San Blas…Strike of the Jejenes

J said caressing my arm was like reading braille…

By the time we felt the “Jejenes” in San Blas it was too late. The no-see-ums didn’t just bite us…we were A feast; chewed up like corn cobs. (We later learned that area is notoriously known for these evil sand savages). Make a note for next time!

Bites swelling, tummies expanding. Does disaster decide to strike all at once? How does that song go? “As your running into first and you feel a sudden burst… diarrhea…diarrhea…”

(There is a light at the end of the tunnel). After a long night of distressing discomfort, feeling MUCH better, we were in for a treat!

I had been to La Tovara when I was younger and couldn’t wait to go back to experience it again and show J.

Scarfing down banana muffins we had just bought on the side of the road, the boat was leaving in 5 minutes…

Stepping into the little barco, we were headed on a three hour jungle boat trip through estuaries, mangroves full of amazing birds, turtles…and CRIKEY…Cocodrilos!!!

The nature preserve spans for acres and acres. Slowly winding through the water ways, everyone “Oo’d” and “Aawwww’d” as our guide, Eduardo, helped us spot all the wildlife.

Big crocs, little crocs, swimming, sunbathing, some eyes just visible above the waters surface, waiting for their prey… It was like being dropped into the story Jungle Book. It’s so wild looking, it almost doesn’t seem real.

Besides the incredible crocodile close-ups, we were lucky enough to see a Lechuza. In Mexico there is a lot of folklore about ‘La Lechuza’… a powerful witch that can take the shape of an owl by night… Seeing one, you can understand why the legends exist. While beautiful, there is an eerie feeling stirred that can raise a few arm hairs…

We stayed two days in San Blas, camping right on the coast line. Days were swimming, relaxing, eating delicious ceviche. It’s not as touristy; more known as a fishing town with its natural, beautiful lagoons and the cocodrilarios.

Next stop: San Pancho.

The Ferry, An Unforgettable Ride

Heavy bass tones infiltrated our eardrums as we boarded the midnight ‘California Star’ ferry from La Paz to Mazatlán…Unce-unce-unce…

After the chaos of getting in all the wrong lines, and being redirected all over the ferry terminal, finally boarding and finding each other, this scene was the last thing we expected ha! Couples all over the dance floor, a live band and DJ.

We were lucky to snag one of the last tables; no one was sleeping anytime soon…

High hopes of getting a private cabin were out the window. Little did we know, there was a huge motorcycle group, Los Halcones, that had just ridden through Baja and were on their way back to Guadalajara. A plethora of leather clad men and motorcycle mamas who were ready to party!

Early hours of the morning, music still blaring, we folded, like others, into little blanket burritos and attempted to sleep on the bar lounge tile floor…Yoga mats barely comforting our bones from the vibrating floors.

Eventually the borrocho slurs faded away, and our bodies gave way to the fatigue and gentle boat rocking… A blur of tosses and turns, only to be awakened in the morning with a 2+ hour comedy show, coffee, tortillas, machaca and chilaquiles.

What an unforgettable ride across the Sea of Cortez! 😉

Giving each other reassuring, your tired, I’m tired, but we did it looks, we docked in Mazatlán…. Hello Mainland!!!

La Paz

Barely missing the ferry, we found ourselves in La Paz for a few days. Not a bad place to ‘kill some time’… (The ferry from La Paz to mainland MX, Mazatlán, only runs every couple days).

Just like its name, La Paz is a very peaceful city, especially for being one of the largest cities and the capital of Baja California Sur.

Downtown was outlined by the famous malecón, sprinkled every few meters with sculptures… The Dove of Peace pictured above.

Amazing seafood, ice cream stands, calm turquoise-blue water, and white sand…

Lazy, lounging days of free beachfront camping, coffee, little hikes and entertaining people watching… our fav was our ‘jolly’ neighbor who would dip in the water, jog a few feet, skip back into the water, then play racquetball against himself, using their large RV as an opponent 😉

He was a friendly fellow, who enjoyed his food and drink. He even brought us a container of homemade ‘chocolate clam’ ceviche he had prepared the night before… Which I have to admit, I didn’t eat, but appreciated the gesture!

After cave dwelling and tide pool hopping, we enjoyed a nice long shower at Hotel Catedral and a finale dinner at a secret garden pizzeria decorated with cafe lights!

Beaches visited:

Playa Tecolote, Playa Tesoro and the best… Playa Balandra, known for “El Hongo” rock formation. (Looks like a giant mushroom), captured on many Pacifico cans…

Whale of a Tale

It was a Fourth of July firework frenzy of whales on the horizon…I don’t know what registered first when we arrived to East Cape…a splash or spout that first caught our attention…

It was crazy to see that amount of whale activity, all going on at the same time. Our eyes darted back and forth like a competitive foose-ball game, passing the binoculars like a hot potato. There…There…There!

