Where are the Banditos????
Trip Start
Jul 04, 2010
1
16
163
Trip End
May 10, 2011
Where I stayed
Stealth Camped high upon Cliffs
1 M past Salsipuedes, Baja California, Mexico
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
We got an early start at 8 am. We bid our friend Chick goodbye and after brief stop for breakfast we were on our way. We followed the wide surface road next to 1D for 14 or so miles through town and past local specialty craft shops where they displayed crude heavy furniture and iron works where they make life size statues of horses, dolphins, people, carts, bulls, and lots of pottery shops.
Gerardo, our Warm Shower host for Ensenada, called us to tell us he e-mailed us map for getting to his place. Coincidently we happened upon internet place a few miles up the road and we're able to print it. He also suggested for us to spend night at most beautiful beach on the coast in Salsipuedes between Rosarito and Ensenada. That sounded like great idea to us. Have a shorter day and kick back and relax on beautiful sandy beach.
We got back on the toll road 1D without any problem. We feel that we are getting stronger. It does help that we have a strong cool wind in the back. We go over a 4 mile long grade up with several false summits and I didn’t have to walk! I’m sure when the grade increases and the cool wind is absent it will be a different story. I love it when the big trucks pass us and suck us along in their draft for a few feet.
Salsipuedes is further than we expected, but finally we spot road sign " Punto Salsipuedes" and see the scenic view point parking area. The coastal views along this scenic road are spectacular. Here we spot large circles of buoys on the ocean. The buoys have nets suspended where fishermen farm tuna for export to Japan. The tuna are confined within the net circles and fed massive amounts of sardines to fatten them up to be desirable to the Japanese taste. A Mexican American we met near there explained this to us.
Down the cliff side we spotted dirt road snaking to few houses and what could be camping. We exited the highway at the big blue informational sign with a tent featured. We got to a gate and we’re told we couldn’t enter. OK now what? We were bushed and ready to take the load off. About a mile further we spotted small gravel area next to road with faint trail to an outcropping on cliff bluff and “somewhat” out of sight. We decided not to pitch the tent but to sleep under the stars on our ground cloth. It worked our great and what a fantastic spot it was. Again high upon a cliff overlooking the rocky surf below not to mention the beautiful sunset we watched as we lay there content. Dinner was nuts and fruit which was ok by us.
