The Adventures of Familia Bajaboy

Part Two Well after posting my last report at the Internet Café, I walked out to my truck and found a long-time friend waiting for me. Mark drove up from his place in Elias Calles and decided to surprise me. My routine was about to change with Mark in town, horse races, quincineras, dances, and a baseball play off all slated for the weekend. Without going into much detail, the weekend was full of fun and little sleep. The first night Mark arrived we were up until 2:30am playing horse shoes if that is any indication. Both Saturday night and Sunday night there were dances at “La Concha” a block from the casita. It was great to finally attend one of the parties/bailes as I had heard so much about them. I was not let down. I also really enjoyed the horse races. About four miles outside of town, cars line up for a number of races. They sell beer and people make wagers on the races. We parked next to Lupita, Rita, and Briseda. Later Juan, Shari, and the gang arrived. The highligh...

I left San Diego on Monday, June 30 about 4:30 am. I have a pretty solid routine now getting up at 4:00 am, showering, making coffee, and on the road by 4:30 or so. If I have my FMT (tourist permit), I might sleep in a bit more. Anyways, I drove to TJ and got the green light from Immigration. I had received the red light my last couple of trips so I was a bit apprehensive. I’m always bringing things down…nothing major…but I hate putting myself in a compromising position. Well, no worries this time. I park the truck and walk to the Immigration office for my FMT. Low and behold, I walk in and find two young ladies working the office. Usually, I have to wake up a grumpy old man and hope he’s in a good mood. Well, the young ladies had me on my way in record time. After making a detour through TJ as there is road construction, I was at Playas about 5:20. A big sigh of relief came out of me. Once I’m on the toll road, I feel comfortable. I head down the road alone….there is no tr...

Overview My wife, Tracy, and I decided to make the most of our summer and head to Baja for 16 days. We had a very flexible agenda and schedule with only a few areas that we needed to visit. First, we were going to visit our friends Juan and Shari in Bahia Asuncion. Second, we planned on visiting our friends Mark and Lidia Rockwell at Elias Calles, just south of Todos Santos. After that, it didn't really matter. Being that our trip was in the middle of July, though, with the heat and humidity setting in along the Sea of Cortez, most of our trip would likely occur on the Pacific. The week prior to our trip, I had completed Ironman Coeur d'Alene so I was in the mood to relax a bit. I envisioned camping along empty beaches, doing some reading and napping, and then enjoying an afternoon dip in the ocean. If I got some energy I might pick up my fishing pole and practice some casts. Otherwise, the goal was to recover, relax, and enjoy time with my wife. The Journey Begins: Da...