Traveler's Report

Here are some [very] random observations from our round trip this month:

- Road is in 95% very good condition, some spotty areas of construction in the northern state. Some pavement so new there are no stripes painted on it yet.

- Ensenada should be considered one big construction zone: it starts just south of the toll road with guys placing and painting new beach rocks in the median, continues throughout town and gets really ugly just south (don't know if this is Ensenada or Maneadero - just about the army base & Joker hotel) where they are laying fresh pavement. Road has been scraped down to bedrock, and the pavers cause major delays while you wait for the escort vehicle. One way traffic only. This area is moving (in the two weeks we were south it made about 1000 yards progress).

- CHECKPOINTS: You were so absolutely right about the Mexican army finding their purpose in life. They have refined that skill since our last trip in March/April. They now stop vehicles traveling south, search only northbound. Searches are getting more serious and complete, including ice picks to probe wheel wells. The Northbound checkpoints look permanent. They are:

1. just north of La Paz
2. halfway between Loreto and Mulege (this one looks mobile)
3. just north of San Ignacio
4. Guerrero Negro (see below)
5. PGR check at K31 just south of Ensenada. This is the only one we were able to talk out of a search, but they were busy and I sweet-talked the commandant.

New feature: both in March and this trip we were asked for tourist cards. In March at San Ignacio, this trip at Guerrero Negro. We had our FM-3's, but I shudder to think what they might do if you don't have the FM-T now that it costs $16.

Other: Santa Rosalia Pemex is still a rip off. We couldn't avoid stopping. Bob saw the total and reached in the car for the pesos. By the time he returned to the pumps the total was about $10-15 bucks more. Which would have been more than our tanks hold!

Mama Esposito's restaurant in El Rosario seems to be under new management. It is no longer a recommended stop.

Topes: you are so right about the universal rule of topes. But you evidently don't travel south of La Paz, so you've missed the mother of all tope zones. The little (even by Baja standards) town of San Pedro, just 16 miles south of La Paz holds the world title for topes: 8!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Eight topes for a village of about 100 souls! And they are muy macho topes. At least they are well marked .... Topes also in Todos Santos (using route 19).