Chapter 2: Starting Over (a.k.a. Does 'Plan B' stand for 'Baja'?

Updated: Monday, 16 April 2012

Visit our friends at:

Colonet, San Quintin,
El Rosario, Camalu,
Punta San Jacinto, El Pabelon
31 August - 3 September 2009

Maps Videos Photographs The Missions of Baja California Google Earth Placemarks *Other TRIPS*	Third trip since returning to Southern California. Mostly to visit some of the upper missions and document their conditions for inclusion into my large, award-winning Google Earth KMZ. And have 3 fillings put in by my new dentist. Who happens to be next door to my new VW auto mechanic that took care of some of my problems. Sheesh, I love it down here at half price.	Pages like this take ALOT of time to create. Mostly in the preparation of the raw materials and then the actual creation of this web page. And since I have much to do in the career search field (a.k.a. job hunt), I'm going to simply post the pictures in chronological order, minimize writing of the narrative and get on to my various job priorities, five of which have revealed themselves since this trip --- including solar & wind sales in Rosarito, permitting solar & wind systems in Redondo Beach, an environmental interview in Anaheim, LAX construction inspection and contracting opportunities for the city of Pico Rivera.

Google Earth Placemarks	Fun Facts	Maps
Southern California Set terrain = 2x for best effect. Missions of Baja History Set terrain = 3x for best effect.	Ever wonder why Loreto, San Felipé, 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.	CLICKABLE Baja Norté map.
I maintain a pocket-size "red book" in which I keep a diary/log, should anyone care or need to find something if I die or wind up locked away in a foreign prison. Also a very detailed Excel spreadsheet "timecard" just in case.	On this first trip deeper into Baja (September 2009) in 15 years, I got only as far as 50 miles north of Cataviña (about 250 driving miles south of the US-MX border). I was favorably impressed with the infrastructure efforts during my absence: Mex 1 lanes have been widened in many locations along the 2-lane portions (from Mexican 9-foot lane widths to American standard 12-foot lane widths). The asphalt riding surface was in excellent condition everywhere (no potholes) There are several construction zones where you'll be driving on dirt --- many sections of highway between Maneadero and Tijuana are being widened to 4 or 6 lanes. Most of the vados are gone, replaced by bridges. Curve 'post' markers have been replaced with guardrails and reflective signs everywhere --- I saw none missing. Missions are well signed --- although sometimes only from one direction --- meaning you may have to drive through towns both ways to see them. Villages, towns, ejidos, recreation are generally well signed, though there is still a lot of guesswork to finding the actual turnoff or when there are forks along the dirt roads. Through four military checkpoints and one Federalé checkpoint I was always treated with courtesy and respect.	I did use Lonely Planets' Baja guide. Most of the time it was right on. And also a camping and kayaking guide. Plus the AAA map of the peninsula (above). NOTE: When I reference Km markers, they are reset to ZERO at various location along the peninsula which can make it confusing. The zero-reference start points include: US-MX border, Ensenada, El Rosario, the border between Baja Sur & Baja Norté and Los Cabos.

Video Clips

LARGE (high-resolution) Apple Quicktime MP4 format	LOW (low-resolution) Microsoft WMV format	Description / Run Time (mm:ss)
20± Mb	3± Mb	Driving from Rosarito Beach towards Ensenada (01:04)

Photographs

Barbara, Cecil, Denise and Roberta were in Los Cabos during this time --- it looks like we each claimed one end of this 900-mile long peninsula --- when Hurricane Jimena swept past in a "non-event."

When I die, I'm coming back as a pelican.

And hanging out at Km-58 near La Fonda.

Morning fog & marine layer along the toll road. It's great constantly being on or near the Pacific Ocean. Those must be aquaculture nets (farm-raised seafood).

Beachfront property for lease. Nice.

Back in Ensenada after 16 years. Garmongous Mexican flag flying above the port and cruise terminal. Images of Ensenada.

Complete road re-construction and widening south of Ensenada in Maneadero meant the first of many off-road driving segments. And alot of dust-collecting. And just a very light rain mist for a few minutes.

Bahía de Los Angeles: 497 kilometers.

Wineries and vineyards in the Santo Tomás valley.

The Volkswagen Jetta with California license plates.

