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The Trick is to Die Young, as Old as
Possible
Behind every
successful man is a surprised woman.
Men are like bank accounts. Without a lot of money they don't generate a lot of interest!
The real measure of our wealth is how much you’d be worth
if you lost all your money
We have enough youth, how about a fountain of Smart |
Cindy's March Blog
2008
Feel Free to browse past blogs for plenty of travel ideas and many of the places we've been in our first 12 months on the road - 2007 Blog's January 2008 Blog February 2008 Blog Photo Gear We Use - Solar Tips, Fact's and Trick's we've learned while on the road
Well-behaved women seldom make history
__________________________________________________________________________ Saturday March 1st Here I am, March 2nd, at 4:30 in the morning, wide awake and it is still very dark outside. When I got home yesterday, or should I say back to San Diego, Pat and I drove around a bit seeing as much of this place as we could before we head further south in a day or two. We ended up at La Jolla Beach where Pat introduced me to the seal population in this area. The momma seals were surrounded by babies, lying on the man made beach that they have taken over. I always thought that all seals were white as babies and black as adults which today I was proven wrong.
After we got our fill of these cute critters we tried to find a place to eat. I guess the nasty poo smell hadn't ruined my appetite, but then again there is nothing short of cutting out my stomach that could accomplish that. This place is so packed on a Saturday night that we had to go through three towns before we found a spot that we might have a shot at parking at. We were in a large shopping plaza which had to have 1000 parking spots, yet we still had to drive in circles for 20 minutes waiting for someone to leave. As soon as we saw one person leave, I jumped out of the truck so that no one else would take the space. We chose Mexican food for some reason, even though we will probably have our fill of it over the next few months. After dinner we came back to the camper which is still parked at Jeff and Lori's house. This nice family seems to have adopted Pat while I've been gone and Pat can't say enough good things about them. I will meet them tomorrow for they are gone with some family for the evening. The dogs greeted me with a big hello, some wet kisses and Luca tackled me to give me hugs. After a long walk with them around Jeff's neighborhood, our arrival back to the camper was less than exciting. I asked Pat if he minded if we could just go right to bed since my times have been messed up again. Louisiana is two hours different from West Coast time, so I just need a few days to readjust. I was absolutely exhausted and it was only 9:00 pm, hence the reason I am up at 4:00 am this morning with nothing to do but type. Sunday March 2nd After an early rising, we started to prepare a list for our shopping needs for Mexico. I finally got to meet Jeff, Lori, Capri and Jake this morning and they are just as nice as Pat had said. I should have known we would have a lot in common with each other since they so gracefully allowed Pat to take over their driveway for the past few days. We all hung out around the camper through the morning hours while the dogs entertained us. The kids are great and so well mannered that I am almost shocked. I have never been around two kids this age that have the respect that they have for adults. I know mine was never this good nor are any of my relatives kids.
Pat and I loaded up and went to Vons Grocery, which are the same owners as Safeway. We all know by now how I love these stores, so I wont go into that. Pat tried to hang with me as I strolled down the isles, looking for the best quality fruits and veggies that I could find. After about 15 minutes he turned and announced that he could not stand doing this and he was going to find the magazine rack. At this point I had many times told him to stop the cart or not to fiddle with things we weren't buying, to watch out for other people as he raced down the isles with one foot one the bottom of the cart while kicking the other so I couldn't get ride of him fast enough. Around five hundred dollars and two grocery carts later and I was ready to go! How was I going to fit all of this in the camper? We came back to Jeff and Lori's house to have an awesome dinner made by the two of them. After some great conversation, I excused myself to go to bed. The 4am wake up was catching up to me and I couldn't keep my eyes open. How fortunate are we to have a nice family take us in like their own relatives for a week. I can't even begin to count all of our blessings in this world, thanks Jeff and Lori. Monday March 3rd This morning started off sunny and warm which is surprising after feeling the effects of the Santa Anna winds that had been rocking the camper all night long. I thought this morning would be gloomy and maybe raining since it felt as though some type of storm front had blown in over the night, but that just shows my lack of experience with this California weather. I had stayed awake pretty much all night in and out of consciousness, dreaming about long romantic walks on the beaches of Mexico with the moon light over head while Pat and I were holding hands and kissing passionately as we strolled along the warm crashing waves and longed for one another's company. In this fantasy, me being a size 8, the same as when Pat and I met, I was incredibly physically fit and extremely tolerant. Nothing that Pat says or does can irritate me in this dream , not even those times when he sneaks up behind and screams so loud that I drop what ever I have in my hands. This scare tactic is a common one and he thinks it is just hysterical. In this perfect world, it doesn't bother me when Pat smacks my butt as I walk by him, commenting on how he loves the resemblance my booty has to Jello. I also think it is very sweet and endearing when he points and laughs at my afro hair when I wake up in the morning, which is also a common occurrence. Only time can tell if this change in country will bring me miraculous feats of romance and kindness out of the one I love. This incredible shrinking woman thing would be great too, waking up to a lot less me sounds great! That is probably the same thing Pat is thinking in more ways than one at this point in our 5 year trip. All kidding aside, we really are looking forward to being able to sit on a warm beach and ponder the beauty of this big world. Our final days began with some errands to get the few remaining things that we think we might not be able to find in Mexico. We both found a new pair of running shoes, some sun screen and a grill stand to top off our list.
Pat and I had made a plan to hook up the camper very quickly as to get our truck out of the road in front of Jeff's house. The way Pat has it wedged in his driveway, he has to leave the front end in the middle of the road while cars zoom across a hill and see us with great surprise. We didn't want anyone to get hurt, so speed was our intention. As always, I got everything finished on the inside as Pat took care of the outside. I can't even count how many times I have forgotten something like leaving the pull out cabinet unlocked only to find our entire canned goods selection scattered about the camper on our next stop. This is common for me, but Pat NEVER forgets anything (MacGyver is always prepared). We both looked at each other and agreed that everything was complete as we jumped into the truck. Pat pulled the rig out of the slanted drive way about 6 feet before we heard a strange sound. Pat yelled "What in the hell is that?!" I had no idea so I jumped out and looked at the back of the truck and saw the bikes jumping around. I told Pat that I thought the bikes were scrapping on the back of the truck. He continued out of the drive which stopped the noise after a second. We turned down a side street to repair what had been damaged when we heard this loud metal on concrete scrapping again. (I am laughing to myself so hard right now) Pat gave me the look of death as he leaped from his seat to assess the situation. I exited the vehicle also to see what we had forgotten only to hear Pat yell "NICE, I can't believe you forgot to put up the scissor jacks!" The only thing I said was "This is now my fault????" He looked as though someone had put a red hot poker up his butt he was so angry.
