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Author: Subject: THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS
DanO
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[*] posted on 9-16-2010 at 08:16 AM


More than a few times I've been hailed down on a dirt road and asked for the use of my lug wrench, and have been happy to oblige. Can't quite figure how people would drive around down there without that essential piece of equipment.



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shari
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[*] posted on 9-16-2010 at 08:53 AM


great thread...Sirenita & I travelled all over this peninsula by ourselves and have been helped too many times to count. But I have a funny story to share about a motorcyclist from England on his first baja trip.

His gorgeous BMW broke down somewhere past Jesus Maria...he figured it was in the middle of the desert and he had no water and there was no traffic and he was scared he was gonna die out there(even though he was on the main highway).

So finally a beat up old pick up stops with 2 big guys in it...of course there was the language barrier but these guys were in a bit of a hurry it seemed and finally just picked up the heavy bike and put it in the pick up. They gave him some water and made him sit in the front with them...in the middle. They were kinda laughing and joking and winking at each other which made my friend very nervous. He had heard so many horror stories about banditos.

After a few miles, they turned abruptly off the highway onto a dirt track at which point my pal was starting to get real worried. He thought they were gonna take him out in the desert, kill him, dump the corpse and take off with his bike. He was totally freaked out and thought it was the end!!!

After awhile they came to a town which happened to be GN. I heard a noisy truck i wasnt familiar with pull up and heard whistles so I came out to see these 2 grinning guys in beat up cowboy hats and a real pale british biker drenched in sweat & trembling.

The hombres described what happened...laughing all the while and figured the best thing to do was to bring this poor terrified dude to someone who spoke english...(one of their sons was a student of mine at UABCS university so they knew who to take him to)

Luckily there was a deposito next door so I quickly administered first aid in the form of an ice cold ballena which he drank down in like 2 gulps. After the 2nd treatment, he began to relax and stopped trembling.

It was friggin hilarious biker guy was scared sh*tless of these 2 grinning ranchers...I'm sure the story has been repeated many times around their campfires.




for info & pics of our little paradise & whale watching info
http://www.bahiaasuncion.com/
https://www.whalemagictours.com/
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Eli
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[*] posted on 9-16-2010 at 09:14 AM


OMG, Shari, how funny! Great story, thanks!
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Osprey
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[*] posted on 9-16-2010 at 09:17 AM


Two local ranchers fixed a broken wire for me and got me going when not a single gringo would stop. I thanked them, tried to give them money which they refused. I handed them a couple of cans of Tecate, they laughed, went to their truck and brought back some Pacificos for all of us. As we stood there enjoying the moment, there must have been 10 gringo motor homes whizzing by and that's when I put it together that the ranchers had nothing to lose but the $250,000 moho owners/drivers had a bunch of reasons not to take chances with their rigs, their stuff and their passengers. That's probably where the "Bad roads, good people" stuff started.
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[*] posted on 9-16-2010 at 09:34 AM


When I bought my Isuzu Rodeo 15 years ago, I didn't invest in the 4-wheel-drive model, although I should have! Every trip down it always seems to get stuck as we go exploring out of Cabo. Usually we're not too far away from anything and between my sister and my husband we always seem to get unstuck!

Last trip down we went up to Candelario to look for the witches (and the orejones (sp.), dried mangoes that look like ears). My husband knew that we could get back to the highway if we went through the arroyo...so off to the arroyo we went (Migrino). Didn't get too far in the soft sand before we weren't going any further! Sis and hubby tried their usual digging and pushing and deflating tricks, but nothing was working. Along comes a pick-up with a family and they tied us to their back and pulled us all the way to the road.

