BajaNomad

Nomad Guys & Gals

Baja Bernie - 1-4-2012 at 03:04 PM

Jaime has come up with something that is very interesting to me and I thought I would try and share it with all of you.
Go way back as far as you can remember and recall your first impression of Baja. For her it was when she was 7 years old and she remembers seeing the difference in how she lived and how her Mexican friends lived. She became aware of the fact that her home had a roof, windows and carpet on the floor. She knew that her friends, in some cases had none of these things. It was not poverty just a different way to live. That was when she began to take some of her own toys to Baja to share with her little friends.
My first recollection of Baja was going to TJ to get a haircut because it was better, cheaper, and everyone was so friendly. No common language but that never seemed to be a barrier.
Try going back yourself and consider sharing your first impressions with the rest of us.

DENNIS - 1-4-2012 at 03:15 PM

In the 40's, my family and relatives would take trips out to Victorville to spend a few days in a shared cabin. At that time, Victorville wasn't much other than a homestead shack here and there but it stuck in my mind.
First trip to Baja around '55 kinda reminded me of Victorville, but more of it. I wasn't shocked by either one. It was just the way it was.

Haircut?

Dave - 1-4-2012 at 03:31 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Baja Bernie
My first recollection of Baja was going to TJ to get a haircut because it was better, cheaper, and everyone was so friendly.


Is that what they called it back then? ;D

Mexitron - 1-4-2012 at 03:40 PM

Ensenada 1964----six years old...I remember the taste of real Mexican food for the first time ( as opposed to Taco Treat in South Pasadena...). Everyone seemed happy except for my 3 year-old brother who got tired of walking and sat down in the middle of of the crosswalk and cried and wouldn't go any farther. Poor Mom.

Oso - 1-4-2012 at 03:44 PM

Seventeen years old, The Blue Fox. Nuff said.;D

DENNIS - 1-4-2012 at 04:18 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Oso
Seventeen years old, The Blue Fox. Nuff said.;D


What??? No Long Bar???

Barry A. - 1-4-2012 at 04:39 PM

8 years old (1946) walking the streets of TJ with my Mom & her friends---------friendly people, food good, and exciting, noisy, and "different". Loved it!!!

17 years old, TJ-----Long Bar, Jai Lai and Bull Fights, great food, and Hussong's in Ensenada --------and diving for bugs, HEAVEN.

17 years old and on until lately-------all over Baja for that "Baja Feeling"-------best "feeling" environment I ever experienced, in almost every way.

Barry

Dave - 1-4-2012 at 05:26 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Oso
Seventeen years old, The Blue Fox. Nuff said.;D


They made a movie:

Eat at the Blue Fox

Where Big Burritos And Hot Tacos Come Together!


Starring Kitten Natividad

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0196522/

Oso - 1-4-2012 at 05:39 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Dave
Quote:
Originally posted by Oso
Seventeen years old, The Blue Fox. Nuff said.;D


They made a movie:

Eat at the Blue Fox

Where Big Burritos And Hot Tacos Come Together!


Starring Kitten Natividad

Thanks for the link, but you have to join to see it. I used to have a tee shirt with a cartoon Mexican holding a sign saying "Eat at the Blue Fox, fine Mexican cuisine, Tijuana, BC"

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0196522/

DaliDali - 1-4-2012 at 05:47 PM

Some rancho near Tecate with a bunch of like minded buddies on some kind of retreat.
Eating roast pork, drinking beer and bad mouthing the black panthers.
Lapel pins were handed out.....a pig mounted up on a panther in classic "doggie style"
I may still have that pin in a drawer somewhere.....or not.

Unit 16 10-8

shari - 1-4-2012 at 05:58 PM

great topic and memories!

