Well, yesterday and today clinched Juncalito Beach as both Steve`s and my favorite place on the Baja. Monday the wind died down, and we awoke to a calm, glassy sea. We took the kayak out and had a great time kayaking over to a little island and doing some snorkeling. Not as many fish as I`d hoped, but lots and lots of starfish in all sizes, colors, and configurations. My favorite was a white one with orange dots, studded with clove-like black bumps. I also saw a rockfish ( ? ). Very ugly in a very cool way, camoflauged and blnding almost perfectly with the rocks he was hudled up against. So yesterday, we decided to go out again and explore farther along the coast. As we got out a little ways past the island, we started seeing whale spouts, then whale backs, and decided to kayak out closer to them. There were three or four other boats out there, just driftng, motors off, watching the whales as well. These were blue whales and finback whales, and they made the grey whales we`d seen look like pipsqueaks. One got pretty close--30 or 40 yards from us--and then surfaced and rubbed against one of the other boats nearby. One of them was so long that we thought at first it was two whales, not one--it had to be a city block long. Blue whales are the largest creatures on earth. To sit out there in our kayak, surrounded by water and silence, except for the breathing of the whales, is a feeling beynd descripton. Magical. Humbling. Magnificent. I felt honored to be in their presence, corny as that sounds.
Then, this morning, after we had packed up and we were standing on the beach saying our goodbys to Len and Betty Kerr, our friends from B.C. whom we keep running into), there was a flurry in the water just offshore. We looked to see what the commotion was abut, and saw five or six dolphins, including a mother and baby swimming together. We must have watched them for ten minutes before they slowly swam away, looking for fish and followed by a flotilla of pelicans hoping to get in on the action.
We are now back in beautiful Lareto and will staay for two nights. I`m trying to get a dive in tomorrow, but it`s only a maybe. I`m having a hard time hooking up with a dive shop that has a tour going out tomorrow. One guy is supposed to get back to me, so I`m keping my fingers crossed. If it dosn{t work out, my last chance will be Mulage, where we`re headed after this.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Juncalito Beach II
It’s Saturday, not sure of the date, maybe February 24th? We are camped on Juncalito Beach, a little south of Lareto. There’s a little island out in the bay we want to kayak to, but the wind came up this morning, so it’s a no-go, at least for today and probably not for a few days. The wind on these beaches seems to come in 3-day spurts. There are about 20 RVs camped here, most of whom have been here for several months or more. The couple next to us came down at Thanksgiving. They have a big 5th wheel, a little red rubber boat like the one we used to have, and two huge Golden retrievers named Keeley and Gunnar. There are no services at all on this particular beach—no sewer, water, or electricity—but the people who stay here hae it down to a science. Most of the have an array of solar panels to charge up their batteries for electricity, as well as large holding tanks for water and sewer. Some have elaborate (and expensive!) reverse osmosis systems to process bad water, even sea water, into drinking water. There is a “real” campground a mile or to away, not on the beach, where you can go are dump your black water tanks and fill up with water for about $7, so a lot of folks do that every couple of weeks. The RV a couple of sites down from us have a satellite system and internet service. For $15 a month, they will route your laptop into their system so you don’t have to go into town to connect. We gave them a couple of bucks to cover the time we’re here, so I’m typing this as I watch the waves on the beach out of the front window and the hummingbirds at my feeder out the back. Not long after we arrived here yesterday and got set up, a young woman drove down the beach in a battered pick-up with her little boy and girl She was taking orders for her homemade tamales, to be delivered hot and fresh “Domingo tardes” (Sunday afternoon). The price was 8 pesos (about 80 cents) apiece. We ordered 3 chicken and 3 beef, so there’s Sunday dinner.
We will probably head to Lareto on Monday or Tuesday. I’m hoping to dive either there or Mulage. My dive in La Paz didn’t work out. The evening before I was to dive, I came down with a head cold, including a badly plugged ear. You can’t dive with a plugged ear—it’s not only very painful, you can burst an eardrum—so I had to cancel. It’s almost better now, so I ought to be good to go in a couple of days.
We will probably head to Lareto on Monday or Tuesday. I’m hoping to dive either there or Mulage. My dive in La Paz didn’t work out. The evening before I was to dive, I came down with a head cold, including a badly plugged ear. You can’t dive with a plugged ear—it’s not only very painful, you can burst an eardrum—so I had to cancel. It’s almost better now, so I ought to be good to go in a couple of days.
Lotsa Pics
Click on the pictures for a better view:
This is Ellie’s favorite thing to do. It’s also her first cattle tank in Mexico.
A little ranch located at the end of a canyon we biked up.
The View of Cabo San Lucas Bay from the COSTCO parking lot
The little things that make life worthwhile
Turtle crossing. No cars allowed
This is hole 6 of the Los Cerritos Beach Golf Course. It has an avid membership that play every day and keep the ‘greens’ in excellent condition.
FORE! People arrive to stay at Los Cerritos Beach as early as October (from Moab) and stay as long as 6 months (Salt Spring Island British Columbia).
There were about 8 whales very close to the shore. We were told they come here to rub the barnacles off.
The whales were only about 50 to 100 feet away. Sandy would have jumped in if the waves hadn’t been so big.
That’s a whale in that wave.
Los Cerritos Beach a surfer’s favorite
Our neighbor Randy, from Sandy, Utah, offered to let us use his Boogie Boards but, alas, it was cold and windy on the appointed day.
There were lots of people with new kinds of equipment which would let them fly over the waves.
Vultures sitting on cactus just like in the movies
Shut up Franks. Next to the Hotel California a big landmark in Todos Santos. We ate burgers and watched a John Wayne movie in Spanish.
This is Ellie’s favorite thing to do. It’s also her first cattle tank in Mexico.
A little ranch located at the end of a canyon we biked up.
The View of Cabo San Lucas Bay from the COSTCO parking lot
The little things that make life worthwhile
Turtle crossing. No cars allowed
This is hole 6 of the Los Cerritos Beach Golf Course. It has an avid membership that play every day and keep the ‘greens’ in excellent condition.
FORE! People arrive to stay at Los Cerritos Beach as early as October (from Moab) and stay as long as 6 months (Salt Spring Island British Columbia).
There were about 8 whales very close to the shore. We were told they come here to rub the barnacles off.
The whales were only about 50 to 100 feet away. Sandy would have jumped in if the waves hadn’t been so big.
That’s a whale in that wave.
Los Cerritos Beach a surfer’s favorite
Our neighbor Randy, from Sandy, Utah, offered to let us use his Boogie Boards but, alas, it was cold and windy on the appointed day.
