Dancing Saddle

This is the last part of the Baja ride and the end of the first leg of my journey. I was very ready to finish, not because I wasn’t enjoying it, but because I was looking forward to completing a leg of this journey. To feel like I have achieved something. I know I should feel proud just starting a journey but finishing something helps me feel like I have accomplished something. The first day out of Loreto I headed towards San Javier Mission where I could rejoin the Baja Divide. Summer was here and I could feel the heat during the peak of the day. Once I got to San Javier, I topped up on water and got back on the dirt. It felt great to be off road again and I was singing again. Something I hadn’t done over the last week as I felt too distracted by other thoughts and emotions.

Some burros demanding some carrots from me on my way to San Javier. The stunning Mission San Javier in the middle of a desert oasis.

At Rancho Santo Domingo I choose to head south off the Divide but still on dirt roads. This trail followed along a river and I was hoping to camp beside the river and go for a swim in my own private little swimming pool. This turned out to be harder than expected. As parts of the river often ran dry and at other parts it was beside the road or too near ranchos.

A random crucifix in the middle of the desert. The catholic faith is strong in Mexico. Looking back towards Rancho Santo Domingo

Eventually after one failed detour I found my camping spot for the night. Unfortunately, it took longer than expected to find and it gave me less time than I had hoped to enjoy my camping site. I was still able to get my swim in and it was refreshing and spiritually uplifting. I could hear some motorbikes in the distance but this did not deter me. I felt so clean and fresh and stayed up watching the stars a lot later than normal. It was a place of peace and one of my favorite camping spots. If I had enough water I would have stayed an extra night. Enjoying the peace and quiet and more swims.

One of my favorite camping spots with my own little swimming hole. I had a great time swimming around in my own little pool. The stunning night sky.

Instead, I went on my way and endured a rough day of riding where again I ran low on water. I was down to zero before I got to the highway but, there was a tienda soon afterwards. There were a group of farmers drinking beers, so I grabbed myself a cider and cheered them on a hard, hot days work for everyone. It took me a while to restart the pedaling again and it was a struggle. I was aiming for Ciudad Constitucion but fell 26 kilometers short and spent the night in Ciudad Insurgentes, where my tired legs gave in. The next day I had absolutely nothing left in them and it was a struggle just to get to Ciudad Constitucion. I stopped at the first café and took my time sipping my coffee. I decided that a break was needed. My energy and legs were gone and I felt a little demotivated. I decided that a little recovery time was needed.

My exhausted legs that refused to go any further. I spent over an hour at this cafe, just resting. Did not expect to find a bottle of Soju in this random Mexican town.

Once I felt better I had about 210 kilometers to La Paz. A flat road and a wonderful tail wind. For just a moment I thought about making it in one day but that was going to be a long shot. I did do my longest ride that day of over 130 kilometers but I paid the price of having nowhere to camp, as the family home I was hoping to camp at was deserted. It was already late in the afternoon and I needed to find a place to camp. There was a little side road next to the highway bridge and so went down that way. There wasn’t much down there but I was out of options. I set up camp with cars and trucks thundering overhead and with the light fading quickly. Normally I can roughly identify the animals during the night. But that evening something, or someone walked by that I wasn’t quite sure what it was. Considering everything I slept well and the final push for La Paz was on.

My tent under the main highway of Baja. Just the other side of the fence were cattles and I assume some random other animals that I heard through the night. Some dog paws over the tracks that went by my tent in the middle of the night.

Again, the tienda where I was going to buy water was closed down, so I had to push on about 13 kilometers without water and a nasty head wind. At the first gas station I grabbed nearly two liters of liquid and drank a liter straight away. It was slow going towards the Malecon where I wanted to get an arrival photo and then on to Peace Hostel and finally some well needed rest. I met up with Anice again, whom I had met two weeks ago. I checked in. Took a long shower and headed off to the Malecon where I treated myself to a delicious dinner, beer and of course some of my favorite sorbets.

My arrival on the Malecon and yes that was one of the many treats I gave myself that first night in La Paz.

I paid little attention to my bike over the next week. I just wanted to embrace being in a place longer than a few days and enjoy spending time with people and explore a town. Thankfully Peace Hostel turned out to be a wonderful place, and I got to hangout with Anice, Tanja, Hriday, Oscar, Derek, Joce and others. It felt like home and I am grateful for all the amazing time I got to spend with them. We went to Playa El Tecolote and enjoyed beautiful crystal blue waters and the attention of some fish nibbling at my feet. We also got to enjoy a music festival with amazing beers and dare I say boerewors rolls.

Playa El Tecolote with friends from the hostel and then music and beer festival with some more friends from the hostel.

When I started to plan my departure and research what was needed for the ferry, I realized I had made an error when I entered the country. Unfortunately, it was a Saturday and my best option at the time was to go to the immigration office in La Paz. If they couldn’t help me directly, at least they could let me know what options I had. It was a stressful weekend and I woke up around 4 am Monday morning and couldn’t fall asleep again. Very stressed, I went to the immigration office and thankfully by the time I got there I was able to concentrate and focus on my emotions. I was very relaxed by the time it was my turn. I engaged my super power and let them know what happened. They couldn’t help me directly but the receptionist there was able to able to let me know my best course of action. So back I went to the hostel, grabbed my laptop, and booked my flights to and from Tijuana. He let me know I could go to the immigration desk there and they would help me. So, the next day I flew two hours there and hoped he was right. Once I got there, everything went smoothly and my documentation was up to date. I waited the four hours for my return flight, the stress gone and ready to head onwards.

San Ysidro border crossing from the air. One of the largest in the world. And this guy is very happy to be back in La Paz.

Wednesday I was strolling around La Paz and I found a dive shop that was doing a whale shark tour the next day. This happened to be my birthday. I decided to treat myself as it was a little pricey but I hoped it would be worth it. The answer was yes, it was worth it. We departed the harbor at 7:30 and headed to the sanctuary check point, and then we crawled towards the sand bank where juvenile whale sharks spend their time eating plankton and growing up before they head out of the sea of Cortez. Our guide gave us a long lecture on how to behave around them and obviously the rules included, look don’t touch. I was lucky to be doing a tour with members of the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN). They are in charge of the red list of threatened and endangered species. They were in La Paz for a conference and were spending their last day on the ocean. I was enthralled by their stories both as an organization and as individuals of things they had achieved and done through their lives. It was an honor to meet such amazing people dedicated to nature conservation. I got to see what people can do when they are dedicated to a good cause. I wish them the best in their mission and hope one day I get a chance to volunteer. The diving with the whale shark was stunning and enriching.  I felt privileged to just be in his presence. On my second swim with him, my GoPro wasn’t working, so I spent ten minutes just swimming alongside, trying to appreciate every aspect of him. I could have swum alongside this gentle giant all day long. I would do it again in a heartbeat. The ocean continues to surprise me.

Some of the folks from IUCN and the stunning whale shark we got to swim with.

That afternoon a group of us went to the Malecon and rented some inline skates to skate up and down the waterfront. The sun also played along and gave us the most stunning sunset. I didn’t know whether to watch the sunset or skate. Afterwards we went for some fish and shrimp tacos. It was a great birthday with some great people. I really appreciate it. I got to enjoy my birthday far from home, family and friends. I would also like to thank everyone for the birthday wishes from around the world and at the craziest times. You put a smile on my face.

Birthday inline skating and sunset over the Malecon.

Tonight is my last night here. It is going to be very hard to leave. Not only because how amazing this place and people have been but, because this next leg will bring a whole new set of challengers that I hope I will be ready for. The nerves are back and I know the only way to get rid of them is to get back in the saddle and start dancing.