Our trip to La Bufadora was fun, lots of action as a Cruise Ship was in and lots of other tourists out on Saturday, the vendors were happy for sure.  Today we off to Fidel’s, this should be a better drive given it is Sunday.  This can be a little crazy sometimes given traffic volume and of course Mexican drivers!

Just a heads up on status of some Highway construction on Baja:

Highway 3: Tecate-Ensenada

Hwy 3 is looking great!

They have made great progress on 10 km/6 miles of construction since we were last on this on December 18, 2011.  Lots of resources have been committed to this project and it shows.  Only 5km/3 miles of construction remains and this is very passable by rigs of all sizes, lots of new pavement and the gravel sections are graded and packed.  We expect this will be complete when our last tour completes April 3, 2012.

This will be finished for the G20!

Highway 19: Cabo San Lucas – Todos Santos

This is an amazing project for sure and the resources, both human and equipment, are substantial, our guess would be 1000 workers and 100 pieces of road building equipment.  We have heard they are working on this 24/7 and want this completed in time for the G20 Summit in June of this year, hosted by Mexico, to be held in Cabo San Lucas.  The difference between our drive at the end of November 2011 and January 21, 2012 was significant indeed.  Only the major cuts and bridge construction sections remain in gravel, well graded and packed.  The balance of the highway is paved, some with all 4 lanes completed, other sections only 2 lanes.  We are confident this will be complete for June and look forward to seeing what they have accomplished when we are there again in 3 weeks.

Highway 1:

Santo Tomas KM 39-KM 49

This is an amazing project!

We have seen immense progress on this project since November 5, 2011.  The entire section is now paved, although not entirely complete, with the exception of the actual cut though the mountain at KM 44-KM 47 (best guess).  You still must detour around this section, partially on the old road and switchback.  We are confident that when we leave Baja with our last tour and drive this for the last time this season on April 2, 2012, we will drive on the new section that passes through the mountain.  We can hardly wait!

Catavina: North & South

This has all been paved for some time now and now almost 100% complete.  What is a bit puzzling and surprising is the new section south of Catavina where the new sections have developed potholes.  We know little about the paving process, however can safely speculate that something went wrong with his particular project regarding the re-pavement aspects.  The good news is we have seen road crews repairing many of these sections and the road surface is once again improving.  Those that drive this section often will recall this was once the crappiest section of Hwy 1 for many years.

Jesus Maria

Our first experience on this 8KM/5 Mile section, between the Military Check Point and Jesus Maria, was in early November 2011 and was brutal to say the least.  The detour was for “Gringos Only” and the worst Baja gravel road we had been on for years.  It was like driving to the San Javier Mission before it was paved!  We are pleased to report that everyone is now detoured off the section in construction and the gravel road is in great shape, well graded and flat.  We were safely and comfortably driving 30KM/20 Miles per hour on this section.  Progress on this section seems quite slow with only a few pieces of equipment a couple of crews ever spotted on the site.  What is up with this?  Who knows for sure, we will see how things are coming in a week when we return south.

Mexico should be very proud about how much improvement they have made on the Baja Hwy system over the past few years.

January 26, 2012 –

Juncalito is always a favourite!

Today we are off for our tour of the Mulege Prison & Museum, the lighthouse and location of the famous battle of Mulege, the former Loma Linda Hotel and the Mission. We have reservations at Ray’s place tonight and folks are really looking forward to that. Hard to believe we only have 5 days left in this tour.

Great B-Day Cake

January 19, 2012 – We have one more day in Cabo San Lucas and everyone is really enjoying themselves, particularly the WagonMaster!  The whole group joined us at dinner to celebrate my birthday at the park.  As usual Peter & Joe at Vagabundos Trailer Park Restaurant did not disappoint with great food, a fabulous cake, terrific music choices over the evening and even some Baja Amigos fans.

What fun we had including lots of dancing!

Dan's fan club!