There were lots of people with new kinds of equipment which would let them fly over the waves.
Vultures sitting on cactus just like in the movies
Shut up Franks. Next to the Hotel California a big landmark in Todos Santos. We ate burgers and watched a John Wayne movie in Spanish.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
El Tecolote II
Steve missed the Sea of Cortez, so we packed up yesterday and headed back to Playa el Tecolote, near La Paz. I was sorry to leave our mountain campsite--there wer a couple of hikes I still wanted to do, but it´s a place we would definitely come back to if and when we come back to the Baja. We will only be here a few days this time--it´s time to start a slow meander back north, revisiting some of our favorite places and checking out some of the ones we passed up on the way down. I´m in La Paz today dropping off laundry and getting some groceries. I also arranged to go scuba diving tomorrow. The dive sites are out by Isla Espiritu Sancto, where we took the boat tour to the sea lion colony. There is a shipwreck out there that we may dive, plus three other ships that were deliberately sunki to make a reef. We may dive at the sea lion colony as well--won´t know until tomorrow. Steve stayed out at the beach, and is planning on doing some sea kayaking or mountain biking while I´m in town.
Today is the last day of Carnival in La Paz--the equivalent of Mardi Gras. The malecon is lined with vendors, game and food booths, with a large grandstand set up for music. It´s kind of a zoo, but also kind of fun.
Today is the last day of Carnival in La Paz--the equivalent of Mardi Gras. The malecon is lined with vendors, game and food booths, with a large grandstand set up for music. It´s kind of a zoo, but also kind of fun.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Cabo San Lucas and Rancho Verde
Sunday, February 18, 2007
We hadn’t heard anything good about Cabo San Lucas except the Costco store and the Vagabundos del Mar RV Park, so we decided to check it out by car before committing ourselves to camping there. Good thing we did! The drive there was very slow, over mountains and behind big trucks.The RV Park was well-groomed and beautifully landscaped, but other than that, it was like being in a stateside trailer park—teeny sites and RVs lined up with almost no space between them. No thanks! The harbor at Cabo San Lucas is beautiful, but marred by high rise hotels and resorts that block the view of the water. We didn’t go into the downtown tourist area, since Steve is not a big fan of that kind of shopping, or any kind for that matter.
I am only slightly embarrassed to say we enjoyed Costco immensely. It is set up just exactly like the ones in the US, so we knew where to find everything, even though all the signs were in Spanish. All the DVDs had Spanish titles—Pantera Rosa (The Pinik Panther) and Los Simpsons. We were going to buy one if it had been dubbed in Spanish, but no, they were the regular English versions with Spanish subtitles. The books were mostly in Spanish, though, including all the Harry Potters. I looked for some baby books for Jackson in Spanish, but they didn’t have any. There were also lots of local products—torta rolls, chocolate flan instead of 3-layer chocolate cake, and a whole aisle of jumbo-size cans of chili peppers. The food court surprised me—I thought it would have Mexican food, but no—the offerings were just like the ones at home—pizza and hot dogs and very berry sundaes.
So, we decided to pass on camping in Cabo, and instead, headed back toward LaPaz to drop down to Los Bariles on the Sea of Cortez side. On the way, we got sidetracked, and haven’t made it there yet. We stopped for a “quick overnight” at Rancho Verde RV Haven, in the mountains about 20 miles from Los Bariles, and fell in love with the place. The campsites are huge, with lots of trees and greenery. There are about 15 sites total in the park, and only 3 others are occupied—we can’t even see our neighbors from our spot. Right outside our picture window is a little tree, where I’ve suspended my bird feeders and speared chunks of oranges on the branches. We get orioles and hummingbirds galore, and the other birds are beginning to find us too. The hooded orioles are probably my favorites so far. They are bright yellow-orange in color, with black and white wings and tail, and an elegant, velvet black mask that extends like a bib under their chins. They have a sweet tooth, I mean beak, and love the oranges. They also raid the hummingbird feeder for nectar, but have a hard go of it because their beaks are too big to get all the way in to effectively suck out the nectar, so they have to content themselves with little sips at a time.
There are miles and miles of dirt roads and hiking trails here, which we’ve only barely begun to explore. We’ve heard from some others camped here (yep, more Canadians) that Los Bariles is very expensive and not that great, so we’re going in by car today to check it out, buy groceries, and do laundry. If we like it better than the Canadians do (there is a beach), we might move. Otherwise, we’re very happy where we are, and will probably stay until Wednesday, and then maybe go back to Playa El Tecolote for a few days before meandering our way back north.
We hadn’t heard anything good about Cabo San Lucas except the Costco store and the Vagabundos del Mar RV Park, so we decided to check it out by car before committing ourselves to camping there. Good thing we did! The drive there was very slow, over mountains and behind big trucks.The RV Park was well-groomed and beautifully landscaped, but other than that, it was like being in a stateside trailer park—teeny sites and RVs lined up with almost no space between them. No thanks! The harbor at Cabo San Lucas is beautiful, but marred by high rise hotels and resorts that block the view of the water. We didn’t go into the downtown tourist area, since Steve is not a big fan of that kind of shopping, or any kind for that matter.
I am only slightly embarrassed to say we enjoyed Costco immensely. It is set up just exactly like the ones in the US, so we knew where to find everything, even though all the signs were in Spanish. All the DVDs had Spanish titles—Pantera Rosa (The Pinik Panther) and Los Simpsons. We were going to buy one if it had been dubbed in Spanish, but no, they were the regular English versions with Spanish subtitles. The books were mostly in Spanish, though, including all the Harry Potters. I looked for some baby books for Jackson in Spanish, but they didn’t have any. There were also lots of local products—torta rolls, chocolate flan instead of 3-layer chocolate cake, and a whole aisle of jumbo-size cans of chili peppers. The food court surprised me—I thought it would have Mexican food, but no—the offerings were just like the ones at home—pizza and hot dogs and very berry sundaes.
So, we decided to pass on camping in Cabo, and instead, headed back toward LaPaz to drop down to Los Bariles on the Sea of Cortez side. On the way, we got sidetracked, and haven’t made it there yet. We stopped for a “quick overnight” at Rancho Verde RV Haven, in the mountains about 20 miles from Los Bariles, and fell in love with the place. The campsites are huge, with lots of trees and greenery. There are about 15 sites total in the park, and only 3 others are occupied—we can’t even see our neighbors from our spot. Right outside our picture window is a little tree, where I’ve suspended my bird feeders and speared chunks of oranges on the branches. We get orioles and hummingbirds galore, and the other birds are beginning to find us too. The hooded orioles are probably my favorites so far. They are bright yellow-orange in color, with black and white wings and tail, and an elegant, velvet black mask that extends like a bib under their chins. They have a sweet tooth, I mean beak, and love the oranges. They also raid the hummingbird feeder for nectar, but have a hard go of it because their beaks are too big to get all the way in to effectively suck out the nectar, so they have to content themselves with little sips at a time.
