Why we love Mexico! (Part 2)

Waking up in Gonzaga Bay, we head to the beach and stretch our legs before the long drive ahead for the day. The sun came up soft over the bay and lit up the string of houses that line the sandbar. They look precarious resting there on the sand and remind me of a surreal movie set, though these houses are very real. (Not sure how well they weather storms?)
As with most of the beaches along the Baja's northern coastline, this one stretched the entire bay without another soul in site.

Gonzaga Bay is a beautiful crescent shaped bay with Willard Island that becomes more of a peninsula point at low tide.

We still had an issue with the bank not realizing we were here and the funds were running out. It's Friday and we need to make a Skype call to the bank before they close for the weekend.

A quick cup of coffee, a stop at Pemex and the mini-mart and we headed on for the long dirt road that lay between us and Highway 1.

Before actually getting on the original dirt highway just north of Gonzaga, we lowered the PSI on the Bronco tires from 50 to 25 to make our drive on the washboard road less of a kidney cruncher. It worked wonders and allowed for a very smooth ride, though bit white knuckle for me, truth be told. I think that Mike will need to enter the Baja 1000 at some point in the future.

Third reason why we love the Baja: The undeveloped stretches of beautiful desert noted in the last blog. One thing we do not like about Mexico - the trash. Many towns do not seem to have a waste management program, so there are stretches of indentations in the landscape that are full of every kind of trash imaginable. Not good for the local environment or the water table below. Because it is not managed, it spreads with the winds and creates real scars in an otherwise gorgeous terrain. This is not unique to Mexico, of course. It seems that, for those of us old enough to remember, the campaigns in the US in the 70's to clean up our act (remember the crying Indian PSA's?) were unique to us and effective. Unfortunately, many countries, like Mexico, are just beginning to raise the same awareness.

That being said, as we continue on the dirt road, we come upon a small sedan that is parked on the side of the road. We stop to offer assistance only to find that it is a couple who are just walking the roadside collecting trash. Out in the middle of nowhere, on a road that had to be doing terrible things to their suspension, on a Friday afternoon. Just collecting trash and throwing it in their trunk. At our next stop along the road, the kids and I are inspired to take the time to wonder a bit further in and collect any bottles or bags we find and load up the Bronco.

Twenty-two miles into the 36 mile dirt road journey, we come to Coco's Corner. An institution in the desert, Coco has been hosting a beer stand out here, in the middle of nowhere for the past 21 years.

Parked at Coco's Corner

We could see Coco's in the distance from the dirt road and looked forward to a cool drink before continuing on. We were the only vehicle as we pulled in near the entrance, but we could see a man behind the counter and we happy to find that it was Coco himself. He shouted a warm welcome to all and Mike and I quickly ordered up two cold beers.

Coco with the kids

We spent the next hour chatting up with Coco about his history here, how things have changed and what remains the same. We asked about the last Baja 1000 that came through a couple of months ago and learn that Coco had been a checkpoint for the Baja 1000 for 19 years, but this year, under new management, the Baja 1000 coursed raced past Coco's corner. You can see the memorabilia hanging everywhere under the patio. Everything from shirts, racing jersey's, pants, bras and underwear are attached to the ceiling, all with black marker sentiments to Coco and signed by the previous owner. There is a wall of photos with Coco and Baja participants and spectators and customers who, like us, just happened by one day. It is a monument to desert racing and Baja travelers.

Coco informs us that the truck campers are available to anyone who buys a beer and needs a place to crash, he'll even provide a bucket to serve as a pot chamber. Mike laments for a moment that he wished we had known. Uh...no. Coco is great and all....but, no.

Accommodations in a pinch!

It is hard to say how long Coco's place will continue on. If you have the opportunity, and the right vehicle, you need to stop by.

Fourth reason of why we love the Mexico: The people. Probably should have been our first reason, but what brings us back are the people. Of course, this is true for every country we have visited.  Whether in Europe, Africa, South America or Asia, the people have always been inviting, gracious and patient hosts. No matter the headlines that surround any country or population, we have always found that 95% of the population just want to raise and provide for their families. They want the stability and resources that allow them to do that, and they want to live in peace. Unfortunately, that doesn't make for very provocative headlines.

After our brief rest, we continued on towards Highway 1. I was still desperate for a wi-fi connection so I could Skype the bank and get access once again to our funds. The afternoon was starting to get away from us, the funds were getting low and I was getting concerned.

Three hours later, after stopping at a couple of roadside stands advertising Internet, only to find that their Internet was down, we roll into Guerrero Negro and the state of Baja California Sur. Just before the border crossing, a restaurant with Internet provides great food and good internet and a couple of Skype calls to the bank gets our block removed and put us back in business.