My first baja magic moment was finally arriving at the edge of Ojo de Liebre and seeing a horizon filled with whale spouts in the sunset...I mean like hundreds...thought I'd died and went to whale heaven.

capn.sharky - 1-4-2012 at 06:27 PM

Been going since the early 50's---Tijuana and Ensenada. Just thought it was a different country with different customs. Loved the burros with the zebra stripes on them. Got older and started visiting the cantinas with the dancing girls when I was 14 and decided I just loved Mexico. Club Macombo.

BajaBlanca - 1-4-2012 at 07:06 PM

san felipe in 1988. could not believe the prices of hotels and 5 fish tacos for $1 and the warm shallow ocean seemingly going on forever ......

but it was not til we moved to la bocana in 2006 that I really got the baja bug in me !

now Les says his dream began when he was in his 20's, living in England and watching the jacques costeau tv programs on the sea of cortez. he scuba dived at the time with a group of friends and dreamed about diving the sea of cortez. when a job offer came up in southern california - he figured it was close enough ! from diving he went to fishing and he has been coming to baja, non-stop for over 20 years...now of course, he is living the dream !!!

I Was a Big Fan of Zorro

Gypsy Jan - 1-4-2012 at 07:22 PM

So, after we visited Balboa Park and the museums, we made a quick trip south of the border and she bought me a leather bullwhip so I could practice at home.

I guess she was an early equal opportunity parent, since I also had Barbie dolls and all the other Barbie stuff and an EZ Bake Oven.

Ateo - 1-4-2012 at 07:36 PM

Ensenada 1983. Estero Beach. Looking thru a hole in the wall into the shower of our own rental to observe a girl that came down with us nude. Sorry, I was 9.

A drunken Mexican trying to sell my parents zarapes on the beach.

Fireworks.

My dad swamping a zodiac trying to get thru the surf to go scuba dive Todos Santos.

The sweeping views on the too road near Salsipuedes.

My dad yelling at window washers to stop washing his window.

Memories of a nine years old......

bajamedic - 1-4-2012 at 07:52 PM

San Felipe, 1965, I was 10 years old; enjoying my time with kids that had so little and yet had so much. Fire Works in the sand, switchblade knifes, a braided leather whip, going into town and “the bar” for a warm Coke, beach combing, sunburns and that burning desire to return. JH

As a 5-year Old ............

MrBillM - 1-4-2012 at 08:09 PM

I REALLY thought that was a ZEBRA that I was sitting on for the pic in TJ.

Gypsy Jan

Baja Bernie - 1-4-2012 at 08:15 PM

"she bought me a leather bullwhip so I could practice at home."

Practice what?

The Splash is great...the owner used to work for Jaime's dad.

mcfez - 1-4-2012 at 08:35 PM

Stumbled out of TJ and back to the Rosecrans barracks of the Navy..... the first shore leave given during bootcamp. I just remember that it was a blast ...and the folks were great down there.

Hi Baja Bernie

Gypsy Jan - 1-4-2012 at 08:42 PM

Yes, I was a really big fan of the Zorro TV series - Guy something was the star and that was the only fan letter I ever wrote.

The bullwhip practice was to prevent harm.

[Edited on 1-5-2012 by Gypsy Jan]

Gypsy

Baja Bernie - 1-4-2012 at 08:55 PM

I know I just I could not resist

Loretana - 1-4-2012 at 09:12 PM

I was a big fan of Zorro, too.......

My first trip to Baja was in 1972 with my boyfriend Frank Sampedro who took me to Ensenada and to Hussong's the first night!
Five Margaritas later I was hallucinating, but the joy of that first sight, smell and sound of BAJA is still close in memory.

I couldn't wait to see the rest!

And actually, Frank was as good looking as Zorro!! ;D

Gals

Baja Bernie - 1-4-2012 at 09:19 PM

So damn glad you are responding...a few of you will remember way back when I encouraged you all to add your thougth to this board...

Happy you are now doing it with relish!

