Since Ramsey spoke us about the Mission San Miguel, we decided to reach it the next day, leaving the group which pamed to cross the border the same day. Little backway to Rosarito where we took the trail to San Miguel. In places, the track remained quite muddy after the heavy rains that hit the region a week earlier.
 
 
1. It looks like a volcano…
 

 
 
2. “Baja Shaker” driving through some muddy puddles.
 

 
 
3. Mission San Miguel is quite different from those we previously visited.
 

 
 
4. Decorated door.
 

 
 
5. The interior is sober.
 

 
 
6. The main door from the interior.
 

 
 
7. It’s a large mission, with many rooms…
 

 
 
8. … and a pretty staircase to access to the roof.
 

 
 
9. Gardens.
 

 
 
10. On the road through the mountains…
 

 
 
11. And since it’s cold on the Pacific coast, we decided to push up to Baya Los Angeles for the night.
 

 
 
12. VivaLaVida on a natural peninsula…
 

 
 
13. … more visible from above!
 

 
 
14. The next morning, while Andrew bathes, VivaLaVida explores the area… 😀
 

 
 
15. … before to take the road to Pacific coast again.
 

 
 
16. Another giant beside the track. Undoubtedly one of the largest we have seen throughout the trip!
 

 
 
17. We follow a road sometimes badly damaged by recent rains…
 

 
 
18. … but the nature around is beautiful.
 

 
 
19. Here, 4WD where necessary to go through..! 😉
 

 
 
And…! At one point on the trail, the water dug nearly a four feet deep, leaving only a narrow passage against the hill. Vivalavida engages therein while Andrew guided me… but the road collapsed under the weight of VLV missing to fall on the right side! Luckily, he landed on the rear differential, the right rear wheel in vacuo! I was lucky on this one ..!
 
 
20. Bad posture…
 

 
 
21. A little more and VLV would lye on the side…
 

 
 
It took us three hours to get him out of this trouble. We first secured VLV at the roof rack with a strap at the foot of a large cactus to prevent it tipping if the road continued to collapse. We backfilled under the rear wheel with stones and sand, creating a ramp to the rear. Baja Shaker positioned on the hill as a fixed point and the winch Vivalavida at the rear, it was slowly winched on this ramp. All that was at night because the collapse occurred in the late afternoon.
 
 
22. Baja Shaker as a fixed point to winch from the rear..!
 

 
 
23. Almost bailed. Andrew gives the depth scale..! 😀
 

 
 
It was not until around 21:30 that we finally got it right and had our meals, camping a few hundred yards away.
 
 
24. The next morning we made a ramp down into the wash and back on the road further.
 

 
 
25. But the wash was very soft. I had to take out the shovel again…
 

 
 
26. Finall ythe obstacle has been crossed!
 

 
 
A final update on the Baja is to come soon…