There are miles and miles of dirt roads and hiking trails here, which we’ve only barely begun to explore. We’ve heard from some others camped here (yep, more Canadians) that Los Bariles is very expensive and not that great, so we’re going in by car today to check it out, buy groceries, and do laundry. If we like it better than the Canadians do (there is a beach), we might move. Otherwise, we’re very happy where we are, and will probably stay until Wednesday, and then maybe go back to Playa El Tecolote for a few days before meandering our way back north.
The Beach, More Whales, and a Bandito named Raoul
The Beach
It’s Tuesday, February 13th, and we’re still here at Los Cerritos. For the past several days, we’ve said, “Okay, we’ll leave tomorrow,” but then a reason always comes up for us to stay on “just one more day.” My favorite thing to do here is walk on the beach. It’s a long, shallow crescent, about 5 miles from the points on either end according to the guidebook. The RV camping area is about a half mile from the day use beach at the upper end where the surf shop and restaurant/beach bar is. Every morning, first thing, Ellie and I walk for about a mile the other way-- that end of the beach is empty, with just a couple of houses way down, at about the place we turn around. There’s not much going on down there, unless you count the little sand crabs throwing the sand out of their holes and coming out to peek for predators, or pelicans gliding over the water, or cormorants standing close to the water, with their wings half-spread, drying in the morning sun. Cormorants don’t have as much oil on their feathers as other birds do, and they get waterlogged when they dive for fish. This makes them heavier, and helps them dive deeper after fish, but they do have to dry out. In the early afternoon, we take another walk, this time in the opposite direction. This is always entertaining, as there’s always something going on. There’s a guy in a wheelchair who is staying in our RV camping area who wheels himself down the soft, sandy trail to the beach every afternoon with his two Labrador Retrievers in the lead. The guy has a squash racquet and a tennis ball, and uses the racquet to hurl the ball into the surf. The black Lab bounds into the waves and retrieves the ball, dropping it on the sand. The yellow Lab then picks up the ball and carries it over to the guy, and they do the whole thing over again—tag team fetch! Further down, a young woman in a bikini with a hula hoop dances to music from her IPOD as she keeps the hula hoop going without any apparent effort. Today there was a kite-boarder, and I stopped and watched her for awhile. Once we get down to end of the beach, we sit and watch the surfers for awhile, then turn around and stroll back. Sometimes I go for a swim, but it works out better if I take Ellie back to the Royal Palms first. She doesn’t like swimming in the surf, and gets very upset that I’m out there. She races up and down in the shallows, whining and pleading for me to come back. One day she was so distraught that she went and snuggled up to a woman sunning herself on her beach towel to get some help or comfort, or maybe both. The woman was NOT a dog person, and was not at all sympathetic.
There’s entertainment in camp, too. The long-term campers have set up a 9 hole par 3 golf course and are out there every morning. There’s a paperback book exchange outside one of the big RVs, and we’ve been over there to trade in some of the paperbacks we’ve finished. And if we’re sitting outside the Royal Palms reading or relaxing, somebody is always stopping by to introduce themselves, chat, and give a recommendation for a great restaurant, bakery, etc. in town. Today Steve met some people from Minnesota, and yes, they talk just like Frances McDormand in the movie “Fargo.”
More Whales
We were supposed to leave Los Cerritos today, but yesterday I went into Todos Santos to get my nails done. While I was waiting my turn, I got into a conversation with an American woman who lives in Todos Santos six months of the year. Her house is near the estuary and beach where the grey whales come in close. She said in the late afternoon, they come in very close to shore to try to scrape off barnacles. She said she got up the courage to go in swimming, and that a baby came up within 5 feet of her to have a look! I told Steve we had to stay one more day so we could go watch whales. So this afternoon we drove the 15 miles into Todos Santos, got directions to the beach, and set off to watch whales. This beach is only a few miles out of town, down a very narrow, sandy lane. We parked at the end, and walked down the beach to the estuary, a long river-like channel where the ocean backs up into an oasis-like setting with palms trees and mangroves. And in the ocean, right in front of the estuary, 50 to 100 feet from shore, were the whales! We saw heads, tails, backs, fins. Big ones and little ones, swimming slowly or seemingly just hanging out. I can’t even count how many we saw. It was awesome in the true sense of the word. Unfortunately, it was extremely windy and the waves were huge—much too rough to go in swimming; otherwise, I would have been in there in a heartbeat. What an experience!
A Bandito Named Raoul
When we got back to where we had parked the car, a local guy came up to us and said that he had been watching our car, protecting it from banditos, which he said were prevalent in the area. He appeared to want a tip for doing this. We ignored him, but as we went to get in our car, he pointed out that we had a flat tire. Extremely flat. Steve got out the jack and went to work, but the guy, who introduced himself as “Raoul,” insisted on helping, and more or less took over. Steve tried to tell him we didn’t need his help, but it became easier to just let him We began to get suspicious when examined the tire and couldn’t find a nail or glass chunk or anything that would cause a puncture. We became even more suspicious when I gave him 20 pesos ($2) for helping and he was not happy—demanded 100 pesos ($10). We ignored him and drove off. Our suspicions were confirmed when the guy at the tire repair place (llantera servicio) showed us the puncture—it was a small, straight cut on the edge of tread, pretty obviously made by a small knife. Raoul had stuck a knife in the tire when we were at the beach and then expected us to pay him for helping us change it!
I want to emphasize that this has been the first time since we’ve been here that any Mexican has been anything but kind, friendly, and helpful. When I drove into La Paz alone last week and got a flat tire (a legitimate flat—there was a 2 inch long screw imbedded in the tire!), a guy in some kind of public utility truck who spoke no English gave me a ride to the tire repair shop several miles away, explained the situation to the repair shop guys (who agreed to come and fix the flat), drove me back to my car and refused to take any money at all. While I was waiting for the repair guy, another man came up and offered to change the tire for me and would have done so if the repair truck hadn’t pulled up just then. Yesterday when I was getting my nails done, there was a lot of construction noise—it was a new business, and they were still putting on the finishing touches. With one of her employees translating, the owner, who spoke no English, apologized profusely, and said I could come back anytime for a free half-hour massage to make up for having to put up with the noise. Maybe I’ll do that tomorrow. We were going to leave for Cabo San Lucas tomorrow, but we understand the RV park we want to stay at is full until Thursday, so I guess we’ll be here at Los Cerritos “just one more day.”