All the times that this happens, no one (even the girlies) seems to ever get too worried or nervous. My hubby is from the area, so I have total faith that he will get us out somehow! He knows lots of the back roads, and knows there are always ranchos around with people willing to help! Often they don't except pay, but he always offers. I remember once his truck broke down off the highway near Pescadero and he pushed it to a ranch near the road. It must have been there for close to a year before his brother finally towed it to La Paz. He'd check in on it ocassionally and bring the ranchers fish when he did. It was no bother to them, and they enjoyed his catch!
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sanquintinsince73
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[*] posted on 9-16-2010 at 09:49 AM


Great story, Heather. I never cease to be amazed at the warmth and generosity of Baja Californianos.When I've had vehicle problems I've been invited into homes of very poor people in San Quintin. I've had coyote mole, rattlesnake, and a bunch of other weird stuff.
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[*] posted on 9-16-2010 at 09:58 AM


Quote:
Originally posted by Osprey
I handed them a couple of cans of Tecate, they laughed, went to their truck and brought back some Pacificos for all of us.



More refined in two areas, Jorge. Mechanics sense and taste. :lol::lol:
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Osprey
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[*] posted on 9-16-2010 at 10:07 AM


There are some risks, of course. Not everybody travels about with nothing but good will. One time south of Colonet, on my way to La Ribera, I picked up two stranded senoritas on the highway. A few miles north of El Rosario they pulled a knife on me, told me to pull off onto a lonely road and said that if I didn't give them all the sexual pleasures they craved, they would kill me and I would never make it to La Ribera.
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[*] posted on 9-16-2010 at 10:12 AM


Quote:
Originally posted by windgrrl
Cool topic and an effective antidote to the usual :rolleyes:sturm und drang.


Yeah, couldn't agree more. What attracted me to Baja Sur was not the fish, the sea or the beaches, but the attitude of the people. They (and life in La Paz in general) reminded me of the folks I grew up with in the 'thirties . . . honest, open, helpful, just plain kind. It was good soul food to get out of America's brutalized cities and move here.

Even now, when the metaphorical "war on drugs" has stupidly escalated into a really hot shooting war, I feel safer in La Paz than I ever felt in San Francisco, the "cool, grey city of love." My burro . . .

There've been some changes, sure, but most of that spirit is alive and well in La Paz. Tourist traps like Cabo don't count. It's the people that make a place what it is.
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Skipjack Joe
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[*] posted on 9-16-2010 at 10:16 AM


1978 Pt Escondido trip - Homeward Bound



It was over all too soon. We woke Feliciano at dawn to say goodbye and headed north. Little did we know that baja had one more surprise in store for us. Somewhere between Catavina and El Rosaria I looked in the rear view mirror and noticed that the boat seemed a bit lower than it should have been. An inspection revealed that the frame of the trailer had cracked on the right side. What to do? We were in the middle of nowhere. A car went by every 45 minutes.

We pulled the boat off and laid it by the side of the road. The trailer frame was lashed together with the spare rope. We decided to separate. Val and Nadine would stay with the boat while Vera and I would go scouting for help. It seemed like a mad plan at the time as there was nothing but an occasional rancho within miles. Nadine, who is actually an accomplished painter, decided not to waste time. She set up her easel and oils and went to work.

Vera and I drove north looking for anyone or anything that could get us out of our predicament. We soon reached an SCT building and asked around. A fairly attractive attendant gestured, holding her index finger an inch from her thumb, smiled, and walked out the back door. Vera pulled me aside and asked me if I understood the gesture. It was their way of saying un momentito (wait a moment). She was far better than I in picking up these nuances. After a lot of background verbiage she reemerged and offered to take us somewhere for the repairs. We climbed back into our Maverick and drove off into the desert. Our vehicle weaved through fields of desert cactus and brush on a dirt road that seemed to go nowhere.

Finally, to my amazement, we came to a field with enormous mounds of dirt and the sound of heavy machinery. It was a mining excavation of some sort. Our companion got out and explained the problem to one of the workers. He left us for a short period of time and then showed up with an acetylene tank and proceeded to weld my trailer back together. I could not believe my good fortune. I offered to pay him for his services but he absolutely refused anything from me. I pleaded some more but the man wouldn?t accept a dime. I soon understood tha my offers were actually insulting him. He finally suggested that I might buy him a cerveza, and so I got him a six pack.

On the way back to the highway the lady asked us if we could somehow get her into the United States. She complained of being bored here in baja, that life was passing her by. I couldn?t believe my ears. She was living in paradise and yet longed for the suburbs of Los Angeles.

