Santispac (7)

27-28 January 2007
Santispac, Baha California Sur, Mexico
- population: 3 (?)
Playa Santispac

Dear Friends of Barbara and Charlie (B/C) ...

Humphrey again. This email covers the drive from Santa Rosalia down Mexico 1 along the Sea of Cortez to Playa Santispac, 48 miles. We stayed here two nights. This was our most favorite RV park.

Playa Santispac is a remote cove just off Mexico 1 with a nice beach -- a place to kick back and relax as Barbara and Scout are doing.

This was Scout’s introduction to the ocean, in fact deep water at all. She took to it with some initial reticence -- she won’t be a water dog.

Yes we felt pretty insignificant; we were the shortest rig in the group and the only one with solar panels and no noisy generators.

We were only 12 miles south of Mulege (pronounced MUL-a-hey) so a trip to town with Teri and Al for lunch and a telephone report to Elizabeth was on the itinerary.

The bar restaurant was on the central square and caters to Americans and Canadians who winter here; in fact Jerry Barber, our Wagon Master, has a twin brother, Rick, who has lived here for a number of years. The TV was a US satellite CNN news show.

Gerry, or his identical twin brother, can’t tell which, picking over the remains of the buffet line which featured different types of clams, some deliciously baked with herbs and bacon in the shell.

Desert was roasted slugs; here Barbara is roasting hers with, left to right, Marilyn Turner (Connecticut), Nila Bailey (Colorado), Barbara and Nancy Goerz (full timing out of Texas). Charlie attests that cooked right the slugs have a good crust and hold a lot of juicy stuff!

Here Barbara started her seashell collection now causing a list to the RV. She learned the trick of preserving them from Ethel Cinders. I think that this will only be a brief diversion from her primary interest in collecting of rocks.

Early morning of our reluctant departure -- sun rising from the East across the Sea of Cortez.

This may be the last year for dry camping on the Santispac beach because the entire Playa has been sold for several million dollars US to developers with rumored plans for a resort. The temporary structures on the beach around the point, built by people who have wintered here for years, were being torn down during our stay.

Next: Loreto

… Humphrey, for Charlie and Barbara

Santa Rosalia (6)

26 January 2007
Santa Rosalia, Baha California Sur, Mexico
- population: 1200 (?)
Loa Palmas RV Park

Dear Friends of Barbara and Charlie (B/C) ...

[map] Humphrey again. This email covers the drive down to Santa Rosalia back on the Sea of Cortez, 48 miles. We stayed here one night.





Given the exhausting 48 mile drive and the one night stand, this is the only picture, taken by Barbara, of Santa Rosalia. A famous church in the region is a pre-fabricated church designed and built in France by Gustav Eiffel (Eiffel Tower) and shipped to the site and assembled in 1897.

Why, because the town has a French origin. In the 1880’s a French company, one of the Rothschild’s empire, acquired copper mining rights and built the town of Santa Rosalia around a foundry. They abandoned mining in 1956 and left vacant foundry building and unknown pollution. The tour books and the local people appreciate what the French contributed and don’t berate the company for not cleaning up its mess as would be the case in the US.

Charlie suggests that this might be a spot to summarize the Baja history, geography and population from the Lonely Planet ‘Baja and Los Cabos‘ tour guide:

HISTORY:
8,000 BC Indians first inhabit the peninsula
Significant petroglyphs at amazing heights in caves
(pictures later)

1500 AD
Estimated 48,000 Indians on the peninsula
3 major linguistic groups subdivided in tribes: upper, middle and lower peninsula, some warlike, some practicing pologamy.
‘Rancheria’ settlements, few families to 200 people.
Hunter-gather subsistence living.
Generally naked, sleeping in open, caves or simple
dwelling.
Remote from the Maya and Aztec cultures on mainland.
None survived European colonization.

1532-39
Cortez in 4 expeditions explores peninsula for gold, none found .

1565
For 250 years English and Dutch preyed on Spanish
galleons returning from Philippines.
A Spanish restocking port was created at La Paz.

1687
First Spanish settlement at Loreto, Jesuit mission,
hub for 23 missions built over next 70 years through
out the Baja.

1767
Spanish expel Jesuits from Mexico, Franciscans take over.

1773
Dominicans take over northern missions.

1821
Mexican independence from Spain.

1832
Mission system abolished, turned into local churches.

1846-48
Mexican-American War over Texas boundary.
US troops landed on peninsula and took Mulege, La Pas and San Jose del Cabo.
Mexico seeds California and American Southwest to US.

1853
US offers to buy Baha as part of Gadsden Purchase, denied.

1884-1911
President Diaz encouraged foreign investment in country; parts of northern Baja developed including Ensenada.

