On the return trip, we took more side trips, camped in more remote locations, relaxed, saw more birds (Mary), spoke more Spanish (Toni), and lived off-leash (Toby). All good.
Birds:
Campsites:
Sights:
Toby:
Until the next trip . . .
Toni
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Postcard from Baja
We arrived home Saturday, as the full moon rose. As with real postcards, this blog post arrives long after bags are unpacked and clothes are washed.
On the return trip, we took more side trips, camped in more remote locations, relaxed, saw more birds (Mary), spoke more Spanish (Toni), and lived off-leash (Toby). All good.
Birds:
Campsites:
Sights:
Toby:
Until the next trip . . .
Toni
On the return trip, we took more side trips, camped in more remote locations, relaxed, saw more birds (Mary), spoke more Spanish (Toni), and lived off-leash (Toby). All good.
Birds:
Campsites:
Sights:
Toby:
Until the next trip . . .
Toni
Friday, February 28, 2014
Postcard from Todos Santos
It’s been a quiet week here in Baja California Sur. To make a short story shorter, we arrived in Todos Santos Sunday afternoon, and have been relaxing ever since. Walking, eating, talking, reading, all in perfect edge-of-the-tropics temperatures. All the trappings of a lovely week, complete with a few too many Toby-on-the-beach photos. Speaking of Toby, he’s in seventh heaven. No leash laws, new dog friends around every corner, and Jane DeLozier just down the street. The big white guy is Jane’s Palomo.
Beaches here are long and empty. Perhaps because, as everyone reminds us, they’re not safe for swimming.
There were a few days of driving between Loreto and Todos Santos, and soon after leaving Loreto for La Paz, we encountered a major road construction delay. Guys we couldn’t see were pushing boulders off the cliff, presumably to prevent same boulders from falling on unsuspecting VW Eurovans. After a night on the outskirts of La Paz, we camped near the truly charming village of San Bartolo, in a campground called Rancho Verde. The place was great for hiking, birding (Mary saw two endemic species, the Xantu’s Hummingbird and the Grey Thrasher), and peace and quiet in the Sierra La Laguna foothills. Great vegetation too!
On to Cabo Pulmo, on the Eastern Cape. This fishing village became a UNESCO World Heritage Site to protect the coral reef, the only surviving coral reefs in the Sea of Cortez. Fishing has been replaced by snorkeling and diving. We camped free in the ruins of an RV park, right on the Tropic of Cancer, and enjoyed a spectacular sunrise on our morning walk.
The bird life was pretty good too!
We arrived in Todos Santos shortly after the start of the annual film festival, and have watched two so-so movies (Quebranto and Un Mundo Secreto) from particularly uncomfortable seats. Other hardships include arriving at a lovely restaurant in the middle of an organic farm, only to discover it is closed Tuesdays. The mood improved when we returned Thursday and ate amazing roasted carrot and ricotta ravioli, drenched in pesto.
Tomorrow we leave our little casita, spend a night at Jane’s, then start the return trip, catching a few spots we missed on the way down, and revisiting others we enjoyed. Travelling companions Mabelle and Carolyn left Wednesday, so it’s down to us in the van.
Love to all, Toni
Beaches here are long and empty. Perhaps because, as everyone reminds us, they’re not safe for swimming.
There were a few days of driving between Loreto and Todos Santos, and soon after leaving Loreto for La Paz, we encountered a major road construction delay. Guys we couldn’t see were pushing boulders off the cliff, presumably to prevent same boulders from falling on unsuspecting VW Eurovans. After a night on the outskirts of La Paz, we camped near the truly charming village of San Bartolo, in a campground called Rancho Verde. The place was great for hiking, birding (Mary saw two endemic species, the Xantu’s Hummingbird and the Grey Thrasher), and peace and quiet in the Sierra La Laguna foothills. Great vegetation too!
On to Cabo Pulmo, on the Eastern Cape. This fishing village became a UNESCO World Heritage Site to protect the coral reef, the only surviving coral reefs in the Sea of Cortez. Fishing has been replaced by snorkeling and diving. We camped free in the ruins of an RV park, right on the Tropic of Cancer, and enjoyed a spectacular sunrise on our morning walk.
The bird life was pretty good too!
We arrived in Todos Santos shortly after the start of the annual film festival, and have watched two so-so movies (Quebranto and Un Mundo Secreto) from particularly uncomfortable seats. Other hardships include arriving at a lovely restaurant in the middle of an organic farm, only to discover it is closed Tuesdays. The mood improved when we returned Thursday and ate amazing roasted carrot and ricotta ravioli, drenched in pesto.
Tomorrow we leave our little casita, spend a night at Jane’s, then start the return trip, catching a few spots we missed on the way down, and revisiting others we enjoyed. Travelling companions Mabelle and Carolyn left Wednesday, so it’s down to us in the van.
