Road Trip Again
18 May 2011 | The East Cape in Baja
Fred
What happens when 3 retired real estate entrepreneurs are in Mexico and have nothing to do? Rent a car and first stop at the bank, then the French Bakery for coffee and croissants. Then on the road to check out the East Cape. We left San Jose del Cabo and headed North on MX1 and took a turn off on a divided road that had a small housing development on each side. The road was only about ½ mile long and no village. It was built by the government for one of the Ejidos in the middle of nowhere. Then we turned off to Miraflores, Agua Caliente and Santiago. Miraflores was a real quaint, charming small town just south of the Tropic of Cancer at the foothills of the Sierra de Laguna’s. From there we drove on a dirt road for about 20 miles and came across cowboy’s herding their cattle. We arrived at Aqua Caliente where there is hot springs up in the mountains but we didn’t seek them out. Then on to Santiago and the highway. From there we went to La Ribera on the coast (Sea of Cortes side) where a new marina and housing project is under way called Cabo Riviera. Supposedly Carlos Slim and Vincente Fox are involved. The dredging is under way and the rock jetties are in place. The development will be similar to Coronado Cays in San Diego as it will have islands with waterfront houses as well as golf course lots. There was work in progress and word is that the project is funded. We have seen a lot of projects that are dead in their tracks. This one looks like it is going on, successful? Wait and see. There was an RV park down the road that we stopped at and it had a neat palapa and the owner was an American. He has been there 7 years and he has 22 sites and serves barbequed T-bones for $2.00. Meat is $16.00 extra. Lots of witty signs around and he is a real character. We had 2 beers and one NA beer and he charged us $7.00. Fletcher gave him a $10 and he put it in his pocket and changed the subject when some other guests came in. Never offered us change and we figured he may need it more that we did. He did recommend a Taco Stand that our neighbor in the marina had also recommended so we stopped for lunch. One of the better fish tacos so we were happy.
We continued on as we wanted to see the old Rancho Buena Vista fish resort that was started in 1952. Penny and I flew into their air strip in a DC 3 from Cabo in the mid 80’s so I wanted to see if it was the same. Unfortunately not as it had been sold a year or so ago and then the seller ended up taking it back and the kitchen and dining room were closed and all the classic photos gone.
Next up was the town of Los Barriles where many gringos have built houses. It was pretty gringoized and not very exciting. Lots of property for sale and commercial vacancy. Then we headed up the mountains to El Trifuno where I have been before but wanted to show the boys Eiffel’s two brick chimneys that were built in 1892 for the silver mine. We walked the ruins and then headed to Todos Santos an artsy gringo colony 50 miles north of Cabo on the Pacific coast. Then down to Cabo and home in time for a burger at the Container restaurant at the marina. 12 hour real estate tour!
I think we all agreed that we don’t want to have anything to do with Mexico real estate unless we rent it. We are interested in buying a panga for Bob’s dock as his project in Liberty Station.
Fun and interesting day off the beaten path.