15 Jan 2010 - Happy Birthday Big Brother Howie!

This was quite possibly the best dinner I've prepared yet!

La Trinidad has a pool hiding behind this beautiful wall.

Walking down to the beach.

Looking back at the RV Park fromt the trail to the beach.

I don't know who enjoys the sound and smell of the surf more.

Well, we finally find ourselves at La Ribera. We've stopped for the night at La Trinidad RV Park, a little RV oasis in the dunes near the beach. The silence is deafening after the noise of the highway at the Villa Serena. We loved the set up and cleanliness at that RV park but being that close to the highway and that far from the beach was a bummer. With La Ribera being on the east cape between La Ventana and Cabo Pulmo we have the Sea of Cortez at our doorstep ready to explore. Real estate is very reasonable tweaking our imagination once again. it is a buyers market with bare land ranging up to million dollar homes available to invest in. It is our intent to get out and explore the local beaches and see what kind of fish are biting int his neck of the woods. But first we have to find an ATM that actually has some money in it. This may mean a trip to Los Barriles which is a 30 minute drive north from here.

13 & 14 Jan - Touring Cabo and Medano Beach

Some of the boats in the marina leave you wondering what there purpose truly is.

This was an amazing artist creating these paintings with ordinary spray paint and his fingers as brushes.

I don't know about you but I don't think I'd feel to comfortable with a tattoo artist that works at this place!

The design he's creating is individual coloured beads imbedded in bees wax on a wood form, simply beautiful!

Did we happend to mention how much our dog loves the beach?

Medano Beach sunset

We had a rather late start for the day and therefore didn't see all of the highlights of Cabo San Lucas. But it is always worthwhile to stroll the malecon and enjoy the sights and sounds of Cabo. Of course one day proves enough for us. Despite the 2 cruise ships in the harbour the town was very, very quiet. It blew us out of the water to see all of the extremely pricey boats in the marina. It was almost full. Wandering from shop to shop in the markets you couldn't help notice the absence of tourists and the few that were wandering around, like us, weren't spending any money. It is amazing how many lttle stands sell the same thing and are competing for the same dollars/pesos. A quick stop at Tanga Tangas completed the cultural tour. Wild life of the two legged kind was abundant and that seemed to be the only place anyone was spending money. We capped off the evening at Murray and Tracy's condo with pork loin medallions and tequila of course.

We were kinda lazy on the 14th, washed the truck and some clothes and took a sunset walk on Medano Beach. Don't know why we bothered washing the truck. 15 minutes later after a trip to the store the truck was dirtier than it was before. How we found mud in Cabo I'll never figure out. A trip to Medano is always if nothing else entertaining but beautiful especially at sunset.

Snorkeling at Playa Chelano - 12 Jan 2010

As you can tell we are much enamored with the boats down here.

The day dawned sunny and warm...again. So we decided to hit the beach and do some snorkeling. Thanks to Cindy and Bob we knew how and where to find this lovely beach. The water was a little cooler than when we swam in Los Ceretos last week. However we weren't disappointed with the variety of fish we were able to view. It was like peering through a lively aquarium where you were an active participant. JD decided to liven it up a bit by feeding the fish crumbled granola bar and bread crumbs. They were quite voracious little nibblers and were actually nipping his fingers. Susie decided to liven JD up a bit when they were headed back to the beach. He had lost site of her and she snuck up behind him and tweeked his nipple. As he described it, "I thought one of the little beggers was exacting his revenge on me". We hadn't sighted any Moray eels during our snorkeling but JD wasn't taking any chances as he slapped Susie's hand away. That is the busiest we have ever seen Chelano with snorkeling cruises rolling in and out as fast as the waves. And there were even whiter bodies than JD's showing up on the beach.

We spent Jan 11 seeking out a mandatory, long overdue, oil change for the truck. When it only took half a day rather than the full day we had planned we were left wondering what to do for the rest day. Nap time won out. Did we mention how easily we've slipped into the Mexican traditions such as the coveted siesta? We did go check out some other RV spots but decided that we're better off to stay right where we are. It's clean and and we're comfortable here. We intend to head towards La Ribera and Los Bariles on Friday.

