MEX 1 at 45 mph

[jcbrandon]

The ride south along Bahia Concepción is breathtaking.



...



Anyone know the story on this sign along the way? It's been pretty well vandalized and we didn't find any official looking markings. There is another farther south that still says something like "Thanks for visiting" but I haven't been able to find much more information on it.

 

[jcbrandon]

More serene desert riding as we continued south.



You might notice the long shadows in that picture. Earlier in the day we had stopped in Loreto for a late lunch at a beautiful open-air restaurant right on the Sea of Cortez. (I noticed a very nice Sportsmobile parked along the malecon, but didn't see anyone around to ask about it. Anyone here?)

Immediately upon leaving the restaurant, John and I were pulled over by local police officers. They were stationed on the side of the road, with no patrol car, no radio, no weapon. Just standing on the side of the street.

After quite a bit of discussion and some other officers arriving, one on an ATV, we were led to the local police station. We spent nearly two hours there. The cops were friendly and we joked about them perhaps wanting to buy a squad of motorcycles. But we were burning the last of our daylight and wondering how this little conference would turn out.

Eventually, John and I were charged with a total of four infractions and paid about US$100 in fines. We beat it out of Loreto as quickly as we could, arriving for the night in Ciudad Constitución after dark, tired, and not feeling very friendly toward the Loreto police.

 

[awalter]

J,

I believe it was signage welcoming you to the municipality or district of Loreto.

Al

 

[jcbrandon]

J,

I believe it was signage welcoming you to the municipality or district of Loreto.

Al

Thanks, Al. A bit ironic, I think.

 

[jcbrandon]

We left Ciudad Constitución before sunrise. With luck, today would be our last heading south and we would spend the night in Cabo San Lucas.

A little directional indecision found us on the city streets of La Paz, "temporarily unsure of our position" as one of my flight instructors used to say. A very nice Mexican lady and her young daughter took time out of their day to lead us through some confusing traffic and back out onto the correct road.

We stopped for lunch in the festive town of Todos Santos, less than two hours from Cabo San Lucas.



Remember I mentioned that Arlene is a small bundle of atomic energy? Notice that her hand is blurred in the photo as she keeps the boys on the edge of their seats.

And here she is back on the bike, leading us into Cabo San Lucas.



After days of empty two-lane desert highways, city traffic took some mental adjustments. We had to work hard to stay together and keep the truck with the bikes.






And... we made it.



This is the crew in the pool at Villa Clara Vista, high above the beach on the very tip of the Baja peninsula. They've just ridden 1100 miles in five days on 150cc single-cylinder hardtail bikes. A bit tired, but very happy. Arlene didn't bother to change out of her clothes. And due to my habit of always locking the truck, John was unable to get to his swim trunks before he was overcome by the lure of the pool. I won't tell you what he is wearing. You'll thank me for that.

 

[jcbrandon]

"But wait! There's more!"

As much as we would have liked a week's vacation at Villa Clara Vista, we had to turn and burn early the next morning. Arlene had to fly back to LA for some business commitments and I had to get back home in time to unload the truck, get some rest, and reload before heading to Hollister for the Overland Rally.

So, just a few quick photos from the return leg.



This is Simon, sporting his trademark red suspenders, on Joe's bike, outside a rustic little loncheria somewhere. The sticker on the windscreen is from Baja Bound Insurance. I came across Baja Bound when they had a booth at Overland Expo 2010. They are very ExPo-friendly and made it simple to get insurance for all the bikes and the truck for this trip.

...



That's the outside temperature readout inside my truck. We saw 103 degrees on about half the days and it lasted for hours each afternoon. It was tough on the riders. In the support truck I struggled, listening to satellite radio, fiddling to find the perfect adjustment on the air conditioner, and reaching into the fridge in the back seat for a cold Pepsi.

And I'll leave you with this last image. That's the Sea of Cortez in the morning sun. Go there. Soon.

 

[efuentes]

Thanks for sharing

I love the small bikes, we are planning a self supported Copper Canyon romp in 90cc scooters for next year, its great inspiration.

Saludos

 

[trailsurfer]

Jay, Great trip report. Thanks for taking the time to put this together for all of us to enjoy!