Today we are headed off for a tour of the Art District in San Jose del Cabo, the town square, the historic Mission and other sites of interest.  We finish our time in Cabo with our usual hosted Happy Hour on Medano Beach, always a tour favourite before heading north. We drop off Lisa’s Mom here at the RV Park for a month and will pick her up on our next tour, we know she will enjoy herself. We will all miss her on this tour, the group has had a blast with her!

Dancing the night away with Baja Amigos!

Forecast high today 28C, Sunny Skies and not much wind.

Shel always has fun!

January 12, 2012 – It has been a while since I blogged, things have been busy for sure, all is good.  Baja has been more like November or March, instead of January, however no one is complaining. After a couple of minor vehicle glitches we have had smooth sailing, sunny days and relatively hot weather.  We had our Fiesta Dinner at Marv & Shel’s place, the musicians were great and all who attended really enjoyed the entertainment.

Our entrance to Loreto was made even more interesting as they have ripped up the Malecon, so most of it was closed to any vehicle traffic, always exciting to learn this 100′ away with 7 RVs behind you. We did prevail and safely made our way to the Rivera del Mar RV Park. The day before we had our Pot Luck at Santispac where Bruce & Marian joined us and brought fire wood, we all enjoyed the warm fire as it cooled down quite a bit after the sun set.  Today we are off to the San Javier Mission, one of my favourites for sure.

Santispac with a fire, what could be better?

Family & Friends together at Christmas - Perfect!

December 24, 2011 – Lisa’s Mom and our kids with partners have arrived in San Diego and last evening we all went for dinner at the Old Town Mexican Cafe Cantina in Old Town San Diego.  Our friends, Hugh and Carol from Discover  Baja, were also able to join us, this was lots of fun and a great meal, after we toured the Old Town Park and later drove to the Hotel Del Coronado which was all decorated for Christmas, really wonderful.  Earlier in the day some of us visited the US Cabrillo National Monument and the Midway, while others went to Sea World, everyone  had a great day for sure.

Tijuana has far more to offer than you would believe!

Prior to Lisa and I arriving back in San Diego we visited with a friend in Tijuana who toured us around.  We have never spent much time in TJ before and really appreciated the opportunity and spend some time with Indy. The Baja Cultural Museum was very good, with terrific exhibits and we ate at some quality eateries.  We really enjoyed Sanborns for lunch, real old Mexico charm.  We stayed at a parking compound next to Indy’s residence, the palatial NewCity Residence Towers, what a view from the 12th Floor. Thanks for the tour Indy, I really appreciated someone else driving.

Today we head off for Ensenda, Baja where we will Christmas with our entire family, the first time in 4 years that we have all been together. What else can I say eh?

Merry Xmas – Feliz Navidad

Baja Amigas on tour!

December 16, 2011 – Hard to believe but the 2011 45 Day is almost over!  We have had a great time and a great group, fun, fun, fun. Dancing on tables at Ray’s Place, a hike to remember, heavy rain in Bahia de los Angeles, lots of fires, eggs in a bag, a fishing trip that landed enough for everyone wanted and just plain good times and memories to last a lifetime. Many are already planning their next trip to Baja!

We still have dinner tonight (can hardly wait), then off to LA Cetto for a wine tour and a night at Sordo Mudo. Lisa and I will really miss this group!

Dan with a Tile Painting of The Virgin of Guadalupe

December 12, 2011 -Today is “Dia de la Virgen de Guadalude” or Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe and it seems fitting that we are in Bahia de los Angeles (Bay of Angeles).  The Virgin of Guadalupe is a symbol of significant importance to Mexican Catholics.  Guadalupe is often considered a mixture of the cultures which blend to form Mexico, both racially and religiously Guadalupe is sometimes called the “first mestiza” or “the first Mexican”.  She has since become the patron and symbol of Mexico, a country born of this fusion of cultures.  It is perhaps Mexico’s most popular religious and cultural image, and the focus of an extensive pilgrimage.  The feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe is today, December 12th.

