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Boshvideo
Nomad
Posts: 137
Registered: 6-12-2007
Location: Philly
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Trip report on YouTube
Greetings all,
Sorry I'm so late with my report. This report is for my trip that happened the first two weeks of August. I started to write a very complete record
of an amazing adventure. I decided to do a video with some of the pix I took during the trip. Much of the credit for our incredible journey goes to
you guys. The community in this forum. The Baja Nomads. All you folks who put up with all of my questions and came back with thoughtful, interesting
ideas. This is for you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL9XpfRlX-s It's the video version, on YouTube of the report which follows.
For all of you waiting out the storm, my thoughts are with you. Play this video with the sound cranked up, enjoy the moment.
Many thanks to all of you. Happy trails
Boshvideo
Bob in philly
[Edited on 9-5-2007 by Boshvideo]
[Edited on 9-5-2007 by Boshvideo]
It\'s easier to get forgiveness then permission.
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Boshvideo
Nomad
Posts: 137
Registered: 6-12-2007
Location: Philly
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Mood: chill
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The long version:
In search of the perfect fish taco.
Our original intention was to spend two weeks driving the length of the Baja Peninsula. Tijuana to Cabo San Lucas, the total length of Mexico One, a
mostly two lane, no shoulder road. We had adventure in our hearts and we were eager to try our first Baja fish taco. We had hoped to drop the
rental car off at Cabo and fly home from there. The drop off fee was almost as much as the rental and don’t get me started on Mexican car insurance.
Plan B was to fly to La Paz and do two Great Loops. One to the north as far as San Ignacio and the other, the Cape Loop.
I flew from Philadelphia to Los Angeles on Sunday July 29th, my birthday. I was meeting my girlfriend and travel partner Kathy who had just completed
a two week seminar and was ready for some time away. We stayed in LA that evening, celebrating, and then preparing for the next days journey.
Day 1 and 2.
I thought it odd, as we pulled over to the curb at LAX, that the airline that was flying us to one of the hottest parts of Mexico was Alaskan
Airlines. The flight was uneventful until we got off the plane and got a face full of the hot Baja sun. Dealing with the Thrifty rental guy Alex, was
a positive experience. Before we knew it we had our bags stashed in the trunk, Mexican music on the radio and hitting the road for La Paz. We agreed
to spend the first two nights in La Paz, get our bearings, chill for a bit and then head north.
We stayed at Los Arcos, right off the malecon and close to just about everything. It was a good choice. We had one of those bungalows, right off the
pool. After dropping our bags and a quick dip, we went straight for Bizmark for fish tacos. Walking along the Sea of Cortez, as the sun set, was a
welcome first impression. Walking past many tempting stands and restaurants, me had only one thing in mind, we were on a mission. Upon arriving at
Bizmark we got a great table and an equally great waiter, who sadly informed us that there would be no fish tacos for us tonight because they are a
daytime thing, and it’s now night time. I hate when that happens. We made our way back down the malecon and found a young man in the street, with a
cart, just off the corner of Carlos and Charlie’s and that great ice cream place Michoacana. There must have been fifteen patient people waiting for
food coming off a smoking his hot grill. The aroma, the people, the smiles, all drew us in and we wound up sitting under a tree enjoying some award
winning burritos. Michoacana, just across the street, provided a endless variety of frozen treats. I got the crushed strawberries. The next night we
dined at Las Tres Virgines, a true culinary experience. It was killer hot when we arrived at 6 pm. We sat outside in the patio, as they were full up
inside, in the cool air conditioning. The newly installed water mist system cascaded clouds of water vapor over us. A different kind of experience.
Every so often they came out and wiped the table down. The food was fantastic. The service as well. When I asked our waiter exactly who are the Tres
Virgenes, he replied, without missing a beat, “our waiters” Don’t miss this place.
During the day we discovered the market district and found wonderful little shops and stalls that had just about anything you need. I loved the aromas
inside the shops that only sold chili peppers. Mountains of dried peppers, a feast for the senses.
Day 3.
