Driven To Wander - Vancouver to Patagonia

Driven To Wander

Adventurer
Treacherous Roads to Magical Places

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After hanging out at the beach in Bahia Concepcíon, we headed for another new camping experience…city camping!


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Loreto, the first Spanish colonial settlement of the New Spain on the Baja California Peninsula is close to the beach, has a marina and easily accessible tours to the nearby islands, but there is no beach camping around. We checked out one campground that was secluded, green and lush, but no others campers were there. We realized we really do like to be around people, so we headed over to the more popular RV Park that we passed on the drive through town.


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Loreto was a sweet surprise in so many ways. I wasn’t thrilled with the RV Park at first, but after setting up I quickly settled in and felt very at home. We met great new neighbours from Canada again, Alex and Dollie, and had a great time chatting with them throughout our stay. As a bonus, the campground owners had a son who loved to dig in the dirt as much as Indigo, and this gave Okan and I needed time to regroup, clean, do laundry, and re-organize the camper (again).

We also unhitched the camper for the first time here to take a side trip to an old mission church up in the hills west of Loreto in San Javier. To get to San Javier, we had to wind our ways through a narrow mountain road, high above the sea. It was fun to be in the truck without the camper attached, but we still managed to scare ourselves during the drive.


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We passed several streams with water, which was a novelty since most stream beds are dry throughout Baja. We crossed one that seemed fairly shallow, so we gunned it to make a splash for Indigo. Whoops! We ended up hydroplaning across the small bridge over which the water was running. We also ran into construction on the road, that had us weaving in an out of diggers and heavy equipment, dodging swinging buckets while going over ruts and dirt piles deserving of our 4WD. But in the end, we were rewarded with a visit to a great Mission where we could relax, and wander around the grounds. Indigo was interested in the church, but decided to spend the majority of our visit on the city street hanging out with one of the local dogs.

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It was also here that I had pangs of remorse for taking Indigo away from his friends back in Vancouver, as I watched him chase after 3 kids in the church square shouting “Hey! Stop! I want to play with you.” They didn’t want to play, and kept running away from him. But I suppose that could also happen in Vancouver too.

Back in town, we went searching for someplace to eat. Okan always wants to eat local foods, especially from the food trucks or cafes, and avoids touristy places as much as possible. But in the centre of town, there was a secluded, very touristy, eatery that looked great to me, and he finally succumbed to my wishes (but not before he made us check out 4 other places). Okan is to eateries, as I am to campsites. He needs to check out all his options before making his choice. I am happy to say, we both enjoyed the meal.


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We had wanted to do so many things in Loreto, the boat ride to the islands, hikes to inland waterfalls, but a single trip to the mission was the most we accomplished. We just enjoyed the downtime, being comfortable in a nice campground with good people, great showers, and the conveniences of town with good markets and restaurants a short walk away. And the fact that Indigo and the owners’ son played all day without complaint, was a great reprieve as well.

The desire to try to “do everything” as we would do while on vacation, is slowly subsiding. I still wish we had seen the islands and perhaps the whale sharks while at Loreto, but I’m learning…slowing…to just let life be what it is for the day. Somedays we have lazy weekends in suburbia where nothing gets done and no adventures are had, and this is something I’m working on being ok with while we travel.


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We packed up in Loreto and headed off Agua Verde which was not on our radar until a fellow camper recommended it to us. He said it was a beautiful little fishing beach and worth the drive. The map showed a fairly straight route to the coast, but then there was this place where there road curved off to the left in a huge semi-circle. Okan asked why on earth didn’t they just continue the road straight, and I guessed it was going around a huge parcel of private property. And then we came around the corner and saw the reason. There was this huge canyon between us and the beach, with the most treacherous road curving around it’s edges.


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Being on the side of the truck that looks over the edge that plummets hundreds of feet down, I found myself in a hard lean over to the driver’s side, as if that was going to somehow keep the truck on the road. There seems to be only one couple that has chanced this road with a 5th wheel, the kind of camper you pull with a large truck, and they’ve been coming for well over a decade every year. They said the road has actually gotten better in recent years.

When we got to the beach and parked, the very first thing I did, was head to the water with Indigo while Okan started to unpack. I was welcomed by Francesca, the owner of the 5th-wheel on the far side of the beach, when Indigo simply stripped down and jumped in to the water to play with her dog. This would be the first of many times Indigo felt a need to strip and jump in the water at Agua Verde. When the sun had almost set, and Indigo was back on dry land, we took the time to look around and realized that this was truly the wild camping we had been looking forward to. I didn’t even care where or how Okan positioned the camper, I was loving everything about this place.


