San Ignacio, Baja California Sur //
We’re met by an unfamiliar feeling when we come out from under the covers this morning. It’s cold. I don’t think we’ve seen the temperature dip below sixty-five since the end of January, and here it is, the start of April, and it’s a surprising fifty degrees outside. In March, our thermometer read in the nineties more often than not, and so fifty calls for clothing that we haven’t touched in months.
The campground filled in yesterday evening, and this morning, most everyone is packing up to leave. It seems as though all the long-term travelers and snowbirds have moved out of Baja for the season, and now we’re seeing lots of Americans that have driven down for a week or two of exploring. It’s interesting talking to these folks as their travel style is much different than ours by necessity. They move around more often, seeing as much as possible in the amount of time they have available to them. It’s common to kick off a conversation asking each other how long you’ve been in Baja, if you’re headed north or south, and how much longer you’ll be here for. I can tell we’re in the minority when we tell people that we’ve been in Mexico since November.
By mid-morning, everyone has departed, and we’re the only ones that remain. Never before have we seen this place so empty. I imagine it’s a good thing though, as it allows room for a crew of workers to do some important fire mitigation.
We arrived yesterday to a somber scene. Three days ago, a controlled burn got out of control and tore through the center of San Ignacio. We slowly drove through town, weaving around fire trucks, feeling saddened by the damage done to this charming oasis in the desert. Many of the lush, dense palms that San Ignacio is known for were now dead and charred. Smoke still filled the air, and small flames flickered off fallen trees. It’s an eerie sight that ended right as we pulled up to the campground. Paraiso Misional was spared but just barely. Today, the family that owns this property is obviously working hard to mitigate any future fire hazards.
Come sunset, another round of travelers fills in a large portion of the campground. Because most everyone here tonight is towing some kind of travel trailer, they all congregate on the roomier side of the property, leaving us with an entire corner all to ourselves. I dig a blanket out and wrap myself up while we sit outside and eat dinner. Not long after, I’m happy to cozy up in bed to watch a show. I think fifty is cold, but the forecast says tonight we’re headed into the forties. I feel like we’re entering spring in reverse.
It might be time to fire the furnace back up.
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