Puerto San Carlos (Mexico) | An Unexpected Venture - Day 11

Passing through the desert of southern Baja, Mexico, reminds me of how much I like the desert this time of year. The days are warm, and the evenings are cool. The desert is where I fell in love with wide open spaces during my days in southeastern California.

My plan today took a wild and unexpected turn. A German woman was fretting this morning while I was sorting my clothes to take to the laundromat. "I'm so nervous. I leave two days from now for Cancun. Do I spend my last night in Todos Santos with Pablo, a man I made a connection with? Or do I go see the whales in Puerto San Carlos?" says Julia (Germany). What does your heart say? I ask. She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and then says, "Go see the Grey Whales!"

A few minutes later, she catches me outside. "I am excited to go see the whales. But should I really do it?" Julia says. One thing I noticed about Julia is still agonizing over her decision. When you are supposed to do something, it is easy, and there is no need to force decisions. "Gabino, the captain, got us an excellent rate, and Micha (Russia) has a car, so it is so simple to make this trip. You are right. I go see the Whales," she says. Then Julia pauses and says, "You have beautiful energy. Want to come with us? We leave in two hours." 

Thus began a mad dash of events. Instead of hauling my laundry to be washed, I start working through the details with Julia, who is checking with Gabino and Micha to see if my late addition will be ok. "Everyone says ok, but Gabino now wants more money since there are three of us, but it's ok because it is less money split three-ways than if it was just Micha and me. Plus, Gabino has a room for us with three beds for 1,000 Pesos ($18 per night per person [3x]) extra. After a quick check with the hostel, they let me cancel my night's reservation. "I'm in," I tell Julia and Micha.

I decided to opt into this trip, as accessing Grey Whales can only be done with a car. I contemplated pushing up to Loreto, Mexico, then renting a car for the day. This unexpected opportunity will cut the costs of the trip considerably for me. 

So a couple hours later, I'm in a Lincoln town car with Texas plates being driven by a Russian I just met with a German woman as a co-pilot. Only in Mexico!

We spend the next 4 hours driving north through the desert on our way to San Carlos, BCS, Mexico. When we aren't getting to know each other, I admire the desert.

Micha bought the Lincoln in Texas last summer, then took a road trip through the western US before dropping down into Baja about two months ago. Julia spent the last month working at the hostel in Todos Santos and is heading to Cancun to dive with bull sharks in a couple of days. There's a strange comfort level among the three of us, as if we've known each other for many years, and this is just another road trip. In reality, I know this is unusual, and I am laughing inside at the absurdity of how this all came to be. I realize right away that Micha has a lead foot, almost like there are no speed limits in Mexico. This is not the case but it shortens the windshield time.

Along the way, a road runner dashes across the road. "It's like the cartoon," says Julia. I laugh! Yes, the road runner and coyote. That was my favorite cartoon when I was a kid. I know I liked you, as I give Julia a high five.

We arrive in Puerto San Carlos, a tiny fishing village, just after dark and drive up to Gabino's house. His driveway has three large fishing boats and several vehicles parked outside. He shows us to our accommodations, a private guest house on his property behind the boats. The guest house is new and nice inside, despite the plain white exterior.

We spend a little while chatting with Gabino, the owner of Mag bay Sport. Julia has already been out once with Gabino. On her previous trip, she swam with marlins not far from Puerto San Carlos. Gabino has arranged to take us out to find Grey Whales tomorrow. We will spend 4 hours in Magdalena Bay for $2,000 Pesos ( $111 each). This is an excellent rate for 4 hours and is another reason I opted in.

Gabino tells us that he knows all the local Mexican Mafia in Puerto San Carlos, and he keeps a low profile so as not to attract attention or trouble. "Tourists can come here and feel very safe. The Mafia will never cause problems with them. But if locals start living a better life than the Mafia, this is a no-no. I will have trouble," he says. "I really want a Toyota Tacoma. But I have already been told if I buy one, I will attract attention and will not have it for very long. They watch what I do. I can buy boats for my business, but not nice vehicles," he says. "When I bought my suburban, the Mafia visited me. They wanted it. I told them I needed it to pull my boats and that if they were going to take it, I would not fix it. After a few weeks, I visited with them, and they told me to keep my suburban. You need it more than we do," he says. "No one will give you trouble here. It is very safe for you," he says.

I enjoy chatting with Gabino. He is a likable man, and the wisdom he shares is reassuring. I often say you will find trouble if you go looking for trouble, and he reaffirms my decision to come along on this trip with Julia and Micha. So we are in good hands.

I know some of my readers are concerned about the safety of traveling in Mexico. There are many stories. I decided to post my conversation with Gabino to show that this is part of Mexican culture while also showing that nearly all Mexican people I’ve met are kind and warm-hearted people. Similar to other countries I have visited.