Coyote Cal's

GPS: 31.29401N, 116.41232W
Van Odometrer: 84,349
Total Miles Travelled: 214

What am I getting myself into?

The road getting to Rancho Los Metates was pretty forgiving, not too steep, not too rocky, mostly manicured. It was innocent fun, some not so washboardy straightaways to take with ease and rocky spots that weren't very challenging but exciting nonetheless. What I was in store next for was pretty much none of that. Leaving Los Metates and continuing south on the dirt road turned out to be quite a stressful situation for both me and the van! Rocks, big rocks, and steep, very steep were all up ahead. The guys at San Diego Westy are gonna hate me. I wish I had some evidence of the ride, but breaking out the camera not was not the priority at the time. Getting to to the next destination in one piece (again both me and the van) were taking precendence. Take it from me, shit got serious.

It's been about three hours and I've traveled all of about fifteen kilometers. White knuckling all the way to Punta Cabras and beyond I finally get to some straighter, flatter, less rocky road. Progress today not going to be measured in distance, lets call it an emotional triumph. The day is getting later and time to stop and check the next destination. By both my camping and surfer guides it's looking Coyote Cal's. Only about 15 more km on the road and great reviews from both books. Cal's is a "gringo" owned hostel that has plenty to offer for and all for a good price: camping, rooms both private and dorm, fully stocked kitchen (cast iron cookware!), hot showers, bar, game room, it goes on. Some mostly smooth driving along the dirt and and I pull up to the driveway of Coyote Cal's.

Welcome to Coyote Cal's!

The place looks really nice and well kept, but just like La Fonda, the parking lot was empty and no one around. It's what I soon find over again, us gringos are scared of Mexico! We can talk more about that later. For now, I park and walk around to take a closer look. The hostel is a two (three?) story building with a couple of what look like long-term campers parked on the lot. Sitting on on a hill looking over the ocean, I walk up to the edge of the property to take in the surroundings. The view from this place is pretty awesome!

"Yeah, everybody does that when they first get here."

It's Rick, one of the owners of the place. He can hang back in his mobile home knowing that new arrivals will wander over to the check out the ocean view. Rick is smiles and inviting as he gives me the details: you can camp here, rooms are this much, you can park wherever and are welcome to use the facilities, hot shower, kitchen, etc. while you stay. I'm set! Is a bit too late to make a surf session after getting camp all in order, don't wanna rush things, and I'm more looking for something a little less energetic and restful. I've got the fishing tackle with me and what looks like could be good spot just in front of me on the rocky shore. I decide to give it a shot and not suprisingly things turned out not so good. The tide was coming in, the rocks over the ocean filled with kelp (plenty of places to get a hook stuck) and another key thing: I haven't been fishing since I was ten and even then never really caught anything! Same goes for today. Oh well, I don't let frustration get the best of me. There's plenty more time for that later, I head back up the hill to Cal's and make dinner preparations, yay cast iron!

It's dark now and the kitchen all to myself, a four burner gas stove, and plenty to work with. Chayote soup is under way when I hear a couple dirt bikes roll up outside. In walk a couple in their early 20's, looking dusty and tired from a long day's ride. I guess I must have seemed pretty at home in the place... after the usual pleasentries they inquire about pricing and ammenities which I somewhat versed in now. I think they got the wrong idea. I let Andy and Jaci know that I indeed do not run the place, we have a little laugh and I point them in the direction Rick's camper out back. We run into each other a little later and get some more of the details. Jaci is on her way to La Paz area to work on a vineyard, Andy accompanying her for the ride. I'm happy to find out that Andy also surfs. He obviously isn't carrying his gear with him on the dirt bike, but I've got three boards with me and Cal's otherwise offers board and wetsuit rentals. We were all planning on just staying the night but tentatively make beach plans for tomorrow.

Breaking some eggs...

Saturday morning. A restful night's sleep. I wake up ready for the day, and also excited again for the kitchen. It's gonna be a machaca morning, thanks to Timaya and delivery via Dad. Eggs, tomato, onion and machaca, yeah! And some leftover beans too, unfortunately these ones not courtesy of my Aunt, but the canned variety will do. A full and happy stomach I'm ready to tackle some more waves. The three of us (Andy, Jaci, and I) head off in La Van in search of waves. Exiting the Coyote Cal's driveway we can head north or south, right or left. No one is very educated on the area, although we do know there are waves in all directions. We take a left looking for a break just next to the arroyo (dried out river bed) next to town. A couple more rights and lefts and we're on the south side of the arroyo heading down an ever narrower dirt road. The bushes are slowly creaping in on us as we continue. Like my habit of at least one wave, I also have a habit of just pushing forward. All roads! We'll get there eventually! The shrubs close in and start their clawing at the sides of the van. I continue on... this must be just a narrow spot, I'm sure it'll widen! It doesn't. The clawing grows in consistency and in decibels. I tell myself and La Van, "I know, it hurts you just as much as it does me." Finally, the end of the road and beach! Unfortunately no good waves though. And back through the scratching we go. Something to learn here, as Rick later would put it:

"You can always turn around."

Lesson learned.

We ditch on the idea of heading south, retrace our steps back to Cal's and start heading north. I know I saw some nice breaks yesterday on the ride in. We're in luck and find a stretch of sandy beach with a point break, Punta San Isidro. Some decent looking waves, and by now who really cares, I wanna forget about the van damages (although only cosmetic) and jump in the water. Jaci hangs back at the beach to get some reading while Andy and I trade off waves and boards, switching between my go-to 6'3" and 5'10" fish. Its great to get out in the water, it always puts things in perspective. We spend some hours in the ocean and hang out back on the sand for a while. Headed back to the hostel we meet new guest Adam, also a surfer, just getting in from Los Angeles. We all spend the night with a bonfire, beers, stories, tequila and, uh oh, vodka.

Off we go

A night of celebratory drinks and the morning sun is right in my face. A little more celebration than I had acutally planned, but it's alright, I've got breakfast and coffee in my near future. Rick is up and about waiting for Lulu, the normal fulltime resident/caretaker here. Rick will let Lulu take over and head back to back to his other home, San Diego. I catch him in the kitchen before he takes off and say thanks for the hospitatlity and goodbye, for now.

Andy and Jaci are also getting back on the road. They've got an ambitious ride ahead of them to make it all the way to Guerrero Negro.

I guess its time for me to leave too. I am taking a much more leasurely pace, plenty more places to see, people to meet and waves to catch. Next stop Cuatro Casas!

:-A