Sleeping Boys on New Year’s Day |
Category: 2016 Baja Road Trip
Baja Road Trip – Chula Vista to San Quintin
Loading our Toyota 4-Runner at the Holiday Inn |
After an uninspired Holiday Inn breakfast buffet, we ask Siri directions to Ensenada. I drive and Art navigates and the border crossing is disappointingly easy. No one asks to see our passports and we miss the turn out immediately after the border crossing where Dave has told us to pull over to get our visa’s. Art is very anxious about this and mutters that we will all be taken away in handcuffs. We cruise through Tijuana quickly. The immense fence paralleling the U.S. Mexican border is off putting and inhospitable and topped with wicked curls of barbed wire. Thirty minutes later we pull into a rest stop where other travelers tell us not to worry about our visas; that the visa office is closed today anyway because it is New Year’s day. We also learn that one does not need a visa if one is staying in Mexico 7 days or less (actually this applies withing 20 miles of the border)so we are more relaxed as we continue our drive to San Quintin.
Roadside Lunch in San Vicente |
Shortly after 1:00 P.M. we stop in a small town to look for lunch. Art asks a bored local man where to find a restaurant and he points across the street to a large beer sign. We drive over and park in front of a tiny open fronted restaurant. Two men are finishing their lunch of folded tortillas stuffed with meat and cheese. John and Will point to what the men are eating and order two of the same. Art and I peer over the counter and see that the women also have a plastic container of cold and coagulated chile rellenos. We each order one with rice and beans and she puts them on the grill. The restaurant is little more than an open camp kitchen with two tables but I ask for a restroom and the younger of the two women takes me a few buildings down the dusty street and into the back courtyard of a private home. We pass the family sitting in a back courtyard and she points to the toilet door, askew on it’s hinges. The young woman who is escorting me hands the woman in the courtyard a coin to pay for my toilet. I wash my hands in a large bucket filled with opaque blue water, presumably infused with some sort of soap. Lunch is reasonably good but I worry that we may get Montezuma’s revenge.
Hotel Jardines Courtyard |
Hotel Jardines Grounds |
Margaritas at Hotel Jardines Restaurant Bar |
Barbecue Snails |
The boys are a minute ahead of Art and me and when we catch up to them at the restaurant, we find them sitting at a table in the bar having already ordered a pitcher of margaritas. We settle into Baja time. It’s much too early for dinner but we peruse the dinner menu and order a platter of barbecued sea snails as an appetizer, in honor of John’s Moorera project. They arrive sliced and barbecued, piled in the center of a large platter rimmed with toasted bread. They are chewy, flavorful and surprisingly good. We ask our waiter the kind of sea snail and he confesses that they are from a can, but in the process, he tells us that it’s just a short drive down to the oyster beds where we can eat fresh oysters. His instructions take us a kilometer north on the main highway with a left turn just before the military base. We are instructed to follow a dirt road several Kilometers down towards the beach and that the road will go between two “volcanoes.” Miraculously we get his directions right and find the oyster beds and the makeshift beach side restaurant. There are a several plastic tables and chairs and a barbecue grill. Art orders a dozen raw and a dozen cooked oysters. I sample one of the raw oysters but oysters are not my thing and I leave the rest for the boys and enjoy watching them slurp down their slippery treats as the sun sets and the water turns a steely silvery grey.
John and Will Eating Oysters |
Preparing the Oysters |
Art and Will Eating Oysters |
Sunset at the Oyster Beds |
Barbecuing Oysters |
When we return to Hotel Jardines restaurant for dinner and thank our waiter for telling us about the oyster beds. We each order various platters of fresh fish; all very good. It is very cold when we head back to our non heated room, but seemingly everyone sleeps well enough.
Baja Road Trip – San Quintin to Guerrero Negro
El Rosario Restaurant |
Breakfast at El Rosario |
El Rosario Restaurant |
El Rosario is a small town and we stop for breakfast at Mi Casa Restaurant. It is on the left hand side of the road between a tire center and the police station. It is painted a cheerful orange, the outdoor patio edged with cacti and we sit outside and order coffee and breakfast. There are no prices on the menu so Art asks, and a less than charming waitress tells us that each breakfast is 95 pesos. My Mexican eggs, scrambled with tomatoes, onions and chiles is reasonably good and the homemade salsa is excellent.
