boe4fun - 3-30-2009 at 11:51 AM
So it's Wednesday morning and I head out of town towards home. I have to stop
in La Purisima to see a 93 year old lady with an ankle disarticulation
amputation who had broken the first prosthesis we had made her two years ago.
They had sent it down to La Paz with a friend to be repaired. The socket had
cracked and broken above the ankle and they had used rawhide to sew the two
pieces back together! This gal is one tough cookie! We made her a new
prosthesis using carbon graphite fiber and acrylic-epoxy resin (very strong) so
I don't think she'll break this one. I fit her new prosthesis and then headed
on north via the coastal route to San Juanico (Scorpion Bay), a popular surf
spot. Spent the night in the campground on the bluff overlooking 1st point.
The waves were only knee high, but it was easy to see that on a good day of
waist or chest high waves you could easily get a 1/2 mile ride (all rights,
though). I camped next to some folks from Arizona and told them about the
clinic and showed them the legs I would soon deliver to Coco. The next morning
one of this group named Brad brings me over this humongous breakfast burrito of
eggs, potatoes, and ELK! Gourmet dining at its finest! I break camp and stop
by to talk with one of the locals, Jack Merlin, for directions to Laguna San
Ignacio via the coastal route. After about 3 hours of very pleasant driving I
end up at Antonio's Camp where I rent a palapa and camp for the night, listening
to the whales and their calf's breathing through their blowholes for most of the
night. Dinner and breakfast at their cantina was very good and very reasonably
priced. I opted not to go out whale watching here the next morning, as the wind
was already howling and it was only 7 AM. After breakfast, I get back on the
road and drive to San Ignacio. Bear in mind, this is all driving on either salt
flats, dirt/sand roads, or graded gravel roads with lots of washboard. But as
you come to within about 8 miles of town you come upon a newly paved road! I
think that the INAH (the folks in charge of whale watching/cave paintings) want
to lull the average tourist into a sense of ease when they first start the trip
leaving from San Ignacio, and then 8 miles out the road turns to washboard and
it's too late to turn around! Anyway, it's up to Viscaino Junction where I call
Juan and Shari who live in Bahia Asuncion to let them know I'll be coming out.
Juan has me pick up a part for his car that was waiting at a local auto parts
store and I head out. Once in Bahia Asuncion I find a local barber and get my
hair cut and beard trimmed for 5 bucks US. I head out to Shari and Juan's B&B
that sits on a bluff overlooking a "blowhole" and Shari cooks us all a great
meal. I spend that night in one of their rental houses and head out the next
morning to San Rogue, where they have a casita that overlooks a bay with an
island about 1 or 2 miles out. No electricity out here, the night sky is
spectacular. The next day at mid day I head back to Bahia Asuncion, about 8
miles south and say adios to Juan and Shari and head on up to Guerrero Negro to
spend the night. The next morning after breakfast it's back on the road driving
north to the junction for Coco's Corner. About 13 1/2 miles of dirt road and I
arrive at Coco's and guess what? NO COCO! He's down at Guerrero Negro getting
supplies (mostly beer). His buddy Bill from San Felipe is watching his place.
Coco said he'd be gone a day, but that's been 3 days ago. I decide to spend the
night and hopefully Coco will arrive by noon on the next day.
To be continued.........