BajaNomad

Camp Gecko CLOSED: Bahia de los Angeles / LA Bay

bryanmckenzie - 12-10-2010 at 10:42 AM

Oops. Perhaps a moderator should to move this post to the camping forum?

I know this has been posted before, but thought it would be worth re-posting for new travelers who, like I did in July, might be relying on the Lonely Planet or Moon guide books for camping decisions in BOLA. And the 8 km road south of town is ROUGH! Not suitable at all for passenger vehicles.







[Edited on 2010-12-10 by bryanmckenzie]

[Edited on 2010-12-10 by bryanmckenzie]

David K - 12-10-2010 at 11:50 AM

Yep, has been since about 2006... It was a great place to meet up with other Nomads on vacation... My kids and I camped there several times from 2001 to 2005. The first trip with Baja Angel on New Years 2005 we stayed at Camp Gecko in one of the cabins.

Some Gecko photos...

4-01 with Amo Pescar:





1-02 New Years party:



4-02:




Debra and Paulina


Camp Gecko owner 'Doc' Abraham and I hiking the trail to San Juan from the Las Flores railroad terminal.


The Gecko gang eating at Las Hamacas: Top Row: Bedman, Baja Nana, David K, Travelpearl (Debra), Kathy, Jim, Mary Ann Humfreville
Center: Sarah K, Cody, Katie
Bottom: Emma, Miguelito, Paulina

4-03:





7-03:


Sitting under the tree with a book is El Camote.






Mike Humfreville


El Camote


squid on the Gecko fish cleaning table

1-04:




Doc's daughters Jessica and Vanessa with Katie, Tony, and Chris (in back).


Sarah knows how to make friends with the camp dogs (Chip & Daisy).
Marla is getting her 4Runner packed for the trip home.

7-04:


My son Chris and Bo's daughter Andee enjoying a shade tree at Camp Gecko.


4baja (Steve) relaxes on his quad. Most days that week Steve enjoyed great fishing.






Yvonne, Debra, and David A enjoying the sea view as I say goodbye and head home.

1-05:















[Edited on 12-10-2010 by David K]

Marc - 1-8-2011 at 10:53 PM

I drove through in September and it was a sad sight. I was the last transient to rent the big house at the south end. ('06??) As we were leaving he said he was doing some work on the floor and renting the house long term. At that time he was building a small casa next door on the site where my favorite casita once stood. The whole area has a jumbled run down look to it and has definitely lost it's charm.

Paulina - 1-9-2011 at 12:08 AM

I had many good times at Camp Gecko back in the day. Here's a photo from a few years back, 17 years ago.



P<*)))>{

[Edited on 9-1-2011 by Paulina]

David K - 1-9-2011 at 12:36 AM

The fun and parties at Camp Gecko were great... Here are some of Bedman's photos from New Years 2002:




Dr. Abraham 'Doc' Vazquez




Cody and 'Fred-Ted-George'




Colorful campfire thanks to Paulina's "Magic Rocks"





Sarah and Katie... Where these girls really that young (says the grandfather of the now 20 y/o Sarah's daughter)?





'Jake' 4baja's cool dog.




'4baja' Jake's cool master.




It wouldn't be a Camp Gecko New Year's party with the welcoming gesture from Beach Bob!





Bedman (Steve) and Emma.

BajaBruno - 1-9-2011 at 11:06 PM

Thanks for the memories, David. My Kati doesn't look like that anymore, either (and more's the pity), but she still fondly remembers meeting Sarah on that trip.

Packoderm - 1-9-2011 at 11:23 PM

It seems like the music died since Camp Gecko closed, and I can't find the midi file to that song anywhere. It was a cool song.

http://web.archive.org/web/20031208150246/http://www.campgec...

David K - 1-9-2011 at 11:25 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by BajaBruno
Thanks for the memories, David. My Kati doesn't look like that anymore, either (and more's the pity), but she still fondly remembers meeting Sarah on that trip.


Hi! My don't they grow fast! That photo that Bedman took of our girls was at the original Las Hamacas Restaurant, I do believe.

Thanks for letting Kati hang with Sarah on those fun trips...


Here I am with Sarah, my son Christopher and Sarah's baby Savannah...



[Edited on 1-10-2011 by David K]

David K - 1-9-2011 at 11:32 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Packoderm
It seems like the music died since Camp Gecko closed, and I can't find the midi file to that song anywhere. It was a cool song.

http://web.archive.org/web/20031208150246/http://www.campgec...


Yah, that cha-cha-cha music on Doc's old site was fun to hear! I think it was Roberto who set up the site for Doc.

Here is the old site's message on the home page:


My name is Abraham (Doc) Vazquez, and I would like to personally welcome you to our camp.

Welcome to Camp Gecko!

We are located four miles south of Bahia de Los Angeles, a small town located on the shores of the Sea of Cortez, 380 miles south of the U.S. - Mexico border.

We are a family-operated business, dedicated to fulfilling the needs of our customers who come down to enjoy the peace and beauty of this place we like to think of as paradise. Our camp is located on a beautiful beach four miles south of the town, surrounded by the desert on one side, and the shimmering waters of the Sea of Cortez on the other.

I am a doctor who came to this village to complete my Social Service, a requirement for all medical school graduates in Mexico.

I soon realized that I wanted to stay on and become a part of the community, raise my family and build my home here. But, I also knew that in order to accomplish this the medical practice was not going to be enough and I was going to have to rely on an alternate source of income. My wife Sylvia and I acquired the land on which Camp Gecko is located, and started developing it. From the very first day the camp has been a true labor of love for us. We have made constant changes and improvements to meet the demands of our customers, while trying not to lose sight of the reason we came here.

