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“FIVE STAR AS IT GETS!”

CHOICES...CHOICES...on the Baja road trip!

It may not look fancy, but sometimes the rougher the road, the prettier the "gem" at the end of the trail!

You'll probably never see this on Trip Advisor, but it doesn't mean it's not a great stay! It doesn't say "hot water." It says "running water!" Oh...and the also "weld!"

FIVE STAR AS IT GETS!

Originally Published in Western Outdoor News the Week of Oct. 20, 2011

Don’t get me wrong. I like being pampered as much as the next guy when I go on vacation and stay at a hotel. There’s nothing wrong with room service; a great restaurant; a spa; fluffy robes and a (OK…I admit it)…a mint on my pillow and cookies!

Surely, I’ve stayed in some of the best in Baja…Hotel Cabo San Lucas, The Finesterra, Plaza Las Glorias, Palmas de Cortez, Spa Buenavista among so many great resort properties and enjoyed them all tremendously.

But that’s not usually how I roll. I WISH we could do that all the time, but that’s just not very economical.

But, especially in pre-internet days 15 or 20 years ago. . . In the days before all those sites like Trip Advisor and Yelp and other websites arose to dissect every aspect of every resort from the size of the pool to the softness of the toilet paper and the fragrance of the shampoo; there weren’t many resources to finding a place to lay your head.

There was always the dog-eared dusty copy of dad’s Auto Club guide in the glove box or under the seat and that was about it if you were road-tripping down the Baja.

In those early days when I would routinely drive up and down the often-lonely-always-bumpy Baja several times a year, some of those were the best stays I ever had.

There were three kinds of nights.

Sleep in the car or truck on the side of the road curled up under the steering wheel.

Pull over in the dark. Camp on the side of the road or beach. Never quite sure where you pitched your tent until you woke up the next day.

Or…

Really “splurge” and find some road sign as the sun goes down. Take a chance that “Clean rooms. Cheap Rooms Hot Showers. Comida Rica” (good food) really meant what it said.

Cheap rooms sometimes meant “economical.” Sometimes, it meant exactly what it said…CHEAP! Single light bulb hanging from the ceiling with a pull-chain. Threadbare towels the size of a dishtowel. . Worn mattress on top of a concrete slab and a TV with rabbit ears made of a clothes hangar.

But those were the exception. More often than not, off the road and to the left meant finding a little Baja gem. They still exist. The scenario didn’t differ.

Sun going low. Too many hours driving in the shimmering dessert heat with the Jimmy Buffet cassette tape getting pretty old. Junk food wrappers on the floor. Reading the road signs for miles. Rusty, sun-baked, poorly-lettered or hand-lettered attempts to look attractive nailed onto any fence post, tree, or any vertical piece of wood.

Casa Maria Palapa and Campground 5 km.

El Sol Beach Hotel 3 km.

Hotel Bahia Hernan Cortez 1.5 km.

Perhaps not grammatically correct but lots of credit for effort.

“Hot Chowers and Gude Fud”

I would eventually be forced to make a choice prompted by tired eyes and diminishing light. Down the road and to the left. Often down a dirt or gravel washboard. Sometimes parting a herd of goats or rousting the lazy dog.

And the trees would open and there it would be.

Often on the beach. Often only one or two other cars and a well-used hotel pick up truck in the parking lot and lit by yellow bug lights illuminating concrete walls, terra cotta tiles, and a palapa roof.

Lots of tangled bouganvillia vines climbing the old columns and up the terraces. Maybe an old fountain in the brick courtyard. Maybe not. But the savory smell of grilling corn tortillas and searing meat coming from somewhere. The faint sound of an old mariachi tune off an 8-track or the sound of a TV playing a soccer team carries over the early evening air.

Family owned and happy to see you with big smiles. As you check in, family pictures on the walls. A cheap Baja calendar over the check-in desk. Mama happily checks you in.

Lo siento, Senor! No credit cards, but rooms are $15 U.S. Will that be OK?

It’s a deal. Papa comes in “Bienvenidos, Amigo! (Welcome!) and helps with your luggage to a clean little room . Daughter brings fresh towels again with a shy welcoming smile. This will do. There’s a fuschia-colored flower in a glass on the nightstand. Nice touch.

I follow that wonderful aroma that caught me as I came in. Down to the little 3-table -cafe on the concrete slab overlooking the beach. Pacifico Beer poster on the wall next to a faded picture of a bullfight.

In the soft yellow bug lights, there’s a dry-yellowed dorado taxidermied on the wall and some shark jaws dangling from a decorative old fishing net tacked nearby. The soccer game flickers from an old black and white TV.

The plastic Corona Beer tables match, but the silverware and plates don’t. Grandma in the back frying something good. She sees you and smiles.

There’s no menus. Grandson comes out and tells you what they are serving that night. And treats you like you’re a guest in their home. Which you are!