I also know not to laugh at him out loud, in front of his face when a situation like this arises although I just couldn't help myself. When I walked back to the camper Pat was under the back end, trying to remove the jacks. I grabbed the camera and snapped a few photos of the debacle just so I could have it on record. After he kept hearing me snicker, he finally lightened up and took the blame for the injustice he had done to these poor jacks. I guess it just goes to show that anything this important as moving your house around should not be done in haste. Tuesday March 4th Crossing the Border into Mexico Last night we found the Wal-Mart in San Diego where we met our Mexico buddies around 10pm. It was cold and late when they finally pulled in, so we only had a brief introduction stating that we would meet up today.
They have two girl dogs which they travel with in their diesel pusher which is so much larger than our very humble home. Chuck told us that his coach is 108 inches wide and the roads in Mexico are usually 108 inches wide. His biggest concern will be driving, not crime, throughout the narrow roads of Baja. We were on the freeway before 8am, ready to venture into the unknown territory of Baja Mexico!! YEAH! Crossing the border is supposed to be the most confusing part of the whole trip, so Chuck gave us complete instructions just in case we got separated. I guess if one gets lost in downtown Tijuana it can be very frustrating and dangerous. We each had a walky-talky so our lines of communication would be open without using the cell phones. We breezed through all of the check points and the toll roads without a hitch. Tijuana looked very scary with all of the abandoned shacks and filth scattered around the city. I can't say that this is a place I would want to spend any amount of time in. I now understood what Chuck meant by how wide his rig was for these narrow roads. Every time he passed a truck it looked like the mirrors were going to be ripped off. I contacted Sandy on the radio and she informed me that these are the wide roads in our trip and we haven't seen anything yet.
Chuck is a fluent speaker of the Spanish language, so he was able to help us out when we filled up our tanks with diesel at the Pemex stations. The cost for 30 gallons of fuel was $58.00 with a tip, which definitely put a smile on our face. We drove for 10 hours today ending up in Catavina which is only 150 miles from our destination of Guerrero Negro. I told Chuck that I was sure he would be stressed out since driving his rig had to be total concentration. I am not joking when I say that the big 18 wheelers will drive about 60 mph down these curvy non-passable roads. If Chuck didn't slow down to a crawl, he would surely get side swiped by these rigs. The roads are very smooth compared to Michigan roads, but if his RV goes even one inch in the wrong direction, it is a recipe for disaster. The roads don't have shoulders here at all, they just have a 1-3 foot drop off into the dessert scrub.
I about died of embarrassment when out boy dog Luca, suddenly surrounded by two new females and sniffing like crazy at all the new glorious smells of animal lust, lifted his leg on one of their chairs. OH MY GOD!!! He has never done that before and I thought Pat was going to kill the dog right there on the spot. How embarrassing! Luckily for us, they are 100% dog people and totally understood the situation. Their dogs are trained so well that our dogs who I thought were very mindful to our commands, look like a couple of hooligans in comparison. Luca was so excited to be surrounded by bigger dogs and one that was energetic like him, that I finally had to take him home because he wouldn't stop trying to play. I excused myself and ventured home to bed after this long and exciting first day. Wednesday March 5th This morning was beautiful outside and with the air brisk and light, so I took the dogs for a long walk. The campground that we stayed in last night was only $6.00 a night although we only had a sewer hook-up, but that didn't matter because the place was incredible. We are in the town of Catavina which is straight out of the prehistoric age. I can totally envision large T-Rex's stomping around here while Pterodactyls swooped over head.
As I walked along, thinking of the fortunate situation we are in right now, it makes me remember just how hard that Pat and I worked to be in this place in our life right now. These are the places, people and things that make all those years of hard work worth while. We all had our morning coffee and what not and were on the road before 9am. As we were cruising down the narrow highways, we came upon a vehicle that was stopped right in the middle of the road. Pat and I asked the old man if he needed any help? He said that he is an American and doesn't speak any Spanish so he wasn't sure how to ask the locals for help. Apparently he had run out of fuel and the nearest station was 10 miles away. Pat offered to put the two gallons we carry for our generators into his vehicle so that he could make it to the station. As Pat was adding the gas, the guy said that he was going to try and start his vehicle. When the Cadillac started, he dropped it into gear and took off like a bat out of hell, with the trunk still open and the gas cap off. Pat yelled at him that we still had another gallon to give him but he was left holding the can in the middle of the road? When we caught back up with Chuck and Sandy, they told us not to be so trusting as we are not in America. The roads here are dangerous and people are designated to cruise around and help stranded Americans if they need it.
