Baja - ride report to Cabo...and back!

[ScorpioVI]

We're leaving November 20th for Baja. Back across the border on the 29th. It coincides with the Baja 1000 race but we should be well clear of the competitors/spectators by Monday.

 

[Lester Green]

more plz. kaithxbai.

 

[HiggyB]

We're leaving November 20th for Baja. Back across the border on the 29th. It coincides with the Baja 1000 race but we should be well clear of the competitors/spectators by Monday.

You see, that's the sort of plan I was kickin' about (heading down for the race)!

 

[9rPilot]

You see, that's the sort of plan I was kickin' about (heading down for the race)!

I did this last year. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Rode straight thru from San Felipe MX to Santa Cruz in one day on the return. Watched the race just outside San Felipe at Dos Arches.

 

[CockyRooster]

It's Feb 9th in the am with just under 500mi. left, and I've got 4 nights to do the distance in before the gf flies in on the 13th. If I can make it to La Paz (350mi.) in one day's ride then I've afforded myself an extra 3 nights to manage the last 130mi. or so. Thanks to my little cannonball run I've given myself plenty of time to make it, but I still want to make it to La Paz in one day from Santa Rosalia so I can do a little maintenance on the bike, and rest the body so that I don't sleep through the gf's entire visit. I've had no communication available so she will be flying down on a leap of faith that I will be there.

Time to roll! It's 350mi. planned for the day and it feels good to be back in the saddle again. After a few days straight of riding it feels awkward to be off the bike now that the body has acclimated to it's rightful place on the highway.
This jaunt will consist of long stretches of desert plains punctuated with small mountain ranges every 80-120 mi.

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I enjoy the swooping curves and lack of cops in Baja. I'm testing out the handling on my new little mule and the forks and front wheel feel like they are on two separate bikes compared to the sport bikes that I'm accustomed to riding. I pressure the handlebars into the turn and count one one thousand...two one thousand...three one thous...Ah - the front wheel finally responded! The forks are thin, spindly, and long, so they twist quite a bit before getting any action down to the rubber. I probably shouldn't be backing the rear end into corners anyways, but I do manage to develop some taste for this super moto stuff.

Coming up to some mountains.

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I've come to find that the bike only likes to run at about 70-75mph tops for extended periods of time before the engine starts to run hot, so even with 100's of straight highway and no cops I can't go any faster. An FZ1 would probably cut my 8hr. trips into about 5, but they won't be able to do what I get to do later.

The upsides to this speed inhibitor is that I get, no, have to sit back and enjoy the scenery. Large open expanses of desert flip a mind in different ways than can be detailed and I absorb stimuli like the warming temperature and clean air like I haven't anywhere else. The temperature is warming up significantly as I approach the Tropic of Cancer and it was fantastic to start pulling off the layers of clothes.

The downside to all of this wild expansive desert and moderate speed is the time it gives the mind to flip through all ranges of thoughts and ideas. With such a long period of time focused on nothing but staying out of the cactus patch I noticed that I had not many thoughts in my head, but just a few of the same ones flipping through over and over again. Residual childhood drama, triumphant romances, broken hearts, not so much thought about work though, but the most frequent buzz in my head was the question "what's for dinner?"

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Yesterday these thoughts were the loudest as I began the ride and dissipated as the day went on and I noticed the familiar strain disappear from the rear of my neck and my back muscles began to loosen up, and I began to breath better. These stresses were there all the time and I just never recognized the constant thought loop with all of the buzz of everyday life. But something was different about Baja - it is so far removed from your everyday experience that the mind begins to replace your old habits with new ones, and it is so very refreshing. As the ride continued the thoughts were replaced by the pleasure of the moment, and inspired.

Rolling past Mulege and the Bay Of Conception.

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This is on a windy day and doesn't do the color of the water justice.

A little town that I passed somewhere on the way. This is pretty typical of what they look like. I shoot this picture while loading up on Pemex.

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Alters proliferate the highway sides, and this was a nice example. It's nicer than most, but nothing compared to the ones closer to town.

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[CockyRooster]

Getting closer to Loreto.

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And I've made my way to La Paz. It has been an absolutely terrific day.

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I sort out my hotel room, and grab some tacos while I check out the Malecon (boardwalk)

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And enjoy a very appreciated beer.

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[CockyRooster]

The hotel clerk offered me to park the bike inside without even having to ask. That's the street and the front desk in the background.

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The little mule enjoying it's well deserved rest in the lobby.

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He appreciated the lush atrium.

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The hallways were not built for your...uh...larger Americans.

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My room upstairs. Very plain, but clean. Not even any art on the walls. $25. a night and I'm only 2 doors off of the main happening Malecón.

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You don't find this in the United States. I found this warm and expansive nature to be pretty consistent throughout the trip.

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[CockyRooster]

When I checked in I asked the hotel clerk where the nearest motorcycle shop was, and he gave me the directions and drew me a little map. It turns out the only real motorcycle shop on the peninsula was about 4 blocks up from my hotelarty.

This photo is out of sequence, but shows the hotel, and the door that I had to squeeze the chubby mule through. Fitting through the doors was fine, but the bags had to come off to pass inside and the bark busters helped clear some paperwork off of the desk.

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I grab some grub on the Malecón before making my way to the shop.

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My new Amigos at the bike shop. They're lifting a KLR up with a floor jack and securing it with rope to pull the rear tire off.

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The thing nearly tipped off a few times because it was so awkwardly loaded.

Dave - the KLR dude. He came from Arizona and had been down here for a month or so. He gave me some great tips on lesser known places off the map to check out.

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It's looked worse. Now you can see the cam adjusters beyond Honda's intended use. Speaking of rear tires...

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[CockyRooster]

While waiting for them to fix Dave's bike before they could work on mine I took a little stroll down the street.

