Boca del Álamo //
Waking up to the perpetual noise of crashing waves is a stark contrast to the silence at San Dionisio. We remember this particular beach being calmer but it’s a new moon so we figure the bigger waves must have something to do with the tide. We are forever students when it comes to the ocean and its rhythms.
With a lot of work to catch up on, two days seamlessly blend from one to the next. I tuck myself away inside the camper for much of the weekend trying to get ahead of various work tasks. Our ferry ride to the mainland is only four days away and I expect the upcoming week to be a frenzy of new and unpredictable experiences so the more work I can get done now the better.
Now that we’re getting close to moving over to the mainland the same feeling of trepidation that I felt before our first ever trip to Baja is beginning to creep its way into my mind. We’re at the point where we need to educate ourselves in order to make a loose plan for our route once we arrive in Mazatlan but there’s no way to do any kind of online research without encountering fear mongering and warnings of cartel violence. Planning for travel through a country with as bad a reputation as Mexico is a true test of our ability to filter information. Those who have never been jump to conclusions and fear the worst for us. Those who have first-hand experience rave about what a wonderful, diverse, and welcoming country Mexico really is. The latter is why we’ve developed a real desire to experience more of Mexico for ourselves, the former makes us wonder if we’re crazy.
Mark and I spend a lot of time in conversation this weekend working through these feelings. We remind ourselves of all the things we know to be true. Yes, terrible things happen. Yes, there is danger to try and avoid in Mexico. Yes, something awful could happen to us.
The thing is, being in the US does not make us immune to bad things happening. Threats are always lurking in every corner. Whether they be in the form of an injury, an accident, a diagnosis, a criminal, a natural disaster or otherwise, danger is ever-present, it’s a part of being alive.
When I think of the alternative to doing things that scare me, I see a very predictable life that is void of so many of the things that I feel make life worth living. Meeting new people, interacting with different cultures, experiencing awe and wonder, discovering flora and fauna I’ve never heard of; the world has so much to offer if we care to seek it out. But in order to feed that desire for discovery we have to stretch our comfort zones. Facing fear is part of the deal.
“I’ve been absolutely terrified every moment of my life and I’ve never let it keep me from a single thing that I wanted to do.”
Georgia O’Keeffe
There are many ways to convince ourselves that Mexico is too dangerous and we shouldn’t go. There’s one way to prove that there’s more good in the world than bad and that is to trust our guts and just go.
I used to think people that did scary things were brave or ballsy and didn’t feel fear. Now I know that’s not necessarily the case, you can be scared and do the thing anyways. And when you come out the other side, know that you’re capable of so much more than you ever thought was possible.
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I’m excited for your new adventure about to begin! So happy you’re going as a group! Can’t wait for your posts and pictures!
Mainland Mexico is a whole new world. We’re excited to share!
Mas que no manejen por la noche – just don’t drive at night.
That’s our number one rule!
We spent two months in Mazatlan and loved every day. I’ve heard about things happening on the way to Mazatlan (not to us), but found the city itself to be very safe for tourists, who are mostly Mexican or Canadians.
That’s great to hear you had such a good experience.
I’m really looking forward to your experience on mainland Mexico. After seeing Your and Mark’s adventures in Baja over the last couple of years, we have talked seriously about trying it sometime soon. That being said, when we mentioned it to other people, they only fear monger and question our sanity 😀 It’s awesome that you have a couple of buddies to share the journey with. That takes a lot of pressure off!
We’re so fortunate to have friends to travel with! I’m glad you’re enjoying following along. You can count on us to share all the highs and lows and everything inbetween.
Take the old Durango Hwy thru Concordia & Copala to Palmito. One of the world’s rarest birds, the Tufted Jay, is common there. You can google Reserva Chara Pinta and find out how to camp there. Beautiful Barranca Country with forested canyons
Great blue corn gorditas on both sides of road in Palmito itself
South of Mazatlan before exit to San Blas is a chkpoint- try to stop close to entrance- don’t let them send you down road 100 ft or so- that’s where we had some young men go thru everything including wallets- try to stay near uniformed men
Thanks so much for the tips Will. I just googled the Tufted Jay, that would have been a very cool thing to see. Our posts are a couple of weeks backdated so we missed the opportunity. There is so much of Mexico to see, it’s hard to decide which direction to go!