By the time we reached our friends it was sunset. The desert was lit up with that golden glow we had grown to love so much. The glow we like to watch on the Sierra Giganta every morning from our campsite at Pt. Escondido. Nadine was now working feverishly to get it all on canvas before the light faded.
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[*] posted on 9-16-2010 at 10:59 AM


About a year ago we drove our 94 F150 pick up down to baja to be our baja vehicle. Since we purchased it in 2003 the darn thing sometimes didn't start. Hubby took it to numerous mechanics in the U.S. to figure out why...problem never got resolved. So when I was down in Todos Santos area by myself doing errands the truck decided to not start for a long time...I'm peeed thinking darn what the heck do I do now. Someone referred me to an excellent mechanic named Josefat just outside of Todos on the way to La Paz. I was able to get the truck started to drive it to his place and he took one look at it and figured out the problem was the starter wire wasn't grounded or something like that. He charged me 50p and another 50p if I wanted him to put the 2nd bolt in to ensure it was tight. I happily paid him 100p and that truck started up every time ever since. I was so happy and appreciative of how quickly he assisted me and respected his mechanic skills in diagnosing the problem.

Well now onto the sad part of the story... this was in a recent Baja Western Onion edition:
*********************************************
A Very Sad Story- Earlier this summer, a tragedy occurred a few miles out of town on the new highway to La Paz. Josefat, the towns favorite mechanic, was heading home about 10 pm with his wife and grandchild. They ran out of gas about 300 feet from their house, and decided to walk home. All three were hit by a speeding La Paz bound vehicle. Josefat's wife and 3 year old grandchild we killed instantly. Josefat, was badly injured, but survived. He has spent several months in the hospital in the mainland, recovering form his injuries, and has now been transferred back to Todos Santos, where he will continue to heal. We have decided to try to help make Josefat's life just a little easier. Nothing will replace his loss, but maybe our donations may make recovery just a little easier, until he can get back on his feet. If you would like to help, please call or drop us an e mail. Thank you for your attention. Barbara Perkins, Pedro Solis Magallanes, Chuck Cimino - Barbara Perkins, 612-14-00069 612-14-50562
******************************************

I will be making a donation.
Thanks for reading,
pacside
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Eli
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[*] posted on 9-16-2010 at 12:14 PM


pascide, very sad in deed, oh man, life can really throw us some tough ones. Josefat has my greatest sympathies.
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[*] posted on 9-16-2010 at 02:06 PM


In the past I have been helped by locals and have always found them to be very nice. This story is slightly reversed from many here. I was traveling I-84 in Oregon when I saw an old van stopped along the freeway. A young Mexican guy was out trying to flag someone down.

I stopped and backed up to where he was parked. There were several more Mexican guys inside and they had blown a radiator hose. They had been able to cut it off and it would still reach but they needed a screw driver to take off the old clamp and install the hose. My tool box was in the back of my car so I got one out and gave it to them. They were just a few feet from the Columbia river so they could get all the water they needed to fill it back up.

The guy who flagged me down then asked me a question that has bothered me ever since.

He said I have been trying to get someone to stop for the last 45 minutes and everyone ignores me. Do you think it is because they can tell I am a Mexican? Are they scared of me?

How would you answer that question?
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[*] posted on 9-16-2010 at 02:10 PM


Quote:
Originally posted by wiltonh

The guy who flagged me down then asked me a question that has bothered me ever since.

He said I have been trying to get someone to stop for the last 45 minutes and everyone ignores me. Do you think it is because they can tell I am a Mexican? Are they scared of me?

How would you answer that question?



Just say, "Not everyone."
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sanquintinsince73
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[*] posted on 9-16-2010 at 03:56 PM


Quote:
Originally posted by wiltonh
In the past I have been helped by locals and have always found them to be very nice. This story is slightly reversed from many here. I was traveling I-84 in Oregon when I saw an old van stopped along the freeway. A young Mexican guy was out trying to flag someone down.

