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Fun, Scams and Mud
It’s off to Baja for another interesting trip and a learning experience. Thursday morning I picked up my buddy Bill at Whitemen airport in LA and off
to Escondido we went to drop off a motorcycle engine. Then on to San Diego and The Godfather restaurant where we had a great lunch with some old
friends.
After lunch we cross the border at TJ and on to Ensenada and the Corona hotel. After checking in and getting settled in the room we tour the downtown
area dropping in at Hussongs and Pappas and Beer among other places. Back to the hotel for the night.
Friday morning we had breakfast at the hotel. We check out and after ice and gas we head east on hwy 3 for the CODE race course. Our plan was to take
the Santa Catarina turnoff at Independencia and pickup the course at race mile 60 and run down the El Mono grade and come back over the Summit and go
to San Felipe. I had not been down El Mono for over 20 years and with a maked course to follow this was the time to do it. Beside I figured if
something happened the race was coming thru on Saturday and help would be available if needed.
Things don’t always go as planned. Just before Independencia at the Alamo road was a van on the side of the hwy and a man waving at us. I stopped and
he said he needed gasolina. He did not speak English and I don’t speak Spanish, just words. So I give him 5 gallons. He had a wife and three daughters
with him. As he is putting the gas in he kept saying no dinero, no dinero we told him it’s OK, it’s OK He pointed toward Ensenada indicating that was
where he was going. He then tries to start his van. It turns over but doesn’t start. He then showed me a box with a fuel pump and indicated it was
replaced in San Luis where he is from. I asked and indicated he take the cover off the engine which he did. There was a lot of hand gestures going on.
As he tried to start it the fuel injectors only had a few drops coming out not a spray. I asked if the fuel pump was in the tank or the fuel line. And
he pointed to the back and said tank. This should have been a red flag because the pump he showed me had spade terminals for the electrical
connections.
He in a crude way said they had been there for two nights and had not eaten. I gave them a box of granola bars and nuts. I then tried to explain I
would tow him to town and someone there could help him. He acted like he did not understand me so I got a tow strap out and showed him, he then says
no, no brakes and turns and pumps the brake pedal with his hand. I walk over and pump the pedal and it goes down about 2 inches with maybe 5 inches to
the floor. This too should have been a red flag, but I’m thinking maybe his pads were worn to the metal.
I attempted to explain that if there is a church in town the Padre could help him. He again acted as if he did not understand so I got my Spanish
dictionary and showed him the word for church and said Padre. The whole thing was starting to seem unreal. I said we were going to town for help and
Bill and I left. In town the first store on the right there were two people hanging a banner. We stop and explained to the lady inside the situation
and asked if there was someone in town that could go out there and see what could be done. She had the boy check on a local mechanic but he was not
home. I decided to look for a church and down the road it set back from the hwy. There was also a place to get gas out of jugs so I pulled over to
fill my 5 gallon jug I had given away. A lady there spoke English and I explained everything to her. When I said it was a dark van with a man and wife
and three daughters she looked at me and said “I know these people and they are begging every one for gas and money”. She said it was a scam.
At that point all the red lights went off in my head. Things I should have picked up on.
1 They had been out there two nights. Someone would have stopped to help, probably a cop.
2 The fuel pump issue.
3 The part about towing and no brakes.
4 Not wanting a Padre to help.
5 His constant saying “no dinero” he wanted us to give him money and we thought he was saying he did not have money to pay us.
This was truly a learning experience. Also he never said thank you for anything.
It’s off to the race course. We pick it up after Santa Catarina and at CODE race mile 60. It is a tight course with few places to pass. Down the
mountain it will be follow the leader. After about 10 miles we come upon two trucks with a cow in each one. We follow them down to the bottom. Every
so often the front truck would stall and they would get it running again. The cows were slipping and sliding all over the bed until they finally laid
down. About 5 or so miles from the bottom was a military check point. After they inspected us they asked if we had extra water and we did but then
they were more interested in the beer and sodas they saw in my cooler. So we gave them what they wanted, some beer and some sodas.
This shows the CODE race course down El Mono, we join at race mile M60 and turn toward the summit following the dark green line looking for the blue
line which is the SCORE race course.
