Friday - Sunday, 27-29 November 2009
| Updated: Monday, 16 April 2012 |
Visit
our friends at:
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San Felipé, Baja California,
Mexico Friday - Sunday, 27-29 November 2009 |
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The Missions of Baja California Other TRIPS |
 Back again. This time
to the gulf side, the Sea of Cortez / Gulf of California --- San
Felipé. Didn't make it to Puertecitos. I'm told
they've paved about 5 miles of road to the south headed towards Gonzaga Bay.
Ugh! There goes the dirt-road neighborhood.
It was nice there now that summer has come and gone. Met and stayed with my new friends Glenn & Joan Heidenreich who I met this summer at Fidel's El Pabellon campground south of San Quentín.
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Fun Facts |
Google Earth Placemarks | |||||
CLICKABLE Baja Norté map. |
 Ever wonder why
Loreto or Los Cabos and other select
Mexican destinations come into being and grow like crazy? It's not luck or
coincidence. It's all very well-planned. Thanks to FONATUR,
the "institution responsible for the planning and development of sustainable tourism projects."
And with respect to the Baja Peninsula specifically, there is
the vision of the Escalera
Nautica, the Nautical Ladder --- a
mega project. As of August 2009, this project was HALTED by the
Mexican federal government.
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Who cool is this ??? Even though I missed it. |
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I'm learning to take fewer photographs. Far fewer! Missed quite a few opportunities of people on this trip. Including Bernhard, a Mexican semi-truck driver who I gave a ride to that was hitch-hiking from San Felipé to Ensenda. |
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| Swung through Palm Springs
and saw Bob on the way down to the border.
And ye old Salton Sea. Hmmmm? Meredith know. |
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| What a view of the sea for Barbara! Hmmmm? |  |
 Andreas' Café. Did you
know that December 1st is St. Andreas Day? Now you do! |
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| On the road again ...
Dust devils, fast trucks and no time to lose ... |
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| ... across the Laguna Salada (dry lake bed) ... although Barbara and I have crossed here when it's been completely inundated by water. Oooogh, going too fast again. Top speed ... 105 (!) miles per hour. | 
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| Beautiful ! | 
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| The Baja 1000 race, just a few days earlier crossed here. I had so hoped to attend my first race, but alas, this thing called employment took precedence. Ugh! Tire / rubber wreckage was left behind everywhere. |  |
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| "Where have all the
vados gone? Long time passing ..."
So sad. The "old" Baja is gone. Paved over. So that everyone has easy access. Rectangular concrete culverts everywhere. |
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| Progress everywhere along Mex-5. And Baja Norté. Two lane road => four-lane roads. Beautiful asphalt surfaces with no potholes. Vados no more. Replaced by bridges. And "interchanges." | 
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| The obligatory military
checkpoint at the intersection of Highways 3 & 5.
And another along Highway 3. |
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| Open road ... Mex-5 south of the checkpoint before San Felipe. | 
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| Met some wonderful new
friends ... and friends of friends ... and pets.
Along the malecon. |
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| I actually kept a cheat
sheet as I met Glenn & Joan's pets and neighbors and friends while on
the HEIDENREICH "estate."
Now there's a German name! |
 I was treated so kind!
Thank you. |
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What a blast at Pete's Camp Cantina. Boy, was I ever "the old one". Who knew you could openly drink at the bar at age 16 ??? |
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| And referred to panga fishermen Raul Meza & his son Luis (044.686.545.8156 cell OR 52.686.577.2678 tele). And curio vendors. | 
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| What a view! Behind me, it was like a parking lot for awhile until we found our space right on top of a school of rock fish and a few corvina. |  |
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| John (reminds me of Harold White) and friend his Timo. | 
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| Plenty of Rockfish and a few Corvina for everyone. | 
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| And accepted. Even by the pelicans. What a crowd! | 
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| I love Baja! Four-wheeling in a VW Jetta is not advised. Stuck again. If you actually care, ask me about "the solution" to this problem. | 
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| And both its Gringos and Natives. | Two couples from Michigan and their 4x4 jeep pushed me out from behind using a sleeping bag and a pillow as bumper cushions. | ||||||||||
| Military, Federales & Policia everywhere. | 
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| And job-hunting at the El Dorado Ranch development. |  |
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| "Tanks goodness da
Rockadile Café is still der, mon!"
"Along wid da Beachcomber Grill, mon." Last visit with TJ in 1993. |
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| SNOW! Snow in Baja! | 
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Snowing on Picacho del Diablo (10,154 feet above sea level) in Sierra de San Pedro Mártir National Park between San Felipé & San Quentín as seen westbound on Mex 3. | |||||||||
| Heading north on the toll
road (Mex-1) from Ensenada to Rosarito Beach for some late Farmacía
shopping and back to Anaheim. Beautiful!
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ROADS UPDATE: On the way back I gave a ride to a hitch-hiker at the Mex 3/5 junction & military checkpoint. He is a big-rig truck driver and mentioned that Mex 1 is in EXCELLENT condition down to Guerrero Negro, the border between North and South. From there, south, it's in the "old" condition. Just goes to show who has the money --- the North --- Mexicali, Ensenada, Tijuana. |
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