During this stretch of the road, we would pass through a check station where the Army would search our vehicle. Pat went into the back with one of the officers while I sat in the front with the dogs. Three soldiers walked up to the truck to see the dogs and from what I could understand of my limited understanding of Spanish, they seemed very nice. I think one asked me if I had family back in the USA while another was trying to ask me about the dogs. They all had smiles on their faces while they petted our furry kids and I looked like a complete idiot just smiling at them. This is when I wish Spanish 1 and Spanish 2 I took back in High School would kick in and I could answer or understand something that they said. Especially since one of the military personal was very good looking. All I could do was smile at him rather than do my typical flirting I love to do. After we had gotten on the road again, I repeated the words they said to me to Chuck and he translated for me. I guess they were asking if Luca was mean or if he was a killer? We went through the check point with no problems, and the military boys were actually very nice. We had brought a bunch of fruit and found out that we couldn't bring it down into the Baja Sur, so Pat and I had been eating oranges and bananas all morning. When we stopped for fuel, I made guacamole out of the avocados I had brought because this was another one of the substances considered contraband. It says as long as they are peeled and seeded, they are fine to bring into the Southern part of Baja, so by the time we reached the agricultural checkpoint, we had gotten rid of anything that was illegal. Pat and I joked that we can just see how big and mean we would look in a Mexican prison for smuggling fruit and vegetables. We'd be right up there with all the big drug lords...LOL
Chuck found a campground in Guerrero Negro and we were set up in no time. Actually just in time for Happy Hour. The rest of the afternoon was spent lounging in the sun getting to know one another better. Tomorrow we will go to the bank to get our tourist permits and from here on out, we'll be 100% legal. As for tonight, we had hot showers and full hook-ups, so a nice dinner and some of Jeff's DVD's sounded like a good wind down to a long day. Right as the sun was setting, Chuck came and knocked on the door saying that he was walking the dogs and spotted an Osprey a few campsites down. We went over to watch this huge bird tear apart a small flounder she had caught. Thursday March 6th 2008 Today is the day that we are going to buy our tourist permits and exchange some dollars for pesos at the bank We opted to ride our bikes since the bank is only a couple miles from the campground. This was like risking our lives at every cross street. The curbs here are any where from 6 inches to 12 inches and most of the time we had to jump the curbs since no entrance onto the side walk was allotted in the concrete. Some times I would just get off of my bike and pick it up and over the curbs since I am so clumsy, I could see me some how hurting myself. As we rode down the streets we passed many dogs who would scare the crap out of me every time they would chase us, barking and nipping at our heels. Pat went into the bank and I stayed outside with the bikes. After about a half an hour, Pat walked out looking dazed and confused stating that he was not sure what he just did but he thought we had every thing we needed.
The houses are so much different than in the USA in size, shapes and color. No one here has landscaping or clean yards. Most of the homes look like a coat of paint may have been put on them when they were built 30 years ago but that is all. I must say that everyone that we have come across has been very kind and even though we have a huge language barrier they always have a smile on their faces when our conversation is finished. We came back to the camper and had some good conversation with Chuck, Sandy and some new neighbors that we met from Canada. The couple are traveling around the world photographing different species of birds. They are avid bird watchers and try to protect them and there habitats as much as possible.
I thought Sandy was going to crap her pants when he told this to the couple who has spent so much time to try and protect the birds from just such a thing. Chuck laughed and said they weren't trying to hurt it, they just wanted it for a pet. At this point we all called it a night and went to our own campers for the evening. Every time I think of that story it makes me laugh. Sandy said to him under he breath "Chuck these are bird lovers you are telling this crazy story to!" All of us are going on a whale watching trip tomorrow so we want to get up early. Friday March 7th 2008 Pat and I woke up at 5:30 this morning so that we could eat, walk and feed the dogs as well as have a bit of time before boarding the bus that would take us to the whale watching boat. We actually had so much time that I decided to give the dogs two walks since they will be here for a while by themselves today. As I walked through the parking lot I noticed that a bus was filing up with people and it was only 7:00am. I thought they only had two trips to see the whales, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, but I guess I was wrong. All of a sudden Pat comes running up to me and says "Bring the dogs back quick, the whole bus is waiting for us, we forgot to change our clocks to mountain time!"
Ten of us boarded our boat, which took off to the middle of the lagoon bouncing and jumping the waves until we arrived in the center. The trip out allowed us to see some dolphin frolicking beside us as well as the incredible white sand dunes that surrounded the enormous lagoon. This trip ranked right up there with us snorkeling with the manatee in Crystal river. I can not begin to tell you how spectacular it was to watch these large mammals circle our boats in hopes of getting a glance at us. I think they are just as amused with us as we are with them. One pair of whales rolled under our boat and ended up mating right in front of us! Now that is a sight that everyone can boast about. The male baby making part kept flailing around out of the water which all of us were in awe over. When they were finished they both just relaxed and laid on their backs in the water. We moved the boat for a bit to find more unsuspecting whales until a group of three whales found us. These giant gentle creatures were scratching their backs on the bottom of the boat as they dove deep into the clear water to get to the other side of us. Some people were lucky enough to be able to touch these beasts while they came so close to the side of our boat. After a half an hour of watching this threesome, one broke off and went its own way.
For the rest of the day all I could say was how incredible this experience was. The kind of thing that will bring a tear to ones eye just to be able to behold such beauty in nature. When we got back to shore, we tipped our boat guide and headed back to the campground. All four of us took a hot shower, since we knew it might be a long time before we had this opportunity again, then on the road again. We had to shower the salt spray that had been blown all over us from the whales being so close to our boat.
Today's drive
was alot shorter then the last few days of travel. We ended up in
a spot which reminded me of the lagoon in Gilligan's Island. We
were right on the shore over looking a large body of open water
surrounded by huge palm trees with many birds soaring over head
We spoke of our adventure today and stayed outside until nightfall was upon us bringing us into the warmth of the camper. These are the days that dreams are made of, memories that I know will stay in my mind forever. I am sure that Pat is going to put up a whole gallery to view, it might just take a while for us to get it posted. We are able to receive emails from everyone but we are not able to reply to them just yet. Finding internet service here is much harder than we thought it would be although we appreciate all of the emails we are getting. Keep them coming so that we don't get too home sick. Saturday March 8th 2008 This morning started as a dream come true. The air was clean and crisp, the company (Pat) was pleasing to my eyes and my head was clear of any stressful thoughts. I figure this morning is the beginning of some great outdoor fun of riding bikes, kayaking, and maybe some jogging on the area beaches. Pat and I got the pups ready and sprinted out of the camper to fill our lungs with some fresh air. We were running with the dogs across a small bridge and the pavement was uneven. I was looking at the beautiful lagoon and didn't notice the change in the pavement when I went down hard.
He walked back and commented how I am the only person in the world that can trip over my own two feet. ASSHOLE! Is the first thing that came to my mind. I limped back to the camper explaining that I did not trip, the pavement was uneven and I twisted my ankle. Pat insisted that I would be fine and I was just clumsy. By the time that I had taken off my shoes my ankle was twice the size that it should be. My leg was bleeding and Pat was out walking around the campsite. I screamed his name in a nice way and told him that he should be helping me mend my wound. At this point Pat figured out that I was hurt and angry with him because of course it was his fault. He bandaged my knee and wrapped my ankle before he went outside again to get things ready to go sight seeing at the local Mission San Ignacio.
