Hitchhiking down Baja California

After my US roadtrip, I went to San Diego, I took a train there. The rail tracks go along the beach and the view is really nice.

Beach along the rails

I stayed one night in San Diego, it’s a really cool city, I went out with people from the hostel, it was fun.

Surfers in Pacific Beach, San Diego

San Diego at night

Entrance of the Gaslamp quarter, historic neighboorhood in San Diego

The day after, after walking aroud San Diego, I went to Mexico! I took a train to the border and then actually crossed walking, like a lot of people do everyday (it’s the busiest border crossing in the world).

US – Mexico border

I didn’t stay in Tijuana (the mexican border city), just saw the city center.

Tijuana

I took a bus to Ensenada, where I stayed the weekend. I saw the city, the wineyards (a friend of friend took me there, it was cool!) and the bufadora, a natural blowhole: the water gets up in the air due to a phenomenon of pressure.

La bufadora

Ensenada, in a local bus – “To get down, ask loudly and in advance”

On monday, I started my journey down the “baja peninsula”, hitch-hiking! I was given rides by a police officer, a pickup which I rode in the back, and other people. It was a holiday so there was not many cars, and I wasn’t that lucky, I did only 220km, and I set up camp on the beach, near San Quintin. First time of the trip I slept in my tent!

Me on the back of a pick-up – With the speed, it’s cold!

Playa del tranquilo, where I set up camp

My tent on the beach

The second day, I woke up with the sun at 6am, and I was luckier. A first car gave me a ride for 25km (and offered me egg & sausage tacos for breakfast), and there a second car picked me up and took me to Guerrero Negro, in the State of Baja California Sur. A 360km trip across the desert and the Valle de los Cirios, with the giant cactuses.

Valle de los Cirios

Gas station in the desert

Border between Baja California and Baja Caifornia Sur

I was in Guerrero Negro around 12 (that became 1pm because of the timezone change between the states), and tried to find a ride to go further south. I waited almost 2 hours and was almost going to give up and look the bus options, when a car stopped: An american women with her kids, they were moving (with their whole house in the car) to La Paz (The capital city of Baja California Sur, 770km south from where I was)! She was tired and even asked me if I could drive. We stopped in Loreto around 9 to spend the night, and the day after we were in La Paz at noon!

Hitchhiking with my “South” sign

Got to La Paz!

La Paz

From La Paz I took a bus (I was in the city center so not easy to hitchhike out) to San Jose del Cabo, were I visited my friend Pauline, her boyfriend Miguel and their newly adopted dog, Cali. I spend a few days with them, relaxing and enjoying the sun and the beaches of Los Cabos.