As we headed north at mid morning, we noticed the changes in scenery from city living of La Paz to barren desert in no time at all. We started to
climb some small mountains left sight of the sea for a good while. We were headed for Loreto, 223 miles and about 4 hours away. The drive across the
desert was an interesting change for a guy who rides his bike through center city Philadelphia traffic every day. A military checkpoint made me feel
like I was in some movie. We got out of the car as three young soldiers searched the car for cheese steaks. None were found and we were quickly on our
way. We got into town mid afternoon and found the Iguana Inn. Sweet place, good vibe. Close to the marina/beach. It’s a small town so it’s close to
everything. The street in the center of town has trees that have been trimmed to form a canopy overhead and provide welcome shade. The mission was
beautiful in that special golden light right before sunset. The restaurant we chose was an Argentinean one called Pachamama. Not great.
Day 4. And 5
Heading north in Mexico 1 we stopped off to explore the town of Santa Rosalia. It reminded us of a town out of the old west. Much has been said about
the Eiffel designed steel church and the wonderful French bakery. Some real fine fruit drinks can be had just across the street. The skeleton of the
massive copper mine and smelting operation loomed over the highway as we headed out of town. After a drive through some amazing desert with the real
Tres Virgenes in the distance we reached the town of San Ignacio by mid afternoon. It was clear, as we approached this beautiful little town, that we
were entering an oasis. Underground springs, from deep in the earth, have made a river in the midst of all this desert. All around this river is lush
greenery. It’s an amazing site. We stayed the night at Casa Lere, right off the town square. As we entered the tree shaded courtyard a young boys
brought us a big handful of fresh picked figs. Nice.
The next day we drove 3 minutes out of town and along the spring fed river to the yurts of San Ignacio B&B. Kathy and I had really wanted to
stay in a yurt, but that’s a story for another time. The yurts were fantastic and being right on this beautiful river we took advantage to swim,
kayak, and break out the trusty “Instant Fisherman”. We heard the river is full of Tilapia. I did not reduce the fish population one bit.
We had some date pie for desert after dinner at Rene’s. It was made from local dates and was superb.
We crossed paths with a lovely couple who, after coming here from Ireland, bought serious BMW bikes in Canada, went across all of Canada and Alaska,
headed down the west coast and kept going into the Baja. Their destination is the tip of South America. They also were yurt dwellers. We connected
beautifully and within a half an hour Kathy and I were on the backs of their motorcycles, headed off to the Rice and Beans restaurant. We told them
about the Pig Roast in Mulege the next night, and we agreed to meet there mid day. This was as far north as we would travel on this loop.
Day 6
The drive back south was a bit more familiar and before long we were back at the bakery in Santa Rosalia for some road snacks and to get some fish
tacos from a bright yellow street cart named Lizbeth. Wonderful fish, with a coating that was made with love. A short distance down the road was
Mulege.
The Hotel Serenidad has been doing their famous pig roast for a long time. Every Saturday night, all year, except for September. Within five minutes
of us changing into our bathing suits, we were in the pool and mounting the stools at the swim-up bar. Some more fish tacos (we were on a mission)
and a couple of Pacificos cleared the road dust from our throats. We met our yurt partners, the folks with the motorbikes, while sitting in the pool.
Once the pig was set over the coals, we all drove out along the runway (they have their own landing strip) towards town. We drove up to the mission
for a beautiful view of the river and went looking for the museum. After a following the signs and climbing up a hill, we found the museum shut down.
Back at the hotel the crowd was forming for the finished pig. Musical entertainment was provided and we all swore that we saw Elvis in the crowd.
Day 7 and 8
The next morning we were off for the long haul past La Paz, south to Todos Santos. I’m blessed, Kathy had brought a copy of John Steinbeck’s “The
Pearl”, a story that takes place in La Paz. She read it aloud, an amazing story, as we sliced through the mountains and desert. If you have never read
this story, try and find a copy. Some how, we ended up lost in La Paz but soon recovered and made it to Todos Santos by late afternoon. Although the
famous Hotel California, sung about by the Eagles is there, we chose a beautiful casita at the Inn just down the street. We loved it so much we stayed
two nights. We asked some folks about a beach to watch the sunset and was directed to a beautiful spot just south of town where the fishing pangas go
out every morning. As we walked along the beach we were greeted by fishermen who were just twirling fishing line over their heads and flinging the
weighted line into the churning surf. They reeled the line in on plastic soda bottles. You should have seen the size of the fish they were pulling in.