My joke for the day was "Boy, who ever built all these beautiful churches back in the 1700's sure were on a Mission." Pat just looked at me with his usual look and told me "You're such a dork." The only sound except for my limping footsteps was the sound of Pat's shutter on his camera. They say the best way to ease pain is to eat, so we found a small cafe that overlooked the Mission and sat to have some breakfast. The family that ran the cafe was very nice with us since our limited Spanish kept us pointing to different things on the menu and butchering their language. My breakfast was excellent and my foot was feeling better already. We got back to the camper and headed out to Playa Santispac where we would camp for the next few days. It feels like we've been in Baja for months, and it hasn't even been a week yet. My how we've kept ourselves busy. The crazy two hour drive was beautiful whenever I had my eyes open. Coming up and over the mountain and into Mulegé was breathtaking, but just a bit scary. The little village of Mulegé is something that we'll have to go back and explore as it looks very old and historic.
I don't think he was even unhooked from the truck yet and I was already in my bathing suit and lying in the sand with a cold one to help ease my throbbing foot. The rest of the day was spent with Pat trying to make up for being such a jerk this morning. He bought me a woven hammock from a local Mexican man who was selling goods on the beach and hung it under the palapa that we're parked beside. He brought me cold beers when ever I needed another beverage, and even took me out for dinner at Ana's, which is a little bar right on the beach. There we sat talking with the locals and toasting with strong Margarita's. Pat was flirting with the cute little Mexican bartender who was either trying to get me out of the picture by making my drinks stronger and stronger with each mix, or get rid of him by doing the same.
From what I remember, we were in bed before 9pm with dreams of salty breezes and hot looking men to fan me in the morning while I relax in my new hammock. Keep the emails coming to us because it is nice to hear from everyone. Remember, we haven't found a way to reply yet, but as soon as we do, we will get back to everyone. Sunday March 9th 2008 Pat and I got up early this morning to go for a kayak ride across to the islands we could view from our camp site. Chuck and Sandy also have a couple of kayaks so they went with us for what turned out to be a very short paddle. I thought when I woke up this morning that my foot didn't hurt as bad as yesterday so I didn't take any ibuprofen before we left.
At this point I picked up a book and brought my chair down into the water. I sat with my foot hanging in the cool clean water until my foot turned blue or should I say more blue. I sat there pretty much all day trying to either elevate or soak it hoping that this stupid ankle doesn't ruin everyone's time here. Pat has no sympathy for me since our last few months that we owned the bar, Pat worked 7 days a week after he had tore ligaments in his ankle while playing with his niece and nephew. When ever I complain of how bad this hurts, he just reminds me of working from open to close with a big brace on even though the doctor had told him to stay off of it for a few months. So I continue to make food and such for the both of us trying to get by the pain until I elevate it again. He stayed in the camper all day trying to catch up on the web site so that he can up load it when he goes into town this afternoon. I will stay here since walking is just too much for me. Monday March 10th 2008 I woke up this morning with a panic attack due to the fact that I had forgotten to pay my CC bill. It's not really that big of a deal except for the $75.00 fee that they will slap on for interest. I have vowed to never pay interest to a CC again, since if we can't pay for it in cash, I won't buy it. Last month I had a great big argument with Capitol One because they said that I didn't pay on time which I paid on the correct day, just not at the correct hour? I guess one has to pay by a certain time during the day or else it posts on the following day. I convinced them that since I have never been late in almost two years that they needed to wave the interest fee.
The restaurant opened 15 minutes late so we would be paying after noon on Michigan time. As I was posting my payment I noticed that I had plenty of time since the cut off time is actually 3:00pm instead of noon. I didn't tell Pat that though since I was such a freak about the whole thing and he has been PMSing this week really bad. After we left the Cafe we drove into downtown Mulegé to see what the locals do. This was a chore in itself to try and maneuver our great big truck down these narrow streets. We did a little short tour of the historic town and didn't get out since we couldn't find a place to park. The streets were so narrow, that Pat had to fold in our mirrors on a few sections so we wouldn't hit a telephone pole on one side and a parked car on the other. We came back to our camp site to grill up some chicken on my brand new Weber grill, which I love because its so easy to clean and use. No mess anymore compared to the charcoal grill although I do like the flavor of a char-grill. I will make the sacrifice for the ease of my new one. Tuesday March 11th This morning when we woke up, I thought that someone had taken my sweet husband and replaced him with a bear. Pat was so mean that I just avoided him at all costs due to his attitude. This is very unlike him so I know that it will pass, as long as I am tolerant and don't push his buttons too bad.
We kayaked for about a mile before Sandy and Chuck turned back to have their morning coffee and breakfast. This meant I would be on the water with Mr. Personality alone for God only knows how long. We kept our distance from each other while enjoying all of the beautiful creatures that these waters have to offer. Many different types of birds, fish, shell fish, star fish and sting rays filled our senses to the brim. We enjoyed some lunch quietly while staring off into the distance at the enormous mountain ridges that surrounded us.
Today at Ana's all I had was lunch and man was it good, with the price only being $5 which included a tip for three steak tacos, beans, rice, chips and salsa and a big salad on the side. Now that's my kind of meal. As I was walking home Pat was coming to get me which is so funny since I know dam well that I am driving him nuts right now. I came back and laid in the hammock while he did his thing inside the camper. Finally he came out and said "Come on, I need a margarita!" Back I went to Ana's for some of their great beverages and some incredible dinner. Pat and I both had four margaritas and each of us had a huge dinner, total cost $25. I can see how people lived here year round and still saved money. I have been buying most of my veggies and bread from the vendors that come around every morning. Everything is fresh and the bread is still warm when they drive around the camp site. I bought some bread stuffed with jalapenos and cheese that would melt in you mouth for the small fee of .80¢ a loaf. That's alot better than the Chiclets they used to sell last time I visited Mexico! Wednesday March 12th I woke up this morning with the determination to find a Porpoise to paddle with today. Our Canadian neighbors have told us of continually seeing these playful creatures swimming right next to their Zodiac when they go out further in the bay. We struck out early this morning, all six of us, since both dogs, Carma and Mia, hitched a ride on the back of Chuck and Sandy's sit on tops. Pat and I brought a lunch so we could wait to see the Dolphin circling us as we had been hoping for, so we were ready for a long wait. Again I think we are, or should I say Pat is way over zealous when it comes to how far we kayak, so the rest of the group headed back in after about an hour. Pat and I got almost to the open water and started to feel the waves of the ocean before we had to turn around. We had seen so many Dolphin swimming out here the day before from inside our vehicle on the shoreline, so we waited until we both started to feel sea sick from the constant waves.