It’s Tuesday, February 13th, and we’re still here at Los Cerritos. For the past several days, we’ve said, “Okay, we’ll leave tomorrow,” but then a reason always comes up for us to stay on “just one more day.” My favorite thing to do here is walk on the beach. It’s a long, shallow crescent, about 5 miles from the points on either end according to the guidebook. The RV camping area is about a half mile from the day use beach at the upper end where the surf shop and restaurant/beach bar is. Every morning, first thing, Ellie and I walk for about a mile the other way-- that end of the beach is empty, with just a couple of houses way down, at about the place we turn around. There’s not much going on down there, unless you count the little sand crabs throwing the sand out of their holes and coming out to peek for predators, or pelicans gliding over the water, or cormorants standing close to the water, with their wings half-spread, drying in the morning sun. Cormorants don’t have as much oil on their feathers as other birds do, and they get waterlogged when they dive for fish. This makes them heavier, and helps them dive deeper after fish, but they do have to dry out. In the early afternoon, we take another walk, this time in the opposite direction. This is always entertaining, as there’s always something going on. There’s a guy in a wheelchair who is staying in our RV camping area who wheels himself down the soft, sandy trail to the beach every afternoon with his two Labrador Retrievers in the lead. The guy has a squash racquet and a tennis ball, and uses the racquet to hurl the ball into the surf. The black Lab bounds into the waves and retrieves the ball, dropping it on the sand. The yellow Lab then picks up the ball and carries it over to the guy, and they do the whole thing over again—tag team fetch! Further down, a young woman in a bikini with a hula hoop dances to music from her IPOD as she keeps the hula hoop going without any apparent effort. Today there was a kite-boarder, and I stopped and watched her for awhile. Once we get down to end of the beach, we sit and watch the surfers for awhile, then turn around and stroll back. Sometimes I go for a swim, but it works out better if I take Ellie back to the Royal Palms first. She doesn’t like swimming in the surf, and gets very upset that I’m out there. She races up and down in the shallows, whining and pleading for me to come back. One day she was so distraught that she went and snuggled up to a woman sunning herself on her beach towel to get some help or comfort, or maybe both. The woman was NOT a dog person, and was not at all sympathetic.
There’s entertainment in camp, too. The long-term campers have set up a 9 hole par 3 golf course and are out there every morning. There’s a paperback book exchange outside one of the big RVs, and we’ve been over there to trade in some of the paperbacks we’ve finished. And if we’re sitting outside the Royal Palms reading or relaxing, somebody is always stopping by to introduce themselves, chat, and give a recommendation for a great restaurant, bakery, etc. in town. Today Steve met some people from Minnesota, and yes, they talk just like Frances McDormand in the movie “Fargo.”
More Whales
We were supposed to leave Los Cerritos today, but yesterday I went into Todos Santos to get my nails done. While I was waiting my turn, I got into a conversation with an American woman who lives in Todos Santos six months of the year. Her house is near the estuary and beach where the grey whales come in close. She said in the late afternoon, they come in very close to shore to try to scrape off barnacles. She said she got up the courage to go in swimming, and that a baby came up within 5 feet of her to have a look! I told Steve we had to stay one more day so we could go watch whales. So this afternoon we drove the 15 miles into Todos Santos, got directions to the beach, and set off to watch whales. This beach is only a few miles out of town, down a very narrow, sandy lane. We parked at the end, and walked down the beach to the estuary, a long river-like channel where the ocean backs up into an oasis-like setting with palms trees and mangroves. And in the ocean, right in front of the estuary, 50 to 100 feet from shore, were the whales! We saw heads, tails, backs, fins. Big ones and little ones, swimming slowly or seemingly just hanging out. I can’t even count how many we saw. It was awesome in the true sense of the word. Unfortunately, it was extremely windy and the waves were huge—much too rough to go in swimming; otherwise, I would have been in there in a heartbeat. What an experience!
A Bandito Named Raoul
When we got back to where we had parked the car, a local guy came up to us and said that he had been watching our car, protecting it from banditos, which he said were prevalent in the area. He appeared to want a tip for doing this. We ignored him, but as we went to get in our car, he pointed out that we had a flat tire. Extremely flat. Steve got out the jack and went to work, but the guy, who introduced himself as “Raoul,” insisted on helping, and more or less took over. Steve tried to tell him we didn’t need his help, but it became easier to just let him We began to get suspicious when examined the tire and couldn’t find a nail or glass chunk or anything that would cause a puncture. We became even more suspicious when I gave him 20 pesos ($2) for helping and he was not happy—demanded 100 pesos ($10). We ignored him and drove off. Our suspicions were confirmed when the guy at the tire repair place (llantera servicio) showed us the puncture—it was a small, straight cut on the edge of tread, pretty obviously made by a small knife. Raoul had stuck a knife in the tire when we were at the beach and then expected us to pay him for helping us change it!
I want to emphasize that this has been the first time since we’ve been here that any Mexican has been anything but kind, friendly, and helpful. When I drove into La Paz alone last week and got a flat tire (a legitimate flat—there was a 2 inch long screw imbedded in the tire!), a guy in some kind of public utility truck who spoke no English gave me a ride to the tire repair shop several miles away, explained the situation to the repair shop guys (who agreed to come and fix the flat), drove me back to my car and refused to take any money at all. While I was waiting for the repair guy, another man came up and offered to change the tire for me and would have done so if the repair truck hadn’t pulled up just then. Yesterday when I was getting my nails done, there was a lot of construction noise—it was a new business, and they were still putting on the finishing touches. With one of her employees translating, the owner, who spoke no English, apologized profusely, and said I could come back anytime for a free half-hour massage to make up for having to put up with the noise. Maybe I’ll do that tomorrow. We were going to leave for Cabo San Lucas tomorrow, but we understand the RV park we want to stay at is full until Thursday, so I guess we’ll be here at Los Cerritos “just one more day.”
Monday, February 12, 2007
February 5th and 6th
Gorditas
The lady on the square in front of the cathedral was making gorditas, a gordita being a stuffed tortilla. The whole process, from watching her make them, figuring out what she was putting in them, and finally eating them, was really fun. As my sister, Susie, exclaimed when we drove through the wrought iron gates of LaCaille in Salt Lake City for brunch once,”Oh, I see. It’s not the meal, it’s the experience!”
