We took the pups on a walk up the coast at Punte Baja and then packed up the truck and headed south down Baja California. The drive is not for the faint of heart and it takes lots of attention to keep within the lines on this bumpy, uneven road. There is simply NO shoulder on most of it and the lane is a little over 9 feet wide, making passing semi’s in the oncoming lane a bit of a nail biter on some curves. The speed limit was 70-80KPH (45-50mph) and even though we kept it at that or under, most of the cars pass around 120KPH.
The desert here is sparse and for many miles there are really no trees. Lots of cholla, Cardon Cactus, boojum cactus tree (related to the ocotillo), Elephant Tree, Agave Shawii (mescal or coastal agave), and other strange varieties are prevalent here. I find it really interesting to see the different flora and fauna as we travel.
We drove through several small towns and even more small stops with only a restaurant and maybe gasoline sold out of the back of a truck. Kathy and I had a nice conversation about how it amazes us how these impoverished areas are so different from the states where we come from. We laugh a bit at Coolidge, AZ compared to Gilbert of Chandler, but when compared to Baja Mexico, it is like a 5 star city. The people here are so nice and work so hard for so little. This is one of the main reasons I like to travel overland routes.
The day of driving was long and we made the last 50 miles of straight road into Baja California Sur. We were stopped at a checkpoint and charged 40 pesos for something. The guy kept pointing at the signs ahead of us. 40 pesos is about $2.50 so we paid it and then looked it up because we did not get a receipt. Apparently there is a donation to the preserve down here, or it could be a tourist tax, although the tourist tax is supposed to be more like $25. I had booked two nights in Hotel la Caracoles in Guerrero Negro and upon pulling in to check in, the desk guy was so nice. I was wearing my Rammstein shirt and he asked if I had gone. I told him I was at the San Antonio, Texas show in 2022. They played several shows in Los Angeles after that, but broke sound records at the two Mexico City shows that completed their tour.
There are assigned parking spots and we had to get some help moving the wires up so I could get Howie under them. I maneuvered him into the spot, which backed up into our little patio area that comes with the room. The room is really nice and comfortable. We had not eaten since breakfast so we walked the pups quickly and then had a great dinner at the restaurant next door. Kathy had a sandwich and I had the skirt steak with grilled peppers and an enchilada. YUM.
We figured out the heater/aircon in the room and tried to find something interesting to watch. We found Gladiator, with Russel Crowe, and then enjoyed a nice shower and quiet evening. Poor Maggie is suffering a bit from a tummy ache, probably from the mussels her and Zuzu ate yesterday. Both had a bit of a bowel issue on the ride down here, but Maggie was out every hour last night. Poor thing.
Here is a link to a photo gallery from the last several days.