Pat wanted to go further out still to one more island, but I opted to turn back so that I could get some lunch started for us. I joke with people that Pat is like the Energizer Bunny and will just keep going and going until I actually make him stop. This day turned out to be a pretty big disappointment for me since I had not seen anything I was looking for on our long four hour journey paddling into the seas. I made Pats favorite meal of Coconut Chicken and man was it ever a success. The whole camper was surrounded by things knocking on the doors and windows to come in. Unfortunately they were honey bees which would not leave us alone. The bees were even worse than the other day when I decided to put my gallon of honey outside to soften it up in the heat. I placed it on the front porch step for a couple of hours while we were both in the camper doing our morning duties. Within an hour or so we could hear the bees out front which when Pat opened the door the lid for the gallon of honey had at least 20 bees on it. Since Pat was still in his PMS state of mind, I thought that he was going to gouge my eyes out with a fork. I mean what's the big deal about giving yourself a shot of Epinephrine if you get stung or you will pass out without medical treatment? It's just a small allergy to the bee venom that he suffers from right? When Pat came back he had a fish story to tell that would make anyone jealous with the tall tail of a story he had to offer. When I saw the photos I almost cried since I had turned around too soon. Pat had gotten into the middle of a school of feeding Dolphin when I turned away and he said there were so many it felt like he was in a whirlpool with the churning water surrounding him. He had photos to prove it or I would have never believe his story, it was just that crazy. He told me once he started paddling back towards our camp, the only thing he was worried about was tipping over because without the photos, he knew no one would believe his crazy story.
After he filled us all in on his fish story Pat and I had lunch inside while the honey bees, at least 100 or so kept knocking and buzzing against the windows with Luca trying to eat them through the screens. The rest of the day we lounged about and took a siesta while the heat of the afternoon lifted and the cool night air would blow in and could cool us off. Thursday March 13th Another day of early rising and out onto the water for us. I just can't resist this beautiful glassy clear water that we are right on top of. I made a promise that I will take advantage of it for as long as we are here. Pat has finally come home to me and his PMS is over, Thank God. He is back to his old self of laughing with and at me instead of never finding humor in the stupid things we (I) do. This makes life so much better for the both of us when we spend every single second together. I think it had to do with yesterdays long afternoon siesta followed by a cold shower, if you get my drift.
In order to paddle to everyone, we have our hands full. We paddled around six different small islands today, seeing something different at each one. Each island is unique and has different birds, different foliage and drastically different underwater life around the waters edge. We paddled the entire time except for the 15 minutes we took for lunch. In that 5 hours of paddling, we covered alot of water. We saw so many new types of fish with each mile we got from the main shoreline. I really wish my ankle wasn't so tore up because these waters would be perfect for snorkeling, but we'll just have to come back another time for that. Our day was filled with wonder and excitement and some hard work. By the time we got back to shore which was 5 hours later, my entire upper body felt like a pulled hamstring. I don't think keeping my foot in that one position for that length of time was good for it either since as soon as we paddled back onto the beach, in my first few steps I felt shooting pain with each step. Chuck and Sandy had just returned from town and the four of us visited a friend we had made in Ana's Restaurant who owns a bed and breakfast right up the road from where we are staying. Elena gave us the tour of her lovely place and we sat and chatted a while until I had to go home and put my foot up after taking some more ibuprofen. The darn thing has started to swell again after I took the two flights of stairs down to the entrance of Elena's home.
You can tell it is getting later in the season because each day the winds blow later in the afternoon and the temps get a few degree's hotter. Once the ocean breeze did pick up, the temperatures dropped about 10 degrees which made it tolerable in the camper. Under the palapa in the shade, it was about as perfect as I could hope for. That's once the med's kicked in and allowed me to forget about my ankle. Once the sun set, I watched a few movies and fell asleep by 10pm. I sure am glad Pat is back to normal and I am so thankful for every day that I am alive and living this life! In a few years when we're saying to each other "Where did all of our time and money go?" but I know a smile will cross our face when we can relive all these memories we're making right now. Friday March 14th Today was filled with sights from the small, historic town just North of our little oasis on the beach called Mulegé. We had to go in to the village to try and find an internet connection which is proving to be quite difficult to work around down here in this third world country. We met up with a disgruntled American woman while we were trying to get connected. She expressed to us how she is ready to go home since she is sick of the sun, saltwater, Mexican food and the sand. Now I would have to say that it is time for her to leave since that is everything Mexico has to offer.
After an hour of people watching out of the open aired patio we were sitting on, we went home to let this huge meal digest. We had two heavy boxes of carry-out food which will feed us for a couple more days! We arrived back at the camp site to join Chuck and Sandy under the Palapa, hanging in the hammocks till the sunset had finished its show and we headed in for bed. Saturday March 15th We know that our time here is coming to an end tomorrow, so we were up first thing in the morning to get another paddle into this clear salty aquarium which we have become constant guests of. We always go for three or four hour trips on the water which involves some heavy paddling in open water, so most of the time Chuck and Sandy go their own way once we leave to head out on the water.
These shore lines are always filled with some entertaining birds which I must say I have almost mastered their calls or at least I have been practicing alot. Pat really enjoys my gull call although he won't admit it. After a couple of hours of paddling along the volcanic shore line, we started to turn around when Pat informed me that he would rather cut straight across the open water on the way back instead of hugging the shore. I expressed my thoughts with some comment like "Are you crazy?" The winds by this point were picking up which means the open water is much harder to contend with. I know from previous experiences that heavy winds means white caps on the water and usually Sea Sickness for both of us. At this point is when I was scoping out the water to see the extent of the rough water we would have to cover when I thought I saw a dolphin. I yelled out "Dolphin, 11 o'clock" to Pat and we both paddled in the direction where I saw it break the surface of the open water. We chased this creature into the middle of the islands only to find that it was a large seal instead. We never could really get close enough for any good photos although we did get a chance to see it roll over and over, playing in the center of the bay.
