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BajaNomad
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Actually, that's the address and phone number of the A-ok mail center:
http://www.google.com/search?q=7024590555
I know they take messages for him... but he's not quick about responses.
When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people.
– Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
We know we must go back if we live, and we don`t know why.
– John Steinbeck, Log from the Sea of Cortez
https://www.regionalinternet.com
Affordable Domain Name Registration/Management & cPanel Web Hosting - since 1999 |
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jrbaja
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I don't think so !
Actually, this exchange above was more of a friendly debate between JR who thinks or just talks like everything American is bad/ everything Mexican is
good... and me who thinks there is good and bad on BOTH sides of the border.
David, if you still haven't caught on, everyone is the same on both sides of this border or any other borders. As long as they are open minded and
willing to litsten to ALL others ideas before forming (or getting caught up in!) ones own ideas.
Unless of course, they are just trying to make a buck as soon as they possibly can.
I won't name any names or aliases but I really wonder what these gringo "speed publications" are doing for the Mexican communities who are obviously
not helping them. I wonder why ?
Otherwise, they would have real information and accurate maps, No? 
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David K
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Location: San Diego County
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| Quote: | Originally posted by jrbaja
David, if you still haven't caught on, everyone is the same on both sides of this border or any other borders. As long as they are open minded and
willing to litsten to ALL others ideas before forming (or getting caught up in!) ones own ideas.
Unless of course, they are just trying to make a buck as soon as they possibly can.
I won't name any names or aliases but I really wonder what these gringo "speed publications" are doing for the Mexican communities who are obviously
not helping them. I wonder why ?
Otherwise, they would have real information and accurate maps, No?
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Sure JR...
I am wondering, what are "gringo speed publications"??
a) Maps by the auto club which come out every 1-3 years are compiled from years of research. I have emailed with one of the Auto Clubs Baja mappers,
and he was very appreciative of my findings and discussed why they indicated roads a certain way (for legal reasons)... Anyway, they are now using
GPS, so you will see better acuracy in their maps.
b) Baja Almanac is certainly no speed demon at making new editions...
Both of the above are good for the back country comunities... Having them on maps will bring travelers there.
What I find disturbing are the Mexican made road and tour maps, like the one you use that has WRONG dates for the missions on them. Remember when you
wanted to put Mision San Luis Gonzaga's founding date on the baseball uniforms?
I look at those maps being sold in curio shops and cringe when I see roads that don't exist, and mis-named towns. Guia Roja is bad as well...
Now, for north of the border made maps of Baja... Rand McNally is terrible, National Geographic not much better, gasoline company road maps of Baja
and Mexico are very poor...
As for relying on the local people for historical facts, that has its limits...
Probably loses acuracy after 2 generations (once grandpa dies).
I had quite a debate with Dr. Robert Jackson (academicanarchist) about the so called Mision Dolores del Norte.
I was like you, on the side of the local people... at San Francisco de la Sierra (you know, the Arces)... They told Choral Pepper (40 years ago) that
the walls up there were the remains of Mision Dolores and her research for her book seemed to confirm that. There are baptismal and other records for
Dolores.
The families up there were decendants of soldiers who stayed in Baja after the mission system no longer needed them. Choral believed that they were
soldiers guarding Dolores del Norte. (Harry Crosby's research showed otherwise)
Robert was stead fast that no mission called Dolores del Norte ever existed (even though it has been on many maps over the years, between El Arco and
San Ignacio).
Well, we both were right... Robert did discover that the next mission to be established beyond San Ignacio was given the name Dolores del Norte and
early records for the Indians that would be assigned to it were kept seperate from the San Ignacio records.
There even was a mission visita/estancia at San Francisco. That MIGHT have been an early consideration for a mission. Perhaps that is how the name
Dolores was applied to the old walls by the locals in 1964?
However, there is only water in tinajas up there so population was limited...
When funding arrived from Europe, a site further north was chosen and the name was changed to Santa Gertrudis to honor the rquest of the benefactor,
as was customary.
What I am getting at is the local village people may have an idea or have been told a story from older folks, but they probably do not have access to
the libraries of Europe or even documents here that has confirmed historic data. Most of the Spanish and Mexican settlers arrived in Baja AFTER most
of the missions were abandoned by the Spanish government or Dominicans.
