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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
Member Is Offline
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I do not doubt that Antonio is a really nice guy.
That said, They did try to sell me additive after an almost twenty minute wait while they had a shift change.
What I did not mention, was that while waiting, I decided to go to the restroom.
As I approached, an employee jumped out in front of me to mop the floor of that crappy restroom. After I was finished, he asked for a tip. Cannot
figure out why he wanted a tip when I did all the work associated with bathroom duties.
So, if Antonio is such a great guy, why are his employees such beggars? Maybe he doesn't pay them enough. Just a thought.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65240
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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I am not saying you are making it up, just that in hundreds of visits it hasn't happened to me. It is wrong, none-the-less and Antonio has posted here
clearly that any time you have been wronged by his staff, please contact him asap with the date and time of day (a name would be helpful). All his
staff wear uniforms with their name. Cameras see all activity at the station and motel parking area/ lobby. Antonio can review the tapes and take
action.
The bathrooms were totally remodeled and he has (had) hired a person solely to clean them. There is a nice bathroom behind the door to the left of the
motel front desk, and Antonio has invited Nomads to use it if there are issues with the gas station bathrooms... such as long lines...
Antonio pays higher than the standard rate for such work to keep good staff. However, people will sometimes take advantage of his kindness and passing
tourists. That is why Antonio wants you to contact him so he can make good any problems.
His email is provided on his web site: http://bajacactus.com/
If serious, use the USA phone number to get a message to him or speak with him if he is at the motel. (619) 694-1082
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dtbushpilot
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3294
Registered: 1-11-2007
Location: Buena Vista BCS
Member Is Offline
Mood: Tranquilo
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I don't use the El Rosario Pemex any more either. I'm not going to say why, I don't want to have to defend myself....
"Life is tough".....It's even tougher if you're stupid.....
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gallesram
Nomad
Posts: 384
Registered: 7-6-2010
Location: Laguna Beach
Member Is Offline
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Weird; I stop there every time I head south and have never had any issue. Bathrooms are clean, attendants are fine, etc. We stop after staying
overnight at Jardines and it's always early (7:00 am; that's early for us). We're not there to make friends or have lengthy conversation, just get
gas, use the bathroom & keep going.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65240
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by gallesram
Weird; I stop there every time I head south and have never had any issue. Bathrooms are clean, attendants are fine, etc. We stop after staying
overnight at Jardines and it's always early (7:00 am; that's early for us). We're not there to make friends or have lengthy conversation, just get
gas, use the bathroom & keep going. |
Baja Angel and I always give businesses a second chance, because everyone can have a bad day. This applies mostly to restaurants, but any business in
Baja can go from good to bad and can get good again. It is tough to survive there, and someone (like Antonio) who has been such a good friend to ALL
travelers (and could save your life someday with his ambulance service) deserves more than one chance if an employee screwed up.
Sure he is a friend, so I try harder to be in his corner when he isn't here... and I do that for any friend. We all make mistakes, but how empowering
is it to forgive, instead to ignore?
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elgatoloco
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4342
Registered: 11-19-2002
Location: Yes
Member Is Offline
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We usually blow by there because the lines are too long.
Viva 500 miles of fuel!
YMMV
On the last whale trip that we guided we stopped northbound so the ladies did not have to pee squatting in the desert and they all reported good
things about the restrooms. 
Los Pinos does have an ATM, which can be handy.
MAGA
Making Attorneys Get Attorneys
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
Member Is Offline
Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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Baja Cactus
I stop by for gas/Diesel every trip and also leave a cash donation for the ambulance.......what is interesting is that a couple of weeks later I get
mailed a receipt for the donation.
It would be easy to stop in San Quentin, stay at Jardines and get gas at Los Pinos however I appreciate what Antonio is doing with the Desert Hawks
ambulance service and his operating the PEMEX and motel. He is invested in his community and I gladly will continue to support him and his operations.
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willardguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6451
Registered: 9-19-2009
Member Is Offline
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operating a pemex off grid is as easy as flipping a generator on and off. BUT, the only way a catavina pemex will work is if Don Rafa sells only to
the traveler and not to the gentleman with the drums emptying the tank, as it was in the past.
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toneart
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4901
Registered: 7-23-2006
Member Is Offline
Mood: Skeptical
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I admire DK's loyalty to Antonio! He deserves it. Antonio is a real humanitarian He also runs a good hotel and the gas station employees have always
been good (and honest) with me. Of course, every business can have a bad apple or a bad day. That has never been my experience though. Perhaps, if you
get a "rude" attendant, you could try dropping Antonio's name. I bet he would straighten up in a hurry.
Antonio really helped me a few years ago when I got horribly sick while staying in the BajaCactus Hotel.
The only time I was really inconvenienced there was when the pickup guys are in front of me filling up their 55 gallon drums for resale. That was just
the luck of the draw. I doubt if Antonio would or should prohibit them from doing that.
El Rosario is the right distance and time of day to arrive from either direction. I always meet Nomads there too. 
