Day 154 to 165
| December 7th to the 18th, 2007 |
From Mulege to La Paz.
Just south of Mulegé, along Mex. 1, are some of the nicest beaches in Baja, on Bahia
Concepcion.
Here's one that's about 10 miles from town.
They're kinda cool, those colorfull bungalows.
Some people told us: "There's rain coming...One system from the north and one from
the south, there's no escaping it..." So, we thought it would be a good idea to have
a place indoors for a couple of days so, we rented one of those bungalows and, guess what?
It never rained !!!
Cuanto cuesta?
-$15 a night. Including electricity (solar panel), toilet and shower, 2 beds, table and
chairs and propane stove. But at that low price, the bungalow is not quite on the
beach...OK! That will be perfect for 2 days!
In fact:
-The solar panel did'nt work so, no power during the day but, from 6:00 pm to 6:00 am, the
huge generator that's just a few feet from our bungalow "snores loudly" and
supplies the power.
-Shower yes, but room temperature water only...
-Stove yes, but no propane to fuel it. We had to "borrow" the propane tank next
door...
-Also included, at no extra cost, the cockroaches that run on the floor at night.
-Also included, at no extra cost, a good "tourista".
--2 nights will be enough after all.
The good side is that the solid roof sheltered us from the howling wind of the first
night.
The view from our bugalow towards the bay.
Probably the best way to enjoy this place is to come down here with an RV and rent or
buy a palapa on the beach. A few good folks spend the winter here. They form a small
community always ready to welcome new arrivals. They invite us to the farewell (or au
revoir...) dinner they organized for a couple that leave tomorrow. Many thanks to
everyone for the very warm welcome!
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Met Philip and Vanessa on the beach. A charming couple from Spain who came
to visit the Americas.
Marc litterally fell in love...with their car...)You can follow them on their web site
click here |
Typical road sign.
Only in Baja! |
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In Baja,you see all kinds of equipments... |
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...That come from all over the planet. (And possibly from elsewhere...) |
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In Baja, your standards change...In Canada, such a sanitary installation
would'nt have it's place in the middle of a restaurant. But here, to have water, soap and
paper to wash your hands before a meal is a rare luxury!!
Click here to see. |
Bahia Concepcion is lined with nice small beaches on the sea of Cortez.
Here's one we find particularily appealing.
Playa Coco. That's what we call camping "on the beach".
Unfortunately, there's only pit toilets here. And they're pretty smelly too...Not your
ideal deal for your "tourista"...
Over here, it's first come, first served. We afford ourselves the luxury of a big
palapa (to be out of the wind). The guy responsable shows up every couple of days to
collect the...$6.00 a night fee. We stay here 3 days, never saw the man...
At high tide, there's less then 3 feet between the water and the quad!
Miss Minnie is enjoying her siesta...
...And Mister Marc does the same, for a while...
...Then goes back to work...I got to hand it to you though, the decor is a little more
enjoyable than that of your office! Close your eyes and imagine yourself here...
It's all about the color of the water...
Playa Coco, at dawn. (Oooups! Excuse-me, I got to go...)
Back in saddle (nice change from being on the trone...), heading for Loreto. The
scenery, along the coast is stunning!
But the desert can be just as beautiful! Note how it is covered with green. The
inconvenience of having been rained on is largely compensated by the fantastic decor the
rain brought. We were, in fact, really lucky to have had that rain because it is rare that
you can see the desert as green as it is now. Especially this time of the year. (Speaking
of something green, I got to go...again...)
In fact, considering the cool and windy weather we've been having since we've been in
Baja, we even prefer the desert (where it's less windy) over the beaches.
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Nature litterllay explodes with green. This reminds us of spring time back
home.
(Speaking of explosions of green...S'Cuse me...Got to go!) |
Perfect roads for our vehicules, or perfect vehicules for these roads? Our Polaris
Sporstman X2s are exactly the vehicule we need down here.
Perfect for our 4X4!
Polaris
Industries - Canada
Polaris Industries - USA
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The law of nature is the law of the fittest... |
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The vultures are waiting for the next victim... |
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After a whole day of riding, Minnie is so exhausted she could sleep in
sh... |
Another chilly morning...A good coffee...A few cramps and...Oh No! Not again...
No, we did not make to the Amazon...Yet...
...This the main road to reach San José de Commundu.
There's a tiny little river here and where there's water, there's palm trees.
Having water available gives the opportunity to the people to have a small garden and
to grow fruit trees. Oranges, tangerines, dates, limes, bananas and other fruits are found
in many "back yards".
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Missionnary of a different kind?? |
The San José de Commondu Mission, you have to earn it...Getting here is the challenge!
Especially using the "road" we used...And now, Perdone Senor, donde esta el
camino por Loreto??
Here's the 2/3 - 1/3 road.
2/3 of it is concrete, 1/3 is rocks????? (Guess the fast lane is concrete..)