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My obsession with Pelicans continued full force here in Agua Verde. I took literally hundreds of pictures and videos of them, trolling up and down the beach, trying to capture their synchronized flying and diving skills. I was convinced they thought I was stalking them with a weapon, because they kept moving to the other side of the beach every time I got close. When I finally did get close, I couldn’t believe just how huge these birds are, and that makes watching them fly all the more impressive.


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[video=vimeo;213164251]https://vimeo.com/213164251[/video]​


Okan’s obsession with fishing was also in full force, and he immediately had the boat out, ready to launch first thing in the morning. He disappeared for an hour around a small island in the bay, and came back with a trigger fish, which locals call Cochino, and a big smile on his face. But the main fishing event was yet to come. The locals directed him to fish off the point, and we all headed out together to watch Okan cast. I thought he immediately got his hook caught on a rock with his first cast, but he actually pulled out fish. In less than an hour he pulled out 7 more trigger fish, and I’ve never seen him smile so big, for such a sustained length of time. We were going to be eating a lot of fish!


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Unfortunately, we had no idea how to cut up these fish. Thankfully an elderly fisherman was watching Okan puzzle over what to do, and offered some help. He gave Okan a quick demonstration on how to cut the fish, then handed the knife to Okan motioning for him to give it a try. Something perhaps in how Okan held the fish by only his fingertips when maneuvering the fish must have spoken volumes, because once Okan finished, the fisherman promptly took the knife back and made quick work of the remaining fish.

With enough fish fillets in the fridge, we decided to do some hiking. Indigo always wants us to carry him everywhere, so we hyped up this hike to the “secret beach” talking about how it would be his first real hike, and bribed him with sweet rewards should he do the whole hike himself. He started off very motivated, with backpack and hiking stick. We had to scramble over lots of rocks, as the tide was coming in, and he became quite the rock hopper. The secret beach was beautiful, but had no shade, so we hastily returned. Indigo didn’t do quite so well on the return trip, but I held strong through 5 individual mini-tantrums, where I patiently waiting for him to rest, and he eventually walked the whole way back. But this was also the start of Indigo expecting treats as rewards for hiking…and here we are months later, still trying to break the expectation. It’s an uphill battle, as hiking for accomplishment doesn’t seem to motivate him very much.


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Our days here were simply great, and we still wistfully say “remember Agua Verde” when we think back on all the places we’ve been so far. Fishing, hiking, reading, making fires, and chasing a sometimes naked boy around the beach.


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I was a bit sad to pack up and leave Aqua Verde. I was the most relaxed here. We felt so much freedom to do or not do anything all day long. No churches to see, markets to visit, or tours to reserve. But we finally packed up and left our great campsite, feeling very proud of ourselves for being in the near-wild for almost a week, and having it go so well. I say near wild, because we still could buy basic groceries and drinking water in the village, and walk next door to get a fish taco if we didn’t want to cook.


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The drive back was rough, not just mentally, but because of the steep mountain road which had the transmission reaching its maximum safe temperature limit every ten minutes or so. Never before had we actually looked forward to meeting up with a washboard road. We had to stop on that treacherous road numerous times waiting for it to cool down, before we could go a little further. Several passing vehicles checked in with us and make sure we were ok. It’s so nice to experience neighbourly people no matter how remote we venture in Mexico.


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mccustomize

Explorer
Loving your Baja adventures! It's a lot of good information for my future plans, I want to spend at least two weeks exploring there! Safe travels!
 

adam88

Explorer
Just wanted to say the way you've done your photos and layout, and the way you show where you went in Google maps is AWESOME!. Thanks for being so smart and awesome :)
 

Driven To Wander

Adventurer
Thanks Adam,

One thing we did not expect in our travels was how long it takes to write a blog. It is so hard to sit front of computer when we are having so much fun outside. Comments like yours keep us motivated.

Best,

Okan & Donna
 

Driven To Wander

Adventurer
Thanks Mccustomize,
We are behind on our blog about a month or so. We are at Palenque at the moment and it is as stunning as Baja. We are camping in a jungle next to Maya Ruins where howling monkeys wake us up with their crazy loud sounds every morning. Mexico is so underrated.