The gordita lady had a large, bowl-shaped griddle, possibly made from a steel drum and fueled by propane, set up next to a card table, which held all her ingredients. Each gordita was made to order. First, she would take a small fistful of tortilla dough roll it into a ball, and then flatten it in her tortilla press. Then she picked the newly-made tortilla up in her hand and piled whatever fillings you wanted on it. The choices were champillons (a chopped onion and mushroom mixture), chicarones (pork cracklings), chorizo (spicy sausage), minced veal, and requeson, which appeared to be a soft, ricotta-like cheese mixed with cilantro. After the fillings were in place, she brought the edges of the tortilla up and around to seal them all in, then re-flattened the whole thing in the tortilla press before putting it on the griddle to cook. When it was done on both sides, she served it up with shredded cabbage, a little mayo, and some salsa on a plastic plate. You ate it right there, sitting on the chairs she had set up, then handed the plate back to her husband, who wiped it off and put it back on the stack to re-use. All this for 150 pesos ($1.50 American) apiece. And they were delicious!
Swimming with Sea Lions
Yesterday, we took the boat tour around Espiritu Santo, which is the large island four miles out from Playa El Tecolote, where we are staying. There are over 900 islands in the Gulf of California, most of them protected, with limited access, and this is one of them. We went out in a panga with six other people—an Italian couple, a French couple, and a Mexican couple. Our capitan, Jesus, didn’t speak much English, but the Mexican guy, Rene Alejandro, spoke excellent English, which he said he learned growing up in Tijuana and watching American TV and reading comic books, and he translated for us. The island is very wild and desolate, and is uninhabited except for one little area where fisherman live and fish. The highlight of the trip was visiting the sea lion colony on the far side of the island, donning our snorkeling gear, and getting into the water to swim with them. It was a little scary at first, especially when the big males swam by—they are HUGE! They didn’t seem to pay us much notice, but the pups (born last May/June) were very curious. They would swim around and around us, right side up and upside down to view us from all angles, then dart off after a buddy, come back, and repeat the whole process again. After our swim, we motored over to a beautiful little cove for lunch and sunbathing. Lunch was another adventure in eating for us—two kinds of ceviche (fish and shrimp) and pickled marlin. There were also ham and cheese sandwiches on white bread for the timid, but Steve and I both went for the more exotic. It was great!
Today we are just hanging out on our beach, relaxing. We’ve been here a week now, and will probably move on, still heading south, to Los Barilles, tomorrow.
The lady on the square in front of the cathedral was making gorditas, a gordita being a stuffed tortilla. The whole process, from watching her make them, figuring out what she was putting in them, and finally eating them, was really fun. As my sister, Susie, exclaimed when we drove through the wrought iron gates of LaCaille in Salt Lake City for brunch once,”Oh, I see. It’s not the meal, it’s the experience!”
The gordita lady had a large, bowl-shaped griddle, possibly made from a steel drum and fueled by propane, set up next to a card table, which held all her ingredients. Each gordita was made to order. First, she would take a small fistful of tortilla dough roll it into a ball, and then flatten it in her tortilla press. Then she picked the newly-made tortilla up in her hand and piled whatever fillings you wanted on it. The choices were champillons (a chopped onion and mushroom mixture), chicarones (pork cracklings), chorizo (spicy sausage), minced veal, and requeson, which appeared to be a soft, ricotta-like cheese mixed with cilantro. After the fillings were in place, she brought the edges of the tortilla up and around to seal them all in, then re-flattened the whole thing in the tortilla press before putting it on the griddle to cook. When it was done on both sides, she served it up with shredded cabbage, a little mayo, and some salsa on a plastic plate. You ate it right there, sitting on the chairs she had set up, then handed the plate back to her husband, who wiped it off and put it back on the stack to re-use. All this for 150 pesos ($1.50 American) apiece. And they were delicious!
Swimming with Sea Lions
Yesterday, we took the boat tour around Espiritu Santo, which is the large island four miles out from Playa El Tecolote, where we are staying. There are over 900 islands in the Gulf of California, most of them protected, with limited access, and this is one of them. We went out in a panga with six other people—an Italian couple, a French couple, and a Mexican couple. Our capitan, Jesus, didn’t speak much English, but the Mexican guy, Rene Alejandro, spoke excellent English, which he said he learned growing up in Tijuana and watching American TV and reading comic books, and he translated for us. The island is very wild and desolate, and is uninhabited except for one little area where fisherman live and fish. The highlight of the trip was visiting the sea lion colony on the far side of the island, donning our snorkeling gear, and getting into the water to swim with them. It was a little scary at first, especially when the big males swam by—they are HUGE! They didn’t seem to pay us much notice, but the pups (born last May/June) were very curious. They would swim around and around us, right side up and upside down to view us from all angles, then dart off after a buddy, come back, and repeat the whole process again. After our swim, we motored over to a beautiful little cove for lunch and sunbathing. Lunch was another adventure in eating for us—two kinds of ceviche (fish and shrimp) and pickled marlin. There were also ham and cheese sandwiches on white bread for the timid, but Steve and I both went for the more exotic. It was great!
Today we are just hanging out on our beach, relaxing. We’ve been here a week now, and will probably move on, still heading south, to Los Barilles, tomorrow.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Los Cerritos
This entry will be out of order because I´m sitting in the labanderia (laundry) using their computer while my stuff is getting clean and using their computer. The laptop wouldn´t plug in there, so Steve left with it to find an internet cafe, and I have two blog entries saved on the laptop and ready to paste in.
We are staying at Los Cerritos, a gorgeous beach on the Pacific side of the Baja, a little south of Todos Santos. When we first pulled into the camping area, we were bummed out--it was just a parking lot and seemed kind of trashy, and we thought we wouldn´t stay more than a night. However, someone left, and we were able to find a better spot, with an unobstructed view of the ocean. You can´t park on the beach here--too soft, and the dunes are in the way, but it´s close by. The whales come by here, and a big form of entertainment is to sit on the dune or the beach and watch for spouts. Some are as close as a couple hundred yards from the beach, and we see lots of spouts, some whale backs, and an occasional tail. The far end of the beach has huge rollers, and is popular with surfers. It´s been fun to walk down there and watch the action.
