Went through Mulege yesterday and had a look around, as I have previously just driven right through. Toured the airport, the marina area, and found the downtown area - including the ATM I was looking for. Downtown is very old fashioned Mexico, and the streets are very narrow, especially for a camper. Decided not to use the ATM because it had just finished 'eating' the card of the previous user and I did not want to take a chance!














There were a couple of shrimp boats anchored just off shore.















There was also a lot of evidence of flood damage, especially along the river banks leading out to sea. Water and sewer lines were exposed along the banks.


Then it was back onto the road back to Santa Rosalia, where I did use the ATM, and topped up the grocery supply.

There are many many monuments built along the roadside to commemorate those who have died there. Some of these are very intricate and very well maintained, with candles and flowers refreshed often. This one was obviously for a trucker who must have died in May last year.














There was lots of road construction underway, typically crews of men with wheelbarrows and shovels and picks. Much of the work is done this way, or with the help of small backhoes and loaders. Here the crew is painting the gutter along the highway!







After departing Santa Rosalia, I stopped to fill my propane tank again. What a difference from La Paz. Instead of the crowd of people and tanks everywhere, and lots of staff, here you could drive right in to the yard, chat with the resident dog, and the lone employee comes over and fills your tank immediately, no hassle, no waiting. A five minute easy stop instead of the hour trying to fill a tank in La Paz!














Out of S Rosalia the road climbs abruptly, and winds around the mountainside with a substantial drop-off, which may or may not have a guard rail. I think I would hate to be a passenger in any big rig along here! I was following a wide load semi with an caterpillar on it - who met another semi on a blind, tight bend. I wondered if they would get stuck or collide, but they both finessed the rigs around the corner with inches to spare and carried on! There is evidence along the road of those who have launched over the side, however.




Question: If you see a burned out, rusted wreck of a car off the side of the road, how do you know if you are in the US or Mexico? Answer later.







Because I was in the middle of nowhere, and Hockey Night in Canada was due to begin, I found a suitable camp spot down a non-descript little trail leading off of Mex 1.








































































Below is a Google Earth screen shot of our camp spot last nite - indicated by the yellow pin, looking north along the Baja peninsula.
















And if that isn't good enough for you, here is the standard LINK to a Google Map!








Answer: The Mexican wreck has no bullet holes in it!

Day of snorkeling from Juncalito Beach, Baja Sur.


























Views of Santispac Beach and area.
























Toughing it out back in camp! Note lack of frostbite.








Watchng the CFCN (Calgary) evening news and especially the weather.









Okay, so the text doesn't line up properly with the photos. It's not a big deal. You figure it out. I'm busy (Ha ha ha ha ) and don't have time to fix it.



Remember, you can click on any of the photos for a larger view, you can add comments (moderated, thanks to the guys back at work!) at the bottom of each post, and for sure check out the great advertisements along the margins!!

You can also use the e-mail link if you wish.

Don't forget to plug in your vehicles!

Well, I guess it is time to update some of my latest southern action. I pulled out of the Todos Santos / Los Cerritos Beach area on Monday. Northbound we went to La Paz. Once again there was quite the lineup at the propane store! Everyone has to drag their tanks to a loading ramp, but cannot go inside the fence at the plant. The staff have to individually drag, roll, truck all the tanks individually about 30m to where they are actually filled. Then they are all hand lifted up about 5 feet to where other staff fill them. The guy who hauls the tank back and forth for you collects the money from you, and must then pay the guy who fills them. This is all through big rolls of cash, just like at the Pemex gas stations. It is a kind of slow process, and because of the line-up it took almost an hour to get me one 20 pound tank filled. Ah, well, no hurry here! Inside the plant, an official propane truck hauling a whole bunch of 100lb tanks was driving by when several unsecured tanks fell over and rolled around the back of the truck. No one blinked an eye or stopped the truck!















Then it was into La Paz proper where I checked out a big mall and bought some groceries from a 'Walmart-like" Soriana store.

Back on the road, through another military check point. They check you way more thoroughly on the way north -looking into cabinets, and knocking on walls, but always very polite and careful. My 'gun' is discovered once again!














Pulled into Juncalito Beach where I stayed both last year and on my way south this year. Some of the same crowd was still there, but there were new faces and new rigs, too. Ran into visitors from Invermere, and Revelstoke, BC. One of them had a boat there, so we headed out to a snorkeling beach to the south and checked out some of the marine life and birds in that area.


