Santa Rosalia to Mulege

I awoke this morning in bliss: I had actually slept the whole night through. The last two nights were marked by spotty sleep at best due to drunk rager parties two doors down, a creaky bed in the same room (two nights, different couples), teens outside my bathroom window singing loud to their shitty car stereo, and all of this lasting until 4am each night. It was kind of funny actually. But it was really nice to get some sleep finally.

I hung out a bit in town once I got up and went down to the famous French bakery (pandaria) and scored a baguette fresh out of the oven. So I strolled to the plaza and sat there watching the sun get higher. On my way back to the room to load up I went to my “usual” taco stand and ordered a taco, this time realizing it was a beef head/brain taco as well as soup. So I got that down and headed back to my room.

I had Senor Victor and his assistant pose with the bike, said our adioses, and headed out.

This Santa Rosalia - Mulege - Loreto section of Baja is immensely popular with the retiree gringo set and I passed mucho RVs in the short (40 mile) stretch between Santa Rosario and Mulege. Of course the most common license plate was from California but closely followed by Washington, then Oregon (even with Lithia plates), and a lot from Canada. And none could drive very fast or well. That’s the motorcycle talking.

So I got into Mulege around 1pm, scored another nice, cheap room, unloaded, then went out exploring a bit. What’s emerged as my modus operandi when I first get into a new town is heading to the church and sitting for a bit. I really enjoyed this in Santa Rosalia and the same for here. Afterwards I headed up to the mission and took a short hike among the date palms that fill the little valley of Mulege.

I’ve pretty much just hung out today, walking around, reading in the plaza, and gringo watching. There’s a lot more of them here than anywhere I’ve been outside Ensenada. And I tend to avoid them as best I can. I don’t know why this is entirely but I feel a repulsiveness when I come across them. It’s a kind of “you don’t belong here” which, as you’ve already thought, neither do I. It’s like being on a motorcycle gives me some greater legitimacy or something. I can just hear Kirk saying that’s bullshit, and he’s right. So I’m working on going with the flow that other tourists think this part of the world is worth traveling to. But the adventurer in me likes the idea of being way out and off the beaten path, and retirees in shorts and huge Ford 250s just breaks apart that fantasy of mine.

At this point I’m thinking I’ll get up very early and try to catch sunrise on Playa Santispac – a beach that overlooks the Bahia (Bay) Concepcion. From what I have read, watching a sunrise over the BC is close to heaven, and an experience I want to catch while I’m here. And having a few cervesas while sitting on the beach that afternoon after (maybe) doing some snorkeling.

It’s been pretty windy here these last few days with more wind for a few more, so going out on a boat is no bueno por me. So we’ll see how the day stacks up. Like with many things here in Mexico, we’ll just have to see.