My girlfriend and I recently rode Baja with Bruno and a large group on buggies and on bikes. We…read morehad a thoroughly enjoyable experience. From the meetup in Ensenada (we were already there) to the drop off in San Diego 5 days later, the trip and adventure were top notch and a great experience.
First off, a word about Bruno. He is truly a guy who is enthusiastic about what he does, and super concerned about your experience. He loves the Baja experience and it comes across in the way he speaks about everything involved with it. He has a big infectious smile and an enthusiasm that is contagious. He listens to questions, he seeks to know about your concerns and he makes sure you are comfortable with what you need to know. He loves motor sports and vehicles of all types and he loves to talk at length about what you are interested in. He likes to hear about your life and interests. He made me and my girlfriend feel like even though we were relative novices, we were interesting to him and we mattered.
The crew that worked with Bruno were also beyond great. From an hour before we arrived at breakfast every day, you could hear the engines of the bikes and buggies being warmed up and checked by Javier, Ernesto, Tyler, Ricardo and the guys. They never stopped working to make sure the equipment was ready to go and that we had everything we needed. I can honestly say that the attention to the guests and to the equipment was way beyond what I expected. Whether it was a need for coffee or an adjustment to the headsets, we never were left wanting. These guys were on their game all the time. Every time we stopped on our rides, the guys were on top of any needs anyone had or any vehicle had. Perfection as a group!
We did around 500 miles with only a few minor mishaps or problems. One rider took a header over the handlebars due to deep sand, and a few bit the dust with only damaged pride as a result. Blisters and fatigue were the main challenges. As to we buggy drivers, the cars worked flawlessly and were a blast to drive. From 70 mph on dry lake beds to navigating high elevation switchbacks, clearly designed and engineered by billy goats, and to every type of cactus covered, sandy desert terrain imaginable, the cars were great and had no issues.
One thing about all of this to know, at least from my perspective is:
Bruno treats the guests like adults. In the United States, it seems like people always mess up a good thing. They wreck cars, they shoot themselves, they fall off high trails, etc. The thing is, they do stupid stuff that it takes restraint and care to avoid. I've done my share and continue to do so, but that is on ME! We don't need rubber bumpers around trails, governors on cars and bikes and long lectures about driving behavior and restraint. Bruno gives enough safety info to educate the riders/drivers about hazards and liability and then assumes we are adults and we want to live and also we don't want to buy him a new buggy. I hate when people ruin good stuff for others by doing stupid things. In the States, we would not be able to haul butt over crazy terrain and do stuff on the edge of sanity just to have fun. (ok, you can, but it is tougher to do.) People would hurt themselves and then sue someone because they messed themselves up. Go Baja Riding assumes you are an adult human and want to live and proper and therefore won't kill yourself or wreck the equipment. Accidents happen, but it isn't the fault of anyone but the individual. The ability to take this trip, get into these high powered cars with crazy suspension and 5 point harnesses and haul ass across the desert is a gift that may not be with us forever. I may have scared myself and my girlfriend (Sorry Baby) several times, but that makes it all that more memorable. I don't need a baby sitter like some lame cruise ship tour, I want to push it a bit and risk my wallet and my health to what I consider a sane level. With Go Baja Riding, we get to do this.
Bruno recently injured himself a bit, and thus, wasn't able to ride bikes so he lead us in the buggies. He takes the lead and goes fast enough and has us give enough space so you can go as fast as you can without sucking up too much dust or having to slow down for his car ahead. He leads the trip properly and alerts the group behind of hazards and challenges ahead. Washouts, dogs, oncoming traffic, Baja 100 pre-runners, whatever he saw, he alerted us to. The driving portion of the trip( like the rest) was superb. I had no issues with it at all. We raced up sand dunes, buzzed along the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean and across every type of desert rock and sand base you could think of. The views and vistas were unbelievable and are worth the cost themselves.
Now to the other things that matter on a trip like this to me.......
Meals and accommodations and peripheral stuff. To be continued....
