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!
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