BajaNomad

Conveying gratuities for pescadores' help near C. Constitucio'n

RICHARDH - 4-9-2007 at 04:19 PM

I was unfortunate enough to get my pickup/camper and utility trailer stuck in very soft sand in the very remote area of La Curva del Diablo southwest of C. Constitucio'n. Initially, the pickup's rear tires were buried all the way up to the chassis. After working a day and a half to try to get my rig unstuck and after walking about three hours, then bivouacking and shivering overnight (55 degrees F with only two fleece jackets, a windbreaker, fleece over-pants, and a much too small space blanket) and then walking another 1 & 1/2 hours or so to a campo of pescadores, I was fortunate enough to find pescadores there who had just arrived in camp with an early morning catch. After I explained my situation using rehearsed Spanish statements, drew pictures, and bumbled with my limited Spanish, the pescadores discussed the situation amongst themselves (my Spanish was too limited for much of a "normal", two-way conversation), loaded up their already catch-loaded truck with a shop-type jack and a couple of boards, and off we rode to my moribund pickup/camper and trailer. The pescadores were successful in pulling my rig out of the sand. The crucial factor seemed to be the truck's powerful engine, in spite of the truck's two-wheel drive. I gave the pescadores drinking water and a modest peso note to at least cover more than the gas used.

But I would like to provide them with a little more as an expression of gratitude. I would particularly like to get some opinions on this and I would like to find someone who can do what is necessary in and around C. Constitucio'n to get the gratuities delivered to the pescadores. Ideally I would like to find a bilingual person who would like to drive out to the pescadores' campo to make the delivery. Alternative modes of delivery might work as well. I'd pay for gas and whatever else is necessary to get the job done.

The drive is at least about 20+ miles of remote backroad through very weird and very interesting desert wilderness terrain. Time after time one arrives at a little rise in the terrain only to see the road stretched out straight ahead all the way to the horizon and nothing but a "forest" of desert vegetation on either side. The endangered creeping devil cactus is plentiful here; it generally looks like a large prickly sausage lying on the ground and grows at one end while decaying at the other end. There is also a very unusual, fat-leaved prickly pear cactus with a very high density of needles. And most ominous of all is a great profusion of dry, lichen-like moss growing on nearly every plant in the area. And there is much, much more for anyone interested in desert flora and fauna.

Alternatively, the gratuities might be conveyed by the pescadores' own means for getting goods to and from market. I imagine the pescadores may have cooperative arrangements with other pescadores and/or ranchos in the area. Inquiries may be appropriate.

The particular gratuities I have in mind are, depending on cost and what I can afford,

1) either a garrafone (sp?) or a 50-gallon drum of water (purified, I suppose),

2) either a 5-liter or a 10-liter polyethylene gasoline-can filled with gasolina,

3) two or three six-packs of beer. Modulo seems to be fairly popular in the area, but a combo of two or three brands might be a better idea.

I imagine that these items are best purchased in C. Constitucio'n.

There were a couple of young teenagers with the pescadores and one of them seemed interested in the Spanish/English dictionary I was using. I'd be interested in ideas for items for these teenagers as well.

I have fairly simple directions for getting to the pescadores' campo and I have a partial photo of the senior pescador's truck. I think that should be sufficient to unequivocally identify the intended recipients (in case other groups of pescadores also share that campo). I suppose the senior pescador could be responsible for allocating the gratuities as he sees fit, but friendly inquiries by the conveyor of the gratuities may be a good idea.

(I plan to be away from the Internet for a few days, but will plan to return within the next three weeks or so; so don't dispare if I fail to respond to messages within a few days. Thanks in advance to all who respond to this posting.)

David K - 4-9-2007 at 04:40 PM

Very nice of you to return the appreciation Richard...

How about more details on their campo so Nomads can drop by and exchange with them... Do they take people out panga fishing or whale watching?

A final note on getting stuck in the sand... even us four wheelers with big tires can get buried... The secret is AIR PRESSURE! Even 2WD rigs can cross deep sand or get unstuck with enough air removed from the tires.

A pump is good to have to refill once you are out, or drive slow to where you can refill them.

10 PSI or a little less may be what you drop them to, but it works. Once you start spinning the tires, stop and deflate... don't bury yourself any more... clear away the sand from in front of the tires to reduce the resistance to move forward (or back).

RICHARDH - 4-9-2007 at 05:44 PM

The pickup's rear end was against the ground; so it seemed futile to let air out of the tires. Even after I jacked up the rear and got the pickup to move forward a bit and a little higher off the ground (using 2"x6"x4' boards as a bridge), the question of letting air out of the tires still seemed problematical. Everything was "iffy". Keeping the rear end and the suspension off the ground seemed very critical. I finally remembered that I had tire chains buried deep under my paraphernalia, but even that was not enough. I'd like to find some lightweight, compact-folding ramps of sorts to use as a bridge over sand in future situations like this. At the very least 8" wide boards would seem to be much better than the 6" wide boards; the tires kept tending to ride off the edge of the boards and tilting the boards unpredictably.

