Joys and Sorrows of The Baja Road

If you know persons who drive like this, please bring it to thier attention. Help to save thier lives ..and thier victims.

40mph southbound on the straightaway out of Mulege. Signaling and with no other traffic, I tried to pass...once. Was almost hit and forced off the highway. After that narrow escape I backed way off and just kept my eyes open. The vehicle kept changing lanes..not swerving, just wandering slowly. I could see that 2 people were in the car, and will leave gender and age out of this. Suffice to say that I could see the older driver's face in her mirror, but she never looked into it while I was attempting to pass. This is what transpired further down the road.

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I turned off down into Santispac and the refuge of Ana's. Sometime later, an amigo from Posada told me he was behind the SUV from Santispac south and also decided not to try passing. And to think Easter Madness is just a short time away....




[Edited on 4-9-2009 by Pompano]

Good pics---and we plead GUILTY--

However, we do not drive 40, never around a blind curve, and we make sure no one is behind. But we may fit the age profile.

On the other hand, we are very careful when passing to make sure the other driver knows we are there and we have followed middle lane drivers who never do become aware--a few of them being big trucks.

Good one----thanks

Diane

Bajaboy, sometimes I use my Rebel w/ mount and a remote button. Other times, I use my small Nikon palm camera and just shoot one-handed. Useful in RV, pickup, plane, boat, etc. Easy as a mug of coffee...or lining up a windscreen gunsight.

I was once given a ride from a couple who drove like that.... all the way from La Paz to Los Barriles.
Curvy edgy road with incredible views.
Believe me, it's lots worse riding with people who drive like this than it is having to follow behind.

Nena

[Edited on 3-31-2009 by Natalie Ann]

In my first reply, I pleaded guilty---now if there is no one else around here who is guilty, I guess all of the gringo licensed cars we see driving over the center line do not belong to any nomad.

When there are no other cars around, and no blind curves, I prefer the center lane.

Diane

Those idiots Pompano followed shouldn't be on the road.

Quote:

Originally posted by jdtrotter In my first reply, I pleaded guilty---now if there is no one else around here who is guilty, I guess all of the gringo licensed cars we see driving over the center line do not belong to any nomad. When there are no other cars around, and no blind curves, I prefer the center lane. Diane

Kurt...I can relate to that.

Bajaboy, thanks, I've had a little experience in this field, civilian and other...and I never thought you as judging, just interested. Really easy as pie...so easy a caveman can do it.

KurtG...Just the other day, I was passed by these two motorcyclists who very safely went by at a high rate of speed...but..the solid yellow line would have gotten them a ticket from an agressive trooper.

Quote:

KurtG...Just the other day, I was passed by these two motorcyclists who very safely went by at a high rate of speed...but..the solid yellow line would have gotten them a ticket from an agressive trooper.

Pauline, your post brought back a memory of a time when I thought for sure I was going to die on the Baja Road. I was on a long cross-country trip on a motorcylce..starting in North Dakota and ending at my home south of Mulege. Over 4000 miles of fun and scenery and nary a problem...until the Baja Road.

1991 - I was southbound on The Road just south of El Rosario a few miles, where it gets mountainous and curvy. I cruised up the winding lonesome highway heading for a curve to the right...leaning into it as I went...going fast..enjoying the exhileration of an open Baja highway and the warm Baja sun. What could possibly be better?

Whoa!..suddenly 2 speeding cars came slamming around the curve...racing with each other and coming at me FAST! It happened so quick I had maybe a second to make up my mind.

Quick! Rock walls to the right, a deep cliff to the left?..to hell with that..and, rocking up, down the middle I went...! I saw the sheer shocked look on the right side driver's face as I flew right between those two idiots. The look on that guy's face will be with me forever. His eyes went wide as dinner plates.

I can tell you I thought I was a goner for sure..there could not have been an inch to spare on each side of my handlebars. I thought it was going to be just a big..
SPLAT!

I slowed to stop by just letting the bike idle down..I was shaking so much I didn't dare touch the brakes at all. When I coasted to a stop, I tried to throw the kickstand down with my left foot, but my legs were shaking so much I simply fell over, with the bike on top of me. The cycle's hot muffler burned my calf pretty good..enough that I still have a scar.

