This past weekend, the SCORE Baja 500 took place...without me. In the line of duty as a contributing editor to Off-Road Magazine, I've made several trips to Baja to cover off-road racing.
The last time I went to Baja was for the 2006 Baja 1000. It was a fairly smooth trip in the sense that we made it there and back without having anything stolen, without getting pulled over and roughed up by thugs or corrupt police officers. The only thing I lost was about three nights' worth of sleep.
Mexico's drug war has escalated since that time, and the news is rife with reports of theft, murders, and kidnappings. I've stayed away.
Long story short: all my memories of Baja up to now are good ones, and I'd like to keep it that way.
When things mellow out down there, I'd love to go back again. I've said that before, and I'm saying it again. While the focus of my previous trips has been off-road racing, I know from reading guidebooks and by talking to Phil that Baja is just as full of trails for 4x4 exploring as it is full of high-speed racing routes. Here's hoping...