Laguna Ojo de Liebre to San Ignacio //
We all enjoy a slow morning before packing up. Adam & Heather spot whale activity in the lagoon, the first grey whales of the season have arrived back at their breeding ground. I feel a tinge of remorse for all the whale watching we’re going to miss this year because we’ll be on the mainland but trust that we’ll be having plenty of other memorable experiences.
A couple of hours spent traveling down narrow Highway 1 takes us to the small town of San Ignacio. Just before arriving in town is a routine military checkpoint. There are five or six checkpoints along the Baja peninsula and we’ve become accustomed to being stopped. Often we’re waved through, most times we’re simply asked where we’re headed and where we’re coming from, and occasionally they take a quick look around our truck. For whatever reason, today is different.
An inspection is requested so Mark gets out the truck. The officer gets in the cab and rifles through the console and glove box, he opens camera bags, my wallet, he sniffs our water bottles, and since I remain sitting in the passenger seat watching him closely, he asks me what certain things are. We’ve heard hearsay of officers helping themselves to items they’d like to have and so have always kept a close eye on these inspections. At one point he asks if he can have the whistle on my backpack to which I reply “necesito para emergencia” (I need for emergency). Probably not proper grammar but I was glad to know enough to get the point across. After getting a good look through the cab he asks to be let inside the camper and not so gingerly opens cabinets and shuffles through our belongings. Luckily with a pop-up style camper, its closed configuration makes the camper not all that easy to maneuver around in. All in all the inspection lasts 15 or 20 minutes before getting the green light to continue into San Ignacio.
It’s a breath of fresh air to pull in to Paraíso Misional, one of our favorite campgrounds in all of Baja. This little oasis in the middle of the barren Baja desert offers a lush setting with towering palm trees overhead and green grass beneath our feet. It’s something to be savored when most of our time in Baja is spent living in the sand. The campground is run by a sweet local family that seems to know a thing or two about hospitality. The matriarch of the family greets us upon our arrival. She recognizes us from last year and is excited that we’ve returned.
Unsurprisingly the campground is nearing full capacity but we manage to find a little nook in the palms for our convoy of three vehicles. We get settled in a matter of minutes and relish how good it feels to be back.
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Good to see you made it through the inspection ok. I think the officer was looking for something he’d like for himself! Love the campground with all the palm trees! Very nice.