Of course nobody is alive today who witnessed the missions in operation. That leaves many possiblites as to other details besides the founding
dates... You know, like the lost or forgotten mission projects I find interesting!
http://community-2.webtv.net/baja4me/1757
and the known mission sites:
http://vivabaja.com/bajamissions
The locals people are a wealth of knowledge on the territory they live in, for sure. Having their village on a map will let others know it is there.
People like you will report how interesting it is... bringing others... bringing business $$$.
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mcgyver
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OK, To add to your dicussion, Langdon disapeared for 18 months before he published this last edition. I called his home in Las Vegas twice and talked
to his wife and she didin't even know where he was or when he would be back! Quote from her " Langdon is real bad about returning calls and calling
home, I talked to him about 6 months ago , he was in Baja
! End quote!!!She gave me his publishers phone # and I called him and he said almost the idenical words! I personaly don't belive he exists, has
anyone ever talked to him in person?
Anyway I was desparately offering $50 for a copy of the old one, whem Neal Johns who did not even know me sent me a brand new copy for christmas ,
priority mail and it came as I was driving out of the drive for my Baja trip. The new addition came out 5 months later,hsIf all maps and surveys were
100% acurate we would no longer need surveyors, not that they are accutate either!
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bajapablo
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Landon bought my friends and I cokes
at mama espinoza's one night in June of this year. We were seated at a table next to him and started up conversation. He said he was currently
working on his next edition and showed us his baja-almanac that had all of his notes. We ate watermelon, drank soda, watched the Lakers get beat by
the Pistons, and listened to stories of his travels. We asked him questions that we had and the whole time he was very friendly and cordial. I
thought he was a cool guy and my first impression of him was good. I don't know about his business practices but in our meeting him, he was very
personable.
\"changes it lattitudes, changes in attitudes\"
J.Buffet
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Jack Swords
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Location: Nipomo, CA/La Paz, BCS
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Another comment
I wish humans could be more exact, but they are not. Sailing charts produced by governments are never accurate. A reef can be a mile or two off from
its chart. GPS use has really shown how bad charts are for boaters. We use the Mexican Topos and the almanacs and usually have to ask three
different locals to find what we are looking for. But, we have met some wonderful people and ended up with a far richer experience by needing that
contact. Many times these accidental contacts are more rewarding that our original objective. Sure improves the Spanish and sharing of cultures.
Actually, it is that experience that I look forward to, walking up to a rancho and being immediately an "amigo". Never have we been treated badly.
That big old almanac can be hardbound at a printer to avoid the duct tape binding.
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Herb
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Jack gets it...
And that is why I personally hope that they never come out with one that is 100% accurate! 
| Quote: | Originally posted by Jack Swords
But, we have met some wonderful people and ended up with a far richer experience by needing that contact. Many times these accidental contacts are
more rewarding that our original objective. Sure improves the Spanish and sharing of cultures. Actually, it is that experience that I look forward
to, walking up to a rancho and being immediately an "amigo". Never have we been treated badly. |
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Herb
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By the way....
My biggest knock on the guy is not the map itself. I'll almost certainly by his next edition when it comes out. I guess the real point that I would
make to people is that he is notorious for taking money and not shipping product (and I don't believe it is any type of criminal or fraudulent intent,
just not very organized). I would reccomend that anyone buy it, but as the first post in this thread would suggest, I would buy it from ANYWHERE else
but from baja-almanac.com.
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Anonymous
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Baja-Almanac.com
Thanks for all of your input, I guess I'm out of $25 and 4 maps. I appreciate the people who posted alternative places to get the maps. You guys are
great and hope to see some BajaNomads when I'm down there this Saturday. I'm leading (?) a ride from Santo Tomas to Mikes to SF to Gonzaga to El
Rosario back to Santo Tomas. We are itching to go but I wanted to get the foldout map for conveniece sake. Thanks again, Bob
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jrbaja
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Mercado del Mar
south of Rosarito as well as many of the other stores in town sell some pretty good maps. Probably Ensenada too.
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David K
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Location: San Diego County
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Anonymous Bob...
Get the AAA folding Baja map if that's what you are using it for. Landon's folding map is very thin paper, and has more details than you can use...
They are better suited to make a wall map out of... very colorful like Arnold Senterfitt's wall maps.
The AAA map is available all over... including an AAA ofice, if you or one of your riders is a member. On the Internet, they are available at
mapworld.com, discoverbaja.com (even to non-members), at office depots even...
They are heavier paper and roads illustrated clearly with milages on every road...
What we are talking about above is the Baja Almanac map book by Landon, and not his folding map.