Minnie is checking to make sure we get our $5.00/gal worth at the San Miguel de
Commondu full serve gas station.
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THE restaurant of San Miguel. Don't look for
other tables, this is it! Now that's home style cookin'! |
| Just another witness of the Quadtrek Adventure! |
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Back on the top...(OOOups! Got ot go...again...)
...And the road is still just as bad...
Who said dirt was cheap? Here, it's rare! Corps are burried under rocks more than dirt.
Cemetaries are often very colorfull with flowers.
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It's near Loreto, in Las Parras, we found this tiny church... |
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...3 rows of seats, room for 18 people. |
Approaching Loreto. Nearing the sea of Cortez again. for your info, there's over 20
miles from the sea to where this picture was taken...
In Loreto, by pure chance, we stumble upon the Del Borracho Saloon and grill.
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Owned by a super friendly couple, Cholie and Mike Patterson, the place is
unique in Baja because it's made of wood, a very rare material here. The food here besides
being excellent, is also unique in Baja as it is typically American. After 5 weeks of
tacos, it's a welcome change! |
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Mike's been around the Baja race for over 30 years so he has a lot of
friends in the area. one of them found a brand new coupler for our trailer. "No
charge"! |
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Plus Marc can use mikes tools to install it. |
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Mike and Cholie also rent this cute little casita. It will be our palace
for 2 days. |
If you're in Loreto, stop at the Del Borracho, you'll love the place! And if, by
chance, you happen to stop there on a friday, make sure you order some of Cholies Clam
Chowder. It's to die for!! Oh Yeah! Don't forget to taste her homemade
oatmeal cookies too, divine!
Thanks for everything guys! It's really appreciated!
In Loreto...
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Internet café, Baja version.
You plug in where you can... |
No, no, this is not Québec city or some town near the north pole. This is the Loreto
zocalo.
How do you know you're in Baja? You know you're in Baja when you can buy your meat at
the local "flea market"...T-Shirts on this counter, tools on this one and...pork
chops on the next!! What? You don't see a refridgerator? Well, that's 'cause there is no
fridge...
 
Yeah ! Meeting many new
interesting people!
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We meet a lot of nice, friendly and interesting folks that
have a lot of cool stories to share. |
| Bof... |
La "tourista"!! |
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Ooouch, Ooouille! S'cuse-me, I can't type any longer, I have
to go!! |
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Next step, San Javier.
You are entering San Javier. Main street is paved with rocks and cement. Looks cool!
The mission of San Javier (1699 - 1817)
Another very nice couple, Rafael & Maria, also from Spain (like Philip and Vanessa)
came to explore the Americas. They accompanied us to San Javier where we shared a great
meal and great travel stories. You can follow them on their web site (providing you read
Spanish...) www.tornatornabell.org
Thanks for the very nice evening and Bon Viaje!
December 16th, 2007.
Here's the last gas station on our way to La Paz, more then 200 miles from here. It's
abandonned. This is justone of the reasons why people say: "In Baja, never pass up an
open gas station without getting gas."
Good thing we filled up at the last gas station. We should be good...
Kids love Minnie!
Another night in the desert. We are home here. It's peace, tranquility. There's no
noise whatsoever.
December 17th, 2007.
Finding a decent route that get us where we want to go is'nt always easy. This morning,
the only unpaved road goes through...THE DUMP...
Surely you'll understand that the locals who came to unload their trash (and those who
came to pick up some...) are staring at us like they're thinking:
"What the he.. are those Gringos doing here??"
Lets just say the feeling of "I'm not too too sure about this one" is pretty
strong...But yes, that was really the road to take to avoid Mex. 1...
After a quick stop at the San Luis Gonzaga mission, we hit the "road" for La
Paz. Surprisingly, we cross a few streams on the way.
The rain of the last weeks benefits to all...
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Baja style mile marker... |
A perfect spot to spend the night. In the middle of nowhere, atop a plateau only
accessible through a nearly impassible road for anything but a big 4X4. We'll be safe
here.
Bonne nuit! (Ooouch! I have cramps again...)
December 18th, 2007.
What a color contrast! this part of Baja (near San Évaristo), to us, is one of the
nicest. Very few tourists come here. Only a handful of dirt bike riders. It only makes it
even more enjoyable!
That's Baja!
| Lunch break on the beach. |
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| Where else can you find rocks as colorful as these? |
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Punta coyote. But where's the road runner? |
Soon, La Paz...The fuel gauge says less than 1/4...
Here we are! It was about time! I've been riding on reserve (gauge flashing) for 3
miles, and it's supposed to be good for...5 miles! Naaa, don't worry, we still had
one more jerry can full...;)
| This sweet little casita will be home for a few days. |
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It's Minnie who has the last words: "Hey I'm only 6 months! I'm just a
baby!!"
MERRY
CHRISTMAS!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL OF YOU!!
WE LOVE YOU!! |
...T.B.C...
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