Day Twelve: Todos Santos!

Mister was up several times during the night, feeling miserable - pobrecito! He finally fell into a deep sleep, just in time for everyone else to wake up. Lionel went to the store to pick up some essentials - coffee! And he returned with fresh corn tortillas, still warm! Ah, the beauty of Mexico once again...even the corner market has fresh homemade tortillas!!


Mister slept for another hour or so more, then we had breakfast of chorizo, eggs and potatoes. Today we are going to look at a property that Lionel has had his eye on for quite some time. In is located just north of town, and it was originally $275,000 USD for 316 acres, but has dropped as of late to $125,000. He decided to ask about it at the realtor's office to get the scoop, as well as directions. The only problem, the realtor said, was that there was a squatter on 2 acres and that they had been unsuccessful on moving her. We were sure that an old lady in a shack wouldn't be too much trouble, and if we liked the property, we could work something out.

The above picture is of a "flat cow" we found along the way. And Lionel is toasting to the "Maestro". It is a Baja 1000 tradition.

Armed with a map and directions, we set out. The drive was a gorgeous tour through many thriving examples of indigenous flora. Several small ranches, cattle farms, and even a tiny village were plopped down this dirt road along the way. We chatted with a gentleman tending his beautiful garden, in awe of the pristine location, and then...we found the property.

Two abandoned homes mark the entrance. One was completely collapsed, full of the personal effects of the former resident, including a gorgeous hand carved bedframe. If we had had the space, I would have taken the headboard with us, for sure. The other house was empty, with no signs of use in a very long time, but it was livable, and locked up tightly. At least the bedroom and living areas were. The kitchen was open on one side and full of pots, pans, and an old propane stove...all still appeared to be in working order, although covered in dirt and dust. The living space/bedroom area was neat and tidy...beds made, stuffed animal on the pillow...as though the residents would be right back. But no one had been here in ages. I wonder what happened to them?
We hike our way down a path to the water - water! Yes, water flows, and by appearances, often gushes through this part of the property. This is important in Baja, well, anywhere really, access to water. The fruit trees are thriving - grapefruit, figs, oranges, mangoes, and a few others we were unable to identify. This would make a lovely retreat.


We explore further, wondering where the old lady's shack is and how we would be able to work with her, around her. We pile back into the car to drive further up the property, hoping to find the small waterfall that was pictured on the MLS listing. Instead we find the old lady's "shack"...all seven houses, multiple animal corrals, cattle, chickens, goats, and multiple families!!!
The "little problem" was not just a little old lady squatting in a shack on the creek, this was a thriving community. They aren't going anywhere! And no one is going to make them.

The picture below is a family we met after we left the property. We do not know if they are part of the family that lives there. They were kind enough to pose for a photo.


Oh well - to the beach we go- vamos a la playa!!

Above is Sis in the surf shop, El Diablo Blanco. Below is Mist, obviously enjoying the beach!


We head to Playa Cerritos - once a "secret" surf spot - now flanked by hotels and even two surf shops. The kids and the mutts splash and play, enjoying the last of the day before heading back to the hotel for dinner. Tonight's menu, grilled lobster with chayote squash, onions and corn tortillas. The kids and I cool off in the pool while Lionel makes dinner, then we eat and ZZZZZZZZZZZ!

Day Eleven: La Paz to Todos Santos!

We were up before sunrise today. Mister is looking really rough. He woke up screaming, crying, and coughing, unable to open his eyes. They were both glued shut with the icky greenish goo. We decide not to waste anymore time...it is evident that this irritation is not just from the sand; something else is going on. We decide that he should see a pediatrician, and since we are in a large city, it should be relatively easy to find one. One thing to note, though, about Baja: even in the small communities there is a plethora of medical options. It all depends on whether you want private care or social care. Now, Tristan is eligible for either, since he is a Mexican national ~ one of the benefits to this is the free health care. But, we figured if we could find a private physician near the hotel, we would go there first. Even private health care is relatively affordable in Mexico. We look through the phone book and locate a pediatrician only a few blocks from the hotel, and, bonus! his phone book ad says that he speaks English. Granted, this isn't necessary, but it does make it somewhat easier. The office opens at 10, so we have some time to kill.