Señor, ¿puedo conducir su camión?

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Dude! Keys please!

So I get back to the shop as they prepare for surgery.

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And check out their wares as I wait.

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Some orphans waiting for a new daddy. Gas tanks can't be too big in Baja.

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Perhaps they could use a little extra organizing.

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I didn't see any other Harleys down there for some reason. The truth is in the tow truck.

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They cut the chain, installed the new link, cleaned the chain, and doused the thing in lube. The price? Nada - zippo! They refused to take my money so I left them a "tip" instead. Cool peeps down there.



.

 

[pepe]

:

 

[CockyRooster]

With the little mule's maintenance buttoned up and the rest of the day to relax I head down to the water front and enjoy some good food. Beer has never tasted so good!

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Over lunch I read my Baja tour book and talk with the waiters to learn about this place called La Paz - The Peace.

When the Spanish first landed on the shores of Bahai de la Paz in the early 16th century, the area was inhabited by migrating bands on Guaicura and Pericu Ameridians.

Into this peaceful scene entered the first European, a Basque mutineer named Fortún Jiménez, who commandeered the Spanish ship Concepción on the Sea of Cortez in 1533. Originally under the command of Captain Diego Becarra, The Concepción had been sent to explore the sea on behalf of the most famous conquistador, Hernán Cortés. After executing the captain, Jiménez landed at the bay in early 1534, where he and 22 of his crew were killed while filling their water cask in the spring. The survivors sailed back to the mainland where the ship was immediately captured by Cortés's New Spain rival, Nuño de Guzmán. At least one crew member managed to escape and returned to Cortés with descriptions of a huge, beautiful bay filled with pearl-oyster beds.

Cortés was able to establish a truce with the Ameridians, but eventually forced to leave due to supply problems, and the next Spaniard explorer to land was Sebastián Vizcaíno in 1596. Because he and his crew were treated so well by the Pericú, Vizcaíno named the bay Bahía de la Paz (Bay of Peace.)

Drama ensued as the bay became the pearl capitol of the world (needs to be verified) then pirates and Spanish explorers alike fought for the bounty of the bay. The bay provided quite a stage for theater as pirates would use their knowledge of the breeze that blows into the harbor every afternoon to attack Spanish Galleons nested like sitting ducks trapped within the cradle of the bay.

For you literature types John Steinbeck spent a good deal of time in La Paz, in which the book The Pearl, is written about a story that he heard while visiting. Excellent book.

From there I walk up to the local museum, Museo Regional.

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It was empty inside of people but for me and the desk lady, but I had a great look around.

Understanding that most tourist these days can only read pictures they explain their daily history. Looks like good times to me.

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Ok...not always good times.

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Somewhere a shark is missing his fossil teeth

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[CockyRooster]

DUDE!!!

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These are no mas, si? I plan on doing a lot of camping. What?! Their still around???

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Uh Oh! Fillmore is nekid! (for you Sherman Lagoon fans.) This thing as nearly as old as the world itself. An interesting tid-bit is that turtles don't die of old age. They just keep swimming around until they fall prey to a predator (correct me on this if I'm wrong.)

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Time to cruise back down to the water front, and I pass this Iglesia (church.)

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And some of the architecture is becoming increasingly European/modern.

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I loved the colors on this one because almost anywhere else in the world it just wouldn't work.

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[9rPilot]

With the little mule's maintenance buttoned up and the rest of the day to relax I head down to the water front and enjoy some good food. Beer has never tasted so good!

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You're right in Baja, the beer (and food) never tasted so good.
I'm more of a Tacos Pescados guy myself:

 

[Lester Green]

They just keep swimming around until they fall prey to a predator (correct me on this if I'm wrong.)

no they don't live forever....nothing does. but they do live along time 50-60 years probably.

 

[CockyRooster]

Back down to cruising the water front.

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This a decent shot of the waterfront at the entrance of the pier.

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The entrance to the pier from just a little ways out.

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I notice that their building codes are a little more lax than what I'm used to.

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People having a nice time.

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You all can get your history here.

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Every town needs a bronze whale vertebrae.

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[CockyRooster]

no they don't live forever....nothing does. but they do live along time 50-60 years probably.

I read somewhere that thay don't die of old age and can make it 100-150 years if left alone. But that's the problem they do get slow and are too tasty to die of old age. I don't remember any more than that, and my source was probably the National Enquirer.

 

[CockyRooster]

This dude was trippin' hard with the sand castles.

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This one was about 5' across.

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The maritime theme.

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Rodin, or Wall Street?

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These are larger than life - about double if I remember correctly. Quite stirring of the senses.

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[CockyRooster]

Wiki'd the thing - typically live up to 80 years, but usually are eaten before old age takes hold. Too tasty

I read somewhere that thay don't die of old age and can make it 100-150 years if left alone. But that's the problem they do get slow and are too tasty to die of old age. I don't remember any more than that, and my source was probably the National Enquirer.

 

[Lester Green]

enough wiki....more trip blog/pics plz....

 

[CockyRooster]

The best shot of the Malecón that I could find. It's a nice 82+ degrees in February. Aaaaahhhhhh.........

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A few people enjoying the water with the town in the background.

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My hotel is up on the left where the first cars are.

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Old coast guard boats never die - they just retire to the (semi) tropics.

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Some of the local residents.

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And the sun sets completing another day. I have two nights left before meeting up with cuteness.

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As I go back to the hotel these kids were running up and down the main street. Hidden behind the little girl on the quad is her little brother of about 5 years old. It was fairly common to see kids running up and down the street with no problems right past the police. The traffic laws in Mexico are more of a suggestion at best, but it is impressive to watch people use more common sense and manners to handle themselves around others. These kids behaved more mature and aware than any Prius driver I've encountered.

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