BajaNomad - BOLA is not a gringo enclave

BOLA is not a gringo enclave

calacowboy - 9-27-2005 at 09:21 PM

My guide said it best, ? Even for someone that lives here, everyday on the water is different.? For me, this was the first time I had been on a panga without even trying to catch a fish. I felt kind of weird getting up at 6 am and no fishing poles. Well, I had promised to do the ?ECO Tour? with my long time friend who is a bird watching fanatic. Anything for your friends, right? The guide, Joel Prieto, who lives across from the museum, said that the previous couple of days were windy and rough with only bottom fish being caught. Luckily, today the sea was like glass. He took his new 26 foot center console panga on a sweep of the lower bay by geko camp looking for whale sharks(never found any). I had never noticed how many people had houses in the southern part of the bay past Geko. Schools of barracuda, needle fish chasing sardines, and then 2 or 3 finback whales. What a sight to see. In the next 6 hours I don?t think I ever saw so much marine life. Like FishinRich said in his fishing report ? BOLA is alive.? We went to the seal colony island and just watched at least fifty seals barking at us. And then the dolphins(common & bottlenose) jumping all around the boat. I tried to get a picture of them leaping in the air, but couldn?t. ( When I got home there was a new(Oct) Adventure magazine with a perfect picture of dolphins jumping. Good story and pics on Baja). The rest of the time was spent either bird watching or snorkeling. Joel gave us the grand tour of Bahia?s waters. Many, many picture perfect spots that I have never seen while fishing. I got to admit, it was a day I won?t soon forget.

The following day we drove to La Gringa. The moon was full and the tide was very high at 1pm. We snorkeled for about 3 hours in the inner small bay on the end of the hook. Saw many different fish: puffers that nipped at our feet, small yellowtail chasing thousands of translucent bait fish, Damselfishes, Porkfish, grunts, and Sargent Majors. The strangest site had to be tiny flying fish leaping out of the water from some unseen predator. We spent the rest of afternoon watching the diving pelicans and soaring boobys. Two great days in a row.

Other high lights.

That our guide seemed equally amazed at all the marine life we saw in one day.
Eating at Taqueria Cartaret, good fish tacos& tortas, but it?s the salsas the make the difference, I was breathing fire.
Getting gas at BOLA, yeah
Watching my friend see the Sea of Cortez for the first time from the hill as you drive to BOLA.
A very good dinner at Rachel &Larry?s
Talking at length to a couple who had sold it all and were living on their sailboat. Truly fascinating to hear their tales traveling up & down the SOC. They said they were waiting out hurricane season in bola ?just in case?. They also said the next time we were in Santa Rosalia to ?get the best hot dogs on the planet?
Going to the museum, very worth seeing. My friends business is museum exhibits & he was very impressed.
Tide pools way south of Erendira
Saw two grey whales at the mouth of the Bay of San Quintin. We were having breakfast burritos at Gypsys, and this couple says ? Have you seen the whales in the bay??(me)no, where? ?Follow the road in front of Gypsys all the way to the tip(north).? Sure enough, after waiting about ? hour, thinking we were taken for a ride, whoooose, blowhole water in the air. Pretty amazing, my first two whales seen in the wild in one trip to Baja. It?s magic, I tell you.

A few low lights

At the military inspection north of El Rosario, a soldier helping himself to our cooler. What are you going to do about it, gringo?
The fact that Joel didn?t remember who I was after 18 months and 100?s of other clients. (Very understandable)

[Edited on 9-29-2005 by calacowboy]

[Edited on 9-29-2005 by calacowboy]

David K - 9-27-2005 at 09:37 PM

Wonderful trip report... Nobody who has spent more than a few hours there would call it a gringo anything... It is a small town of Mexican fishermen and those in the business of showing visitors a good time with several types of business (panga rides, great food eateries, nice places to stay, etc.). A great Baja location... Bay of Angels, for sure!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As for your encounter at El Rosario's mesa checkpoint:

Please provide all the details you can of the soldier and the time/date of the incident.