I took some really great looks around right about then.

No..niether driver came back to see if I was okay.
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My machine: 750 Kawasaki Vulcan Roadster.
(And this self-photo of me with the matchbook and the forest fire behind is A JOKE!

Diver can tell you that I like fires..but in my firepit only!)
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Anecdote to the near miss on the highway.

After I got to my home in Coyote Bay on the bike, I was horsing around one day before our volleyball game on my front yard..and crashed into the damn net..and added a scar to the other leg. Sheesh.


[Edited on 4-1-2009 by Pompano]

Cutting the curves by crossing over the center line can save you 100 miles from the border to Cabo.

Several parts of the Tortugas road remind us of those old days. We like to get behind another vehicle so they can lead us from side to side and on and off the road----it is an adventure in driving like a snake and playing the guessing game, "How deep does that one look?"

Hopefully money is available soon and they start filling again---at least it lasts for a while.

Bad roads do make friends, however as we collected six people as passengers due to the bad road. Spare tires are a luxury item.

Is he turning left dear? No honey he's signaling me to pass

Except for that stupid left turn signal truckers use for you to pass,with eye contact only to find out they really are gonna make a left.!!

I got used to, and like, those Mexican driving customs too.

Most assuredly, Mango. The clear-to-pass signal is a good one and serves to inform both passer and passee that it's good to go. Makes it sooo much safer. Newcomers to Baja highways should try to learn these customs and use them.

But, I'm afraid we're losing a few of the older driving signals. It used to be when you met an uncoming vehicle in daylight with it's lights on, it meant trouble ahead. Cows, accident, whatever..it was a real road hazard and you had best slow way down and keep alert. Nowadays, with all the new visitors cars running with thier lights during daylight hours, that custom is fast disappearing. Seems a lot of Canadian cars run with lights on...right from the factory.

The old headlight danger signal is trumped by Big Brother.

Then there's the standing Tecate can on the shoulder..most times with a small rock on top. 'A Baja road flare.' Almost never see one anymore.

Thank God, the large rocks placed on the road are pretty much history. Now THAT was a dangerous custom.

Anyway, the Road is there..and we're going to make the trip.. regardless. Stay safe, all. Easter is here!

And just when you think you can get around if you stay way over to the left........

The Joys and Sorrows of The Baja Highway

I have very nostalgic views of the Baja Highway. The 1,000 mile Transpeninsular Highway...Mexico Hwy 1.

Long before that new pavement was created, a whole generation of us formed memories of the old Camino Real and the friends we made on those wild explorations...
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An amusing true story of Baja Sur's first cars:
Baja's early years down San Jose del Cabo way. In the late 1920s, one of the town's leading families acquired and somehow imported one of the first motor vehicles into Baja California Sur, a brand new Ford Model A.
Shortly thereafter, a second leading family responded by also buying a Model A and bringing it to town. Within two weeks, both cars were totaled in a head-on collision.

And that started a whole new tradition.
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...then the new highway in 1973...and thus began the experiences and trials of driving The Road... and continues right up to today's new visitors.

As we all know, Baja driving just seems to cause a lot of angst, accidents, and incidents. We expect it!

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The New Road.
It takes you back to that time when The Road was built by sheer grunt and improvised efforts..struggling for every meter gained through boulder fields and mountainous country. It was quite a sight to see.

Yesterday when coming back into Coyote Bay I passed an old familar sight on a rockface overlooking the camping beach below. I had seen this scar so many times, thinking about the old days of road building here.... and finally stopped to take it's picture.




Now....
Here is one of those scars left behind from the building of The Road. A reminder of days gone by.
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Got some road memories..old or new, happy or sad...to share?
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[Edited on 4-3-2009 by Pompano]

Here's a "we were very lucky" memory:

I think this was about 1990, when the main road from Cabo to San Jose ran through Costa Azul. After a tropical storm dumped an unbelievable amount of rain on the area, we made a trip to Llomas del Tule to see if our property washed away. To get there and back, we had to cross the wash at Costa Azul, which was flowing pretty good. All cars and small 2wd trucks had to be pulled across by a tow truck.