Paulina - 1-4-2012 at 09:29 PM

My first memories of baja was from the early 60s, maybe 1964. My mom and I went with my Grandfather to Ensenada to go fishing. We stayed at Papagayos, the first house on the right hand side as you drive in the gate.

I remember fishing in the bait tank by pulling open the sleeve of my sweatshirt so the fish would swim up my arm. My shirt eventually got too wet so I went topless. I remember being frustrated when the fish would fall between the slats of wood on the deck of the boat.

I remember dinner in the restaurant, dancing with my grandpa by standing on the toes of his shoes. I loved the music that was played on the marimbas. I was just tall enough to stand just below them and look up through the wooden bars.

I remember going to La Bufadora and picking out a small sombrero that had a donkey woven on the front with pom poms around the edges. I also got a pink donkey pinata that hung on my closet door for many, many years.

It took a long time to get there, sitting on my mom's lap in the front seat of Papa's caddy, looking up through the windshield at how many stars lived in Baja. I sat in the backseat for the ride home because I needed to be next to my pinata. My hat was in the back window.

I also remember San Felipe in the 70s, my dad did some motorcycle races there. The sand dunes were fun to slide down. My mom was so excited when "fancy bathrooms" were built on year, and I was embarrassed when she needed to take moving pictures of them. I was allowed to choose only one thing in the small pottery shack, so I chose a brown, shiny plaster bulldog that had hot pink sequins glued on for eyes.

In this photo I am sitting on my mom's lap in the restaurant at Papagayos with my Grandpa looking on. I am also fishing in the bait tank in my red rubber toed tennis shoes. These photos as well as the lures, old pesos and bottle of Bufferin were found in my Grandpa's tackle box after he passed away.





I still have my hat.



The hat I did not choose.



P>*)))<{

edit: added photos

[Edited on 5-1-2012 by Paulina]

Sallysouth - 1-4-2012 at 10:58 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Mexitron
Ensenada 1964----six years old...I remember the taste of real Mexican food for the first time ( as opposed to Taco Treat in South Pasadena...). Everyone seemed happy except for my 3 year-old brother who got tired of walking and sat down in the middle of of the crosswalk and cried and wouldn't go any farther. Poor Mom.
A crosswalk in Baja in 64?:lol:

Barry A. - 1-4-2012 at 11:23 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Loretana

My first trip to Baja was in 1972 with my boyfriend Frank Sampedro who took me to Ensenada and to Hussong's the first night!
Five Margaritas later I was hallucinating, but the joy of that first sight, smell and sound of BAJA is still close in memory.

And actually, Frank was as good looking as Zorro!! ;D



After "5 margaritas" I bet "Frank" WAS "Zorro"!!!! :lol:

Barry

Paulina

Baja Bernie - 1-5-2012 at 08:32 AM

Ah! Yes...All the stars that graced to night sky's in Baja.

Please see your U2U's

GrOUper-GAr - 1-5-2012 at 03:41 PM

--Camping at Puertecitos 1973--

Me & My Brother on our "1st trip To BaJa".
This planted the seed for both of us.
I remember how bouncy the road was in the back of our Dads dodge cargo van(no side windows). And Also How many "bezillion" shells there was in Puertecitos.
The coolest memory I have from this TR!p was accidently running into flat-track racer DAVE ALDANA on a ride... He was a Legend to us already(see movie "On Any Sunday"-1971)
We knew him from Ascot Park in Gardena,CA (where our Pops raced every Friday night)

-Gr0UpER

(Paulina, it's like Deja vu all over again, but I wanted to join in)

Puertecitos(area).jpg - 47kB

David K - 1-5-2012 at 04:20 PM

Awesome subject!

I was pretty young (7 1/2) in the summer of 1965 when we drove to San Felipe, Puertecitos and on to Gonzaga Bay in our Jeep Wagoneer pulling a tent trailer. My earliest positive memory was the harsh rugged land, the rough roads, and the white sand beaches with warm sea water lapping at the coast.

