Catavina to Puerto Escondido

With a 7 a.m. start from camp at 11 degrees C, we are on our way past the wide, flat Laguna Chapala which has just enough water in it this year to make it look like a large body of water that looks like a mirage. The pavement is the roughest we have seen, but much of the other previously bad sections on the way down have been resurfaced and improved. Near noon, we are once more waved through a military checkpoint where the new, smooth highway begins. It's warm, sunny, windy and 21 C with white caps dancing on the Pacific.

We are back on MST and gain an hour as we gas up at Jesus Maria at 10:53 a.m., then stop for a lunch of huevos rancheros at Mario's Restaurant north of Guerro Negro. The restaurant dogs are friendly, curious and have very good dog etiquette. Vida gets a handsome new boyfriend, and although he was happy to jump in the trailer and come with us, his pack distracted him away from the traveling life.

We are waved through another two checkpoints in the next few hours. The reason for the extra checkpoints this year soon becomes clear as we start to see gatherings of Baja 1000 vehicles and their drivers in small villages and passing us along the way. The racers are pre-running sections of the course a week early and local children cheer and wave at us as we drive through the little pueblos as though we are part of the race team activity.

Mex. 1 is greatly improved from San Ignacio to Santa Rosalia. The road to hell (El Invierno) has been greatly improved with repair of crumbling edges and slight widening of the road. It's warm as we stop for gas in Mulege (25 C). There are more friendly dogs who get some of Vida's dog treats and a man selling fresh dates at the gas pump makes a sale at our truck.

On our way again, we slow down often as the roads were washed out by the rain from hurricane Paul that sent rivers of boulders down the arroyos. The countryside is verdant and we see blossoms and unusual vegetation that we can't identify. Baja responds with vigor when rain is abundant.

We see the outcome of another crash that happened earlier in the day on a flat, good stretch of road. This was a single fatality collision where the driver of a pick-up truck had died when he pulled out onto the highway and collided with a bus which landed in the ditch. Just after a sultry rosy sunset, we are  waved through the Punta Escabeche checkpoint where a bicyclist is being searched. Combining two  activities - riding a bike on Mex. 1 and being on Mex. 1 at night - probably lead to the extra attention this fellow got.

We pulled into the Hotel Tripui, at Puerto Escondido cleaned up and headed over to the restaurant for our first chile rellenos. Warm and relaxed dining outside on the patio at 22 C. Life is good.