BajaNomad - Colorado to LA Bay

Colorado to LA Bay

ArvadaGeorge - 1-11-2011 at 04:03 PM

Baja 2010/2011

12/26/2010 (Sunday) Left Denver early, 5:30 a.m. Driving RV enclosed trailer w/2 m/c’s atv , kayak 2 bicycles on top--I‘m not going to run out of things to do.. We’re going over the mountains & made good time, stopping for the night at the Nevada/California border. Good weather with only a few snow flurries in the UT mountains.

12/27 (Monday). On the road again early Then got call from my dirt riding buddy’s that his truck broke down south of Ensenada. He went back to Ensenada for parts. We stopped at the Discover Baja Club office in San Diego for tourist cards & fishing license; bought bird & fish guides. Nice helpful couple gave us directions to car wash. Stopped for a few groceries at Henry’s, a Sunflower like store. Got call from my buddies that they might need parts from Ford dealer so got directions for that too. Never heard back from him so continued to border. Somewhat of a wait, maybe 20 min.; then Louise got passports and tourist cards stamped while Mexican border authorities took a look through the RV & trailer and then we were on our way. While we wound our way through the streets of Tijuana in slow traffic due to construction caused by the recent flooding that took out some parts of the road it was just before the beach turn off. Then we got another call -- they needed spark plugs & had a stripped plug hole. We said we would get them in Ensenada and meet them in Santo Tomas the next day (Tuesday). We wound our way down a pretty good highway, with a beautiful view of the Pacific shore toward Ensenada, where we found the AutoZone after missing the correct turn to the main route. Armed with the spark plug & heli-coil Since it was getting dark we started to look for a campo -- the Baja Camping guide said there were several down on Estero Beach. Fortunately since George had that place marked on his GPS we saw the sign to the beach. The first place, El Faro, seemed too isolated, so we went to the Mona Lisa RV park. The manager spoke good English and said it was $27 but no restaurant. We were hoping for a hot meal and tequila after 2 long days! After a meal of leftovers & lunch meat, Louise walked down to the beach with our dog Jake. It was easy to find -- just follow the sound of the waves!

12/28, Tues. George walked down to the ocean too in the morning as Louise made coffee. Then off again at 6 a.m. with the manager’s guidance out of the parking space. The road was very rough where they are putting in bridges and a hopefully wider and better road.. We got to Santo Tomas and found Zach and Braydon in front of the Policia station.

After about 8 hours of working on the truck and 2 trips back to Ensenada by
Zach to get more parts, the future is unknown.

Can they get it working so we can go on to Bahia de Los Angeles tomorrow or do we head back to the border where Zach can get it back to the States for major repair?

12/29, Wed -- The guys tried a new strategy after dinner last night and it worked! We had to install a hel-coil into the spark plug hole; but the tool wouldn’t fit so we made installation tool out of a 3/8 long extension--second time we re-manufactured it worked fine. The spark plug was in place and the engine ran! Zach and Braydon thanked the policia officers who were “the nicest police they had ever met” since they allowed the truck to be parked and worked on in the small parking area in front of their station for 2 days. We stopped in San Quintin for water for the RV --finally found the place after asking directions twice. Also got avocadoes in grocery store. Got gas in El Rosario -- interesting experience since the attendants insist on pumping the gas and want to take the money to the cashiers (at least 2). A different person has to try to run a credit card which didn’t work anyway. I recommend estimating how much it will cost ahead of time and have enough cash in one’s pocket rather than fooling with a credit card and then a wallet. And it seems like letting the attendant take the money is more dangerous than the pump possibly not being reset when you begin. Seems like the attendant could pocket the cash and claim that he was not paid. Without a receipt how would you prove it? Always get a receipt so they can’t run after you and claim you didn’t pay. We headed south and got in to Bahia de Los Angeles as it was getting dark. The road got rougher south of El Rosario and so narrow that an oncoming car clipped mirrors with ours breaking both mirrors. At first the other driver who turned around to stop us acted like it was all our fault until he realized the truck behind us was occupied by our friends who saw the whole thing. He wanted to exchange insurance information but didn’t have his -- Utah plates but lives in Baja full time, Said he would call George with his information and agreed to sign a statement that both were in their lanes but maybe too close to the center. Zach & Braydon signed as witnesses..
12/30/2001, Thurs.--Bay of LA is beautiful! Daggett’s only charges $5 per person, which includes clean bathrooms, hot showers, and wi fi Internet! Only a few people here --

