Baja Divide 2018: Catavina to San Jose de Commondu,10-14Jan.

I think I met more bikepackers during my rest day at Catavina than anywhere else on the route. As well as Max and Willow, with whom I had only a brief conversation, there was Mike the photographer from UK; the Dutch couple; and a group of 5 or 6 riding together. I think they were from the Mexican mainland but they looked like Americans. Apparently they ran into mud after Nuevo Odisea and had to turn back and ride down the highway.

I was feeling rested after my stay at Mission Santa Maria in Catavina but still looking at skipping further south on the route. The weather looked better further south and it would put me within riding distance of La Paz in the the time that I had. The next morning I hitched a ride with a semi heading south on Mex1. It was the Dutch couple that arranged the ride with the truck driver as their spanish was much better than mine. I happily tagged along. Raúl, the driver, took me all the way to Vizcaino.

I had heard that the section that dipped down to the coast after Vizcaino was very sandy so I rode straight down to San Ignacio on the road and stayed at the Rice'n'Beans Motel. Great hospitality, WiFi, and they take Visa.
The next morning Friday, January the 12th, I rode through the San Ignacio oasis. I visited the Mission, got my supplies, hung out in the Plaza for awhile then rode south towards the San Ignacio Laguna where the Grey Whales calve. There was a store about 15k up the road and three bikepackers were there. I stopped. This is where I met Tony, Tony and Mark. We rode on together and camped about 10k out of El Datil.

From El Datil we headed south past La Ballena onto the alternate route as the web page indicated the road to Mulegé was very strenuous and storm damaged.  We stopped for lunch at The Scorpion Motel in a fishing village and from there were on paved road heading south along the coast. Once we reached the track that cuts east to La Purisma the sun was setting so we rode up the hill and camped.
The next day we got back on the route at San Isidro and rode to San Jose de Commondu. This was double track mountainous terrain and lots of coyotes at night so I was happy to be riding with Tony, Tony and Mark.