San Ignacio

San Ignacio is an oasis of water and palm trees in the middle of the Baja desert. These trees are date palms, which were apparently introduced centuries ago by the missionaries. San Ignacio is an unspoiled quaint old village, with a well-preserved ornate church (Misión San Ignacio) facing the town square.     27.2836, -112.8987 

I stayed at the tiny Hotel La Posada, which turned out to be difficult to find. I spent a half hour wandering the tiny San Ignacio's narrow streets, trying to ask people for directions using my rudimentary Spanish, and not really understanding their replies. After finally settling into my cheap hotel room, I discovered a "feature" of the bathroom — the glass window was still broken from what appeared to be an earlier break-in. I soon secured this window with duct tape, a piece of rebar, and a board of wood.

While having dinner in town at Restaurant-Bar Rene's, I chatted with a couple American tourists, and watched two men across the street finish painting an extensive mural advertising some PRI candidate for the approaching election. I was impressed how these two guys managed to paint it in just under 3 hours.