Here we are in Mexico! It’s been a week we are here and you’re probably thinking we've already discovered so many things! Well...not really. We spent the first three days driving South before landing on a beach of Bahia de Los Angeles, on the shore of the Sea of Cortes. Since then, we didn’t move! Let’s say that when 7 couples of travelers meet, they have lot to talk about!
Friday, January 7th, 2023
“Can’t wait to be in Mexico!”, So we said a bunch of times when we were freezing out in the US or eating another cheap burger. Crazy news today: we are in Mexico. It was 2°C this morning on our camp. It’s now 15°C in Tecate! We entered Mexico in Tecate, a small and not so busy customs. Everything went very smoothly. It took us 1 hour to get our 6 months visas and the Temporary Import Permit for the Jeep. We go straight away to the closest taqueria in order to celebrate. Our first Mexican tacos! We have been dreaming about them a lot.
The border zone not being the funniest area to start our trip in Mexico, we then drive 200 kilometers South to get into Baja, our first Mexican province. This 1,000 kilometer long and 50 to 250 kilometer wide strip of land in the West of Mexico is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortes, or the Gulf of California. We drive cautiously our first kilometers on the Mexican roads until we reach the Pacific coast at La Bufadora. It's very touristic. We have to pay for the parking, also for the bathrooms and the street is full of stores selling everything, but especially food.
At the end of the walkway, the view on the Pacific Ocean is splendid. The waves are gigantic. When they crash against the cliff, they gush high in the air with a thundering noise.
It's our first evening and night in Mexico. We have been on the road for 8 months but we feel like we need to learn everything again. Everything is new. In the United States, we had habits and even a routine. We knew where to shop, where to find the cheapest products and the good deals, we knew the gas prices, where to sleep and where not to sleep, where to go and where not to go, when to pay and when not to pay. Here, we don't know anything anymore! 10 Mexican dollars to go to the bathroom, is it expensive? And gasoline, is it more or less expensive here? 150 Mexican dollars, is it a lot or not? How much is it in American dollars? And in Canadian dollars? All these changes are stressful and confusing. We are stepping out of our comfort zone for the second time. Surely we will need several days to get use to everything and adopt new habits.
In the meantime, we chose the tranquility and the simplicity for tonight. We stay in a campground with view. We park JP in front of the ocean, so as to enjoy the view until nightfall.
Saturday, January 8th
Our first night in Mexico was soft and calm. We wake up to the sound of the Mexican music. The ocean in front of us, the sun is bright, the sky a brilliant blue. Mexico! We keep driving South in Baja. A lot of kilometers are planned today. The road is fine. Rémi is driving perfectly (well, just like usual 😉 ). So far, the road is pretty good. Mexicans drive well. When a car gets too close to us, we move on the emergency lane to let it pass. That's how it goes in Mexico. It's better than the Americans who tailgate us for hours (and pass us with a nice f***)... There are also the "topes". They are speed bumps more or less pronounced and sometimes not announced! Beware of the one who does not see them and who drives on them at full speed!
At noon, we stop at the roadside to eat tacos. After a few hours driving, we leave the main road for a bumpy trail that leads us to the natural reserve of Punta Mazo. The ranger welcomes us very warmly. He takes the time to tell us about the tides and the places where we can camp. Super nice! He even gives us stickers!
In the evening, we set up camp near the bay. There is no noisy wave here. Only the cries of birds and... Pchttt! A humpback whale is fishing near the shore. Incredible! Unexpected. Magical. Its breath echoes in the bay when it comes to the surface. It stays there 30 minutes, before joining the open sea. Once again, we had the great privilege to witness an incredible show of wild life. It makes this beautiful spot even more beautiful! The birds flying low over the water at night, the silence, the coyotes howling in the distance, the full moon rising in the sky and lighting up the hills. A perfect evening in Baja.
Sunday, January 8th
Today is a long day on the road. We drive 380 kilometers to reach the small town of Bahia de Los Angeles, in the Gulf of California. To get there, we drive along the Pacific coast, then we cross Baja California from West to East. The inland is very hilly, with a superb road almost deserted and surrounded by cacti. Mexico in all its splendor! We drive for 5 hours.
At the end of the afternoon, the Sea of Cortes appears. Bahia de Los Angeles is a small village. There are excursions to go and see the whale sharks (in June...), some mini-markets, a small restaurant and especially dream spots near the water. We don't know it yet, but we are going to stay here longer than planned. And for good reason! On the beach, we join 6 French and Quebec vans with whom we are going to spend very animated days -and nights-!
