I have been preparing the expose’s and forgot to post an update about where we are! We have been moving around Baja. Mostly headed North, but going slowly and really enjoying some exploration.
After some fun in the water in Cabo Pulmo we went to La Ribera and had an American style Saturday night date. Trinidad RV Park had an all-u-can-eat BBQ dinner and a live blues band. We filled up with several trips to the food, and really enjoyed the live music. (insert blues band photo) Then we headed to Concepcion Bay to meet up with the 4J’s. But when we arrived we discovered (from the other brown VW van on the beach) that we missed their departure by four hours. So we returned to our favorite private cove at Playa Armenta to hang out for New Years.
Pointing North took us to San Ignacio again. We camped overnight at Rice and Beans. Yes, that is really the name of an RV Park! After that dusty parking lot we decided to head for a beach. So we went out to see the beach at Campo Rene and Punta Abreojos. It turned out to be a beautiful, white sand beach with no one around. We had the opportunity to use our TRED system when we got stuck in the wonderful sand.
But once we were out of the sand, we parked and set up camp. We were the only rig around for miles!
After a stop in Guerrero Negro for showers, laundry and water; it was time for some off-roading. We grabbed a portion of the Baja 1000 route at Rosarito, just off Highway 1. This road would lead us to Mission San Borja. The history on this place looked fascinating. This mission was funded by a Queen in Spain in the late 1700’s, populated by Indio’s who died during their captivity by the Catholics, partially restored by the Mexican government and located in the middle of nowhere! The location is stunning, with the huge mountains and wide-open spaces. The Franciscan and Dominican mission are huge, made with hand-carved lava rocks quarried from the surrounding hills. The walls are 4 feet thick. The stones have been chiseled with decorative symbols. The caracol or spiral staircase is purely made of stacked stone. Behind newer mission stood the adobe remains of the original mission built by the Jesuits. The entire property is surrounded by a dry-stacked stone wall that the Indio’s created. The fields below the mission grow olives, grapes, citrus, dates and mangos using the natural springs that are pooled in the rock tubs and redirected through elaborate channels. Near the entrance lies a cemetery that includes the mass grave for the thousands of Indio’s that perished there as well as padre’s and others who died while working this mission. There is just one home on site- the woman who took us around has lived there for 32 years. This entire place is surreal with anthropology, religious history and hardship all surrounded by fantastic remote beauty. I will add a bunch of photos of the mission and the mountains at the end of this posting!
The road in and out of the mission offered us the following highlights:
Boojum trees in a Dr. Suess-like forest
Succulent plants that insulate themselves from dehydration by forming a plastic-like coating 
Gigantic Cardon’ cacti which grow with a portion of their roots above the ground.
Both roads to this location is 22 miles of rough and rocky blended with soft and sandy terrain. We took the road from Highway 1 (Rosarito) to get into the Mission San Borja. To leave the mission we took the second half of the road, which deposited us just outside of Bahia de Los Angeles. As long as we are here, we will stop for some beach time in LA Bay (as the locals call it) and revisit our favorite hotel in town. Nothing like an overnight at Villa Bahia in Bahia de Los Angeles to wash of the dust and grime from the mountains! Then we will jump back on the road for the estero’s of San Quintin and some van repair! (torn motor mount)
