San Juanico

What a beautiful place. I'm sitting at the famous Scorpion Bay Hotel/ Campground, having huevos mexicanos con frijoles y arroz (rice and beans). After leaving Loreto, I decided to head to the Pacific side of Baja to meet up with the movie crew. I dodged cows, donkeys, horses and goats for around 4 hours to get here.

The new road from the highway is still under construction, so it was washboards and dirt for 40 kilometers. Lots of fun. The bike only tried to seriously climb around in front of me one time, but giving her a bit more gas, she straightened right out again. What a fun ride. When I reached actual paved road, I was a bit relieved, but a bit disappointed all at the same time. from there, it was a quick sprint into town, shortly before sunset.

As soon as I pulled into town, I could tell things were different here. The beauty of the setting sun over the south facing bay, mild wind, the salty air, shrimp boats silhouetted against the skyline, and an indescribable happiness that overtook me. I was all smiles under my helmet. I pulled up to a small store for dinner supplies, and before I even had my helmet off, a carload of locals pulled up. An old man got out and walked straight to me, hand extended in greeting, and a big smile on his face. "Buenas tardes amigo." he said. "Bienvenido a San Juanico."

Bought a chunk of mozzarella cheese, went next door for freshly made hot tortillas, and headed to the "malecon," which constisted of a block of streetlights and a sidewalk. I asked the first lady that walked by for a recommendation on a camp spot, and was immediately invited to spaghetti dinner and a free camp spot in their yard, a shower, and a movie, followed by "pancakies" for breakfast. Mary-Ann, DD, and Leo. Good people from Temecula, California. After pankakies, they loaded up and drove down to the point at San Gregorio for surfing.

I dinked around until noon, washing clothes and repairing a leaky therma-rest, then hit the beach on the bike, loaded with fly rods and swim trunks. This section of beach is famous for riding on, and I see why. Doing 75mph south, I was passed by two guys on Honda dirt bikes like I was standing still. They would scream down the beach, then cut sharply up the side of the dunes, half sliding sideways up the hill, then do a quick turn downhill and come screaming back down to the beach. followed by a wheelie. Yeah, he's good...

I spent the afternoon fly-fishing the surf. Leo drove back down the beach in the style of "The gods must be Crazy," sitting in the backseat with his arms crossed, getting out of his Suzuki Samurai and running along side of it, and standing on top of his surfboard mounted to the roof rack. I made it up to 85 mph on the beach on the ride back. More shrimp for dinner! Cant get enough of those camarrones.

They left at sunrise thismorning to go home yo California, but Leo said I could stay at his place and camp as long as I wanted. I joked that I'd see him in febuary when he gets back. His reply was, "Hey, no problem!"

Now, I'm sitting and waiting for the film crew to pull into town. If I dont catch up with them, oh well, I'll work my way north toward home.