This is an area of Mexico that I'd always wanted to visit, but I wasn't feeling the love for the big resorts of Cabo San Lucas. For that reason I chose to begin my journey in the older (and slower paced) San Jose del Cabo. I ducked in to a little hotel on the main Avenue Zaragoza and was given the choice of a basement room for $9 US or a top floor room with a deck for two dollars more. I splurged and found myself enjoying a cold beer and a beautiful sunset over the town from my semi-private veranda. Directly across the street was the town's historic church and town square. I feasted on a nice Italian meal at La Dolce Restaurant where I watched the townspeople mingle in the square while I ate. The town was safe and had a definite wholesome feel to it - though it was Sunday night and I might have been influenced by the church services.From there I set out by bus to the Pacific coast town of Todos Santos. It is a growing artist colony said to derive some of its fame from the Hotel California - allegedly the subject of the Eagle's song of the same name. The emergence of a number of good restaurants and high end B&B's is beginning to reflect in the local prices. Still, the town is safe, interesting, and well worth the visit.
After a couple of days I continued on a zig-zagging course to the city of La Paz where I spent the night in a bus terminal awaiting my connecting ride. La Paz is a large coastal city, and though it offers everything you'd need I had to make my way through some dicy neighborhoods that I wouldn't recommend. I finally caught my transfer and worked my way up HWY 1 past nearly a dozen pristine, white-sand beaches. These places are a favorite of Americans in RV's, yet you can still find spots were you'll have the whole beach to yourself. For a mere $6 US you can camp right on the sand under a thatched palapa.
I ended my journey in the town of Mulege, a mostly fruit-growing community. The sweet-smelling orchards are irrigated by a river that the town takes its name from. It was a relaxing stopover before my long bus ride home.
Safety Rating: ***
Since my trip took in several different towns, the security issues ranged from significant (La Paz) to almost nil (Todos Santos). Overall, I'd have to give the Baja Coast good marks for low crime, but the remoteness and danger posed by water and treacherous roads dropped the safety rating to three stars.
