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June 27, 2004
Since I have my own website (okay, half a web site), and we have all this space, I thought that I would throw in my own somewhat random thoughts.
I thought I'd talk about San Felipe, Baja California. For the last two years, friends and I head to San Felipe. It's only 6 1/2 hours from LA, over pretty good roads. All we do is drink, play horseshoes and eat.
Quick recommendations for those headed to San Felipe:
Chuy Place (sic) was the find of the trip. I had the $10 Filet Mignon and Garlic Shrimp, which for the price was pretty good. The meat was tender and flavorful, the shrimp large and tasty. The meal also came with beans, rice and salad, all pretty good. For 10 bones, it was a real deal. The meals also came with two dozen steamed clams for the six of us at the table, and they were good! Look for Chuy at the corner of Avenida Mar de Cortez and Zihuataneijo.
We also had good food at Patty's Marisco. A taco stand located at the south end of Paseo de Cortez and in a plaza of other taco stands, the service was quick,the beer cold, the chips fresh, and when we came back the second day we got an excellent avocado salsa. Four people scarfing down fish tacos and drinks can easily eat for under $20. It's also a good place to watch what's going on at the beach across the street. We picked Patty's Marisco because there was a large crowd of people eating, a pretty safe way to pick out a good taco stand.
It cost us about 4 1/2 hours, but Baja Mar, also on Paseo de Cortez, is a nice restaurant with sloooooow service. The food, especially the fajitas and their breakfasts, were quite good. They also made a good, strong margarita. While eating breakfast at Baja Mar, the waiter told us they were out of coffee. Around the corner was Baja Java, a place specializing in American breakfasts and Mexican Coffee. We bought the coffee that day, and came back for breakfast the next. If you're a little homesick, the omelettes will bring you back to America quickly. The food was good, and the service fast in the American way. On our trip last year, I had nothing to read, and so went to the used book store next to Baja Java. I don't remember the name, but it was something like Baja Title and Used Books. They were still there on this trip, but I didn't go in. Run by an ex-pat, they had lots of used books and were pretty friendly.
I like the occasional cigar, and though lots of places say they sell Cubans, the ex-pat that runs Smoke Signals on the north end of Paseo de Cortez facing the beach says they're all fake. I bought a few of the fakes, and thought they were pretty good cigars. However, if you want to be sure of your Cuban, Smoke Signals has a wide selection to choose from. I don't remember the owner's name, but he's pretty funny.
We rented a condo a few miles north of town managed by Lola, who's name is on the San Felipe web site, and the water pump kept shutting off. The AC worked okay, however, and it was right on the beach. Lola also hooked us up with Miguel, the fisherman who picked us up in front of our condo. We caught all the sea bass we could handle, plus a trigger fish, and Miguel did all the dirty work. He hooked the line, cut the bait, took the fish off the line, and offered general guidance. All that for $35 per person.
As for our condo, it was a little over $500 for the three days. The condo had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room with satellite tv, and a kitchen with working appliances. It was clean and comfortable-and right on the beach. The water was warm and gentle, the sun hot, and the beach beautiful. ItŐs not a party town particularly, but a great place to do nothing while hanging with friends.
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