Yesterday when we pulled in, we were happily surprised to find Len and Betty Kerr, our ¨neighbors¨ on Playa El Tecolote. Yesterdaay was Len´s 65th birthday, and we decided to go into the little town nearby, El Pescadero, to celebrate. We got a recommendation from one of the other Rvers camped near us. To get off the subject for a minute, that was an interesting story. He´s been coming down to this same beach for 14 years. At first he and his wife used to drive down, but now they leave a truck and their 5th wheel at a storage area in the town, and just fly down and pick it up, spend 4 or 5 months, then put it back in storage and fly back home to British Columbia. Oh, and speaking of British Columbia, 90 percent of everybody we´ve met is from B.C., and I´m learning to speak Canadian, at least British Columbian, along with Spanish. ¨Yeah¨ always comes in pairs, as in ¨Yeah, yeah¨ instead of just ¨Yeah;¨ if you´re nervous about doing something, you´re not a wuss or a wimp, you´re a ¨jam tart,¨ and if you don´nt check in with them when you say you will, your kids will ¨have a bïrd¨not a fit.
Now back to the birthday bash. We drove into El Pescadero and found the place, La Choya withoug any trouble. It´s a teeny place, bright orange half-walls of stucco, and a palapa-style roof. Maybe six tables. Two sisters run it, do all the cooking. No English spoken.There were only about 5 things on the menu, which was written on a large dry-erase board. We weren´t even sure they were open because the sisters were out front, washing down all the chairs, but they invited us in, not letting us sit down until they wiped down some chairs for us. Steve, Len, and Betty wanted beer, which they didn´t serve; we were told to go across the street, buy the beer at the beer bar, and bring it back. Can you see that happening in Utah! We were the only customers in the place, and the food was prepared as we waited. It was amazing!Steve and Len had the house specialty--chili rellenos--which were stuffed and dripping with cheese. Betty had camarones (shrimp) sauteed with garlic. She counted--there were 20 good-sized shrimp on her plate. I had the chicken in mole sauce, and it was to die for. I´ve never had mole that good. I asked her what was in it, and didn´t understand a word of what she told me. She left, and a minute later, came back with all the ingredients to show me! Chili negro (black chili), cinnamon, cloves, sesame seeds, and raisins, simmered a long time. Our meals were served with rice, refired beans, salad, and warm tortillas. And for dessert, she brought us each a smal plate with chopped apples and jicama drizzled with strawberry jam. Light and refreshing. The price for all four meals? Forty dollars American, and that included a generous tip. After dinner, they introduced us to their families, who live right there, with hugs and smiles all around. It was a really special evening.
Tonight it´s watching the sun set over the Pacific and looking at stars.
We are staying at Los Cerritos, a gorgeous beach on the Pacific side of the Baja, a little south of Todos Santos. When we first pulled into the camping area, we were bummed out--it was just a parking lot and seemed kind of trashy, and we thought we wouldn´t stay more than a night. However, someone left, and we were able to find a better spot, with an unobstructed view of the ocean. You can´t park on the beach here--too soft, and the dunes are in the way, but it´s close by. The whales come by here, and a big form of entertainment is to sit on the dune or the beach and watch for spouts. Some are as close as a couple hundred yards from the beach, and we see lots of spouts, some whale backs, and an occasional tail. The far end of the beach has huge rollers, and is popular with surfers. It´s been fun to walk down there and watch the action.
Yesterday when we pulled in, we were happily surprised to find Len and Betty Kerr, our ¨neighbors¨ on Playa El Tecolote. Yesterdaay was Len´s 65th birthday, and we decided to go into the little town nearby, El Pescadero, to celebrate. We got a recommendation from one of the other Rvers camped near us. To get off the subject for a minute, that was an interesting story. He´s been coming down to this same beach for 14 years. At first he and his wife used to drive down, but now they leave a truck and their 5th wheel at a storage area in the town, and just fly down and pick it up, spend 4 or 5 months, then put it back in storage and fly back home to British Columbia. Oh, and speaking of British Columbia, 90 percent of everybody we´ve met is from B.C., and I´m learning to speak Canadian, at least British Columbian, along with Spanish. ¨Yeah¨ always comes in pairs, as in ¨Yeah, yeah¨ instead of just ¨Yeah;¨ if you´re nervous about doing something, you´re not a wuss or a wimp, you´re a ¨jam tart,¨ and if you don´nt check in with them when you say you will, your kids will ¨have a bïrd¨not a fit.
Now back to the birthday bash. We drove into El Pescadero and found the place, La Choya withoug any trouble. It´s a teeny place, bright orange half-walls of stucco, and a palapa-style roof. Maybe six tables. Two sisters run it, do all the cooking. No English spoken.There were only about 5 things on the menu, which was written on a large dry-erase board. We weren´t even sure they were open because the sisters were out front, washing down all the chairs, but they invited us in, not letting us sit down until they wiped down some chairs for us. Steve, Len, and Betty wanted beer, which they didn´t serve; we were told to go across the street, buy the beer at the beer bar, and bring it back. Can you see that happening in Utah! We were the only customers in the place, and the food was prepared as we waited. It was amazing!Steve and Len had the house specialty--chili rellenos--which were stuffed and dripping with cheese. Betty had camarones (shrimp) sauteed with garlic. She counted--there were 20 good-sized shrimp on her plate. I had the chicken in mole sauce, and it was to die for. I´ve never had mole that good. I asked her what was in it, and didn´t understand a word of what she told me. She left, and a minute later, came back with all the ingredients to show me! Chili negro (black chili), cinnamon, cloves, sesame seeds, and raisins, simmered a long time. Our meals were served with rice, refired beans, salad, and warm tortillas. And for dessert, she brought us each a smal plate with chopped apples and jicama drizzled with strawberry jam. Light and refreshing. The price for all four meals? Forty dollars American, and that included a generous tip. After dinner, they introduced us to their families, who live right there, with hugs and smiles all around. It was a really special evening.
Tonight it´s watching the sun set over the Pacific and looking at stars.
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Even more recent photos...
Click on the pictures for a better view:
This is our camp site near La Paz.
This was a pretty road/trail. We are east of La Paz near Pitching League (Picilinque)
When we turned back I discovered that we'd been followed by some stealthy character.
The fish are biting...
This is our camp site near La Paz.
This was a pretty road/trail. We are east of La Paz near Pitching League (Picilinque)
When we turned back I discovered that we'd been followed by some stealthy character.
The fish are biting...
Sunday, February 4, 2007
Recent photos 2...
Click on the pictures for a better view:
This is the first time I´ve ever seen a school bus pulled over by the police.
Downtown Loreto close to old town. Loreto is a beautiful place.
Sandy snuck away and was later found in a fabric shop. She looks guilty don´t you think?
