Bianca and I, Father and Daughter, go to Bahia de Los Angeles

Click on any picture to enlarge!

Bianca will be 16 in September.  These days there are not many chances for us to get away together as the life of a teenage athlete is filled with school, practices, tournaments and friends hanging together as much as possible. Daddy is a taxi and an ATM machine.

Bianca was born in Ensenada, Sanatario del Carmen.  We lived in Baja until she was 8 and moved back stateside for educational and economic reasons. She remembered Raquel and Larry who are friends of mine from long before they went to La Bahia de Los Angeles.  Rafa and Carmen she did not remember.

Our drive down was taken slowly.  The boat is big, 10,000 lbs. loaded and 35 feet long overall with the trailer.  I had the trailer built especially for Baja.  It is aluminum, 18,000 gvw, 3 axles, 2 with hydraulic, stainless disc brakes controlled electrically. The electric brake control in the cab makes all the difference!   We went slow and I was able to see things I never notice when I am driving faster.   The desert is still amazingly green and most of the flowering plants successfully set a bountiful seed crop.  There are coveys of quail everywhere and soon they will be pairing off for breeding season.  I thought of how the indigenous folks of this area would have been busy trapping these birds and how the Padres in years like this probably lost most of their converts because food and water was plentiful.

Under every mesquite tree it seemed there was a blacktailed, long-eared jackrabbit.  They never shared the same shade as if that would defeat the whole purpose of shade.

All is well in Bahia de Los Angeles.  Animal Planet was there filming Antonio's turtle project and the film crew was staying at Larry and Raquels.  We spent our first and the last night of our trip there and I was entertained by the LA stories from a different Los Angeles.  These folks were talking about severance packages, deal making and cell phone plans while thunderstorms built east over Sinaloa and also to the south  as the sun set with lightning, rainbows and painted clouds everywhere!  

After visiting with Rafa and Carmen we drove out to La Gringa.   Bianca loves to drive!  She did great.  I taught her how to let the air out and use the pressure gauge.  I showed her the old fish camp.  That is where I first met Rafa.  The fish camp is gone and so is that Rafa.  We drove back and in the cool of the late afternoon prepared the boat for our trip.

Next morning we launched from Villa Vita's ramp and Bianca drove the truck and trailer back to Raquels.  She swam out to the boat and from there and we were off.  We went out to LA Guardia and then over to the Minor Midriff Islands of Partida, Raza, Salsipuedes, Las Animas and San Lorenzo.  We saw Isla San Esteban and Tiburon but saved those for another day.  We snorkeled some at San Lorenzo but the water was cloudy, 10 foot viz and also full of agua malas.  We went over to San Francisquito and there in the lee Bianca went wakeboarding. Tired and getting late, Bianca mentions sharks are nocturnal feeders and says she is done wakeboarding.  We spent the night on the hook and fell asleep early. 

Next day we cruised Bahia San Rafael, Animas and north up to Guadalupe. At he end of the day, Bianca jumps in the water, swims to the truck and trailer and drives it over to meet me at the ramp. She is a stud!  Did I mention she was named to the U.S. Water Polo Junior Olympics All American team  2 weeks ago in Florida!  Shameless bragging.

It was a great trip, we met Antonio, Baja Cactus, genuine nice guy, clean hotel!  Good to see Rafa and Carmen again and Raquel and Larry too.  It was especially good to spend some time in Baja with my daughter.  After all, the reason she is my daughter is because of my love of Baja!