 Down Baja California To La Paz
By Penny And Bud Clark
Early morning light, cool crisp air, packing up the car from a
night spent at a San Diego motel and we're off, really off! We
had gone to Tijuana the day before to get our Visas and some money
exchanged for the trip so we wouldn't have to do it the day of our
leaving.
It's always a thrill for us to cross the border, either way.
This morning was no different; the roads were clear, and we passed
the initial checkpoint without incident and proceeded down the
coastal highway toward Ensenada on the toll road that takes $7.50
total by the time you get there a good four-lane road with
beautiful and spectacular ocean views from Tijuana to Ensenada.
Breakfast was at Alphonso's Pizza, in the downtown, waterfront
part of Ensenada by the plaza with the huge flag. Great meal and
very reasonable, our first "hand squeezed" orange juice'! The
true mark of Mexico is to watch them make it for you.
Along The Way
With food taken care of for a while, we proceeded to Highway 1
and follow it down all the way to La Paz. Our journey that
morning took us through small, dusty, coastal towns just waking up
for the day.
Many agricultural farms, vineyards, and olive orchards ushered us
southward along the highway, getting less and less frequent as we
began our entrance to the Parque de Natural which lies in the middle
of Baja California a preserve that holds at every turn of the road
a vista of different cactus, rock formations, rolling hills with
valleys that were lush in the spring and now high with brown
wind-blown grasses.
There were no cows along this section, so we were free to enjoy
our surroundings; we did see an occasional wild burro feeding on
these tall grasses. In the middle of the park there is a hotel for
travelers to stay and use the facility as a base from which to
explore the area by hiking or camping.
It is a very nice hotel and there is a new Pemex station as
well. The park begins just outside Rosarita and ends just outside of
Gurerro Negro.
Good Food, Good Prices
We spent the night in Guerrerro Negro, which is in the state of
Baja California Sur, and we gained an hour crossing the state
line. We spent the second night at the Don Gus motel and had dinner
there as well very good and again reasonable in price.
The combination dinner and Chile Rellenos were excellent. Our
waiter for the evening meal also served us our breakfast. He was
very patient and helpful as we used Spanish in our ordering.
Off again, following the coast south with mountains in the
distance that will provide us again with spectacular vistas and
appreciation for the engineering of this road, the only link between
Baja California and Baja California Sur.
Up, up, and up, curving to the left and right then down, down,
down for two hours until we reached Santa Rosalia on the eastern
side of the Baja Sur. Now we were in the desert of the Baja, cactus,
rocks and little patches of plant life surviving in the parched
desert.
Finally In La Paz
We continued down the coast through Mulege and Loreto, all towns
along the coast, up and down mountains following the curves of the
coastline. We headed inland toward Cuidad Constitucion and
Insurgentes, which take you south into La Paz.
It seems to take forever to get into La Paz, probably because it
was a long two days on the road. We arrived safely at our
friends B & B called Casa Buena where we stayed for three nights
until the boat was in the water.
We had arrived safely, and the season has begun with our
arrival. We are excited to be working on the boat again and have
great hopes and dreams for the upcoming cruising season!
|
