Janice
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Registered: 10-19-2003
Location: Owens Valley/Alpine - California
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Trip report Nov. 16 - Dec. 5 (part 1) Long
We wrote a trip log from the road and sent it to our family back home...so it is a bit long. I've edited a bit and broke it down to several reports.
We've heard it said that "nothing good comes easy"...for reasons that are yet unclear setting out on this Baja trip had more than what we consider to
be a fair set of challenges. It was a challenge to set out on this trip in the first place, after having lost a family member way too young, and
putting that aside to try to enjoy ourselves. It was also difficult to continue with this trip, knowing that a large portion of our family would be
gathering for the Thanksgiving holiday, and knowing that we would not be a part of that gathering. It was a difficult choice to make, but our plans
had been made months ago, and we felt that we really needed and deserved to get away after a long challenging season at work.
Our 1987 Toyota 4x4 "Scooby Doo" van (named for its coincidental resemblance to a van from the cartoon) is showing its age and gave Rich a lot of
difficulty fixing what should have been easy problems. At one point he was so frustrated when something minor turned into something major (electrical
problems) that we considered making a hasty purchase of a different vehicle. As if all this was not enough, Janice managed to smash her finger in the
back door, as we were packing to leave, the fingernail immediately turned purple and hurt like crazy. As it turned out, Rich was able to patch the
vehicle up well enough to leave only a day late. We spent the first night of our trip at Carlsbad State Beach campground near San Diego and
determined that we would cross the border the following day despite the fact that we had yet another minor mechanical problem in of all places
Adelanto. Fortunately it was quickly sorted out and we felt that the trip was still on.
The next day we packed up and went south after having stopped for coffee and a carne asada burrito at Roberto's in Encinitas. We made one more stop
to extend our existing Mexican car insurance (left over from the year's worth we bought last year) for 4 more days. We also got our tourist cards and
paid the fee there so that we would only have to stop on the other side of the border to get them validated.
Friday...We have been through Tijuana on previous trips and always managed to find our way through without having to go through downtown TJ. It has
always been a simple matter of staying to the right after the border crossing and following the signs for the Mex 1 scenic toll road. This time
following the signs put us squarely in the middle of downtown. Rich managed to navigate through the considerable traffic by abandoning his normal
American driving habits and switching to driving like everyone else.
We had heard a rumor at the insurance agency of a fire near Ensenada. As we were nearing the city we saw a thick column of smoke which seemed to be
coming from somewhere near the highway. As we came up over a rise, we could clearly see open flames racing toward the highway in front of us. We saw
no fire suppression in progress, but did see that the Mexican firefighters had done a burnout on the other side of the highway, which looked like it
would stop the fire...on the other side of the highway. Without hesitation, Rich determined that the best way to deal with the situation was to go
really fast and get through before the fire hit, or the road was closed. We made it through with time to spare and even managed to grab a few
pictures as we sped by.
We've had trouble in the past finding our way through Ensenada but this time turned out to be easy as we followed a route we discovered on our
previous trip. We know that there are a lot of people who go to Ensenada and have fun there, but anyone who knows us, and the types of experiences we
like to have know that Ensenada is just not our cup of tea. The place reminds us of the fact that American tourists can be a really bad influence on
a Mexican town. Being close to the U.S. border can intensify this effect.
Once out on the open road south of Ensenada things began to become much more comfortable. The van was running good, the highway was un-crowded and
the weather was beautiful, now that we were past the smoke. We arrived just at dusk at Cielito Lindo, south of San Quintin, a place that for us has
always marked the beginning of the true Baja vacation. We were pleased that everything had gone well despite the mechanical, directional and
flammable situations that we had faced and we were now ready to relax. We set up our bed in the van and went to the restaurant for the famous cracked
crab, black bean soup and the infamous margaritas (never have more than two).