Antonio (Baja Cactus Pemex/Motel) knows the comandante in San Quintin who wants none of this from his troops!

A camera was lifted when the checkpoint was south of town, at the Punta San Carlos turnoff, and it was recovered (I was with Antonio when he met with the comandante)...

Was your ice chest stolen or just something from inside it... and where those his actual words? He called you a gringo?

[Edited on 9-28-2005 by David K]

calacowboy - 9-28-2005 at 08:03 PM

No, no one ever called me a gringo, just a little embellishment on my part. He did ask what was in my cooler, and then helped himself to our Trader Joe apple juice. Didn't touch the beer or soda. His exact words were something like "I will have this now?" He spoke english.
Technically he asked, and I said alright. Why pee him off, and get a full cavity search. My friend was pretty upset (rookie), but I don't really mind, just consider it a travling tax.

thebajarunner - 9-28-2005 at 10:29 PM

We always offer them something cold to drink, even before they ask.
We also try to sort through all the camping food (and sometimes more serious libations that Baja Vida selects) and hand them out to the guys.
Hey, take the initiative, you will feel better about giving a bit, and will probably head off a more serious "grab"

Sharksbaja - 9-28-2005 at 11:12 PM

It's only an enclave if you make it one, as is anywhere else.

I found Tootsie Roll paletas work wonders on young soldiers.

We never hand out drinks...

Mexray - 9-29-2005 at 05:36 PM

...at the military checkpoints. They are supposed to be professionals doing a job, and I just don't see the need to hand out stuff that may tend to make them think they can get stuff from any foreigners. Do you see the need to offer drinks to the officials at the border crossings?

We do however, always offer cool drinks to the guys we meet out in middle of nowhere working on the roads. Those guys always seem to be very appreciative of the gesture, and need a cool drink more that the military guys.

Bajaboy - 9-29-2005 at 10:30 PM

I completely agree with Mexray. I have been asked for items before and I usually politely say no. On the otherhand, I am more than generous with those less fortunate.

zac

roverdude - 10-8-2005 at 12:25 AM

I don't mean to hijack this thread OR call anyone stingy. But if you can spare a cold water for a soldier, in a uniform, in the hot sun... aren't you doing a good deed?

Sharksbaja - 10-8-2005 at 12:47 AM

Is he thirsty? End of message. :yes:

JZ - 10-8-2005 at 08:01 AM

"I had never noticed how many people had houses in the southern part of the bay past Geko."

About how many houses.

David K - 10-8-2005 at 09:51 AM

That is former Baja Air Service pilot/owner Francisco Munoz' property. He built the runway there, the north end begins next to Gecko's south property line.

Here is one of the photos I have showing Munoz (on the left) at one of Erle Stanley Gardner's campos with Mexico's archeologist Dr. Carlos Margain. Gardner had Munoz fly Margain to San Ignacio so he could examin the enormous cave murals Gardner 're-discovered'. Actually they did find new paintings from their helicopters that were not visible from the canyon floor.

[Edited on 10-11-2005 by David K]

calacowboy - 10-10-2005 at 08:56 PM

Quote:

About how many houses.

I would estimate about 10 -15 buildings, including a dome house, and a church-like building(?) Joel said it was mostly seasonal people that lived there.

Mexican fishermen

jrbaja - 10-10-2005 at 09:18 PM

and their families, of course!

calacowboy - 10-10-2005 at 09:48 PM

All I know is what I saw in the limited time I spent there. In town, all the motels, camping, restarants, fishing rentals, museum,and stores were run by Mexicans who spoke very little English. It was one of the hardest places for me to comunicate. I speak broken Spanglish, but my wife speaks Spanish very well, but wasn't with me on this trip. In my admittedly limited travels in Baja, this was the most Mexican town, set up to cater to tourists.

David K - 10-10-2005 at 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by calacowboy
All I know is what I saw in the limited time I spent there. In town, all the motels, camping, restarants, fishing rentals, museum,and stores were run by Mexicans who spoke very little English. It was one of the hardest places for me to comunicate. I speak broken Spanglish, but my wife speaks Spanish very well, but wasn't with me on this trip. In my admittedly limited travels in Baja, this was the most Mexican town, set up to cater to tourists.

