March 2, 2013 – This morning we leave Mulege and continue our journey northward, we are sad to report the Darrel & Jan have dropped off in Mulege to spend more quality time on Baja before heading home, good for them. This season we have had three (3) couples drop off to spend more time on Baja, Bill & Hiedi are returning with us in March, Dennis and Gwen leased a spot at the Glorieta RV Park for a year in Cabo San Lucas. Lisa and I work hard making sure folks feel comfortable and equipped to drop off or return on their own to Baja, we are certainly pleased when RVers do.
It has been a very windy couple of days in Mulege for sure, when we went to the lighthouse some turned back as they were afraid they would become airborne without a parachute. Our stay at the Hotel Serenidad was great as always, when we arrived the owner Don Johnson was directing some work in the parking lot to cut down the dust, many had a chance to meet and speak with Don, what a great guy and Baja pioneer. Our two days in Mulege included a visit to The Orchard housing development and meeting our friends Vivianne & Maurice and Chris & Jeanie, the Misson and overlook, Museum and former Prison and of course the town. The ladies were very impressed with the local shops and the guys enjoyed Scottie’s! Some folks had Ida do their laundry, as always she did a great job at a reasonable price. Of course we went to Ray’s Place for dinner, Ray & Pam were great hosts and the food was fabulous as always. During our visit everyone had a chance to spend some time in the Hotel Serenidad, the place has real character and ambiance. We had breakfast, some had dinner, other visited Roman and the bar, everyone enjoyed their time on the internet and some even spent some time around the pool!
Prior to Mulege we dropped into Puerto Escondido for a night and dinner at the Porto Bello Restaurant, also always good. It appears some new work is proceeding in the development and ownership is changing, stay tuned to see how this all works out. Many were up for the sunrise, always stunning on the mountains. I would be remiss to mention that Sven damaged a equalizer jack on the 5th wheel and we called a repair contact in La Paz, the jack was really quite twisted yet he managed to repair it almost like new, simply remarkable and for only 200 pesos!
Did you know?
The Battle of Mulege occurred during the US-Mexican War (1846-1848) when the Mexican government dispatched Captain Manual Pinada and a small group of armed officers to take over military matters on the Baja peninsula as Pinada had previous knowledge of the terrain and people. Pinada crossed the Sea of Cortez from Guaymas and arrived at Mulege in September 1847. On arrival he organized the local people into a force to defend the peninsula from the Americans. The US government responded by dispatching the sloop Dale to Mulege, where it arrived in October. The sloop’s commander sent a message ashore demanding that the inhabitants preserve neutrality. Pinada responded with a prideful message that he and his soldiers would defend their country until the last drop of blood was shed.
The American commander sent boats ashore with some 60 men and a small artillery piece. This force was fired upon by Pinada and his small group of men. There followed a considerable exchange of gun fire, including some 135 canister shots from Dale. The Mexicans held fast, and by afternoon the Americans returned to their ship. Having met with resistance, the Dale left Mulege leaving a smaller ship behind to provide a blockade. All this action took place at the mouth of the Rio Santa Rosalia near El Sombretito, a small bit conspicuous peak that now bears the Mulege lighthouse. It is in plain view from the highway and is several hundred yards from the Hotel Serenidad. As you can imagine the heroic defense of Mulege gave rise to considerable public spirit which is still present and celebrated today. Our tour includes a visit to the lighthouse and Museum (former prison).