One of the fishermen let Kathy pull one in. Nice fish, spectacular sunset.
Day 9
Continuing on our loop we pulled out of Todos Santos and headed for Cabo San Lucas. The drive along the sea was beautiful and before long we were
pulling into Cabo. Having been in Baja for more then a week it was hard to adjust to this built up city. Lot’s of big hotels and restaurants. We did
manage to find some tasty fish tacos after a short walk in town. The only thing that saved this stop was the snorkeling we did the next morning.
Getting up early we were the first ones to get a glass bottom panga for a ride to see the famous arch and say good morning to a family of seals
sunning on a rock formation. The boat driver dropped us off at Lovers Beach. We were the only ones there. We walked around the beach, checking out
both the Pacific side and the Sea of Cortez side. We entered the water with our gear on and found ourselves in natures aquarium. We swam in schools of
fish, pointed out rays, this was all very cool. As we headed back to shore we noticed that the beach was starting to fill up as panga after panga were
dropping people off. Our boat captain picked us up at our pre arraigned time and we headed back to shore with big smiles on our faces. Fantastic. We
were able to find a beach that evening, just out of town and past the hotel district. Many Mexican families were there and the tide pools at the
waters edge became a place for us to meet and play with the kids. We watched a spectacular sunset here.
Day 10
Leaving Cabo we headed towards San Jose Del Cabo. A wonderful welcoming town where we had lunch in the town Market. There was a “food court” that was
real interesting. All the cooks would call out to any newcomer, what their specials of the day were. We picked the one that had the most customers and
were not disappointed. Back on the road we headed for Los Barrilles.
Los Barilles is not much more then a fishing village and a few hotels. We stopped at the Hotel Playa Del Sol. A very cool place, right on the water,
where we heard tons of fishing stories about monster big marlins being caught every day. One of these days I have to try that experience.
Day 11
Leaving Los Barriles we started the last leg of our journey, heading back to La Paz. On the way we stopped in El Triunfo to admire the excellent
basket making. We also stopped in San Bartolo, known for it’s sweets, and got some yummy mango pastries. We also stopped at the Tropic of Cancer
monument for a photo op. It’s just this big concrete ball, no sign, just a big, fenced in, concrete ball. Down the road once again, heading for La
Paz, we stopped at the Cactus Sanctuary. This is a very interesting place where all sorts of cactus grow and good signage explain their differences.
La Paz was a welcome final stop on our journey. We checked into the hotel attached to the wonderful La Pazta restaurant. It’s just around the corner
to Los Arcos, the place we started. A last walk on the malecon was a bittersweet, emotional experience. Early the next morning would be here soon. We
ate our ice cream in silence.
Day 12
Our plane was broken. It could not fly. We hung around the La Paz airport for 12 hours only to be shuttled up to LAX to wait an additional 6 hours
before having the honor of flying the red-eye back to Philly.
[Edited on 9-5-2007 by Boshvideo]
It\'s easier to get forgiveness then permission.
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Marie-Rose
Senior Nomad
Posts: 894
Registered: 10-2-2003
Location: Victoria, B.C. and Todos Santos
Member Is Offline
Mood: Worried...
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Absolutely fabulous trip report... loved the video. Tried to check out the playlist to see
what your music was
Muy bueno. gracias!
Remember, when in Mexico, yes may be no and no may be
maybe!
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Boshvideo
Nomad
Posts: 137
Registered: 6-12-2007
Location: Philly
Member Is Offline
Mood: chill
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| Quote: | Originally posted by morgaine7
Hey Boshvideo, that's a great report, and the video is really well done. I enjoyed watching it as I sit here waiting for Henriette  because it's a perfect reminder of why I moved here. Glad you had a cool trip and
lots of fine-looking fish tacos. Bummer about the broken plane, though! 
