February 28 Magical Sunset in Ensendad

February 27 The Loooonnnngggg Road to Ensenada

This was our longest, most difficult driving day of the trip. We traveled more than our share of narrow, windy, mountain roads plus covering 227 miles in the day.

After all these miles, Gary and I have finally developed a system which will demonstrate to you the stress of driving in Mexico. The highways are very narrow, with NO shoulder. If you are lucky there is a “fog line” at the right. I watch out in the distance as far as I can see for any oncoming traffic. When I see something, I call it out. Oncoming car…oncoming semi…oncoming motor home.

Then while Gary tries to maintain an appropriate spacing in the center of the road…I watch in the side mirror down at the fog line. I tell him: we are inside it, we are close to it, we are on it, we are outside it (running risk of dropping off pavement!) From that he will adjust our placement and hopefully miss having the oncoming vehicle “clip” us. A couple of our caravan motor homes have lost mirrors and been sideswiped on this trip. Some have dropped off the side pavement and run into curbs and signs causing damage. The tension remains high. Some just come to a full standstill when a large vehicle is oncoming. Also you have to be aware that the gust of air from the passing vehicle can throw you off the pavement as well.

The other big hazard is TOPES. These are very large speed bumps and the Mexicans use them to slow you down when you enter and exit the towns. They are often a series of bumps getting larger and larger jarring you to a stop. Sometimes they are painted yellow but more often the paint has worn off. You see very little traffic police enforcement…topes are their ways of “punishing” you if you speed, and they are very effective.

Factor that all in plus frequent military inspection stations and slow downs in small towns and you know why we AVERAGE 40 miles an hour and why a day like today 227 miles is a 5 to 6 hour day.

We were all thoroughly exhausted when we arrived in Ensenada but glad to be here and arrive at a very fancy waterfront resort location with full service hookups.

February 26 Catavina Onyx Quarry Excursion

Catavina was just a brief one night stop over on our return trip north. It had been described to us as the place where we “dry camp around a tree”. They were not kidding in their description. We had lots of room in this open field and actually TWO trees which we circled around.

One optional excursion was made to a nearby Onyx Quarry. I did not know what to expect, other than the promise of a 36 mile trip on back roads and more onyx than I could carry away. My spirit of adventure took me off in a 4 x 4 vehicle with others of the group (while Gary napped in the motor home).

I know now what Onyx looks like and have several pieces to take home. I also saw a number of articles that can be carved out of Onyx but am not sure what I will do with mine. It was just another dusty, bumpy adventure to add to my mental book of memories.

That night we gathered under the two trees to share a potluck dinner with the entire group. As we were sitting eating in wandered two horses who obviously felt we were in their space. They were tamer than the wild burrows who we have encountered along the way and hung along quite awhile waiting for a hand out which never materialized.

Whale Watching Pictures

February 25 Whale Watching in Scammon´s Lagoon

Mario’s Whale Watching Tours took us to Scammon’s Lagoon just west of Guerrero Negro for our boat trip of a life time. They say this is among the greatest “eco-tourism” adventures found anywhere and this particular location is the busiest calving lagoon with more than half of the pregnant females giving birth here. Only boats with government permits may enter these lagoons and you cannot watch from shore so a tour is the only way to go.

We were about 12 people to a shallow bottomed wooden power boat. Our guide spoke little English but goes out several times a day and is well experienced, knowing where to locate the whales and the appropriate protocol for approaching them. It was particularly impressed upon us that we must keep the boat balanced and therefore could not rush to one side of the boat all at one time. Instead we must wait for the whale to approach our side of the boat and trust that it will happen.

As my pictures will show, getting our share of up close and personal contact with the whales was not a problem.

We started out the trip spotting whales at a distance like we do at home. Then we soon found they were all around us and putting on quite a show. Several pairs or rather sets of three adult whales were mating. It was no secret what was going on as the male genital is quite prominent during this delicate ballet. They churned and turned in the water as they positioned their enormous bodies to accomplish the impregnation that 13 months later will yield a new calf when the female returns to this same bay to give birth.

