Los Barriles, Cabo, Todos Santos, La Paz

March 19 - April 5 2011
Have had a couple appointments with Real Estate agents here in Barriles. Haven't come across a good enough bargain yet though. I cut my big toe pretty bad, bled all over. Had to use my first aid kit for the first time this journey, sure glad I had it. But it is sliced open so bad, I can't risk taking my usual long beach walks due to sand contamination. My bike is giving me fits. I get one thing fixed, then something else goes wrong. And I can't find any of the parts I'm needing. Still enjoying nice sunrises here.

Los Barriles sunrise

Watched a bit of March Madness basketball at a gringo bar. Stayed in Los Barriles for about 2 weeks, all at Martin Verdugos RV park and hotel, nice place. Most of the people here stay for about 6 months, snowbird windsurfers mostly. Some fishing starting to heat up. A little lady landed this marlin (wish I could tell ya I caught it).

187 lb marlin

End up leaving Los Barriles for a quick errand to Cabo San Lucas. Officially passed the tropic of cancer, I'm now in the tropics! I can go any further south. This is sort of the end of the line, Lands End. Stay one night at Vagabundos Del Mar, walking distance to town center and near a Walmart and Sam's Club, wow, what a treat. Restock on supplies and some treats. Then left the next day to Todos Santos area on the west coast. Nice new road. Pass by Pescadero and Los Cerritos, they had been my favorite places on previous trips, for surfing and beaching in the years past. But both these places have totally changed, they are built up and sub-divided, partially built hotels, etc. The whole flavor of the area is different, and no longer on my all time favorites list. So I continue on to La Paz, good road (highway 19) all the way.

Cabo San Lucas, interesting, but not what I'm here for

topped at a dozen different auto parts stores, bike shops and boat dealers looking for a motorcycle part (it's been unusable for weeks). No luck. Then I see a garage/shop where they were building a trophy truck for Baja racing. I ask them, and they end up pulling the part off their truck and sell it to me for 220P (about $18). Back in business with the bike finally. I go back to the remote/boon-docking beach at Tecolote. I get the new part installed, ready to ride again. Take a few test rides, no new troubles. So I can now ride into town again for internet and supplies w/o the hassle and expense of the RV.

race car part/kludge for my bike

Last few days have been cloudy, but still in the high 80's. Saw the most incredible sunset of my life. You might be tired of my sunrise/sunset photos, but this was astounding! It is real/undoctored, the colors were really this vibrant. The sky lit up brilliantly for about ten minutes, then it was over. It was so overwhelming and powerful, everyone on the whole beach came out of their RV's and tents to observe.

spectacular sunset

I noticed that Baja didn't observe the daylight savings time change that the US had a few weeks ago. Turns out they do, but it was April 3 here, I guess they gotta be different. I hear gas prices are rising again in the US, it is a little less than $3.00 a gallon down here, and all the gas stations (even in remote areas) all charge the same price. It's a country-wide, partially government controlled monopoly called Pemex, there is no real competition, but it seems to work for everyone's benefit.