aburruss
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New Year's Trip Dec 2020-Jan 2021 - San Diego to San Juanico
I had some business that had to be attended to in San Juanico, so we decided to take the family down for a week. Nothing says social distancing more
than a deserted beach, and endless dirt roads.
We left on December 27 at around 630 and headed to the Tecate crossing. At 7am, no one else heading southbound. Agent asked for our trailer and
side-by-side registrations, and quickly glanced at each vehicle. There was no inspection of any of the items that were PACKED in the bed of the truck
under the camper shell.
https://i.imgur.com/0l6YMpkl.jpg
He also inquired for the reason for our trip. I informed him that we had property in Baja Sur, and were going to work on it, and spend some extra
time with the family there. I'm not sure if they are asking for the purpose of seeing who is "going on vacation", but there was no indication that he
really cared "why" we were going. We were stopped for less than 5 minutes.
Nice scenic, easy drive down the Rumarosa. Once on MEX-5, the drive was great as well. Checkpoint at El Chinero was uneventful. There was, once
again, a question about if I was going on vacation. Was not asked to exit vehicle, and we were underway in less than 30 seconds.
We stopped for breakfast in San Felipe, and had some tacos. Nothing earth shattering, except for the fact that it was TACOS from a roadside stand in
MEXICO... so it was absolutely earth shattering.  We fueled up at the Chevron at
the outskirts of town Diesel, credit cards accepted.
We continued south, and got to the checkpoint just before Gonzaga. Again, smooth sailing. Very little of anything except smiles.
The completed MEX5 connecting to MEX1 is absolutely amazing. The road is very smooth, wide, and straight. I don't know why anyone would drive MEX1
anymore (unless they needed to go through any of the towns on the way south for a specific reason). I even think that if you were going to the
Catavina area, I'd still want to go down MEX5, and then back north up MEX1.
We got to the checkpoint north of Jesus Maria. These were about the friendliest checkpoint guards of any I've ever experienced in Baja. They asked
about our trip, and seemed like they just were happy to see people.
In Jesus Maria, we fueled up again. Diesel, pesos only.
We continued on to San Ignacio, despite the fact that it was getting dark. In hindsight, this wasn't the best decision. Lots of cows on this section
of highway, and our trailer is slightly wider than I prefer to tow in Baja.. so it was a bit of white knuckle drive into town.
The checkpoint here is typically my least-favorite, but once again, they asked a couple questions about our trip, and happily waved us on. No request
to get out of the truck and open my packed-to-the-gills truck bed for inspection. On our way for the last stretch to San Ignacio.
We arrived at La Huerta, got unpacked, and into our room. Still had plenty of time for dinner at the restaurant. I had the arrechera, which was
fantastic and full of flavor. Leana had the tortilla soup, which she said was amazing. Kids had a cheeseburger. It was a good burger. The salsa was
picante and flavorful.
The next morning, we met Blanca and Les to give them some items that they asked us to bring down, and also some donations from friends in the US to
donate to some small towns in Baja. School supplies and medical supplies were the main items for Blanca and Les to take. It was great to meet them,
and I can't wait to take a trip to their neck of the world on our next trip south!
After a quick stop in the plaza for helado, we got back in the car, topped off with fuel at the PEMEX on the highway (Diesel and accept credit card)
and then headed south towards our final destination. We took the high road. From the San Ignacio Pemex to the San Juanico turn-off at the town, it
took us just over 4 hours. This included the time we spent airing down our tires at the end of the pavement outside of San Ignacio. If we were not
towing, the time would likely be close to an hour less. The road is in very good shape. A few sections with bad washboard, but there are many places
with bypasses along the main road which are quite smooth (and fun? when pulling a trailer!) There's a big silt area about halfway through, so we got out to check the proper route... but the entire thing was hard packed, though
severely rutted. We put it in 4WD and proceeded slowly through it. No problem.
We arrived in San Juanico and immediately went to the Scorpion Bay Hotel, which was to be our home for the week. The room we stayed in (called "The
Apartment") was very nice. One bedroom, a bathroom, a living room with two couches, a full kitchen, and a private patio. Unfortunately, the kitchen
wasn't that usable, since the hotel mainly (other than restaurant, bar, and office) runs on San Juanico's municipal power grid, which only supplies
power from 5-10PM.
The worst part of the trip! 
We unloaded the RZR's, and went out on a ride exploring down the points. It was pretty windy... more than we expected, but the weather was otherwise
fantastic. There were not many people out and about in town that I could see...
Over the course of the next 4 days, we did a bit of stuff. Lots of trips to the beach with the kids and surf/boogie boards. One day we made our way
out to the mouth of the Cadejé river.. but couldn't get close along the beach, as the tide was EXTREMELY high. One day we headed south on the beach
towards the El Mezquital river to let the kids play and search for shark teeth and other cool shells. One day we took a ride north of town on the
road, and found some random roads to explore. One took us to the rancho of a nice man named Jesus, along with his family. He graciously offered to
let us pass through and go exploring.
Somehow along the way I managed to impale one of the RZR tires on what seems to have been a small TREE... 5-6 tire plugs later, I got it sealed up
enough to hold air to get back to town.
After a few days, and completing our business in town, it was time to head back home. We loaded up on Saturday AM, (with MUCH more room in the truck
after leaving all the donations and bins with a representative at the hotel). We were sad to leave.
We got on the road by about 930, got into San Ignacio with no issues, and decided to bribe the kids with ice cream again. We met some nice people in
town and started talking to some locals. One of them (who was NOT wearing a mask) informed us that he is very happy because they are "really not
seeing any cases of COVID at all" in San Ignacio.