Exactly!

Francisco Munoz' property (that has some vacation homes on it) is 5 miles south of the town of Bahia de los Angeles (the Mexican fishermen village)... Much farther than La Barca is from Rosarito Beach, yes???

I guess the difference would be David

jrbaja - 10-11-2005 at 09:42 AM

that I don't try and pretend that Rosarito isn't set up for tourism. It's 1/2 hour from the border so we have easy access to both worlds.
Quote from Cala:
"In my admittedly limited travels in Baja, this was the most Mexican town, set up to cater to tourists."

And I understand that many people would see BOLA as a very Mexican town. ( They even have Mexicans there.) Especially if their travels in Baja are very limited, like Cala and David K.

But as far as it being a Mexican fishing village, it is the most well known of the enclaves I have ever heard of down here. And that started long before it's publicity through the Nomads.

But, it is beautiful like most spots in Baja, it's a great place to feel safe, it has most anything the gringos need including internet, and obviously, many of you will be retiring there.

Excellent! But, be prepared for some surprises in the future, like any of the popular gringo places.

As far as Rosarito goes, Dk continues to voice opinions, but he's just a tourist who doesn't know much about anything here in Baja. Other than what he's picked up on a few weekends and vacations here. Thus the constant wrong info..

After living here for a while, as well as down south, and traveling the entire peninsula regularly, you tend to see things a little more realistically than what you pick up on a few vacations here.

bahiamia - 10-11-2005 at 02:55 PM

I have lived in Bahia for going on 18 years now...I feel so very fortunate for my life to have to have taken the paths that it did and that they brought me to one of the most beautiful places in the world and to some of the most beautiful people as well.

I have also been fortunate enough as well to have travelled to many places up and down the peninsula. My husband made sure of that, and we had the most amazing times. Spoke only Spanish on our trips for the most part too, except when conversing with each other in either German or English.

The truth of the matter is that there are not nearly, not even CLOSE the amount of "Gringos" living here even part time, as compared to say a San Felipe. And yes it IS basically a small fishing village. It was not that long ago that in order to make a phone call, you were looking at a 2 1/2 hour drive one way to do so. There is still not 24 Hour electricity in town, except what your own private system will provide.

But whatever your personal opinion is on someplace, JR, one should never feel discouraged by you not to visit there just because you don't personally happen to like it. Had I listened to someone like you, and passed Bahia by, I would have missed out not only on the love of my life, but all the adventures, travels, tears, laughter, FRIENDS, and everything else that has made my life here so memorable.

Here are some photos of the Bahia I see everyday:

[Edited on 10-11-2005 by bahiamia]

thebajarunner - 10-11-2005 at 04:03 PM

Mia, your fotos and your words are eloquent.
I have no idea why in the world that we have to defend the ambience of your home town.
Seems like only one person here "has it in for Bahia" and I cannot imagine why that is.... (mebbe he got bitten by a street perro there)
Anyway, Baja Vida and I are looking forward to once again sitting on your patio and enjoying a quiet chat and a cold cerveza.
You and your town are both most gracious...
(and yes, I have driven the peninsula countless times, been to villages and beaches and ports on all sides, and yes, I enjoy BahiaLA)
Muy amable, amiga....

comitan - 10-11-2005 at 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jrbaja
that I don't try and pretend that Rosarito isn't set up for tourism. It's 1/2 hour from the border so we have easy access to both worlds.
Quote from Cala:
"In my admittedly limited travels in Baja, this was the most Mexican town, set up to cater to tourists."

And I understand that many people would see BOLA as a very Mexican town. ( They even have Mexicans there.) Especially if their travels in Baja are very limited, like Cala and David K.

But as far as it being a Mexican fishing village, it is the most well known of the enclaves I have ever heard of down here. And that started long before it's publicity through the Nomads.