At the bottom we turned toward the summit. We followed a road for about 6 miles but never saw a SCORE markers. It will be getting dark in a couple of
hours so instead of risking what the summit may be like after the rains we turned and headed to Cohabuzo jct. There we turn south for Laguna Salada
following SCORE and CODE marker. CODE was going to go around the south end but the heavy rains caused too much mud so they cancelled that section. I
was worried about the mud but thought I could stay west of it. When we got to the dry lake bed there were two sets of tire tracks not too old so I
followed them. We moved along at a good clip with dust flying up from behind. As we got closer to the road out to hwy 5 I heard mud from the rear and
could see it flying out from the tires. The truck started to slow so I moved over to the left into another set of tracks and we started picking up
speed. Soon it’s back to dust flying up behind us. Wooo that was close. I did not like the thought of burying my truck in mud. It’s out to hwy 5 at
KM87 and down to San Felipe.
You can see the NORRA race course in green and the route we took in blue. I needed to be further west, but we made it.
We check into the El Capitan hotel then head over to El Nino for dinner. We both order filet mignon but were told it was frozen. They did have T bone
and rib-eye. So we ordered the rib-eye. The evening was full of good margaritas, chips and salsa,bean soup and salad. The baked potato was also very
good. But the rib-eye was like eating shoe leather, not good. We cut it up in small pieces and took it with us in a box. The last few time I’ve eaten
there the steaks have not been what they use to be.
After breakfast at Georges we stop at a car wash and clean the mud off then gas and ice up and head up to hwy 3 and over to the Tire Man at KM169 or
so. I have known him a few years and so I bring him some supplies including dog food for his dogs. I give him the supplies and a case of bottle water
and surprise!!! a box of steak bits. I told him they were for the perros. What he does with it is up to him. I also give him some cerveza. While
having a cold one with him he tells me he is out of gas for his engine powered compressor, his friend is bring some later or tomorrow. So I gladly
give him gas. Unlike the other guy he thanks me for all I did for him.
We get back on the road and at about KM77 I see a van coming toward us. As it gets closer I can tell it’s the guy we helped yesterday, the scam
artist. So he got moving with bad brakes and all. At KM55 we turn up the Compadre trail to Santa Veronica. At Santa Veronica we order a margarita and
I asked if they could get ESPN on the Sky satellite dish. He checked but it was not there. I was hoping to see the Alabama - Ole Mis football game. We
get to the border at 5:15pm. Cross at 5:40pm. Stop at Barrett Jct for a fish dinner. Up the I-5 traffic was not heavy and we made good time. I drop
Bill off at Whiteman and I get home about midnight.
It was another interesting trip to Baja and a learning experience. Sorry I did not take any pictures.
[Edited on 10-1-2013 by TW]
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Ateo
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Thanks for the report TW. I came across a broken down van with a wife and 3 kiddos north of Catavina a few months ago. We stopped and gave them
water and food and a couple bucks. He said they had been there for 2 days. I found this hard to believe as there would've been hundreds of people
that could've stopped and helped as well as the green angels. Who knows????? It felt a little weird to me, but I wasn't gonna leave them there
without food and water.
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TMW
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Wow maybe the same people. This was a dark blue early 90s GMC (maybe chevy) with a spare tire rack on the back and CA plates on the back, didn't
notice a front plate.
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David K
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Wow Tom... that was some trip! Great job with the maps, too. 
I haven't been down El Mano since 2003... somehow I bet it hasn't changed much?
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Ateo
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If I remember correctly the van I saw was brown. Well, the rest of your trip sounded fun! Especially the rib-eye.
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TMW
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No just a fun run the day before the race.
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Chupacabra
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| Quote: |
Just before Independencia at the Alamo road was a van on the side of the hwy and a man waving at us. |
I saw something similar south of Santo Tomas recently. Same story, stranded for two days with two kids and his wife. We gave him a few cans of chile
but that's it.
He had a daughter about 10 or so, she was a pudgy little thing who doesn't look like she's ever missed a meal.
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TMW
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Sounds like the same girl pudgy and maybe 10 give or take.
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TMW
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
Wow Tom... that was some trip! Great job with the maps, too.
I haven't been down El Mano since 2003... somehow I bet it hasn't changed much? |
I rode up and down it on MCs around 1990 and I didn 't remember anything I saw this time from then. The gate near the bottom was not there. It was
interesting especially watching the cow trucks. The race reports from the NORRA race say they thought it pretty rough more so than a normal SCORE
race, but I didn't think so. It was slow going. I didn't have any problems other than the Mud area.
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