Dos Amigos explore Baja

[DaFoole]

Anyone who knows AJ knows he is not the critical/uptight/fault finding type.

He's a guy who takes things as they come and is merely offering his insights/views.

AJ, appreciating your time and insights.

Ignore the blather/criticism and please continue on with the (Fun!) report.

Thanks

[eatpasta]

Originally Posted by eakins

Applebee's are all over Mexico as are Walmarts and plenty of other US corporations.
It's not like Mexico is in the dark ages and got indoor plumbing last week.
For a guy who hates ugly Americans you sure are ripping on what you find vrs just taking it in as it comes.
Sounds

As im sure we are both playing for the same team here - I dont really understand how me disliking the Americanization of Baja makes me an Ugly American. If anything I would imagine the exact opposite would be true. I actually try to speak the language of the countries that I visit, and respect the people that live there.

Nothing made me more sad on this trip than the Americanization of Baja. What's the point of traveling if every time you turn around it's Applebee's? I have a dislike for massive corporate America and whenever I can I try to support local business where ever I go.... whether it's Vietnam, Italy, Ireland or Jackson Hole - support local business.

[eatpasta]

Originally Posted by DaFoole

Anyone who knows AJ knows he is not the critical/uptight/fault finding type.

He's a guy who takes things as they come and is merely offering his insights/views.

AJ, appreciating your time and insights.

Ignore the blather/criticism and please continue on with the (Fun!) report.

thanks man - ill try to get another day or two of travel posted today....

[mcnut]

Thanks for taking the time to document this. Every RR has it's own flavor and I'm sure many of the observations will ring true and/or be helpful to others who are uncertain what to expect. Having been the length of Baja numerous times I always fined it interesting to read first time impressions!

Bruce

[eatpasta]

ok on with the trip....

the road from Todos Santos to Cabo was short and sweet - mostly highway





we pretty much just bypassed downtown Cabo. It looked like Disneyland from the road in..... so we hooked and left and headed toward San Jose del Cabo which is just 15 minutes down the road.

On our way Quyen was saying that she was hungry and wanted to grab something to eat. At just that moment we saw a Costco.

My heart sank. If anyone that's been reading this thread understands, I really am against the Americanization of pretty much any country, let alone Baja.
and I always say, "Support Local Business" etc so what did we do? We pulled in and bought a hot dog. I know - this is the ultimate irony but my wife was hungry and they have good polish dogs. Hungry wife beats personal philosophy every time. If you don't understand, you're not married.



I still feel a little guilty about it, however this was the only time we didn't eat/stay at a local spot.



there was some kind of VW car rally going on as well



it was freakin hot that day so we headed down to the closest beach



the water was unreal......



TIM - there is always a dog around that needs love. I think this one actually belonged to a family





after being at the beach for awhile we headed to downtown Cabo to meet someone



Carlos had been working at the Loreto property when we were there. He is one of the nicest guys I have ever met in my life. Educated, he spoke more eloquently in English than I probably ever will. He just happened to be on vacation in Cabo while we were there. So we met up with him and bought him dinner.



as seen on the streets of downtown Cabo



after dinner we went back to our small hotel in San Jose del Cabo where they were having a drunken jam session that we were invited into. Somehow they got Quyen and I up on the microphone singing songs for everyone.... Baja Magic? It was quite the sunset too..... the sunsets seems to last much longer down there





for dinner that night we met one of the coolest guys on the trip. Ali. He is from Africa and speaks 5 languages. He was talking with my wife in French then started yelling me in German - then Spanish..... his food was some of the best of the trip. Thanks Ali!



Ali's place.



the next day we set out to find Cabo Plumo which is on the dirt road that runs around the eastern tip of the peninsula.



some of the most amazing beaches I have ever seen







interesting place for Topes....



watch yer step....



the wife wasnt feeling well and she didnt care that we had a full tank of gas and nothing to do for the next week, we were turning back. I was pretty bummed out about this because how often do you travel this way? Am I ever going to see this coastline again? I certainly hope so.....


went back to Cabo to check into the resort there to use a few more credits that we have

When we pulled up the guys working there thought we were lost.... it was hilarious.



it was the worst experience on the trip. I hated it there. Everyone there had just flown in from Ohio, or North Dakota or wherever and we heard people loudly complaining about how nobody speaks English. The food wasn't particularly good, everything was horrifyingly expensive....
We stayed the night, which was long enough to get the wife feeling better then packed the bike back up and made our turn home.

