BajaNomad - As promised, our trip

As promised, our trip

bajajudy - 11-3-2004 at 05:13 PM

We will start from Guerrero Negro and work our way down although we actually started south and turned around in GN and came back.
First stop?.Mario?s restaurant. Very good food and Mario is a very nice guy. Free camping with no facilities?.but as we all know free is good.
Malarimo hotel and restaurant. Always good food and clean reasonable rooms. For all of you who consider GN the armpit of Baja, try a sunset at the old pier and you will change your mind. There is also a bird sanctuary that is an interesting walk to stretch your legs.
The road between GN and San Ignacio is basically good, the check point is still there and the road by San Ignacio is still the pits. An overnight stop at Ignacio Springs B&B is always a good idea as Terry?s breakfast is a to die for?.how many pieces of homemade bread toast with homemade jam can you eat?
Road to Santa Rosalia still treacherous but well maintained. If you stop in the new 24 hora grocery on the road on the way out of town you will be very disappointed?empty shelves. The guy who was selling Costco goods is out of business and an auto parts store is in his place. The rv park, Las Palmas looked closed?no water in the pool, no campers to be seen.
Road to Mulege was in good shape. Ate at Mely?s and Dany?s(saturday carnitas) and as always both were good. Stayed in Orchard?.quiet and hot water. Spent one night in Serenidad in their rv park(I would call it a parking lot and one of the permanents watched tv all day and all night at an ultra high volume) but we wanted to check in on Don and Nancy. Had a fabulous meal(shrimp with pasta, Jim had breaded shrimp..also killer) and spoke with Don at length. Contrary to reports in the Gringo Gazette, they are open and running the business and have high hopes that all their problems will be settled soon. So do stop in and give them some support?.they need to see our smiling faces again.
Km 98 on the way to Loreto, there is a detour(desviacion) that you better slow down for. There are topes(speed bumps) to warn you and be forewarned?one lane and lotsa equipment to run into. All the popular spots on Bahia Concepcion are starting to fill up. We stayed at Los Cocos one night and were the only ones there. Later people told us that it was a local beach?whatever that means?I am a local, I think.
Check point still there?no problema
Loreto is turning into one of my favorite places. We stayed at Villas de Loreto because I had come down with the grippa?.severe head cold with fever?and I wanted some place that I could crawl out of bed and get food. Villas is smoke free and the little restaurant is wonderful, as are Ron and Wendy the Canadian owners. Barrett at Coca Cabanas now has his pool in and everything is all new and clean?tv and vcr?s, ac, microwaves in every room. You will see the signs in town. Iguana Inn is another great place to stay. Missed El Rey de Taco and I was bummed. They are closed on Mondays.
Green angel, Felipe, not only took Jim to the tow truck operators house but also came back to tell me that he would probably be another hour getting back to me when we broke down in Notri just south of Loreto. His recommendation for a mechanico electrico saved us. I wish that Jim had taken a picture of me, our two dogs, Mochi and Eta riding in our camper behind the tow truck?.Mochi drove or at least it looked like she was driving.
Smooth sailing into Insurgentes. The four lane into Constitucion is complete except for a bridge that seems to be in limbo and drops it down to 2 lanes. Stopped at Manfred?s..he is back. No hot water yet. I had the best club sandwich I have ever had at El Taste. Estrella del Mar was another good meal. Jim had a brochette that was wonderful?I cant recommend the crab in garlic butter unless you really like butter?onion soup was good too.
Side trip to Puerto San Carlos was a great disappointment. We had planned to stay in the Hideout rv park?..nope?it is now a ?retreat??as I retreated out the gate I couldn?t help but wonder why they had not painted over the Hideout signs. Such a dead little town that we decided to just head back to Constitucion when we broke down. Some nice kids stopped and tried to help(since I am doing this backwards you have to understand that this was the first sign of the alternator problem that followed) anyway they went into Constitucion and brought back a diesel mechanic and his truck driver friend. With the semi?s mega battery we were able to get the truck back on the road. Arrived at Oasis Hotel only to find out that they had no rooms. We just went down the road about 6 blocks and parked in the middle of a field. Slept in our clothes knowing that we would have visitors and sure enough a few hours later the police paid a visit. They were very nice when we told them of our problems and wished us a good night. A little later someone else shone their lights but when I turned the interior light on they went away. Between Constitucion and La Paz, the repaving project is almost complete but the bridge reconstructions are a mess. Pot holes the size of vw?s on the detours around the old bridges.
Stopped in the Aripez(I think that?s the way you spell it) in El Centenario?.. No hot water, no restaurant, no laundry?.nothing but a place to park. Oh the electric and water in our space worked. Walked over to Marlin Club for dinner and it was fabulous as always. How Pam can charge 100p for a big filet(perfectly cooked), stuffed pepper, twice baked potato, dinner salad, I don?t understand but am thankful. If you have never eaten at the Marlin Club you have missed out. She also has one palapa on the beach and some rooms to rent reasonable and she takes dogs. Speaking of steaks?if you want the biggest t-bone in Baja go to Milano in La Paz...just an extra hint.
On to La Paz. Some construction near the whale, dove monument. Looks like a bridge of some sort.
The 1/19 split is now 4 lanes and there is usually some sort of cop sitting there. It does make the intersection safer.
We have been saying that we wanted to stop at Rancho Verde so we did. Very nice campground run by a very nice couple. Hot showers and great trails for walking. Bridge work on Agua Blanco and Las Cuevas(this detour is tricky if you are in a big rig). Some more repaving after Los Barriles and no center line. I have noticed that people can?t seem to get their half right if there is no line painted down the middle.
That?s it. Sorry it took so long but we got home(San Jose del Cabo) one day and my mother-in-law arrived the next.
All in all, the repaving between constiticion and la paz was the most dangerous. Thank dog it is almost complete. I just read back over this and it sounds like we ate a lot?.well we did. We were on the road for 2 weeks?.you got to eat.
Happy Trails
Baja Judy
Newbie