Big mistake, since as soon as I stopped paddling, the wind took me backward and the waves made me feel as though I was turning a nice shade of green. I began the quest for the safety of the inner bay when Pat pulled up beside me and asked me to slow down or I would wear myself out. I explained to him that if I slowed down and just sat bobbing in the surf, I would barf or flip over since the waves had now become white caps. Both of us busted some butt to reach the safety of the inlet and once I felt the hard wind stop blowing, I just stopped for a couple of minutes to let my Stretch Armstrong arms get back to normal. When we got back to the camper, both of us took a shower to wash off the thick salt spray which was followed by a long nap to get ready for our last night at Ana's Cantina. Saturday nights are the best time to enjoy dancing at this beach side hotspot, since that and Tuesday's are the only nights with a DJ. As we walked the dogs past Ana's around 5pm, I told Pat that they must have turned on their bug zapper. We saw 8-10 people all walking towards the place as though they were in a trance, being attracted by the hum of the generator and the neon lights. We brought the dogs back to the camper and asked if Chuck and Sandy would be attending the party tonight, to which they both said and enthusiastic "Yes". I wrapped my ankle good and tight because I know me with good music playing. I'm a dancer and not one to sit and watch.
The night ended too soon with smiles and laughter filling the bar as we all said good night and good bye until we meet again. Both Pat and I walked home and passed out after only three of Zulema's special margaritas!! Sunday March 16th A sad day for both of us was leaving our special palapa on the white sand beach of Playa Santispac. We can't stay here forever though, or can we? Anyway we headed to Loreto which is about 90 miles south of Santispac. Loreto is a much more populated town with many stores, shopping, restaurants and it even has the first Mission in Baja Sur. The ride here was spent mostly with me looking at the back of my eyelids while Pat chugged along the winding Hwy 1. I felt so bad for Sandy since she was a bit under the weather after last nights festivities. I don't think she is much of a drinker and two of Zulema's margaritas did her in something awful. Poor Chuck had to pack up camp and drive the whole way by himself because I don't think she ever got out of bed today.
The park we are in, Riviera Del Mar, has everything we need here including Wi-Fi for only $14 a night! This way we can get caught up on laundry, which hasn't been done in two weeks and also use the dump station and have running water. We got here and I tried to get some drinking water from our fresh water holding tank when I found that the water had turned green?!? It looks like some sort of algae has made a home in the bottom of the tank!!! This meant that we had to find a different source of drinking water for the next 4 weeks. After shopping in town, Pat walked down to the laundry mat and did two loads of laundry. That darn guy surprises me more and more every day. He used to do all the laundry when we lived in Michigan, however since we have been on this trip, it has become my job. I didn't even ask him to, he just did it. I'm thinking he was sick of his clothes being washed in salt water and rinsed with fresh water like we had been doing for the last few days at Playa Santispac. Have you ever heard that old saying that goes something like "If your husband changes and becomes really nice to you; is sweet, respectful and caring, that he is making up for cheating on you?" Well, I would have my doubts because of how nice he has been if I didn't spend every waking moment with him. (Just Kidding) Monday March 17th We got our day started early today and Pat asked me what the date was, to which I replied with shock, "It's St. Patrick's Day." This is so strange since the past few years of owning a bar instilled many weeks of planning for this busy holiday of drinking and partying. For us to not even be aware of the occasion struck me as strange. Chuck asked Pat and I if we wanted to ride our bikes into town with him since Sandy is still not feeling well. He and Pat are alot alike in the fact that they don't like to ever be idle, so I'm sure he is going stir crazy by now.
Here in Mexico, only standard tubes are carried at the local sporting goods store which does not work with Pats French rims. I thought we would have to turn around but Pat just pretty much rode a wheelie for the rest of the bike ride, he is so crazy. After our trip around town Pat and I had some brunch at the RV Park Cafe and it was delicious. We figure that eating out in most places here is cheaper for us than having to buy the food and make it at home. For $12.00 We each had two eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, and toast with a side of has browns, coffee and another fruit smoothie. I know what your thinking and yes we could have split that breakfast, but we are both big eaters and finished everything. We met a nice couple while at breakfast and ended up going out to dinner with them for St. Patrick's Day. Chris and Jeanne are currently working in Yellowstone National Park for 6 months out of the year and traveling the other six. We compared notes to which we found we had alot in common with one another. Dinner was accented with some great company, to bad this is their last night here for they were fun to hang with. I think what they have figured out with the part time jobs is what Pat and I will eventually have to do since our cash tree won't bloom anymore. The walk back to the camper after dinner was cold, in fact I had on a jacket, hat and gloves. The weather station said a low of 47 tonight and I believe it. To bad that I have taken off the down comforter and put it in storage (the back of the truck) for the summer. To our amazement, our heater came on in the middle of the night and we had it set at 50°! Tuesday March 18th
We visited the Mission Nuestra Senora de Loreto which is in the center of town surrounded by all of the businesses. The history held in the 3 foot thick walls I'm sure could fill a book and probably already has. A pack of 3 dogs followed us all through town just giving us the sweetest eyes the whole time. I told Pat that we should carry around some treats for the really cute ones, but then I had a vision of a Seinfeld episode where Elaine had a pocket full of mutton in her coat which she was unaware of. All of the dogs in the town were following her through the streets, barking and insisting on their share. That made me change my mind. We laid low most of the day since my ankle started to swell again from all of the walking we did in town. I'm not sure if I am real crazy about this city life with all of the vehicle noise and we are too far from the beach to kayak. Not that we could right now anyway, there is a strong storm front moving across the area that has the Sea of Cortez whipped into something awful. I think I just got spoiled from staying in Santispac for the past 10 days I guess. We will wait the week out here since all of the beaches are filled with the locals during their spring break type religious holiday. Wednesday March 19th Chuck, Sandy, Pat and myself took the truck out today to do some exploring of the area beaches. We all talked about it and thought if maybe we could find a not so busy beach, we could move out of the noisy city area. We got an early start and heading south toward Ligui Beach stopping at everything in between. The first place we stopped at, Puerto Escondido, sounded really nice when we read about it in our Baja Bible, stating that it had a pool, store, laundry facilities and spacious lots. Chuck said before we got there that he didn't like it from what he had remembered a few years ago. We wanted to check out that area any way to see for ourselves. Chuck was right, the lots weren't spacious and they were right on the main thoroughfare. The laundry was actually a washer and dryer outside in front of the rest rooms which weren't so lovely either. We never saw the pool and it was more expensive than the place we are currently at? So that was a big "NO".
