Mileage: 75,317
Campestre Maranatha La Paz BCS, Mexico
We looked today and we are more than 3,000 miles from home and that is if we take the ferry.
Today we drove to La Paz.
Initially the road was wide and straight. It got really curvy and then it followed a thin ridge. It was really windy up there. Tim said it was a “2 hands on the wheel no bullshit drive.”
In our travels along Mexico 1 and on many of the smaller roads, we have seen hundreds of roadside shrines and memorials. Some are very simple crosses and others are quite elaborate.
I did a Google search after we wondered if every memorial represented a life lost along the road and indeed, they do.
As we have mentioned before, this road is very narrow and winding. Oftentimes, there is little or no shoulder. The road is well marked warning of dangerous curves, painted with white stripes to remind you to slow and then there are the “topes” or speed bumps that will really get your attention.
In a busy town or residential area there are stop or alto signs on every corner. There are signs that say “This is not a high-speed road,” signs that warn not to drink and drive, and signs to wear a seatbelt.
When we researched this trip, we read the rules of the Baja roads. We are advised to drive slowly and cautiously. We are also advised not to drive at night. Driving after nightfall here is particularly dangerous and not for the reasons you might surmise. In the evenings, the free-range livestock, goats, chickens, and cows, gather and congregate on the asphalt to enjoy the warmth. At night, desert animals emerge from their dens and burrows to hunt.
Local drivers are familiar with the bends and twists in the road and they want to travel more quickly than we do. There is very little law enforcement and many rules and limits are ignored. As a result, there are lots of accidents. There are very few curves without a memorial, and many curves have more than one.
Family is revered and sacrosanct in Mexican culture. When someone is dies in a car accident, the family erects descansos or crucitas or memorias. They believe that the place where the loved one’s soul left the body is a sacred place. The ground is blessed with holy water. Memorials small and grand often utilize rocks from the area and contain pieces of the wreckage.
The idea of the roadside shrines is to provide a place for loved ones to be remembered. They are decorated with flowers, wreaths, pictures, personal mementos, and are usually dedicated to a saint. Many have burning candles as well. They are a place for people passing through to rest and say a prayer. They also serve as a reminder to travelers to respect life and slow down.
We are staying at Campestre Maranatha just north of La Paz. We got settled and spent some time doing laundry. We made a Walmart run to get supplies that we have not been able to find in other smaller local groceries. This is the first Walmart in about 1,000 miles. We also spent time this afternoon catching up with family and friends.
We went out to dinner on the Malecon along the Bahia La Paz. This is the biggest city that we have seen in Baja. We zigzagged through the city streets to find our way. We ate at the Bismarkcita. The food was good but the ambience was wonderful. We could see the Malecon and we watched the sunset.
As we were waiting for our food a parade for the advertising of Carnival came through. There was music and dancing. A man stopped his car in the middle of the street and got out to dance with the performers.
After dinner we walked along the water. There was live music on the pier.