On our return trip to San Jose, we were waiting our turn to cross when one of those old- type, three axle long haul trucks lumbered up the hill in the opposite direction next to us. Suddenly the right front of our truck dropped down and Oladulce was staring into a 20 foot deep trench. The vibrations from the large truck caused the dirt under the roadway to sluff off. Fortunately we didn't go with it!

We were lucky the tow truck guy was able to hook up and pull us out without incident. Our large front bumper was the only thing supporting the truck and kept it from going over the edge.





[Edited on 4-3-2009 by BigWooo]

Thinking back, Igor, those potholed Road days were great times indeed.

Of course at the time the air got a little blue when you blew a tire or broke a tie rod! Ah..those pothole dodgings! You really did become good at judging & missing 'em. Most of us, anyway...I remember a friend from Mulege who hit a pothole so hard he rolled his van, broke both legs and his collarbone. Poor Don, Nicht zu gut!

But we mostly survived..and developed a sixth sense about the Road ahead.

Little hints like this would warn you:
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You can always throw a line...while you wait for a safe time to cross...

Taking Your Half Out of the middle

Hi KurtG and El Camote,

Perhaps this collage of motorcycles will remind you of those times you rode the Baja Highway. On your CB550's and 750's. What great trips those were...and are still!

Plus i included a pic of a 1962 Honda Superhawk that I took from ND to San Diego and back . Great trip thru parks, deserts, and mountains. Broke a couple of chains, but had a blast with the wind in my face..nothing like the freedom of the road. Many, many years and bikes later now.

Thank God for that old Baja Highway. It gave us a chance to be Parnelli Jones' and Huckleberry Finns for a little while. It's all fun!
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Guilty also.
I use both lanes when there is clear visability ahead to get back to my side.
Baja Leti says I drive too fast.
Baja Leti says I am too agro while passing.
Baja Leti says "NO" when I ask her if she wants to get behind the wheel for a while.

We have gotten comments and nasty looks often while caravaning with other rigs using our radios to call traffic (weather), pass on hills, blind corners etc.

One vehicle takes point, each vehicle asks for weather, if clear well ahead by point vehicle, the pass is made regardless of road configuration. Then that rig radios that they are clear. All radio traffic is forbidden except between the point rig and the current passer until the carravan is all clear. Only then is normal (relative) radio comm resumed.

Crossing paths later in the day with a motorist we have passed at a stop can be a challenge untill the process is explained, then they understand we are not a pack of lunatics.

I know the road after all these years pretty well and I don't think I take too many unnecessary chances while traveling as a solo rig.
I do admit that traveling at times faster in the dirt that on the pavement can make me a bit lazy. That's probably not a good thing.

I've already visualized avoiding the problem "other guy" by just leaving the road, unless of course there is a cliff, then you would have to take a hit.

Pa-in-law got blown off the pavement by a oncoming speeding semi and hooked his trailer tires off the pavement. Instead of ripping both trailer tires off the rims or wrecking, he just went with the flow at 55 mph and took his F350 and trailer out in the dirt. They were lucky they didn't hit anything, just changed their undies and proceded.

Now that I have wrecked the Bronco (in the dirt) I ponder how my new mindset will be. Lewis and Lewis came through on the insurance settlement, but I will still spend alot of my own time getting repairs done. More sweat equity in GSB was not in my plans.
Will I be more cautious on or off road???
I also feel that the challenge of Mx 1 is part of the allure of Baja for me. I guess if I lived down south and had to drive it as much as some of you do, the adventure would wear off soon enough.
Time will tell.

[Edited on 4-5-2009 by Gadget]

Roger, thanks for the photo trip down moto lane! The second stock 550 was identical to mine. I always kept wax on the tank and used simichrome polish on the metal. I crashed it twice but always rebuilt it. The second time I broke my arm but didn't know it and drove it with twisted handlebars several miles to the emergency room. To be young and daring, huh?

Don't know why, but I eventually sold it to an adventure-ready, amazonian gal friend and she toured all over the southwest then she sold it to another girl I knew who did the same.

Kurt, I've been threatening to do it for several years but have a deadline of my 50th looming in the not-so-distant future and want to do a long moto down Baja. Do you make your runs solo? Do you ever camp? Ever go with a group and use a sag wagon? Seems a great way to go would be with a 2 or three bikes and another driving a 4 wheeler with camping gear.
It's good to dream....