This is a panga. It is used everywhere in Mexico for just about everything. These guys had been out 25 miles fishing overnight when we saw them returning home.
Ballena Gris. The moms would saunter along with the baby following closely behind.
Whale tail
This is the first time I´ve ever seen a school bus pulled over by the police.
Downtown Loreto close to old town. Loreto is a beautiful place.
Sandy snuck away and was later found in a fabric shop. She looks guilty don´t you think?
This is a panga. It is used everywhere in Mexico for just about everything. These guys had been out 25 miles fishing overnight when we saw them returning home.
Ballena Gris. The moms would saunter along with the baby following closely behind.
Whale tail
Sunday in LaPaz
We drove in again today to pick up our laundry and do some more catching up on emails. While Steve was doing his thing on the computer at the internet cafe, I walked across the street to the cathedral, and happened to be there at just the right time to attend Mass. I got there about 15 kminutes early and easily found a seat, but by the time Mass started, the church was filled to capacity. The experience was lovely; it ended up being a High Mass (where many of the congregation's responses are sung, rather than spoken), accompanied by a guitar, an accordion, and a tamborine. There were no missals or hymnals, but everybody seemed to know the words and the tune. It was lovely--happy and reverent and uplifting all at the same time. To my surprise, my Spanish is good enough that I was able to identify which gospel was being read, and even got the gist of the homily. The priest was an excellent speaker--I wish I had understood more.
After Mass, since Steve was still "computing," I asked the girls at the counter where "la tienda de telas" (fabric store) was. They showed me on the map I had,and, since it was only a few blocks away, I walked down to check it out. After consulting my handy dandy phrase book, I was able to ask a clerk to direct me to the "algodon" (cotton), and I picked out a couple of pieces. It itsn't great fabric, but the quality seemed better than the stuff I saw in Loreto, so I bought a meter each (a little more than a yard) for under $2 American a meter.
It's lujnch time, so when I finish this, we'll find someplace to eat. There's a little old lady with a table and charcoal grill set up in the square in front of the cathedral, and she's selling whatever it is she's cooking. Nothing written on her sign rings a bell, so we will smile and point, I guessl. It will be an adventure.
After Mass, since Steve was still "computing," I asked the girls at the counter where "la tienda de telas" (fabric store) was. They showed me on the map I had,and, since it was only a few blocks away, I walked down to check it out. After consulting my handy dandy phrase book, I was able to ask a clerk to direct me to the "algodon" (cotton), and I picked out a couple of pieces. It itsn't great fabric, but the quality seemed better than the stuff I saw in Loreto, so I bought a meter each (a little more than a yard) for under $2 American a meter.
It's lujnch time, so when I finish this, we'll find someplace to eat. There's a little old lady with a table and charcoal grill set up in the square in front of the cathedral, and she's selling whatever it is she's cooking. Nothing written on her sign rings a bell, so we will smile and point, I guessl. It will be an adventure.
Saturday, February 3, 2007
La Paz at last!
Hello from the City of Peace! La Paz is a truly beautiful place. The malecon (waterfront walkway) stretches for three miles along the beautiful turquoise Gulf of California. There are palm trees, benches, sculptures, little lookout piers all along the way. I´m sitting in an internet cafe by the town square, right across the street from the cathedral. Pictures next post.
We are camped on Playa Tecolote, which means Owl Beach, about 15 miles outside of LaPaz. It´s very scenic (pictures next post) and the camping is free. There are quite a few RVs camped here, and everyone is very friendly. In fact, it´s hard to walk all the way down the beach because people stop you and want to visit. Almost everyone we´ve met here, as well as elsewhere along our route, seems to be from British Columbia. The couple in the RV camped next door to us on the beach are from Vancouver, and live on their 40 foot power boat there. The guy, Len, just retired, and he and his wife, Betty, are on their first Baja trip, just like us. We´ve spent the last two days just hanging out and relaxing--walking on the beach, riding our bikes, and general hanging out. Today we came into town to grocery shop and do laundry. The waiter at the place we had lunch--fish tacos, of course-- drew us a map to the labanderia (laundry), which we found without too much trouble. Then the fun began! The lady inside spoke absolutely no English. My Spanish is coming along, but the trouble is that, although I can usually ask for what I want in Spanish, I can only occasionally understand what they tell me back. Eventually, I figured out that she was the proprietress, and that she was using all four of the washing machines. Doing the laundry myself was not an option-- she would do it for me. Somehow or other, we were able to negotiate a price--about $10 American for tres loads, and I could pick it up after 7 p.m. tonight. I was proud of myself, because I was able to ask (and understand her reply) in Spanish what the hours were tomorrow (Domingo) and Monday (Lunes), and agreed that we´d come back Lunes and pick it up. Phew!
Now it´s off to the supermarket and then back to the beach.
We are camped on Playa Tecolote, which means Owl Beach, about 15 miles outside of LaPaz. It´s very scenic (pictures next post) and the camping is free. There are quite a few RVs camped here, and everyone is very friendly. In fact, it´s hard to walk all the way down the beach because people stop you and want to visit. Almost everyone we´ve met here, as well as elsewhere along our route, seems to be from British Columbia. The couple in the RV camped next door to us on the beach are from Vancouver, and live on their 40 foot power boat there. The guy, Len, just retired, and he and his wife, Betty, are on their first Baja trip, just like us. We´ve spent the last two days just hanging out and relaxing--walking on the beach, riding our bikes, and general hanging out. Today we came into town to grocery shop and do laundry. The waiter at the place we had lunch--fish tacos, of course-- drew us a map to the labanderia (laundry), which we found without too much trouble. Then the fun began! The lady inside spoke absolutely no English. My Spanish is coming along, but the trouble is that, although I can usually ask for what I want in Spanish, I can only occasionally understand what they tell me back. Eventually, I figured out that she was the proprietress, and that she was using all four of the washing machines. Doing the laundry myself was not an option-- she would do it for me. Somehow or other, we were able to negotiate a price--about $10 American for tres loads, and I could pick it up after 7 p.m. tonight. I was proud of myself, because I was able to ask (and understand her reply) in Spanish what the hours were tomorrow (Domingo) and Monday (Lunes), and agreed that we´d come back Lunes and pick it up. Phew!
Now it´s off to the supermarket and then back to the beach.
