Baja Rest Stop

That thing up there used to be a sort of bridge kinda whateveryoucallit. This was an easier trouble-spot on the road to Comondu. I made it as far as the section where the canyon fell into the riverbed (which is way up ahead in them hills off in the distance. See them up there? They're male hills).

I went for the left hand side of the road and nearly buried my nose. Hurricanes suck.

Not when you wanna be trying to change the CD in your car stereo...

Oh shit. Left or right? Or... Wait, which way is ... I got really disoriented out here.

Donkey races and greasy carnitas

I got chased (or raced) by a donkey yesterday. I think his name was Einstein. Someone told me about him the day before.

Today I drove the worst rode I've ever been on in my life. I was begging my car not to overheat. Begging the canyon walls not to fall in on me. Begging what was left of the road to hold. Begging my car to make it over the rocks that washed down the mountainside in the storm three days ago.

Around 1pm I ate the sickest lunch I've eaten in a long time (not counting the disgustingly greasy torta de carne asada the fat man in Cabo made me). Today it was carnitas fried in a vat of old black oil on the side of the road and served with a plate of fly-covered onions. Tonight I'm treating myself to an unhurried and properly prepared meal.

Last night I had a frog in my room. It made me feel safe. I like frogs a lot. Frogs and ospreys are both good signs.

Someone hit my car sometime in the last few days and dented in my front bumper. Bastard.

I lost my voice recorder that I'd purchased for interviews but used mostly for thoughts while driving. Oh well. I wonder who's listening to it now. How strange what they'll hear, if they can even understand it. Random thoughts at 60 miles an hour.

Curse of la viuda negra

I got bit by a black widow Thursday night, camped out on a remote beach in southern Baja. I woke up to an oddly deep stinging sensation above my elbow, groped around for my headlamp, turned it on and found the little beast half alive in my sleeping bag. Shit. Black widow. I flipped him in a ziplock, woke up Aimee, told myself not to panic, and then drove 45km up the dark, winding highway to the nearest town (population 4,000). I found the town's little health clinic, checked myself in and let two underaged nurses (who never asked my name) shoot me up with 200mg of hydrocortisone. Then they just sent us on our way. I stumbled out into the dark, nauseous and nearly doubled over with cramping. I'm still riding out the symptoms. I can only describe it as similar to having a railroad spike pounded into my elbow while suffering from a combination of the flu, break-bone fever and the bends in between alternating bouts of delirium and nausea. We should be back on the road tomorrow!

Baja, defcon 4

And off to bed. Didn't sleep last night because the winds off the mountain rattled the tent all night. And the night before we froze until sunup all alone on an empty mesa beneath a mesquite tree and an insane full moon, giant boulders and cardon cacti all around. Visited by a rabbit in the dark. Aimee spotted it off in the distance beneath the light of the moon. It was so damn bright. It was like silver daylight. Now everything is covered in dust. Everything. The doors of the 4runner all squeak. The windows scrape with grit when we roll them up. Tonight the hot shower was so so good.