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Driven To Wander

Adventurer
The End of Baja - Part I

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We are getting close to the end of our time in Mexico, and Belize is right around the corner, and here we've still not finished writing about our time in Baja, Mexico! So this is going to be a long read, but it's time we get this last chapter written and say goodbye to Baja. Here's hoping your browser can load all the photos!


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The drive to La Paz was too long to make in one day, so we did a quick overnight in Constitucion, a non-descript town that had a big dusty parking lot next to a swim center for us to spend a quick overnight.



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As we drove into La Paz, we could feel the end of our Baja adventure getting close because it would be from here we would take the ferry to the mainland. But, we were still deciding whether we’d leave right away, or drive a loop around the southern tip of Baja. We weren't too keen on visiting Cabo San Lucas, and we were looking forward to getting over to the mainland. But, we decided to make the loop after all, our main motivators being other travellers' accounts of Cabo Pulmo and Todos Santos. We are so glad we stayed a little longer.

In La Paz, we really just wanted hot showers, flushing toilets, and strong wifi to plan the next leg of travel. We got more much than that, as the campground had all that plus a pool and good neighbours. The comfortable living situation was so nice, we decided to stick around and see if we could get our travel vaccinations here too. But after checking into the local clinic, and a private hospital, we found out that the vaccines are not actually stored in Baja, and have to be shipped to Baja upon request from local doctor. We were advised to head to the airport in Mexico City where they'd have them in stock and appointments were easy to make. While investigating, we learned of all the possible shots we could receive for traveling South. I really didn't want to give Indigo all these shots except the required yellow fever shot, I didn't even want them myself. I was very happy to delay those decisions until we hit Mexico City.


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We spent many days at the pool, even though the water was very very cold. But the hot air beat out the cold water and we eventually got in. Okan stands on the edge for 15 minutes saying he's going to jump, and I do the icy walk of death from the steps with hands fluttering inches above the water. Indigo started chanting "jump daddy jump" so loudly that Okan had to finally jump. The cajoling however didn't speed up my slow decent into the ice cold water. My pace is my pace. Indigo just laid on the hot cement to warm up fast every so often.

Laying by the pool, first time in a bathing suit in years thanks to living in Canada, I keep thinking I need to get in shape and get some color. I had such grand plans to get fit while on this trip. But there's been no running, no exercise, no yoga, nothing really. There was that time I ran three days in a row in Northern California, and I did stretch once here in La Paz. My own pace I guess...probably could work on that.



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We headed off to Todo Santos, and drove straight through the little town. It's really nice and clean with lots of quaint shops and cafes. I was disappointed that the beach is not walking distance from town, and there was no camping near town. So we headed to our next spot just south in El Pescadero.



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Our camp spot in El Pescadero wasn’t scenic at all, as it was on the corner of the place next to the fence, and looking into the neighbourhood through barbed wire. But the grounds were really nice. Great pool, nice bathrooms, and lots of lovely palms and greenery around.


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We had to pull out our social selves again, as people congregated around the pool. Indigo played with a couple of Swedish girls until he became a bit too overbearing looking for attention. Him pushing the local dog out of jealousy was the tipping point and we took him crying back to the camper with him screaming the whole way “I will start being nice, I want to play with the girls” Got his sobbing under control enough to take him outside where he saw the girls heading to bed, and he decided to give up. Being social with a toddler can sometimes be a challenge.


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In the morning, we scooted back up to Todo Santos to have lunch, and see the town close up. I chuckled to see a Hotel California here, because it seemed so symbolic and true of our experiences of the people we meet here. Folks never really leave once they've been here, but seem to keep a piece of themselves here to which they keep returning year after year. I will have to look up the inspiration for the song.

We ran into our old neighbours Alex and Dollie from the Loreto campground. Always a little odd to see someone running towards you with open arms when you are in a city you've never been in before..until you realize you know them! We were really wanting to get back to nature, and the water, so after a quick haircut for Indigo so we could see his face again, we headed off for some wild camping. Checked out two different beaches before finding our perfect spot.

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We found a pristine beach, with massive surf, between two rocky points. There was another couple way down on the other side of the beach from Squamish BC. So practically neighbours back home as well. They’ve been traveling since 2015. Seems everyone who starts this lifestyle, can’t seem to quit it very easily.


