We Met Coco!!

We left San Felipe southbound for Alfonsina's on the Bahia de Luis Gonzaga.  We have been dark for the last two days because there is no internet or cell service in this remote location.  We are making our way into central Baja.

The ride south was GORGEOUS. In this photo we are both grateful for the beauty as we look out onto the rough Sea of Cortez with whitecaps from the heavy wind.  Our destination is the land you can see on the right in the extreme distance, Bahia de Luis Gonzaga.

Soon after taking this picture I heard a crack-thud as my helmet was blown off of my bike to the asphalt by the heavy wind.  No serious harm, thank God.

What looks like a bullet proof vest in this photo is actually my passport money pouch.

As we made the turn to Alfonsina's it became clear it was more than a resort.  It has a  airfield for small planes and a long line of beach homes owned we believe by ex-pats.  At the very end the red building is our destination.  We had a cozy room on the first floor right next to the beach and the dining area.  Though sunny, it is still winter and the breeze was up.  I decided to delay my promised swim for another day.  Instead I walked long on the beach finding many shells, seeing collected whale bones at many of the beach houses, and watching pelicans fishing.

That night we shared the resort with an adventure motorcycling tour group of ten riders and their support team.  They were all really nice guys having a great time.  I envied the support truck to carry luggage and mechanics to do repairs.

In preparing this trip, Dave and I read many reports, stories and blogs.  One of the most common recommendations was to stop and meet Coco at COCOS CORNER.  Today as we rode from Alfonsina's toward Mex 1, we added ourselves to the long list of those who have met him and admire him.      

About ten years ago, soon after losing a leg by unclear cause, Coco retired from his work as a policeman  in Ensanada  to establish his home at an intersection of two rough dirt roads far from even basic services  in central Baja.  He cleared about four acres of land and built a meger house from re-purposed materials.  Over the years as his collection of women's underwear decorating a sheltered meeting area grew so did his reputation for hospitality, tenacity, independence, and humor.  Having lost his other leg not long ago, he now moves about in a wheelchair.  On his land he has four pickup campers arranged to provide accomation for $5.00 per night.

We signed his book, expected of all new visitors, to include our name, birthdate, city of birth, where we lived now and what we were riding.  Incredibly, he let us know of an 85 year old woman who had recently come through on a bicycle bound for distant destinations.  We left as a steady stream of visitors from truck drivers to other motorcyclists came and went.

In this photo on the side of the road, Dave tries to get the Go Pro to work so we can give a taste of this road near Coco's.  Electronics have been a hassle but the bikes have been flawless.


After about 25 miles of dirt, we reached Mex 1 for an additional 125 miles of two lane road with no shoulder to reach Guerrero Negro where we now stay at a new, clean hotel called the Terra Sal.   We have crossed from the Sea of Cortez now to the Pacific Coast and from Baja California to Baja Sur. Tomorrow we ride to San Ignacio with a well-known central square and cathedral and then on to the coast at Laguna San Ignacio.  It is there we will watch Gray whales with the possibility in this unique location to actually touch a whale in the wild.  For this we must go dark for at least three days.  It will be very much worth it.