7:50 AM: Group congregates for Dan and Lisa to provide the morning briefing.
Dan tells us what to expect on the road ahead:
narrow,
windy, and
construction
Everyone stay 10 seconds apart and gear down for the 12% (yes that is correct) grade.
8:00 Departure - everyone in their rig.
Lisa calls for a radio check in (we have very good marine radios)
"#5 ready” (That’s us.) All check in.
And we are off.
Lisa: “All clear ahead.”
Tailgunners Dave and Deanna, #9: “Big bus trying to pass us.”
Lisa: “All clear ahead - everyone put your left signal light on.” (Tells the bus it is clear to pass.)
Everyone reports in:
“Passing #8.”
“Passing # 7”
Lisa: “Traffic ahead - big rig. Everyone put your right signal light on for a few moments.” (Tells the bus it is not safe to pass any more of us.)
We all wait for the big rig to pass each one of us.
Lisa: “All clear ahead, back with the left signal so the bus can continue passing each of us.”
Everyone reports in:
“Passing #6.”
“Passing #5” (That’s us.)
“Passing #4."
“Passing #3."
“Passing #2."
Lisa keeps us up to date, in real time, with any of the following:
“Watch out for the big hole in the middle of the road.”
“Look out for the cows, they are right by the road.”
“Look out for the tope" (pronounced Tow-pay and means speed bump).
“Look out for the flagman in the construction zone.”
“Military checkpoint ahead - everyone slow down, take your sunglasses off so that they can see your eyes and remember we are going to Guerrero Negro today.”
“Everyone pull over to the right at the Pemex, we are all refuelling. Diesel pumps are at the back.”
“Everyone put your 4-way flashers on and slow down. At the big red sign, we will be turning off to the campground.”
“Everyone stay in your rig until Dan tells you where to park.”
“Good job everyone.”
AND SO OUR DRIVING DAYS GO
We are all focussed on “keeping the rubber side down, the shiny side up, and between the ditches,” and staying in radio communication!
NOW it’s HAPPY HOUR!
Even with all the best efforts, things still happen. Here Dave and Wayne are repairing Wayne’s RV mirror after a semi clipped it. The mirror housing is fine, but the mirror is toast! Dan, our wagon master, carries a spare mirror or two, just in case! Seems this may have happened before. No doubt, Sonya will add a spare truck mirror to our endlessly growing packing list!
Speaking of Dan bringing us into the campground, take a look at how cosy this one is.
Now, for everyone of these, we get others where we have spacious beach sites. We alternate between tucked and tight and open beach front - a nice balance!
While in Guerrero Negro, we visited the world’s greatest salt mine. It is 51% owned by the Mexican government and 49% owned by Mitsubishi. They produce 9 million tons of salt per annum for export to Japan, Korea, the USA, Canada, Taiwan and New Zealand. The fields cover 33,000 hectares, including 28,000 hectares of collection ponds. About 700 million tons of sea water enters the system each year. As the water in the pond evaporates, the salt concentration increases. The collection ponds are controlled by dykes and gates - hey Dad, every Dutchman’s dream - looks a bit like your garden watering system!
Guerrero Negro is the perfect location for such an operation because it is a large flat area close to the coast. It has a dry climate, receiving only 1/4 inch of rain per year. The sun and the wind provide perfect evaporation.
The collection process seems just like snow removal on the Canadian Prairies! When the salt is ready for collection, they grade it into wind rows, pick it up (with a machine similar to a snow removal truck) and then haul it away and pile it up! They then send the salt out on barges to an island where the big ships pick it up. Check out the pictures below.
Here we are on the salt flats.
Here is one BIG dump truck! Check out the size compared to the van beside it!
Check out the cool effect picture of our two leaders enjoying the campfire ambiance.
After driving for about 2 hours we arrived at Loreto, a Westjet holiday destination, where we are enjoying three days in this lovely sea side town. Loreto is the birthplace of California, the first permanent settlement in the Californias, including the USA. Loreto was the capital of both Californias for 132 years.
The next day included an excursion to the Misión San Francisco Javier, the second oldest Spanish mission in Baja.
Driving to the Mission was also a revelation - with major missing parts in the road and more construction. Dan reminds us all to put our seat-belts on, “… because it is important that they find us all together!” Love the touch of humour.
Yes, that is the Canadian flag flying on Dan's van.
Apparently the hurricanes regularly knock out parts of the road, but the locals get right back up and make every effort to restore the road. Orange pylons tell you a chunk of the road has washed out and you need to scoot around it!
On the way back down, we stop at a point where we can see the Sea of Cortez, about 30 km away. While standing on the ledge, Sonya insisted that I do a yoga pose for the camera. Here you go:
In the evening we did a lovely stroll through town to see the oldest mission in Baja, Nuestra Señora de Loreto (Our Lady of Loreta), founded in 1697.
The Jesuits built an incredible network of mission from the Baja all the way up to Sonoma, California.
Sunday is a down day with a group dinner before we start out Monday morning at 0800 for our longest drive yet, a 335 Km drive to El Centenario.
Hasta luego (until later),
Paul & Sonya