Desert Vista and the Ribbon of Highway |
John, Marty, Cardon Cactus |
The road takes us up into the high desert with breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains. It is a painted desert of red, orange and sage green. There are pockets of large cardon cactus, nopale cactus and a type of Joshua Tree. Dr Suess like Foquiera plants dot the landscape, each topped with whimsical flowery tufts. We pull off at a high ridge and are happy to have this 4 runner as Art drives a barley discernible dirt road, alongside the highway. We get out to stretch our legs and Will, a botanist, takes off downhill to examine the plants in the area. I inhale the remarkable beauty of this desert and think of my father, wishing that he could be with us on this Baja road trip and grateful that he and my mother, taught me to appreciate nature and geology.
Catavina Landscape |
As we near Catavina, the expansive vistas morph into a rocky landscape. Plateaus rise in the distance and there are mountains of rounded boulders much like those at California’s Joshua Tree National Park. We pull over and the boys scramble and climb the boulder ridden landscape. Unfortunately, many of the boulders are sprayed with graffiti. It’s roughly 2:00 P.M. when we arrive in Cativina, barely a dot on the map. Our plans were to spend the night so we stop at El President Hotel to inquire the prices as well as the Santa Ynez Rancho, several arroyo’s further on. The tiny rancho is deserted and the boys seem anxious to drive onto Guerrero Negro for the night. Before driving on, I re-read Dave’s instructions and we back track to the last wet arroyo where I hoped we could hike up the canyon and anoint ourselves with desert spring water. Unfortunately, since we don’t have a hotel room to stash our valuables, someone must to stay with the car since we have Art’s new bicycle and my computer aboard. I volunteer to stay and settle down with my computer to write while the three boys start up the canyon. Art returns grinning a few minutes later, puts our Toyota into 4 wheel drive and we drive up the sandy wash as far as possible. It’s great fun to have this vehicle and I think the good times I had as a young girl, 4 wheeling up sandy washes with my father.
Catavina Graffiti |
Catavina Cactus Landscape |
Catavina Wash |
Will, Catavina |
We drive on to Guerrero Negro for the night and check into the Malarrimo Motel. Although it is a recommended option in the guide book the rooms are rather shabby. We have two rooms for tonight, each with two queen beds crowned with brightly painted and crudely carved whale motif headboards. Our fish dinner at the Malarrimo hotel restaurant, is reasonably good and afterwards we migrate into the bar where we visit with another family who are going on a whale watching tour with us in the morning. Art, John and Will play pool but Art and I retire early to our room leaving the boys to be boys.
Pool at La Malarimmo Hotel Bar |
Pool at La Malarimmo Hotel Bar |
Baja Road Trip – Guerrero Negro to San Ignacio
Guerrero Negro Cafe -Waiting for the rain to end |
Guerrero Negro Cafe. |
Coyote walking the Salt Flats |
Art Driving through the Salt Flats |
Guard Station |
Lagoon Ojo de Liebre Pier |
Will, Marty, John |
Whales in the Distance |
Whale Tour |
Marty |
Whale Skeleton – Laguna Ojo de Liebre |
On our return drive across the salt flats to the main highway we stop several times for Will to examine the unusual plant life of this ecosystem. A sight that I am getting used to seeing is Will down on the ground, butt in the air, examining a flower or seed through his field lens. He points out an especially beautiful plant; the crystalline ice plant, a peachy rose colored succulent with delicate sprays of star like flowers.
Will and John Examining Plant Life |
We power onto San Ignacio stopping for a very late lunch in Vizcino. The restaurant is very cute and we leave full but the the food is not inspired.
