April 6, 2007


Playa Santispec, Bahia Conception,
BajaMex (map)




La Playa del Sucko (the beach that sucks)

After a couple hours of winding, semi-mountainous driving along the Cortez Sea coast, we have arrived ‘at the beach’ at Playa Santispec. This was the second-choice beach spot for today, numero uno having been snared long-ago by Mexicans on holiday, which began yesterday. Our group has been grumbling a bit about how the trip’s purveyor (Fantasy RV Tours) could have (apparently) overlooked the occasion of the Easter weekend holiday in Mexico and failed to have secured some decent accommodations.














Our beach camping consists of a few square feet for our rigs in a packed sand parking lot behind at least two rows of tents and cars that permit only a glimpse of the water, which is at least 50 yards distant. Walking access to the water requires walking through somebody’s campsite along water’s edge, which is now strewn with styrofoam cups used as sand molds for beachside mini-casas. The water appears to be waist deep out at least 100 yards, as folks wade out, allegedly to cool off.

The fact that there are several hundred campers here and no outhouses leads me to suspect that these erstwhile frolickers in the water may also be engaged in individual acts of water pollution. As darkness falls, the brown trout will likely begin their migration. I will not be snorkeling in this water.

It is near 100 degrees and any cooling sea breezes are taking a siesta. Generators from our fellow campers hum in the background, to run air-conditioners and fans, spewing gas fumes for the rest of us to inhale. A kid on an ATV zooms by at 40+ mph, doing a cool swivel-slide for a young senorita standing nearby with her family, and now is circling the lot with 3 other compadres aboard as if preparing for the Indy 500. A truck passing by kicks in his jake-brake, creating the unmistakable sound of mechanical highway flatulence.

Tonight’s activities include margaritas (a double…and hold the mix, please) and a hamburger cookout, which will have the festive ambiance of a tail-gate party in a Walmart parking lot. We are a hardy crew, but this just ain’t camping on the beach. It is unlikely that the group will willingly put up with three nights at this La Playa del Sucko. Some are packing to move up the road to Mulege in the a.m. We may join them.

Today’s drive found me (as driver) faced with the option of losing my driver’s side mirror to a passing semi-truck/trailer or cheating to the right side of the road and taking on the ‘narrow road’ sign. I opted for the latter and our right side mirror is now swathed in duct tape to hold the few remaining shards of mirror glass in place. Could have been worse, much worse, so I’m not complaining.

For those of you who were thinking, “They’re just having too much fun on this trip,” the yin became yang (or vice versa) today.We’ll see what tomorrow brings. For now, a Dos Equis, por favor.