This area was weird because there were city streets with lampposts set up for you to imagine a once thriving little village, but now there was nothing left but tall weeds and abandon buildings along the crumbling roads. We spoke to a gentleman that was repairing his catamaran which he had salvaged after the hurricane. He had pulled it off of the bottom of the ocean floor and reworked all of the mechanical things already, he told us all he had left was a huge chunk of boat missing in the rear end until it would be usable. This guy pointed us in the direction of a secluded beach that would be easy to get to and free to stay at. He said we would not be getting in any locals way since the beach was mostly inhabited by Canadians and Americans. We did find the beach area after a bit of off road driving and decided immediately that Chuck would not be able to bring his big rig down these winding narrow gravel and sand roads. Pat decided to drive along the beach for a bit and I informed him that the sand looked way to deep for us. He said it wouldn't matter since we had a 4x4 truck and he was used to driving in this kind of stuff. After driving about 50 yards the truck came to a complete stop at which point Pat threw it into 4 high. This would usually work except for our tires were dug pretty deep into the sugar sand already and they were full to capacity with air pressure.
Pat got in and drove right out with no resistance as we stood behind him and cheered him on. We all laughed and I explained how I think Pat can pretty much get us out of anything, that's why I have nicknamed him MacGyver. We all needed a little excitement anyway since the drive was getting a bit boring. At this point we all agreed that we didn't need to see anymore and we headed back to the campers. When we pulled back into Rivera Del Mar Campground, we had some new Canadian neighbors who had pulled in while we were out exploring. John and Mary-Ellen were very nice with two of the cutest dogs I have ever seen. We had some good conversation and learned a bit more about the area and what it has to offer from them as they have already been all the way down to Cabo and are on their way back North. Thursday March 20th We have almost come to the point of running out of the food that we brought from the states, so Pat and I decided to have another awesome breakfast here at the camp ground cafe. We had a few snacks to bring with us to the Mission this afternoon, but that was about everything in our cupboards. Knowing that, we really filled up on breakfast for the huge fee of $4.50 each.
During breakfast we met another young Canadian man who lives here fulltime working on one of the big developments we had driven around yesterday. Mark is a very nice, good looking guy that shared some great conversation with us and loaded us up with plenty of great tips on the surrounding area. We also talked with another Canadian couple who are paddling their 18' kayaks all the way to La Paz from Mulegé! That's a few hundred miles of paddling!! They told us they were staying in the campground for a few days while the winds were so strong and would wait till the weather died down before they headed back out. That was just amazing to me because I thought our four to five hours of paddling was a good workout. This couple said they average four to five hours per day, but many days will paddle for 8 hours to get to their next tropical beach campsite. We wished them well and got ready to head to the Mission in the mountains, San Javier.
The trip to the Mission is 22 miles of back country travel with huge steep inclines and some hairpin turns crawling along the mountain sides. For the life of me I could not figure out why anyone would want to put a mission, or live for that matter up on top of this mountain with such a treacherous trip to and from their place of worship. | ||
All
of the seals have a sort of leopard print on them, ranging from beige
fur to grey and black. Some seals lounged around while others
played in the surf for some afternoon fun. They are adorable, but
man do they smell. I guess they are not real familiar with the
common courtesy of keeping their sleeping area free from poo.
The morning
passed and we all went out to have lunch at a place that gave us so much
food, I think everyone had carry out bags when they left. We came
back from lunch and I learned how to play a funny little pig tossing
game with Lori and the kids. I know that sounds funny but they
were small rubber pigs that gives points in order of how they land.
Jeff was kind
enough to offer his laundry utilities which we took advantage of and did
our last load of clothes. Jeff brought us out at least 100 movies to watch while we are on this trip while also
carrying out our broken computer that he fixed, man this guy is handy!
Like I said, I count our blessings every day. Someone is watching
out for us and Jeff and his family were those little angels that helped
us out in a time of need. 
I walked up to
Lori and Jeff's house to make sure that we had done no damage to their
driveway while giving Pat a chance to cool off. I know that this
was not a good thing but I was cracking up to myself. Pat looked so silly
when he saw what he had done, only to blame it on me. I know him
well enough by now to just let him be by himself for a minute until his hot head
cools off. 
This morning
we got a bright and early start and had a bit longer conversation before
driving across the border. Chuck and Sandy are the couples names
and they live in Ventura, California. Both of them have seen
Baja many times although Chuck has been coming here since he was 6 years
old. 
As we got
further from the border towns the scenery became much more appealing with
the mountains surrounding the shore line brightly lit with new spring flowers
and a tropical green undergrowth enhancing the yellow, orange and purple
blooms. Sandy called over the radio to watch the three dolphins
traveling up the coast allowing their large dorsal fins to protrude from
the cresting waves. This is sheer paradise as far as I'm concerned
After a dinner
cooked on my new Weber grill, Pat and I visited with our new friends. Our
conversation was very good so I am sure this arrangement will work out
just fine. They wanted our dogs to meet in friendly surroundings,
so they asked if we would bring them over to their coach.
Large mounds
of rock formations cover the landscape with the most unusual looking
cactus that I have ever seen sprouting up every where. Small
yellow daisies mixed with tall white yucca and purple ground cover keeps
ones eyes entertained for hours. Every few feet or so a bed of red
blooms will jut from the earth, trying to make a name for itself in this
competitive landscape.
After we
thought about what we had done, we both decided that we would leave
helping stranded motorists up to the Green Angels instead of putting
either one of us at risk. Green Angels are people that will travel
the Mexican roads looking for stranded motorists and help them out with
what ever they need for free.
We
were off the road much earlier today, which is good. I hate
spending my whole day in the truck. I start to feel lethargic and
at the end of the day, will usually feel more stiff and tired than if we
had gotten out and did a hike or went for a ride on the bike. Just
sitting all day is not my cup of tea. 
We
tried to ride to the beach but some how got turned around and ended up
in a small neighborhood just on the outskirts of town. Scary!
Chuck decided
to tell us all a story about when he was a kid and he and his father
came to Baja to visit family. They had found a rare parrot and
wanted to keep it but didn't know how to bring it back to the states.
He explained that his father soaked a towel in tequila and wrapped the
parrot in it so that it would pass out. He then took him out of
the tequila towel and put it into the glove box of their vehicle.
