Day 1: Cabo San Lucas to Loreto - Thursday, March 26

Stopped at Todos Santos for a breakfast at the Todos Santos Inn - then on down the road. Bill drove most of the way to Loreto. When we arrived at Loreto, we headed immediately, and with considerable anticipation of some Pacificos, to the Oasis, the inn that we had stayed at on the way down. A big surprise! "All filled, lo siento Señores." Since the available hotels in central Loreto are limited, we drove down the Esplanade to the Mision Inn; a hotel that looks quite inviting from the street. Unfortunately, that promise is not fulfilled by the interior. It's falling apart, with the worst beds ever. I would have rather used an air mattress with sleeping bags outside in a tent! The bathroom had no light, the shower head was a mass of rust and what appeared to be a mousehole peeped from the mattress. Only $40 but no bargain at that. We did, however, have a nice dinner at a new restaurant in town, the Adobe Inn. The proprietor was most kind, and inquired, somewhat formally after the meal, "Was everything in your meal to your expectations?" I thought that to be a charming and respectful query, very much in the style of Old Mexico.
 
 

Day 2: Loreto to Cataviña - Friday, March 27

We drove on to Mulege and Santa Rosalia early on, cashed some travelers checks in Santa Rosalia, and had lunch in San Ignacio at Tota's once again. Again a lovely meal in a modest but friendly place off the beaten track. The next leg, San Ignacio to Guerrero Negro and beyond to Cataviña is nothing but a tough-it-out grind through the desert. Bill drove most of the way, but I took over for the last 80 or so miles. When we finally arrived at the La Pinta in Cataviña we saw, to our horror, a very large group of people in front of the hotel. Visions of "sold out and no accommodations available" danced through our heads. Since there is absolutely nothing for over 100 miles, this was not a happy thought. Oh, I forgot. There is the St. Iñez Ranch, a small rancho nearby. The accommodations there are primitive as I have previously stated. It is a stop that was used by the original Baja 1000 off-road motorcycle race, and was used by the bikers in the old days. Luckily, the group of Harley bikers from Minnesota, their first time in Mexico, let alone Baja, and the additional tour group, did not exceed the room count at La Pinta, so we settled in. The beer tasted better than usual as a result of our having a room, and the dinner was actually quite enjoyable.
 
 

Day 3: Cataviña to Chula Vista - Saturday, March 28

It was windy and had been raining lightly that evening, so the roads were wet and became progressively more so as we drove away from Cataviña. Clearly we were in for a stormy day on the road. When we arrived in El Rosario, it began to rain in earnest. Becky and Bobbie bought some hand woven bracelets from the same little girls in front of Mama Espinoza's restaurant that we had seen on the way down. One little girl said that she had no mother, and when Bobbie said, "All little girls have mothers," she laid her head on her hands as if to show her mother were sleeping. A poignant moment. We did, however, leave the girls very happy, as I am sure they did not expect any sales on such a dreary day.

The road became rougher and muddier as the rain became more and more persistent. The pot holes in this stretch were formidable, and we couldn't miss them all. One problem that I haven't mentioned was that I had noticed a slowly leaking rear tire to which I had to add air every day or so. I had visions of hitting a pot hole and having an instant flat. The rain at times was actually torrential, with terrific winds.The vados in many cases were flooded, and we had to take care in crossing them. The towns - San Quintin, Colonet, Comandu - were seas of red mud. When we finally arrived in Ensenada and had lunch it was a real relief.

