BajaNomad

BOLA to San Borja and Rancho San Gregorio

Oggie - 4-25-2010 at 08:43 PM

Photos of our trip, last week, to Mission San Borja and Rancho San Gregorio

Big Cordon


Green Desert


The Road


Trail to the old San Gregorio Ranch House


At the old ranch house


Picnic with Carolina, Matt, and I, at the old ranch


Rock terrace


Holding a Baja California Rat Snake


Rat Snake


Iguana


Gopher Snake?


My dog Patch and I


Carolina and Martin in the garden at Rancho San Gregorio


Fairy Duster


Baby Mule


San Borja looking North


Find the rattler


I am heading south again next week and will take more pictures.

Bajaboy - 4-25-2010 at 08:46 PM

Good stuff-Thanks!

Skipjack Joe - 4-25-2010 at 09:07 PM

That gopher snake (if that's what it is) is remarkably beautiful. I hope to see one like that some day.

The desert scenes are just so inviting.

Thanks for sharing.

David K - 4-25-2010 at 09:33 PM

Thank you so much for sharing your photos... They are fantastic!

I am glad to see so little has changed since Amo Pescar, Neal Johns, Chris and I went there in 2001...

Who is tending the garden? Is there someone living at the end of the road or at the ranch? That trail to the ranch from the road is the El Camino Real, eastern or 'Gulfo' route between Santa Gertrudis and San Borja.

Thanks again!

Here are a couple photos from 2001:



Here's the same place in the early 1950's (Howard Gulick collection):



Note the cut stone that the adobe is built upon... mission-era construction:



Garden terraces:

Baja&Back - 4-25-2010 at 09:44 PM

Is that Carolina Espinoza from the museo??

BornFisher - 4-25-2010 at 09:56 PM

Great pics, thanks. Are you sure that isn`t really a four toed, banded tail, spotted, green bellied, geico lizard?

Oggie - 4-25-2010 at 10:02 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by David K
Thank you so much for sharing your photos... They are fantastic!

I am glad to see so little has changed since Amo Pescar, Neal Johns, Chris and I went there in 2001...

Who is tending the garden? Is there someone living at the end of the road or at the ranch? That trail to the ranch from the road is the El Camino Real, eastern or 'Gulfo' route between Santa Gertrudis and San Borja.

Thanks again!

Here are a couple photos from 2001:



Here's the same place in the early 1950's (Howard Gulick collection):



Note the cut stone that the adobe is built upon... mission-era construction:



Garden terraces:



The Viavincencio(sp) family is tending the garden and living near the end of the road.

Oggie - 4-25-2010 at 10:05 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Baja&Back
Is that Carolina Espinoza from the museo??

Yes, She came with us and was a fountain of information on the people, places, and all things natural.

David K - 4-25-2010 at 10:05 PM

Villavicencio (I think)... Cool, there were abandoned or empty shacks there in 2001... We camped there.

Oggie - 4-25-2010 at 10:14 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by David K
Villavicencio (I think)... Cool, there were abandoned or empty shacks there in 2001... We camped there.


The garden is where the old shacks were located. A new large building and smaller casitas are being built to serve as a center for learning and is associated with the Vermillion Sea Field Station in BOLA.

David K - 4-25-2010 at 10:22 PM

Great... How was the road in... are the brush and cactus still scratching the sides of trucks, or did they trim them back for all the traffic now?

Oggie - 4-25-2010 at 10:34 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by David K
Great... How was the road in... are the brush and cactus still scratching the sides of trucks, or did they trim them back for all the traffic now?


My Jeep and your tacoma will make it just fine, however my F350 Duelly won't.

Santiago - 4-26-2010 at 07:06 AM

Once you left San Borja, were you able to drive there by yourself or did you need to 'hire' one of the boys to guide you?
great photos.

Oggie - 4-26-2010 at 07:49 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Santiago
Once you left San Borja, were you able to drive there by yourself or did you need to 'hire' one of the boys to guide you?
great photos.

After reading about the aggressive tour guides, in the Mission and the caretakers son's, that in the past I had not experienced in previous visits, I was paying close attention as to how we were treated.

We were contacted almost immeadiatley upon approaching the Mission by a woman connected with the Catholic Church.
She asked us if we would like a tour of the mission. We said yes and were encouraged to sign the guest register. We took the tour and at no time was a "donation" mentioned. Genaro, the caretaker's son has left the ranch because of a lack of money due to the resriction against him and his brother from giving tours, in the mission proper and the poor economy. there is a current dispute between the church and the Mexican department of antiquties as to who controls the Mission. I believe the caretaker is caught in the middle.

P.S. The church lady lives on the caretakes's property three days a week and pays no rent

Natalie Ann - 4-26-2010 at 08:49 AM

Oggie, your pix make me long for the desert. Nice trip report. Thank you.

nena

ELINVESTIG8R - 4-26-2010 at 09:28 AM

Thanks Oggie for sharing you Baja adventure with us. I can't wait to get to Baja myself.

David K - 4-26-2010 at 09:38 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Oggie
Quote:
Originally posted by Santiago
Once you left San Borja, were you able to drive there by yourself or did you need to 'hire' one of the boys to guide you?
great photos.

After reading about the aggressive tour guides, in the Mission and the caretakers son's, that in the past I had not experienced in previous visits, I was paying close attention as to how we were treated.

We were contacted almost immeadiatley upon approaching the Mission by a woman connected with the Catholic Church.
She asked us if we would like a tour of the mission. We said yes and were encouraged to sign the guest register. We took the tour and at no time was a "donation" mentioned. Genaro, the caretaker's son has left the ranch because of a lack of money due to the resriction against him and his brother from giving tours, in the mission proper and the poor economy. there is a current dispute between the church and the Mexican department of antiquties as to who controls the Mission. I believe the caretaker is caught in the middle.

P.S. The church lady lives on the caretakes's property three days a week and pays no rent


Thanks for your view of what happened... Indeed the economy is bad, but the only pressure for a tour or donation comes from the Catholic lady and NOT from Jose (you call the 'caretaker') or his family... a truly humble and honest family who for so many years have been so very kind to everyone I have heard talk about them, except one Nomad. Graham talks much about Jose in his 1997 book 'Journey with a Baja Burro', as they provided shelter for Graham during the El Niņo storms of that year.



Jose of San Borja, July, 2009