The Sea of Cortez

Watching the whales was incredible! The drive out to the lagoon was along a windy bumpy dirt road that would have caused anyone motion sickness. Fortunately no one was so afficted. Once at the lagoon eleven of us were loaded unto a small boat via a pickup truck backing up into the narrow water. For the next three hours we wandered the waters looking at the whales. This place is incredible, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We saw numerous grey whales breach the surface in the distance. We saw whales mating and young ones. They came very close to the boat and some people actually were able to touch them. Taking photos was tough though because you had to aim at the right spot at just the right time, hope no one stepped in front of your camera, and the whales never appeared in the same place twice. It was truely a memorable experience!

That same day we left Guerrero Negro and with the help of a good tailwind made excellent time. For the next two days the terrain was mostly flat a filled with various cactus. Stopping at San Ignacio the next evening was wonderful. It is a very picturesque town nestled in the San Franciso Mountains (which are home to N. America´s greatest collection of cave paintings; something for next time). California fan-plams are prevelant throughout the town and the small city center was beautiful. The old Jesuit mission there was in wonderful shape and awe inspiring. We decided to spend the night along the palm lined riverbank.

I went to the local market and found some baked goods. I was so happy to find out that I had bought some banana bread. I have been craving it in a big way and never expected to find it. My breakfast of eggs and bread was beyond incredible! We went back into town to look at the cave painting museum. We had a wonderful chat (in English) with the currator who was part of the local bike club. We talked about cycling and bikes. It was great to find out how popular cycling is in Mexico. The have regional races once a month. Unfortunately cycling gear is so expensive because they have to order from the U.S. So Mexico seems to have more of a bicycle culture than the U.S., but no easy means of acquiring gear. We planned on leaving town that morning, but the wind changed our minds. Unfortunately the next day wasn´t much better. Fortunately the afternoon wind died down a bit and we arrived in Santa Rosalia on the Sea of Cortez. It is a wonderful old French influenced town. So hopefully we shall rest up well, eat some good food, and enjoy our ride along the Sea before turning inland.