VGABNDO is home, Part Two we win the lottery.

We set out from Mt. Shasta in four wheel drive on Dec. 28, and battled a headwind that wouldn't let the Cummins pull top gear through the Sac valley. Met Nomad Woody with a View for a very pleasant overnight parked at his curb. He and his sweet wife made us feel at home. My mission then was to deliver a bet of rare custom made beer to Shari in Bahia Asuncion to satisfy a soccer wager. We arrived New Years Eve in B.A. and that sleep-in do-nothing bunch of Canadians down there didn't even have a party going on.

Believe me, we had all the fun we had the energy to have.
That is a nicely integrated community and we found it among the friendliest of all we visited.

We made our first fisit for about 8-9 days, but it was during the time that the water pump was out in Viscaino, and no one on the end of the penensula had piped water for about a week. We ran for GN resupplied, did laundry and prepared for phase two.

Here are some images and thoughts.

I wish I had a better image, but IFLYFISH moves so fast it is hard to focus. Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce you to a man among men. What an amazing story. On his previous visit to Bahia Asuncion he was getting around in an electric wheelchair. This year as he stood with me as I surf fished, a flat bed truck pulled up and backed to the waterline. CHRISTO VIVE was finger painted across the hood. Momentarily, after getting his line in the water, our Mexican friend had Creadence Clearwater blasting on the stereo.
There should have been a picture of Rick dancin' his butt off while I played air guitar on my fishin' rod. Priceless.

This will be a lifelong friendship.

[Edited on 2-1-2011 by vgabndo]

[Edited on 2-7-2011 by vgabndo]

I claim first tracks.

On this deserted "secret" beach in central Baja I was told that no one had ever sailed there. I had a nice steady off-shore for a couple of hours of fun.

I had unloaded three other times only to find that the surfaces and or wind conditions just didn't cut it. I did, however, generate a story or two when I passed locals while sailing dead down wind along one of the elevated mud sections of the road from San Ignacio Lagoon.

[Edited on 2-5-2011 by vgabndo]

The peaceful cove at San Roque

We spent a number of nights on the little slab in front of Juan Arce's grandparents place in front of the church. We also had a Disca Party there with the whole community driving the twelve miles up from BA to San Roque.

There was a lot of good food highlighted by Juan's cooking up a load of pulpo on his propane disca.

I looked everywhere I went to try to buy one and was about resigned to having to build one when I found two at the flea market in Maneadero Saturday. I got one with an ag disc that weighs in at about thirty pounds. Picture to follow.

Quote:

Originally posted by vgabndo ..... that sleep-in do-nothing bunch of Canadians down there didn't even have a party going on.

Yeah, what a bunch of hosers, eh?

I hope to sneak up to BA for an overnight on my moto trip last half of February....to try some of those shrimp tacos, say hola to Juan and Sheri....and try and liven up those hosers...

Nancy, you are sooooo right. The mountain is lit up in all her glory.

Lonely as God and white as a winter's moon." J. Muir

We spent two nights at the place you recommended. We had a wonderful time, and we found you well respected there. Can you believe that "The Mobile Groove Bomb" made it to where it is parked??? I gladly used my 4x4!

I understand that the sound system in that thing will strip paint.

Here's my new "DISCA". The authentic Baja fish taco machine. Works over propane or lena.

It's so groovy man, freakadelic bus!

Well folks there is more to the story. Here's part 2

For the middle third of our travels, Mrs VGABNDO wanted to go whate watching. My mind went to a dozen gringos in orange life jackets in a panga with someone yelling I thought I saw a whale spout. Fortunately, she was right and I was wrong. We took an off season half day with Antonio's Eco Tours at Camp 3, Daniel, Antonio's son, was our driver and we had a guide who was a visiting German whale watcher from the Canary Islands. She didn't know Grays, but had huge experience and said it was the best day of her life. Daniel says in eleven years he's only had this happen three times.

She came up out of the depths directly along side of the boat, watching us as she came up sideways. She'd come to be touched, and when she was, she'd lie on her side with her eye closed and just soak it up.



[Edited on 2-7-2011 by vgabndo]

[Edited on 2-7-2011 by vgabndo]

Mrs. VGABNDO, Cathy Valentine, got her wish...and more.

[Edited on 2-6-2011 by vgabndo]

Add VGABNDO to the list of folks who have had their lives changed by a huge marine mammal who came to them for attention.

Here's lookin down your blowhole baby!

Here's a pretty picture.

She loved to have the inside of her lips rubbed.

This went on for an hour and ten minutes.

glad to have another member of the club.....

that baleen foto is insane. FOTO OF THE DAY!

what did the baleen feel like?

Woody, one of her playful tricks was to submerge just enough to fill the space above the baleen and slam her mouth shut, drenching anyone hanging over the rail. Having seen that mouth close, the pictures show exactly how far I risked my fingers. Daniel, said that far more dangerous was to put anything into her blowhole. It has to hold out water at insane pressures, and literally snaps shut with a noise.

Like most Grays, this one was "right-handed", her left side was clearly the most barnacled.

Rick, brother I was vibin' her for sure. But it was a boat full of the same emotion. Our "guide", who was in an altered state was left hanging over the rail saying "baby, baby, baby, baby, on and on in English and German!

The same chapped skin seen around the blowhole was found on her lips. Here are two examples with the close-up in the next post.

The surface has disappeared from the left side, it is still visible in the right sample. Are these huge cells that can be seen with the naked eye?

Other shots I have show each "cell" with an indentation in the skin within it, and a projecting bump in the exact center.

Here's why it pays to be careful on sandy beaches. This was the smaller of two tools on the business end of a saucer-sized ray at La Bocana.

The exposed part is about 9/16"

[Edited on 2-8-2011 by vgabndo]