Back on the road after topping off with fuel. Checkpoint past San Ignacio and Jesus Maria both were extremely non-eventful once again.
The biggest event of the trip happened on the way back home about halfway between El Rosarito and Punta Prieta. We saw a truck and car on the right
side of the road, with a bunch of people standing around. We pulled over and asked if everything was OK. A girl, about 14 or 15 looked visibly
shaken up. She asked if we had some tools. I pulled over and got out. A car had gone OVER the other side of the road, and down a large embankment.
I saw a guy who's head was covered in blood, holding his arm/hand as if it was hurt. They told me that there were 4 people in the car; 4 adults in
their 50s, and a 5-6 year old boy. The male passenger was pretty banged up, the female had bit her tongue, and the boy had an abrasion from the seat
belt. The driver was perfectly fine. He informed me that they went off the right side of the road, tried to correct, and got catapulted over the left
side of the road, down the embankment, rolling 4 times. Car ended right-side-up, on it's wheels. A few other cars stopped, and one went to find a KM
marker and call a tow truck. I helped with a few random tools for things they needed to fix on another car, and I gave the injured guy some orange
juice. After about 30-40 minutes, we were on our way.
This delayed our arrival, planned for San Felipe, but they needed help, and I hope that it's "paying it forward" for a scenario when I'm in trouble.
The delay caused us to not want to push the day any longer (with 4 kids and a dog in the car), so we stopped in Gonzaga to stay at Alfonsinas. In the
past few years, they have really done a lot of work on the lobby and restaurant, turning it into a "boutique ECO hotel". Unfortunately, the rooms are
FAR from the quality of the lobby. $100 for a room that had an extremely dumpy bed, a toilet that quit filling with water after 2 flushes, curtain
rods that fell off the wall, and just an overall subpar experience. My middle daughter looked at the raked sand on the beach and shook her head and
said "This is what happens when Baja gets too fancy". They also don't allow pets... which is funny, because the place couldn't get much "worse" with
the quality and upkeep.
To put the icing on the cake, there's no staff onsite overnight, so when we awoke at 600, and were ready to leave, we had to wait for an HOUR for
someone to get there to pay and check out. I suppose I could have just left and not paid, but I didn't think that was right. There isnt much of an
option between Guerrero Negro and San Felipe, though.. so people will continue to play the $100.
As we left, and headed for San Felipe, I wanted to top off with fuel. The PEMEX in Gonzaga was CLOSED at 730AM. We made it to San Felipe, but
barely. We went to the same Chevron on the south side of town, and asked to fill it up. He filled and then told me the total (which was a lot). I
handed him my card, and he said "oh.. the system is down.. i forgot to tell you". By this time of the trip, I had very few pesos left, but
fortunately I had a stash of US dollars. I'm not sure if this was a scam he was running, or laziness.. but it felt super fishy.
We continued on, and decided to take the scenic route of the Rumarosa again, but continuing on to the Otay crossing. We got in the Ready lane, and 40
minutes later, we were back in the US. Good trip. Far too short, though (like most trips to baja!)
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JZ
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Registered: 10-3-2003
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Sweet man. You are living the life. Great dad. Nothing gets better than that. Your kids will remember it the rest of their lives.
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AKgringo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6027
Registered: 9-20-2014
Location: Anchorage, AK (no mas!)
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Mood: Retireded
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Your trip reports always put a smile on my face. Good job!
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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aburruss
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Posts: 218
Registered: 2-6-2018
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A couple things I forgot:
-When going into Baja Sur, at the "spraydown" area, I had my temperature taken... or at least had a digital thermometer pointed at my forehead.
Nothing for ANYONE else in the vehicle.
-I put on my mask at all military checkpoints. I'm not sure if this "helped" or not with my breezing through, but I wanted to show them the respect
and courtesy of being a guest in their country and not putting them at risk (perceived, or actual).
-In Baja Norte, the mask wearing seemed more prevalent. In Baja Sur, most people working at businesses were wearing masks, but at LEAST half (or
more) of the population was NOT wearing masks (both Mexicans and guests). San Ignacio and San Juanico towns both had fairly low mask usage... but the
few people out were mostly keeping distance from each other
[Edited on 1-6-2021 by aburruss]
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WestyWanderer
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Posts: 277
Registered: 10-24-2014
Location: San Clemente, CA
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I always look forward to your reports, thank you! For what it’s worth, my experience is the Chevron on the south end of San Felipe is the most
expensive station in town!
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BajaBlanca
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Registered: 10-28-2008
Location: La Bocana, BCS
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Here is our short report on the day we met up! Thanks again for bringing Les's requests down. A happy husband is a happy wife and a happy life!
http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=95508#pid1203...
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Mulege Canuck
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Registered: 11-27-2016
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Great report Aburruss.
I sure enjoyed reading it. I love that drive from San Ignacio to San Juanico. Good on you for stopping to help those people at the accident site.
Helped a few locals in trouble on the road before. They usually are surprised when we stop. They tell us Gringos never stop, so good on you.
Unfortunately I have to agree with your assessment of Alfonsinos. Any place that uses the word “eco” is usually setup for the more money than
brains club.
Seeing your photos makes me look forward to bringing my grandkids down to Baja. You are a great Dad.
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rimmerdev1
Newbie
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Registered: 6-25-2019
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nice write up. I am interesting in traveling down south next month with a pop up camping trailer. Wondering if I would make it acrosss the border.
Also wondering if one crossing is better than the others? I noticed you crossed Tecate, do you think that is better than Calexico?
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TMW
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Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
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Love the pictures. Excellent trip report, thanks.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64852
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Tom, check your answering machine.
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