Baja Revisited

Feature Image: © Neil A. Miller

Recently Alan Pitcairn called me and said, “Let’s go back to Baja.” Alan, a friend, AZPA member and photo partner since the early 1970s, shares a zest for travel and photography. We were in Baja 10 years ago and traveled all the way to Cabo San Lucas. Our time on the road then was about a month camping mostly on or near the beach. In the Fall of 2012, Hurricane Paul had slashed across Baja. We were not sure what we would see during our travels. More than a year later when we passed through much of the storm damage was still very apparent. It was a difficult time for the residents. But on the positive side tourism was coming back. The cruise ships were in port and the Baja 1000 off-road race was on its way south to La Paz. The world has changed in many ways since this trip in 2014, it seemed to be a good time to revisit Baja.

© Neil Miller

Alan and I discussed travel options and set a date to leave in late January. Our crossing point was at Mexicali. The entrance into Mexico seemed to be easier than our past trip. This feeling continued throughout the entire two weeks as we were traveling. The checkpoints along our route let tourists pass easily. Our travel stops after Mexicali included San Felipe, Guerrero Negro, San Ignacio, Santa Rosalia, Mulege, Loreto, Rosarito, Bahia de los Angeles, Bahia San Louis Gonzaga along with some smaller communities and isolated beaches. In 2014 we included La Paz and Cabo San Lucas during the trip.

The completion of Highway 5 between San Felipe and its intersection with Highway 1 was the biggest change we encountered. In 2014 much of the road was a very difficult route. At one point it was a one-lane very rough dirt road. This road played a part in a short story I wrote, Baja Fusion – A Photography Series, after returning from Baja in 2014. Photographs from the series can be seen here.

The photographic opportunities during both trips were endless. Baja is a great place to exercise your photographic muscles. Much of my photographic work is just challenging myself in a given situation. I approach street photography by looking for unexpected happenings, staying alert and responding quickly. The other extreme, working in infrared is a slower process. In some ways it can be a relaxing way to explore. At times other situations open up to fill in the gaps between these two approaches. There seems to always be an interesting idea to follow.

© Neil Miller

The photographs appearing in this blog are a cross section of the work produced during the two trips. There were some similarities with the ideas explored 10 years earlier. One of my goals was to do more work in the Central Desert area between El Rosarito and Chapala. This is one of the most interesting desert areas. The variety of plants is something to behold. From Boojum trees and Elephant trees to Cardon cacti and the more common Ocotillo, there is so much to keep my attention.

Away from the desert are the communities and endless beaches. A stop in San Ignacio offered a steady stream of adventures. The RV park where we stayed was full, but there was a feeling at times that the tourists although visible in specific areas had not really returned. Cruise ships in Loreto were not in port. Mulege was particularly quiet. San Felipe shopkeepers were anxious to sell items. Maybe they always are. All in all, foot traffic was light and that made street photography a bit difficult.

© Neil Miller

Probably the most challenging part of the trip was driving the many narrow roads. Alan did almost all of the driving with skill and planning. The planning is important because truck traffic takes half of the road in many areas, and there is no shoulder. The side mirrors need to be pulled in every time a truck passes. If you don’t, you only have around a three-inch clearance as the truck passes. You don’t want to drive at night on these roads.

I have to say there are numerous reasons to visit Baja. During the two trips the most exciting portion was seeing the end of the Baja 1000 in La Paz. It was a street photographers paradise. The deserts and beaches were a perfect contrast to this kind of crazy activity. During this last trip, the desert was a sanctuary. Walking through during a light rain was so peaceful it beckoned me to continue walking and forget about everything except the possibilities for photography in front of me. There was a similarity to a trek I took through the Lakes district in England a few years back. Maybe a third trip will be in the future.