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StuckSucks
Super Nomad
Posts: 2358
Registered: 10-17-2013
Member Is Offline
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Years ago, the generator method worked in Puertocitos at an actual Pemex station. You got the guy out of the bar across the street, he'd come over,
start the generator, pump gas, then return to the bar. This is back when the Puertocitos Road from San Felipe ran past the airport and down the coast
(zero pavement, the current "old road").
Other gas dispensing methods:
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willardguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6451
Registered: 9-19-2009
Member Is Offline
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Roman seems to do just fine using a generator at the gonzaga pemex, no problemo
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
I am not saying you are making it up, just that in hundreds of visits it hasn't happened to me. It is wrong, none-the-less and Antonio has posted here
clearly that any time you have been wronged by his staff, please contact him asap with the date and time of day (a name would be helpful). All his
staff wear uniforms with their name. Cameras see all activity at the station and motel parking area/ lobby. Antonio can review the tapes and take
action.
The bathrooms were totally remodeled and he has (had) hired a person solely to clean them. There is a nice bathroom behind the door to the left of the
motel front desk, and Antonio has invited Nomads to use it if there are issues with the gas station bathrooms... such as long lines...
Antonio pays higher than the standard rate for such work to keep good staff. However, people will sometimes take advantage of his kindness and passing
tourists. That is why Antonio wants you to contact him so he can make good any problems.
His email is provided on his web site: http://bajacactus.com/
If serious, use the USA phone number to get a message to him or speak with him if he is at the motel. (619) 694-1082 |
By merely stating I'm not making it up tells me how you feel.
I have to admit that after many stops in El Rosario, we became to feel uncomfortable with the vibe of the town.
The only stop we ever make these days is at Ed's Bajas Best for breakfast. Nice comfy place. Good food, and Ed is fun to talk with.
That all said, for the life of me, I do not know why you attached that link to Baja Cactus, inasmuch as they have never completed anything but that
page. There is absolutely no info on the place, and there is no e-mail.
I can e-mail Jardines any time I want. And they are very responsive.
And, isn't that phone number you reference, a Tijuana number?
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UnoMas
Nomad
Posts: 328
Registered: 2-8-2008
Location: East Cape
Member Is Offline
Mood: Great
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I always get my fuel in El Rosario and never had any problem with the attendants. They show you that the pump is zeroed, never have asked for a tip or
been rude. They also bring ice for my cooler when asked if they have it. Yes I tip them because I always get great service there and don't ever feel
like I am getting ripped off like many other Pemex stations in Baja. Antonio is a good man and tries hard to earn our trust. He is a Nomad and
deserves our support IMO.
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villafontana
Nomad
Posts: 261
Registered: 5-28-2013
Location: Tijuana, Baja California
Member Is Offline
Mood: Urgency to travel all the time in Baja!
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Bajahowodd
| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
I am not saying you are making it up, just that in hundreds of visits it hasn't happened to me. It is wrong, none-the-less and Antonio has posted here
clearly that any time you have been wronged by his staff, please contact him asap with the date and time of day (a name would be helpful). All his
staff wear uniforms with their name. Cameras see all activity at the station and motel parking area/ lobby. Antonio can review the tapes and take
action.
The bathrooms were totally remodeled and he has (had) hired a person solely to clean them. There is a nice bathroom behind the door to the left of the
motel front desk, and Antonio has invited Nomads to use it if there are issues with the gas station bathrooms... such as long lines...
Antonio pays higher than the standard rate for such work to keep good staff. However, people will sometimes take advantage of his kindness and passing
tourists. That is why Antonio wants you to contact him so he can make good any problems.
His email is provided on his web site: http://bajacactus.com/
If serious, use the USA phone number to get a message to him or speak with him if he is at the motel. (619) 694-1082 |
By merely stating I'm not making it up tells me how you feel.
I have to admit that after many stops in El Rosario, we became to feel uncomfortable with the vibe of the town.
The only stop we ever make these days is at Ed's Bajas Best for breakfast. Nice comfy place. Good food, and Ed is fun to talk with.
That all said, for the life of me, I do not know why you attached that link to Baja Cactus, inasmuch as they have never completed anything but that
page. There is absolutely no info on the place, and there is no e-mail.
I can e-mail Jardines any time I want. And they are very responsive.
And, isn't that phone number you reference, a Tijuana number? |
Amen to that. Last week i was looking for a place to stay in El Rosario, so i type El Rosario on facebook and i got this Baja Cactus profile. So i
added it, they added me, i ask them for a motel or hotel there (not knowing Baja Cactus IS a motel), they saw my message, and never got a reply. I
dunno if Antonio manage that facebook profile or not, but if u ask for info and u dont get none, NO CUSTOMER FOR YOU. After that, i rather stay in San
Quintin and fill gas there instead of Antonio's businesses.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65240
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Wow... the phone number is a 619 area code. That is San Diego, and I don't post false data, my goal is to assist other, positive attitude travelers
who are looking for good value and interesting places.
The phone number or the ones in the link I posted (there are numbers there, regardless if Antonio has ever added anything else to the page), is the
ONLY sure way to get a reservation... Stated numerous times. The place fills up because it is just that good, so somebody has done a good job?