Lunch Stop in Vizcino |
Lunch Stop in Vizcino |
Because of our late start, we arrive in San Ignacio at 5:00 P.M. and stop at Beans and Rice Motel to ask about accommodations. I am not impressed with the bare bone drafty rooms and suggest that we drive into town to investigate other options. We drop down into sleepy San Ignacio, an oasis of palm trees clustered along the river. We pass by the Canadian run San Ignacio Springs B and B and are fortunate that they have a family room available with two queen beds, a day bed and a separate sitting room. Because we own a house in Baja she extends us a 10% discount so the rate including taxes and breakfast for the 4 of us is $U.S.114.00. Except for Art’s bicycle, we have packed lightly and we are unloaded quickly. It is a short distance into San Ignacio in search of dinner. At the suggestion of our B & B host, we go to her daughters restaurant for dinner. Tootsie’s Bar and Grill is tucked away on a back street off of the Zocalo. Because of our late lunch, none of us are terribly hungry and John and Will share a quesadilla. I order a beet salad which is an uninspired plate of overcooked, pickled beets, not what I hoped for or expected. Art orders a different salad and unfortunately none of us are impressed with our meals.
Tootsie’s Restaurant, San Ignacio |
Baja Road Trip – San Ignacio to San Francisco de Sierra and onto Mulege
Steer Skull |
Marty, Steer Skull |
Panoramic Vista – San Francisco de Sierra |
John on the Pinnacle |
John Climbing the Pinnacle |
Will on the Pinnacle |
Solidarity |
The Pavement Turns to a Dirt Road |
Goats in the Road |
We pass the gated and locked entrance to the cave on the right and continue several more kilometers to the ranch where we have been instructed to register and where we will hire a guide. A man in his 70’s is walking through the compound and he escorts us through the primitive ranch to the “office.” An old man and woman sit idly in the sun while a younger man attempts to start a fire, dogs roam and children gawk. Art is handed a clipboard and dutifully fills out our names and ages and pays the 100 peso guide fee plus a 45 peso camera use fee. It turns out that our guide is to be the man who escorted us here and he leads us back to our car. I ask for a toilet and he points me to a latrine out behind an abandoned building where a wooden plank with a hole suffices for the toilet seat.
Art Registers to Visit the Cave Paintings at the Rancho |
San Francisco de Sierra Rancho |
Goat Enclosure |
Goat Enclosure |
Latrine |
Toilet Seat |
Gated Entrance to the Cave Site |
Our Guide Unlocks the Gate |
Cave Painting – San Francisco de Sierra |
Cueva del Raton |
Detail of Painting |
Art, Marty, John and Will, San Francisco de Sierra Mural Site |
San Francisco de Sierra Cave Mural |
Lunch at Victor’s in the San Ignacio Zocolo |
Mission San Ignacio |
Detail of Mission Door |
Lake San Ignacio |
Aqueduct |
San Ignacio Warm Springs |
Snorkeling and Swimming with Fish |
Hacienda Hotel, Mulege |
El Candil Restaurant, Mulege |
El Candid Bar, Mulege |
El Candid Bar, Mulege |
Baja Road Trip, Mulege to Loreto
Playa along the Bay of Conception |
Desert Vista |
John and Will – La Damiana Inn – Loreto |
La Damiana Inn – Kitchen |
La Damiana Inn – Patio |
Mission Loreto |
Shaded Shopping Street, Loreto |
Loreto Malecon |
Baja Road Trip – Loreto through La Paz to Todo Santos
Breakfast in Loreto |
Marty, Mar de Cortes Isla Carmen |
Art, Mar de Cortes Isla Carmen |
John, Mar de Cortes Isla Carmen |
Mar de Cortes Isla Carmen |
Authentic Lunch on the way to La Paz |
Authentic Restaurant |
Todo Santos |
Todo Santos Hotel |
Art, Todo Santos |
Mexican Fire Opal, Ojo de Oro |
Mexican Fire Opal, Ojo de Oro |
Casa Madero 3V |
Zocalo, Todo Santos |
Baja Road Trip – Todo Santos to Zacatitos
Todo Santos Art Gallery |
John, Art Gallery |
View from San Jose to Punta Gorda |
Waiting for Lunch |
It’s always wonderful heading home; and it does feel like we are going home when we see the “Witch Tit Mountains” and turn on the coast road at Buzzards Restaurant. The dirt road is surprisingly good or maybe it’s just that we finally have a vehicle suitable for these rocky roads. The road parallels the Sea of Cortez and everyone feels the awe of this wild and beautiful place.
