Date trees¿

thank god we are nearly out of the Vizquaino desert. Both of us love the desert, but we finally entered a desert devoid of any vegetation other than small brush, and full of traffic on a highway with absolutely no shoulder. The desert started off beautiful, with the largest cactus we´ve ever seen; the Cardon Cactus. Even more beautiful was the strange, Boojum Tree. Boojum is apparently a name taken from a Dr Seuss book, and the name is fitting. The trees look like carrots planted into the ground upside down, with a cool tuft of Orange hair on the peak. Very strange. Very cool. Even the Spanish name, Cirios is fitting. Cirios=candle. The trees could look like a candle with the leavs on top being the flame. Either name works, and we´ve found ourselves fascinated with the flawless naming of the trees. Well, these trees filled a beautiful valley and Biosphere Reserve (think national park in Mexico) that extended for miles. Nothing but massive cacti, these Cirios trees, and mountains in the background. This section of the desert was beautiful, but after all this vegetation left, we found ourselves fixated on the semi trucks and our incessent swearing directed toward them.

Our cycling friends Hannah and Mike have split with us here in San Ignacio. We need a day off and they are in a push to see the Sea of Cortez for the first time. Luckily for us, this is the best possible spot for a zero day, finally off the highway, a tiny town with a 200 year old church, proper square plaza, huge trees, a LAKE!!! to swim in, date and palm trees. Luckily this place turned into the oasis that everyone told is it would.

Time for a couple of tacos, sneak out of town and camp near the volcanoes.

Hasta pronto