One of our offspring is headed off to Europe with his beautiful girlfriend. We wish for them many days of blue skies, wonderful adventures, congenial people to cross their paths, and love with a heavy dose of happiness thrown in. We don't have to ponder to long or hard as to where he got his wander lust from.

Hot Springs Daze - Bonita!

Tracy and Murray with their adopted doggie daughter at the Tropic of Cancer.

A scene around Santiago.

One of the many stream crossings on our way up the canyon.

A little bit of bouldering was involved but with our trusty guide dog we didn't lose the way.

The only hearty soul of our party that dove into the pool at the top of the canyon.

What style...what grace...what a suntan!

A man with his daughter. They do everything together.

The reward at the end of the trail. Hotsprings in Mexico.

The day dawned clear and hot, 28 C by 9:30, so what else was there to do but head to the Hotsprings at Santiago. We picked up Murray and Tracy Smith at their condo in San Jose and set out through the mayhem towards Santiago.

The hotsprings bubble out of the rocks at the side of a stream that comes down a real cool canyon at the base of the Sierra La Laguna mountains. The best part of this trip though is not the hotsprings but the hike up the canyon to the falls and big pools which is a perfect spot for diving and swimming. The water this year was cooler than last time we were here. So only the hearty swam this time. The pictures just can't do real justice to the cool factor of this place. We discovered Skeena is part mountain goat as she gamely scaled the rocks and swam the pools to haul herself up and down the canyon. She's game for anything just as long as she's with her people. She enjoyed Susie's gentle rub down that evening and the next morning.

After we hiked back down the canyon we rewarded ourselves by a soak in the hot springs pools. The first pool proved the hottests but had to be abandoned as the small fish in it were constantly nibbling on you. A passing tourist said they were just nibbling the dead skin off of you but we're pretty sure they were pirana's! Thank God no one had a cut or we might all have died. The second pool was good though as it was a cooler temp and only had one of the little nibblers. None of that pack mentality common to dogs and bikers to gang up on us like his buddies in the first pool.

Susie was unable to wear her new leopard skin bikini today as she burnt her tummy on the first day she wore the 2 piecer. Seems 30 years without sun can make skin rather light sensitive. Another of the advantages of being in your 50's is you can go back to wearing the same types of clothes as you did in your teens. Who knew...

Anyways, our trip to Santiago was a great experience yet again. It is awesome to be able to share such a unique place with friends. Santiago is a beautiful old Mexican town as yet unspoiled by us Gringos. We only hope it can hang on to it's identity.

Note to Bob: The fishing license saga continues. I figured that I really should get a yearly fishing license. So, off to the malecon in Cabo we went. The table is there, the man is there, a book of licenses is there, what can go wrong? Well it turns out this is a junior license vendor and can only sell 1 day fishing licenses. The yearly license man is there manana. I swear to God before we leave Mexico I'm going to get a yearly fishing license. We laughed, thought of you and walked away.

7 Jan 2010 - Where do all the days disappear?

Susie & Corner frolic in the waves @ Los Ceretos

I wish I could get honeysuckle to grow like this in Canada!

Yes, this is the Hotel California.

We will own a piece of this artwork before we leave Mexico.

So we did make it to Cabo San Lucas on Tuesday as we'd planned. This is the southern most point on the Baja California. Hooray! We made it down the Baja with our RV. Only 1056 miles from the US/Mexican border to Cabo. We said we'd drive the Baja and we did and it was quite an exciting experience to realize we had finally made it. We are currently in the Villa Serena RV Park which is a beautiful spot with full amenities but unfortunately is not on the ocean. It was quite a luxury for us to do our laundry in a real washing machine. It was an uneventful trip from La Ventana to Cabo, well as uneventful as it gets down here.

Connected with some more friends from back home, Murray and Tracy Smith, and Todo Santos did not disappoint as we explored the town for the day. Of course a stop at Los Ceretos on the way home for a swim in the Pacific was called for. The surf was behaving itself so a fantastic time was had by all including our faithful poochy Skeena. Did we ever tell you what her names means in Spanish - Corner! So now she's overcome 2 phobias, duck decoys and the surf. She romped around in the waves like an old pro. It came to our attention while rollicking in the surf that we now need 2 boogy boards to get full enjoyment from that surf. Off to Costco we go!