I was most impressed with my mom and dad, they seemed to let nothing scare them. Some drunk(?) gringo at Puertecitos said, "You can't go any farther... the road ends here!":rolleyes:

On our return trip north, we tried to find the recommended beach area of 'Agua de Chale' (today's Nuevo Mazatlan), but missed the road east from the sulfur mine and got on the old southern access road to Percebu. At that time, Percebu was a fieherman's camp and the men there were all very kind to us, inviting us to camp with them and showed us their catch. An octopus tentacle was placed against my mom's arm and she was startled by the suction cups firm grip... I remember that as if it was yesterday! At night, the fishermen took out cloves of garlic from a jar and placed them around their cots... to keep away rattlesnakes!

Those are my memories of my first Baja trip...

24baja - 1-5-2012 at 05:16 PM

Mine was in June of 1989 and the cardboard housing development south of Ensenada towards the Blowhole. Until I saw how people lived in Mexico, I thought I had grown up poor. This being said, I had never met a more interesting, kind and friendly group of people and when I first saw the Sea of Cortez at San Felipe I was lost forever. It took me until October of 2005 to get my husband to go to Baja, now he can't get enough of the fishing, people and scenery. We plan on retiring there in 1365 days.

Marc - 1-5-2012 at 07:39 PM

Was December 1979 in La Paz and then New Years Eve in Los Barriles. Rang in 1980 with a lobster dinner. At 12:00 crazy Mexicans were shooting off their .45's in the air. I was with my second wife. I will look for pictures. She was a tall and blond and the mexican guys followed her everywhere.

Paulina - 1-5-2012 at 07:50 PM

Grouper Gar, thanks for adding your photo. It adds to the magic, I think.

Regarding your riding outfits, you were so lucky your parents bought you real leathers. I had to wear the denim kind with sewed in padding on the hips. They had a yellow stripe down the side. It was the old, "you'll out grow them" excuse. Your bikes are cool too, I started on a Suzuki 70, moved to my mom's 90, then to my dad's 400 ( I had to prove to him I could pick it up). The sand dunes in San Felipe were the best learning grounds.

I hope more photos can be added. Thanks for this thread, Bernie.

P>*)))>{

Hey! Pauline

Baja Bernie - 1-5-2012 at 08:00 PM

No Thanks to me it was Jaime's idea and I think you all hit a home run.

805gregg - 1-5-2012 at 08:23 PM

I was 9 in 1957 we drove down PCH, (no freeway back then) and went to TJ, I was amazed that people lived like that, comming from a tract house in Hawthorne Ca. We got our pictures taken on the Zebra Donkey and probably bought trinkets. An eye opening experience for me to see that the rest of the world didn't live like we do.

vgabndo - 1-5-2012 at 08:32 PM

Mine wasn't very soulful. 1962 on liberty from the Marines at Pendelton. It was my first taste of adulthood. There was adventure, excitement, ...drunkenness.

Young cannonfodder bonding together while..."this time Juicy Lucy she take it allllll the way down. Come in ladies and germs......

Vgabndo

Baja Bernie - 1-5-2012 at 08:44 PM

Hi, My friend...have hot heard from you in a while...what you have to share should be shared...So please do so.

woody with a view - 1-5-2012 at 08:45 PM

10 years old and stayed a weekend at Gaviotas with a friend and his parents. saw my first dried grunion on the beach then. i lost my Padres cap out the car window northbound around pta bandera (trump condos) just south of la joya turn off. i remember that day every time i drive past.

next, 9th grade ('79?) ditching Collier Jr High to go surf
Popotla and Baja Malibu with Marty Jensen and Jerry Leach. RIP Jerry!:saint:

it's been a struggle with my addiction ever since....

woody with a view - 1-5-2012 at 08:48 PM

Paulina

that is a great stash that Gramps left. i have a similar lure like the red/white one except mine has a propellor on the nose.