1910-20
Mexican Revolution (civil war), Baja on fringe.

1920-33
US prohibition makes Tijuana, Ensenada and Mexicali mecca for booze, gambling and sex; crime followed.

1934-40
President Cardenas instituted reforms including banning casino gambling and cracked down on crime.
Built Sonora-Mexicali railroad to reduce Baja isolation from mainland Mexico.

1945-52
President Aleman built hydroelectric stations, irrigation projects and expanded road system.
Northern half of peninsula becomes state of Baja California.

1948
Bing Crosby, John Wayne, others develop private resort south of La Paz.

1967
First hotel development in Cabo San Lucas

1973
Mexico 1, Tijuana to Cabo San Lucas highway paving completed.
Southern half of peninsula becomes state of Baja California Sur.

1986
International airport opened at San Jose del Cabo, 20 miles from Cabo San Lucas.

2001
President Vicente Fox initiates Baja tourist development program to rival Cancun; great progress is evident.

2000 POPULATION:
Baja California state (upper): 2,911,000
...94% live in Tijuana, Ensenada and Mexicali
Baja California Sur state (lower): 424,000
...La Paz: 196,000
...Los Cabos (San Jose-San Lucas): 150,000
...Loreto: 11,800

2006 GEOGRAPHY:
...Area (size of Illinois): 55,000 sq mi
...Length of peninsula: 775 miles
...Coastline: 3000 + miles
...Highest peak: (Picacho del Diablo) 10,154 feet
...Mexico 1 highway (Tijuana-San Lucas) 1147 miles

2006 ECONOMY :
...GDP per capita US$ 6,260

Next stop: Santispac

… Humphrey, for Charlie and Barbara

San Ignacio (5)

24 - 25 January 2007
San Ignacio, Baha California Sur, Mexico
---population: 4000
Rice and Beans Oasis Park

Dear Friends of Barbara and Charlie (B/C) ...

Humphrey here again. This email covers the drive back over the mountains toward Guerrero Negro and the Baja California - Baja California Sur province boundary check point, then back into the mountains toward Santa Rosalia, 212 miles. San Ignacio is about half-way between Guerrero Negro and Santa Rosalia. We stayed here two nights. Again this is posted three weeks later.

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The RV park is a little small for our crowd but we’ve learned to fit. The park overlooks a palm oasis. At the distant end of the park in the picture is a good restaurant which hosted one of our group dinners. In the picture Claudia is “coordinating” with her husband Jerry.

The town is known for the De Kadakaaran Mission San Ignacio founded in 1728, finished in 1786. It was the Jesuit priest who founded the mission who also planted the area’s date palms; date bread is now a local specialty.

We didn’t catch the name of the iconic priest wielding the broom, it may be a Franciscan priest replacing the Jesuits when they were thrown out of Mexico; the church was finished by the Franciscans.

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The mission fronts on a very attractive, shaded city park in which is found a public telephone that Barbara used to report to our daughter Elizabeth.

Adjacent to the square boys played video games, a video store offered rentals.

A street café owner watched TV awaiting customers, and a sidewalk beauty parlor operated in the shade of a tree.

And of course the ubiquitous internet cafe and the even more common curb-side mobile Coca-Cola stand that seems to be permanently imbedded in the concrete pavement. This is symbolic of Coke‘s presence in Mexico -- remember President Vincente Fox was previously president of Coca-Cola Mexico.

The town had a relaxed Mexican feeling with unusual backyard pets.


We had a very pleasant lunch with Al and Teri in a restaurant which looked out over a pond with a resident egret.

Next: Santa Rosalia

… Humphrey, for Charlie and Barbara

Bahia de Los Angeles (4)

21 - 23 January 2007
Bahia de Los Angeles, Baha California, Mexico
- population: 800
Villa Vitta Hotel & RV Park

Dear Friends of Barbara and Charlie (B/C) ...

Humphrey here again. This email covers the drive through Catavina and through the mountains across to the Sea of Cortez side of the Baha to Bahia de Los Angeles, 232 miles. We were here three nights.




Possibly what you envision Mexico to be like. This is unusual for the heavy coverage of cacti, several different varieties.

One stretch ran through a boulder laden landscape, quite surprising. Note the modern petroglyphs; the peninsula is known for “the most spectacular petroglyphs and cave paintings in the western hemisphere” (Lonely Planet).

Our first view of the Sea of Cortez, also known as the Sea of California. Another good example of the highway.

The campsite at the Bahia de Los Angeles. What the long drive the past two days was for and all agreed it was worth it. We spent two full days here. The property has recently been sold with the RV park to be replaced by a large condo project.

