Andiamo: 1/7–Loreto

Another early morning port call, and early morning wake up. This is (fortunately) our last tender port, and we want to make sure we are on the first tender again so we can get an early start. We have a car booked, and our plan is to go up to the San Javier Mission – which is about a 1 1/2 hour drive (because of the road up through the mountains). We definitely want to be ahead of the tours, so we are waiting in line for tender tickets at 7:30 as usual.

Today, the staff lets us into the dining room to sit, so we are more comfortable, and they said they’d give us tickets later. Ok. Whatever. Turns out, we never even get tickets, we just get escorted out to the tender and off we go. We’re ashore first thing, watching the pelicans sitting placidly on the little boats in the marina as we pass by on our way through the sleepy little town to Fox Rental cars a few blocks away. We’re all set and heading out of town way before 9am.

We grab a few litres of gas before heading out, just to make sure, then navigate out to the Trans-Peninsular highway, and head toward the airport. We miss the turn off to San Javier the first time – it’s right after the bridge, but not marked, and literally looks like a little dirt lane. It’s paved, but you can’t tell it from the road. One U-Turn later, and we’re heading in the right direction, behind 3 minivans. Darn. Didn’t quite beat ALL the tours.

As it turns out, following the vans was probably a good thing. They knew how to navigate the road, which gave Ed a good idea what to expect and when. Like when we crossed a wash out with about a foot of water…

…or as we bump our way up through the switchback section of road that a landslide had taken out and left as sand and rubble….

…or just in general, until the vans pulled off at a scenic overlook (we’ll hit those on the way back thank you) and we were off and all on our alone. A beautiful ride up through the majestic mountains, no one around except the goats, just mountains and a little narrow road for miles. We eventually pass the little 200 year old chapel that marks the halfway point (again, we’ll stop on the way back) and a farm out in the middle of nowhere, then more wash outs and sides of the road that have just given away and disappeared down the steep rocky inclines, when we finally round a corner and turn up into the Mission of San Javier.

Wow – we are all alone up here in the mountains with the Mission – no one except a couple of snack bar vendors and us. Solitude.

We can explore at our leisure. We soak in the beauty and the incredible isolated surroundings wondering how on earth did these missionaries get up here? And why? Following the native Mexicans, obviously, but we are in the middle of the mountain range and it took us an hour in a car to get here…on a road (well mostly on a road!). Amazing. The Mission itself is spectacular – this sturdy baroque stone marvel sitting here amongst the cliffs. Sitting on the site of a chapel originally begun in 1699 ,the actual church was finished in 1759, and considered one of the best preserved Mission in all the Californias.

Crossing into the courtyard (through the yet unopened gate), we get a good look at the solid stone walls and ornamentation.

Inside, the white washed walls contrast with the dark gold of the altar and the painted arches in the hall itself.

Back outside, we’re still alone as we walk around the graveyard on the side of the Mission, marveling at the stone caskets and how they have been preserved all these years while Sunny takes time to smell the roses (well, flowers!).

As we return to our car, the minivans pull up. Perfect timing! We have explored and seen what we want, all alone, now we can traverse back down the mountains by ourselves as well. The drive back is just as interesting…more water of course, along with cows and the occasional view point for us to look down onto the ocean.

We stop halfway down at the 200 year old chapel. Again, its just us alone, and the little chapel is so picturesque sitting here in the middle of nowhere (well, sort of nowhere, there is a restaurant or something across the road now…but…you can imagine back in the day…)