More to come

[Edited on 1-11-2011 by ArvadaGeorge]

woody with a view - 1-11-2011 at 09:05 PM

i just had another bad experience at pemex in el rosario. we sat. and sat. and sat. finally, i got out and asked the person in the window to turn on the pump, pumped my own gas, and went and paid. usually, one guy can man 2-3 pumps at a time. not here....

in october there was a girl pumping gas. after every one of the guys in el rosario (or so it seemed) was done flirting she FINALLY got around to pumping our gas. seems like all the good press has gotten some of the workers a little full of themselves.

YMMV.

Paulina - 1-11-2011 at 10:01 PM

Great report, can't wait to read the rest.

No offense to Antonio, but we now fill up on the far south end of San Quintin, across from the Highway Patrol station. We can blow right through E.R. and not deal with the wait and other issues. The station in S.Q. is clean, big and can accommodate large vehicles and towing rigs.

P<*)))>{

David K - 1-11-2011 at 10:50 PM

I wonder if the owner of the San Quintin Pemex would do even half of the kind and helpful things Antonio does for us? :?:

If a Nomad has any problems down there, who is it to the rescue?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arvada George, all you post said was the credit card wouldn't work... the rest of it was all 'seems as' stuff... Most Nomads know that Pemex only takes cash... a few excptions are out there. Credit cards sometimes don't work on this side of the border either. Antonio does try and run an honest business and he has trained his employees, and there are cameras watching everything.

I do thank you for posting and maybe if you knew what we do of Baja Cactus and what we have been saying about Antonio and his activities in El Rosario you wouldn't ever be worried about his attendents pocketing your money... It just won't happen. If a mistake is made, Antonio has refunded the Nomad...

Hope the rest of your report is happier time for you. Do let us know how the credit card works at other Pemex stations... perhaps more and more are being connected?

Martyman - 1-12-2011 at 09:19 AM

In other words...don't give an honest report or King DK will scold you!

found on road dead

mtgoat666 - 1-12-2011 at 09:32 AM

Ford. Go figure.

Should have driven a Toyota :lol:

Diver - 1-12-2011 at 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by David K
... It just won't happen. If a mistake is made, Antonio has refunded the Nomad...

Please tell us about these "mistakes" and who was refunded what by whom and when and where ..... :rolleyes:

David K - 1-12-2011 at 11:41 AM

It was posted on Nomad... If you don't remember or can search it, from what I recall:

The attendent called to the cashier to clear the pump, and he inserted the nozzle and did his window washing, etc. He returned to the nozzle as it was stopped and put it back on the pump, collected the money, the Nomad drove off. The Nomad noticed down the road his gauge wasn't up to where it should be.

When Antonio reviewed the video and the gauges, the error was found... The cashier never heard the attendent and the attendent hadn't noticed the pump actually never ran while he was cleaning the windows. The amount shown was from the previous customer. It was dumb mistake and Antonio made it right.

At least that is what I recall... Antonio has since made new procedures to all attendents that they make sure the pump begins to fill gas before doing their other duties to service your car.

David K - 1-12-2011 at 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Martyman
In other words...don't give an honest report or King DK will scold you!

No, not really... but when the whole thing was all 'seems like they could pocket the money' etc. and then that makes others think that is the case, when that wasn't what George said. I was trying to point out George only said 'seems like' and not really happened. Maybe I was scolding the Nomads who followed George's post with bad stories as if George's was bad... it wasn't. As a San Felipe south traveler he hadn't known about 'BajaCactus' business ethics perhaps.

