bigzaggin - 9-26-2006 at 11:41 AM
Just back from a 3 day trip knocking around this area. First time down with new girlfriend and she did just fine...with big thanks to a portable
toilet. Surf was fun and water surprisingly warm. Roads TORN UP around Cabras, topes galore...did the 500 run through here?
ANYWAY, two questions:
1.) I used to love driving out to Punta Rif for the afternoon to fish/camp, whatever. But I discovered on this trip the road (which darts up the
mountain just before entering Puerto St.Tomas) is officially closed, which guard shack et al? Did someone buy that ENTIRE HEADLAND? Is it on
conjunction with something happening at Soledad? Does anyway have any idea what is happening out there? Also, is there an alt. access road out
there? I saw one on the almanac but could not locate.
2.) From the mesas above Punta San Jose (above Victor's farm), looking south towards Cabras, you can see some MASSIVE building under construction.
Looks almost like a stone castle, very surreal. I figured I would drive past it on the road south but it must be well in the interior. WHAT THE HELL
IS THAT? Anyone?
Also, a fun little secret if you're ever game. Drive the dirt road south from Erindira all the way to final beach, just before it heads upward and
inward. Park at that beach hike up the rocks to the south...about 5 minutes walking and you will come to a massive sea spout/blowhole thing. A
private bufadora for the adventerous.
DanO - 9-26-2006 at 11:59 AM
The gate and guard on the Punta Rif road are a consequence, I'm told, of a dispute between Sam Saenz, owner of the Puerto Santo Tomas Resort, and the
guy who owns the property on the other side of the ridge. Ostensibly, he posted the guard to prevent squatters from settling over there, but my intel
says its a power struggle of some kind. The backdrop for all of this are the rumors about the potential construction of an LNG port in the area. In
any event, there's plenty of grumbling about it and the fact that you need to bribe the guard for access (50 pesos was the going rate last time down,
but I'm trying beer next time -- it's cheaper, and the guard always looks like he's had a few and could use another). I sometimes need to go up to
the ridge to pick up the Punta Banda cell signal, so I just view it as an additional long distance charge.