Date:         Fri, 15 Mar 2013 08:44:29 -0700
Reply-To:     mark drillock <mdrillock@COX.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         mark drillock <mdrillock@COX.NET>
Subject:      Baja Whale 2013 trip report, 10 vans, 9 days... part 1
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As advertised here a few months ago, the 4th annual Vanagon Baja Whale
trip took place last week. This year there were 10 vans from 6 states.
Harold and Faye Teer get the long distance award, coming from Virgina.
Other vans were from Washington, Oklahoma, Oregon, Arizona, and several
from California. I never dreamed that this many vans would join a trip
like this but they did and we had a great time.

We met up in San Diego early on a Sat morning in order to get to the
Mexican border before there was too much activity to make things
confusing. Most of us had never met in person before so we said hello
and chatted while we waited for a few stragglers. A couple with a nearly
two year old daughter were running late so we had time to go over a few
things I wanted to cover.

When everyone was ready we set off for the border. I was a little
concerned because I had heard that the border entry area had been
completely redone since my last visit and we needed visas which meant
stopping right in the exact spot where you are allowed to get out and
find the immigration office. The entry point makeover was surprisingly
vast, with many lanes and new large buildings. I pulled over to the
right to see what was what and the vans began to line up behind me. A
Mexican border guy ran over to me so I flashed him my passport and he
pointed to a fenced parking area I had already passed the entrance to. I
pointed and shouted so my fellows would know what to do and we all
managed to back up and get turned into the lot. The brand new facility
was pretty grand, quite a few steps up from the old border entry. We got
our visas from the new office and used an adjacent bank to exchange some
money.

On our way, we easily followed the new route to the toll road and headed
south toward Ensenada. Because the Mexican gas prices are a bit lower I
had told everyone we could cross without full tanks as we would stop
early to take advantage of the savings. There is a large AM/PM Pemex
station early on the toll road and I had thought it would be a chance to
jump into the deep end of the pool of interactions with the natives and
their sometimes strange ways. We got to the station with someone else in
the lead as we had split up into different toll booth lines and not had
time to sort things out. The pool was quite a bit deeper than I was
expecting. It was shear chaos and bedlam. Some people took one look and
decided they didn't really need any gas so they moved past to a safe
parking area. Others of us dove in. It was dog eat dog, not the gentile
'wait my fair turn' way many of us are used to. A Mexican car actually
crashed into a Mexican taxi as they both aimed for a pump that looked
like it would open up. A Mexican police car parked at the station
suddenly found they had something important to do elsewhere and LEFT,
not getting involved.

We drove south on the toll road, a beautiful sunny morning with stunning
ocean views on our right. Couldn't ask for better mood-setting
conditions.  The Coronado Islands looked almost close enough to swim to.
After an hour we entered Ensenada and pulled into a public pay lot near
the seafood market. There we did the usual stroll up and down the rows
of fresh seafood, many varieties with some of it artistically displayed.
The effects of the recent hot spells made it slightly less enjoyable
than usual but we did the full loop and then settled in at a fish taco
joint next door for an early lunch. With almost 20 of us we needed to
sit at different tables so I didn't see much of what other people were
ordering. I had my usual, 3 fish tacos and a coke.

Moving on through the busy port town, we stopped at a Walmart
Supercenter, next to the Applebees and Starbucks, near the HomeDepot and
Costco. Some people had asked to do so to get a last chance to stock up
on ice and such before camp. I had never stopped at a Mexican Walmart
before so I agreed to it, thinking that at least there should be enough
parking for us all together. Most of us entered the store. Some came
right back out, not caring for the noise and crowds. Just like Sat
morning at most Walmarts I'd guess. My wife was impressed by the in
store bakery selection but the frenzy soon drove her back outside
without her buying me any treats. The general merchandise was slightly
different than at home and walking around the store to gawk I saw a few
people pushing carts with a single new tire in them. Yep, need a tire,
buy A TIRE, to take home.

After finally getting clear of the bustling suburban sprawl that is
Ensenada, we entered the coastal hills that you must pass through when
heading south on Mex 1. Still a fine day, the road wound through hills
that were lush green and flowering from the recent rains followed by hot
spells. After a couple of hours I turned down a dirt road leading out to
the coast, where we could stretch our legs a bit. I also wanted to check
for any progress at a new hotel out there that said they were going to
be putting in a camping area above the rocky beach. We have often wished
for a nicer formal camping spot in this stretch as the other camp places
around there are aged and surrounded by built up hamlets these days.

After some photos and a good stretch of the legs we saddled up and
pressed on through the Valle De San Quintin, a farming area with a
series of small dusty towns that have grown together almost into one
long one in places. Well before sunset we reached El Pabellon Beach
Camp, a large well tended campground built back in the glory days of
Baja travel. The proprietress was standing with clipboard in hand,
smiling broadly as she checked in each van and collected their $10. My
wife and I have stayed at this place dozens of times over the last 20
years and we enjoy the sounds of the waves lulling us to sleep. The
large common parking areas are on the edge of a wide sand dune covered
beach, good for strolling and shell collecting for miles in both
directions. With hot showers and flush toilets it stands above most
other camps. The first smaller more wind protected camping zones were
already occupied so we went by them to the next large section were we
could easily park our 10 vans, maybe even 100. The proprietress soon
arrived to unlock and freshen up the second restroom block that was
close to us, lighting the hot water heater after checking over the
facilities.

We all chatted and settled in for the evening, my wife putting the
finishing touches on a large pot of albondigas soup she had brought
along to share with everyone as an appetizer at dusk. It turned into
dinner for us and some others I suspect. We turned in early after gazing
a while at the star filled sky, the Milky Way included. The next day
would be the start of the real Baja trip as far as we are concerned. No
more superstores, nothing even close.

Mark and Anne