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.