(This pic does no justice so you’ll just have to picture it upstairs, okay!)

A whale popcorn explosion, bursting right out of the water in front of us, over and over… and over.

Entire breaches, fin slaps, belly flops…. the most amazing? A Momma and baby whale playing together, hopscotching their way across. We couldn’t peel our eyes off the show.

East Cape reveals more magic every time. The magician who keeps you guessing, making each visit more memorable than the last…

Not only did we binge watch the ‘whale show’ all day, the evening brought a whole other type of entertainment… the Beach Dairy Princess Parade…

Returning from snorkeling we found the van surrounded by cattle and the solar panels covered in drool (we were so lucky they didn’t get trampled!).

It was a complete spectacle… cows frolicking in the waves like ‘James Bond girls’… It was their time, they’re the boss, and with their mass; you’re just along for the ride, your being, or your vehicle, for their amusement. Period.

San Jose del Cabo

San Jose del Cabo evokes many special memories for us …epic surf trips “rip to the tip“, desconocido wave breaks, beaches privadas, burros curiosos and Cabo Ironman…140.6 miles of heart, grit …and sweat… through the incredible peninsula.

Flooded with fond recollections, we decided to treat ourselves to one night in a hotel, right in the colonial area of downtown.

While the ‘party-place’ Cabo commotion has a time and place; we’ve really fallen for the ‘girl next door’, San Jose del Cabo… less crowded, warm and charming cobblestone streets, delicious restaurants… beautiful, comfy and cozy!

Settled in for the evening, J discovered a rad new restaurant, La Lupita Taco y Mezcal, delivering the most mind-blowing gourmet tacos and a much craved margarita!

My fav was the fresh sea bass with miso infused crema….

Riley, The Captain

Don’t drop the soap in the prison shower…

Haha! Okay, okay, I’m exaggerating… BUT balancing on the slippery cement blocks, NAKED, with a slight breeze and cold water… it was a quick rinse.

Shivering at Punta Conejo, after a few days on the road, we were thankful a little bird told us about the hidden shower…

This beach is filled with secrets.. you would blow right past the turn off, if you didn’t know what you were looking for…

Each morning we awoke to a cotton candy filled sky that would satisfy even the sweetest tooth…

The ocean beckoned to us with an empty line up and fun waves.

And, perhaps, the most memorable of all was the campsite host, Riley…. An older, mischievous man… He was a wild cat that had defied and surpassed his 9 lives.

Now, living on the point, he helps manage the area and occasionally visits the campers. A little rugged at times, his heart was in a good place; we learned some of his adventures but the others were kept locked up… perhaps for the próximo vez.

If he wasn’t memorable enough on his own, he had the most lovable dog, Stinky… a Boston Terrier with cerebral palsy…. Yep… Little stick would hobble on up and wiggle around as you gave her some TLC.

Riley had a watch tattoo around his wrist. I didn’t quite catch the hour… but, as the night got later, and the bursts of La Bamba got louder… we guessed it was Tequila time…

“Yo no soy marinero… yo no soy marinero, soy capitán… soy capitán, soy CAPITÁN.. Ba Ba BAMBA!!!!”

And that’s how we’ll remember Riley, the welcoming Captain of Punta Conejo!

We missed him the morning we took off, so we left a few goodies on his doorstep.

Cataviña

Leaving for Mexico…Round 2! Tuvimos ganas to get down South pretty quickly.

Taking off early in the morning (this time), we were on a mission to the border… I mean to VG’s donuts…and then the border 😉

Veins surging with cinnamon twists; we powered through secondary in a few sips of coffee and were gone.

Destination 1: Cataviña. This curious part of the desert is about 7+ hours from Oceanside. Still quite a drive, it was a good goal for the first day. Coffee, coffee, coffee. There was the thermos of hot coffee, then the cooler iced coffees. Zzzzzzzzzz…

Cafeína cross the livestock friendly two lane highways. Cows, horses, goats, coyotes. (Do not drive at night).

Pulling in right at sundown added to the eerie but fascinating landscape. Similar to Mars but with plants fighting through the crusty surface; like alien hands reaching out their skinny, pointy fingers towards the sky…

We were welcomed at Rancho Santa Inès. There are a few campgrounds/RV parks in the area, but this one was the BEST. Just a short drive off the highway, offering spacious sites near a cool riverbed, and palm tree oasis.

After our sunset walkabout, we agreed it was a ‘cup of noodles’ kind of night before lights out.

Greedy Seagulls

Do you ever feel like a greedy seagull while on vacation?

Just indulging in all things outside the ‘normal routine’…

Perusing the skies like a flying garbage disposal…

Take the back seat kale, move over quinoa… Muah-ha-ha… This BURGER is MINE…

Yessss…

ALLLLL the sushi is MINE…

All the wine….. MINE….

(Disclaimer: This is not an ad for Residence Inn Marriott, however, we were quite impressed with the large complimentary breakfast buffet 😉 ha!)