Shortly after arriving at the camp, Bravo turned up with a cough. We were not sure if it was a fish bone he discovered, or what. It was unnerving to
hear him hacking every couple of hours while we tried to sleep. We discussed the options if we were to need a veterinarian. We had read that
Ensenada had decent services in that field, but would opt for taking him to a vet in San Diego rather than in Mexico. The next day, the coughing
persisted but on an occasional basis. We determined that it would be best to wait another day before either making the trip back toward the border or
heading further south. He actually seemed to be in fine health as we took both Bravo and Katie for a long walk on the beach, where he chased birds
and frolicked in the surf. Janice's finger would not stop throbbing from the aforementioned injury and Rich talked her into poking a hole in the nail
with a red-hot needle (I know, it sounds crazy) to relieve the pressure. Her pain eventually
overcame her fear and she agreed to try it. It worked like a charm to relieve the pressure.
Both Bravo and Janice seemed in better spirits, but we decided to stay put one more night anyway. We moved our camp out to the beach after
discovering that the facilities at Cielito Lindo had fallen into disrepair since our last visit. The beach camp was much nicer and we had a hot
shower after setting up camp. After our walk on the beach, we went to have fish tacos at Laura's Wet Buzzard, the restaurant in the camp. They were
really good, fresh fish cut and battered right before our eyes. We spoke with our host, having a pleasant conversation over dinner, which was
interesting since she spoke not a word of English. We were pleased to find that our Spanish has improved a lot since we were here last year. After
dinner we sat around our small fire and Rich played his guitar (the now famous $20 one we got in San Quintin on our first Baja trip in 2001) late into
the evening. We settled in to our bed in the back of the van and the dogs in the front seats, for a restful nights sleep. It got cold in the middle of
the night and at one point we are ashamed to admit that we stole one of the dog blankets to put on top of ours, making them share the remaining one.
That would probably explain why we woke up to find Bravo snuggled in with us.
Sunday...After coffee and a couple of Laura's famous machaca breakfast burritos, we headed down the road towards our next destination, Bahia De Los
Angeles. We had a fairly uneventful trip that lasted about 5 1/2 hours to go about 178 miles. At the turnoff from Hwy. 1, Rich decided to let Janice
drive the last 41 miles so that he could study for the quiz he had to take once we got to the Internet cafe in BOLA. He is taking a Marine Biology
course through Santa Barbara City College. The quiz was on Gray Whales, quite appropriate for where we were spending our vacation, and he felt he
knew most of the answers.
This was the first time that Janice had actually driven in Mexico. She now has a new appreciation for the difficulty of the task, and she didn't even
encounter an 18-wheeler coming the other way. The roads are narrower than in the U.S. and they are not banked on the curves, they also do not have a
shoulder to speak of for the most part, so it really makes you pay attention. Rich will from now on do the driving, unless there is again a
compelling reason.
We stopped in town to send the quiz and pick up a few supplies before heading to Camp Gecko for the evening. We set up in a cabana on the edge of the
bay just as the sun had set and enjoyed the moonrise from bed before falling into the best sleep of the trip.
Monday morning arrived with no wind and calm seas. We were a bit worried, as everyone had warned us that the previous week had been very windy down
here. Janice went for an early snorkel after coffee and Rich decided to try his hand at his newly purchased garage sale prize, an old school
sailboard. He had learned as much as he could by reading, and everything he read said not to try windsurfing as a beginner on an old school board,
apparently with the newer boards, anyone can learn easily. There was not a lot of wind, but for a beginner, that was just what he needed. There is
a lot to learn about balance and technique. As it turned out though, he managed to get the hang of it very quickly and was soon sailing up and down
the bay in front of the camp. Having learned how to surf and skateboard at a young age and the fact that he snowboards made the part of balancing on
the board pretty easy to pick up. Adding the mast and sail to the equation makes it more complicated but this is not the first (or likely the last)
activity that Rich has taken the "teach yourself method" with and succeeded.
We talked to a young gal who is here in BOLA from Mexico City working on her thesis. She is studying the whale sharks and we asked her if we would be
able to see any. Sadly she reported that they had moved south again just a few days ago. It was a bit of a let down but there is a lot more to this
place than just the whale sharks. Hey paradise is paradise whale sharks or not.
