Baja 709-8: DAY 7 (PM): Santa Rosalia to San Borja to El Rosario

This is continued from 709-7 at: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=40443

We arrive at the Santa Rosalia Pemex (the ‘good one’) at 12:19pm to top the tank. As we had run short on pesos (I should have used dollars at the Coco Cabañas), I paid in dollars (the station rate was 12 pesos: dollar). The attendant was honest with everything and I actually seemed to get the amount of fuel the pump indicated! The truck took on 46.5 liters (12.3 gallons) for 345 pesos (US $28.75) and we traveled 190.8 miles (some off pavement). That works out to $2.33/ gallon and we got 15.5 mpg. Overall, the truck averaged 18 mpg on the entire trip.



Santa Rosalia's famous black sand beach.

The climb up the Cuesta del Infierno was easy with no slow trucks in front of us. We arrived at San Ignacio at 1:10 pm and had lunch at Ricardo’s Rice & Beans. We both had great food. Elizabeth ordered the carne asada plate and I had the combination plate, which included a really good Chile relleno! The price (with 3 Cokes) was US $20. We were back on the road at 1:55pm and soon had to stop for the military checkpoint.



Rice and Beans has lot's of stickers!



My 2001 Viva Baja sticker is still there!





The food was really good and the view of the oasis from our patio table was nice.

A few miles south of Vizcaino, I spot the old Baja main road climbing a hill and drive off Hwy. 1 for a close look.



The new Pemex is a bit south of Vizcaino...





New roadwork in Vizcaino.



Origianal Vizcaino Pemex.

I made a couple of kilometer marker notes: The Guillermo Prieto road (shortcut to Santa Gertrudis, Punta San Francisquito, L.A. Bay is at Km. 154 ¾. The El Arco road is at Km. 189 and the Eagle Monument is at Km. 220 (we stopped for the migra guy, but he waved us across the state border without looking at our FM-Ts, this time. The time at at the border (Eagle Monument) was 3:44 pm which became 2:44 pm with the time zone change… Yea, another hour for Baja!



Eagle Monument, from the south.

We stopped to fill up at Villa Jesus Maria (Km. 95) at 3:04pm. The truck took on 35 liters (9.2 gallons) for 260 pesos ($21.67) after 157.8 miles (17.2 mpg). Hey, some of you like these details I have been told! The military checkpoint at the El Tomatal road was the most detailed, but none of them took too long to look over stuff.



Carmelita's won't be the same without her! (Villa Jesus Maria)

26 miles from Villa Jesus Maria we arrived at Rosarito (Nuevo Rosarito) Km. 53, at 3:37 pm. Here we left the pavement to drive to Mision San Borja… I had wanted to take Elizabeth there since her first trip to Baja with me, 4 ½ years ago.

The road was rougher than the last time I traveled it (2003) as more rocks were exposed from erosion.





The signed road to Rancho Santa Ana (a visita site of San Borja) is 13.8 miles from Rosarito.



Rancho San Ignacito (another San Borja visita site) is at Mile 16.2 and the junction with the road north to the Bahia de los Angeles highway is at Mile 21.7.



San Ignacito ruins.

We arrive at San Borja at 4:45 pm, 22.7 miles from Rosarito and go straight into the mission to see some amazing construction, done here in the late 1700’s. A lady named Maria soon arrived to escort us around the mission. Maria was very nice and although she didn’t speak any English, wanted to learn certain words as we walked around. We would later learn the priest in Guerrero Negro once again has relieved Jose from showing the mission because he is not Catholic. However, Jose is being employed to work on the mission repairs and reconstruction that has been going on. We tipped Maria for her time with us, and then went over to where Jose was working by his home.







(L to R): Jesuit, Dominican, Franciscan robes.



sink.



Wooden doors and windows have been added since my last visit.





up



new bell.















down




I had made copies of photo I had taken over the years of Jose and his family. They had remembered our visits and my kids. One of the photos I had for them was my daughter Sarah and his daughter Brisa. Brisa lives in Rosarito, has three children and works at the café with a palapa in Rosarito, we were told.





Jose has started a small museum of area artifacts, plus he is making examples of Indian stone tools and metates. Jose and family are all really nice people and will welcome you to visit any time. They have palapas for camping and can take you on tour to all the historic sites in the region. The sun is setting soon so we must go, but Elizabeth is so impressed she wants to return and spend more time at San Borja. Gee, the things I must do to please this woman! LOL!!! (I am the luckiest guy on earth)









From the San Juan mines.

We leave San Borja and head north at 5:45pm and reach the L.A. Bay highway at 7:00pm, 21.4 miles from San Borja. This road is much better than the one from Rosarito, but there are some rocky sections to slow down for. A pickup or SUV would be better than a sedan, but no 4WD needed.











Agua de Higuera (bubbling sulfur water spring) along road.

It is dark as we arrive at Laguna Chapala for an opportunity to have the famous machaca for dinner that I heard about on Nomad. Well, the waitress/cook seemed unhappy that she had to put down the cigarette she was smoking while watching TV. However, she did prepare a dinner plate that looked good. It stared with a bowl of soup (Cup of Noodles), with a lime. Hmmm, the Cup of Noodles was actually very good with a lime squeezed in it! The use of limes on food and drinks in Baja is never ending! Unfortunately, the machaca was not well hydrated and was kind of like eating jerky and eggs. Okay, we are good sports and can say we finally had the famous dish of Rancho Nueva Chapala… Originally founded by Arturo Grosso, brother of Mama Espinoza, on the old Baja main road.

We had a reservation at Baja Cactus, and we arrived in El Rosario shortly after 10 pm. Fortunately, the water problem in town was repaired and we had a super comfortable night’s sleep. We couldn’t even stay awake long enough to finish watching Ground Hog’s Day on the satellite TV!



Baja Cactus Motel



CONTINUED with the final part, here: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=40505

BAJA MISSION FACT PAGE: http://vivabaja.com/missions1



[Edited on 8-2-2009 by David K]

David,

You should build a miniature mission replica on your property and turn it into a theater. Show your travelogues and charge a worthy admission. They are really good! Thank you again for posting these for free to your Bajanomad family. And what joy you get from the Baja travel. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh La Vida!

Great Trip!!!!

Thank's for the great trip I really enjoyed the Pic's and the narraration. Thank's again. I am leaving Rosarito tonight and expect to be down Sunday afternoon to Mulege.

Jerryjust

EXCELLENT report ... and the photographer you hired to go along and take all those PICS ... did a great job.
I like ALL those numbers too ... thanks.

Yah, I guess after marriage 'kids happen'! We passed Jose's son who was driving to Rosarito, on our way in. Jose says he speaks English now (all learned from tourists) and gave me his email address (for when he can get online, in town).

Here is his son (Genaro) on a magazine cover in 2001.



[Edited on 8-4-2009 by David K]

Here is a photo I took and didn't post above... It is on the doorway of the mission... I was wondering if it was a welcome to the mission sign for space aliens!?

Anyone else notice this before and wonder about it?



I neglected to take photos of the front of the mission, this trip... so many taken over the years before. Jack Swords has real nice photos, too. They are on the missions web page.