So
off we ran to put the dogs away and not make everyone wait any longer.
The half hour trip to the lagoon was filled with views of many
different Osprey perched on man made bird nests. Some of them
feeding their young and some searching for food. We saw a few with
fresh catches in their talons as they soared over head.
No
one could figure out what these whales were doing, why they continually
came out of the water touching one another. Just as we had to
leave since our time was up, this second male whale showed his stuff. This
was another pair who wanted to share their experience with us.
while
we could look across the lagoon to see a cliff covered in cactus.
I thought to
myself, "This cannot be happening, I can't hurt myself today!" I
immediately held onto my bleeding knee and looked down at my twisted
ankle which was already swelling. By this point Pat had heard my
cry of pain and turned around to see what I had done.
I hobbled to
the truck and sat myself down in the seat until we arrived at the
downtown area where we planned to do some sight seeing. I walked
about the Mission in complete silence just saying some prayers to myself
to not strangle Pat for not catering to me while I'm injured. It
was still very early in the morning and we were the only ones in this
beautiful old church.
We drove a few
miles out of town to where the beaches line the Bahía Concepción with
the tropical waters of the Gulf of California. The beach we pulled
into is just perfect. It's hard packed sand and Pat was able to
back the camper to within a few feet of the water. 
The second
scenario worked like a charm, and soon we both were stumbling back to
the camper as the sun was setting. At least I had an excuse
because of my bad foot, but Pat looked like both of his feet were
sprained and I'm thinking his was due to the large amounts of tequila
that had pooled up in his shoes. 
As I got half
way to the first island my foot started throbbing so bad that I felt
like I was going to cry. I told everyone that I was going to head
back so that I could medicate myself. I spent the rest of my day
limping around the camp site until I just couldn't stand it any more.
I thought I
had to pay before noon which would be 9:00 here in Baja so I was in a
hurry to find some internet connection. Pat didn't understand my
urgency and putted around here until we had no time to go into town, we
had to find the first internet available to us.
We went out
kayaking with Chuck and Sandy and their small dog Mia which rode on the
back of Sandy's kayak. She is so darn cute with a slight under
bite and big blue eyes that just win one over from the get go. Mia
wore a little baseball cap and some sunscreen on her nose to keep from
the sun hurting her blue eyes and fair nose.
We came back
to camp and Pat did some more growling so I went up to the restaurant
and had some lunch by myself. This little place is so cute and
quaint. The last time I was here, I had three margaritas and a few
ibuprofen under my belt, so I was pretty unaware of my surroundings.
By this point
we were miles from our shore line and my arms were getting pretty tired.
We had seen many different species or maybe just male, female and babies
of pelicans and a bunch of cool looking Sea Gulls but that was it for me today. 
He also had
the fortune of watching hundreds of Majestic Frigate birds do their mating dance
with one another. He explained to me that the male bird would
prance about with its red balloon neck flailing about while the female
made a clicking noise and batted her wings until they finally fell
deeply in lust with one another.
We
went out by ourselves today since we knew we would spend a long time on
the water. We want to see every island that we can before we take
off from this beautiful campsite. 
Back to the
hammock in the shade where it was a cool 93 degrees! Our camper
was 90 inside since the afternoon winds hadn't started blow which
normally cool us off. 
We uploaded to
our website and figured out a way to return some emails. Then we
looked for a local restaurant that was recommended to us by some friends
of ours. The restaurant is called Doney's and it was terrific just
as they said it would be.
I'd have to say that this has been the best meal we have had since we
arrived in Mexico.
Our long trip
today was spent along the rocky shore line, looking through the sea sponges
and coral for any signs of life that move about in this area. We
always see plenty of rays, starfish, barracuda, clown fish and small zebra fish in these parts,
however we have been surprised with a few more colorful fish that catch
our eye every now and then.
By this point
we were so far out in the center, we decided to continue through the
strong winds and just get a really good work out. After 20 minutes of
non-stop struggling with the winds and water splashing up and over my
kayak, I needed to rest until my arms could be of some
use again.
After the
second margarita, I was looking for an excuse to start cutting a rug and
in came Chuck and Sandy. We all got out there on the dance floor
and had an awesome time. I danced with anyone who would pass by me
grabbing them to twist or twirl them some how. I guess the
margaritas made me forget about my purple, swollen ankle because I never
noticed it al night long. 
When we
arrived in Loreto, we found a nice RV Park which Chuck is familiar with
and made ourselves at home. Chuck brought us into town so that I
could do a bit of grocery shopping. I can't believe that we still
have a good supply of food except for the essentials like bread and
milk. 
Pat got the
bikes all ready or so he thought while I made us a Fruit Smoothie in my
Magic Bullet. (My new favorite appliance) He came in for some
breakfast and when we went back out side, the tire he just filled with
air was flat again. After a couple times of this he decided to
ride his bike on a flat tire into town so he could get a new tube for
the repair.
Our day was
spent walking around town just soaking up some culture in Loreto with
the old cobble stone streets and the fading stucco homes and businesses lining the
narrow walk ways. The only wild life we have seen here in Loreto is the
roaming dogs which may I say are some of the best pan handlers that I have ever
seen.
Our next stop
was the actual port of Puerto Escondido which Chuck had remembered as quaint with venders and
small shops along the pier. This was also a disappointment since a
hurricane had blown away the pier and every thing else along the inlet.
Pat tried to
go backward and forward until the truck was basically buried up to the
frame rails. The funny part is non of us really panicked or
anything, we all got out of the truck and dug the tires out a bit while
placing some rocks and drift wood under the front and rear tires. Pat
went around and let some air out of all of the tires while I took photos
of yet another fine mess he had gotten us into.
We
enjoy this little cafe early in the morning when traffic is light since
they keep an incredible flower garden here. They have a large
fountain surrounded by roses and many other pretty things that I have no
idea what any of them are, I just know it makes me smile to look at
them. It has been so long since I have gotten to dig in the dirt,
I enjoy seeing the work that someone else has had the pleasure of doing.
Chuck and
Sandy wanted to take their Jeep out to the mission to make sure
everything worked Ok and we wanted (I wanted) to bring the dogs anyway,
so we drove separate from them. We loaded all of us in the vehicle
with plenty of water for us and the pets and began our journey.