TWO HAPPY CAMPERS

Mazatlán, Sinaloa //

There was a war waged inside our camper last night, and we wake up with evidence of our defeat. No-see-ums were getting in through our vent and screens. We had no idea the camper was slowly filling up with these barely imperceptible biting insects until right before going to bed. Even though we were vigilant in hunting them down, enough remained to leave their itchy mark on us while we slept.

Mosquitoes and biting gnats have been a continuous theme while camping on the Pacific coast, but it isn’t until this location that we come into contact with the dreaded no-see-um. These gnats are by far the worst to contend with as they are small enough to get through screens. When we closed the vent and all our windows in the camper last night, I was relieved that the temperature was mild enough to do so. Many of the locations along the coast that we have visited were far too hot to cut ourselves off from circulating air through the camper.

I am anxious for the day to pass. I am ready to get on the ferry tomorrow, and so I do various tasks on my laptop to help pass the time more quickly. For lunch, we set off to find some food on the beach and quickly discover we are in cruise ship territory. Two massive cruise ships are docked at the Mazatlán port, and hundreds of cruisers are drinking, eating, and sunbathing on the beach. Feeling entirely out of our element, we stop in the center of it all and express to one another our excitement for returning to Baja. Ever since getting to Puerto Vallarta, we have felt far removed from the Mexico that we love. This popular stretch of Pacific coast is more populated, more expensive, and is designed to cater to tourists.

When the sun nears the horizon and the breeze dies down, the gnats return with a vengeance. We seek refuge inside the camper for the remainder of the evening, this time knowing we need to keep everything closed. I soak a few of my itchiest bites with apple cider vinegar; an effective and easy solution that I am happy to have at my fingertips.

When it’s finally time to go to bed, I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve. I am anxious and excited and so badly want to sleep that I fear I might not be able to. All I can think about is getting on the ferry. If all goes to plan, in 36 hours we’ll be back in Baja.

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