Love to all, Toni
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Postcard from Loreto
Mary and I are off on another van adventure, this time to the tip of Baja (southwestern-most point of North America?) and back. We left Prescott on February 3, spent a week camping with friends at Cibola and Imperial Dam, resupplied in Yuma, and crossed the border with travelling companions Carolyn and Mabelle on February 10.
Since then I’ve been on a digital diet. Other than a couple “splurges” on 5 pesos ($0.37)/15 minutes Wi-Fi, the little RV park here in Loreto is our first internet access since crossing the border at Tecate. So far it’s been a grand Baja road trip, my first this far south since 1975, one year after completion of the Transpeninsular Highway. As you might imagine, much has changed. Other than general growth, most noticeable to me is the development of agriculture, from the vineyards in Valle de Guadalupe to the organic farms around Mulege. I’m guessing this is due to some combination of access to transportation (the paved highway to U.S. markets) and NAFTA, and imagine the agribusiness we see comes at a cost of depleted ground water.
Our fist night in Baja was on the grounds of LA Cetto, a vineyard in the Valle de Guadalupe, source of 85% of wines produced in Mexico. Although there are many small production wineries in the valley, LA Cetto is more of a wine factory, with trucks and machinery rumbling 24/7. We loved the few wines we tasted, and hope to return for a more extended exploration.
From Valle de Guadalupe, we passed through Ensenada and San Quintin, then on to Catavina, land of cirios and elephant trees, followed by Bahia de Los Angeles, on the Sea of Cortez.
We returned to the Pacific and camped at Ojo de Liebre (Scammon’s Lagoon), where we spent a morning among more whales, mostly mother/calf pairs, than you can imagine. No great photos. Not only did I not bring the smartphone, I was a bit overwhelmed by all the action. On to San Ignacio, then Mulege, where Mary and I were able to visit the cave paintings at Rancho Trinidad. We had to swim (me) or boat (Mary) a very short distance to reach them. Our tour included an introduction to native uses of local plants. It seems every part of every desert plant we see in the desert can be used to cure something. Lots to learn, and I already forgot most of it.
After a night on the beach at El Requeson, we find ourselves in Loreto. A long day of driving should bring us to La Paz tomorrow. From there we’ll circle through the Cabos and up the Pacific to Todos Santos, where we will spend a week.
The van is doing well, and I am loving our portable 80 watt solar panel. Toby is having a great time.
Apologies for the rushed report. It’s late and we’re planning an early start.
Love to all, Toni
Since then I’ve been on a digital diet. Other than a couple “splurges” on 5 pesos ($0.37)/15 minutes Wi-Fi, the little RV park here in Loreto is our first internet access since crossing the border at Tecate. So far it’s been a grand Baja road trip, my first this far south since 1975, one year after completion of the Transpeninsular Highway. As you might imagine, much has changed. Other than general growth, most noticeable to me is the development of agriculture, from the vineyards in Valle de Guadalupe to the organic farms around Mulege. I’m guessing this is due to some combination of access to transportation (the paved highway to U.S. markets) and NAFTA, and imagine the agribusiness we see comes at a cost of depleted ground water.
Our fist night in Baja was on the grounds of LA Cetto, a vineyard in the Valle de Guadalupe, source of 85% of wines produced in Mexico. Although there are many small production wineries in the valley, LA Cetto is more of a wine factory, with trucks and machinery rumbling 24/7. We loved the few wines we tasted, and hope to return for a more extended exploration.
From Valle de Guadalupe, we passed through Ensenada and San Quintin, then on to Catavina, land of cirios and elephant trees, followed by Bahia de Los Angeles, on the Sea of Cortez.
We returned to the Pacific and camped at Ojo de Liebre (Scammon’s Lagoon), where we spent a morning among more whales, mostly mother/calf pairs, than you can imagine. No great photos. Not only did I not bring the smartphone, I was a bit overwhelmed by all the action. On to San Ignacio, then Mulege, where Mary and I were able to visit the cave paintings at Rancho Trinidad. We had to swim (me) or boat (Mary) a very short distance to reach them. Our tour included an introduction to native uses of local plants. It seems every part of every desert plant we see in the desert can be used to cure something. Lots to learn, and I already forgot most of it.
After a night on the beach at El Requeson, we find ourselves in Loreto. A long day of driving should bring us to La Paz tomorrow. From there we’ll circle through the Cabos and up the Pacific to Todos Santos, where we will spend a week.
The van is doing well, and I am loving our portable 80 watt solar panel. Toby is having a great time.
Apologies for the rushed report. It’s late and we’re planning an early start.
Love to all, Toni
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