March 13 - Zone of Natural Wonder!

So says the road sign just north of Guerrero Negro – the vegetation is low, shrub-like, no taller than a foot high and with very little variety, gradually it begins to change as more and more variety is added so yes it is a zone of natural wonder. The desert is springing into bloom – the side of the road becomes covered with yellow daisy like flowers, along with lower growth pink and purple flowers, then carpets of red interspersed with the grey of what looks like sage but you know has huge spines on it. Green shrubery, green cactus, lots of green spikey yuka, yellow bloom on the elephant trees (tarote) and the occasional tall flower spike of the yuka with its green buds and yellow blush of bloom. The desert sand is a beautiful shade of ocre. This is all very difficult to capture on film, although I have taken many pictures out the window.

We listen to Cramer as we drive through this ever changing beautiful desert. Do you know how obnoxious Cramer is when trying to – study Spanish, read a novel, do a little writing, just admire the scenery? Much more obnoxious than watching him on tv as far as I’m concerned. My mp3 player broke on the trip down, so what can we do… Lorne is the driver and the investor that makes our lives more comfortable and able to take these trips. So – a big bbbbbullion to you!

The curio (bojum) are beginning to show up, the datille and ocotillo abound. Some of the ocotillo are blooming their orange flowers while others sport a blush of green leaf – they don’t usually do both at the same time. Some of the elephant trees are a golden yellow – others wear a rich green coat. I really don’t think I have ever seen so much foliage on the elephant trees. In the midst of this we cross a very green arroyo with lots of water and a few palms have taken up residence! The road is a nightmare, so many potholes we have to drive quite slow. We left from San Lucas Cove this morning and are heading for Catavina before nightfall….. hope the road improves or it will be dark by the time we get there.

Its amazing to watch the transition of this desert as we go north; from the 6 – 12 inches high and of little variety just outside of Guerra Negro gradually changing to taller and taller vegetation and an increase in variety, now 40 km south of the turn off to Bahia de Los Angeles, we see the occasional cardon along with my favourite fusha tipped barrel cactus, the cholo, the old man cactus, and the pataya cactus. We pass a sign that tells us we are now in a zone of lavish nature, and yes we are.

Up and over a very small rise and now we are into cardon big time, as in tall and lots. 20 km later we are in a veritable cardon forest and then just as quickly the cardon are pretty well gone and the ocotillo compete with the boojum. Seconds later the ocotillo are gone and we are in a boojum forest, thinning to allow the datillo. Truly spectacular!

We make it all the way to Catavina and stay at Rancho Santa Ines. This is a ranch in the middle of the desert that has a little restaurant serving dinner and breakfast and has a few rooms to rent. Very lovely people. This is also the place where Lorne almost stepped on a rattlesnake but was saved my his loving wife. We arrived in time for sunset, but not in time for much of a walk. It was a long day of driving.