elgatoloco - 6-15-2006 at 01:14 PM
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archi...
A great adventure on the cheap
Baja travel isn't what it's cracked up to be, fortunately
06-15) 04:00 PDT Loreto, Mexico -- On the far side of our skiff, dozens of porpoises attacked a school of caballito. In a frenzied 50-yard radius, the
porpoises bobbed, finned and swirled on the surface of the Sea of Cortez.
At the same time, on the inland side of the boat, along the shore of Isla del Carmen, 10 miles offshore from Loreto, three sea lions slid off their
rocks and burrowed out of sight, heading for a meal. Overhead, frigate birds, pelicans and cormorants hovered, picking out a fish. A few crashed to
the surface on feeding runs like bricks being dropped from a cloud.
On my left, my son, Kris, shouted, "He's taking off!" He was hooked up with a big yellowtail, his rod bowed like a croquet hoop, and the line was
disappearing from his reel as if he'd snagged the Nautilus.
On my right, my wife, Stephani, also was battling a big yellowtail, and after struggling for 20 minutes, she howled, "The fish is winning."
We were on the Sea of Cortez, a paradise for world-class fishing, snorkeling and scuba diving, and it hit me that there is no better destination for
the money.
That is why we wound up here. A trip to Belize was canceled, and suddenly we had a nine-day hole in our lives. With air fares out of sight, we loaded
up my pickup truck, hit I-5 south and drove through the Baja wilderness for 700 miles to reach Loreto. It turned out to be one of the greatest
adventures imaginable, yet was cheap to do.
The idea of driving Baja has always had an allure -- a leap into the unknown -- but like many others, I've had some trepidation over stories of
terrible roads, the jumble of required permits, car insurance, finding lodging or camps, and the remoteness and heat of the Baja inland wilderness,
where cell phones don't work and I don't speak the language.
It turns out there are answers for all of these concerns (see sidebars). That puts the focus back on the adventures. The drive alone is a fantastic
adventure. Once you leave El Rosario, ahead are hundreds of miles of desert landscapes, sweeping water views, stunning mountains and volcanic
formations. The terrain perpetually seems to change, sprinkled with the occasional spring-fed oasis in a canyon.
At many port towns, both on the Sea of Cortez to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west, the fishing is sensational. Some Americans pop a sea
kayak on top of their car, head south to the Sea of Cortez, and then hook up a yellowtail and go for a "sleigh ride." Others troll offshore for giant
marlin, sailfish and dorado.
And many come to snorkel or scuba dive in the Sea of Cortez, where you get 40-foot water clarity, 80-degree (and warmer) water, and access to an
undersea world that can be like diving in an aquarium.
Mexico has designated the most pristine diving areas as marine parks. The Loreto Bay National Marine Park, which extends along 40 miles of the Sea of
Cortez, is an underwater spectacle. Sea-lion colonies, reef fish such as triggerfish, red snapper and the brilliant red garibaldi are the common
sightings, but only a small part of this marine world. From Loreto, the best diving location is Isla Coronado.
Instead of using dive boats, guides use pangas, long, narrow open skiffs popular in Mexico, to take you to the shoreline near prime locations. The
boat lands, you gear up, and walk into the water to dive or snorkel.
The smaller Cabo Pulmo National Park, on Cabo's east cape, is the site of the only coral reef in the Sea of Cortez. Of eight reefs here, three are
within range of shore. Like so many adventures in Baja, it is surreal.
Yet the fishing is often even better.
We spent three of our days fishing and caught 17 yellowtail ranging 20 to 35 pounds, along with several triggerfish and red snapper. At one point, our
arms were so tired that we almost hoped not to get another bite. Almost.
We chose to fish out of Loreto with guide Chico Hernandez of Arturo's Sportfishing. At 6 a.m., Hernandez would arrive at our lodging in his old pickup
truck to load our rods and drive us to the docks. By 6:15, we'd be on the sea in the panga and then cruise across flat water at 25 mph and take in the
sunrise. Hernandez would stop the boat at an offshore pinnacle, where we would rig with small jigs to catch mackerel, often 30 or 40 of them in 15, 20
minutes, and plunk the fish in a live well for safekeeping for bait.
This whetted the appetite for bigger and better. In 20 minutes, we'd cruise the boat along the coves of Isla del Carmen, scanning for "nervous water,"
where baitfish were so thick that they dimpled the surface like a golf ball, or diving birds feeding.
When we spotted several diving birds swirling and thrashing on the surface, we darted to the spot in our boat and cast out our live mackerel for bait.
