Rocko feelin right at home
The truck was packed to the gills full of scuba gear and road snacks. I carried an extra 6 gallons of gasoline, roadside tools, and 2 traction boards in case of getting stuck in deep sand, on the roof rack. Most importantly I had 2 of my best friends riding shotgun and co-pilot as we trekked through the desert on our way to Baja California, Mexico. This is at least, a bi-annual trip to my favorite place on the planet. Leaving my place at stupid o’clock in the morning and hitting the Mexican border just after sunrise, we made our usual stop to refuel, relieve and reset before we ventured into the Mexican desert for another 6 hour drive South.
Baja Bitches....y un gato!
Driving in remote areas of Mexico always requires a good bit of self sufficiency and pre planning. As I alluded, I prepared for any roadside or offroad misadventures with the truck or in the event I have an opportunity to help a fellow traveler along the way. This is no different than packing T1D supplies and creating back up plans. For the 5 day trip I brought 12 Omnipod pumps, 2 Dexcom G6 sensors, and extra transmitter all to support “plan A.”. For emergencies, I packed an old school finger prick glucose monitor, 20 syringes and 4 bottles of Fiasp insulin.
We had been warned of a tropical storm turned hurricane called Priscilla spinning off the tip of Baja at Cabo San Lucas and was projected to curve in across the peninsula right where we planned to go for the weekend. With a spirit of educated optimism, we pushed forward while maintaining a dedicated eye on the weather radar every time we happened upon wifi or cell service.
Priscilla the not so queen of the desert!
Our first night stop over to break up the drive was in San Felipe where we immediately broke into some super tasty local tacos, and margaritas followed by the obligatory helado (Mexican ice cream). For those you want to judge, go right ahead….it was tasty AF! It was time for a sunset swim and some relaxing on the beach. My blood sugars remained a bit high (mid 200s) for the day as I was fighting the results of my ice cream choices earlier that afternoon. They normalized by dinner time and I was back on a reasonable track.
Margs!
On day 2 after one of the most beautiful sunrises I have ever witnessed, and a quick salt water swim we headed farther south to some natural hot springs that sit right on the coast. Here, the blistering hot water gets naturally regulated by the sea water as the tide and gentle surf wash in and out of the rocky pools. Just another wonder of the Baja peninsula!.We chilled with some fellow travelers from Utah who were on their 2 month trek to Cabo and back and shared story while we soaked in this unique experience. To our benefit, the storm we were warned about fizzled and bounced out to colder water in the Pacific which caused it to lose even more steam, leaving the eastern side of Baja at a toasty 90 degrees and just a few sprinkles here and there, giving us full clearance to move forward with our planned trip
San Felipe Sunrise 📷Serina Hardiman
The next 2 days we finally reached our friend Ricardo’s place where his crew took us out for diving, whale shark searching and exploring the inner waters of the Sea of Cortez. Oddly enough, with SCUBA diving for 2 days plus all day swimming with majestic 20 foot whale sharks I did not have a single pump failure. So all my theoretical ideas of warm water vs cold water, wetsuit or no wetsuit etc. went right out the proverbial window!
All good! My focus was strictly on swimming alongside these amazing whale sharks in their natural habitat. This is not the place where they are being fed and lead to a particular spot where thousands of tourists from around the world kick, swim and scream all around them. In Baja, the Mexican government under CONANP which stands for the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas) has strict regulations to protect these mighty beauties. Here, the number of boats allowed in the area is strictly regulated, and only 4 swimmers are permitted in the water with a single whale shark at any given time. Additionally, a minimum distance of 1.5 meters must be maintained between swimmers and the animal. We swam each afternoon with at least 3 different whalesharks the size of a school bus and the power of a freight train. These enormous, magnificent beings have been swimming in these waters every year since the friggin Jurassic period!!! My favorite part is getting the opportunity to swim alongside them and look them in the eye. To me it feels as though they are peering into my soul. Again, just another of the many wonders of Baja!
Tiburon Ballena
One of our overnight stops on the long trek home was at the incredible gem known as Bahia San Luis Gonzaga. Nestled on the eastern coastline of Baja, this protected bay is home to countless sea birds, ocean animals and the occasional and brave coyotes who scour the beach for tasty morsels and small children! (Kidding about that last bit!) Not to mention the cold beers and amazing fish tacos! As we strolled the beach at night I saw the Milky Way in all of her wondrous glory for the first time in years. The sky was full of stars from horizon to horizon. Truly a magical space like few others left in this world.
The Mexican Milky Way! 📷Serina Hardiman
Just some of my many Mexican doggo friends
The last day we crossed la Frontera internacional northbound into the desert of the United States in eastern California.Winding our way through the Mexicali rush hour traffic, around accident scenes and watching some poor guy literally lose a wheel mid intersection right in front of us, the easiest part of that drive was finding the Sentri lane to funnel us to the front of the long border line which was backed up for miles.The fact that my truck is listed on my Sentri account and all 3 of us had our Global Entry cards meant that we could skip the entire line and drive right up to the US Customs agent, present our cards and drive right through with no delay. We definitely felt like royalty!
Another amazing sunrise Osprey, just chillin
The trip was, in every sense of the word, a success. A spiritual and mental awakening and reset, a safe journey through the Mexican desert, and a SCUBA adventure without a hiccup. As for my diabetes, everything went as planned and my blood sugars remained stable, with the exception of explained highs after eating what I know I shouldn’t. My supplies lasted and worked well and I felt as healthy and happy as ever roasting in the bright Baja sun. I grateful for my friends, my health and for the Baja peninsula and all it's beauty!
As always, if you have comments, questions or advice on what I can explore and write about next, feel free to contact me or leave a comment below. Until next time Pura Vida mis amigos!
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Another Amazing Trip and I love to read and hear about them all. You are living the life you were meant to live despite the diabetes, and I am so very proud of you.
Lots of Love,
Mom