San Felipe to Puertecitos

San Felipe

Heading east, I encountered the first signs of San Felipe about 10 miles out of town, where enormous amounts of trash suddenly appeared alongside the road. Apparently, the San Felipe residents use this road as a dump. Returning to pavement, I filled up my tank at this self-serve Pemex station, which featured a market cleverly named "7 Lleven."

Approaching San Felipe - Trash Along Road (12/30/2001 9:10 AM) San Felipe - Self Serve Pemex - Seven Lleven (12/30/2001 9:26 AM)

In San Felipe, I walked around town, and climbed the hill to the chapel at the south side of town to see the panoramic view. See in Google Maps  See in Google Earth   31.0261, -114.8298  The chapel was populated by an impressive quantity of votive candles left over from a Christmas celebration. I satisfied my campechana craving at a mariscos restaurant, eating lunch with two tourists I met who were on a road trip from San Diego.

San Felipe - from Chapel on Hill (panorama) (12/30/2001 10:26 AM) San Felipe - Candles from Xmas (12/30/2001 10:24 AM) San Felipe - Mariscos Restaurant - Lunch (12/30/2001 11:58 AM)

Just south of San Felipe, I found this water tower on a sandy hill that just begged to be climbed for a better view. See in Google Maps  See in Google Earth   30.9459, -114.7448 

South of San Felipe - Water Tower (12/30/2001 1:12 PM) South of San Felipe - Shadow from Top of Water Tower (12/30/2001 1:10 PM) South of San Felipe - View from Water Tower (panorama) (12/30/2001 1:10 PM)

Puertecitos

Traveling farther south of San Felipe, the pavement slowly degrades, until it becomes entirely gravel at Puertecitos. Puertecitos has a couple little stores, a closed Pemex gas station, and many American expatriates living in ramshackle houses.

Road to Puertecitos (12/30/2001 1:52 PM) Puertecitos - Little Store (12/30/2001 2:45 PM) Puertecitos - Closed Pemex (12/30/2001 2:47 PM) Puertecitos (panorama) (12/30/2001 2:51 PM)

I spent that night camped on one of the many empty beaches I found along the road south of Puertecitos. See in Google Maps  See in Google Earth   30.2018, -114.6673 

Road South of Puertecitos (12/30/2001 2:53 PM) Campsite South of Puertecitos - Looking North (12/30/2001) Campsite South of Puertecitos - Geoff Beer (12/30/2001) Campsite South of Puertecitos - Tent Jeep (12/30/2001) Campsite South of Puertecitos - Moonrise (12/30/2001)