We're home, back in Underwood....
It was a long drive, 2176 miles long.
Leaving Los Barrilies at around 8:15 we drove into light showers and a very
spectacular display of lighting as we entered the mountains into San Bartolo.
To La Paz the drive was fast and very easy, the traffic was light all the way
into and out of La Paz. At the turn to the by pass road in La Paz a old
newspaper vendor on my side of the van started talking to me in Spanish and
pointing to his face then mine. In very broken english/spanish he was saying
"mucho colour, mucho color". My skin had tanned to a very dark "Greek" color,
and he was smiling and gesturing in a happy way. His skin was dark and so was
mine, we shared something and he was pleased. Either that or he was just
flattering me in hope I would buy a Mexican Newspaper.
At the edge of La Paz there is a Pemex where I like to fuel up because it is normally without a lot of traffic. As we approached we saw to our panic around 20 very large RVs in a caravan fueling. They were just finishing the last two motorhomes when we pulled in. The motorhomes were gassers so I was able to pull up to the diesel pumps and start pumping right away. The Pemex cashier let me self-serve because the pump jockey was busy with the caravan. Andy soon found out the caravan was headed north just like us. Horrors, they were getting ready to pull out just as I finishing filling the van. Andy hollered at a guy with a radio in his hand pleading with him to let us get out ahead of him. He did, he was real cool about it. The gringo caravans are slow, dog slow, 45 to 50 miles an hour slow. When you get stuck behind a gringo caravan your stuck there until they pull over for their next stop.
Two mile north of La Paz is the first Military check point. Driving south the military check point are quick and easy. The young soldiers politely ask where are we going, where we from and do we have any guns or drugs. Going north the soldiers once again ask the same questions and ask to inspect the van and Airstream. We have a routine, I stay with the van while Andy lets the soldiers in to the Airstream to inspect it. The young men try to look very serious yet be polite and friendly. The van gets a very quick once over, and every time the inspectors sees Kody he will ask if Kody bites. Smart question, I can only imagine how territorial some of the gringo dogs they see are. Kody could care less, he just lies there totally disinterested. Nobody even ask him to move or bothers to look in the storage box Kody is lying on top of. In the Airstream things can be a little more interesting. Some times when Andy open the door to the Airstream our stuff is all over the floor if a closet door has popped opened. The soldiers seem be embarrass by the mess. Most of the time the Airstream is neat and orderly. The soldier inspectors have learned over time not to open a cabinet or closet door quickly for fear of something falling out. They put one hand in front of them while the other hand slowly opens the door. The soldiers always asked about the pictures we have on the wall. Pictures of Kathy and our Los Barrilies friends. Andy of course will tell them who every one is and the both of them will carry on and on about who is related to who in the pictures. The pictures break the ice and the questions seem more genuine. All in all the check points a nice break from driving.
As soon as we leave Ciudad Consitucion we catch and pass a RV who just happen to be are our friends Rick and Jan. They follow us to Baiha Conception where we stop and shoot the breeze. From there we drive to Mulage to camp at The Orchards. The Orchards is old campground just south of Mulage's main street on the river. The campground is slowly being converted into a resort with small cottages owned by Gringos. It is quit evening and we go to bed early.
The following morning Rick and Jan leave early. We caught up with them at the LA Bay intersection. Rick and Jan follow us north to Santa Rosaila where we leave them. From there we head north planning to spend the night somewhere in or near San Quinin. We arrive there around 3:00, the town is a mess. mud every where, the side roads filed with water and more mud. It's early and we can't find a campground that isn't more than muddy parking lot. We head north to Ensenda. Ensenda is only 100 miles from San Quintin, we think it would be an easy drive of only a couple of hours. WRONG, the road north is a winding up and down hiway with a lot of traffic. We arrive in the suburbs of Ensenda in the dark. There at the south end of town is another Military check point. This one is back up with everyone being inspected Gringos and Mexican alike. The Mexican Military is very hard on the Mexican public. As quick and easy it is for us, it is as hard on the Mexicans. Their cars are inspected inside and out. The cars are emptied of all passengers and contents. The cars are poke and probed in every nook and cranny.
We drive into Ensenda in the dark not knowing where to spend the night. We drive through the business district, we drive pass the tourist area, we keep driving toward the toll road looking for a RV park. First we pull into a small RV park on the beach. It is muddy and a little seedy looking. We drive north, spot a sign that indicate a surf spot and RV park on the beach. Following the signs we immediately get lost making a wrong turn onto a dead end street. While backing out with Andy outside directing me a gringo surfrat comes out of his doublewide to see what the commotion is. He gives a directions to the "Park" that we missed. This time we pay $18 to enter the "Park". Parking lot was a better description. Again it is muddy, it didn't look like a RV park. Along the beach front there are a couple of cars with people inside, lights out. Hum, strange, a big parking lot with people in cars after dark doing what? Andy and I hi-tailed it out of there after as soon as I could make a wide U turn out of the lot. The attendant returned the eighteen bucks acting like it happens all the time. Down the road heading back toward Ensenda we go. We find a funky little place named Motel California and RV Park. It was clean and secure with RV parking for five rigs. We the only campers. The motel looks mostly empty. It is a little after 8:30 when we settle in. Andy throw together a simple meal of kileasa sausage and beans with a huge helping of avocado. We had to eat all of the avocado before we crosse into the USA. We weren't planning of eating in our last night in Mexico, so the meal was not planned and a little odd, but giving our empty cupboard the meal was very tasty.