Have a fun ride!!!
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Anonymous
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David,
I do have the BajaAlmanac but as I'm traveling by m/c I wanted to get the folding map BajaAlmanac. I do have a copy of the AAA Map already, but it
doesn't have all of the trails that the Baja Almanac shows. Thanks for your help
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jrbaja
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Try one of the
Mexican maps sold in stores down here. You might be surprised at how much they know about their country.
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David K
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Location: San Diego County
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Yah, but don't believe what's on them! Specially mission dates... right JR?
Bob, take the AAA map and ADD any trails shown in the Almanac with a pen! A few might even really be there!
If you want some m/c rides in Baja (San Ignacio to the U.S.) then get Kacey's book: http://www.bajagpsguide.com It is well worth the $99!
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Anonymous
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K[/i
If you want some m/c rides in Baja (San Ignacio to the U.S.) then get Kacey's book: http://www.bajagpsguide.com It is well worth the $99! |
I bought that book! It's awesome!!
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David K
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Yes it is awesome!
It may be too late, but here is another Internet source for the Baja Almanac and the folding map (a new web site that will be added to my links page):
http://www.bajabooksandmaps.com/
click on 'maps'...
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Cameron
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AAA Maps of Baja
As far as accuracy goes, the AAA maps are the best! As mentioned in prior posts, they do lack some fine details where other maps include them, but
anything shown is there for sure.
I had an opportunity to talk with a AAA cartographer who was out doing seasonal (!) updates to their survey data. This was in October of 2002, and he
was driving a Jeep Cherokee with a large (GPS?) antenna array on top, and a hard-mounted laptop taking up the front passenger seat.
He told me that the AAA surveyed all paved roads in Baja every year, and tried to do all major secondary/gravel roads every 2 years as conditions
allowed. I don't know if that's still policy, but at the time I met him, he showed me the older versions of their maps, and some of the notations he'd
been plugging into his laptop, and I was very impressed!
It appeared he'd been doing way more than driving along while his GPS ticked off waypoints. I saw detailed notes about conversations held with locals
about recent changes to some of the areas I was familiar with, and the detail was surprising to say the least!
If half of that stuff made it into the next edition, it would be well worth the $$$ to join up and get one of the AAA maps... Just my opinion, thanks
for reading!
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jrbaja
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Good point David
Who would know more about Baja Missions than you ?
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David K
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| Quote: | Originally posted by jrbaja
Who would know more about Baja Missions than you ? |
A whole lot of people JR.
On this web site: academic anarchist, Jack Swords, Kevin in Oklahoma for starters.
Please do not ever confuse my love and my passion for Baja for any form of bragging or posturing.
I never called myself an expert at Baja mission history, just a fond student. I even corrected Mexico Ted on the radio show when he said I have been
everywhere in Baja... It would take more than one lifetime to do that... So much Baja, so little time! But, it is fun trying.
I have personally been on the mission and visita grounds at these sites (north to south): Guadalupe del Norte,
San Miguel de la Frontera,
San Vicente,
El Rosario de Arriba,
El Rosario de Abajo,
San Juan de Dios,
San Fernando,
Santa Maria,
Calamajue,
San Borja (and it's vista at San Ignacito),
Santa Gertrudis,
San Ignacio,
Santa Rosalia de Mulege,
San Juan Bautista Londo,
Loreto,
San Javier, and
San Juan Bautista de Ligui y Malibat...
Plus the historic water sources at Agua Dulce, Tinaja de Yubay, and Tinaja de Santa Maria on the Gulfo Camino.
That means I can relate first hand information on what's there. But, I still don't think that makes me an expert...
Thanks anyway!
[Edited on 12-4-2004 by David K]
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bajalera
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To get back to maps, I can put up with a stray road here and there--or the lack of one--but not with the willy-nilly revision of place names. If
someone wants to name a resort Scorpion Bay, fine--but the bay it's on is San Juanico.
Bahia de Los Muertos doesn't have much in the way of appeal, so it's been relabled Puerto de Las Suenas. And the Ensenada de Los Aripes--a native name
dating from Salvatierra's day, which certainly ought to be preserved--is Ensenada de La Paz even on maps accompanying scholarly research published by
the Universidad Autonoma de Baja California Sur. That's a crime!
bajalera
\"Very few things happen at the right time, and the rest never happen at all. The conscientious historian will correct these defects.\" -
Mark Twain
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