(The mission at San Ignacio.)

Since my several beers and accompanying complimentary Internet access in San Ignacio we have done lots. We stopped the following morning in San Ignacio’s town square and checked out the mission, built in the early 1720s by Franciscans and finished some 60 years later. It is rough on the outside but beautiful on the inside, with carved pews, lots of statues of saints and many virgins. If anyone out there knows who the little child regularly depicted underneath the Virgin of Guadalupe is, appearing to hold her up, you could settle a bet.

We drove from San Ignacio some 110 miles to Bahia Concepcion, a beautiful bay on the Sea of Cortez. We passed through a stretch of highway called “Devil’s Grave,” famous for its many fatalities due to sharp curves (there is only a “Curva Peligrosa” sign posted if someone has died) and steep grades. We made it through unscathed. We dry camp here for four days, just about 25 miles south of Mulege (moolay-hay) tomorrow being the final day. We are staying at a great place run by Marco and his beautiful wife Olivia. They run a restaurant and have been the most gracious of hosts. They have even offered us hot showers in their home for $2.50, an indulgence I will take advantage of tomorrow morning. This morning they gave me free a bowl of chopped cilantro for the shrimp cocktail I am concocting. Several locals drive through with coolers full of fish (usually halibut), scallops and shrimp, and I have loaded my little refrigerator full. I also picked up a blanket and silver bracelet for next to nothing.

I have spent much of my time here sea kayaking and snorkeling. Bob, of Bob and Mary Lou, has snorkleling gear, and I’ve taken full advantage of his offer of a loan. There is a developed reef with coral, many species of fish, clams (or oysters) as big as bowling balls which are unfortunately cemented to the bottom, and the largest sand dollars I have ever seen. (I’m bringing many back home.) The boys in the group love to hit their golf balls into the ocean. Since I don’t golf, and since the brand of golf ball they use floats, it is my job to take the kayak out and retrieve them, a job at which I am excelling.

Today Grandma and I drove into Mulege to pick up groceries for our first potluck of the trip. I knew that I wanted to make a green salad and had lined my ingredients up in a shopping list. Grandma was looking for inspiration from what she would find, which turned out to be green peas the size of marbles. Grandma’s plan was smarter because we had to stop at half a dozen grocery stores before finding all the items on the list. Grandma prepared her peas in a cream sauce and the dish drew raves. Among our other dishes were marinated pretzels, perfect for this salt lover, a really good corn and cheese casserole, and a hamburger and spinach casserole that is allegedly famous in San Francisco.

Next day. We made the drive to Ciudad Constitucion, which has little to recommend it besides a Super Leys, the Mexican equivalent of Wal Mart. All of our caravan took advantage of the opportunity to stock up. I spent most of my time in the cheese section, where free samples were offered. We were treated in the evening to a taco dinner under a palapa and a folkloric by local children. They were lively and cute and we all took part in the last dance. Our campground was a dustbowl otherwise populated with peacocks roosting in the trees and on top of our campers. They are beautiful birds but make a horrible sound, and they kept me awake most of the night.

Next day. We drove 200 miles, much of it through mountains, to Los Barriles (the barrels) where we will spend the next four days. Several of our caravan overheated on the journey and one of us (Charlie and Nancy) had a transmission failure that forced them to be towed into camp. This is easily the nicest camp we have stayed at so far, with a swimming pool, Jacuzzi, decent showers, and beautiful landscaping. The many trees and plants are labeled so I can finally figure out what is what. Had pasta last night with Bob and Mary Lou and fell into bed about 9 p.m.

We have a walking tour scheduled for today and will also take part in a visit to a waterfall that empties into a blue lagoon, ATVing and deep sea fishing while here.

We are having a wonderful time. I hope everyone at home is well.

Bill.