This expedition has been a choose your own adventure sort of trip from the start. While having a rough itinerary, each morning has been a new day – all plans up for grabs.

Late last week we thought we were heading straight up the Mex1 back through Ensenada to Tijuana. We’ve pushed the limits of the MULE’s gas reserves more than a few times on this trip. In fact, we’ve run her dry and used the jerry cans one or two or four times. (Read: time to figure out how to calibrate our electronic gas gage). It’s all part of the adventure: flying down a two lane highway in Mexico with no shoulders and running out of gas.

We got a little bit smarter on the northward adventure. We started at least looking for gas before actually running out. At this, I pull out the map showing gas stations and search. On this day, there was one about 100 kilometers away on the east coast. We were on the west coast. That made our decision to turn east (after buying 20 liters from a dude at his trailer llantera shop).

The Hiding Gasolina Sign we Caught and Quickly Pulled Over
Emptying the Llantera Gas Can Into our Gas Can
A Wider View of the Llantera Shop Where We Bought Gas

Yes! We turned east — more adventure, no backtracking. New territory. New sites. New roads. New people. And what??! Coco’s Corner on the route? Sweet! Joe and I are well familiar with Coco’s Corner from the movie Dust to Glory. And now we were gonna go there.

The senor at the corner Llantera told us the road was terrible – not washed out like we have seen so much, but washboard for over 30 miles. He told us to put our tires down to 25psi. Joe put them to 35psi and we grated down the road like a boulder on a washboard. Joe’s tolerance was wearing away with each bone rattling stutter. He slammed the brakes on and turned a quarter turn back. And then turned a quarter turn forward and we continued east (after a brief loving spouse heart-to-heart chat). Coco’s Corner’s rock sign came into view.

The MULE reaches the outskirts of Coco’s Corner
One of the classic displays at Coco’s Ranch. Movie anyone?
One of the displays generated as a result of the Baja 1000 at Coco’s

The prosthetic legs hanging from the bike are various ones in Coco’s collection. He lost one leg several years ago in an accident for which the government gave him the land he now owns. He lost the other just a few years ago to diabetes. It hasn’t slowed him down a bit. His mind is sharp and his warmth and wit is quick in both Spanish and English. He welcomed us in to his table and we enjoyed a beer and a coke together while he also told us our tires should be at 25psi. Hmmm. We changed them and he was right.

Joe chatting with Coco while checking out his guest book (number seven!)

I have to say I loved Coco from the start. But I loved him even more when I found out he loves cats and has six of them. After just a little coaxing with some salami we had in the van, three of them let me get close at least.

Legs and the wheel chair seem to be a bit of pain and there is definitely some ghost pain as well in Coco’s now gone legs. He prefers to get around by using knee pads for installing flooring. He came over to the van before we left for some photos. Here is Coco scooping me up for a quick shot. As soon as the picture was taken he gave me a good hard (but playful) whack on the butt. Shame on you, Coco!

We’ll be back for round two, Coco. You can’t whack the badger and not expect some teeth.