Streets of Loreto Part 2, Junclaito Beach, and Whales´Tales
We had a great time exploring Loreto. The city has been occupied since the 1600’s, and was the capital of Baja Sur until the 1800’s, when a hurricane destroyed most of the city and they decided that La Paz was a safer bet. The old, historic part of town has streets of cobblestone and interlocking cement tiles, lots of little shops and cafes, and just oozes charm. The mission is still there—Our Lady of Loreto—and is beautiful. We couldn’t go in on Saturday because of a funeral being held there. After the funeral mass, they loaded the casket into the back of a pickup truck, and piled all the flowers and wreaths on top of it. Then, with a police car escort, the truck made its way slowly through town , presumably to the cemetery, with all the mourners walking alongside and behind it. On Sunday morning before we left town, I walked over to the mission hoping to go to mass, but I was about 45 minutes early, so I just went in and said hi to God, and left. Other great things about Loreto: a bakery 2 blocks from our RV park, a bookstore/fabric shop (the fabric was very poor quality, so I didn’t buy any, but it was still fun to come across a fabric shop in Mexico), and excellent fish tacos. Actually, we’ve eaten fish tacos in almost every town we’ve stopped in, and I haven’t had a bad one yet. They sell everywhere for 10 pesos (one dollar) each.
We didn’t go very far when we left Loreto—just about 14 miles down the coast for a couple of days of dry camping on Juncalito Beach. There were quite a few RV’s parked there, both right on the beach and tucked away in some palm trees, but we were able to find a secluded spot at the north end of the beach and settled in for a couple of days of relaxing.We had actually planned on spending only one night there, but I got a touch of tourista, so we stayed an extra day. How I got it is a mystery—although we had forgotten to add bleach to our water that day, all I did was brush my teeth with it. Steve used the same water I did with no ill effects, and his stomach is usually way more sensitive than mine. But Imodium did its magic, and we were on the road again.
We left Juncalito Beach yesterday, still heading for LaPaz, but took a side trip to San Carlos, on the Pacific side, to take a whale-watching tour. The one RV park in San Carlos has closed down, and we were wandering around wondering what to do because we were advised that it wasn’t safe to boondock on the beaches around there, when we stumbled upon the whale-watching operation. The owner, Fito Gonzalez, generously offered to let us stay in the parking lot there. So, after making reservations for an 8 a.m. whale-watching tour, we moved in. Later in the evening, after he had closed up and everyone had gone home for the day, we were visited by the local policia, who were out patrolling, and, although they didn’t speak English, made it clear that this was private property and we couldn’t camp there. I explained to them in my best Spanish (which isn’t saying much) that we were booked for a whale-watching tour at “ocho manana,” and that Fito had given permisio for us to stay acqui. Miraculously, I was understood AND believed!
This morning (January 31st, I think), dawned bright and sunny, with no wind and calm seas. We climbed into a panga (an open boat that looks sort of like a driftboat) with a single woman from England, a vacationing Mexican from the mainland and Luis, our panga driver, and headed out into Bahia de Magdelena to look for whales. It took about an hour to get out to where the whales were, and then the fun began! First, we started spotting spouts off in the distance, then an occasional dark back, and some tails. Before long, there was whale action all around us, and we could see them clearly. Most of the time, the whales were 30 or so feet away, but some came as close as 15 or 20 feet, and one swam right next to our panga and came up about 8 feet away. It was VERY cool.
We left San Carlos after the tour and drove the 45 minutes back to Ciudad Constitucion, back on the highway, Mex 1, that goes to La Paz. We camped in a little RV park just off the highway. It’s an interesting place. The owners, a British guy and his Mexican wife live on the premises, as do what appear to be her parents. The parents have chickens and peacocks, who parade around the grounds. Berta, the woman owner, speaks excellent English, and told me all about herself. She was a secretary at a company in this city, and met her husband when he came here to work for that company. They’ve been married for 11 years. They have an adorable 6 year old son who looks totally Latino, and I did a double-take when I asked him his name, and he replied “Nigel.” He is bilingual, and speaks unaccented English and correctly accented Spanish.
We didn’t go very far when we left Loreto—just about 14 miles down the coast for a couple of days of dry camping on Juncalito Beach. There were quite a few RV’s parked there, both right on the beach and tucked away in some palm trees, but we were able to find a secluded spot at the north end of the beach and settled in for a couple of days of relaxing.We had actually planned on spending only one night there, but I got a touch of tourista, so we stayed an extra day. How I got it is a mystery—although we had forgotten to add bleach to our water that day, all I did was brush my teeth with it. Steve used the same water I did with no ill effects, and his stomach is usually way more sensitive than mine. But Imodium did its magic, and we were on the road again.
We left Juncalito Beach yesterday, still heading for LaPaz, but took a side trip to San Carlos, on the Pacific side, to take a whale-watching tour. The one RV park in San Carlos has closed down, and we were wandering around wondering what to do because we were advised that it wasn’t safe to boondock on the beaches around there, when we stumbled upon the whale-watching operation. The owner, Fito Gonzalez, generously offered to let us stay in the parking lot there. So, after making reservations for an 8 a.m. whale-watching tour, we moved in. Later in the evening, after he had closed up and everyone had gone home for the day, we were visited by the local policia, who were out patrolling, and, although they didn’t speak English, made it clear that this was private property and we couldn’t camp there. I explained to them in my best Spanish (which isn’t saying much) that we were booked for a whale-watching tour at “ocho manana,” and that Fito had given permisio for us to stay acqui. Miraculously, I was understood AND believed!
This morning (January 31st, I think), dawned bright and sunny, with no wind and calm seas. We climbed into a panga (an open boat that looks sort of like a driftboat) with a single woman from England, a vacationing Mexican from the mainland and Luis, our panga driver, and headed out into Bahia de Magdelena to look for whales. It took about an hour to get out to where the whales were, and then the fun began! First, we started spotting spouts off in the distance, then an occasional dark back, and some tails. Before long, there was whale action all around us, and we could see them clearly. Most of the time, the whales were 30 or so feet away, but some came as close as 15 or 20 feet, and one swam right next to our panga and came up about 8 feet away. It was VERY cool.
We left San Carlos after the tour and drove the 45 minutes back to Ciudad Constitucion, back on the highway, Mex 1, that goes to La Paz. We camped in a little RV park just off the highway. It’s an interesting place. The owners, a British guy and his Mexican wife live on the premises, as do what appear to be her parents. The parents have chickens and peacocks, who parade around the grounds. Berta, the woman owner, speaks excellent English, and told me all about herself. She was a secretary at a company in this city, and met her husband when he came here to work for that company. They’ve been married for 11 years. They have an adorable 6 year old son who looks totally Latino, and I did a double-take when I asked him his name, and he replied “Nigel.” He is bilingual, and speaks unaccented English and correctly accented Spanish.
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