We left Fidel’s RV Park and according to google maps, we faced a 340 Km driving day that would take six hours without any stops. Our route would take us from the Pacific Coast of the peninsula down and across to the Gulf of California.
An early morning fog, as thick as pea soup, rolled off the Pacific, limiting our visibility until the warmer temperatures burned it off as we climbed in elevation onto the plateau.
I was getting used to driving on very narrow roads. We made a quick stop on the summit and walked around the desert to stretch our legs. Another car with three male drivers stopped at another pullout and kept looking our way. Susan had a bad feeling, so we returned to our vehicle and continued our journey. Better be safe than sorry.
We continued south and came across mile after mile of large granite rocks and giant cactus. This is a visible part of Baja’s ancient granite core. The granite surface has weathered and de-composed to produce the odd-looking landscape of the boulder fields. In some instances, entire hills of solid granite have been reduced to boulders, which look as though they were placed in a pile. Some nearby mesas and hills are capped with erosion resistant volcanic material, which protected the underlying material from erosion. In these areas, the underlying granite is not exposed and the flat tops of the mesas and smooth surfaces of the hills bear witness to volcanic ash deposits that occurred after the formation of the underlying granite. Driving through this region of Baja is truly a magical experience.
We turned off MEX 1 and drove east towards Bahía de los Ángeles. When we arrived, we parked off and walked around looking for the office to see if there was space for a few days. We saw Jeff sitting in the hotel dining palapa, and joined him. Christina, Lisa and Steve also joined us in the palapa overlooking the marina. We had a late lunch of Fish Tacos and a few cold margaritas while we exchanged travel experiences.
We found a spot to park, but the site was narrow and short by a few feet. We left and headed over to Daggett’s Campground where Steve and Lisa were camping. They said there were a few empty spots where we could fit. They were correct.
We also met Kristen and Darrell from Surrey. Their son is dating the daughter of a very close friend of ours – what a small world we live in. We spent two days at Daggett’s, unfortunately, we were in close proximity to a fish cleaning station – very smelly – and lots of hungry squawking seagulls waiting for the next meal of discarded fish guts.
We heard about ancient rock paintings from a local. After getting a very rough map sketched on a napkin, and keys to a farmer’s gate, we set off to find it. We took a leap of faith, and set off to find it.
After many kilometers of narrow winding desert road and driving in dry riverbeds – we came across a rocky outcrop that looked promising. We were in the right spot.
We admired the many paintings with Steve and Lisa, then climbed up of the ridge to look around the countryside. We were also amazed at the brilliant lichen stubbornly clinging to the rocks.
We had a wonderful visit to Bahía de los Ángeles, but next time, we will look for a different campground away from fish cleaning stations.