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Indigo and I were super happy here, Okan was a bit off kilter. Without internet, and an immediate project that needed attending, he seemed rather lost. I felt I could have stayed here a week, but Okan was worried about being too bored. So of course I started thinking of all the things he could do…working out, yoga, hiking, playing with indigo, writing blog posts, hiking down the trail for firewood. He doesn’t have as much patience for playing long mindless sand castle games in the heat as I do. I must admit I have a leg up on him in this area…since I would be building sand castles with or without Indigo. This was heaven for me because Indigo could run free (and naked!), and we could exercise, do yoga, read books, and truly be disconnected from the outside world. I am finding am most relaxed when we are stranded in the middle of nowhere.


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We saw so many whales swimming by, and jumping sting rays! We got so excited each time a whale passed by, and they passed by all day long. Okan got some great photos of the surf, with whales and me and Indigo in the photo too! I saw one whale through the binoculars jumping way out at sea, it was so cool, and for the rest of the day I kept watching the whales near to shore hoping they would jump too, but they didn’t.

Okan got to spend a lot more play time with Indigo here which was nice. Indigo also went 2 days with no screens, and only asked once. When we said no, he dropped the topic right away. When Okan was putting Indigo to bed after an evening of star gazing, Indigo came out to tell me that light is the fastest thing in the world. He said nobody knows it and it’s like “crazy cakes” fast. Then he proceeded to tell me how Darth Vader is nearby watching us, and we need to be careful. Day and evenings without interruption with Dad, does wonders for the imagination.


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Our campfire each night were great and one of the highlights of our evening. Although Indigo worries me with his increasing love for fire, and especially his love for waving burning sticks in the air. We would watch stars in the evening, always picking out Orion's belt. In the stillness we could feel the tremors in the earth beneath our feet when the large waves crashed onto the beach. We were in the thick of nature, and it felt great.


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I cringed thinking of going back to having internet reception, because I knew we would be glued to our screens catching up …me reading every news article on politics, and Okan reading travel blogs and sports. NPR would be playing in the mornings, and we wouldn't have this more simple and focussed time. Okan said he wanted to leave in the morning after our second night because he needed to get started on some maintenance needed on the truck. But I was in heaven and wanted to spend more days where it’s so easy to mind Indigo and relax. Strangely enough, when I awoke the next morning, I was over my desire to stay longer. A storm was coming, it was getting cold, and I think I wanted to leave as much as Okan did. Lesson learned…never hold on too tightly to an idea!


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Speaking of holding on too tightly to idea, we left our awesome wild campsite and set the GPS to bypass Cabo San Lucas and take a direct route to Cabo Pulmo. But at the turn off, Okan decided we should swing by Cabo San Lucas after all. We re-set the GPS for a Walmart to stock up on groceries, but we missed 2 turns in a row, and ended up driving by a Costco. We pulled into the Costco parking lot thinking we’d just get a slice of Pizza, since our card expired and we couldn't shop there anymore. For reasons we cannot explain, we walked up and down the isles filling our cart anyway. We got to checkout – "card expired, sorry". We decided to ditch the cart and just settle for the pizza, but then a man walked up behind us with only one item, and Okan asked if we could use his card and pay cash. He said yes, and we got our Costco loot! We went cheerfully over to the pizza place, but in Mexico you need a valid Costco card to get the pizza! We left so conflicted, happy with our Costco purchases, but with a lingering desire for Costco pizza unsatisfied.


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We stopped for a meal at a cute restaurant at the start of the dirt road that would take us to (or close to) Cabo Pulmo where we hoped to snorkel or swim. At the restaurant we met more Canadians and stayed a while talking about our travels in Baja and where we were heading. I keep mentioning all the Canadians we meet, because it still amazes me how many are here, as if there is a tunnel that connects the two countries making travel here easy and the obvious thing to do.



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We started driving down this crazy dirt road with huge ruts and bumps, and places too narrow for comfort around dropoffs to the sea. When we met a couple of dune buggies on the road, we were wondering if we were really on a road or if it was a trail. The buggy drivers assured us we were going the right direction and we continued. But then we hit a fence and could go no further. Some locals told us the land ahead had been purchased and fenced off, and we should simply go back to the main road, and we could go around. Main Road? What? Pavement? When we hit the main road that was running parallel to us, it was beautiful and smooth, and we could have been at our destination in 20 minutes instead of 90 minutes!
 