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Originally posted by El Camote Kurt, I've been threatening to do it for several years but have a deadline of my 50th looming in the not-so-distant future and want to do a long moto down Baja. Do you make your runs solo? Do you ever camp? Ever go with a group and use a sag wagon? Seems a great way to go would be with a 2 or three bikes and another driving a 4 wheeler with camping gear. It's good to dream....

Baja Road Hazards

Here's some common Baja Road hazards. Stuff we have all come across or had happen to us while making that ever-changing trip down..or up..the Baja Highway.

They will most likely be recognizable by Baja Road Vets and will hopefully forecast potential dangers to first-timers. So, for what its' worth, here's some hazards we have encountered over the history of the highway.

Pedestrians on The Road

There are always LOTS of people walking alongside roads in Baja. In towns and in the countryside. The jugs this walker carrys indicate a request for water if you have some.
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Animals on The Road:

In addition to livestock, there is always plenty of wildlife on The Road too. Deer, coyote, fox, mapache, roadkill buzzards, and all kinds of critters big and small run, walk, flutter, lope, crawl and slither across The Road.

I once swerved violently to avoid a good-sized wolf spider that appeared suddenly from the desert, high-stepping-it across the pavement. It had quite a distinctive scurrying motion...looking like a cross between a slinky and a tiny tip-toeing ballerina on steroids.
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The 1000 miles of the trans-peninsular highway is still mostly open range. More fences are going up all the time, but there are vast areas where livestock of every description free-graze...and they all particularly love the fresh growths alongside the highway.

Most travelers will come across the following sights somewhere down The Road. Be alert!

Just because there's a fence doesn't mean the livestock are going to stay inside it...the grass is ALWAYS greener over here by the highway.

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Go too fast past one of these big guys and it can ruin your day...and unfortunately, thiers too.
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There will always be a dog trying to cross in front of you..let him.
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Then again, some of them will just lay there...watching the parade pass by. Generally these pregnant gals are not going to move very fast, so please slow down.


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Stay alert to your surroundings and direction of travel...because...if you see these road hazards, you may have taken the wrong turn...
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...and ended up on the Yukon Highway instead!
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Baja Hwy "Problems"

You need to know when to go...

and when to get out...

Quote:

Originally posted by LaTijereta You need to know when to go... and when to get out...

ONE METHOD OF LIVESTOCK FATTENING

I guess that is one way to fatten up livestock in Baja. Just not the preferred way! Thank goodness the carnicerias boys were not out there.





Note: This double photo was hijacked from Pompano to make it smaller.

Note: God forgive me!

David...not so far off the truth.

It's just another 'hazard' benefit of the Baja Road.

Got Roadkill? Waste not..want not.


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Have some unsuspecting amigos taste test first...just in case.
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Fur sure!

[Edited on 4-8-2009 by ELINVESTI8]

[Edited on 4-8-2009 by ELINVESTI8]

..and in case anyone is still hungry..

Another snack from The Road.
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Yeah, I know..just kidding. This was from The Badlands of North Dakota. (Just posted this on the sting ray thread by Russ... and having too much fun this morning!)

Baja Road Hazards

Steep grades like this widowmaker north of Santa Rosalia have claimed a LOT of lives. The gaurd rails are continuously showing new damage every time I come through. This may be one of the most dangerous grades on the entire peninsula. El Diablo.
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Below you can see the smoke coming from the overworked brakes on this semi coming down the grade just south of Santo Tomas. This is an inexperienced driver and a real hazard to himself and others.
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Here's a couple of wrecks ...they always seem to happen on curves below grades.

We've seen literally hundreds of these wrecks over the years since the highway was first built. Sometimes you're the first to come across them and you always hope there are no fatalities, but unfortunately that's not always the case.

We have been amongst first arrivals to too many fatal accidents. Bad memories. Youngsters dead, because of some fools driving faster than they are capable of doing...criminal.
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Then there are the straightaways...where one can see for miles ahead. Now the desire to really speed takes over. "Hey, It's a wide open road...Let's see how fast we can get this baby going! That motorhome up there is only going 55-60..we'll blow his doors off!"
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I think that's what created this accident..the allure of a straight road..and speed.