The next morning we head north to Tecate to cross the border. Tecate is a considerable less hectic than Tijuena and only a hour longer to drive. In Tecate I fuel up at the first Pemex. At $1.65 a gal and needing nearly 50 gals of diesel and with diesel over $2.70 a gal in San Diego getting diesel in Baja was a "no brainer". At about four block from the border we get in a single file line of cars to cross. The wait isn't bad, twenty minutes. The first HOME LAND SECURITY officer ask who we are, where we have been and where we are going. He then ask for our passports and tells us to pull into the secondary inspection area. There a big, 6'3", young (late twenties) wearing a dark blue HOME LAND SECURITY uniform with combat boots and big black gun strapped to his side. His hair was short chopped and he had on a pair of sport style sunglasses. He asked to inspect the Airstream, Andy obliges and gives him the tour just as she did for all of the Mexican Military check points. I stay by the van checking things out waiting. After about 10 minutes or so the HOME LAND SECURITY officer emerges from the Airstream holding a clear plastic bag with a couple of tomatoes, a clove of garlic, and some greens. He carries the bag over to a trash bin and drops it in. He then give us directions out of the secondary check point and wishes us a nice day.
From the Mexican border we booked it to Costa Mesa to Rusty and Pat's home. That evening Nipper shows up and Willie and Dy come over for dinner. We just saw Willie and Dy in Los Barrilies two day before at Kathy's place. Nipper was headed south to Punto San Carlos for a month long stay and sailing. Dinner was great, stories were told. Andy had a slow burn hangover the following morning, I suspect a few others shared her pain. Saturday morning we leave Pat and Rusty' home around 7:30, the traffic through LA was fast with no slow downs, very nice. We make it to Redding that evening around 6:30, eat at a trendy "RoadHouse" cafe and then drive a little further north to a rest stop near O'Brian California. The rest area filled up early with truckers and few RV, we both sleep soundly. It RAINED again that night and into the morning, only this time we drove out of the rain into sunny Oregon. We made it home in Underwood around 3:45, 2176 miles and five days from Los Barrilies.
At the edge of La Paz there is a Pemex where I like to fuel up because it is normally without a lot of traffic. As we approached we saw to our panic around 20 very large RVs in a caravan fueling. They were just finishing the last two motorhomes when we pulled in. The motorhomes were gassers so I was able to pull up to the diesel pumps and start pumping right away. The Pemex cashier let me self-serve because the pump jockey was busy with the caravan. Andy soon found out the caravan was headed north just like us. Horrors, they were getting ready to pull out just as I finishing filling the van. Andy hollered at a guy with a radio in his hand pleading with him to let us get out ahead of him. He did, he was real cool about it. The gringo caravans are slow, dog slow, 45 to 50 miles an hour slow. When you get stuck behind a gringo caravan your stuck there until they pull over for their next stop.
Two mile north of La Paz is the first Military check point. Driving south the military check point are quick and easy. The young soldiers politely ask where are we going, where we from and do we have any guns or drugs. Going north the soldiers once again ask the same questions and ask to inspect the van and Airstream. We have a routine, I stay with the van while Andy lets the soldiers in to the Airstream to inspect it. The young men try to look very serious yet be polite and friendly. The van gets a very quick once over, and every time the inspectors sees Kody he will ask if Kody bites. Smart question, I can only imagine how territorial some of the gringo dogs they see are. Kody could care less, he just lies there totally disinterested. Nobody even ask him to move or bothers to look in the storage box Kody is lying on top of. In the Airstream things can be a little more interesting. Some times when Andy open the door to the Airstream our stuff is all over the floor if a closet door has popped opened. The soldiers seem be embarrass by the mess. Most of the time the Airstream is neat and orderly. The soldier inspectors have learned over time not to open a cabinet or closet door quickly for fear of something falling out. They put one hand in front of them while the other hand slowly opens the door. The soldiers always asked about the pictures we have on the wall. Pictures of Kathy and our Los Barrilies friends. Andy of course will tell them who every one is and the both of them will carry on and on about who is related to who in the pictures. The pictures break the ice and the questions seem more genuine. All in all the check points a nice break from driving.