New Blog visitors from:
Sao Paulo, Guarulhos, Brazil
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Henan, Hainan, China















After two nights at Juncalito, it was back on the road. Stay tuned.


Almost forgot to add the official Google Maps location link!

HERE is where we are now!

Luckily I read the guide books etc, as I discovered that the real 'Hotel California' of Eagle fame is right here in Todos Santos Baja California Sur!
The hotel has been renovated big time and is very tastefully and artistically decorated, and has a restaurant, a bar, and a gift shop.

Took some photos for you, as well as some viscious guard dogs in th neighborhood!




Those Chinese are really picking up on the blog. Now a visitor from Beijing!

This week is an arts festival in Todos Santos, so there are street performers, band stands, flea markets on almost every corner.



Last nite at Playa Los Cerritos? The last crescent of the sun sinks quickly into the Pacific, leaving only the golden glow.
The Mexican hunting cat asks to go outside so he can resume terrorizing the local mini-fuana, having filled his somewhat fat belly with more cat kibble.
The cicadas set up a symphony, backed by the surf. The show goes on all night.

Ever thought of working in Mexico? Now could be the time. They have just raised the minimum wage from $4.45US to $5.oo! What are you waiting for?
Are you waiting for me to tell you that wage is NOT the hourly rate? It is the rate for an eight hour day! Ouch! Tip well, and do not begrudge a worker who may not be working as hard as you would like.


Mexican Road Signs 101
Anybody care to guess what this one means?

"No deje piedras sobre el pavimento"

If you were paying attention to my entries almost exactly a year ago, and a few weeks ago, you might have a clue to that one! (Answer later)

And I think I have finally figured out the logic (?) (if any) to the speed limit signs down here. Last year, ha ha, I fooishly thought that they indicated the maximum speed at which you were supposed to drive.
And I could not figure out why they went from 40 to 80 to 60 or no apparent (to me) reason. Well, with another 2000 odd more Mexican kilometres behind me, I think I have it figured?
They are only there to warn you about the next dangerous curve (curva peligrosa), or hill, or washout. They don't actually EXPECT you to go that speed, and certainly no one does - except me, when meeting transport trucks or RV convoys.
I have seen no sign of speed enforcement anywhere, and even turned on my usually dormant radar detectoor to check the theory - which was confirmed.

Not sure if seat belts are mandatory or just recommended, but I guess they don't apply to kids riding in the box of pickup trucks, or anyone else.

Okay, here is the answer to the sign question above. Loosely interpreted, it means 'Don't leave SAFETY BOULDERS on the highway, when you are finished with them".

Really gonna miss this place. It's a long time till next year.

Better go check on the Mexican hunting cat - see if he has to come inside yet - to use the litter box!

Whale (ha ha ha), it is about time to get back on the road again. We've been at this fabulous beach now for just over a week, and just think of all the money we have saved on camping fees, gas, you name it!
It's been great. The whales seem to have moved a bit further off-shore in the last day or two, or maybe they just don't like the sound of the breakers.
Another cruise ship went by a day or two ago, and this morning it looked like a trawler going by to the north. Other than those, and a few kayaks close to shore, the whales have had most of the ocean to themselves.
Did a bit more body surfing yesterday and am happy to report continued survival.

I think I mentioned the big pot-luck and the hole-in-one golf tournament at the campsite? Well, I now have pictures, as well as some scenic shots from the north end of Playa Los Cerritos. I guess I should mention that golf here does not end just because it is dark! Also, when driving out of camp this morning, I had to dodge golfers as the road crosses the 'fairway' or more correctly, the fairway crosses the road. I was told that as long as I left the windows down on both sides so the balls could pass through, it would be OK!

Met another BC (where else) camper I had met up at Tecolote earlier and I think the Williams Lake camper was at Santispac when I was there. It's amazing who you run into down here.
Also talked to a kite-boarder from Calgary, who is also a paraglider pilot, so we knew some of the same crowd.





I've got a good deal on a fixer-upper VW van. Cheap today. Almost free, as they say on the beaches with vendors (none here).



Wow, new reader from Hunan Fujian, China! Wonder if they understand English.

Hey, check out some of the advertisements on the site, my revenues are slowing in the first quarter!!!!

Still here. On the beach. Laid back.

It must be 5 o'clock somewhere!

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=23.322364,-110.169500&h1=en&t=k