We watch a little TV; Sis enjoys the Backyardigans, Miss Spider, and Lazytown in Espanol (to be honest, so do I ~ it's a very entertaining way to learn Spanish. In fact, I'm thinking we need to buy some of her shows in Spanish!). Then, we head down for some breakfast in La Terraza. Breakfast: Molletes (the correct version - not what they had served us at Serenidad!) thick crusty French bread spread with refried beans, one topped with with egg and cheese, one topped with chorizo and cheese, and one topped with ham and cheese ~ delicious! and of course, pancakes for the kids.

We then set out to find a spot to let the dogs out to run for a bit, then to find the pediatrician and get the Mist all fixed up. We find the office tucked along a tree lined street just off of the downtown corridor. The doctor will be in in about an hour, so we wait (as Mist is sleeping, anyway) enjoying the shade and a cappuccino from Cafe-Tizo. There are also lots of flowers to look at and pick :)

When the doctor arrives, he gives Tristan a thorough examination, and concludes that he indeed has an infection. His throat is raw and inflamed, and he has a slight ear infection that is causing the nose and eyes to weep and drain. Doctor Fones also checked out Sis, who had been coughing a bit as well, and determined that she too, had a minor infection, although not as severe as the Mist. he gave us prescriptions for them both. The consult was $500 pesos for both of them - $40 USD.

At the farmacia, Lionel picks up the medications. Motrin - for inflammation, pain, and fever reduction, for both. Cefixima - an antibiotic, for Mist. Neosporin eye drops, for Mist. Sensibit - a respiratory expectorant, for both. The total for the prescriptions was $1237.50 pesos - $99 USD, but we are talking about filling 6 prescriptions without insurance. Not bad. Luckily, Mist is a true trooper and quick with a smile, even though he obviously feels like crap.

Next, we go back to the hotel, quickly pack up our things and get on the road to Todos Santos by 1:35 pm. The drive to Todos Santos is uneventful, but as we begin to get closer to the Pacific Coast, the air feels more humid and the temperature is milder. The closer we get, the more tropical it feels and looks. Palm trees begin to dot the landscape along with lush farms. We stop to buy a giant bouquet of fresh flowers at a roadside stand for $50 pesos - $4 USD.


Todos Santos is a charming town, built primarily around the sugarcane mills and farms in the 1800's. It's heyday as the sugarcane capital of Baja lasted until the 1950's and then the town all but died until the late 1980's when the highway Mexico 19 was paved, allowing tourism to flourish. It is now an artist's retreat and a haven of rest for retirees, and organic farmers alike. The streets are lined with old buildings that have been given new lives as galleries, restaurants, cafes, stores, and hotels. Even the Hotel California (fabled to be the one in the Eagles' song, but that is just a myth - of course, this doesn't hurt the popularity of the hotel one bit) is here along the pedestrian friendly historic district.

But, before we hit the district, it's time to hit the beach! We grab some carnitas (yum! Love Todos Santos already...carnitas EVERY day except Tuesday!!)and follow the road out of town to the beautiful, surfable beach of La Pastora. Everyone, including the mutts, enjoyed the beach romp. As the sun began to make it's descent, we decide to find our hotel for the night.

Our first choice, the Hacienda Inn, was no longer open, so we moved on to our second choice, the Hotel Santa Rosa. We book their last available room, #6, a studio apartment with full kitchen, overlooking the courtyard and pool for $650 pesos a night. We quickly make friends with the other guests, have a quick dinner of leftover carnitas, and attempt a late night pool dip. But the kids are just too tired, and come to think of it, so are we! A whooping 52 miles driven today! Buenes Noches!

Day Ten: El Requeson to La Paz!

Today was a rough and rude awakening! Up WAY! before sunrise to Sis, petting my head and talking nonsense about a hammock and a wet blanket. Turns out she had wet her bed. Poor thing! Then, to top it all off, but kids have sand irritated eyes. Mister's eyes are completely crusted over and it takes some work with the wet wipes to work the crust off so that the poor kid can open his eyes. The wind has been nearly intolerable, thank goodness for our palapa, so that we have a bit of a hideout from it!