Driven To Wander

Adventurer
The End of Baja - Part II

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A storm was coming, and we pulled into at least 4 beach access spots described in the iOverlander app looking for some place to camp. The sand was whipping so badly, all the sites all seemed about the same and unmanageable. The sand was so soft, that we couldn't be near the water, and had to be back where the brush (and lots of cow poop) were scattered. We found what seemed to be the best windbreak we could find, played a little soccer, tried to catch the rainbow, ate and went to bed.


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Indigo was very confused when we woke and started packing right away to leave. We pulled into a couple more spots looking for where we’d stay longer term, and what caught our eye was a campsite with a small boy playing in the sand. We stopped and talked for a minute and discovered they were driving to Argentina as well. But we had to move on to find an internet connection so Okan could submit an online reference for a colleague. We stopped at restaurant called El Caballero in the small town and had the best breakfast I've had on our entire trip. Scrambled eggs with shredded beaf, tortillas. Sent the reference, and headed back for the campground.



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The boys immediately started to play, but language was a bit of an issue for them as French and English are not easy to pick up. Unfortunately the boys kept getting into tussles, and Indigo would coming running back to me crying, and ten minutes later wanted to go back again. Needless to say this pattern continued all day, and it was exhausting. The parents spoke limited english, and what seemed like a great way to have a little free time with the boys playing, turned into hard work of translating and helping communicate apologies. A third boy joined, and then the process started all over again. Even with the tussles, Indigo still had to be pulled away in the evening crying because he wanted to keep playing. He was asleep within 5 minutes of getting him settled down in the camper. Finally a break!



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In the morning he awoke wanted to play immediately with the other boys. This day we hosted playtime at our campsite. Couple of tussles, but the boys had a good night of sleep, and bounced back from any disagreements they had quickly and without tears.



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On this day Okan spent the morning fixing his much loved flip flop, while I cleaned and organized the camper. Then Okan took a long walk on the beach, while I hosted the other boys playtime and made snacks to hand out. Then Okan took a nap, while I read books to and then took Indigo to the beach. I lovingly pointed out how different our days unfolded, and Okan gave me a foot massage.



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It was here that Okan noticed we had a large crack in the camper's fiberglass near the custom jerry can holder he made. We were quite freaked out at first, not knowing how serious this was. With the help of many other eyes, and quick call to Hallmark, we determined that the crack was more cosmetic than structural and tried to put it in the back of our minds.


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We headed inland to search out waterfalls and natural swimming pools and found both just outside of Santiago.



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Don't let the photos fool you, we were not the only ones there. Many people come here for a day of swimming and it got quite crowded. But a snake was spotted in the water, so everyone cleared out, giving ample time for photos of the beautiful pool. I waded back in the water with Indigo before the others, with one eye sideways making sure the snake wasn't returning.



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We stayed at the campsite at the trailhead, which was really lovely with nice breezes if not much shade. In the morning we hiked past the waterfall, and to the pools that lay above it. We hoped the water would be warmer there, but it was the same refreshingly cold water in the pool below. Indigo got in a little rock hopping, as he was hell-bent on following the little girl he met the evening before, who was a master rock hopper.


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With much on our minds, both the crack in the camper, and getting ferry tickets and vehicle import papers, we headed back to the same campground in La Paz. It was a great source of comfort to know in advance where we would be sleeping, when so many other things were up in the air.

While back in La Paz, Okan found a place to work on the truck. We had both a panel painted and the fiberglass worked on. Okan wasn't thrilled about the workmanship, but we felt better to have stopped some rust with the paint and shored up the crack in the fiberglass before heading to the mainland.

A couple more days by the pool, and we said our final goodbyes to Baja. We still think about Baja often, and are now really missing the dry heat. I imagine we will return one day to revisit some of our favourite spots. Traveling through Baja was such a great introduction to Mexico, and that is one thing we couldn't have planned any better!
 

Driven To Wander

Adventurer
"Machete"

More I drive this beast more I love it! 7 months, 14K miles with more than a ton on his back and countless Mexican topes later he is as eager as the first day we left Vancouver....

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turi420

New member
I am amazed - Awesome pics, gear/path info, energy!

Amazing trip and great pictures!
If your wife is so aware of camping orientation, she must be an architect, lol!
God bless your way!
 

Driven To Wander

Adventurer
Mainland Mexico, Here We Come…

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The day before we were to leave on the ferry from La Paz on the Baja Pennisula to Mazatlan in mainland Mexico, we headed over to the Banjercito office, the official government office that provides temporary vehicle import papers for traveling to mainland Mexico. We could have done this at the Tijuana border crossing, but we were so nervous about getting stuck in lines, and not making it to our first campsite by dark, that we pushed off getting the permit for when we were to leave Baja.