I stopped and backed up to where he was parked. There were several more Mexican guys inside and they had blown a radiator hose. They had been able to cut it off and it would still reach but they needed a screw driver to take off the old clamp and install the hose. My tool box was in the back of my car so I got one out and gave it to them. They were just a few feet from the Columbia river so they could get all the water they needed to fill it back up.

The guy who flagged me down then asked me a question that has bothered me ever since.

He said I have been trying to get someone to stop for the last 45 minutes and everyone ignores me. Do you think it is because they can tell I am a Mexican? Are they scared of me?

How would you answer that question?

This begs for a whole new thread but I empathize with the stranded motorist.
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Skipjack Joe
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[*] posted on 9-16-2010 at 04:22 PM


Blanche DuBois, "Whoever you are, I have always depended on the kindness of strangers", was based on a touring bajanomad, I'm told.
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[*] posted on 9-16-2010 at 04:49 PM


My first time down Mex 1, 1974 I think, '66 VW bus. We hit El Rosario and decided to go off to the beach for the night. Right turn at the bottom of the hill. It had been drizzly, rainy, for a couple days before that. We got quite a way to the beach but it started getting muddy. Didn't want to stop because there wasn't anyplace the turn around. You can probably envision the inevitable. Stuck in the mud. Maybe half mile to some sand dunes. Getting dark and still drizzling. Opened the ice chest and the night passed pretty easily. Next morning it was raining and we decided to find some help. Every step the mud would stick to our feet. We went back to the bus and took our shoes off. We'd have to stop every 100 yards to scrape the mud off or you would have a 20 pound weight on each foot. We walked back toward town and finally saw a ranch off to the South. Talked to a guy and told him where we were, and he said he'd be back later. We got back to the bus and waited. About 5 that evening we were getting a little worried, then a pretty big stakeside truck appeared. 30 workers were in the back. They stopped a quarter of a mile from us (they weren't stupid) and they all walked to where we were, literally picked up the bus, turned it around, and moved it off the path to a weedy area and told us to drive. Luckily we had enough beer to hand out afterwards. That mud was still in places on that bus when I sold it in the mid 80's, and if I saw it again I'm sure I could find spots that still have it.

By the way, lookingandbuying, do not attempt the handicapped accessible ramp along the stairs going up to Immigration in Cabo. Silliest thing, I'll have to get a picture.
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Gypsy Jan
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[*] posted on 9-16-2010 at 04:52 PM
Today, In Line for the Border, Northbound


It was a one-and-one-half hour wait at the the TJ/San Ysidro crossing (in case anybody wants to know the wait time).

I needed to heed the call of nature - immediately, so I got out (hubby was driving) and made a run for the almost border, a bathroom located in the row of tiendas near the gates.

The man at the door told me that I needed to pay to use the facilities and I had NO money, just an agonized expression.

One the ladies that worked in the shops there came over and paid my entrance fee. "I pay for you!" she said with a big smile. I thanked her profusely, apologizing to anyone within in hearing distance that I didn't know about the "pay to play" rule.

In the spirit of Independence Day, everyone smiled and laughed and waved goodbye to the crazy gringa.

[Edited on 9-16-2010 by Gypsy Jan]




“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness.”
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DENNIS
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[*] posted on 9-16-2010 at 04:58 PM


Quote:
Originally posted by maspacifico
By the way, lookingandbuying, do not attempt the handicapped accessible ramp along the stairs going up to Immigration in Cabo. Silliest thing, I'll have to get a picture.



Or either of the two ramps at Pizza Hut in Ensenada. Both of them go right up to a brick wall.
Insane.
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[*] posted on 9-16-2010 at 05:12 PM


Quote:
Originally posted by Osprey
There are some risks, of course. Not everybody travels about with nothing but good will. One time south of Colonet, on my way to La Ribera, I picked up two stranded senoritas on the highway. A few miles north of El Rosario they pulled a knife on me, told me to pull off onto a lonely road and said that if I didn't give them all the sexual pleasures they craved, they would kill me and I would never make it to La Ribera.



:lol::lol::lol::lol:
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