Day 11 Febrauary 21st, 2007
Los Barilles to LaPaz for tires---and then on to the most awesome ride of the whole trip
and the best camp on the Pacific ocean.
Weren't we at the Pacific just the other day ?? Well--yes we were--and were here again.

 

 

We had a mission------get our new rear tires we had shipped to La Paz or our trip was maybe over for us.
We were so glad they had come in as our rear tires were toast and the fronts didn't look too hot either.
But they'd make it--------we hoped.

 

 

We carried the tires to a empty lot of dirt and found some sutiable bike stands.
30 mintures later we blew out of the big city of LaPaz and tried to put some distance between us and it.
There were 3 rear tires----one was John Marks and we didn't have a clue where he was.
We left his tire at the Honda shop next door and told them if somebody didn't pick
it up in a few days that they could sell it

 

 

We were starving---and at the edge of town we found a nice little Taco place.
Now---------who's beers are those ?????

 

 

We headed almost straight West for the Pacific ocean towards La Aguja.

It was some more high speed running down many sand roads. We finally came to this little village where I was taken aback by this beautiful stained glass window----or was it ??? Look close--it's just a frame of stell and the blue sky is just showing thru it. How clever. A couple of young girls came out and we had a nice chat with them and we told them how beatiful the church was.

 

 

We reached the Pacifice ocean and rode down a road that was very deep sand.
Ocassionally we would take a little side road up to the beach.

 

 

I was leading as usual and was running hard.
I had to keep the Husky going hard in at least 3rd gear to keep on top of the deep sand.
This snuck up on me but I got my bike stopped.
We had to find another way--and did.

 

 

Were at our secluded beach camp here.
We spent 2 hours playing on the beach and having fun.
Nobody was within miles of us.
Here's some ancient Indian Sand carvings !!!

 

 

I'll shut up---while you enjoy the sounds of the water and sunset.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 12 Febrauary 22nd
Camp back to Mulege but by way of a different route.

 

 

We picked a route Northwest and run into the feared Baja 1000 race course.
For those of you that have seen or experienced deep silt---here it is.
It is almost impossible to ride in. It is very deep fine sand and dirt
created by the 800 HP trophy trucks of the Baja 1000 race.
We struggle and fall down--pick it up-------sturggle and fall down.
We try ride out of it and go around--sometimes you can--sometimes you can't.

 

 

 

 

We are ready for something cold and wet after that battle.
An oasis at El Ciento Veintiocho.

 

We head North on paved Mex2----which is a minefield of deep and wide potholes.
All of which are far bigger then you would ever see in the USA
It became a life and death game of running all over the road on both sides trying to avoid being swallowed.

 

At Franciso Villa we finally turn get off the dreaded pavement---or what was left of it.

 

 

Those are orange trees down below---I've rarely seen orange trees.
Once in Baja and once in mainland Mexico.

 

 

 

We passed thru the little village of Comondu---and here is the mission that was there.

 

Man-----I'm sure going to church a lot----I guess I had some catching up to do !!
I've got my helmet cam on----a did a little video in here.
I video'd most of the big Missions.

 

 

 

 

Then on East out of Comondu----beautiful trees.

 

 

 

After some easy beautiful riding we start the most difficult rocks of the whold ride.
It was fun---but I worried I'd break my leg out here and just die.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"I didn't see any rocks-----------did you ?????????
No, I didn't see any !!!
I heard they were some--------but never seen a one. HhhhMMmmm..................
Thanks to my sponsor "Ooops I Shit My Pants" undergarmets........
I made it through unscathed.

 

We finally blew into Mulege exhausted, hot, tired and just wore out.
You can see it on my ugly face.
When we getting up in the morning Mark ????????
Crack of O' Turd thirty of course-----can't wait !!!

 

 

 

Day 13 February 23rd, 2007
Mulege To San Francisquito

Before we could go anywhere we had some major repair to do. GasPipe seems to have so much trouble with his flip flops.... it's those feet of his I'm tellin' ya'. Any adventure rider worth his salt has a saddlebag full of wire ties. Goin' ridin' with a new guy ??? Check his bags for wireties first.

 

Yep........... We both about bit it here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

San Fransicsquito-----Baja, Mexico
A tinly little place down a dead end sand, dirt and rock road.
Most people fly in here and land on the dirt runway in very small planes.
It's a very small place with just about 8 little cabins. No heat-no air--no phones--no boom boxes.
And electricity for about 3 hours a day---untill they shut the generator off.
They do have a nice little restaurante-----better be there when the food is ready.