You will see all sorts of vehicles in Baja, because pretty much anything goes. But when traveling to the mainland with the exception of a certain number of miles of the US border, all vehicles need to have their proper import stickers on the windshield. The permit can also be obtained at any border crossing, or port town that has ferries to the mainland, like Santa Rosalia. You can even apply for it online and speed up the fairly speedy in person process. It’s a good thing we actually didn’t pursue the online option before leaving, because I would have been stressed for much longer than the afternoon spent at the Banjercito office based on our specific situation.

For those considering the TMC ferry from La Paz, here is the process in a nutshell…or in a diagram. 1) Get vehicle import permit at Banjercito Office, 2) Go through customs check, 3) Weigh vehicle, 4) Purchase TMC ferry ticket, 5) Wait for loading, and 6) Drive onto ferry. Most people are able to arrive without reservations in the afternoon, go through the process, and depart on the evening Ferry.



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We turned into the Banjercito office parking lot (well, we actually passed the entrance, ended up at the far end of the docks, talked to two different people, headed back and entered from the North), and decided to park in the paid parking area directly in front of the Banjercito office. You don’t actually have use the pay lot, as there are parking spaces just outside the gated area as well which we didn’t notice until later.

I waited in the car outside the office for what was supposed to be a 10 minute process. But Okan was taking a long time at the window. He came back to the car looking for a number on the truck door, a little agitated, not saying much, and headed back to the Banjercito window. This didn’t seem to be going well. Then the clerk and Okan came out to check the truck door and numbers. I knew whatever was happening wasn’t good, so I tried to keep Indigo busy, and kept my own millions questions at bay while whatever went down, went down. It is a very good thing in these situations I do not speak Spanish. Had the conversation been in English, I would have been inserting myself with questions, irritation, and making the situation most likely worse and more stressful.

Turns out that our vehicle’s capacity is over the legal limit for importing into mainland Mexico. Our truck has a 1.0 ton load capacity. Okan had read several different online sources that seemed to define “capacity” in various ways, and was going for the most generous of those descriptions. The most generous being the phrasing on the official website:


Banjercito Website​
Google Translation​
“No está permitido solicitar un permiso para un vehículo que exceda las 3.5 toneladas (7,716.17 libras) de capacidad de carga“It is not permissible to apply for a permit for a vehicle that exceeds 3.5 tonnes (7,716.17 pounds) of load capacity


However, the Banjercito Office defines the load capacity as the weight of the truck plus the load capacity of the truck, and therefore denied our request for a permit. The clerk said our only recourse was to get an exception by the Customs Agent in the building next door. We were told the last several people he sent over, came back with rejections. Didn’t make us feel so confident as we headed over, looking for someone to make eye contact with us, so we could explain our predicament. I must admit, I was wondering if this was one of those infamous “How to bribe a Mexican official” situations, and was wondering how much money were they perhaps expecting from us, and if the Banjercito guy was working in concert with the Customs guy.

Okan approached a young tall strapping man with the most casual demeanour, Carlos. It was nerve wracking waiting for Carlos to evaluate our situation and make a decision. He came back and asked exactly what the clerk needed from him, and got on the phone as well. We sat at waited, and waited. I was hoping we looked like a nice, dishevelled, tired, hopeful, and good family deserving to bring a 3.5 ton truck into mainland Mexico. It’s amazing how conscious you become of your body language and facial expressions when trying to exude a certain aura, and keep down all the “WTH, this is so stupid” voices in the back of your head. Perhaps it was Indigo in my arms asking “Mommy, why will they not let us into Mexico?” or our distraught faces, or because it was the end of the day and he didn’t want a dramatic family scene on his hands before heading home. Were it not for Carlos being the coolest guy over at the customs office, our whole trip would be on hold.

Carlos said he’d give us the approval and provided us with the papers we needed for the clerk. We literally ran back to the other office that was closing in 5 minutes. I wanted to believe it was something about us, our family, our kind faces, that allowed the exception. But when Okan reported the Banjercito clerk’s response to our custom’s exception, was “Oh, Carlos is working today, bossman must be out”. Apparently Carlos is the kind hearted person in this story.



