Heading for the barn

Still in Loreto, 

 The next morning, waiting for breakfast....

......here it is, my favorite, huevo rancheros.

We chat with some guys from British Columbia, they have Goldwings at home, but rented these to ride Baja. 

I wave goodbye to the Sea of Cortez.

And on the road again...

You have to look close, I think this is an Anhinga drying it's wings on top of the cactus.

 An idyllic scene.

 On the way to Catavina, I stop at the tire shop that helped us with Blake's bike on our second day in Baja. I wanted to thank these two guys once more.

 The tiny restaurant where we had dinner that night.

Catavina.....Looking from my room into the courtyard.

 The parking lot filled with Baja 1000 pre-runners.

 On the road again, my chain guard comes loose - I pull over as soon as I hear the 'flapping' as it bounces off my rim. I check it out and see the problem, then look up wondering where I can find hardware to fix it, and I'm parked 100 feet away from this hardware store!

 Bike fixed, I'm on the road again. I get lost in Ensenada, but finally find my way out. However before I get on my way, I find myself staring death in the face!

And in this case, death looked like a beautiful Mexican woman driving a sparkly new Cadillac

.

What happened? While trying to find my way out of Ensenada, I was stopped at a weird intersection and  started turning left and had gone about 10 feet before I realized I had not checked for cars behind me, so I quickly look up and there flying up from behind me is the caddy and the face of death with a 'death' grip (pardon the pun) on her steering wheel and brakes fully applied. I don't know how she got the car stopped so quickly, but it did stop just as the bumper touched my pant leg. Thank heavens for ABS!

As I said she was beautiful, and even though I had on a full face helmet and sunglasses, I think she found me attractive as well because even as her car was settling back from the panic stop her window was coming down and out from her car came the most rapid fire, emotion filled Spanish I have ever heard! 

At first I thought she was saying, "Where did you get your license, in Tijuana?" But then I realized it was more like, "Hey sweet cakes, hows about you and me spending the night sipping margaritas and playing strip ping -pong?"

Part of what helped me understand her is that she was waving her hand in the air as if to simulate a ping-pong paddle.

Of course, being married I had to decline, so I clumsily moved the bike from in front of her car, being careful not to scrape my panniers on her bumper.

I'm guessing right now she is missing me.....again.

But....find my way out I did and on to Tecate where I crossed back into the States spending the night somewhere in California.

 I spend the next night in Las Vegas. I installed on a new set of Shinkos not long before I left and had thought they would last the trip, but my rear tire is almost smooth before I get to Vegas.

I call MTC and they can put on a tire in the morning....nice!

They do it fast and for a good price.

 We all agree that my chain is about due to be changed, but I have no doubts that it will get my home...I was wrong. 140 miles from my house the chain breaks....at 80mph. What a way to end a trip.

 My son, Jacob, his wife Tiffany, children Ryker the biker, and Jaysie come to rescue me.

And I make it home safe and sound.