[KMC1]

I totally hear ya about Applebee's.....I absolutely HATE that it's so hard to truly leave "America" behind when you take vacation. I love going places where people speak no English, and I'm forced to learn their language. I love not being able to eat "regular" food - I love trying new stuff - especially when I like it! it makes it even more fun when there are fun loving, non-politically correct folks around who couldn't give two cents about your feelings or being "proper" - although that's really getting harder and harder to find.

By the way - have you done a thread on your travels to Vietnam? If not, maybe you should......

[eatpasta]

Originally Posted by KMC1

have you done a thread on your travels to Vietnam? If not, maybe you should......

I did. it's not much of a ride report as it's just about our travels throughout the country. We did get a chance to get out onto a bike for a day or two but it was just around Dalat. We have plans for when we go back in a year or two to actually do some touring on a bike.

I'm horrified to report that upon obtaining the address for the thread I've learned that the free photo service that I was using three years ago has changed and it's spoiled every single picture link of the entire six week trip.
It's incredible how much time these things take especially if you put forth the effort to do them well and I just dont have time to fix it. The good news is, all of our videos are still up because they are posted to youtube..... so you can get some of the images. The words are all there as well.

anyways - here is the thread. There is plenty of opportunity to have a laugh at my expense for this trip because; I sweat a lot and because I'm 6'4 I don't fit ANYwhere. Don't fit in the plane, the car, the scooter, the beds etc

so the video on me on the back of the scooter with the tiny helmet....



I cant really do much but just laugh myself

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=486318

[polson]

Love you trip report!!!!!!!

[eatpasta]

Originally Posted by polson

Love you trip report!!!!!!!

[motoged]

EP,

My earlier comments were not meant to be snide....

I fully grok the feelings you expressed regarding the intrusion of amerikan culture contaminating our travels abroad....aside from the need to ground ourselves with a Costco Polish dog .

Those of us who frequent Baja have probably worked our way through those initial shocks/disappointments.

Too bad you didn't get to ride the East Cape road...it is a world class ride along the ocean....but you may have been surprised with the BIG money invested along the way

My travels to Baja have always presented me with a variety of hoped-for experiences as well as those surprises.

I have been That Guy on the beemer a few times.......but have found that off-road bikes are really the weapon of choice for really getting into Baja....(wife would need her own ....)

You have had your introductory taste of Baja....I doubt it will be your last trip there.

Some of what you missed on the East Cape ride....

[eatpasta]

Originally Posted by motoged

You have had your introductory taste of Baja....I doubt it will be your last trip there.

oh it wont be my last trip down there for sure.....im frothing at the mouth to get down there with a dirtbike to really get to see REAL Baja. Backcountry Baja.

Someday....

[Holaday]

Rode the same route back in Oct 08. Doesn't seem to be as many Baja RRs these days. Gotta head back down, maybe next year.

[dirtydaug]

I rode the Ba Ha over 35 years ago first time on a Honda SL125, next time on a XL175 and the last time on a XL250.
From your pictures the roads are now much better, 35 years ago the were just very narrow blacktops with the trucks using the middle. We never stayed much in Hotels, just camped in dry washes away from the road a little ways. Lots of time we just stayed with the locals as there is always someone in the small towns who wants to make a buck or two for letting us have a place to sleep. It's lots more fun to just stay with the locals, you should try it sometime. I don't suppose I will ever do the Ba Ha again as I'm getting along in years, but it was fun back then.

I now have a KLR and I'm seeing the local country here in the mid-west.

[irishdec]

Thanks fr bringing us along with you .Love those pic's ,makes me wanna dig my bike outta the snow (Toronto ) and get moving !

[eatpasta]

Originally Posted by dirtydaug

I rode the Ba Ha over 35 years ago first time on a Honda SL125, next time on a XL175 and the last time on a XL250.
From your pictures the roads are now much better, 35 years ago the were just very narrow blacktops with the trucks using the middle. We never stayed much in Hotels, just camped in dry washes away from the road a little ways. Lots of time we just stayed with the locals as there is always someone in the small towns who wants to make a buck or two for letting us have a place to sleep. It's lots more fun to just stay with the locals, you should try it sometime. I don't suppose I will ever do the Ba Ha again as I'm getting along in years, but it was fun back then.

I now have a KLR and I'm seeing the local country here in the mid-west.

You should! It's easier to get around down there than it ever has been. There is even more good food to eat and it seems that the people are as friendly as they ever were.....
Sounds like you need to make at least one more trip!!




Im sure you have tons of great stories about traveling down there back then. My preferred method of travel would have been camping if I didnt have the wife in tow. She very much prefers to stay in hotels and have a hot shower at the end of the day.... and if that means it keeps her happy and we get to travel on the bike more often, then that's what we do.
Ill get teh chance to travel down there, dirtbike style sometime and get more of a raw feeling for it.