We begin to break camp, much to the disappointment of our Canadian neighbors, the Bridal family, and our nuevo Mexicana familia, who has is quite taken with our "gueritos" and have even dubbed Erin the "Chiquita Pamela Anderson!"

They have been playing with her all morning, even snapping pictures with her. She is quite the attraction!

The familia has even offered food and drink to them, and the bonus, kept them out of our hair so that we could get packed up and ready to go.
Lionel bought lobster from the pescadero with the pickup truck ~ 2 kilos of spiny tail lobster for $140 pesos. Bargain! Finally, the car is packed and we are off! Adios, El Requeson, it's been fun! We head south, with intention of hitting Loreto and deciding how much further to go. We get to Loreto around 1, pick up lunch at Taqueria Dianna's, and continue south to Cuidad Constitucion. Once there, we decide that we still have a lot of daylight left, and we push on to La Paz.
This has been by far the warmest day of our trip, and Mister seems to be feeling the brunt of it. Add to the mild-overheating his gooey eye from the sand, which seems to have given him a minor infection. We get to La Paz shortly before sunset and head to the malecon (the seaside promenade, kind of like a boardwalk) to find a hotel for the evening. The following picture is my attempt at photographing the large sculpture at the entrance to La Paz. On one side it is a whale tail, and on the other, a bird of peace ~ La Paz means "the peace".

We find a hotel, after two failed attempts...the first two we had chosen on recommendation of the Moon Baja guide book were no longer open. So, we came to Hotel Perla. An historic hotel on the malecon, built in 1940, the Hotel Perla is one of the largest hotels that we have stayed in. The rooms were simple, yet comfortable, and with the added bonus of secure parking, we were quite satisfied.
We all got cleaned up for dinner, and headed downstairs to the hotel's restaurante, La Terraza. The restaurante sits right on the main drag of the malecon, and is an open air establishment, so we could watch all of the cars cruising while we ate. It was fun to see all of the cars and identify which ones were families and which were teenagers and young adults looking to pick up chicks. It wasn't difficult to distinguish them! There were quite a few vehicles all decked out with neon lights, flashy rims, and all kinds of bling. This is the first time we have seen anything like that, but it is also the first time we have stayed in a major city!

Dinner was delicious! Camarrones and pulpo al ajillo (shrimp and octopus in garlic sauce), Fish tacos, and a hamburguesa for the kids. After 254 miles, we were ready to settle into our beds in room 202 for a good night's sleep!

Day Nine: El Requeson!

Today is a day for just hanging out and enjoying the beach! Ah! Relaxation! We awoke just before sunrise, with Miter's left eye sealed shut with goo. Ick...looks like the poor guy got some sand in his eye yesterday and it is irritating him pretty badly. I give him a good face scrubbing, and hopefully, that will do the trick.

Several families have arrived in the stealth of night, and the beach is filling up with local Mexican families and gringo families alike. Much to my surprise, though, most of the "gringos" are Canadian. I'm not sure if there is another slang term for Canadian Gringos...I'll have to find out! It is disheartening that there aren't many Americans...guess that the media fear factor is in full swing. Don't travel to Mexico, it's dangerous!!! Blah!

We make a hearty camp breakfast of eggs, onions, and potatoes, and the hot camp coffee tastes so very good. The locals are gearing up the beach for the weekend and for the upcoming Semana Santa ~ Holy Week. They are bringing in Porta-potties and multiple beach vendors selling everything from jewelry, blankets, t-shirts and hammocks, to shrimp, scallops and lobster! Anything you need, these guys have it, and if they don't they will get it for you! The helado (ice cream) truck arrives, and of course, we HAVE to have ice cream on the beach! One cup for each kiddo, for $14 pesos...just over a dollar. Try that in the US! Lionel bought fixin's for our dinner, scallops and shrimp from a fisherman's pickup truck for $100 pesos. Freshly harvested seafood for less than ten bucks! Sweet!!

Erin and Tristan frolicked in the sea and sand, making friends with all of the other campers, adults and kids alike. They also pet or walked every dog on the beach! My little social butterflies! We met Chad and his girlfriend, whose name escapes me at the moment, who were sailing a small 22' sailboat from San Felipe to La Paz. They were a very nice couple with great travel stories to share. Come to find out, Chad is an adventurer of sorts, too, and has traveled by PANGA from California to Panama. Can you imagine?!