This is a trailered SUV coming loose and rolling in the rocky desert. It was being towed by another SUV pulling it down the highway. Another reckless driver..the Baja Road is full of them.

The tow-SUV was going way too fast, eractically passing and crowding another car, when the towed SUV busted loose and rolled about 6 - 7 times...flipping over and over out into the desert. Thanks be, there was nobody in the towed SUV..else they would have been mincemeat. The car that has just been passed was spared from injury, but not from lack of trying by the idiot driving the tow car.

AND..it's a damn good thing it happened about 200 yards AHEAD of me..or I would have had the SUV through my windshield...crushing us all.

Y'now..I would love to see a marooon ALERT sign erected on these straightaways. .


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Some Joys of the Baja Road...

redmesa, I feel your angst from your experience on El Diablo grade.

But on the other hand, I know that your next experience was probably one of great happiness..like some of these following from the Baja Road.
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Carmelitas! Jesus Marie north of Guerrero Negro. A great spot to refresh, get some fuel if needed, and chow down on Carmelitas burritos. This brings Joy to my heart.


Hola Carmelita! My usual tres, por favor? .

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Some here will recognize Carmelita's old van of many, many years.

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Now here's the new place. A sit-down even!
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Another joyous good spot to refuel the body. Just before the eagle monument at the Guerrero Negro Army base.
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A very great encounter with a date saleman near Viscaino. Ummm...those fresh dates are terrrrific.

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If you have kids with you..whatever thier age ...then you will love the old-style carnival and new circus events that pop up on the Baja Road. This one was right across from the Pemex at Mulege.


...So, what brings joy to YOUR heart on the Baja Road?

Nice choices for Joy, Igor. I feel the same way about a couple of those magical spots on the Baja Road.

That high winding mountainous place between El Rosario and Catavina I like to call 'The Top of the World.' At the very top of the tallest mount I have often camped for the night. A more beautiful evening you could not find. I'm afraid I've been guilty of stepping outside the camper door and shouting ...like Jimmy Cagney.."Look Ma! Top of the World!" And the cops shot him to bits....ah, well, you had to be there.

Three times while camping at Top of the World, I met the same old dog who came to the door. I fed him and left water each time. He must have lived at a nearby rancho and was looking for new compadres.

Also along that high stretch, there is a particularily tall and huge cactus way over on a distant ridge line that always catches my eye as we travel past, and appears to be raising it mighty arms to the heavens. I call it Methusalah. It's like seeing an old friend again...and guess it is just that.

I know that big hill of rocks, Igor. I have a photo of it somewhere, but will not find it today. It is close to this place though..Lake Chapala. This year it's even got some water in it. I saw it once many years ago ringed with snow.
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We also camp in the boulder fields closer in to Catavina. The quietness really helps after a long day on The Road.

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Great spots to just pull off and find your own solitude in the desert.

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Of course you will remember this wash-out area just before Catavina. Flooded every rainy season for many years...
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This landmark is great for motorists and pilots alike..Las Tres Virgens. Shown here from the south.
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Then that first sight, Igor...
That patch of blue Cortez is a welcome sight when going down into El Diablo, the infamous grade north of Sta. Rosalia.
This trucker must have become enthralled with the sight and pulled onto the beach...who needs to rush? Life is good..and Baja sooths the soul.

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[Edited on 4-10-2009 by Pompano]

Really great photo 'show & tell' Roger!

I always carry the book, Magnificent Penninsula. Unfortunately, it is now out of print, I think.
The book is a virtual road map of the whole Baja Penninsula. Around every bend is a new microclimate with changes in terrain; geography, flora & fauna, geology, landmarks, historical sites, hotels and restaurants. It also gives the KM markers to watch for that correspond with each section in the book.

After a few trips, you look forward to terrain that you know is coming up. Each landmark is like an old familiar friend.

I am usually traveling alone and am fully aware of the attention the road requires, so I can only afford a glimpse as the scenery rushes by. If there is a place to pull over, I often do just so I can relax and take it in. Sometime I would like to be a passenger and have the book open in my lap for the whole trip.

The desert is so alive! You discover more with each trip.