To get to the pescadores' campo just drive on the road southwest through Villa Hidalgo and Rancho Ramaditas (which actually seems more like a villa). At every intersection drive straight ahead until you come to the following intersection: a two-track with vegetation down the center continues straight ahead while the well-worn road (free of vegetation) to the pescadores' campo makes a right angle turn to the right. Follow that road to the right and stay on the main road; it will take you right to the pescadores' campo.

Added note: The AAA map shows Villa Hidalgo and Rancho Ramaditas and the road at least for part of the way. The Baja Almanac seems to show the road going to what (on the map) would seem to be a ferrying point to connect with a road on the island on the other side of the channel. But the road to the pescadores' campo seems to branch (at the above described intersection) off to the west from the road shown on the Almanac.

Here's a photo of the above-mentioned intersection. This intersection is also where I bivouacked overnight.

RICHARDH - 4-9-2007 at 05:50 PM

I guess posting photos will have to wait until later. I have one of the intersection and a partial photo of the senior pescador's truck.


[Edited on 4-10-2007 by RICHARDH]

Richard.......

bajaguy - 4-9-2007 at 06:03 PM

Did they have any of them non-fried fish tacos you been looking for.......:lol::lol::lol:

Crusoe - 4-9-2007 at 06:43 PM

Richard.......Your directions are a little confusing to me.....I know a little about this area and Villa Hidalgo is approx. 35 mi north west of C-Constitucion, not south west. Were you off Mex Hwy 22?-- or were you north of there heading for Lopez Mateos area?? :O

RICHARDH - 4-17-2007 at 12:12 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Crusoe
Richard.......Your directions are a little confusing to me.....I know a little about this area and Villa Hidalgo is approx. 35 mi north west of C-Constitucion, not south west. Were you off Mex Hwy 22?-- or were you north of there heading for Lopez Mateos area?? :O


Crusoe, direction-wise you're right about the location of Villa Hidalgo with respect to C. Constitucio'n. And according to the Baja Almanac the distance ("as a crow flies") seems to be between 15 and 20 miles.

However, the road to La Curva del Diablo _does_ go southwest through Villa Hidalgo.

I drove out that road by first driving to the very charming Villa Benito Jua'rez from the paved road that goes to Pto. San Carlos. I then approached the eastern "back" side of Villa Hidalgo from Villa Benito Jua'rez. As I got close to Villa Hidalgo, the roads were a bit of a maze; so I stopped and asked directions. A local was kind enough to show me the way by driving to nearby Villa Hidalgo and asking me to follow.

But once you are on the main street heading southwest through Villa Hidalgo, the directions to the pescadores' campo are very easy from there:

At every intersection, just go straight ahead, _except_ for the intersection where a two-track (with vegetation down the center) goes straight ahead. At that intersection, take instead the well-worn road to the right. And from then on just stay on the main road.

When I drove back out (after being unstuck from the sand), I attempted to drive straight to the paved road that goes to Pto. Mateos, but again, the multiplicity of roads after passing northeast through Villa Hidalgo was a bit confusing; so, a bit later, after stopping to ask directions from a farmer driving a tractor, I ended up driving to some point on the paved highway between C. Constitucio'n and C. Insurgentes.

By the way, gas is ordinarily available in Rancho Ramaditis. On my way out I had to ask a lot of directions to find the lady who dispenses gasolina from drums. Little girls seem to be the Rancho's angelic messengers.

I'll try to post a photo of that intersection where the road to the campo goes to the right.

[Edited on 4-17-2007 by RICHARDH]

RICHARDH - 4-17-2007 at 12:53 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajaguy
Did they have any of them non-fried fish tacos you been looking for.......:lol::lol::lol:


Didn't think to ask. But I found tacos de camarones cocinado a la plancha in Loreto, Mulege, Ej. Ere'ndira, and at plenty of places in San Felipe. At Mulege, while watching the peparation of my taco, I discovered that I also needed to add "sin grasa" to the description; otherwise the shrimps are liable to be fried in some sort of fat -- probably lard. The lady who prepared my taco in Ej. Ere'ndira seemed not entirely pleased with my order -- as if -- just guessing of course -- she thought my request was a bit of a sacrilege in the face of tradition or her better judgment. Unfortunantely, my limited ability with the language was not up to deftly discovering what the "matter" might be.

RICHARDH - 4-17-2007 at 01:40 AM

OK, Here's a URL to the photo of the exceptiooal intersection -- that is, the intersection where a distinct two-track (with vegetation down the center) goes straight ahead and the road to the pescadores' campo goes off to the right.

http://picasaweb.google.com/rfhaney/PescadoresNrLaCurvaDelDi...

[Edited on 4-17-2007 by RICHARDH]

RICHARDH - 4-17-2007 at 02:07 AM

And here are URLs to a couple of "partial" photos of the senior pescadors' truck. These photos were taken when I was photographing wildlife during my (previous) visit to the campo before getting stuck in sand. The intended subject of the photos was the pelican.

http://picasaweb.google.com/rfhaney/PescadoresNrLaCurvaDelDi...

http://picasaweb.google.com/rfhaney/PescadoresNrLaCurvaDelDi...