Wow

Baja Bernie - 1-6-2012 at 11:23 AM

Looking at these responses caused me to think...No mention of the mountains, desert, bays, Sea of Cortez, nor even of the wonderful beaches...nor the wind and the silence...

No, most of you cut right to the quik and spoke of the wonderful folks who make Baja totally worthwhile and to me that is a wonderful and magical thing..

Jaime and I thank you for sharing.

PS I also had some instant memory's of the ZEBRA

David K - 1-6-2012 at 12:59 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Baja Bernie
Looking at these responses caused me to think...No mention of the mountains, desert, bays, Sea of Cortez, nor even of the wonderful beaches......



You missed my reply Bernie...?

"My earliest positive memory was the harsh rugged land, the rough roads, and the white sand beaches with warm sea water lapping at the coast."

Neal Johns - 1-6-2012 at 04:17 PM

My first trip was 1978 at age 47 in a FJ-40 LandCruiser with my girlfriend to the Puerto Santo Tomas area (where Jack Smith of "God and Mr. Gomez" lived). Mr. Gomez had a small tienda, so with a few snacks purchased there, and a surprise rubber chicken (Rena was not much of a cook) we had lunch with a few of Mr. Gomez's pigs for company.

The road to the ocean from the highway wandered back and forth through a small stream and passed an inviting side road south which we took on the way out. I was hesitant to go through the gate but afraid to show fear in front of the weaker sex who was urging me onward. The road passed a house and we received a friendly wave. We took a road toward the highway in a few miles and got my first taste of Baja four wheeling, seeing a burro alongside the trail. Been getting braver ever since.:lol:

Have not read "God and Mr. Gomez"? Get it, read it.



[Edited on 1-6-2012 by Neal Johns]

GregN - 1-6-2012 at 04:58 PM

Early '40s, rough camped on beach about 2 miles south of Ensenada pier (Now part of town) Swam in ocean until waterlogged and played on the small dunes with my brothers and sisters. Out of nowhere some kids arrived and would return to play with us every day. We taught each other words and, more importantly, that friendship transcends language barriers. I still remember their names.

Sprocket - 1-6-2012 at 05:32 PM

I had been to Baja before but my first memory is from 1977, I was 6 and my dad and I moved to the very last house in south Playas De TJ. QUINTAFELIZ (a group of 5 homes hanging over the ocean). First memory I have was not sleeping all night from the waves pounding below and the fact that in the morning we would wakeup with the ocean all to ourselves! Second best memory pulling into Mikes Sky ranchs in my dads ford fiesta and seeing (his 1971 chevy k10 had blown the trans and there was no way he was going to miss this trip) the faces of everyone wondering how we had gotten there. (mikes back then wasnt the cake walk it is now)

Good times! Hope my kids have some good memories of Baja too.

Very nice

Skipjack Joe - 1-6-2012 at 05:48 PM

How it was here when I first came to baja.

vgabndo - 1-6-2012 at 06:05 PM

VERY trippy, Skippie!:?::?::lol:

bajamedic - 1-6-2012 at 07:01 PM

Even though I have posted these photos on another thread, I just thought I would share them again, considering the context. As I have already posted my story, these were taken in San Felipe, 1965. JH




[Edited on 1-7-2012 by bajamedic]

grace59 - 1-7-2012 at 12:45 PM

My first trip to Baja was 1979. I was 19 and went down with a couple of buddies that I'd gone to high school with...we went to TJ, Rosarito and Ensenada. I remember hearing Mariachi Music for the first time (every hotel room seemed to be right above the bar!), drinking strong Margaritas, eating Lobster dinner for the first time because I could actually afford it, Hussong's and all the friendly people that we met. Grew up...got married and talked my husband into his first Baja trip in 1998...Loreto...after much exploring we have decided to build a house in San Felipe and love that area. I love the Baja mix of desert, sea and mountains.