Tomato salad (from their own garden)

Homemade Rice and beans

Grandmas corn tortillas and green tomatillo salsa

Grilled Lobster tail (proudly caught by their cousin that morning on the reef who doubles as the gardner)

Flan

…for eight dollars.

Is that OK, he asks awkwardly as if he regrets charging a house guest. “Es bueno?”

“Claro” (Of course) I smile back.

He brightens and eagerly heads to the kitchen.

A Baja feast. And of course, ice cold beer. Heaven. Smiling grandson brings the beer.

I lean back in the chair kick off my flip-flops and let my feet rest on the cool concrete. Beer so cold the icy liquid burns the road dust at the back of my throat. Sigh. Slow exhale. Inhale the salty beach air. Ahhhhh… And watch the sun go down on the Sea of Cortez.

It’s as Five Star as any person ever needs.

That’s my story!

Jonathan

_________________________________________

Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004. Along with his wife, Jill, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico www.tailhunter-international.com. They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com or drop by the restaurant to say hi!

Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International

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Website: www.tailhunter-international.com
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“When your life finally flashes before your eyes, you will have only moments to regret all the things in life you never had the courage to try.”

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“FALL NEVER FAILS”

Posted in Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Fishing, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Fishing techniques, fishing tournaments, holidays in mexico, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, Jonathan Roldan, La Paz Fishing, Living in Mexico, Mexican, Mexico, Mexico life, Panga Fishing, Salt Water Fishing, Sea of Cortez, Tailhunter International, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, tagged baja, baja fishing, Baja Mexico, billfish, Cerralvo Island, charter, dorado, Espiritu Santo Island, expatriates in mexico, Fishing, fishing charters, Fishing Techniques, fishing tricks, gringos in mexico, holidays in Mexico, international, jonathan, Jonathan Roldan, La Paz, La Paz Fishing, Light Tackle Fishing, marilin, mexican, mexico, Panga Fishing, sea of cortez, sea of cortez fishing, tailhunter, Tailhunter International, tuna on October 2, 2011| Leave a Comment »

“FALL NEVER FAILS”

Originally Published in Western Outdoor News the Week of Oct. 5, 2011

Long before I ever lived down here in Mexico. Long before I even had an idea that I might someday be living down here in Baja, let alone running a business, I was like alot of you.

I worked some semblance of a 9-5 job. I had a day or two off a week. I had vacation time and 3 and 4 day weekends like everyone else

And, I planned my fishing trips like everyone less.

Early in the year, I would pull out my big fishing “master calendar” and figure all the places that I’d like to fish during the season. Trying to budget my time and wallet. And moon phases…

Big red marker…

Let’s see…shallow water rock fishing on the central coast…late winter or early spring. Check.

Trout opener in the Sierras…April. OK

Maybe sneak away for flyfishing in Montana…hmmm…June. Check.

San Diego kelp paddy yellowtail…late June. Can’t miss that.

July for king salmon and halibut in Alaska. Better check airfare now.

August…hmmmm…albacore and bluefin should be running. Book San Diego again. Check.

September…hehehehe…long range? 10 days? I’ll try to get a kitchen pass!

October/November…BAJA!

The fall in Baja has always been good to me. Pragmatically, it’s a good time to come down. It’s not as hot generally. Shadows are a bit longer. Air is a tad cooler. Waters are still warm. Generally flat with small breezes. The killer humidity is lower.

Most of the summer yahoo crowd is gone. Kids are back in school. It’s not quite the holidays so alot of places are only populated by fishermen walking around. During the days when the fleets are out, the towns are empty!

Many airlines consider the dip between Labor Day and Thanksgiving a “downtime” as well so they offer low-season rates on flights. And, as long as you’re not trying to book a boat during a big-time tournament, the best boats and captains are always available and ready to roll.

From a fishing perspective, the season has never failed me.

I’ve caught the majority of my billfish during the fall. In fact, I got my largest, a 400-pounder in October.

My largest and biggest wahoo have all been caught in the fall.

The majority of my tuna and my largest, a 236-pound cow was caught in the fall.

Come to think of it, my largest dorado have all been caught in the fall as well.

I guess there’s a reason so many of the biggest and most popular fishing tournaments in Baja, and indeed Mexico, are held in the fall. That’s when the big fish are around. That’s when many of the top-water pelagic trophy-fish that made Baja famous can be found…blue marlin…black marlin…sailfish…yellowfin tuna…wahoo…dorado…and others.

Had you the luxury, you could literally hop from one tournament to the other. One stops. Another begins. I know some semi-professional tournament teams and that’s what they literally do. They zoom from one tournament to the other. You could probably just stay in Cabo San Lucas and between September and November participate in a virtual assembly line of tournaments and never leave the city except to go fishing.

In many circles, Southern California comes to mind, once Labor day has gone, so do the fishermen. Well, the fish don’t simply stop biting because the calendar says summer is over. At least as far as Baja is concerned, the end of summer marks the beginning of some of the best fishing around!

That’s my story