an awful lot of eating and is was loud. It sounded like a bunch of rocks being hit against each other.
If the little urchins are that loud where are the mothers telling them to mind their manners?Tomas Tierra - 7-21-2005 at 11:15 AM
Serio!
I don't know exactly what sound you heard, but a good reef loaded with sea urchins is VERY loud.. Almost like a dull type writer..
great report
Skipjack Joe - 7-29-2005 at 02:16 PM
Thanks for posting it. I really enjoyed it. Yankeeirishman said it all.
Say?you have a rough idea how hot it was as you stayed at El Faro?