The mothers with new calves surprised us as they (as promised) brought their young one up to our boats to show them off. I was prepared for the sight of the calves…clean and smooth with distinct features. Despite Gary’s demonstration of the length of the full size female (45 feet) I was in awe as I realized she was bigger than the boat we were in. Her girth/width was a surprise and the realization we could easily be in the water if she decided we were intruding.

The adult whales have massive barnacles on their surface which they like to rub off…by rubbing up under the boat no less. Wow, what a feeling as they literally push the boat around “having their way with us” so to speak. They also have great fun “playing” with us….when they surface and exhale out their blow holes it sprays a smelly mist filled breath all over us. We squeal as it descends upon us and they just do it more. What a fun time we had!

February 24 Guerrero Negro = A return trip to Mario´s Restaurant and RV Park

Mexican accommodations always keep us guessing and this location was not any different. We had stopped at Guerrero Negro on our way south and while we liked his restaurant we were not impressed by the facilities provided to us at Mario’s RV Park. The road and grounds are very rough as they have been hand “paved” by Mario and his workers with large shells from the ocean. While the RV sites are nice pull throughs with concrete stanchions for the hookups…the hookups are not there or do not function. The septic dumps are functional. The water faucets give only a trickle of water and there was no electrical to be found. Their contract with Adventure Caravans required them to provide these amenities.

Our wagon master discussed this with Mario as we were planning to stop again for two nights on our way north and also had whale watching trips booked with Mario. True to Mexican optimism Mario promised us that when we returned 29 days later he would have all the deficiencies fixed. Well, when we pulled in on this day, we saw a beehive of activity. The trencher was in the roadway and had just buried the conduit for the electrical wire. A number of men were refilling the ditch by shovel so we could drive in. The Mexican power utility company was there with a brand new power pole, working to dig and set it in the ground. It was like Mario had told them it had to be done by February 24th so they all came on the 24th to do it. The size of the power service was inadequate and the gauge of wire undersized but somehow they had power to half of our rigs before they went home that night.

The water faucets were still a trickle but we finally organized a system of refilling our tanks by turning off all the faucets and just taking turns with the trickle until we had our share. Water is a very precious commodity here and we had to just appreciate what we were able to get. By the way, in Mexico we do not drink the water. We fill our tanks with Mexican water but we filter it two times and spike it with a little Clorox to kill any bacteria. This we use for bathing, washing and bathroom but have bottled water on hand for drinking, cooking and coffee. We are so lucky in America to be able to trust our water sources and the sanitation that we can count on !

Tonight as we gathered for our social hour, we had a guest speaker to talk about Gray Whales…it was Gary. He was glad to share with the group the facts we have learned in our Oregon gray whale watching training. He started out by sending one man out the door of our meeting room with the end of a rope in hand to demonstrate how big a full grown gray whale is. It was a great visual and helped to prepare us all for our whale watching boat trips the following day. Gary got great feedback from the group on how they enjoyed his “talk” and how it added to their experience.

For Gary it was a demonstration of how much he used to enjoy teaching.

February 22 A Free Day at Bahai Concepcion

For us today was perfect and an excellent example of why we chose the “Slow ‘N Easy” way to see Baja.

There was an 8 to 9 AM coffee social but we slept right through it. The peaceful setting at Bahia Conception and cool nights gave us a very restful sleep. The combined sounds of the waves, wind and a few gentle raindrops were very soothing. Once we awoke there was no rush for anything so we lingered longer over our breakfast and just enjoyed the view of the beach around us.

The dolphins entertained us as they played in the bay. Birds soared overhead and dove for fish. It was a windy day but we still had hearty participants out scouring the beach for the treasured shells.

We read books, napped and discussed future trips. Later in the day we all joined together in Margaritas and Munchies on the concrete deck outside the restaurant. Gary and I felt right at home in front of the broken out wind break window with our stocking caps and warm jackets on. Just like the weather might be on an average summer day at our residence on the Oregon Coast! and a whole lot drier and warmer than the current winter they are having there now.