Facebook to make a reservation, seriously? Antonio may get on there once in a great while to add a photo, maybe... I don't know... I never see updates
from it? Antonio (despite my requests, in person) rarely gets on Nomad anymore. Life is pretty well a full plate for him... and now he is an ambulance
operator as if the motel and Pemex and fatherhood wasn't enough!
You want El Rosario as a place to stay for many reasons... 30 miles further south than San Quintin, best motel anywhere for the price or for any
price, support a great human in his efforts to help others, explore the many sites around El Rosario, ...
Other than Baja Cactus, Ed's Baja's Best B & B is nice, Turista Motel is nice, Sinahi Motel (not sure), and Mama Espinoza's Las Caba�as Motel is
available.
I stayed at the Mision Santa Maria Hotel last week south of San Quintin (the former Desert Inn, La Pinta, El Presidente), and it was fine... that is
the next closest lodge to El Rosario.
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
Wow... the phone number is a 619 area code. That is San Diego, and I don't post false data, my goal is to assist other, positive attitude travelers
who are looking for good value and interesting places.
The phone number or the ones in the link I posted (there are numbers there, regardless if Antonio has ever added anything else to the page), is the
ONLY sure way to get a reservation... Stated numerous times. The place fills up because it is just that good, so somebody has done a good job?
Facebook to make a reservation, seriously? Antonio may get on there once in a great while to add a photo, maybe... I don't know... I never see updates
from it? Antonio (despite my requests, in person) rarely gets on Nomad anymore. Life is pretty well a full plate for him... and now he is an ambulance
operator as if the motel and Pemex and fatherhood wasn't enough!
You want El Rosario as a place to stay for many reasons... 30 miles further south than San Quintin, best motel anywhere for the price or for any
price, support a great human in his efforts to help others, explore the many sites around El Rosario, ...
Other than Baja Cactus, Ed's Baja's Best B & B is nice, Turista Motel is nice, Sinahi Motel (not sure), and Mama Espinoza's Las Caba�as Motel is
available.
I stayed at the Mision Santa Maria Hotel last week south of San Quintin (the former Desert Inn, La Pinta, El Presidente), and it was fine... that is
the next closest lodge to El Rosario. |
Stayed at Mision Santa Maria several times, both before and after the Los Pinos folks bought it. Most often it was because it was a Monday and
Esmeralda and Carlos are closed on Mondays, which means staying at Jardines on a Monday means you have to drive somewhere to eat. After an all day
drive, I prefer to eat with out having to drive somewhere. The new owners have made improvements in the rooms and they have greatly improved the
dining room. But, at the end of the day, the whole property retains a creepy feel that stems from the building design.
So, did you stay there because Jardines was full? Or do you just have some problems with that family owned, family run property?
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65240
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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I wonder sometimes when I post a trip report with all the detail that I do, that I get a question like this... but I still don't mind answering it for
Nomads who didn't get it the first time (Lord know I have missed some details here myself when I speed read through posts!)...
I was the guest of the Desert Assassins 'Trail of Missions' tour. I was flown by helicopter to San Vicente, then driven by Ford Raptor to the Hotel
Mision Santa Maria where all 50 of us had a room reserved in advance for the night.
I have eaten at Baja Jardines perhaps 4 times, all very good. I have posted photos at their old and their new restaurant over the years so that others
may enjoy it. We last ate dinner there for our first anniversary (July 18, 2009)... so, that is pretty telling, isn't it?
I have not stayed at their motel because we have closer association with fellow Nomad 'BajaCactus', and that is only 25 or so miles away. Antonio has
not yet opened a restaurant, but Mama Espinoza's is next door, and we have not had a bad meal there yet. We have also walked to one of the taco places
near Baja Cactus, too. A short drive takes us the 2 miles to Ed's Baja's Best Restaurant, where we have enjoyed more meals in El Rosario.
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mulegemichael
Super Nomad
Posts: 2310
Registered: 12-24-2007
Location: sequim,wa. and mulege
Member Is Offline
Mood: up on step
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well, in my opinion, and i'm not an epicurian expert, none of the aforementioned restaurants, dk, even come close to the restaurant at
jardines....none, and i mean none, of the aforementioned restaurants even comes close....really, really...
dyslexia is never having to say you\'re yrros.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65240
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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You are right Michael, they are not close to Jardines... they are about 30 miles away!
If you missed my comments above, I said Jardines was good... very good. I did NOT try to compare quality of El Rosario eateries to San Quintin's. It
was about location, and if you cannot enjoy a meal in Baja away from San Quintin, then you won't have a lot of fun.
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windgrrl
Super Nomad
Posts: 1336
Registered: 9-2-2006
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by UnoMas
I always get my fuel in El Rosario and never had any problem with the attendants. They show you that the pump is zeroed, never have asked for a tip or
been rude. They also bring ice for my cooler when asked if they have it.
Yes I tip them because I always get great service there... |
Ditto x past 4 years.
When the way comes to an end, then change. Having changed, you pass through.
~ I-Ching
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