The Rivera Del Mar RV Park in Loreto was our next stop.  Our plan to boogie in and out of town did not exactly happen.  Loreto held the best shower, restroom, laundry, and internet we have experienced so far in Baja, but that is not what slowed us down.  

 Rivera Del Mar was at maximum capacity, housing the most amazing, full time overlanders.  We met so many interesting souls here.  It was inspiring to chat with other couples and young families, who have broken free of the web.  Living, working, traveling out of vans, campers, and pick-ups in order to chase their dreams.  Their strategy to enable a life on the road had a broad range, from working remotely, to seasonal employment, with many variations of each.  It was fascinating to see the different styles and approaches, all on the elusive quest for contentment.  Vanlife is an epic adventure, but also an exercise in simple living, and a seeking of the “truth”.  

The rv park was just outside of town, allowing us to easily walk around and explore the area.  Loreto lies next to the Sea of Cortez, with a very friendly central hub, offering anything a person may need.  

 

 

We had quite a few delicious meals while out and about, finding my new favorite Mexican dish, papas rellenas.  A papas rellena resembles an over stuffed, twice baked potato, only bigger, much bigger.  Creamy, cheesy deliciousness, and like most Mexican dishes, not short on fixings.  Mmmm, mmmm!

 

With our errands complete, and a fresh jolt of inspiration from our new friends, we plotted our next leg.  San Juanico was our next destination, situated on the Pacific Coast, almost directly west of Loreto.  

 

I found a road on the map, pretty much a direct shot across the mountains, that caught my eye.  I inquired around about the condition and asked if it was a decent route.  Answers ranged from, “That is the perfect rig for it!”, to “Hell no!  Not even in that!”.  So of course, this was the chosen route. We can always turn around  

 

The road up the mountain, heading out of town, was mostly in good repair, and the scenery was absolutely beautiful.  Conditions changed as we approached the turn off for the next road.  It was a two track, but looked as though it had seen at least one or two vehicles recently, so we are good right??  

 

We started down the trail, stoping at a creek crossing for the lock the hubs, air down the tires, and let the dogs stretch their legs routine.  I always get a little giddy with the anticipation of what lies ahead.  A little nervous too. We are in fact traveling solo, through a harsh and desolate landscape, in a well molested, plumbers van!  Jodi and I share the, ‘what in the hell are we thinking’ glance, and we were off. 

 

 

The going was rough and slow, and like always, the road deteriorated more and more the further we traveled. We have done plenty of trail riding, but weighing in at just under 5 tons and considering this is our home, containing all of our belongings definitely ups the adrenaline.  The cliffs were high, the road was narrow, but our mountain trek was overall, mostly manageable.  A few sketchy places of recent rock slides required the lockers and prayers engaged. 

 

Just at dusk, we finally rolled back onto hard surface into the town of Commundo.  A very charming looking town through our windshield.  Relief on one hand, but now we were about to break rule número uno, no driving at night. 

 

The road towards the coast was paved, but there were gigantic sections in which half the road had simply plummeted off the side of the cliff, without any warning whatsoever!  In many areas the road was still intact, but extremely undercut, creating the feeling of driving across thin ice. 

 

We continued our slow pace, finding ourselves in an even hairier situation than our all day, mountain road adventure.  While not pressed against the dash, looking for the sections of missing road, we were dodging the different types of livestock that wander onto the road at night (the desert cools down at night and the road retains the heat, warming their feet).  

 

 

 

Finally, after an all day affair, we pulled into San Juanico.  We found what we hoped to be a decent spot and popped the top, ahhh………..

 

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