Books of Baja

Good thoughts, Tony. Books on Baja. Over the years, I've collected many old Baja Road books, travel logs, diarys, and such. I'll readily admit to being somewhat of a book nut about Baja. My bookcases in Coyote are chock full of them. All great reading and I would never leave home without some when motorhoming back and forth. Makes for superb relaxation at your evening camp. Nothing like a stirred martini with some Gardner, ey what, ol chap?

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One I particularily like to revisit is not about the Baja Road, but close enough..the Baja Sea Guide. It follows the shoreline and frequently has references to the main road.

On the other hand, it is a sea-Road I have followed before..and intend to again. Making voyages.. land or water..there's little else.
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Truly a Joy of the Baja Road...Baja Books
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[Edited on 4-13-2009 by Pompano]

MECHANICS OF BAJA - La Moca

One of my great Joys ..yes, and sometimes a Sorrow.. of the Baja Road are the 'mechanics.'

As I drive south of the border, leaving highly professional auto repairs of America behind, and make my way south on the peninsula, I must confess to a sudden rush of adrenalin if I hear a slight knock in the engine..a vibration in the steering column...a clunk in the tranny...brakes grinding on metal going down El Diablo!

It becomes a challenge..a test of inspiration and innovation, a throwback to the days of my youth spent in blacksmith and tackle shops of western North Dakota..which is a lot like southern rural Baja is today. Small towns and hamlets where you fixed the problem yourself if possible, but always had one or two highly self-sufficient mechanics..masters of ingenuity. Back home the saying was 'fixed it with some baling wire and twine...she'll run fine now' ..and this he did to your brand new 24-valve Cummins! Here in Baja it is pretty much the same. They are the same characters. You either love em or hate em.

The only really difference is the lefse for lunch is called a tortilla.

To explain my love/hate affair with rural Baja Sur mechanics, I need to put you in my shoes..well, sandals then.

Many years ago, it was hard for me at first to accept these unique characters as 'real mechanics.'

I quickly learned that appearances don't count at all. Forget the spotless, almost operating room clean, mechanic shops in major city, USA. Like this one in Lompoc, Ca. where I replaced a bad tranny..under warranty thank God.

The place was almost sterile...in more ways than one. I once spent a week in Lompoc one night.
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So okay, we are way south on the Baja Road now...and can you hear that new engine noise?.. my heart begins to beat faster, anticipating a possible adventure.

This trip may be... the Mother of All Creative Adaptations...La MOCA! Ah...this is the BAJA ROAD!

No fancy hydraulic jacks, power tools, or crispy uniforms. Nope...here you can kill a rat, swig a few brews, and have a pidgeon crap on your head while having that strange knock in your rig checked out.
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The place is incredibly filthy and dark, kids washing some intregal part of what looks like your electronic computer in a gasoline pail, smiling knowingly at you, always a pregnant dog laying over in the corner, about 50 buckets and pails of some type of oil, a greasy tarp with thousands of your engine parts on it...all taken off with a large vise grip, piles of rotors, gears, axles,....and some kid riding off with your crankshaft strapped to his bike, returning God knows when. Y'know, fun stuff.
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To entertain you while waiting 3-4 days for your crankshaft to show back up, the other kids wash your car or RV with some greasy rags and brown water. Makes no difference that you just had it waxed and it shines like a new penny...they climb up on it and grease 'er up good...especially the windows...clean windshields in Baja are a magnet for kids.

Good thing there are more rats and brews.

Then you notice for the first time an elderly couple sitting over there in the shade of a mesquite tree. Their eyes are shut and they appear to be sleeping. That dusty motorhome with the Iowa plates, no wheels or engine, and the goat on the roof must be theirs.

When the job is finally done and you have sobered up enough to talk coherently again, you settle the bill and wonder how the heck can that be enough? All this would have cost you a mint in the USA, but here you feel you should press double the asked-for amount on the hard-working mecanico. But no, all is good with the 'maestro' and he and family wave happy goodbyes to you as you drive away...back on the road to adventure.

Which brings us to that question many motoring visitors have asked me over the years...How do you FIND a good mechanic?

