Days 17 Through 20: Guerrero Negro Part I

I wasn't sure what to expect from Guerrero Negro.  Gonzalo had told me that it was an industrial town that didn't have much to do from his past recollection passing through here.  Good thing he was wrong because we would be staying here until Gonzalo could import new touring rims, which would take more than a week in the best case scenario.  Guerrero Negro was named after a legendary whaling ship, which brings me to the main tourist attraction here.  This area has become a sanctuary for gray whales during birthing season as they migrate north, and from January to mid-April, you can go whale watching.  Of course, we arrived just a couple weeks too late.

Situated within the Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve, Guerrero Negro has a real sense of community and hometown pride.  The ESSA salt production facility, the largest natural sea salt production facility in the world, provides a profitable and sustainable industry for the local economy.  Outside of the whale season, Guerrero Negro is a quiet but welcoming town that has slowly won me over.  Even the well-intentioned Jehovah's Witness who struck up a conversation with me on the street was charming.

One of our morning rituals... mounds of fresh fruit, yogurt, and granola.  After days of pasta and meat, we gorge on fresh produce.

Our home in Guerrero Negro is a bit crowded.

After helping Gonzalo research the fastest way to get his rims ordered, I spent a couple days exploring on my own while Gonzalo worked.  This area is great for exploring by bike... in fact, many locals here cycle as was evidenced by the full bike racks by the ESSA office.

The bird reserve on the edge of town... after I scared away all the birds with my bike.  The reserve has a ton of information about the various kinds of birds in both English and Spanish.

This place is a birder's paradise.  I saw this big guy on my way out to the old lighthouse.

The gravel/rock road out to the old lighthouse was beautiful and makes for a great day ride.

The old lighthouse.

A dock by the old lighthouse.  Now people and birds alike come to fish here.

Pelican dive-bombing a poor fish.

It's baby bird season!  We've had several of these guys eye us and warn us very loudly to stay away.

Finally, the iconic Baja fish and shrimp tacos.  When done right, they are like the perfection of a perfect plate of fish n' chips in England.  When done wrong, they are a deep fried mess.  These had the perfect amount of batter and were flash fried right in front of me.

Gray whale exhibition outside the ESSA-sponsored library.

One morning, Gonzalo and I woke up to a parade going down the main street for Mexico's equivalent of Labor Day.  I went out to watch a bit and then returned to have breakfast at a homey little family run restaurant after Gonzalo peeled himself out of bed, which has since become our new favorite breakfast spot.  It was there that we met Sara and Adolfo, a lovely couple from Guerrero Negro, who have since adopted us for our stay here.  After chatting for a bit, Sara told us about a kids' triathlon going on in town and then they invited us on a personal tour of the ESSA salt production facility the next day.  We exchanged contact information and then I was off to check out the triathlon.

This kid was not part of the triathlon, but he has a pimpin' mountain bike.

The start of the kayak stage of the triathlon.  The concept was a good one, the kids all formed teams of four (one runner, two kayakers, and one cyclist) and raced as a relay.

Cyclists await their kayakers...

A few travel notes for cyclists:

• Although I built my bike to be easily fixed in Latin America, in particular, having the universally available 26" wheels and a mountain bike set-up to be easily repaired in the field, Gonzalo's touring set-up with 700c requires that he import parts from the U.S. since it is basically impossible to get quality parts anywhere but a capitol city.  Be aware that if you choose to tour with 700c wheels and you need replacement parts (or choose to tour with someone with 700c wheels), you will need to be prepared for a long wait to get parts.  While there is a national paquetería service with overnight capabilities to major cities, in Baja, it's worth looking into Baja Pack Express, which uses the passenger buses to ship their packages.

• Outside of the whale watching season, it is impossible to organize tours to do anything else that may be within a day trip away as all the guides have left town.  I learned this after trying to find a guide to take me to the Sierra de San Francisco to see some ancient cave drawings.  I did figure out that if I wanted to pay over $200, I could take a bus to San Ignacio, hire a van there, and do it on my own... but... yea... 

• Refill your bottles at one of the water purification places.  It was just 5 pesos to fill 8 liters.