BajaNomad

Mulege through Los Cabos and back

mulegemichael - 12-30-2008 at 11:40 AM

We took off friday morning from mulege headed to one of our favorite hotels in loreto, the hacienda suites..we wanted to take a chunk of the trip off as we were going to crank to the east cape region the next day and it can be a long and boring ride for the most part...we ate at domingos steak house, right next door to the hotel that night...we give it good reviews both for the food and the ambiance in the bar and in the dining room.

Blasted out of loreto early then next morning in a pretty good windstorm that stayed with us all the way to the cape and through the next day...south of la paz we stopped at el triunfo, a small mining town that was well known for it's music museum...i had taken many many groups there in the past and was hoping the "maestro" would be in today...he was!...i have been visiting the museum for several years and he is there usually 6 days a week, traveling up everyday from la paz to play the pianos in the museum...you have to see and meet this person to believe him..he played us two pieces; a chopin and a mozart and beachgirl cried when he played and we ended up buying one of his cds....if you are EVER in this area, you must stop and meet the maestro; it will be an experience you will NEVER forget...there is a basket making factory/coop just a block down from the museum where we purchased some really well made and attractive baskets and then we took off once again, heading south...........we spent the night at an old friends place, hotel rancho leonaro, just south of los barilles....john and jennifer ireland have had this beautiful little resort for many many years and are gracious hosts...i was able to see many of my amigos that were part of my life when i lived and worked in la ribera a few years ago...we enjoyed a nice relaxed evening with a book and a adult beverage...to venture outside would mean a sand blasting!

A nice casual departure the next morning after breakfast was what we had planned...the kitchen crew put us a nice big lunch together and we took off for santiago, a quaint little village in the foothills of the sierra de lagunas....my bride wanted to visit the tiny little zoo there so we joined several local families and wandered around for a short time....sadly, while the zoo's signage has improved, many of the animals are now gone, i'm assuming having died and not been replaced; lots of empty cages..too bad..

i wanted to share some of the cool spots up in the mountains with beachgirl so we headed west, up into one of the many canyons that terminate in the big arroyo at santiago....after about a 40 minute drive we arrived at a nature preserve that i remember from past anos as canon de zorra...canyon of the fox....first time i ever visited this canyon a couple of decades ago, i was traveling with the minister of tourism at the time and he told me what zorra meant in english...we came around a corner and there was a local guy holding four dead foxes that he'd trapped...coincidence....anyway...there is now a charge to visit this area but it's well worth it; just magnificently beautiful!...50 pesos for locals and they open the gate for you....there were more cars in the parking lot than i had EVER seen before so it looks like it's finally been discovered which is a shame.(we all know how we like our private little spots)....we hiked down to this fabulous waterfall anyway and watched folks jumping off the rocks and swimming around...took lots of photos..(but i don't have enough savvy to post them here).....

we were back at the car in less than an hour and on our way again...back down toward santiago then back up another canyon toward the mountains....and...as times change...we were charged once again to go up into this area..this time 20 pesos and they gave us wrist bands that designated us as "paying customers"...fun....about 8-10 miles up into this canyon we stopped at a gigantic ficus tree that was situated right on this little river...the tree is AT LEAST 40 feet around...that's conservative!....i had brought our gold panning stuff and thought we would try our hand at it...lots of fun but no nuggets...had lunch and let our dog play around for awhile in the water...observed the guppies and frogs swimming in the river ...enjoyed the quiet tranquil sounds of the rushing water...not another soul around...

It was tough leaving the river and the trees but we had a mission that i thought was achievable; we wanted to get to todo santos that day...off we go!...pulled into TD at around 4ish that afternoon and found a parking spot right in front of hotel california...the streets were PACKED with people on holiday; both mexicans and gringos alike....i checked at the front desk and they had one room left...we took it!....the hotel is an experience in itself; corridors, and patios, and sitting areas, and balconys, and foyers, all in this incredible myriad color theme....we just plopped ourselves down in the bar with adult beverages and people watched for a few hours...a really cool spot to observe folks...this was my first time to TD and i think we will probably go back someday....one downside to the place was the prices; sky high!...but...it was truly a unique experience...the food, drinks, ambiance, waitstaff, all, was top notch.....the room was clean, overlooking the main street with a common patio so we spent our evening up there reading and relaxing....the streets of TD just shut down about 7ish or so and it was really nice and quiet, unlike loreto....

Next morning we decided to head back north towards home....the closer we got, the more i knew i was gonna try to make it all the way home...our dog wanted to be back in his yard and i wanted to be back in my own bed...we left TD at 7:30am and were at our house by 3pm...VERY doable!....the road from TD to la paz is mostly 4 lanes with new sections opening up everyday.....we just hadda blast but would like to spend more time on the southern west coast of the peninsula....next time...now...our next trip will be from here in mulege arcross to la purisma with our kayaks....any tips???

Bajahowodd - 12-30-2008 at 12:36 PM

Michael, I admit to being guilty. That is- of staying at Hacienda Suites and slinking next door to Domingo's (nee-El Nido). But truth is that I usually only stay there in the heat of summer, when I can just glide from my air conditioned room to the restaurant and back. In more moderate weather, I feel the need to stay and dine in a less gringo-like environment. I know the owners of both establishments are Mexican, but it just doesn't feel like Mexico there. Not to mention that Hacienda is really pricey. The new rooms in the back were going for well over $100 when I was last there.

mulegemichael - 12-30-2008 at 02:05 PM

yeah, a little spendy, but one of the most comfy beds we've ever slept in in baja...actual bedsprings and mattress...and...wireless internet in our room which is really handy when i wanna fake actually working and just cruise through nomads the entire time..

Beachgirl - 12-30-2008 at 04:20 PM

Ooops, mulegemichael...the box springs and comfy bed are in T Santos not at Hacienda Suites. If you really want to blow alot of money go to the Posada de las Flores. Wow, pricey indeed. Had to stay in Loreto Xmas eve cause a family member caught the Christmas flight back north (12/23 cancelled because of...weather?). Problem is that Posada de Las Flores is gorgeous, amazing art in the rooms, but no restaurant as advertised...was a lure to me...Italian food! No deal. Hard-boiled eggs and fruit was the breakfast fare. 13% tax in a big room means over $300 and that's not pesos. Enough complaining. Did it once, not again. Oh, no secure parking either. Pool heats itself, I guess, in the summertime. Pretty fancy crystal pool on the rooftop. Could see all the swimmers looking up from the downstairs lobby had there been any, but I think my daughter and I were the only people in the entire hotel that night...

Bajahowodd - 12-30-2008 at 04:34 PM

There was a time when you couldn't find a comfy mattress in Baja. Likewise toilets that had seats. It has been changing in the past few years. Now, if you're still looking for a $25 flop, you'll be sleeping on something else.

At least no matter where you go in Mexico, you will not encounter those awful squat toilets that are still prevalent in such places of the modern world as Eastern Europe, Turkey and the Middle East. Quite a challenge are they.

comfy ?

mulege marv - 12-31-2008 at 05:01 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by mulegemichael
yeah, a little spendy, but one of the most comfy beds we've ever slept in in baja...actual bedsprings and mattress...and...wireless internet in our room which is really handy when i wanna fake actually working and just cruise through nomads the entire time..



comfy, wireless ? ya sissy ! :lol::lol::lol:
im headed out fish'n see ya tonight

[Edited on 12-31-2008 by mulege marv]

Pics of El Triumpho

CaboRon - 1-5-2009 at 08:19 AM

Thought I would contribute a couple of pics of El Triumpho and the maestro at the music museum.













Definetly worth a stop on your journey.

CaboRon