As soon as we leave Ciudad Consitucion we catch and pass a RV who just happen to be are our friends Rick and Jan. They follow us to Baiha Conception where we stop and shoot the breeze. From there we drive to Mulage to camp at The Orchards. The Orchards is old campground just south of Mulage's main street on the river. The campground is slowly being converted into a resort with small cottages owned by Gringos. It is quit evening and we go to bed early.
The following morning Rick and Jan leave early. We caught up with them at the LA Bay intersection. Rick and Jan follow us north to Santa Rosaila where we leave them. From there we head north planning to spend the night somewhere in or near San Quinin. We arrive there around 3:00, the town is a mess. mud every where, the side roads filed with water and more mud. It's early and we can't find a campground that isn't more than muddy parking lot. We head north to Ensenda. Ensenda is only 100 miles from San Quintin, we think it would be an easy drive of only a couple of hours. WRONG, the road north is a winding up and down hiway with a lot of traffic. We arrive in the suburbs of Ensenda in the dark. There at the south end of town is another Military check point. This one is back up with everyone being inspected Gringos and Mexican alike. The Mexican Military is very hard on the Mexican public. As quick and easy it is for us, it is as hard on the Mexicans. Their cars are inspected inside and out. The cars are emptied of all passengers and contents. The cars are poke and probed in every nook and cranny.
We drive into Ensenda in the dark not knowing where to spend the night. We drive through the business district, we drive pass the tourist area, we keep driving toward the toll road looking for a RV park. First we pull into a small RV park on the beach. It is muddy and a little seedy looking. We drive north, spot a sign that indicate a surf spot and RV park on the beach. Following the signs we immediately get lost making a wrong turn onto a dead end street. While backing out with Andy outside directing me a gringo surfrat comes out of his doublewide to see what the commotion is. He gives a directions to the "Park" that we missed. This time we pay $18 to enter the "Park". Parking lot was a better description. Again it is muddy, it didn't look like a RV park. Along the beach front there are a couple of cars with people inside, lights out. Hum, strange, a big parking lot with people in cars after dark doing what? Andy and I hi-tailed it out of there after as soon as I could make a wide U turn out of the lot. The attendant returned the eighteen bucks acting like it happens all the time. Down the road heading back toward Ensenda we go. We find a funky little place named Motel California and RV Park. It was clean and secure with RV parking for five rigs. We the only campers. The motel looks mostly empty. It is a little after 8:30 when we settle in. Andy throw together a simple meal of kileasa sausage and beans with a huge helping of avocado. We had to eat all of the avocado before we crosse into the USA. We weren't planning of eating in our last night in Mexico, so the meal was not planned and a little odd, but giving our empty cupboard the meal was very tasty.
The next morning we head north to Tecate to cross the border. Tecate is a considerable less hectic than Tijuena and only a hour longer to drive. In Tecate I fuel up at the first Pemex. At $1.65 a gal and needing nearly 50 gals of diesel and with diesel over $2.70 a gal in San Diego getting diesel in Baja was a "no brainer". At about four block from the border we get in a single file line of cars to cross. The wait isn't bad, twenty minutes. The first HOME LAND SECURITY officer ask who we are, where we have been and where we are going. He then ask for our passports and tells us to pull into the secondary inspection area. There a big, 6'3", young (late twenties) wearing a dark blue HOME LAND SECURITY uniform with combat boots and big black gun strapped to his side. His hair was short chopped and he had on a pair of sport style sunglasses. He asked to inspect the Airstream, Andy obliges and gives him the tour just as she did for all of the Mexican Military check points. I stay by the van checking things out waiting. After about 10 minutes or so the HOME LAND SECURITY officer emerges from the Airstream holding a clear plastic bag with a couple of tomatoes, a clove of garlic, and some greens. He carries the bag over to a trash bin and drops it in. He then give us directions out of the secondary check point and wishes us a nice day.
From the Mexican border we booked it to Costa Mesa to Rusty and Pat's home. That evening Nipper shows up and Willie and Dy come over for dinner. We just saw Willie and Dy in Los Barrilies two day before at Kathy's place. Nipper was headed south to Punto San Carlos for a month long stay and sailing. Dinner was great, stories were told. Andy had a slow burn hangover the following morning, I suspect a few others shared her pain. Saturday morning we leave Pat and Rusty' home around 7:30, the traffic through LA was fast with no slow downs, very nice. We make it to Redding that evening around 6:30, eat at a trendy "RoadHouse" cafe and then drive a little further north to a rest stop near O'Brian California. The rest area filled up early with truckers and few RV, we both sleep soundly. It RAINED again that night and into the morning, only this time we drove out of the rain into sunny Oregon. We made it home in Underwood around 3:45, 2176 miles and five days from Los Barrilies.
Posted: Tue - March 1, 2005 at 09:03 PM
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Published On: Apr 16, 2005 05:32 PM
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Published On: Apr 16, 2005 05:32 PM