After seven months in Canada and the USA we cross the border to Mexico. The Baja California, the second longest peninsula in the world, stretches a good 1200 km south to Cabo San Lucas and is the northernmost and westernmost of Mexico's 31 states. We opt for the border crossing in Mexicali East. Entering the country is no problem and we get an import permit for the motorhome for 10 years. So we can take our time. After just over an hour, everything is done and we find ourselves in a different world in the big city of Mexicali. The roads are generally not in good condition, the traffic is hectic and sometimes chaotic. We don't want to stay here for long and get cash from the ATM and a SIM card for the internet. Then we take highway #5 out into the solitude. The road is a real challenge and just over 5 meters wide. With trucks passing each other, each 2.5 meters wide, you can only hold your breath and hope for the best. What's more, the road is built on an embankment and goes down to the right and left without a verge. So swerving is a very bad idea. After 70 kilometers we make our first overnight stop with Don, who owns a nice campsite by the river.

We continue south and stop for lunch in between. In La Poma, we spend the night right on the beach and enjoy Mexican cuisine in the beach restaurant. 

In Guerrero Negro, Günter and Bettina have been eagerly waiting for 4 weeks for a spare part that we have in our luggage. The engine suspension on their MAN was broken and they had a lot of fun with the bureaucracy until the part was released by customs in the USA and we were able to pick it up. Now they are happy and after a day in the workshop everything is fine again. From there we continue on to San Ignacio. After the endless drive through a desert of dust and rubble, the town with its date palms is a pleasant oasis where it is nice to spend a few days. It is only a few meters from the campsite to the village square, which is dominated by the church completed in 1786. There are also a few nice pubs, so it's no wonder that we stay for five days and have a good time. The campsite is also a meeting point for many travelers and we get to know Ivo & Evelyn and Jürg & Renate, who have been on the road since May.  

After 4 days, we continue via Santa Rosalia to San Lucas Cove where we find a beautiful spot by the sea. We are in the front row and the view is simply magnificent.A couple of Americans go out fishing in the morning and come back with eight large yellowtales. As they don't know what to do with them, we are given a good kilo of the best fillet, some of which we make into ceviche and the other half we grill. Ceviche is a popular fish dish in Latin America that we can never get enough of. The raw fish is cut into cubes and marinated with lime juice, onions, garlic and other ingredients. Then leave to marinate for a while and the dish is ready. The fish should have been alive a few hours beforehand, the fresher the better. The supply situation in the solitude is excellent and if you run out of beer, there is a small store just 1 km away.  

After five relaxing days, we continue 50 km to Mulege, a small town situated on a river estuary. We replenish our supplies and head to a campsite just outside the town center. We had been here once before in 2017 and celebrated a wonderful Christmas with other travelers. But it's still a little early shortly after St. Nicholas Day and we don't like the place as much as we did back then. That's why, after one night, we drive a few kilometers further to Santispac Beach. All the places there are already taken, but there is still Playa Punta Piedrita at the back. Fewer people go there and we find a nice spot right on the beach. Unfortunately, a very strong wind comes up the next morning and is supposed to last for the next 24 hours. Sitting outside is only possible to a limited extent and we are practically sandblasted by the very strong gusts. 

At night we are plagued by an upset stomach and in the morning the wind has lost none of its strength. We pack up and try Playa Requeson 20 kilometers further on. It is picturesquely situated on a headland and therefore attracts many travelers. But one kilometer further to the right is the small bay of La Perla with palapas to protect us from the sun and wind. We make ourselves at home there and even find a spot for the hammock. The next morning, the wind is history and nothing stands in the way of a multi-day beach vacation. There are good facilities in the middle of nowhere. Every day, a few locals come by and offer freshly caught fish, scallops and shrimps. Next to us are Sabine and Benny from Germany, who live in California. Later we are joined by Max and Marion from Switzerland, who live in Canada for over 30 years. 

The days go by, the sky is steel blue, the water crystal clear and the company with Sabine & Benny and Marion & Max very nice. Before we know it, it's Christmas. The evening before, we make ourselves a Christmas tree and on Christmas Eve the six of us prepare a sumptuous feast with Karin's chestnut cream soup as a starter. For the main course, Max brought elk fillets and served them with spaetzle with morel cream sauce and red cabbage. For dessert, a caramel flan from Sabine & Benny and a Linzer torte from Karin. A truly delicious meal in the middle of nowhere. 

After more than two weeks, we say goodbye to our beautiful beach and set off for the next bay together with Max & Marion. But first we have to replenish our supplies and do some laundry in Loreto. We stay there for two nights and enjoy eating in a restaurant again and strolling through the pretty town. 

Not far from Loreto, we spend a night in Juncalito Bay and meet Linda & John from Alaska, who we have known since 2014 and with whom we meet up from time to time. The two of them escape the winter in the cold north every year and spend the winter in Mexico. We celebrated New Year's Eve 2017 and 2018 on the beach, but this time a strong wind was blowing and so we drove on the next morning.

Our destination is the neighboring bay of Puerto Agua Verde. To get there, however, we had to drive 40 km along a stony track. After the last 2 weeks in La Perla, we weren't sure whether we would find anything comparable again, but we weren't disappointed in this bay. Sheltered from the wind with crystal clear water and a spot in the front row. Another place where you don't really want to leave. We have bought beef fillet for New Year's Eve and make a delicious New Year's Eve menu from it. At 16:00 local time, we toast the New Year for the first time with Aperol Spritz. However, we don't last until midnight and go to bed at 22:00. 

We stay on the beautiful beach for the first two weeks of the new year. Max and Marion, as well as the local fishermen, provide us with fresh fish and so ceviche and fish fillets are on the menu almost every day. From time to time, we take a walk along the beach to the next bay and make a little turnover in the two small restaurants and the supermarket. We go out to sea in Max & Marion's kayak and get very close to a group of dolphins. Otherwise, we practise doing nothing and have a good time. 

In mid-January we'll be heading south. As always, you'll find out what we're living there in the next blog. Until then, enjoy reading and looking at the pictures.