Monday, January 9th
Here is a presentation of our French speaking group. On the left, the home-made van of the Swiss Julien and Noémie. They also go to Ushuaia ! Then comes Cécile, the T3 van of Anne-Sophie and Greg, from Quebec. Then is the van of Maud and Nico. Super cosy ! Then the beautiful van of Elisabeth and Max, a French-Quebec couple. Then we have Burrito, from Margot and Thibaud, named 3 days ago after 6 months of travel. And finally Bob, the T3 van of Justine and Léo. And at the end, JP. It looks like he's sulking the others, but he's just taking the sun on the right side!
Today program: 5 km running at 7 am. Breakfast. Intensive workout with coach Thibaud. Escapade to the market. We go and eat in Siete Filos Cafe, a trendy campground with yummy avocado toasts. It's the only place in town where we can find WiFi. Back on the beach, it happens that fishing was productive. There are enough fishes for 16 persons! Everyone cook at home and we join to enjoy it together and spend a great evening.
Tuesday, January 10th
What's nice when we sleep in the tent is that it's easy to get out of bed! At 6:30 am, we are walking on the deserted and still sleeping beach. The sun rises gloriously in front of us, illuminating the landscape with a beautiful orange glow. Pelicans, seagulls, gulls, herons, there are tens of birds. And even a seal in the water! The place is magnificent, the moment is magical.
The morning goes smoothly. We rest in the tent, read in the sun, take breakfast, chat with friends. We tell each other about our trips, our lives in France or in Quebec, our vehicles, our itineraries, our future projects. Each trip is different, each van is unique. It's always very interesting and inspiring to discover everyone's projects. Even though we are all travelers and have been to more or less the same places, we all had different experiences.
In the late morning, a convoy is organized to go to the trendy campground. We all like to disconnect, but we also all like to have WiFi to scroll on social medias. We jump in a van and go. We set ourselves a limit: 1 hour, not more! In the end, we stay more than 2 hours to scroll (and work)...
Back on the beach and after lunch, it's time to go fishing... for clams! We take shovels and buckets and Anne-sophie and Greg teach us how to recognize the places where clams are buried. Finding a clam is an endless happiness, every time 😅 We can't stop looking for it, even when we have enough to feed a regiment! It will be clams for everyone tonight! We cook ours in a garlic cream sauce with spaghetti.
Wednesday, January 11st
Third day on the beach. Today, we plan to do nothing. We wake up at dawn to admire the sunrise. Then we spend the day reading, chatting, visiting vans, eating, chatting, reading, drinking beers and playing cards. We are even interviewed twice for the videos of our Youtubeurs friends. We will share the links of the videos when they will be online in a few days 😉 The day ends with a "crêpe" party!
This is our last night on the beach in Bahia de Los Angeles. Tomorrow, we take the road again towards new adventures. In 8 months of travel, it was the first time that we stayed more than two nights in the same place. It was really nice. But now we can't wait to get back on the road to discover Mexico. Thank you friends for these few days spent together! For sure we will meet again on the roads of Baja... There is only one! 😁
8 commentaires
Génial ces premiers jours au Mexique… Cette pause au bord de l’eau avec d’autres aventuriers est magique. Que c’est beau ! Que c’est convivial !
Ca y est ton espagnol est prêt ?
Bonne route …
Bisous.
Mon espagnol est pas encore au point ! Mais ça va venir xD Rémi se régale de parler espagnol en tout cas ! Bisous !
A nouveau de superbes photos ! On continue de rêver…
Merci ! 🙂
Mamie,
Hola gringos !
Superbes photos comme dab. Très sympa cette rencontre entre voyageurs.
Continuez de nous faire rêver.
Bisous
C’est cool de voyager avec d’autres voyageurs. Ça nous change de nos habitudes ! Bisous !
Bonjour les voyageurs au long cours,
nous vivons(re) toujours, grâce à vous, vos récits, vos photos… des moments intenses, magiques !
Après le bilan de vos premiers mois d’aventure passés au Canada et aux Usa, nous voici de retour au Mexique, et plus particulièrement dans la Baie des Anges… avant d’emprunter peut-être la piste pour rejoindre Guerrero Negro 🐳 (où on avait cassé notre support d’amortisseur arrière droit)… Mais que la piste était belle !
Bonne continuation et bonne route. Faites gaffe quand-même avec les topes ! Mais JP est solide 😉
Ps: qu’est ce que vous nous donnez envie d’y retourner ! ✈️
One life, live it !
Bises. 🥰
Hello ! Merci pour votre message 🙂 On adore déjà le Mexique. On mange dans des boui-boui le midi et c’est tellement bon ! Ça nous change de la nourriture de Walmart. Bon, on n’a pas pris la piste pour aller à Guerrero Negro ! Trop peur de casser quelque chose 😉 Votre blog nous a tellement fait rêver pendant des mois, c’est fou de se dire qu’on est maintenant en train de vivre la même chose !!
À bientôt ! (au Mexique ? ;D)