14,000 km to Mexico and back

[nootkase]

Don't know if this will work. here goes: Christine "Tardisdeli" offered to expedite, so stay tuned, fans.

Okay!!

I think I've done it. Look down a few posts. I've got the text pasted in there, and the pictures in my gallery. Someday I might get it together.

[delicat]

nootcase, here goes not!...

Just click preview before clicking submit and you'll know if it goes or not... but keep trying, we're all curious of your trip as some of us have probably done the same road trip in the past (I've done it twice and it's one of the best one I've done!)

Cheers,

[Jester]

...soo will we get to see these pictures dude?
Would love to.

[nootkase]

Sorry, guys. It's all typed up with pictures and all, but I have way too many other things to do right now. I'm not a quick study computerwise, and have found no instructions to walk me through the process. I do hope to do this someday. Thanks for your encouragement.----Bob

[TardisDeli]

Hi Bob, just email me your stuff, just send it as is. If Your stuff is too big for the delica site, so send direct to my email crisccga@yahoo.ca 10 meg files are fine, if bigger than 10 meg then just send in batches of 10 meg each. I will fix the photos so they can be seen online, and can tidy your story if you wish. Cheers, Christine.

[nootkase]

I apologize for taking so long to post this trip report. I had it written up, but got so frustrated trying to upload it, I gave up. So now I have some pictures in the gallery section, and the text here. I’m not sure why I never succeeded in uploading them together, or as attachments.

December 20, Jacquie and I fled BC in our 1991 Deli. It was so windy the ferry could hardly dock, but we were off on a 3-month, 14,000 km journey to the tropics.
We got to the high desert of Baja the day after crossing the border. Strange and beautiful plants of many kinds grow out of sand and rock. It was cold and windy, but clear and bright. A feast for the eyes, but not the body.

After a few days traveling in the desert, the oasis at San Ignacio looks lush and shady. Here we met the only other Deli travelers on the whole trip, a young family from Saltspring.

Next day we got to the Sea of Cortes

Without high clearance and 4WD, there are a lot of places you can’t go in Baja. We had our first JDM-related problem when we tried to buy a ferry ticket in La Paz. You need a car permit to go to the mainland, but the computer did not accept the VIN. Said it was an incorrect format. The man behind the window was nice enough about it and said he could not issue a permit without permission of his superior, and it being Saturday, we would have to try again Monday. So we went out to La Ventana and watched the kite boarders for a few days.

Back in town, we got our permit and tickets for the Saturday sailing, so we went out to the East Cape for the rest of the week, thinking we were good to go. Not. When we showed up for the sailing, Customs wanted to see the VIN on the car. I didn’t know where to look, and they couldn’t find it so we got pulled out of the lineup. Not happy because our $400 tickets were non-refundable. They looked all over the car, talked on the phone, and still no luck. Then, at the last minute, the boss lady stuck her head in the engine compartment and said OK go! I asked did she find the number, but she just said “Go”, so I went. Now, thanks to this site, I know where to look and save a lot of trouble.

We spent most of out time in a little town on the beach in Jalisco, avoiding falling coconuts.

One of our coolest adventures, in more than one way, was a trip up one of Colima’s volcanoes.

They are called Fuego and Nevado, fire and snow. Fuego is active, but you can drive up Nevado.

Here we are at nearly 12,000 feet, after having nearly frozen at the campsite. We were all alone, and now we know why!


The road up was narrow, steep, sandy, and too scary to stop and take pictures!
Funny thing happened the next day. I was relaxing while the copilot negotiated the narrow twisty road when, on a tight curve, my reading glasses slid along the dashboard shelf, jumped the rim and exited the vehicle via that distinctive droop in the open window. It was a while finding a turnaround, then a tense moment stopped while I recovered the rascals before some maniac came roaring around the bend.
We then treated ourselves to a hotel in downtown Colima. Had to drive through the lobby to get to the parking lot!

After two months, we had to wend our way north, taking as many byways as possible, some unplanned, like this river crossing.

Many of the roads we took started out well signed, then forked without any clue, each time becoming smaller and rougher. This time we ended up crossing a narrow strip of dirt across a lake. I think the culvert collapsed under the rear wheels, but we got across and ended up in somebody’s chicken yard. At least it was the right town, just a non-standard approach.
We usually stayed in campgrounds, but in this one we looked tiny compared to 42 RV’s from Quebec!

One more seaside campground.

Back in Canada, we found winter was not at all ready to give way to spring.

Our mileage was 11L/100 km. Fuel in Mexico was only 56¢/litre, so we only spent $400 there, but at $4/USG it cost us $700 to cross the States and back. Anybody have a fuel trailer? The Deli ran fine, but smoked a lot at high elevation. Great air conditioning and heat both! I rarely felt the need for more power. I was very happy to be driving a narrow car. I don’t know how those RVers do it. Narrow lanes, no shoulder, no guard rail, macho truck drivers ignoring the centerline. Courage is needed to be a left-seat passenger at times. But a wonderful trip overall!

[jrman]

Love the write up and many thanks. Sounds like an awesome trip overall. I'll have to wait for the kids to finish highschool and spread their wings before I can seriously attempt such a journey! Looking forward to the phones in whatever fashion they arrive!!! Welcome home!

[konadog]

Awesome trip! Thanks for the story and the pics. I recognise that last shot as the first pass out of Gold River on the way to Tahsis, near Upanna Caves no? Grim

[after oil]

nice to finally hear your story and see the photos!

i am planning a trip to baja this winter. did you camp alone and for free at some of those spots? or are they all pretty much campground/rv parks?

[nootkase]

Hi Konadog. Yup ,that's our little hump into Tahsis.

After oil: Near cities, especially near the border, we felt safer in campgrounds. It's hard to know when to feel safe. In general, I think you're OK way out in the boonies. Still, you're not in Canada anymore, Toto.

Good luck,

Bob

[delicat]

Went twice down Baja with my older VW, never used camp ground and never had problems or felt some form of danger. It's good to use common sense and be street wise but still, had more positive experiences than freak moments...

Have fun!
David

[gregg]

Hi,

There is lots of information re Baja/Mexico campsites, routes, border crossings, etc. at www.roadtrippin.com.

[dah_hunter]

what a sweet trip..

can you just drive you BC plated Car into Mexico and be fine..

what about insurnace.. does ICBC cover.. or did you have to get third party here?

or buy some in Mexico..

Thanks for the info..

[after oil]

what a sweet trip..

can you just drive you BC plated Car into Mexico and be fine..

what about insurnace.. does ICBC cover.. or did you have to get third party here?

or buy some in Mexico..

Thanks for the info..

at the border you need a permit for your car only if you go south past the bottom of sonora state. you dont need a permit for baja. icbc does not cover mexico. you can get mexican insurance on line or at an insurance office. major US border cities have mexican insurance offices all over the place. we crossed on sunday at san luis colorodo near yuma AZ and could not find an insurance place that day. we bought it in puerto pensaco. my advise: order it online before you go. cost was about $300 for 6 mos. icbc will refund their fees for the number of days you were in mexico