Date:         Thu, 20 Apr 95 12:10:54 -0700
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         jackson.harvey@support.com
Subject:      My trip to baja



I just took the Westy for a 5-day excursion to the darkest depths of Baja.
Here's the report:

Day One - Los Angeles to just below San Quitin - about 400 miles. Ran like a
dream. Soon as
we passed Ensenada, I was struck by the number of Vanagon Westys I passed. On
the whole
trip I must have passed two dozen, all colors and years. Mine was topped with a
pair of Yakima
Racks with three surfboards, my coleman stove, extra gas can, astroturf, lawn
chairs, shovel and
second spare tire. Made it to San Quitin at 8:00 after dark. Don't drive in
Baja after dark.
Dangerous enough with the poor condition of the Transpenninsular Highway and
the wild variety
of traffic during the day. So what did we do? We drove the last 16 Km at night.
Looking for
a particular road, we found the bridge marked, turned off into the next dirt
road, went
approximately 200 yards and got stuck in a sand spit. The left rear was
spinning and we tried
to dig it out to no avail, so decided to camp there, dig it out the next
morning. What a first
night. 

Day Two - woke up to find our "dirt road" was a dry river bed. DON'T DRIVE AT
NIGHT
IN MEXICO. The Van was straddling a crown of sand. We dug it out and made a mad
sand
dash at full throttle back to the "dirt" road. Went back up to the highway and
discovered we
turned off 50 yards too soon. Took correct dirt road 1 km to beach. Camped here
for the day
and night. 

What's the dang deal with the propane fridge? I can get it to light, but it
won't get cold. 

Day Three - Back up to San Quitin for some agua purificada at pumping station.
Asked for 10
liters - it lasted the whole trip. Same with the propane. Today, over the
desert to Bahia de Los
Angeles for some yellow tail fishing. Took hwy across the desert listening to
Ennio Morricone
music. Breathtaking beauty. Travel at 50+ mph interrupted by mad stops for
swiss cheese
sections of the roadway. Potholes you wouldn't believe. The truck in front of
me weaved wildly
to avoid them. There were so many, you couldn't avoid them. Stopped by soldier
check point.
They're looking for guns and drugs. We didn't have any. Crested the butte for a
spectacular
view of the Sea of Cortez. The town is a dump. We take 10 km of washboard road
to find
campsite. Later decide to go back to town/dump to hire a boat for tomorrow. Van
don't start.
I find that a wire has come lose on the starter (thanks John Muir!). Van starts
up, 10km back
into town - no boats. Apparently, there's been quite a wind in the afternoons
preventing boats
from going out. 6 pm we experience 50mph sandstorm. Blows Van canvas so hard
against the
joint-thingie that holds the poptop up, cuts right through it. I sleep thinking
the van's going to
tip over all night. 

Day Four - wind still blowing, we decide to blow. First we jumpstart a bright
yellow Willys
jeep with a brand new Diehard. Van is renamed La Vanita Lindo. Go to PEMEX
(gas) station
in town. Out. We drive like a bat out of hell back over the desert, say hello
to the soldiers again
and arrive a Punta Panidera - big gas station, notorious for being out of gas,
it is, we nearly are.
We drive 50 km south to another PEMEX station which is open but has a line that
reminded me
of the early 70s. We fill up, head back up North. Left turn to Santa Rosalitta,
11 km of the
worst road I have ever been on. Gravel, sand, ditch, washboard. La Vanita
handled it fine. 13%
grade down to the beach over a ditch. Perfect point. Four kids in a Toyota
4-runner also
camping along the point. 

Day Five - No waves at the point, we decide to leave. One of the kids asks for
a ride because
the 4-runner overheated and is stuck there. We give the others most of our food
and give the
kid and his girlfriend a ride out. Drop them off in a village where there's an
American doctor.
They're going to call brother in San Diego to come tow them out. We wish them
luck and head
north. Van renamed La Vanita Lindo Fuerte. We go back up to original campsite.
As we camp,
I put out the awning. We are suddenly in the middle of a monsoon. Awning keeps
us dry as we
heat up a little tea. La Vanita, te amore. Sky goes dark revealing incredible
stars, which was
a warm up for the most spectacular moonrise I've ever seen. 

Day Six - waves! We surf all morning, pack up and drive home. Stop outside of
Ensenada to
have the undercarrige steam-cleaned ($4.00). While we wait, I look up to the
road and see a
Toyota 4-runner with surfboards on top being towed toward San Diego. At the
border, we sit
in line for 1 hour. I think this is going to be where La Vanita overheats. Home
at 10 p.m.. Take
La Vanita to shop next day to have oil changed (I know..) and all bolts on
undercarrige looked
at for tightness. 

How do I know how much propane is left in my tank?

Don't you just love these Vanagons?