San Vincenté, one traffic signal

Up and down the peninsula, school children dress their best, many times in simple black & white uniform. If they don't have a uniform, they still seem to conform to a light shirt and dark trousers or skirt.

Colonet, one traffic signal

Police office and the requisite Catholic church surround the ubiquitous main square & park .

I was the sole diner for lunch here in San Telmo, the turnoff for the Sierra de San Pedro Mártir National Park and the national observatory. It was tempting to drive to a higher elevation (10,000 feet) to camp, but it's a distance of 100 km and I was not prepared for Alpine climate.

Decisions, decisions.

On to Colonia Vincente Guerrero.

Modern "plumbing" from near the mission and the spring at the head of the canyon takes water down to town.

Great campground up the canyon has pool, trees, green grass, plenty of room.

Decisions, decisions. On to San Quentín.

Guerrero Negro (Black Warrior): 430 kilometers is the half-way point to the cape (los Cabos) and has a very interesting story and is on the south side of the border between Baja Sur & Baja Norté.

Camalu.

Another one traffic signal town.

Some driving around looking for some beach time and a place to camp overnight. Stumbled upon a wonderful bluff hotel / resort.

Nothing really available in Camalu. Back northward to a Lonely Planet suggestion of a bare-bones campground with a sunken ship 'near' (on) the beach. Watch for these signs for the turnoff then down a LONG (when the sign says 3 Km, it's really double or triple --- just get used to it) dirt road to an encampment of trailers.

Punta San Jacinto / El Barco

The beach was rocks. The campground non-existent. Ugh. What a letdown. But then, again, this is Baja. It's all good. Not a soul to be seen for miles. For two hours I got 'comfortable' outside, had some beers, wrote in my diary, reviewed maps & guides and then headed south again.

"Migrant" (?) farm workers. This area if full of agriculture for over 100 miles.

A typical Mexican military base in the larger towns.

And I was treated with respect at each military checkpoint, 4 in all, once each direction.

Pemex oil prices are going up! Yippie. New police cars & trucks for everybody. Locals and Federales.

Green Angels for assistance.

Then a bit beyond to Km 16 to find a gem of a campground called Fidel's El Pabellon (there are two turnoffs. Use the 2nd one southbound. It's more direct, just after the Pemex station outside of San Quentín --- $100 pesos (US$7) instead of US$10.

Chris & Blanco from Carefree, Arizona got some K9 biscuits. Glenn & Joan from Pete's Camp N/o San Felipé had one of their dogs pee on my chair.

What a sunset! A nearly full moon-rise. The sand dune and beach to myself. Chris fed me a hearty steak & chicken meal from his mega-camper pickup truck. I left him and Blanco a box of biscuits in the morning. The hot shower felt great.

On the road again. Heading south on a "mission" --- pun intended. After El Rosario, it's all the way to Guerrero Negro before there's another Pemex. The one in Cataviña is gone. So is the one at the turnoff for Bahía de los Angeles.

Valle de Cirios (Boojum tree) begins north of Cataviña.

Fascinating flora.

Fascinating driving. With or without music.

Punta Catarina turnoff: turn-around point & a desert oasis.

Assume the oncoming vehicle around the corner or over the hill is truck. Assume the vehicle is 12 inches over the yellow line. Assume there is a yellow line.

Roadside rest area: no facilities, no McDonalds.

Trash, unfortunately, is a fact of life.

Heading back north, looking south from a mesa / plateau, these bands are the outer fringes of Hurricane Jimena.

Heading back north, looking south from the same mesa / plateau.

Driving back north. Lunch by the roadside in El Rosario.

Roadside stop for a few hours of 'comfortable' suntanning and reading and writing in total privacy. Near San Quentín.

San Quentin volcanic ring.

And what are these things? They look like hot houses. But who needs those in Baja. Could they be plastic tents designed to reap moisture out of the air to create water for irrigation? They went on for miles (seemingly) in all directions.

Driving northward.

San Antonio del Mar, outside Colonet --- what a bizarre little enclave to drive out to (8 miles of dirt road) --- no one home. It felt like a bit of Tennessee during the movie Deliverance.

Beautiful 360º panorama on my private sand dune.

Rancho de la Mora