All in all, for us, the day was great and we were among a number of new found friends thanks to our mutual association with Adventure Caravans.

February 21 Bahai Concepcion = Said to be the most beautiful body of water in Mexico

This was a short travel day and we were warned to be prepared for a “dry camp” on the beach. True to form they had not exaggerated. We drove right down onto the sand along this beautiful 25 mile long bay with each rig headed out toward the water. Once we were parked there was none of the normal “work” rigging up electrical cords, water hoses and septic hookups. Just let the automatic levelers down, slides out and hope you will not be stuck in the sand when it is time to leave. Surprisingly, out of 22 rigs, only one sunk into the sand enough to have to be towed out by the tail gunner’s 4 x 4.

The place we parked at had a nice restaurant where we had social gatherings, dinners and even a “Chinese Auction” which was great fun. No we did not auction off Chinese people or leftover Chinese food but instead ended up trading back and forth surplus items we had brought along (decorative candles, bottles of wine, treats, tourist trinkets and even a sexy lavender nightgown).

Lots of fun was had by all and it was a great setting for it.

February 19 Puerto Escondido = Dreams Unfulfilled

February 19 Puerto Escondido – Dreams unfulfilled

We traveled north (along the Sea of Cortez) almost to Loredo and stayed at a very sparse little RV park in Puerto Escondido. There we saw the ruins of a development which at one time was hoped to provide a large resort for the rich and famous. They had dreamed of fashionable hotels, timeshares, restaurants and full service RV parks all built around a sparkling marina. It may happen, but so far, it is little more than the concrete shells of half-finished buildings, abandoned streets covered with broken glass and a few ships bobbing in the harbor. They had laid out water filled canals to provide waterfront docking for pleasure yachts alongside the planned mega mansions to house their owners. Now it all lays in ruin. We drove around to explore and found broken electrical services and exposed underground power vaults in the middle of streets.

The setting was wonderful with a lovely bay, spinning fish jumping everywhere and a variety of birds overhead. We watched local pleasure fishermen counting their catch. Saw a 20 some foot sail boat sunk and still tied to the docks. Large commercial docks were available to ship goods in and out but somehow it just never came together as a successful venture. This is common to a lot of what we see in Mexico…great dreams, plans, a start in the right direction but it falls apart in the follow through.

We enjoyed our visit of two nights there and made a few side trips with the car to explore further and visit again the lovely town of Loredo which we stayed at on our way south.

When it came time to again head north we ventured into the town of Loredo with another coach to top off our diesel supply. Somehow…true to Mexican engineering or lack thereof…we could not go the right direction pulling out of the station…so suddenly we are headed into the heart of this small community looking for a way to turn around. Finally Gary spotted what he thought would work for a very, very tight U-turn…OOPS looks like we cannot make it without running over the back of a little red car parked along the street. I jumped out to check clearance and direct his forward motion…as I got back in I could hear the voices of a group of good natured teenage boys behind me….”Ah, Gringo !” Gringo is their affectionate term for Tourists and that we were.

February 18 A Fabric Shopping Adventure in La Paz

Today was a much anticipated shopping trip for those hearty shopping souls in our group. Several of the men went together to a tool “Swap Meet” that was more out of curiosity than anything else. We did not see very many big finds come back from their venture but they had some good stories to tell.

Several of us ladies headed off to a “full-service” Mexican fabric shop. One of our caravan staff members had visited this store before and knew what was awaiting us. The store was very large and had a wide assortment of fabric…much of it typical of the bright colorful Mexican clothing. There was also beautiful laces, trims, florals and notions. The first thing that hit me as I entered was polar fleece. I guess it gets cold enough there for fleece but I was pleasantly surprised at the price. It was the equivalent of $1.80 per meter (39 inches to a meter)…what a bargain for my veteran blankets I make. I bought 20 meters and also more than enough blanket binding (33 cents a meter which is usually 1.50 per yard at home). I had also purchased a sun hat out on the street and had fun picking out a pretty, sparkly lace to dress it up with.

