Baja Team 6 - The Incursion

[chabon]

Dia Tres

Guerrero Negro To Abreojos Via San Ignacio



These guys (Rodrigo y Gabriela) use Yamaha guitars. Never thought about it, but could this be the same Yamaha as the one that makes bikes?


Up early, breakfast at the new Pemex (doesn’t show up on Google maps yet).


IMGP1771 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr


Mike and I shared a Bimbo.

IMGP1772 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

100_1069 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

Todays destination is Abreojos (eyes open, or lookout - has to do with hazardous rocks out in the ocean).


IMGP1775 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr


Had my new Montana 600 mounted to a Lynx fairing (Britannia Composites Ltd)


IMGP1776 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

IMGP1777 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr


Brad suffered a rear flat tire along the way, this will be the only flat of the trip. Tube seemed to have some abrasions on it. Put in new tube and off we go again. The only other mechanical problem was with Lee’s Drz400. It kept flooding out, seemed to have a sticky or leaky needle valve. If he didn’t shut off the petcock when we stopped he would flood out.

Made a little side trip to San Ignacio and breakfast at Rice and Beans. The Bimbo was starting to wear off at this point.


IMGP1779 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

IMGP1780 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr


A few parts from the Baja 1000.


IMGP1781 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr


IMGP1783 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

The road into San Ignacio. This was starting to get good. But alas, this would be our furthest point south.


IMGP1785 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

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Left San Ignacio and headed out for the coast and Abraojos.


IMGP1793 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr


Here is the scene of the flat. Didn’t take too long to change. Brad did the whole thing dry. I mean with no soap, water, lube etc. I struggle changing tires, this looked easy.


IMGP1793 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

IMGP1794 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr
Ever feel like you were being watched??

IMGP1797 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr


On our way again. Baja has its good areas, and some areas are just kind of ‘flat’! But still interesting and the solitude and vastness of it all keeps it interesting. Still glad I had music to listen too while I rode (SMH10)!


IMGP1800 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr


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When we get to town we get directions to the hotel (I think there are 2 in this town). Unmarked building that looks like two story house.


IMGP1801 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr


IMGP1803 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

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IMGP1802 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr


Nobody camps here. Mike and I share a room,. Room is about $10. If you stay here keep in mind they don’t have a key for room 4. They lost it (maybe years ago) but nobody locks their doors here. Kind of like the USA 40 years ago. We are only tourists in this sleepy fishing town. Oh, the hotel office sells beer and its only about 20 feet away!


IMGP1805 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr


I go with Brad to get his old tube patched so that he will have a spare.


IMGP1808 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

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IMGP1810 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr


We walk around and locate the local grocery store (think small 7-11) and Juanita’s restaurant. Only restaurant we could find. Not open now but we will return for dinner. Abreojos must have been given some money by the Ministry of Tourism for trash cans. Nice sea creature themed trash cans along the beach. We did notice that this town had no litter and that they must have had trash service. All the houses had 55 gallon drums with trash sitting out by the road. They probably pick it up, go a few miles downwind from the town and dump it in the desert????



IMGP1811 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

IMGP1812 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr


The trash cans seemed somewhat out of place here.



IMGP1814 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

IMGP1815 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr


We gather up and head down to Juanita’s for dinner. Its only 5:30 and they are not open yet. Knock on the door and some red-eyed dude says they open at 7:00 and to come back. We don’t want to wait so walk down the road and Mike see’s a domino game going on. He goes over and does his PR thing (he like to wave his arms while he speaks spainglish). We find out there is another restaurant and set off down the road. Stop at another house where they are having a BBQ and they say to keep going, its past the baseball stadium. Its a long ways and we keep walking. Finally find a beer store past the baseball stadium and the lady says there is no restaurant around here.


IMG_0941 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr



IMGP1817 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

IMGP1818 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr


We were crushed, thank goodness they had beer for the boys, and guava juice for me. We head back to town (walking) and go past the BBQ party again. Told them we couldn’t find the restaurant and they said it was attached to the back of the beer store! Cripes, the lady didn’t know their was a place to eat 10 feet away! Well, they offer us some tacos, and they were great.


IMGP1820 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr


Didn’t eat much because we were headed back to Juanita’s for lobster. Once we get our strength back we head back to Juanita’s, my feet were hurting now, and a woman walks out and says they aren’t open tonight. WTF, the guy said to come back. Hungry and tired we head for the grocery store (large closet). Got a bag of chips and a mango juice. Dinner is served.


IMGP1825 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr


And yes, segregation still exists in Mexico. I was not allowed to throw my Guava and Mango juice cans in with the beer cans. I was reprimanded.


IMGP1827 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr


As the beer cans pile up the discussion turns back to Burt’s SPOT and if it will be found. The number of beers directly (almost logarithmically) affects the volume of the conversation as well as the logic involved. By the time its done there are 10:1 odds that it will not be found. Lee is into it for $400! This is going to be fun. Day after tomorrow we go SPOT hunting.