Hmmmmm…Ahhhhh…. No schedules …. No work, no email…No chores… THE WORLD IS MINE!!! …

Rewinding slightly…after enjoying a few lazy days at Las Rocas, outside Rosarito, we made a game plan and limped Pancho back across the border to the US side. A shop in Santee awaited our arrival and got to work on our little van baby.

While the car trouble caught us off guard, we were lucky to be that close to the border, and still have plenty of time to continue our adventure.

Even back where we started, we realized… we’re still on vacation!! (That’s where the greedy seagulls come flying in… “caw-caw” hahaha!)

We’ve never had this much time to do absolutely nothing at home. Some days we slept in till 10:00 am, others …. extended coffee time (with donuts), English Premier League soccer games, camping in Idyllwild, riding beach cruisers, getting caught in the rain while on the beach cruisers…making it to a special family wedding… taking walks, discussing why dogs shouldn’t wear sweaters…

You know, all the important things… 😉

Okay- fast forward–>

Getting Pancho back from the shop has given us a BIG second wind. Re-packing, re-arranging… with some experience under our belt; we’re raring to go and ready for round 2 in Mexico! Woooooot!!

¡Vámonos!

Despacito

There they were… a stranded, foreign couple in the middle of nowhere, trying to flag down help on a two lane highway, in what J described as a “Dr. Seuss desert forest”.

Oh shoot… did I say “they”… I meant “we“…

You almost always start evaluating yourself from an outsider’s perspective in these types of situations….. “Would I stop for me?”

Haha, not to fear! As a couple, I’m pretty sure this was our 4th time hitchhiking… Yes, we’re real experienced “hitchers” 😉

The last time? Running down the El Yunque rainforest in Colombia, with all our luggage, trying to make the bus back to Cartagena…yes, we did score a ride (sweaty and everything) barely making our autobús. Woot!

We have the different ‘waves’ down…

This one was the forceful, double handed ‘parade wave’, communicating, “Hello, we are friendly… but, Please. Stop. Now. Thanks.”

Moments later, a small cargo truck with two men pulled off to see what the commotion was… Although, relatively calm, I could not remember the word for “tow truck”…

The stage was mine… It was like an anxiety ridden game of catchphrase… motioning and blurting out phrases, “we need a big truck for the van” … “You know the larger one to take the little one”… “The vehicle to put the other vehicle “…

“Una grúa?”…. “Si, si, una grúa”… There was only room for one of us in the cargo truck… (Neither of us wanted to leave the other alone…) After going back and forth regarding our options, the men offered to drive slowly behind us until we made it back to town.

The clanging from Pancho’s underbelly was concerning; we certainly didn’t want to make it worse. Guided to a mechanic, we posted up for a few hours to see if there would be a quick fix…

It was an interesting diagnosis to say the least. The mechanic had a hose cut on both ends and was using it like a stethoscope… holding one end to his ear and moving the other end to the transmission, engine etc. announcing, “Ruida aqui?…no… Ruida aqui…no… Ruida aqui?…Si, es el motor.. Tengo quitar el motor”.

Um… What…Remove the engine?!?! J and I exchanged some ‘I don’t think so’ looks. We quickly asked the mecánico if we could make it back to Ensenada. “Si, es posible…” That was good enough for us and really the only possibility at that point.

“Muy despacito”, he cautioned. Giving understanding nods, we thanked the mechanic for his time and started back North.

Just like the song…

“Pasito a pasito, suave suavecito
Nos vamos pegando, poquito a poquito”

Nervously stepping onto the dance floor, poquito a poquito, 40 mph for over 130 miles. We just kind of held our breath, encouraging each other along in this fragile dance down the highway… While stress was in the air; I’m proud we both did great at focusing on the positive ~ PMA alllll the way. The clattering had subsided some…fingers crossed…

Gracias a dios! Hours later, driving into this familiar area was such a relief… made it back to Ensenada.

A quick stop for tacos later, we were high-fiving; it felt like victory!

Punta Baja

Thick, juicy, gooey MUD.

Hundreds of earthy suction cups grabbed at Pancho, trying to wrap their tierra tentacles around his svelte body.

We were a sailboat in a distressed dirt sea, dodging Lock Ness Monsters!

The roads were not prepared for all the rain; one wrong turn from El Rosario and we were fishtailing through the country side, in search of Punta Baja.

Mi Capitán pulled it off, slipping, sliding, gliding, he manned our ship through the worst of the storm.

Just as the sun was setting; we successfully anchored at our destination: Punta Baja. Man were we excited to see that light house tower.

Pancho stood strong on the point, his proud chest puffed up in the ocean breeze.

Hallelujah… We cracked a beer and took a moment to exhale and appreciate being capsize-free. That was close!

It was our first time to Punta Baja; while we experienced some chaos getting there, the discovery made up for it!

Those who seek adventure will find it! …