We left Tijuana, passed 3 tolls in about 30 miles (each costing almost $4), we passed groups of young Federales holding machine guns the size of tree branches and eyeing "El Cyberbusso" curiously.  We drove past the gorgeous adobe/limestone Mexican architecture, usually painted in warm pastels, and which only gets nicer as the houses age and dilapidate, and past all the handwritten storefront signs, with nary a molded plastic backlit corporate logo to be found, and Maybelle even got a little 55 mph sun.  

As did Roby, in his way

In Ensenada we stopped for a bite to eat and a much-needed buss break.  Let me tell you, life is not easy for a vegetarian in Mexico.

But that didn't deter the ever carnivorous Ryk.  The taco stands are all beautiful, and they're chummy and social as good neighborhood bars.  Too bad I can't even speak 10 words of Spanish or eat any of the food.

Sam gave us a sneak peek at the soon-to-be-released Super Sam action figure.

And then we headed out to the country where all is beautiful.  It's as open as rural Texas, rolling as Nevada, and sometimes even has the sharp green hills of Hawaii.  Beautiful.

The coastline reminds me more of northern California than southern....

And the road (Route 1) is really really narrow.  When it passes through a little town there's no shoulder at all, the pavement simply gives way to well-packed perma dirt.  I was driving The Buss at a speed I thought possibly even a little fast, and a local bus kept passing me like I was hardly moving, then barreling off the road at the little unpaved buss stops, at which point I'd pass him, then he'd blaze by again a minute later.  We danced like this for awhile,   

then left Route 1, down a winding semi-paved road, where we sampled some of the famous Mexican potholes,

drove through a gorgeous little town,

and now we're home sweet home, for the night at least.  As I type this it's 9:41 pm Baja time, all is dark except for the stars and my laptop, and I'm on top of The Buss listening to the surf.  There's lights from the small coastal town Punta San Isidro about a half mile down the beach, and nothing else.  Even the ocean sounds a little different down here, and I'm disoriented to just the right degree.

Until tomorrow.