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   Fishing has been replaced by snorkeling and diving.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