 

 

 

My sprockets were about shot-------these ought to do.

 

 

 

Honey--send money, tires, gasoline, chains, and sprockets.
And oh yeh--------send me my dog JoJo. He don't like you anyway !!!

 

 

 

What's in the cup GasPipe ???????????

 

 

 

 

Day 14 February 24th
San Francisquito To Coco's Corner

 

It was hard to leave San Francisquito It really was--we pondered staying. Was my wife sending JoJo ???

Me and Bruce were really enjoying each others company and just got so relaxed. We were worried about gas now and this is a trail we didn't take as we didn't think either one of us had enough gas. We had gotten gas in Bahia De Los Angeles, but feared running out as the next gas would be all the way to Al Fonsinos.

 

There a jillion places down in Baja where you can be running very fast and overlook a big dip in the road that you cannot jump. Here is the aftermath of where Travis Pastrana's Baja race truck was running wide open and his truck just nose dived into the bank of a big deep dip in the road. It caught on fire and burnt to the ground-----here's the remains.

 

 

 

 

 

GasPipe had just bought this bike off of Gary Emig--the dad of motocross star Jeff Emig.
The bike done so well on this trip----Bruce had relied on the hope that Gary had maintained
the machine very well-------it was a good choice--KTM 640 RXC---2000 model.

 

 

Borja Mission
We spent a lot of time here and a nice young 16 year old boy who lived here stayed with us for about 1 1/2 hours
and showed us all around here-----including the old cemetary and the hot springs.
Me and Bruce neither one had ever been here------one of the finest treats of the trip.

 

 

 

This picture was taken from the roof and shows a few Palapas where you could camp if you like.
The village has a population of 8. Our young guide has lived here all his life and has never been out of the village.
I was so amazed at his English--as the only way he learned it is from people visiting here.
I could tell he was very smart. The small village is to the left---and the trail to the hot springs is to
the right.

 

 

The view in the background is where we came from to get here.

 

 

 

Here is our guides brothers cutting big stones by hand and repairing the Mission walls.
The rock they cut the stones from came from the mountain in the background.

 

 

The hot springs were actually a warm spring as the temperature was about 120 degrees.

 

The warm springs fed into this pool and they saved it for irrigation of their gardens.
Everything they ate here was grown here.

 

 

Like I said we spent a lot of time here and used up our time to make it to a motel and gas.
We didn't care-----we weren't in a hurry--we rode off not knowing where we'd end up.

 

 

But here is where we ended up staying for the night---first class all the way-------5 stars !!!!
No stinkin' heat, air, phones, electricity, boom boxes. This photo was taken the next morning,
as we rode into Coco's Corner very late. Me and Bruce were both freezing.
A cold North wind was hitting us head on all the way here.
We were out of food and water and were 2 desperate desperados.

 

When we got there Coco had the grill going and we had the best meal I have ever eaten.
I don't know what it was----some kind of meat on a grill with warm tortillas to help chew it up.
Followed by the beverage of our choice.
Coco treated us like royalty and gave us one good story after another.
We garbled the meat down like starving buzzards making loud grunting and chewing noises......
mouths too full to speak..........all the while shivering uncontrollably.
We were a sorry pair we were----but a happy pair.
I think you can see the weariness of the day in my face as we bedded down.
It froze that night---but Coco brought a gas lantern in to light the place up a little and it
provided some warmth.

In the middle of night I had to pee----I didn't want to go out in the cold night--but I was prepared.
I peed in an old Gatorade bottle and poured it out the window just below my bed in the above picture !!
Hey-------I'm not completely without skills !!!!

 

One happy guy---this sums up our whole feelings about the whole ride.

 

 

 

BBBBBbbbbbRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrr---leave me alone !!!

 

 

Something stunk in the camper---god it was bad.
Here's the culprit------GasPipes socks---they were stiff as a board and defied gravity.

Coco played a little trick on us here--which we found out later.
He had put a huge 12lb. rock in my saddlebag---and a big dirty, oily rag in GasPipe's.
We laughed so hard after finding them---we knew how they got there.
He seemed to take a liking to us.

Also---I almost forgot----Coco was needing some medical supplies--simple stuff.
But no way to get them---Bruce wrote it all down and put a plea out on the internet.
I'm sure he got all he needed within a few days--as everyone loves Coco.

 

 

I thought he only had 2 teeth ?????????

 

On To Day 15