Mexico Day 132: Kindred spirits

San Ignacio, Baja California Sur to Bahia de Los Angeles, Baja California  //

Once again, the campground clears out this morning, and we’re the last to leave. Andreas, the owner, bids us farewell, to which I reply that we’ll see him in December. Paraiso Misional has become a favorite stop anytime we’re passing through San Ignacio, and I really look forward to our return.

Another must-stop for us is at the best taco stand in all of Baja, which is on today’s route. Passing through the town of Guerrero Negro is always a highlight for us, thanks to Tacos El Muelle. Today’s lunch is exactly what we’ve come to expect…fish taco perfection.

From Guerrero Negro onward, Highway 1 is a patchwork of potholes so bad that semi-truck traffic is moving at about 15 mph. Whatever Google calculates for travel time along this stretch of highway should be entirely disregarded. Driving 65 mph on pavement that looks like Swiss cheese would be hazardous to your health and detrimental to your vehicle.

In trying to decide where to call home for the night, we learn that Morgan & Marc, our new friends from Agua Verde, are on their way to Bahia de Los Angeles. Since that option was already on the table for us, the choice is easy. We arrive at the beach just moments after them, and it feels good to be back at this gorgeous location. After getting settled in a nice spot a few steps from the water, more of Morgan & Marc’s friends arrive. At sunset, we circle our chairs and get to know Jim from Utah and Tim & Mary Lynne from Wyoming. Thanks to some great senses of humor, a roar of laughter surges from our campsite several times over.

Many years ago, when I dreamt of traveling to Baja, I never would have guessed that my favorite thing about this place (and there’s a lot to love) would be the people that we meet. Baja has a way of attracting adventurous, kind, free-spirited, outdoor-loving people that feel like kindred spirits. Of all the things I love about this place, that fact alone is what will keep us coming back again and again.

I can’t think of a better way to spend our second-to-last night in Mexico.