We left Loreto early so we could get to the Pig Race at 11 am. We intended to get to Mulege yesterday but there was such a storm with 40 knot winds and rain, so we decided not to drive through the storm and just hang tight and leave early in the morning. This whole Pig Race was still kind of a mystery to us, but it was certainly the talk of the town so we couldn't miss it. This was a fundraiser for the Mulege Rotary Club, which plays a very important role in this pueblo. The fire department gets its only funding from Rotary, and they also run a small health clinic.

The Pig Race was a total hoot. Not sure the concept would fly in the US (between DOJ and animal rights), but it was a harmless, hilarious, fun event.

There were 9 piglets with numbers painted on their sides. As part of the fundraising, people could sponsor a pig, meaning they got to name a pig. The Mt. Bachelor Rotary Club sponsored a Pig for $500 pesos ($25 USD) and named it "Eat More Chicken" (Comer mas pollo). There were three heats with three pigs each, and then the finalists went to the final heat. In the meantime, we placed bets on our favorite pigs. Well, we donated all of our money to Rotary, as all of our pigs lost, including our own "Eat More Chicken".

Next up was the hog calling contest. They got 9 suckers (including Dave) to stan in front of the group and do their best hog calling. Well, we lost that, too, but Dave made a valiant effort. All in all, a funtastic day with great Mexican food, live music, and a lot of laughs. After spending two weeks in Mulege on our Rotary project, Mulege feels like our home away from home and we've made a lot of great acquaintances.