But, it is beautiful like most spots in Baja, it's a great place to feel safe, it has most anything the gringos need including internet, and obviously, many of you will be retiring there.

Excellent! But, be prepared for some surprises in the future, like any of the popular gringo places.

As far as Rosarito goes, Dk continues to voice opinions, but he's just a tourist who doesn't know much about anything here in Baja. Other than what he's picked up on a few weekends and vacations here. Thus the constant wrong info..

After living here for a while, as well as down south, and traveling the entire peninsula regularly, you tend to see things a little more realistically than what you pick up on a few vacations here.

JR.

I think you should reconsider your criticism of David K, For one He Helps an awful lot of nomads traveling to Baja, don't question this he does.

You in turn go farther south to the way out villages and help with school supplies and any other donations you might have.

And the fact that you have different goals does not give you the right to always criticise him for what he does.

David K - 10-11-2005 at 04:38 PM

Thank you so much Mia... Great photos of the 'gringo enclave' (not!)....

JR, you are given so many opportunaties to redeem your peey attitude here and you still don't want to belong to this 'family', but you keep coming to 'the dinner table'...

I also do not understand the need you have to constantly discredit me or my contributions here... I guess it is only you who sees my trip reports are being false...? Funny how so many others find my posts usefull and accurate?? Does it make you feel good to do this? Can you go through my trip reports and web pages and list all the incorrect data with the correct data... I will be happy to correct any wrong information, and give you credit for finding the errors!!!

So, you see me as an "occaisional tourist"??? One who has been traveling to Baja hundreds of times since 1965 (and driving on the peninsula myself since I was 16, in '74), published two road guides and numerous magazine articles, and since '99, contributing on Internet web sites... I don't see myself as an occaisional tourist like that, at all!

Let's see, you live 20 miles closer to Tijuana than I do, and somehow that gives you so much greater qualifications to provide travel info. on the entire peninsula???

Well, then WHY don't you??? Instead, you jump in after others have taken the time to share their trips here and call them names... THAT'S really not too productive jr!!!

Honestly jr, we all have tried to be your friend... shared beers, food, brought you some donations, asked to to stop the name calling here, offered to match funds raised to give up to $5,000 dollars to a small village... You have snubbed all of these...

I do not know what more can be done to please you on Nomad... You are like North Korea vs. the U.S. ... Offer after offer, gift after gift, and nothing pleases you or will make you want to be friendly. Are you affraid once you are nice, then all the attention you receive is going to stop? I think a little positive attention is more valuable than all this negative attention...

But I am no psychiatrist... you will have to get one on your own...
Best wishes to you... and I do hope you will open your eyes and realize you would cause much more good to happen by being nice, than being nasty...

BOLA is beautiful

jrbaja - 10-11-2005 at 05:34 PM

but the last two times I have been there, drunken gringo tourists were ruining the place with ATVs, loud mouths, and a total lack of respect for anyone, especially the locals.
That was many years ago.

My Mexican neighbors stopped going because of a crystal meth problem that seemed to be overwhelming the locals there, I didn't witness this personally but have in many other areas

My ideas on fishing villages differ greatly than most on here because of my travels elsewhere in Baja which also has an effect on my opinion. Fishing villages are based on fishing, not tourism.

As far as you DK, since being called on things so many times, you have turned your bragging/attitude down some but still, there is just something about you that makes you really fun to call on stuff. Especially when you keep reminding everyone of your hundreds??? of trips down here.

Most people I know, who actually do have hundreds of trips down here, have Mexican friends and families all over the place and they have been bringing needed items to them for years.

I haven't seen you mention this once, which comes as a surprise coming from someone who supposedly knows Baja and doesn't consider himself a tourist.

As far as making friends on a chatroom, I don't put much value in it. Obviously, the things I believe and talk about offend many on here.

This leads me to believe that these are the same idiots, (or just like them) that I see in action down here regularly. Otherwise, they wouldn't be taking my comments about enclaves, drunks, and ugly americans personally.

Personally, I think I couldn't have done any better shooting fish in a barrel when it comes to targets as far as that goes.

