After our first whale-watching trip we set out to drive south on Highway 1 to San Ignacio. San Ignacio is in Baja California Sur (or South), another state in Mexico. The town is named after a mission that was built in the 18th century. In the midst of the town is an oasis where date palms grow.
On the way we stopped at a bird refuge where many varieties of birds come. It also give us a chance to stretch our legs and enjoy the Baja California environment.
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| Bird Refuge |
We were treated to a local specialty - fish tacos, for lunch.
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| Taco Joint |
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| Tony, the owner |
After an exciting morning we checked into the Desert Inn Hotel. It's a treat for us, staying at the same hotel for 2 nights. I took this opportunity to do some laundry. In the evening before dinner we gathered for our regular happy hour and socialized at the bar.
After dinner that evening we were treated to a dance performance by the local school. It was amazing to see these young Mexicans enjoying dance their own traditional dances.
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| A dance performance by young locals |
Here is our itinerary for the next day:
The company that we engaged on this part of the trip is called Kuyima. Again, in the morning after breakfast we were taken to the company's office and given a short briefing. Following that we drove to the San Ignacio Lagoon and boarded our pangas. This is another big lagoon that the gray whales come and spend the winter. They come here to give birth and mate. There is another 3rd lagoon further south where the gray whales spend the winter. It's called Bahía Magdalena (Magdalena Bay).
We saw many whales at a distance. Some came close but were not as playful as the ones in Scammon's Lagoon.
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| Briefing by our guide |
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| Map of the Lagoon |
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| Boarding the pangas |
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| Whale Blowing |
After a subdued excursion at San Ignacio Lagoon we were free to explore the town of San Ignacio. It seems implausible that a town like this would survive in the middle of nowhere. It is located in the middle of the Baja California peninsula, reachable from the north from Ensenada or from La Paz in the south, both on Highway 1. In 2020 it had a population of 521.
Life revolves around the town square. We visited the town square to see a demonstration of how hand-made tortillas are made. We also had a chance to visit a very well-preserved Mission Church. We ended the evening with a beautiful dinner at the Rancho Grande Restaurant.
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| A demonstration on making tortillas |
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| San Ignacio Mission Church |
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| The altar |
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| Inside the sanctuary |
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| The town square |
We took a short tour of the oasis in the morning before we left. Around the oasis date palms were planted by one of the early settlers.
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| The oasis, planted with date palms |
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| Water is precious in the desert |
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| Beautiful Mexican dinner at the Rancho Grande Restaurant |
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| The Desert Inn Hotel where we stayed in San Ignacio |
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| Our Big Bus, with driver Roberto |
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