Baja Bound (Part 4)

This entry is part 4 of 23 in the series Baja Bound

April 8, 2023

By Simon J. Lau

I made it to Santa Rosalía, a historic copper mining town along the Sea of Cortez. Getting here wasn’t easy, you have to descend Baja’s so-called “Highway to Hell.” It’s a steep, winding road that drops from the mountains into town. On the final stretch, the view is a study in contrasts: the sparkling blue sea on the left and the municipal dump sprawling on the right.

Since this was my first time visiting the Sea of Cortez, I celebrated by sitting down for a meal by the beach. I found a seaside restaurant with a view of the water and ordered shrimp and fish tacos. 🐟🍤🌮

My hotel overlooks the sea, though my room faces the parking lot. Ironically, I had made a reservation only to be told they couldn’t confirm it when I arrived. Since it’s Easter and every hotel was already booked, things looked dicey for a moment. After a bit of pleading, the owner canceled someone else’s unconfirmed booking and gave me the room instead. If that’s not a win, I don’t know what is.

I met a man at a coffee shop who was riding the Baja Divide, a legendary off-road cycling route that stretches nearly 1,700 miles from San Diego all the way down to La Paz. The trail winds through remote desert tracks, sandy washes, mountain passes, and tiny villages, with riders carrying their own camping gear and supplies as they go. It’s considered one of the most challenging bikepacking routes in the world.

He was clearly hardcore, and I felt almost embarrassed to admit I was attempting something similar, but on motorcycle. 🫣 Instead, I just wished him good luck.

I also put my Mandarin to work! On the way back to my hotel, I spotted a Chinese restaurant. Unlike the so-called “Chinese restaurant” I ate at in Guerrero Negro (no Chinese food, no Chinese people…), this one was run by a family of Chinese immigrants. Inside, I spoke with an elderly man from Chaoshan, a region in southern China. He spoke Mandarin and told me his story: he moved from Guangzhou in 2001, first opening a restaurant in Ensenada, but later relocating his business and his family to Santa Rosalía when competition grew too tough.

Now, he and his wife live here with their two sons, one daughter-in-law, and three grandchildren. The kids, who I saw running around the restaurant, spoke only Spanish, which was a first for me. When I asked if I could take a photo with him, he politely declined, saying he was too bashful.

Finally, my route from Guerrero Negro to Santa Rosalía (220 km or 137 miles).