South Of The Border And More: February 2015

Saturday, February 28, 2015

2/17/15 Adiós Sea of Cortez

Dawn showed up in all her glory early this morning in Loreto. As the sun kissed the Gulf, we rode out for breakfast. This appealing little town held us over coffee, as we sat enjoying the architecture.

How welcoming Mexico can be. You relax into the color and the culture, but then a road block smacks you back into reality. This time the Federales searched us all, pulling gear out of our saddlebags. Finding my leather jacket alerted their suspicions. On a belt loop, I carry a spent shell from a 21 gun salute at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. "Do you have guns" in Spanish meant nothing to me, but Jules caught the jist of it and answered "No... No guns ...Just turista!" After the other bikes were searched, we were riding again.

Goats in the road and a serious water hazard did not scare us off, as we wound our way north. Shocked once again by ultra blue, we carved along the coast, from waters edge, through mountains and back again to Cortez's sea. This Mexican Route 1 far exceeds its extension into California. Pristine and void of other travelers, ownership of the road is a given and the seductive leans over pirate coves lock this ride in as superlative.

When we were crossing to BCS, Jules met a family from Colorado on the ferry. They were on their old RV, headed to anywhere in the Baja to park for a month. I didn't really understand their quest until we swerved around yet another tight, unguarded turn over the Gulf and there below us sat a handful of adventurous campers, living on the edge of nirvana. I yearned to be with them, but the road calls us all in different ways, and we have gratefully chosen ours.

We headed up the coast and stopped at Santa Rosalia for lunch. Greeted by a most masculine dog named Arnold, who stood guarding his porch, we parked our bikes. This town is not only known for its history of copper mining, but also for its unusual metal chapel, Santa Barbara, named for the miner's saint, designed by Gustav Eiffel for the 1889 World's Fair. It, plus his better known tower, won first place awards. Built in reconstructible pieces, the purpose was to move it to developing Christian nations. And here it sits, in this small Mexican town, a design masterpiece.

The desert met the coast, then mountains complete with sere descents brought us into the oasis of San Ignacio. A more traditional chapel resides here. The Misión San Ignacio, completed around 1786, was a treasure. Outside, the masonry and grounds gave true measure to the faith that created it. Inside, the artwork and lavish gold filigreed statues compounded the wonder of this small place of worship in an even smaller town. In the heat of the afternoon, the ice cream store opened after siesta (yes, it really exists) and we savored local sweets on the town square.

Spiritually uplifted, we soared from San Ignacious out into the desert to cross to the Pacific. We have left the enchanting Gulf of Cortez for good. Tonight we rest in Guerrero Negro on the Pacific. Two industries keep this marginal town intact - salt and whales. Tomorrow we will experience them both.

Loreto sunrise

Our fellow travelers

Loreto chapel

Uh oh!

Geoff gets frisked

Horses in a dry river bed

Holy shit! Goats! ( note the squeal marks - others have experienced this! )

Water hazard

Cactus and water

Oh, the beauty of it all

This is the way to camp!

I ❤️Arnold

Eiffel's winning chapel design

Santa Barbara, the miners' patron

San ignacious Oasis

San Ignacio

Steps worn by centuries

The Saint of sweeping the streets?

So much gold, so small a village.

The local cattle car passes the village square.

Ice Cream!

The road to our next rest.

Thursday, February 26, 2015

2/16/2015 Enchanting BCS

The BCS captured and enamored us today.

Dazed from two days of down time, we were anxious to throw our legs over and head toward the next adventure. What unfolded was a treasure map of the Baja. We plunged into the center of this narrow Penninsula, heading from desert to mountain to sea.

A breakfast stop in the village of Triunfo began our Baja love affair. Dirt roads lead to a small cafe, carved into the edge of a ravine. A giant old lady of a black Mastiff greeted us at the door and the smell of baked bread welcomed us into the Caffe Triunfo. A museum of eclectic wares, a Fatboy Harley and throw-back-century photos wandered us into a courtyard where an open oven baked our bread and made our huevos rancheros. We sat under flawless skies, surrounded by friends, iguanas, tropical plants and a big black friendly dog, savoring every moment of this flawless Mexican morning. The buttery fresh baked cinnamon buns pushed us to the edge of euphoria.

To haul ourselves out of this pleasure paradise was a chore, but once back on the road, our wheels dug in and Rascal took free rein toward the mountains. As cows bullied into our path we wound into the center of the Baja. Following convolutions into the mountain, we experienced the twistiest riding of the trip. At every lean over unguarded shoulders, a new view, a new thrill and changing terrain kept us alive. Stunning mountain peaks goaded us on until in one breathtaking downward plunge, the Sea of Cortez appeared between the mountains, like an Aztec turquoise.

Such blueness does not exist on any artist's palette. I can still feel the rush of joy filling me as we rounded each turn and another glimpse of the mountains melting into the sea transported me. With the wind in our faces and the sea below us, I felt like I was flying.

We stopped at an overlook and a dozen other bikes pulled in - the riders were from Germany. This road is truly a biker's paradise.

Reluctant to give up the ride, we ended our day in sparkling Loreto. Charmed by our evening home, we relaxed into balcony and wine.

Riding the mountains and the shore of the Baja taught me a new lesson about Mexico. In Cabo, I feared that the BCS would be an extension of California, complete with trendy bars and people. Here, the raw beauty has engulfed me. Few places that we have ridden have created such an intense rush. The thrill of this day will embrace me forever. The schizophrenic facade of this great country can show many personalities. Today, I fell in love with this one.