Day 39 – April 11: Back to Ciudad Insurgentes

We broke camp this morning, ready for the 200-mile journey to the 4 Points RV Park in Ciudad Insurgentes. We've gotten pretty efficient at preparing the motorhome for travel—while I loaded the e-bikes onto the rack, Janice converted the dining table into a cozy bed for Lincoln and Tad.

Before hitting the road, we had breakfast at the Big Fun Beach Club. We sat at a beachside table, watching the waves crash powerfully onto the shore. One particularly ambitious wave came within ten feet of us and completely drenched a woman sitting on the sand. The tide was going out, and within an hour it had receded nearly four feet. Yesterday, we saw a whale jumping out of the water several times but it didn't make an appearance today.

We both ordered the Mexicali omelet and coffee. The omelet was good... the coffee, not so much. It was Nescafé instant—horrible stuff. Janice joked about tackling our young waiter to let him know that Nescafé isn’t real coffee and tastes like an armpit. I gently suggested she avoid starting an international incident—or admitting she knows what an armpit tastes like.

After breakfast, we took Lincoln and Tad on a long walk along the beach. Janice strapped a life jacket on Tad in case he ventured too far into the surf. Both dogs had a blast. At one point, a wave knocked Lincoln off his feet, but I was right there to help him up. It’s hard watching him struggle with his arthritic back, but he’s a trooper who doesn’t want to miss out. When he needs help, we calmly support him and adapt as needed. He’s been with us nearly 14 years—longer than any other dog either of us has had—and we cherish every moment we get with him.

With the dogs worn out and happy, we climbed into the motorhome and carefully made our way along the bumpy, sandy road back to the highway. Just as we reached the main road, we encountered a sobering sight—an accident had occurred, and the National Guard was holding back traffic as emergency personnel tended to the scene. It looked critical and cast a solemn tone over the beginning of our five-hour drive.

We've seen hundreds of roadside memorials along the highways in Baja. The roads are narrow and often riddled with potholes. Unlike the simple crosses or flowers we often see in the U.S., memorials here are elaborate miniature houses, often decorated with flowers and personal touches—a beautiful, poignant tribute to lost lives.

Fortunately, the road from Los Cerritos Beach through Todos Santos is one of the best we've traveled in Baja. We reached La Paz and navigated the usual traffic tangles, tight turns, and confusing exits. We made a quick stop at Walmart for dog food and supplies, then got back on the road within the hour.

The stretch between La Paz and Ciudad Insurgentes has some rough patches, but we were relieved to find one of the worst sections had recently been repaved. Still, we had to carefully navigate a few gnarly areas. We've learned a lot since last year, and the stress levels have dropped significantly thanks to adjustments we've made. So far, no need to build any roadside mini houses for ourselves.

We arrived at the 4 Points RV Park just as the sun was setting. This is our fourth stay here, and Juan and Pedro—the father-son team who run the park—greeted us like old friends.

Juan had to dash off to his 7-year-old son's soccer game, so we didn’t get to catch up tonight. We settled into our usual spot by the palm trees and the large palapa. I made dinner, and Janice rewarded my efforts by defeating me in three straight games of Spite and Malice.