[chabon]

Here is a little map of our walkabout looking for a restaurant. It was only a couple miles, felt like more.
CLICK HERE IF HAVING TROUBLE SEEING TRACK --------> View Abreojos in a larger map

[Live2Ride]

We seen signs of Hayduke and Bonnie.

[Haywood]

Chabon,

how do you like the Garmin 600? If you would, please tell us what you like / dislike about it. It looks big. Thanks!

...and thanks for the ride report.

[Bgunn]

Great pic from 2004.....Long live Coco !!

Originally Posted by LeeU

[805gregg]

Great ride report, thanks, which front tire worked best in the sand the 19" or 21"?

[LeeU]

Coco's state of the art Directv system mounted for all visitors to enjoy!! It's amazing what technology exits in Baja!!

[LeeU]

I asked Coco about the very large panties mounted on the wall. Just how big was this woman??

[LeeU]

My slightly overloaded DRZ, I didn't listen to BigDog who says "pack light, really light-- you don't need that!!"

[chabon]

Dia Quatro

Abreojos to Guerrero Negro via Bahia Asuncion



No breakfast except some leftover snacks from market. Head north along ocean. Local trails and roads criss cross the tidal flats and there is a relatively new pipeline road. Pipeline road is washboarded and dusty so given the option take the tidal flat.

This is our road, straight ahead....

IMGP1828 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

100_1080 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

IMGP1829 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

100_1095 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

IMGP1830 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

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IMGP1839 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr


Mike was up front and caught this video of a Coyote.



Fist long stretch of deeper sand as we started out for the day and then some more heavy sand as we got close to Bahia Asuncion. Of course you never get pictures of the harder stuff as you need to keep up the momentum! This is what I was imagining the riding in Baja would be like, following the coast, no pavement, etc.

Have a little trouble finding a place to eat or first real meal of the day, there were two restaurants in town, one of them hidden on a back road.


IMGP1841 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

IMGP1844 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

IMGP1845 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

After lunch we decide we don’t have time to make it to Bahia Tortuga and then back to GN before dark so we just take paved roads back to town, with a few rest stops along the way. There is a shortcut across the salt flats that looked interesting, but will save that for a future trip.


100_1103 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

IMGP1847 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

IMGP1848 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

Back to Guerrero Negro to same hotel. Have dinner just a block up the street at an outdoor taco place.

IMG_20121202_172129 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

IMG_20121202_172215 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

The german family on their bicycles had made it and were staying at the same hotel. I notice the woman has all her teeth, must have gone to a dentist? Then they come to the same place for dinner and her tooth is gone again? Only explanation I could come up with was a ‘retractable’ tooth. Probably some German bionic device???


100_1110 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr


Burt and the boys took a room on the lower level. It was the ‘safe’ room. Bullet proof window in the door, steel door with big hinges and bolts and two big safes in the room. Was it used by the cartels to haul their money up the coast? Story from the hotel clerk was that when an armoured car needed to stop for the night they would come to this location and lock themselves in with all the money. Funny thing was, there was a big bolt on the outside of the door also. Maybe the boss would lock them in so they couldn’t leave with the money in the middle of the night.


IMGP1849 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

IMGP1851 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

When we return from dinner we bump into David Letterman in the parking lot. WTF! Turns out is David Letterhead, an impersonator that lives in Scorpion Bay. We all hung out in the parking lot and chatted, well, he did most of the chatting.


IMG_20121202_185257 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

http://www.gregletterhead.com/

He almost signed Tim as his Paul Schaffer look alike, but when Tim learned he would have to shave his head he backed out ot the deal. Much brewhaha and (brew) about the search for Burt’s SPOT took place, tomorrow would be payday for somebody.

[BigDogAdventures.com]

Hey Guys,

Glad to see you all making another Baja run.

I guess I'm due for another.

Don't you guys on the 250's know you can't go anywhere on those little bikes

Hope you see you all again someday.

BigDog

[shortcutsmc]

I wish now that I would have stuck with you guys when you went to see the gal with the tee shirt playing the trick guitar with the stratigicly place handle. She looks and plays good. I should have insisted on "right of edit" before you posted the photo of me appearing to just woke up. Maybe I was experiencing disbelief of some ones BS. As ride reports go, I've read afew but none better. Do you plan on covering the medical procedure done at Coco's? Be a shame not to share that with the gringos that may never meet Coco. I just talked to the guys wife that we found along the road South of Gonzaga Bay. Andy ( the crashed guy) is in Phoenix Hospital, getting better but not ready to go home to WA yet. Good luck Andy.

[Bgunn]

Originally Posted by shortcutsmc

I just talked to the guys wife that we found along the road South of Gonzaga Bay. Andy ( the crashed guy) is in Phoenix Hospital, getting better but not ready to go home to WA yet. Good luck Andy.

That crash was on the 3rd, and it sounds like he got the "long way round" to get to the Phoenix hospital. Glad to hear he's getting better.

[miguelitro]

I have not seem Gregg for years, he is a real character and a good musician! we used to jam out on San Juanico.
Mike

[805gregg]

Funny you should run into my friend Gregg, I haven't seen him since I spent 5 days with him at San Juanico for his 50th birthday.