Kate |
Thanks for the kind words guys.
[Edited on 9-5-2007 by Boshvideo]
It\'s easier to get forgiveness then permission.
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DianaT
Select Nomad
Posts: 10020
Registered: 12-17-2004
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Really nice report---bet you return to Baja.
Love the U-Tube---need to experiment with how to do that. You did a really nice job with it---very good pictures.
Glad you had such a great time---No matter how many times I read The Pearal with students, I always cried. Tis a good book.
Thanks for sharing.
Diane
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Boshvideo
Nomad
Posts: 137
Registered: 6-12-2007
Location: Philly
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Mood: chill
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This actually was an experiment for me on video compression. What I learned is what you see.
It\'s easier to get forgiveness then permission.
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danaeb
Senior Nomad
Posts: 991
Registered: 11-13-2006
Location: San Diego; El Centenario
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Mood: groovy
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Great trip - now I have questions to ask YOU
Dana
Experience enables you to recognize a mistake every time you repeat it.
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Boshvideo
Nomad
Posts: 137
Registered: 6-12-2007
Location: Philly
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Mood: chill
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| Quote: | Originally posted by danaeb
Great trip - now I have questions to ask YOU
Dana |
Yes.......
It\'s easier to get forgiveness then permission.
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edinnopolo
Nomad
Posts: 138
Registered: 5-1-2005
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Mood: laid back
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Great report and really enjoyed your video. Loved the music.
No doubt, you will be back. Baja grows on you.
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: optimistic
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Bosh---------very well done!!!! both the narritive and the video shots, and the great music.
Loved it all.
Barry
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Paulina
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3810
Registered: 8-31-2002
Location: BCN
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That was great and a fun way to share a trip report. You have a good eye for photos and a better one for fish tacos!!!
On another note, I wonder how long the barbed wire has been around the Tropic of Cancer monument?
Thanks again,
P<*)))><
\"Well behaved women rarely make history.\" Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
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Ken Bondy
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3326
Registered: 12-13-2002
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Mood: Mellow
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Great job Boshvideo!! The report was informative and fun and the video was a sensory overload. Thanks sooooo much,
++Ken++
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docsmom
Nomad
Posts: 418
Registered: 6-21-2007
Location: Tucson, AZ
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Bosh,
Thank you so much. Your report was so vivid, and then I watched the video. I seriously can't breathe right now....
You touched everything Baja that IS me. Thank you for taking me there!
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docsmom
Nomad
Posts: 418
Registered: 6-21-2007
Location: Tucson, AZ
Member Is Offline
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Oh yea,
three young soldiers searched me for the cheese steaks"!
cautgt my breath now 
[Edited on 9-5-2007 by docsmom]
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Paula
Super Nomad
Posts: 2219
Registered: 1-5-2006
Location: Loreto
Member Is Offline
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Your photos make me feel like I can't really wait until the end of the month to go back home-- I just need to be there now!! Hurricanes,
earthquakes, heat and humidity-- no problem!!
You are real Baja people, you found and loved the best things. I'll be waiting for your next trip and report, this was truly rewarding reading!
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65074
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Wonderful video... "The Taco Two Step" Looked yummy and fun!
Gracias!
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Cypress
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7641
Registered: 3-12-2006
Location: on the bayou
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Mood: undecided
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Boshvideo Thanks for the report and the pictures.
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Bob and Susan
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8813
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
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Mood: Full Time Residents
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that was NICE!!!
what software did you use
i NEED to learn this stuff
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baitcast
Super Nomad
Posts: 1785
Registered: 8-31-2003
Location: kingman AZ.
Member Is Offline
Mood: good
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I don,t comment up here often but this was a stop I,am glad I made,after the video I felt GOOD,fine job,hope you have more of the same,if so looking
forward to that.
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Boshvideo
Nomad
Posts: 137
Registered: 6-12-2007
Location: Philly
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Mood: chill
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Many thanks, once again, for all your kind words.
Bob
in philly
It\'s easier to get forgiveness then permission.
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