Interestingly the town in not connected to the Baja electrical power grid; it has a diesel generator that runs limited hours in the evening.

Besides the beauty, there was culture -- a very nice local museum. This is a snap that Barbara took of a picture of a local burro trail (foot prints ground in the stone).

Another snap by Barbara of another nearly by-gone tradition of the Baja, the Baja 1000. Before the Baja highway was built in 1975-80, the peninsula was known for it’s cross-country dune-buggy endurance race from Tijuana to La Paz. There still is a remnant of the race held every year, the Baja 500, some of which follows the highway.

An extra attraction arranged by our wagon master was a slide lecture by a Mexican marine biologist who conducts research locally on area turtle species. His research documented the annual migration of one type of turtle that established that they come from Japan to nest in the Sea of Cortez.

A briefing at a holding tank at the turtle research facility.

This documents Barbara’s discovery of an upside-down carrot cactus which she hunted for several days. Our trip-tic included a nice write-up of some 9 varieties of cacti we’ve seen along the way.

One or our days here some of the group went out fishing. The Sea of Cortez is renowned for its fishing. They were successful and shared their catch in a dinner fish-fry. By the way, the tall fellow in the center of the picture, Jim Harrison, (retired senior Marine Corps officer) with his wife Bettie on his right, is the caravan member who is sharing his satellite internet connection with the group.

Sunrise over islands in the Sea of Cortez the day we left.

Next: on to San Ignacio south of Guerrero Negro.

… Humphrey for Charlie and Barbara

Vincente Guererro (3)

20 January 2007
Vincente Guererro, Baha California, Mexico - population: rural (?)
Posado Don Diego RV Park

Dear Friends of Barbara and Charlie (B/C) ...

Humphrey here. This email covers the drive through Tijuana, Ensenada (within easy access from San Diego) to Vincente Guererro, 183 miles. We stayed here one night. As the map indicates we are on the west or Pacific Coast side of the Baha. Again this is being sent belatedly from La Paz.

A condo under construction, one of dozens along the beach south of Tijuana. Note the highway curb, the no parking sign and cell phone tower. Just about everyone has cell phones and coverage is available in most cities and towns. US cell phone contracts do not cover Mexico but Mexico coverage is available.

The extent of development through out the Baja is impressive. First because just about everything you see dates from about 1980 and second because a building boom continues. It was just retired Vincente Fox who gave priority to development of the Baha and it is coming to pass. The Baja is held as a land of opportunity like our old west and people from elsewhere in Mexico are flocking in. Capo San Lucas and La Paz have a labor shortage while the rest of Mexico has a surplus.

A fleeting glance from the highway of the Fox entertainment studios south of Tijuana at which the Titantic and Pirates of the Caribbean were filmed, among others.


Look closely and you will see large fish pens in the bay. They are not salmon pens as in the Puget Sound but tuna pens.




A small highway-side town with typical dirt shoulder. A broad set back has been reserved for highway development. Reflected in the window is a caravan “trip tic” provided by Adventure Caravans that lists by mile distance: towns, topes (speed bumps), vados (dry fords in flooding - they don‘t commonly have culverts for water to pass under the highway), pull-outs, turns, toll booths, military check points, Pemex gas stations, and landmarks and views.

The countryside is picturesque desert and limited crop land with a spine of mountains down the middle of most of the peninsula. The scenery is not unlike the US west. Note that the roadway, with 10’ lanes, doesn’t have shoulders. The roads have been engineered with a good foundation so we found little structural failure and the pavement was generally very good.

Dinner at the Posado Don Diego RV Park at the end of a long first day. Left to right: Barbara, Al Irvine and Teri Oelschlager, and Dot and Art Seaman who are in training to become a Tail Gunner. The vacant chair has my ubiquitous travel vest draped over it.

The owners of the Park and restaurant are a family from Los Angeles with one Mexican member which permitted them to buy the business some 25 years ago right after the highway was built through here. During the trip we’ve had many good group dinners (generally with a choice of entrees) which was included in the price of the caravan. The restaurants and RV parks we’ve stayed in have been well selected, the meals generally very good, the margaritas generally generous, and no one has experienced Montezuma’s Revenge. We use water from our storage tank filled with RV park water and chlorinated with Clorox. Barbara and Scout use bottled water bought along the way.

These newsletters are getting a little long, I’ll try to shorten them up but I’m trying to answer some common questions we‘ve found people have. I welcome your questions, drop us an email.

Next: on to Bahia de Los Angeles.

… Humphrey, for Charlie and Barbara