Flashback

Monday, 02 November 2009 18:03

Let me back up a bit as my last update was from Tequila, but before that it was from Ensenada, and I’m now sitting in Puerto Vallarta. So, to recap, I took off from Ensenada at the respectable hour of 10:00AM; destination: Guerrero Negro, some 370 miles away. Should be able to make it on a single tank (I love those 41 liters).

The road out of Ensenada climbed into the hills and the twisties followed.

Then the cactus started


Followed by the cactus and rocks

At Guerrero Negro, I stayed at the hotel Malarrimo, which seems to be a local favorite for people travelling in Baja.

Had a wonderful shrimp dinner and talked to an xpat that has been in Baja for 15 years. He told me he had never seen it so green. I was thinking, OK, it’s green, but nothing special. Well, that’s until I left Guerrero Negro and headed south to Loreto.



Ever since entering Baja, I’ve had this uneasy feeling about getting the Beast’s import papers. In Tecate, they told me to do the paper work in Ensenada. At Ensenada, they said La Paz. When I get to La Paz, what are they going to say, Tijuana? I was wanting to get to La Paz to get this settled.

I got to Loreto, found a place to stay, and went for a walk along the waterfront.

Then, there was this huge splash, as if someone threw something large into the water. Expecting to see some kids goofing off, I saw nothing expect for Pelicans.

Then, SPLASH...and this time not more than 6 feet away. It was the Pelicans fishing. They would fly above the marina, and when they saw something to eat, dive down and nab it.


Loreto Church

From Loreto, I set off for La Paz. If you’ve been thinking of heading to Baja, then think no more, do it! The roads are awesome!

Arriving in La Paz in the early afternoon, I went straight to the ferry terminal as I really wanted to answer the bike import question. It turned out to be a non-issue - the guy at the bank sorted everything out and I got my paperwork for the Beast. After buying my ferry tickets, I found myself with about 5 hours to kill in La Paz.


At the ferry terminal, I met these two guys,


Clark, with the Honda 750, was headed to Brazil. He picked up the bike for a song and, “It only burns a quart or two of oil every few hundred miles”. Yeah, he carries extra oil. Louie, the French Canadian on the ST, was doing a 3 week trip from Quebec to Puerto Vallarta and back to visit his brother.

Offloaded from the ferry in Mazatlan a little before noon and rode to San Blas for the night


Had a nice lobster dinner (sorry, forgot my camera) for $13. This was a plate with three medium sized lobsters – good stuff.

From there it was off to Tequila. Another excellent road full of all types of twisties. Also, this volcano rock garden.


I have to admit, I’m having a hard time stopping to take pictures as the roads are so nice I don’t want to get out of “the zone”.

Then I saw it! My first road sign that told me I was on the right path.


Followed by some Blue Agave.

Checking into the “Real Tequila Hotel” and after a shower, I was off to visit downtown.

I’m now sitting in Puerto Vallarta after an excellent ride to the coast. Spent the day here relaxing and catching up with everyone after no internet for a few days. On the way to Puerto Vallarta, I came across three accidents. One involved a bicyclist and a car. The guy didn’t do so well, his hat was next to the blue tarp that covered his body. For the next few miles, I reminded myself to be extra careful as I imagine the road hazards will become worse than here in Mexico.