I took a day trip across the border to check out the sights and sounds of the Baja Peninsula. The Colorado River was found to be dry, but the surroundings were quite enlivening. The passage across the border at Calexico was pretty straightforward. Contrary to stereotype, they did a full inspection of my car. I am not sure exactly what they were looking for since the drug traffic was going north, but it didn’t take long.
The town of Mexicali was alive, bustling with frenetic energy. However, directions to the main thoroughfare, Mexican Federal Highway 5, were hard to find. There was a lot of development, but the street infrastructure was lacking. In particular, an absence of traffic lights. You have to stop at a lot of stop signs here. But once I found my bearing, it was pretty smooth sailing down the highway to San Felipe.
Below is a breakdown of the journey in photos. When I got to the border back into America, I accidentally got in the wrong lane, the one designated for SENTRI (Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection), a program for pre-approved low—risk frequent Mexican travelers. I got an earful at customs and had to wait two hours while they inspected the car.
But in the end, it was a happy day trip with no incidents.
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