The only thing 'bad' was the credit card didn't work.

ArvadaGeorge - 1-12-2011 at 03:12 PM

My wife wrote the part at the gas station –I wanted to give them the business -I bought 90 gal of gas. It was a bit of a hassle to fill everything it takes 3 pumps on different sides and that station in small. The biggest problem was we were not prepared for the busy-ness. We also hoped to use a credit card which they take; but Louise didn’t get it authorized for Mexico –so it was declined. So Louise had to scramble to come up with enough cash. I suppose I should have been helping her –I was busy trying to move the rig for the next fill up.
We have talked about it and would do it again with better planning –we want to support the people who support us

Paulina - 1-12-2011 at 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by David K
.... Maybe I was scolding the Nomads who followed George's post with bad stories as if George's was bad... it wasn't....

First of all, I want apologize to George for semi-hijacking this thread with what I am about to post.

Second, David, since I was one of the Nomads who replied to George's post I take offense to the fact that you felt it necessary to "scold" those of us who had something to add.

If you read back my post said, "No offense to Antonio" and I meant that. There is nothing "bad" about using another Pemex besides Antonio's station, specially if the other stations can offer something that Antonio cannot. Clean bathrooms, more space for larger vehicles, more attendants, quicker in and out time, etc.

I was not dissing Antonio or his station or the fact that he has been so helpful to those in need. I don't think any of the other posters were either. Every business is bound to have it's moments and posting experiences, both good and "bad" are what this board is all about.

P<*)))>{

mtgoat666 - 1-12-2011 at 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ArvadaGeorge
interesting experience since the attendants insist on pumping the gas and want to take the money to the cashiers (at least 2). A different person has to try to run a credit card which didn’t work anyway. I recommend estimating how much it will cost ahead of time and have enough cash in one’s pocket rather than fooling with a credit card and then a wallet. And it seems like letting the attendant take the money is more dangerous than the pump possibly not being reset when you begin. Seems like the attendant could pocket the cash and claim that he was not paid. Without a receipt how would you prove it?

the best thiung about full service, is you don't have to pump your own, and the attendant runs the money back and forth..
i like full service. sit back and enjoy the service, and don't forget to tip the gas jockey! don't stress, the full service experience is like trip down memory lane.
was a time we had full service in the USA, but those jobs all got outsourced to Mexico :lol:

David K - 1-12-2011 at 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Paulina

Quote:

Originally posted by David K
.... Maybe I was scolding the Nomads who followed George's post with bad stories as if George's was bad... it wasn't....

I know, Paulina... it wasn't me who coined the word 'scold' in this thread... so I used it to show how loose a connection it was to what I said.

I would never scold a pretty teacher, you know that! :light:

David K - 1-12-2011 at 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ArvadaGeorge
My wife wrote the part at the gas station –I wanted to give them the business -I bought 90 gal of gas. It was a bit of a hassle to fill everything it takes 3 pumps on different sides and that station in small. The biggest problem was we were not prepared for the busy-ness. We also hoped to use a credit card which they take; but Louise didn’t get it authorized for Mexico –so it was declined. So Louise had to scramble to come up with enough cash. I suppose I should have been helping her –I was busy trying to move the rig for the next fill up.
We have talked about it and would do it again with better planning –we want to support the people who support us

Thank you George for that addition... I hope your wife will know that of all the Pemex stations in Baja, Baja Cactus is at least one that she can trust... :light:

Marc - 1-19-2011 at 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by woody with a view
i just had another bad experience at pemex in el rosario. we sat. and sat. and sat. finally, i got out and asked the person in the window to turn on the pump, pumped my own gas, and went and paid. usually, one guy can man 2-3 pumps at a time. not here....

in october there was a girl pumping gas. after every one of the guys in el rosario (or so it seemed) was done flirting she FINALLY got around to pumping our gas. seems like all the good press has gotten some of the workers a little full of themselves.

YMMV.

She IS a cutie!