Baja 709-9: DAY 8: Going Home, but not until we meet Mama Espinoza, find another lost mission site, avoid a military...

DAY 8 (Saturday July 25)

This is continued from 709-8 at: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=40486

Like all the others on our Baja vacation, Day 8 was great! We woke up very rested thanks to the quiet and comfortable luxury room at Baja Cactus Motel. When you want to sleep in, always get an upstairs room, no matter where.

We decided to eat at Mama Espinoza’s (next door) as we have had breakfast there in the past, and it was fine. Mama’s daughter, Roli had been running things. Well, this time I am sure glad we did because we found a totally new restaurant supervised by Roli’s son-in-law, Gerardo. The inside was re-organized, the waitresses were on the floor and attentive and the food arrived fast and it was good… very good. I took several photos. Breakfast for both of us was $15, with tip.















A big surprise for us was when we were invited to meet with Anita (Mama) Espinoza when I asked how she was doing. We were taken around to her private residence where she was knitting… Amazing, and she was sharp as a tack. I had never met with Doña Anita despite my dozens of trips to and through El Rosario since the first in 1966… that I could recall. I mentioned how our friend Roy (The Squarecircle) spoke fondly of her and she remembered him… as she does so many details. Her famous saying she even quoted: “Bad roads bring good people… Good roads bring ALL kinds of people!”

We got her new book, and she autographed it to us… What a special thrill from someone who is almost 102! We wished each other good health and a promise to meet on ‘the other side’ if not again on this earth.







We topped the gas tank at Antonio’s Pemex station: 51.95 liters, 385 pesos, 12.70 pesos per dollar, 240 miles traveled. That translates to $2.21 per gallon and 17.5 miles per gallon. We were on the road at 11:00 am and soon had a short stop for the military checkpoint on the mesa.

Except for about 30 kilometers of new, wider road, this is what Highway One looks like from San Quintin south! Just where are those bicycle tourists going to fit when two trucks are passing each other?



Since it was a beautiful day, and we were in no hurry to leave Baja, one more mystery awaited finding!

The mission of Santo Tomas was first located west of the present town, 3.9 miles from Highway One, off the La Bocana/ Puerto Santo Tomas road, by an oak grove campground. The mission’s final location was just east of Highway One, next to the El Palomar campground. The debate among historians is if there was a third site between the first and final site or if that third location was the first site. I was originally in the ‘two site camp’ based on the nearness of the two to each other. Once I got my hands on my own copy of the valuable ‘Missions and Missionaries of California’ by Fr. Zephyrin Engrlhardt 1929 for research and to update my mission web pages http://vivabaja.com/missions1 I was convinced there were three sites for the Santo Tomas mission.

We had visited and photographed the first and last site in November of 2005 http://vivabaja.com/1105 but at that time I was under the impression that the questionable second or middle site was destroyed by road building (per Ed Vernon and INAH).

This day, we had time to look over the area where I knew the middle site was or had been. I had seen old photographs that showed the background mountains to assist me in this quest! I didn’t have those photos with me, but I remembered what they showed.



1949 photo by Marquis McDonald



~1998 photo by Kevin Clough



2009 photo by me!

Eureka! It was 2.8 miles west of Highway One (1.1 miles east of the first site) in the center of a pepper field north and higher up from the La Bocana road. Just a clump of dirt that stands out from the surrounding soil with rocks. See the photos and note the background. GPS (WGS84): N31º34’24” W116º27’59” or 31º34.41’ 116º27.98’





Intersting that nothing grows on the mission remains (adobe) even though they planted and irrigated over the top of it?



This photo is from the southedge of the pepper field looking north.

Wow what a great day this has been… all 8 days have been! Elizabeth asked to see if we might finally find the Half Way House open for dinner. Heck yes, it was worth a shot (the past two visits found it closed or reserved for a wedding).

A longer line at the checkpoint above the Santo Tomas valley then through Ensenada to the toll road where a giant line of vehicles had grouped because of a checkpoint on the other side of the toll gate. We had been through checkpoints at or near Loreto, San Ignacio, El Tomatal, El Rosario, Santo Tomas already on this trip and I had enough… I made a U-turn through the cones, didn’t get shot at and went to the free road to Tijuana. You know what? It was a great road with almost no traffic.

We arrived at Medio Camino to find Chef Johnny open for business at the Half Way House… Dinner was great. It was still early; plenty of daylight we used the Blvd. 2000 to get to Tecate and it was great. Lot’s of cars and trucks now, no more intersections/ stop signs. We got to the Tecate borderline at 7:07 pm and were in the USA in 33 minutes.

EIGHT GREAT DAYS IN BAJA (when can we go back again?)!







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

Thanks Jesse... Soup for me?

Santo Tomas Mission Sites, from space

High View, all three sites (Site 3 is in town, next to Hwy. 1)



Closer view of sites 1 & 2



Closest view of site 2. The mound in the middle of the pepper fiels is easily seen.

Excellent 8 day report. Only one mistake I could find!!!

You drove in the dark to Mama's.

Thank you for all the info.

Corky

Quote:

Originally posted by Corky1 Excellent 8 day report. Only one mistake I could find!!! You drove in the dark to Mama's. Thank you for all the info. Corky

Well, we drove to Baja Cactus because we had reserved a room and they were expecting us.

Mama's was for breakfast the next morning.

Dark? I don't do dark!

That would be great... I wouldn't need to be working in dirt anymore, installing sprinklers and drip systems!



Thanks for your enthusiasm!

Thanks again David. Nice report. As the earlier poster mentioned, for me this is what Nomads is all about.

Cheers,
Jay


________

Thanks Jay and Cypress!

I do have more photos... but, posted what showed the most for a trip report... You guys don't care about the pictures of my wife and I kissing, right?

Post 'em if'en you want to.

You mean MORE pictures of you and your wife kissing? Just kiddin'.