Kris thumbed his line, the reel on free spool, and in an instant, he had a pick-up. The line peeled off slowly at first, and then started ripping. He
clicked the brake on the reel and then reared back and set the hook. "Got him!" he shouted. And the fight was on.
A moment later, Stephani hooked up. Then I got one on as well, so it was a tripleheader, pure chaos: crossed lines, fish zig-zagging, bull-dogging and
running.
Well, this is what you come for.
"The Great Outdoors With Tom Stienstra" airs at 6:30 p.m. Sundays on KBHK (Channel 44).
Tom Stienstra's Outdoors Report can be heard at 7:35 a.m., 9:35 a.m. and 12:35 p.m. Saturdays on KCBS (740 AM).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fish, snorkel, scuba
Cost: Typical cost for a skiff and guide, for fishing, snorkeling or scuba diving, is $225 per day. We paid $220, plus $9 per person for burrito lunch
and drinks, plus $40 tip for guide and $10 for fish cleaning.
Snorkel/scuba: Rental snorkel equipment available, but for guaranteed quality, bring your own. Dive shops with guides are available in major towns.
Big-game fishing: For marlin, dorado and sailfish, use short tuna-style rods with roller guides (Penn Bluewater Series, Seeker Mexico Series), with
big-game reels (Penn, Daiwa, Accurate) filled with fresh 80-pound line (Ande, Maxima). Use only highest-quality tackle (provided by guides; fishing
shops in towns).
Small-game fishing: For yellowtail, wahoo and roosterfish, use rods, reels and line rated at 40 pounds, and live mackerel for bait. For triggerfish,
red snapper, use rods, reels and lines rated at 14-to-20 pounds.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Do
Permits: Obtain all required permits and licenses (see sidebar).
Vehicle: Be certain your vehicle is in excellent condition (tires, brakes, engine). On remote Baja highways, there is no shoulder on the roads for
disabled vehicles, cell phones don't work and tow trucks are far, far away.
Maps/guidebooks: We were well served by the CSAA map "Baja California" and guidebook "Mexico's Baja California." Other good books are "Baja & Los
Cabos" (Lonely Planet) and "Baja Camping" (Avalon Travel).
Passport: Bring your passport. If you are traveling with stepchildren, bring letter of permission to travel to Mexico from parent not on trip.
Tank up in San Diego: Before crossing border, eat, pack a cooler with drinks and snacks, and fill your gas tank.
Tijuana: Skip it. From the border crossing, take the Highway 1D bypass around Tijuana, merge with Highway 1 toll road for the spectacular drive to
Ensenada on a divided four-lane highway with beautiful ocean views.
Gas stops: Buy only at Pemex stations, which are in all major towns. Refill when half-empty, and always fill at El Rosario, Guerrero Negro and Santa
Rosalia.
Drinks: Bring flats of bottled water, Gatorade, soda.
$1 bills: Bring $200 in $1 and $5 bills for tips, incidentals and toll-road charges between Tijuana and Ensenada.
The language: Bring a Spanish/English conversion dictionary, practice the language while driving and be able to read all road signs.
Don't
The law: Do not carry firearms or illegal drugs. Expect the military police to stop your vehicle at a half-dozen highway checkpoints, where you will
be questioned and your vehicle can be searched.
Bribes: Do not offer bribes to police or federal agents. You may be asked to pay the penalty for a traffic infraction, on the spot, but do not offer
up front.
Gas: Do not buy gas from private parties storing it in 50-gallon drums, typically in the back of old pickup trucks, parked in remote areas.
UA syndrome: Do not contribute to the "Ugly American" syndrome, that is, loud, demanding and coarse. Instead try quiet, subtle and gracious.
The law, cont.: You can buy contraband in Mexico that can land you in jail, with large fines, when crossing back into the United States: Cuban cigars,
steroids and other drugs, fireworks such as cherry bombs and rockets (we were offered a stick of dynamite for $10), pirated DVDs and CDs, switchblades
and others.
roundtuit - 6-15-2006 at 01:30 PM
Santa Rosalia Pemex
burro bob - 6-15-2006 at 02:04 PM
Interesting post. Sounds like they had a good time.
Couple of things i'd disagree with though.
1. Change all your dollars into pesos at the border, don't use dollars at all in Mexico.
2. Buy your gas, food and drinks in Mexico. The gas is cheaper, the food is fresher, and bottled water is bottled water where ever you go.
3. Depending on where you are and where you are going, buy gas every chance you get. Sometimes the only gas available is from 50 gallon drums. It is
not likely to be any older that the gas in the tanks at the Pemex where the drum was filled.
burro bob