That evening our neighbors, Bob and Becky came over to share their salsa and chips, they scrapped the plan to head much further south because this
part of the Sea of Cortez is just so beautiful and they stayed here longer than planned. Another gentleman, Terrance, who is staying through March or
April came by as well. He greeted us as we came into camp and has been a source of good information since then (such as where to find the least
expensive beer in town). He left for a short time and returned with firewood and our neighbors from further down the beach, Lisa and Chris who are
due to leave tomorrow. Then Phillip who Janice had spoken with earlier about kayaking arrived. So we had a small impromptu party around the
campfire. Janice made quesadillas for everyone and Rich and Chris entertained us all with their guitar playing. We are not even sure what time the
party broke up, but it was a fun evening. We had a visit before we turned in by a couple of Mexican beach dogs, very thin and one was very skittish.
We took pity and fed them some pizza that had made the trip from home.
Tuesday morning. Rich went out for his second attempt at windsurfing and stayed out for at least 3 hours. He seems to have gotten the hang of it
quite well and is enjoying himself immensely. Janice went for another snorkel and saw much the same as the previous trip: Trigger fish, Sergeant
Majors, Bull?s-eye Puffer, Snapper, Barracuda, Damselfish, Wrasse and some sort of a Blenny. Quite an impressive array for only having to walk 100
feet from our front door. Sort of like having someone?s very cool tropical aquarium right outside your front door.
We spent the day playing at the beach. Our dogs are having a great time too and even though Bravo still seems to have a bit of a cough he is still
having a lot of fun running amok on the beach. We went to town in the evening to pick up important supplies (mainly beer). We found out that there is
a rather large deposit that you have to pay when buying beverages unless you have an equal number of bottles to turn in at the time of purchase. It is
a little tricky because they require you to have a receipt to prove you bought the product there. We turned in a case worth of bottles but with out
the receipt from that vendor we still paid the deposit, bottles or not. It didn't matter but we thought it was interesting. It seems like it would cut
down on container trash but the receipt thing makes it difficult to avoid paying the deposit. Whatever. At least we got the beer, and we learned
something new.
Back at camp Janice made some awesome chicken tacos and we had a very nice dinner on the porch of our cabana watching the sunset colors on the bay. We
spent the rest of the evening with some folks from a few doors down who were celebrating their last night of a two-week stay with a campfire and an
attempt to drink all their remaining alcohol in one night. Doc Abrams, the owner of Camp Gecko was there and Rich stayed at the campfire talking to
him even after Janice decided to turn in for the evening. Doc is a practicing doctor and he is also passionately pursuing a campaign to have the whale
sharks protected by the Mexican government. He has been appointed by the government to head up the effort for the region. He said that he has a hard
time convincing some officials to pay attention to the importance of protecting these creatures, which are the largest fish in the world. They come
here following the plankton blooms that happen when upwelling, nutrient rich, deep water is mixed with the warm surface waters of the Sea of Cortez.
These largest of all fish eat the tiniest of creatures. What a paradox. Rich finally turned in around 11:00 making for the latest night out yet.
Wednesday- Janice actually went kayaking. She has wanted to try this sport on our other trips but for reasons that neither of us can quite explain she
has not done this before. This day though Doc told her that she should just grab a kayak and try it, "if you don't like it put it back and no charge".
Not surprisingly she really liked it. She got the hang of it right away and set out a couple of times that day to cruise up and down the bay. She was
heard to say "I gotta' get me one of these". She tried out a couple of different designs and settled on one that was just right. We ended up playing
and/or relaxing at the beach again all day. Janice made some delicious tacos for dinner, a staple for us on these trips. Toward evening we lit a
campfire and some of the other campers came over for a quiet get together and we talked for a while about subjects such as dogs, our adventures and
things that we thought mattered or maybe didn't. We turned and the night was so quiet that even the constant lapping of water a few yards away was
absent. We slept very well.
