My opinion of Daggett’s Camp Ground improved after a lovely warm shower and hair wash. The wifi also started to work again during breakfast. Setting off just before 10am, we had to retrace our steps back to MEX1, by just over 60kms.
Beach at Daggetts campground
On the way we passed a small turning off to San Borja. Mick had recommended we go this way, as there is an interesting abandoned mission at San Borja. If we had had plenty of time we would have done this, but the road was just a sand track and we thought it would be too slow a ride. If we are to be in Loreto by the 11th, we haven’t sadly got time for all these side trips.
The road back to the main MEX1 is flanked by cactus forest. The cactus are so tall, some over 30 feet, it is like a forest. We stopped to take a few pics. I could have stayed for ages looking at and photographing all the amazing varieties. Bridget, I think you would love it. There are just so many stunning different plants. Would love to see it in the spring when they are all flowering.
Rejoining the main road at Punta Prieta, we headed south west to Guerrero Negro. Just before this town at Parallel 28, we had been advised there is a border dividing Baha California from Baja California Sul. At the border there is an inspection point where they confiscate any fruit and vegetables you have with you. As we had bought quite a lot of provisions a few days a go, hoping they would last us most of the way to Loreto, we didn’t want to be losing it all.
Stopping for an early lunch in Villa Jesus Maria we had the most enormous salad to finish up all the lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes etc. We had bought a bag of persimmons and there was one left. We decided to leave this and half a red pepper in the fridge to be ‘sacrificed’ if they searched us – the fridge is always the first place they look. The other veggies I hid in our provisions box under the rice, pasta, porridge etc.
Not long back on the road, we came to a check point. This wasn’t the inspection point we were expecting but a military check. We have already been straight through a couple of these. This time there was no other traffic around and we were stopped. I think they were bored and we looked different. The first question. “Do you have any drugs or weapons”. Of course we said “No”. The guard then wanted to see inside all the spare diesel cans, took the valve off the spare tyre on the bonnet and wanted to see inside the back door. He then asked if it was our ‘house’. When we said “Yes” he seemed to lose interest in searching and became quite chatty.
On our way again it wasn’t long before we came to the inspection point at Parallel 28. One solitary guide came out and asked if we had any fruit and vegetables. Dennis said “No” and that was it. No checking. A bit of an anticlimax. He then asked for 20 pesos to pay for the mandatory disinfecting. A bit of a joke. A tiny puff of some sort of liquid as we passed.
Reaching Guerrero Negro we went in to the town and stopped for some more tomatoes and bananas at a quite large supermarket. The selection of fruit and veg. was very disappointing. There were 4 boxes of bananas but I couldn’t salvage even one, they were so overripe. Next more diesel and then we were on our way south again.
The section from Guerrero Negro to San Ignacio took us right down the centre of the peninsula. The road is pretty straight and recently resurfaced, so we made excellent progress. A couple of minor roadworks but no real hold ups. The scenery changed from cactus forest to more extreme sandy desert. There were some large areas of covered vegetable growing and a few animals. A couple of herds of mixed cattle and horses, a few goats and the odd groups of donkeys.
Crossing the 28th Parallel cost us an hour, so it was about 5.30 before we arrived in San Ignacio. It is rather different being an oasis of date palms. Entering the town we came across a huge sign advertising the Rice and Beans Hotel and RV Park. It sounded interesting and just around the corner, there it was. On entering the car park we pulled up right next to an English Mitsubishi Delica. What a surprise. The first English registered car we have seen this entire trip in North America. The occupants, Joel and Ricky, were equally surprised to see us and we spent a while talking about our journeys and again later in the evening over a beer in the bar. It is always interesting and educational to share travel experiences.
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