Surrounded by all that beauty, staying one more day came easily as,^137
reportedly, the weather was unseasonably cold further north. By
then, we had made friends with the other people in the park. Joan,
Mark, Lynn, Leo, Brenda and Al were all Canadians and super friendly.
We also met Susan and Karla, two gutsy ladies who drove massive
RVs. Almost every night, Al made a fire for all to enjoy. It became a
place to have a glass of wine and enjoy the snacks Joan and Brenda
kept bringing out, and I considered staying one more day.
San Carlos – Desert Camp - 101km
Late on the morning of the 23rd, we waved goodbye to our park
friends and set out anew. As before, our path led past vast stretches
of desert, with only cacti and dry shrubs. Taking a break at an
abandoned trucker’s restaurant, we noticed two hungry and thirsty
chickens, presumably left behind by the former owners. Ernest
fetched water from an old well and poured it into a pot from which
the chickens thirstily drank, while we fed them corn chips and leftover
sandwiches. The little rooster and hen were so ravenous they nearly
choked on the food. Sadly, that was all we could do, and I was not
sure if we had merely prolonged their agony.
A secondary road led to Kino, past beautiful scenery and through the
Cajon del Diablo, an ecological reserve of 147,000 hectares. The
reserve incorporates mountains, valleys, coastal bays, estuaries, and
islands and is known for its rich biodiversity.