Well, you're doing the right thing, I say....you ask....you ask around town. Mexicans seldom do their own engine work and all have their favorite shops and mechanic buddies. Also ask gringos who live in that area. Often the locals will show you or take to their best choices. Or ask a taxi driver..they know everybody! If all else fails, you will have to make the rounds yourself, no sweato, it's easy. Just look alongside the highways for the biggest shade tree. Sometimes you will come across the new, shiny, car dealership and 'authorized repair' and think you have found a real gem...not always the case and indeed, in most cases, these will be the worst place to go. A really good mechanic in Baja will almost always want to work for himself...makes more money that way, as the big shops do not pay very well, plus things cost more at the big agencies. Backyard mecanicos seldom charge overtime and will work long hard hours to get your job done. Plus sending a family member to get a needed part by bus if need be. All you need to have is patience. Remember that Iowa couple? They were still there when we went back in the spring. The old woman had opened a lefse stand.


While you are waiting in the taller..garage...here's some tips:

Don't be afraid to get a good estimate...What will it cost? "Mas o menos, cuanto va a costar?" If a huge amount, get a written estimate...a presupuesto. Sometimes you may have to pay a little in advance if there are parts to be bought.
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And keep in mind that Baja is a lot like rural areas in the US...some parts are not new, but 're-conditioned' or 're-cycled'. This photo shows a kind of auto parts store' found on Baja Road.
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Checking new spark plugs always is a blast..all different brands and just 'slightly used', but they work! It's a good idea to stay with your car while repairs are being made...the maestro will give it more attention personally, rather than let the kids tear at it...and you provide the pidgeons a target, too. Keep a good eye on the amount of oil being added if you asked for an oil change..the last rig may have held 16 liters and the kid will think it's the same for yours, too.
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Naturally, you will test drive..and if something happens after you are driving away, don't be afraid to take it back right away. It's expected..just do it calmly and respectfully. I have never had anything but the most apologetic and quick treatment to get the job made good after bringing it back.
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Comparatively, in the US you call for an appointment and consider yourself lucky to get in within 2 weeks, then the bill gives you a fatal heart attack. On a vacation trip to Acapulco once many years ago while college break, my VW camper engine stuttered to a stop on a lonely highway. A ladies lingerie salesman stopped in his VW, quickly found the problem, and manufactured an unique set of points right on the spot, got me going, and wouldn't take a peso for his troubles. We thanked him with all our hearts, then followed him to his hotel and paid for his room over much protesting. A top day in our travel diary. Those custom points ran that VW all the way back to North Dakota.

The Baja Road has provided us with many years of such events...brakes, driveshafts, engines, tires, hoods flying off, you name it...emergency stuff. I start to recall all the great mechanics I have met over the years driving The Road..and their particular specialties. Some are for brakes, some for axles, some for welding, some for electrical, some for paint jobs, some for transmissions, some are for drinking beer with (Yeah, you know who I mean.)
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Well, you get the idea...about the experiences with these genuine saints..or devils....the Baja Road mechanics.
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Know Any?

Driving tips from a truck driver

Some places of interest along the Baja Road...El Rosario to Catavina.

EL ROSARIO...at the bottom of that steep grade...and where the space aliens block out satellite radios.

Fellow nomad BajaCactus has a nice modern Pemex station in El Rosario. Have always found this to be a pleasant and clean place to top off.
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Next door to the BajaCactus motel.

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And just down the lane a piece...Historic Mama Espinoza's. I always stop there, too. And yes, I eat there, too! Sheesh, I think the food is great and just had a delicious dinner. A truly great piece of Baja Road lore. I like this old photo best...has that 'flavor'.


Here's my newest one to compare.

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El Rosario's sad and painful memory.


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A familar landmark for Baja Road drivers...the puente just south of El Rosario. We once waited a week here for the floodwaters to go down.

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How many of you remember what stood on this spot just north of Catavina, near the vado that always has some water?

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A nice place to explore..and take a dip if there has been recent rains.

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Here's that vado just north of Catavina that always used to have some running water..now 'improved' and not much fun anymore.

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I was not out of gas, but needed just a little more 'for insurance' and so I got to try out the gas barrel sales across from Catavina's Desert Inn. Forget the price, it's a handy service if needed.


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..and that's all he wrote for now...