We provide a range of rustic accommodations that are affordable and unique. Our rustic cabins provide improved camping with some special amenities like hot showers and flush toilets. We have different accommodations to fulfill a range of comfort levels and needs, from simple camping sites to rustic cabins with hot water showers and kitchens. The camp itself has no electricity other than a generator that we use to make purified water, ice and run a compressor to refill SCUBA gear.

We also provide

Sport fishing charters
Kayaks
SCUBA refills from our compressor
Snorkeling Gear
Ice, Beer and Sodas

[Edited on 1-10-2011 by David K]

mcfez - 2-25-2011 at 01:33 PM

When I got there a few years ago.....I was a little shocked at the condition of the place. Having read so many great stories coming from this place....and seeing mostly abandonment with spewed debris. Not a spot to put on you "must go to" list.

How come nobody took over this great village and brought it back to life is beyond me.

Baja06_112.jpg - 30kB

Cypress - 2-25-2011 at 01:57 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by mcfez
How come nobody took over this great village and brought it back to life is beyond me.

The fishing went to hell.:(

Pompano - 2-25-2011 at 02:00 PM

Never got there...sorry to say. And now it looks like it's far too late. Adios to another old Baja legend. RIP

Tbone - 2-25-2011 at 02:34 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Pompano
Never got there...sorry to say. And now it looks like it's far too late. Adios to another old Baja legend. RIP


It's not to late Pomp
Still the same friendly folks, why just look at Beach Bob's friendly wave in the photo up above.

David K - 2-25-2011 at 06:25 PM

Guys, guys... it is now a private home area occupied by mostly Baja Nomads/ Amigos de Baja members who camped there years ago... the destroyed cabins are to make room for new lots to lease out. Bedman, 4baja, Debra, Soulpatch, etc. all have vacation homes there now.

You are making it sound like an abandoned RV park... The change was good for Doc, who was getting tired of cleaning up after the campers for a few bucks a night. Sure, I miss a place where we met up every New Years, Spring Break and 4th of July week... but Doc has a right to some annual income without emptying trash cans and fixing toilets...

mcfez - 2-27-2011 at 10:24 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by David K
Guys, guys... it is now a private home area occupied by mostly Baja Nomads/ Amigos de Baja members who camped there years ago... the destroyed cabins are to make room for new lots to lease out. Bedman, 4baja, Debra, Soulpatch, etc. all have vacation homes there now.

You are making it sound like an abandoned RV park... The change was good for Doc, who was getting tired of cleaning up after the campers for a few bucks a night. Sure, I miss a place where we met up every New Years, Spring Break and 4th of July week... but Doc has a right to some annual income without emptying trash cans and fixing toilets...


All I can say is this: The 80% camp was trashed......and it wasn't so much from the camping spots. This place looks likes a trailer court gone bad to worst. I am sure that the Nomads that live there...are the ones living in the homes that were well kept.

The residents that live there should hire someone to clean it all up...or do what we do at Campos Ocotillo.....every so Sunday...every able body goes out in a organized effort....with bags and trucks...we clean up the joint. There is no excuse for crapola such as in the picture below.

My point being:
Doc's place was a legend...the stories of this place is awesome....from years ago. Lets not tell folks who have read these stories, and travel to Doc's to see this place...be disappointed. This is why I traveled to BoLA in the first place...to see this legendland.

There is the town of Bola, there is Daggett's Camp, Villa Bahia....and much more offerings than this "should be forgotten" Doc's camp.

Baja06_114.jpg - 35kB

BajaGringo - 2-27-2011 at 10:34 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by mcfez
My point being:
Doc's place was a legend...the stories of this place is awesome....from years ago. Lets not tell folks who have read these stories, and travel to Doc's to see this place...be disappointed. This is why I traveled to BoLA in the first place...to see this legendland.

There is the town of Bola, there is Daggett's Camp, Villa Bahia....and much more offerings than this "should be forgotten" Doc's camp.


Yes but you got to admit that the idea of a bathtub on wheels is awesome. Every Baja home should have one...

mcfezbathtub.jpg - 35kB

Ken Bondy - 2-27-2011 at 10:48 AM

Sad to hear some of this. Gecko holds wonderful memories for me. Doc checked a big item off my bucket list when he found me my first whale shark!! But even 6 years ago he told us that running the place was wearing on him and he was thinking of changing the basic operation. We had a great time in fancy cabin #13:



Barry A. - 2-27-2011 at 12:10 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Ken Bondy
Sad to hear some of this. Gecko holds wonderful memories for me. Doc checked a big item off my bucket list when he found me my first whale shark!! But even 6 years ago he told us that running the place was wearing on him and he was thinking of changing the basic operation. We had a great time in fancy cabin #13:





If anybody is interested, I have a CON-FERR "roof rack" almost exactly like the one pictured on Ken's Hummer, and I don't use it anymore. It is in excellent condition, and located at my home in Redding, CA. In 1993 it cost about $400. I don't use the vehicle it was on ('89 Trooper) for trips anymore.

Please U2U me if interested. Somebody should be using this rack.

Barry

Ken Bondy - 2-27-2011 at 12:15 PM

Barry that rack is a GREAT piece of equipment. As I recall that's about what I paid for it in 2004 ($400). You're right, somebody should be using it :)