Today was a quieter day with a trip to the Baja Books & Maps store in San Jose as well as a trip to the new marina. It blew us away as to the development that has happened in the last year since we were here last. The marina is full of luxury yahts and the road has experienced significant improvements. Its looking really uptown now. We're going fishing tomorrow with another fellow Cannuck from the RV park. Hopefully we'll catch something other than Sierra as our pallets are wanting something a little different.

The Colours of Baja

Believe it or not these are shrines at the graveyard.

They are little houses built to honour deceased loved ones.

This has become one of our favourite restaurants in La Paz , Rancho Viejo, thanks to Jodi & Mike introducing us to it.

Here we are enjoying another meal there.

The malecon in La Paz.

Artwork in La Paz.

Love this mural!

Went for a lovely bike ride this morning, returned to the trailer for lunch and then hit the beach for a long walk this afternoon. We don't think we'll ever tire of this lifestyle! Our Skeena dog seems to agree wholeheartedly as well. Our shell collecting may have to slow down a somewhat as we've run out of places to store them. Their just so pretty! On our bike ride we explored the local cemetary. It is mind boggling to see how the Mexican's honour their dead. The shrines that they build for the deceased are sometimes nicer that what the living have as houses. Some are just so beautiful.

Travelled to La Paz with Jodi & Mike yesterday for groceries, money and culture. It sure makes a difference when you go to a new city with people that know where they're going - little or no stress!

We're pulling up stakes in La Ventana Tuesday and heading to San Jose del Cabo to meet up with Murray and Tracey. The plan is to show them a few places we've discovered in our previous trips down here. Haven't been fishing in the last few days but plan on taking one more stab at it tomorrow if it's not too windy. We'll continue this saga when we get to San Jose.

2010 New Years - Baja Style

The evening started innocent enough...but don't they all.

O's version of a cocktail.

A hardy little plant on the beach that happens to look like a Christmas tree.

Here's the proof that we did make it to the lighthouse.

I sit here this morning in a brand new day, year, and after some debate last night - decade. Susie & I started the evening up at Jodi & Mike Benedicts where Big O, Mike, Jim and I had a rousing round of horse shoes and beer while the women discussed women things. Due to the high winds of the afternoon yesterday, horseshoes took longer than usual as the high winds blew our shoes slightly off the pin.

From here we moved to the roundhouse near the campground. Depending on the time of day it is either a yoga studio, restaurant, or bar. It sits on a low bluff above the ocean and looks out across the bay at Cerralvo Island. With the full moon shining brightly it made for a stellar setting. Of course the full moon should have registered some warning bells...but it didn't.

The live band was made up of some of the local dudes and a couple of normal people. Very good music from a loose knit group thrown together at the last minute. The place started hopping around 8 pm which is the normal Baja midnight and most peoples bed time down here. Much dancing and laughing was done and a very fine time was had by all. We finally headed back to camp around 1 am or so which would make it 5 o'clock real time. We were feeling very festivaall at this point. The next morning we are, oh, not feeling so festivaall.

An epic return journey to light house point is planned for Jan 1 for some snorkling, fishing, shell collecting, etc. It is feared that some of the expeditionary members may have contacted malaria during the night as hardy participants seem to be fending off fever and nightmares in thier beds. In fact judging by the condition of the banos (bathrooms) this morning many of the camp seem to be inflicted. The World Health Organization may have to quarantine camp to bring this situation under control. We will report back to you once the expeditionary force is healed up and able to carry on the trek. Best of the New year to all, and remember to take the time to follow your folly.

Expeditionary update: A vastly diminished team (Susie & JD) was sent out on an advanced scouting mission to Lighhouse point. This occured at the crack of noon, giving Susie enough time to sleep off her nightmares and fever. The trip proved a bit of a disappointment as the surf was too high for snorkeling or fishing. And the high tides of the blue moon failed to deliver the Spanish bullion and other treasures as promised. The fresh air did feel good but then we had to return to camp for a nap or should we say siesta.