Didja know that in Loreto, the cocks start crowing at about 3am? Didja also know that they keep it up until about noon? Didja know that they start back up again at dusk? Didja know that once the cocks start, the dogs aren’t far behind them? Didja know that you can lie in bed from 3am til dawn, listening to the 3000 cocks in a one block radius try to outdo each other in crowing while all 400 dogs in that same one block radius yelp at the cocks to shut the hell up? Betcha didn’t. Now you do. 
We spent last night exploring the harvor and trying to figure out whether or not the ship
in the harbor was a ferry or what. We never did. We must have looked really out of place, wandering the dirt streets, as one inhabitant came out of his house and asked us if we were lost.
After calling The Link, I got excellent news. Jamie’s beloved had arrived and Marian was getting it ready for shipment. I made an "executive decision" to have it 
shipped to Las Vegas as we still have no-one willing to take it across the border. We were also concerned that should it go missing on its journey, it would prove to be impossible to get it back (and would take forever, keeping us away from the mainland). Papa and Tata very graciously offered numerous times to pick up the bike and bring it to us in the Yucatan and I finally decided to take them up on it. As I expected, once Jamie got the news, he was quite upset, but within moments saw the logic and reason behind the decision. It feels SO GOOD to know that we are no longer bound to hang here in Baja (especially since we’ve left El Requeson) waiting to see if the bike will or will not show up.
The kids really wanted to stay another day in Loreto, but now that nothing is keeping us here, I knew that better adventures awaited. They really enjoyed the swings and worried that we’d never find swings again. We talked about finding hammocks and using those as swings and they felt better. They also got a good couple hours of play and I think that helped too.
The drive out of Loreto into the highlands (and agricultural area) was incredible. The road seemed to go straight up and we had the deep blue Sea of Cortes to the left and
impossibly peaked pinnacles of the coastal mountains to our right. The mountains were so craggy and sharp – they were like nothing we’ve seen yet in Baja. The scenery was absolutely amazing until we got to the flat flat highlands (but only around 3-4000 ft) and it began to look like central Wisconsin. Dairy farms, grain sheds, grasses and wildflowers by the roadside; Jamie was instantly transported home.
Our destination, Ciudad Constitucion, was only 160km or so from Loreto, and we made it in good time. We searched and searched, on tiny dirt roads for our first choice in RV parks but could only find a gated area that seemed to have no entrance. Gave up on that one. We then headed to "Manfred’s", an Austrain RV park that we’d seen on the way into town and parked. The man, Manfred, seemed nice enough, but hovered just like our experience at the Mulege park. It was unsettling, but I thought it simply might be an Austrian custom. As I started unpacking and settling the trailer, Jamie came round and notified me that the fee was THREE HUNDRED PESOS. Manfred would NOT come down in price at all and mocked us as we left saying that "all the RV parks in La Paz cost $30 for 2 persons". I informed him that we planned staying at the free beach and headed out.
I’m SO glad we left Manfred’s – we found a LOVELY park at km 206, called Palapa 206 and it is wonderful. Doesn’t hurt that it will only cost 130 pesos either. The bathrooms are cute and brand new, the space is wide open and easy to manuver and they even have Internet access!! We think that this site is used mainly by caravans as the bar/restaurant/palapa (which is deserted and closed) has caravan literature AND, in the "Adventures Caravan" brochure, we found a photo of Tata (we think) and a picture of "Gerry" (Tata and Papa’s RV). We also found a quote attributed to "Paul and Kathleen Smith of Oakland, CA" so we’re pretty sure it’s them!
The kids are all out scouting wild turkeys, looking for cats, watching roosters and a peacock and riding bikes. Pike hasn’t spied the orange orchard across the street. Shhhhhh… I won’t tell if you don’t… Jamie and I are eating scallops and tamales de puerco (pork tamales) fresh tortillas. When the kids are ready, we’ll head into town (about 4km) and get online (me) and hit the "Ley" store (jamie). When we were on the beach at El Requeson, Paul and Monica, the aforementioned wonderful neighbors, told us of a store about 100km south of Loreto that was "really cheap" called "Ley". Jamie has been salivating ever since.
Pictures are of Loreto and the camp here in Ciudad Constitucion. Oh, and one of the little nekid cyclist.
PS. The kids demanded to stay another day; cycling around the gigantic lot and playing with the animals. So we’re here again tonight and heading for La Paz tomorrow. I’m rushing because we’re trying to get to a folkloric dance. Hasta manana!!