Our Lady of Guadalupe (Spanish: Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe) is a celebrated 16th-century icon of the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Christ.  The image, also known as the Virgin of Guadalupe (Spanish: Virgen de Guadalupe) represents a famous Marian apparition.  According to the traditional account, between December 9^th and 12^th, 1531 the Virgin of Guadalupe is said to have miraculously appeared to Juan Diego on Tepeyac Hill near Mexico City, bridging two worlds, that of the Aztec who saw her and that of the Spanish conquerors who now ruled his land.  The image appeared on the front of the simple peasant’s cloak and still exists; it is on display in the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City.

The Virgin of Guadalupe has also symbolized the Mexican nation since the Mexican War of Independence.  In 1810 Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla initiated the bid for Mexican independence with his Grito de Dolores, yelling words to the effect of “Death to the Spaniards and long live the Virgin of Guadalupe!”  When Hidalgo’s mestizo-indigenous army attacked Guanajuato and Valladolid, they placed “the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, which was the insignia of their enterprise, on sticks or on reeds painted different colors” and “they all wore a print of the Virgin on their hats.”  In 1914, Emiliano Zapata’s peasant army rose out of the south against the government of Porfirio Diaz.  Though Zapata’s rebel forces were primarily interested in land reform—”tierra y libertad” (land and liberty) was the slogan of the uprising—when Zapata’s peasant troops penetrated Mexico City, they carried Guadalupan banners.  More recently, the contemporary Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN) named their “mobile city” in honor of the Virgin: it is called Guadalupe Tepeyac.

The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City was the most visited Catholic shrine in the world in 1999.

A great beach to stroll, surf & boogey board!

Las Palmas Tropicales RV Park - Prior to La Paz we stayed in Pescadero, not far from the beach at a new campground built by Bobby & Wendy Cain who currently operate Las Palmas Tropicales Beachfront Casistas and have done so since 2002. Water at each site and a common dump station only a short walk from the beach, and they have plans for more facilities.  This is a great location, close to Todos Santos and far enough away from Cabo San Lucas, this is the perfect location to enjoy everything the West Cape of Baja has to offer in a quiet peaceful setting embracing the authentic Mexican culture and experience.

Pescadero is a small farming community, surrounded by agricultural fields of chillies, tomatoes, green beans, basil, papayas, avocadoes, pomegranates, mangos and the best strawberries anywhere.  Things to do include:

• Whale watching from November until early March
• Natural sea turtle sanctuary – baby sea turtles released between August and December
• World class surfing and boogey boarding – December/April (in our front yard)
• Art and Film festivals – February
• Todos Santos Historical Tours – all year
• 5 Star restaurants, exquisite art galleries
• Great taco stands and taquerias that will totally impress you.

Give them a shout at 044 612 133 3880 or email Wendy at tropicalcasitas@hotmail.com, they would love to see you.

Vagabundos Restaurant is always worth the wait!

November 25, 2011 – Well we made it to the bottom and after a couple of peaceful cool night in Rancho Verde, what a change! Everyone is really warm now, around 28C by 4 pm.  After a big shop at COSTCO we headed to Vagabundos to set up for the next few days then off to La Europea to taste some fine Tequilla and Walmart for a few last items. Peter & Joe put on a great American Thanksgiving Dinner spread at the Vagabundos Restaurant, the gang were really impressed, they have a superb chef.

You don't catch these at home!

Today we are off for a tour around Cabo, including a photo op from the Mona Lisa Restaurant, a visit to the Glass Blown Factory, a walking tour of the inner harbor and much more. On Saturday we will do a tour of San Jose de Cabo, then Sunday we will hit the beach for some snorkeling and after watch the Grey Cup back at the RV Park, Go Lions Go!  At some point we will have our Happy Hour at the “Office”, what a life eh!

Emiliano Zapata, Dan's hero!

November 20, 2011 – Throughout history Mexico has experienced many violent conflicts.  The most famous perhaps is the Mexican Revolution from 1910-1920.  The revolution happened because Mexican’s of every class and social standing could no longer tolerate the corrupt dictator President Porfino Diaz who had ruled for 30 years.  This revolution proved fatal to many revolutionary leaders and heroes and over two million Mexican men & women during this 10 year period.