Mike Humfreville - 11-3-2004 at 05:40 PM

Thanks for a great report and yes I am a loose marble. But I'm not alone!

Annie T. - 11-4-2004 at 11:33 AM

As I rolled by I read your report. Good and concise. Thanks. Do you know how to get ahold of Oasis Hotel in Constitution? We'd rather find rooms waiting for us than not.

El Jefe - 11-4-2004 at 05:21 PM

Judy, what a great report, packed with all kinds of little tidbits about good places to stop on the long, long drive.

Paula and I will be your neighbors pretty soon down there in San Jose, well out the east cape road a bit anyway. We got the first elevations of the house plans from the architect last night. I'm so excited I feel like a little kid with Christmas coming! 34 more Mondays and we're outa here. Tom :bounce:

tim40 - 11-4-2004 at 11:47 PM

But who is counting hey Tom....

BajaNomad - 11-5-2004 at 10:19 PM

Judy hit report instead of reply and sent the following to me:

Quote:

I must confess that I dont know exactly how to answer your questions individually.

Annie T:The Oasis telephone number is 613-132-3919 or fax613-132-4458.

El Jefe, I actually live in La Choya so you will pass my house(double palapa roof right behind Caspers) on your way to your new place. Good Luck with that. Are you moving down permanently?

Someone let me know how to post your post, por favor.

Thanks. NFM

Annie T. - 11-6-2004 at 10:18 AM

El Jefe - 11-6-2004 at 12:19 PM

Quote: El Jefe, I actually live in La Choya so you will pass my house(double palapa roof right behind Caspers) on your way to your new place. Good Luck with that. Are you moving down permanently?

Yes, Judy. We plan to make it our permanent residence for most of the year with regular trips to San Diego county to see the kids. Hope to meet you some time! Tom