The Dona of the beach house comes by to collect the fee for the palapa. We get it for two nights for $80 pesos. What a deal! Many of the families that came in last night are packing up and moving on, making room for the new ones that are coming in today. The celebration of Semana Santa is second only to Christmas in Mexico as the biggest holidays! So, we are expecting to see more and more families setting up camp on the beaches here in the next few days.

Our new neighbors start setting up their spot. They are the Bridal Family, Joe and Michelle, and their two boys, Benjamin and Charlie, in from Quadra Island, Canada. The boys instantly take a liking to the mutts and the kids, and they spend the better part of the afternoon playing together. Erin is feeling a bit grumpy, as she got a good blast of sand in the old ojo and it's been irritating her to no end. She and Mist have a siesta before get ready for dinner. Dinner menu tonight: shrimp and scallops from the pickup truck along with rice, beans, onions and tortillas! Beach yummels!We turn in shortly after sunset, as the wind has picked up again and well, it's dark! Buenos Noches!

Day Eight: Mulege to El Requeson!

Woke up at 7 am to a beautiful day in Mulege! We were not in a hurry to go anywhere, as our destination this evening was Concepcion Bay, about 20 miles south. So, we enjoyed our surroundings at Hotel Serenidad. Breakfast at the hotel restaurant was not as good as our dinner. Lionel and I chose what we thought were different, authentic Mexican breakfasts: Huevos a la Caballo (eggs with salsa, beans, avocado and ranch cheese) and Molletes (Mexican toast spread with beans, covered with grated cheese and salsa. What we were served was basically the same thing: eggs on a fried tortilla, covered with salsa and a spoonful of beans on the side. The only difference: mine had peas on top :) Oh well, not every meal can be fabulous, right? At least the coffee and the kids pancakes were good!
We watched several of the personal aircraft take off from the airstrip and chatted with some of the pilots. It was good day for flying, and these guys were definitely taking advantage of it. Lionel had to take his Psychology test for school (how terrible to be taking his online course in Baja!) so the kids and I showered up and went for a walk around the grounds. He then took the kids swimming while I updated some of our blog.


The kids then began to "garden" while we packed up our things and loaded up the car.


The hotel landscape is accented with many artifacts from the past, including this old mill wheel.

We were on the road at 12:30, ready to drove through some of the prettiest coastline in all of Baja! South of Mulege, the mountains tumble right down to the Sea of Cortez, where the water is the prettiest shades of blue and turquoise. There are many secluded coves with sandy beaches, most of which are dotted with tents, campers, RV's and palapas. Some are even further developed with small communities. We chose the beach called El Requeson, where there is a sand bar that stretches across the sea to a small island. There aren't too many campers, and there is one open palapa - so we decide to set up camp.




There is still a lot of daylight left, so we casually set up our spot. After all, we have traveled long and hard today ~ a whopping 22 miles!! :) The palapa is the perfect size for our sitting and cooking area, and makes a great hideout from the wind. There are three outhouses to the back of the beach, and several trash cans. The beach is very clean, and obviously well taken care of by the family that lives here.


Our palapa even has a garden! Believe it our not, there were tomatoes and cilantro growing here! It took all of Sis's self control NOT to pick the itty bitty tomatoes!
Our "palapa-eye" view to the sea. Yeah, this IS livin'!

A nice older lady named Rosa came by, selling her handicrafts. We purchased two necklaces and one bracelet handmade from seed beads and shells, for $130 pesos...$10 USD. Then, we set up the tent. Surprise! Sis found Mister's kitty, who had apparently found a hiding place in the nooks and crannies of the tent. Hooray! After a hard day of driving (haha) the kids snuggle into the tent to read.
We played the rest of the day away on the beach, then cooked a yummy dinner of carne asada, pinto beans and onions with fresh tortillas. We then turned in early for a good night's sleep!

Day Seven: Laguna San Ignacio to Mulege!

Sleep was a bit restless, as the wind blew strong all night long. if anyone has ever slept in a tent in the middle of a storm, then you know that it isn't exactly quiet or restful. The flapping of the tent can only be liked to that of a plastic bag ~ and about a hundred times louder!