The procedure of making purchases in this store was different but really made sense. You picked out what you wanted and found a clerk to cut the items for you. They wrote up a ticket and they kept the item. You accumulated your tickets and took them to the cash window to pay. After you paid, then you checked in at a counter to pick up your packages. Worked quite well and you were not carrying around your purchases while you shopped.

That evening we had a real treat. Taxis arrived at dinner time and took us to a resort nearby. We were escorted past towering fountains and outdoor swimming pools to an outdoor balcony overlooking the sea and sunset beyond. Before beverage drinks were distributed and we all posed for couple pictures and then a group picture with the sunset in the background.

Then we moved inside for an excellent meal followed by a fantastic Mexican Fiesta show put on by a local dance troupe. They performed a variety of traditional dances. The costumes were bright and colorful with all the fancy laces, bright colors and rhythmic high heeled boots. Most of the dances portrayed a story that crossed the language barrier and shared with us their love of their country, dance and history.

All in all it was a fantastic day.

February 17 Guided La Paz City Bus Tour

We looked forward to this day as we feel that a guided bus tour is a great way to get a good overview of a city as well as an opportunity to visit sites and see sights that you most likely would not find or be aware of on your own. This proved to be true with La Paz.

Our bus tour first took us out to the outskirts to some remote resorts and beaches. On the way we saw the ferry you can take to mainland Mexico and also the facility where they offload and store their fuel when it is brought in by tanker.

Of great interest to me was a set of large ponds we passed where they raise/farm shrimp. From my commercial banking days I had financed Atlantic salmon fish farms and heard a great deal about these land locked fish and shrimp ponds.

We visited a weaving factory and watched the Mexican crafts persons at work. Their weaving machines are about 8 feet high, 10 feet long and 4 feet deep. The base threads are continuous and run vertically. They then run the colored yarns horizontally making the patterns. One man was working on a pattern that was very wide. For his machine he had to literally throw the horizontal thread crosswise through the meshwork to make it work. Hard to describe but it was very impressive and strenuous work for him. We were all amazed as well at the intense heat that built up in this rustic, uninsulated, wooden building. I cannot imagine the heat they work in during the summer months. Of course they had a show room where they were selling articles made there and they were quite reasonably priced.

We were fortunate enough to visit a pottery manufacturing shop with very gifted artisans at work. They explained to us the various steps which come together to make the finished product a thing of great beauty. It was very rewarding to watch them at work and see the end results. Of course, again, they had items on hand for sale to us.

We made a brief visit to the La Paz city market. What an experience. This was a cross between Pike’s Place Market in Seattle and the village street markets of Vietnam. However here in La Paz they had an unlikely assortment of items all together. Tennis shoes, hats, clothing, pharmacy items, sculpture and right in the next booth…raw meat, cheeses, live animals, vegetables, breads and of course tortillas. Some items have prices marked, and others have no markings so you have to ask and try to understand past the language barrier…and of course you are expected to “bargain” with them…which adds to the experience. I am much better at this now since my experiences bargaining with the merchants in Vietnam.

We finished up our bus trip at a Mexican taco restaurant. I ordered a recommended fish taco…specifically shrimp. Their tacos are not in a crisp shell like in US but in a flour or corn tortilla shell. Gary does not like restaurant fish or chicken real well (he got sick before on it) so we tried to order him a beef one…they said beef taco not available but they would bring him beans and salad. OK, he likes beans, that is fine. His meal took so long to come we were all finished when it finally arrived…AND it was beans, salad AND a BIG beef steak…not what he wanted for a light lunch and probably very expensive. They took it back and took the steak off and only charged for the beans and salad. On second thought (knowing it was not their fault that we could not understand Spanish well enough to avoid such a mix up) we offered to pay for the steak as it probably went to waste or at least could not be served to another customer. They declined graciously and said all was OK.

We have found on this trip without exception that the Mexicans are very generous and pleasant when you are also good to them.