Welcome To Mexico

We officially entered the third leg of our trip... Into Latin America. With continuous media coverage and issues from the Canadian Government of non-essential travel being bad in Mexico, it was a little nerve racking to cross the border. However, the border crossing of course went off with out a hitch. We collected out tourist visas as well as our import papers for the van and no one seemed to be looking at us like we were crazy for crossing into their country. That being said we didn't stop and hang out out with the locals in Tijuana, but rather just continued on our way to get as far south as we could.

It was clear from the get go, that there was something exciting going on in the Baja, and we had been told by friends about the Baja 1000. The longest non-stop off road race in the world! Obviously something that needed to be checked out. However we had a couple days to go to get to San Juanico where we had some aquaintences from Canmore and we were planning to watch the race.

Andrew getting the new boards on the roof with the new roof racks! Wahoo!

Enjoying the Mexico heat... oh wait... I am wearing a sweater because it is COLD at night! 

Massive Cacti everywhere. As if thats not one of the coolest things you have ever seen!

Welcome To Baja

Ill let you think for yourselves how these tracks got here... But let me give you a hint... It wasn't fun. And lasted for three hours

Watching some crazy driving. Just a regular day on the main highway in the Baja... the trucks are so close you can almost touch them as they drive by.

Finally getting into the Mexican life. On Bahia Concepcion

Our first campground that we have had to pay for in the three months on the road... I guess it is an okay spot to fork over 4 bucks.

Enjoying the moonlight

Bahia Conception on the Gulf is a popular spot for gringos escaping winter... You can see why!

El Pelicano!

On our way to San Juanico (Scorpion Bay) we took the race course route for the Baja 1000... this is a pretty easy section... 

We finally made it to San Juanico after a few days and traversing the peninsula on the Race Track... It was an experience! What takes the racers about 40 minutes took us almost 4 hours!

We arrived to the welcoming casa of Barb Hertell and her husband Christo, fellow Canmorons. It was great to see some local faces and they showed us all the ropes of thier new found home in which they spend most of the year. We had a day of surfing! Wahoo... where we were reminded how humbling the sport can be. It was something else to see a bunch of ex-pats slicing through the waves while we got a lesson in humility. But it was great fun none the less and are determined to be as good at the old guys here by the time we are done.

But on to the race. The Race consists of about 300 entries with everything from motor bikes to huge trophy trucks (the stars of the show) to dune buggies, to anything else you can imagine suping up and driving gnarly roads. The first bikes came through at about 7pm and it is now 3pm the next day and there are still racers trickling through. Many do it in teams although there are a few nut jobs out there who do it solo which takes approximately 32 hours of driving. And not only are they just driving... but they are driving on public roads... and they are driving at speed of up to 100 MILES an hour and the roads are open to anyone! Its complete bananas! Anyways, it was a total riot and we met loads of people who were all out witnessing this crazy bizzare show of machoism!

Bike in the Honda Pit Stop. Total Gong Show.

Trophy truck blasting through the dust

All in all it has been a killer experience. We have met Mexicans and Gringos alike and all have been incredibly friendly. We are crossing our fingers that this trend will continue as we head down the coast in a few days.