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Our sailing time the next day was 7pm on TMC ferries, and we needed to be back the following day at 5pm to get weighed and loaded on the ferry. We wouldn’t know the final cost until just before we were leaving. We used up as much water as possible, used up the gas in the Jerry Cans, and let our fuel tank stay dangerously low. I tried to help a bit, by weeding out some books I finished reading. We were still shocked when we saw how much the truck weighed, 5 tons!, and convinced ourselves the scale was off. But we still made a mental note to stop carrying so much weight around.

We really liked the idea of staying with the camper and being able to drive right off the ferry without hassle when we booked with TMC Ferries. Baja Ferries looked appealing for the fact that they arrived 6 hours sooner, and you could rent a room with private bath to sleep through the voyage. But since we could sleep in our own vehicle anyway, wouldn’t have to pack an overnight bag, and the price was much better for larger rigs like ours, TMC ultimately won out.



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We were second guessing our decision as we watched the all semi-trucks go on board the ferry, and realized we could be jammed in between all the 18-wheelers. We asked to be loaded on the top deck hoping we could sleep with a view to the sea. But there weren’t many small vehicles like ours to be grouped together, so we were looking at the possibility of being fenced in between the big rigs without even seeing the sea. We also couldn’t initially find the common area, and there was NO protection on the railings…at all. Straight drop down to the sea from multiple doorways that were open on the deck, one being about 2 feet from the back of our camper. I was shuddering thinking about chasing Indigo around the back of the truck and seeing him drop out of sight into the sea.



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But we lucked out as there was a huge open space on the ferry right next to us, and Indigo got to dance around the open area. Thankfully they closed the doors on the side of the ship once we set sail, so we felt a bit safer.



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The common area was pretty small and dismal, with some very solemn faced, somewhat grumpy, employees behind the counter. Dinner and breakfast was included on the trip, but the sadness of the employees seemed to come through in the food. We choked down a bit of the provided meal before heading back to our camper for some of our own food, and turned in for the night.

It was nice that we could popup the camper, but this had quite an effect on how much the camper’s top moved with the sea. We were parked on the side of the ship, which turned out to be a bit too close for comfort. Our bed which is above the cab of the truck, was coming within inches of a steel support beam each time the ship swayed. I woke Okan in the middle of the night numerous times as I was sure we were going to smash into it. I thought we should put towels or something between us and the beam so when we did hit it, so we could cushion the blow. Okan doesn’t even remember me waking him during my panic, he slept more soundly than he has in a long time. After 4 hours of vigilant watching, I finally accepted we weren’t going to hit the steel beam, and dozed off myself.

When we docked, and simply drove off the ferry, already packed and ready for the drive, we were very happy we chose TMC ferries. What it doesn’t have in luxury, it most certainly had in price savings and travel convenience. We drove out of the ferry terminal parking and got instantly tangled in Mazatlan city traffic. It was time for Carnival in Matzatlan!



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We didn’t want to drive far that first day, and opted to stay one night in Mazatlan at a hostel in town. Indigo got in the pool, and pestered all the guests all day…he was in heaven with all the young people there. Saying “hola” to everyone all day, and showing his young audience magic tricks (jumping from one couch cushion to another). They had good hot showers and breakfast included, but we felt $400 pesos, was still way too much to park on the city street and get a pancake in the morning. It was double the price that week for Carnival they said, or perhaps because we were at least double the age of every one else staying there?


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We decided to turn up the excitement from our Baja beach days, and head to the Carnival. If we were paying double rent because it was in town, we hoped it would be something really great. We walked to the parade route, which wasn’t too far from the hostel, but the blistering heat makes everything feel double the distance if not more. A hot dog for Indigo, some bubbles and confetti were all that we were able to enjoy before we were exhausted. Carrying Indigo in the carrier, and chasing him around large crowds did us both in. The throngs of people heading towards the carnival path were increasing by the minute, and it felt like it was already at capacity. We didn’t get to see the main floats of the parade, just the advertisers in their big rigs rolling down the street, trying to keep the gathering crowd pumped up for the main event by blasting music and throwing trinkets and samples to the crowd. Indigo did love the dancing ladies, and we did manage to catch one bag of chips. He never knew we actually missed the “real” Carnival.



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By the end of our short stay, we knew it was official, we do not like traveling to big cities. The heat is unbearable, we have to carry Indigo everywhere, and restaurants with a picky eater are not very relaxing for us. Not to say we aren’t happy for the experience of Mazatlan, we are, if only to make sitting by the beach feel that much more wonderful.
 
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