Witch Tit Mountains |
When we pull into our driveway and climb the stairs to our house, John is literally jumping for joy! He repeatedly tells Papa and me how much he loves us and how awesome this all is. Opening up the house is easy enough but it is a process. It’s close to 4:00 P.M. and the solar needs time to regenerate and Art putters in the garage with the generator, the solar batteries and the water heater. I uncover the furniture, put sheets on our bed and we move the low table and the chairs outside. The boys carry everything upstairs, dump the ice in the ice chest and I unpack the food and arrange the kitchen. There is sweeping to do and gecko poop to clean off the counters and window sills. We are more or less settled by 5:00 P.M. in time for the important ritual of sundowners. I mix Art a margarita, the boys pop open beers and I pour a glass of wine. We are all very happy.
Roof Top Toast to Casa Magic Gecko and Zacatitos |
At 6:30 we drive to Zac’s and are welcomed “home” for the season. We sit inside their new enclosed dining room and John and Will are very excited about the new and very extensive menu. It’s a quiet night at Zac’s but Angel and Paul make us feel welcome, Tanya and Tyler are there as well as a few “old men” at the bar. We are proud to introduce John and Will to our friends and learn that tomorrow morning, Saturday, there is a work party to erect Cinema in the Sand and we volunteer to help. John, Will and I play cards before going to bed. Tonight the boys sleep on foam mats inside the house. Tomorrow, they will set up their roof top tent.
Baja Road Trip – Zacatitos to the Organic Market
Cinema in the Sand Work Day |
Tyler, Cinema in the Sand |
Cinema in the Sand Work Day |
We drive to the Organic Market which is bustling. This is the prime time for the market and the boys are delighted with the scene. Music plays and kids twirl and wiggle their hula hoops. We stroll the many tiny craft stalls, buy a few vegetables and order lunch from two of the food stalls. John orders a carnitas torta for himself and a chicken torta for me but they run out of chicken so we have one carnita and one cactus torta. The cactus torta is not my favorite, but interesting.
San Jose’s Organic Market |
San Jose’s Organic Market |
We run our other errands; the A.T.M, picking up the laundry and a trip to Mega where we stock up on supplies. They don’t have the tequila I am looking for or carry Grand Marnier so we go to Europa where I hope to buy a special Añejo tequila but they are sold out. I buy Grand Marnier and John buys a cheap tequila in a very pretty bottle which actually proves to be quite nice. We make a stop for gas on our way home and drive the highway back home.
Burros and Bananas |
Burros and Bananas |
Baja Road Trip – A Day in Zacatitos
Will, our Resident Chef |
John Washing Clothes with the Plunger |
Laundry Day for Will and John |
Laundry Drying |
John Setting up the Tent |
Laundry Day for Will and John |
The boys kick back for the day, surfing and skim boarding.
Will and John after an attempt at Surfing |
Returning from the Beach |
At 2:30 P.M. our neighbor Maha comes over to tell me that there is a potluck woman’s gathering at Cheri’s and Chico’s house at 4:00 P.M. Cheri and Chico are partners in the house together with our friends Bev and Ray. Although my inclination is to be shy and anti-social, at 4:00 P.M. I rally up and drive Maha over to the event where I meet Cheri for the first time and her houseguest, Fay and reconnect with Raven, Gloria, Sube and Mary. Raven mentions that she needs 20 minutes of help from a couple of strong men and I volunteer John and Will for the job. Everyone except for me has brought a dish to share and the spread is wonderful. I nibble on barbecued chicken legs, shrimp, and a variety of pasta salads. There is plenty of tequila and wine and after two glasses of wine, I relax and enjoy myself.
Women’s Gathering at Cheri’s Home |
Will cooks a great dinner of stir fry vegetables, beans, rice and cheese, all wrapped in tortilla’s. We play cards and go to bed early.