We awake at 6 am to the momentarily calm in the storm. Ah! It will be a wonderful day to see the whales, and then! Apparently I spoke too soon. The wind is still blowing with gusto, and we decide to wait until after breakfast to make a final decision on whether or not we brave the bouncing panga for another glimpse at the ballenas.

Breakfast is served in the Kuyima dining room at 8, but Lionel and I are in desperate need of some coffee, and some shelter from the wind! So, we head over early and warm up with some delicious cafe and chocolate caliente! Breakfast time! This morning's menu: chilaquiles (my favorite Baja breakfast!) with eggs and refried beans, and scrambled eggs with cheese and beans for the kids. We scarf our food as though we haven't eaten in weeks ~ it tastes THAT good!

Erin and Tristan play with Ocean again this morning, after everyone is done eating. They enjoy a rousing session of "chase club", although Ocean is playing shy. Leslie and Omar aren't shy about getting in on the game, too, and everyone is disappointed when we finally come to the decision that whale watching is not in the cards for us. It is just too windy!

We head back to camp, contemplating our decision. It is a major, "should we stay or should we go?" situation. On one hand, we really want to see the whales again, and the kids are having so much fun playing with Ocean. But, on the other hand, we have much to see and many more spots to discover still yet on this trip. Ultimately, we decide to go, and that we will return to this spot next winter, in February, when the conditions for close whale encounters are more ideal. In the meantime, Lionel begins to break camp, while I distract the kids and the mutts with a beach walk.

We are ready and on the road again at 1:25 pm, after a slight delay with the search for Mister's stuffed kitty, who has somehow become missing. We call off the search after a bit, hoping that he has somehow gotten tucked into something, somewhere and that he will eventually turn up.

Today we will drive through some areas of historic significance, including Santa Rosalia, which is a town developed by the French copper mining industry in 1884. The area is rich in history, and has many old buildings and artifacts which we merely viewed on our quick whirlwind drive through tour. It is a place that begs to be explored further, and is on our "to see more in depth" list. One particular building of note is the Iglesia Santa Barbara ~ a church made entirely of pre-fabricated galvanized steel...designed and built by Gustave Eiffel. Yes, THE Eiffel, of Eiffel Tower fame. It stands on an ordinary street in this same town, definitely a sight to behold. My picture does it no justice, as we were taking photos from the car :)

Another thing to note about Santa Rosalia that is unlike anywhere else is Baja, is the architecture. Most of the residences and commercial buildings are the original structures from the late 1880's ~ primarily wooden and very French colonial. It is an interesting town for any architecture or history buff, and we look forward to our next visit, where we can explore more on foot. For now, we continue down Mexico 1 to the next stop on our journey. The Oasis along the Rio, Mulege.


The town of Mulege was hit hard by hurricane Jimena last year, and it is slowly rebuilding. When we come into town, we are startled by the damage that is still present. Even from the highway driving through town, the number of downed palm trees and buildings that are damaged beyond repair is heartbreaking. And this is six months later. From my understanding, the water is some parts of town was over 12 feet, and in other parts rushed so fast that homes, cars, animals and people were swept away. The town, which receives much of its revenue from tourism, was hurt tremendously, and many of the people have given up on rebuilding. My friend, Lisa, lives here, along with quite a few gringos, on the river, and has mucked out her home every year for the past 6 years. But this particular hurricane was the worst she has seen by far, and she said that many people have just left. Baja is not a place for the weak, and it seems to me that Hurricane Jimena weeded out some of those gringos not cut out for Baja living.

We decide to stay in the Hotel Serenidad, a stately establishment just south of town, famous for its easy access for pilots of personal aircraft. It has long been THE destination for the elite. We checked into our room, the Oaxaca, and prepared for dinner. We met up with the group that we had been introduced to at Malarrimo, and socialized for a bit before eating. Dinner: chicken mole, Jurel (Yellowtail) a la plancha, cheese quesadillas, and icy cold Negro Modela. After scarfing up our meal, we were ready for a good (quiet!) night's sleep. With another 120 miles logged in today, and after the sleep on the not so soft ground the night before, the beds of Serenidad sure feel nice. ZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!