We have decided to stay put for the Thanksgiving holiday. We are not sure what will be on the menu, but we've decided that whatever it turns out to
be that we will be thankful just to be here.
We will write more soon. We hope all of you are well and that you have a great Thanksgiving.
Richard and Janice (and Bravo and Katie)
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Fatboy
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Thanks for the report! Gotta go to sleep now, will read part 2 after work tommorrow.
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Paulina
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Janice,
Great report. I'm curious as to which store in Bahia wouldn't accept a deposit for a deposit? I know that if you want to 'cash out' a deposit you need
the receipt, but to exchange an empty case for a full one, it's usually acceptable.
Thanks,
P.<*)))><
\"Well behaved women rarely make history.\" Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
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Keri
Super Nomad
Posts: 1393
Registered: 10-31-2002
Location: La Mision, Baja Norte
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Mood: muy contento
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Great Report.
Looking forward to part 2,k
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Santiago
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Curious as to what you meant about Cielito Lindo "falling into disrepair"? I was there this July and found it about the same as before.
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Bajaboy
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4375
Registered: 10-9-2003
Location: Bahia Asuncion, BCS, Mexico
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Hi Janice-
I really enjoyed both of your reports. I leave in a few days and your stories only added fuel to the fire.
Question, where did you purchase the pre-paid tourist permits? I know Discover Baja and other clubs sell them. I'd like to pick mine up before hand
if possible.
Thanks for taking the time to share your trip with us.
Zac
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64946
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Zac, the prepaid ones still need to be stamped at the INM office... and if you cross at TJ, then the bank teller (open 24/7) is next door to the INM
office, facing secondary parking area. I fear that people get those prepaid tourist cards thinking they can avoid stopping at the border...
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Bajaboy
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Location: Bahia Asuncion, BCS, Mexico
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DK- I was hoping to have it stamped at GN checkpoint. I'd like to leave Monday afternoon, if possible. We both know that parking is impossible at
that time.
Otherwise, I will leave late evening/early morning and do the usual stop at TJ immigration. I've got serious Baja fever and want to hit the road as
soon as possible.
Zac
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64946
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Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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I know the feeling Zac!
Viva Baja and enjoy your new Tacoma in Baja!!!
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Janice
Junior Nomad
Posts: 78
Registered: 10-19-2003
Location: Owens Valley/Alpine - California
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receipt
| Quote: | Originally posted by Paulina
Janice,
Great report. I'm curious as to which store in Bahia wouldn't accept a deposit for a deposit? I know that if you want to 'cash out' a deposit you need
the receipt, but to exchange an empty case for a full one, it's usually acceptable.
Thanks,
P.<*)))>< |
Don't remember the name of the store...but we thought it was pretty wierd too. We asked around camp and found that others had run into this before
too.
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Janice
Junior Nomad
Posts: 78
Registered: 10-19-2003
Location: Owens Valley/Alpine - California
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Cielito Lindo
| Quote: | Originally posted by Santiago
Curious as to what you meant about Cielito Lindo "falling into disrepair"? I was there this July and found it about the same as before.
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We stayed in the camp area near the "palapas" across from the motel and resturant. This area of the camp did not have that "cared for" look as it did
on previous trips, and the showers were not working. We probably would have had a nicer site over where the RV's were parked, but that's not our
style. Gypsy's was nice though.
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Janice
Junior Nomad
Posts: 78
Registered: 10-19-2003
Location: Owens Valley/Alpine - California
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Bajaboy
Hi Janice-
I really enjoyed both of your reports. I leave in a few days and your stories only added fuel to the fire.
Question, where did you purchase the pre-paid tourist permits? I know Discover Baja and other clubs sell them. I'd like to pick mine up before hand
if possible.
Thanks for taking the time to share your trip with us.
Zac |
It's the "Instant Mexico Auto Insurance Services" with a big red "1" on the west side of I-5, 2nd to last exit before the border. We got the
insurance and pre-paid tourist cards at the same time, then only had to stop to get them validated right after crossing the border.
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