The 40 mile drive to Tijuana was windy and wet, but otherwise uneventful. All was going great until we entered the somewhat complex Tijuana roads leading to the border crossing and saw a policeman herding traffic off the main road and onto a side street; perhaps because of flooding, but we had no real clue and had to head down a completely unfamiliar way through town. As we approached a major intersection, I spied a vendor selling lollipops, and instantly stopped to buy one. I asked him: "Quale via al border, directo o izquierda?" He replied, "Izquierda y directo." I turned left, and, after about ten blocks, we joined the mass of autos returning to the States. We used the technique of always keeping as far to the right as possible so that we would be able to take advantage of the car pool lanes. Most people don't know that anyone can use the car pool lanes on the weekend, and as it turns out, the diamond lane marking comes up before the sign indicating rules only being in effect Monday through Friday. Of course, it was no problem for us in any case, as we had four in the van. It took us only 45 minutes to get through on Saturday - not bad. By the way, the exact distance from the crossing to the Pemex station in Cabo San Lucas is 1028 miles. It would be closer to 1000 if we hadn't had to drive all over Tijuana. We arrived at our Chula Vista motel at a little before 5:00 PM. We had an Italian dinner at the Olive Garden preceded by a genuine Tanqueray On the Rocks for Bobbie and me. Amazing - these Americans keep their towns so clean! That night it hailed and rained. An extreme low pressure had developed in San Diego county, and it had snowed 14 in. at the 1500 ft. level.
 
 

Day 4: Chula Vista to Palo Alto - Sunday, March 29

A continental breakfast and we headed north on I-5 through several torrential rain bursts, including hail. I was anticipating snow on the Grapevine and chain requirements. Since it was Sunday, the L.A. traffic was minimal, and when we reached the Grapevine, it was clear, no snow on the pavement, but it was obvious that it had snowed a lot within the past few days, as the hillsides were partially covered right down to the freeway. We stopped for a real American burger at Harris Ranch, near Coalinga and were served by a nice Hispanic waiter - we really enjoyed the stop. It was on to Palo Alto and a few moments of relaxation at the Lucases. Essentially the trip was over. It had been a wonderful experience for both couples; we all were still friends. The word is simpatico . It has no real direct translation, but it means that we had similar shared experiences through our lives and had derived similar viewpoints from them. Would we repeat the same trip? Perhaps, but see the epilogue below.

Epilogue: Palo Alto to Tracy and Magalia - Sunday and Monday, March 29-30

What we have done differently on this trip? Generally, not too many things, but a few do stand out. Because the trip through Baja is becoming more popular as Americans buy more and more SUVs and trucks, we should have made reservations at every overnight stop. We could have, for example, reserved four nights at the La Pinta chain for $120 per person including breakfasts! The rates at the La Pinta are normally $75 - $90, so that would have allowed both a significant saving as well as providing some peace of mind in that one would have a place to stay in remote areas other than places like the St. Iñez Ranch. Insofar as the actual drive is concerned, after having done the drive now three times, there are only a few miles that are really spectacular or historically interesting; the Bahia Concepción, the boulder fields at Cataviña, the passes through the Sierra de la Gigantica and the towns of Mulege, Loreto, Santa Rosalia and La Paz. One could fly in to Loreto, rent a car and drive to Mulege and the Bahia Concepción where one could overnight at the Playa Buenaventura, a beautiful beach stop on Conception Bay, return to Loreto and then fly on to Los Cabos. Also, it would be very nice to have a vehicle capable of driving on some of the back roads and discovering some of the old missions and other points of interest. As an alternative, I am sure that one could hire someone to drive to some of the more accessible points of interest as side trips.

Would I recommend this trip to others? Absolutely, if the person is not put off by unpredictability and less than the standardized accommodations that American tourists have come to expect. The roads are narrow and in some places in terrible condition. Accommodations are adequate, but not elegant except at resorts, as at Los Cabos. On the other hand, the people are wonderful and friendly. They have little in material things, but get by anyway. It is safe to walk the streets at night in La Paz, a large city. The beautiful children are made so happy by little things, as having some gringos stop and buy their tiny offerings made by their momma, who takes care of them and clothes them neatly and keeps them clean. We Americans have so much in material things, but indeed the Baja has many things that we Americans do not have. It is a very special place, not only for its wild desert beauty and spectacular coastline, but also, and I think much more important, its wonderful people. Its their little acts of unconscious kindness that are so touching. Their politeness and respect, which seemingly has gone out of fashion in America with our excessive assertiveness and "attitude." Again, would I recommend this trip to others? Only for those who can accept a wholly different way - of a people being able to live together simply and with minimal resources - of a people being able to treat each other as well as strangers with mutual respect and kindness. If you, as a pampered American, think that you can make this leap, I wholeheartedly recommend that you do so, and soon - before it all changes to tourist resorts and the last vestige of the original Baja is gone forever.