Baja Bound 2023 (Part 1)

This entry is part 1 of 23 in the series Baja Bound 2023

April 5, 2023

By Simon J. Lau

Today, I crossed the border at Tecate. 🇲🇽 It was an easy border crossing; there was no wait. However, I had to park and obtain my FMM (similar to a Mexican Visa). Additionally, I accidentally dropped my motorcycle while it was parked. 🫣 Fortunately, nothing broke (including myself)!

Baja California (Norte), the northern state of the Baja California peninsula, shares a striking resemblance to the state of California. Mostly dotted with many farms and small towns, with large cities along its coasts. Four-plus hours and 180 miles later, I made it to San Quintín: An agricultural town, but also known for its dunes and beaches. Weirdly, I’m the only one checked into my hotel tonight.

I was so excited for today that I forgot to eat lunch. I made up for it by having a huge dinner. When I asked my server for a seafood recommendation, he suggested this shrimp bacon wrap. It was too much for one person, but for my first meal here, I felt compelled to go big. 🤤

I should add, both my hotel manager and my server spoke very good English. In fact, I prepared to use Google Translate for dinner, and my server laughed at me. “I speak English.” It turns out he lived in San Diego for 20 years, and my hotel manager grew up in Sonoma. 😅

This is where Wilbur is sleeping tonight, just outside my window! Tomorrow, we’re traveling deep into the Sonoran Desert to enjoy cacti and interesting rock formations. 🏜️

Finally, my route from Tecate to San Quintín (290 km or 180 miles).