Francisco I. Madero challenged Diaz in the 1910 general election and was subsequently jailed.  Following Madero’s release (and defeat) he declared the Díaz regime illegal and called for revolt to overthrow the Porfiriato, starting on November 20, 1910 which called for a revolt on November 20, 1910 which now marks the start of the Mexican Revolution.

There were three very strong revolutionary groups throughout the revolution that contributed to the rise and fall of the leaders.  These were lead by Emiliano Zapata, Francisco “Pancho” Villa, and Pascual Orozco.  Zapata was from the south and his troops covered that area while Villa and Orozco were from the north covering many areas along the US border.  In 1911 Orozco and Villa began taking control of cities in the northern areas while Zapata took control of Cuautla and cut off the road to Mexico City.  Orozco and Villa captured Ciudad Juarez and these events combined convinced Diaz to resign and forced him to flee to Europe.  Even though he fled, Diaz left a large army under the command of General Victoriano Huerta and a provisional president.  Soon after he left Zapata rode into Mexico City where he met up with Madero and subsequently declared president of Mexico.

Unfortunately Madero’s presidency and liberal democracy was short lived for lack of action.  First Zapata withdrew his support then the inaction convinced Villa and Orozco to also abandon him.   Huerta covertly met with an U.S. Ambassador  Henry Lane Wilson because they always believed Madero was too closely tied to the revolutionaries who wanted land reform.  In 1913 Huerta, the ambassador and Diaz’s nephew, Felix Diaz, conspired to overthrow Madero and the resulting coup d’état installed Huerta as president.  President Madero, vice-president Suarez, and General Angeles were arrested on February 22, 1913 and later shot. Huerta was now the president and revolutionary violence exploded.

Huerta was universally hated and three revolutionary forces rose in the north led by Pancho Villa, Alvaro Obregon and Venustantio Carranza.  In the south Emiliano Zapata was still fighting.  Throughout 1913 and 1914 Huerta suffered one defeat after another and in the summer of 1914 all four revolutionary forces came together in Mexico City to defeat Huerta. Huerta, realizing that he was beat, fled from the city.  In August of 1914 Carranza declared himself president.

The alliance was short lived and in 1915 Carranza was driven from Mexico City by Villa and Zapata.  The fighting continued until Villa, Zapata, and Obregon installed Eulalio Guitierrez as president and Zapata agreed to leave Mexico City.  Soon new revolutionary alliances formed and although Villa and Zapata stayed loyal to each and Guitierrez as president, Obregon and Carranza came together.  In April 1915 Villa’s and Obregon’s forces fought the Battle of Celaya where Obregon was victorious.  Carranza was able to reclaim the presidency however the conflict continued with Zapata and Villa continuing to suffer incredible losses.

In April of 1919 Carranza set a ingenious trap for Zapata and he was assassinated.  The news of Zapata’s death traveled quickly and Carranza became a hated man.  Carranza quickly lost many of his supporters including Obregon and realizing that tried to flee the country but was caught and shot May 21, 1920 just outside of Mexico City. Adolfo de la Huerta installed as in term president until elections could be held.  In subsequent the general elections Álvaro Obregón was elected president won and most of the revolutionary violence finally ceased.

During this decade many Mexicans wanted no part of the violence, human carnage or revolution so they fled as refugees to the United States. Other factors included that made people leave were economic disaster, chaos  and social disorganization. Almost 900,000 Mexican immigrants came to the United States between 1910 and 1920.  Besides escaping the violence of the revolution, Mexican people came to the U.S because they saw it as an opportunity for work.  The U.S. were very receptive to this immigration as they understood the benefits of cheap labour and felt some obligation to provide Mexicans with a better lifestyle.

Historians debate the exact end of the actual “revolutionary period”.  From a military standpoint, it ended with the death of the Constitutional Army’s primer jefe (First Chief) Venustiano Carranza in 1920, and the ascension to power of General Álvaro Obregón.  Coup attempts and sporadic uprisings continued, for instance in the Cristero Wars of 1926–1929.  Effective implementation of the social provisions of the 1917 Constitution of Mexico and cession of all revolutionary activity did not occur until the administration of Lázaro Cárdenas (1934–1940).