Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Baja California

December 17th to 20th

Baja California! Sandwiched in between the Pacific and the Sea of Cortes; 1200 kilometers (750 miles) in length makes it the second longest peninsula in the world. Don't know how long the longest one is, but 1200 km sounds enough for now. We get off to a slow start as the rain storm in San Diego seems to have caught us again, and for 3 days, opening the door reveals a scene like standing behind a waterfall. It's freezing as well. All we can do is eat burritos and wait... Welcome to Mexico!

But wait... it's stopped...

We emerge blinking into the sunlight - and Mexico can begin....

Leaving Tecate there are a few reassuringly familiar signs - that sickly sweet brown drink and the golden arches of flattened cow. Apart from that it's chaos....



Route planning however, is not difficult. Today 85 kilometers (53 miles) on Route 3 to Ensenada, then Route 1 for 1110 kms (700 miles) until we fall off the bottom of the Baja.

But Route 3 is tricky. Not since Washington have we hit such hills and our legs have adapted - little stick like things, very fast and aerodynamic for flat ground, but a bit weedy for the vertical stuff...



Suddenly we're at 1000 metres. Well not suddenly really, there's all that slow moving huffing and puffing first and then we're at 1000 metres. And in wine country. It's all gone surprisingly green....



And then we can see the sea... and a snaky ribbon of black tarmac zigging and zagging giddily downhill to get us there....



Riding in to Ensenada, it's funny how bicycles on roadside graves never make a cyclist feel that good. Bit of a warning about Mexican driving skills methinks. Still nice view behind it....



And for those still wondering whether they have left the USA and perhaps they might just be in a whole other country, there's a subtle reminder. I am standing 4 miles away to take this picture just so I can get the whole of the Mexican flag in shot and the cruise ship funnel behind is to scale. The flag poll is over 2 miles high, and the flag 1 mile across - so huge it can be seen from the surface of the moon....



Well not quite, but it is rather large.
And not too subtle.
Welcome to Mexico....

3 comments:

Bob Bobel - The Elder said...

Martin, Great pics, and great blog. When you do your US Coast to Coast we expect to see you in Westerville, Ohio. Bob@bobel.com.

Sween in SAmerica said...

Bob - great to hear from you, how's the life of leisure treating you...

You'll definitely see me when I go coast to coast - thanks for the invite. We still have a Mississippi canoe trip to plan, if you remember.

Boat drinks.
Martin

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