But, I'm chillen, a little. Notice my lack of the term CCG? I even got tired of it. :lol:

David K - 10-11-2005 at 05:40 PM

Thank you jr...

Right on David

jrbaja - 10-11-2005 at 05:46 PM

:lol:

Paz

I was hoping that

jrbaja - 10-11-2005 at 07:00 PM

someone would have chimed in by now telling me that BOLA no longer has that problem. :no:

And Comi, I guess you have met and know David?

David K - 10-11-2005 at 08:28 PM

Give them some time jr... only you and I are on here 24/7 :yes:

No, I never met 'Comi' nor have even u2u'd with him! :lol:

You do realize that there is good and bad EVERWHERE... specially if you go looking for it!

Meth is all over Mexico... You are responsible for your own actions or behavior... If doing illegal drugs is your thing, then don't get around me... If it wasn't meth, then it could be pot or booze, or bamboo (does that really get you high?)! People who want to experience the artificial experience of those things will... until they reach a level of maturity that no longer requires that behavior.

As for visitors to Bahia de L.A. (or 'tourists' if you prefer), if they want to see bad stuff, then they can ask about it and see it perhaps...

Most I think want just to experience 'The Baja Feeling' and that means beautiful land, sea, sky, people, sports, recreation, history, adventure...

Bahia de L.A. along with most of Baja is a great place for those things.

bahiamia - 10-12-2005 at 06:54 AM

Ok, let me see if I understand this correctly. JR you by your own account were last in Bahia "many years ago"; I wonder if this was even within the last decade. And your accounts on Bahia's suposed problems come secondhand from comments from others who also no longer come here. So who are you to say what Bahia is or is not?

I don't see the problems you are talking about; but I don't go looking for them either. Not to say the town is perfect by any means and of course there will always be a few individual bad elements anywhere you go in the world.

If you were referring to me being the one not chiming in earlier.... hey I have a life! ...things to do, places to go people to see and all the rest. And besides, at any given moment I am a week behind in my chores because new ones crop up constantly. But I love this life I lead and feel very fortunate to be here.

-Mia

I guess since I mention some problems

jrbaja - 10-12-2005 at 08:44 AM

I see in some areas, to some of you it means I went looking for them ? Hardly. I just don't wear blinders.

With meth comes theft. Hopefully, this is something none of you have had to deal with in BOLA. I have heard differently.

And after you have patched up enough drunken tourists and their kids out enjoying their "sports" , you tend to look at idiots on motorized machines in a different light.

These problems are not exclusive to Bay of Los Angeles but when we used to go there, because of the popularity of the place, they were fairly common.

My "second hand" information regarding the drugs, comes from a Mexican family who used to vacation there. They speak Spanish and have lived in Baja all their lives. Who would you believe?

JR---It just depends on how you look at things, I guess----

Barry A. - 10-12-2005 at 09:03 AM

After camping and moteling in BOLA for about 35 years, maybe 25 different times, I fail to see what you are talking about-----the town seems very "Mexican" to me.

After being an EMT and Law Enforcement officer at the Glamis Dunes in the Imperial Dunes of Southern California for 13 years, perhaps you can immagine how many "crazies" I patched up and shipped to the hospital-----still, I owned a dune buggy, 4x4, RV, and rode ATV's, and still do. A few crazies did not poison my thinking of ALL recreationists. I think that you are being way too negative, here, but of course that is your "right". After Glamis, BOLA problems seem non-existant, to me, and I love that place.

Very good point Barry

jrbaja - 10-12-2005 at 09:14 AM

And on that note, I guess I could be considered "paranoid" because we used to go to Dumont Dunes instead, just because of the crazies and accident toll at Glamis.

JR----Dumont----a very wise choice-----

Barry A. - 10-12-2005 at 09:39 AM

and it is beautiful.

The Imperial Dunes on a major winter weekend is------ ahhhhhh------ well, an aberation (a kinder, gentler word for what I really mean). I loved Glamis on a Wednesday, tho, after a brisk wind-storm on Tuesday, that covered the "bodies".