Backpacking

So. It´s day 11. A week and a half since we left home. Not ready to come back yet...

Today we spent the day in Loreto, but I´ll get to that in a second. YESTERDAY, we woke up after one of the biggest storms I think we´ll experience on this trip, unless we encounter a hurricane, which I think this nearly compared to. When you are sleeping in a yurt with a tent-like roof, you really notice it too. Cold, and windy with a capital WINDY. Palms roaring every which was, and it was chilly enough that we had the heater aimed at our faces with the sheets pulled over our heads all night. Not the most pleasant of evenings.

After a delicious morning at the San Ignacio Springs, we had plans to go to the bus stop to purchase our ticket to Loreto. However, just as we were clearing up our bill with Gary the owner, John (sorry if it´s not John, I´m much better with faces!) and Gwen, a lovely Canadian couple from Sault St. Marie who we had gotten to know over the last couple of days offered to drive us to Mulege so we would save a few dollars on the bus. We accepted their considerate offer and we all jumped into their van, our seats in the back being two appropriately placed lawn chairs (fun!).

The four of us proceeded to stop in Santa Rosalia, where they boast French style wooden buildings, an Eiffel Church, and one of Baja´s best bakeries. At the bakery we ordered a couple of Pan Dulces, which are sweetbreads shaped like cinnamon buns. Muy delicioso! After an hour or so of site-seeing we continued on to Mulege.

The drive from Santa Rosalia to Mulege is absolutely breathtaking. Right before the lesser townsite the scenery changes from cacti and desert to the Sea of Cortez, which must be one of the most beautiful seas, there are islands in the distance and the coast is rocky in some areas and soft and sandy in others, and pelicans coast and dive across all fronts. Shades of blue and grey coast from far off distances keep you absolutely captivated. I was quite content to sit in the vehicle and marvel for the hour and a half before we reached Mulege.

Upon reaching Mulege we originally planned to stay the evening in the same motel as our new friends, but had an attack of conscience and decided that it wouldn´t be fair to have them feel obligated to continue driving us around, so we parted ways and got on the 4 o clock bus to Loreto, where we watched a spanish-dubbed "The Craft" and fell asleep. In Loreto we went to the number one listed motel in the Let´s Go guide we´re using, got the best suite in the place at 260 pesos, and immediately realized that the place had slid quite a ways downhill since the guide was written in 2005. How far? Let me count the ways:

1. The guide mentioned well equipped kitchenettes. Well, there was a sink, and a hood fan where a stove used to be, but nothing else.
2. A bed that squeaks like a mouse on speed and sinks half a foot in the middle is not the best sleep, not to mention sheets that are too small for the bed.
3. Are shower heads supposed to fall out of the wall?
4. Although I don´t mind taking a shower under a hose-like spray, I always thought a hot shower meant hot, not just above freezing.
5. I thought doors were an old innovation. It was a novel experience having a shower curtain divide the bathroom from the bedroom.
6. I´m not sure if bugs are supposed to crawl out of sink handles.

I guess it wasn´t all bad. They had a colour tv, the location was decent and the woman who maintained the place was very nice. However, don´t be too surprised but we checked out this morning.

We found a new place right on the main stretch. The Hotel Junipero, it´s slighty more expensive at 350 pesos but infinately nicer and in a better location. Today we had a very pleasant day walking up and down the clean beautiful streets, checking out artisan shops and strolling alongside the beach. A black lab with a slight touch of mange adopted us for a couple of hours, Jay had his first Donkey burrito (three, actually), and Dad, if you want nice oceanfront lots this is the place to get it. The beach is no Cancun, but stunning views, pelicans EVERYWHERE, the town is lovely, safe, and the prices for property are quite decent, not to mention there is an airport right nearby. We saw a sunset tonight so we hope the morning will be nice, we´re going to have breakfast at the taco stand McLulu´s before catching the 12:05 bus to La Paz, a journey that will take approx. 5 hours. Hasta Luego!

By the way, don´t forget to check out http://www.flickr.com/photos/tessarex for more pictures

Love Tess

Hola,

So right now we're in San Ignacio, right in the middle of the baja. You'd think it would ridiculously warm here but for reason today just got chilly and windy. Not a cloud in the sky and super hot in the sun but without that sun...yikes, a winter jacket might have helped. Aside from the cold nights, this place has been amazing. The Yurts that we're staying in are soo cool and cozy and we definitely recommend then to the parents. We'll bring back pictures of the interior. I'd post them right now but Tess has taken it upon herself to unpack everything from her bag and place it on every available flat space...floor included

So after our amazing whale watching/petting experience in Guerrero Negro we figured that it would probably be a while until our next really cool experience...we were wrong. At breakfast yesterday we happened to have met a mother and daughter who were travelling the baja as well. They are originally from Germany but have since moved to Mexico City because the husband/father is a journalist. They had rented a vehicle and were heading to see the cave paintings which were about a two hour drive through the desert backcountry roads around the Sierra de SanFransico (mountains). Chad...were bringing your Jeep down here sometime in the near future, you can figure out why. A couple of spare tires may come in handy though Anyways, after having an absolutely huge breasfast together they invited Tess and I to come with them. Sooo nice. The drive was awesome and the hour hike up the mountain was even cooler. It wouldn't have been the same without the 6'0" tall 100 pound Mexican cowboy as a guide, haha. Anywhooo, we ended up seeing cave paintings that were over 4000 years old and nearly 30 feet high. Unbelievable sight! The kicker to the trek was the crazy Cactus that jumped out of nowhere and chased me down the hill, haha. On the way down I lost my footing for a second and swung my hand out right onto a cactus, those suckers hurt and the needles were in deep enough that when I pulled my hand away, and entire cactus head came right along with me. Fun times We also had a giant supper last night. But after finding out that costed us $15 each we are settling for Bologne sandwiches tonight.

So after the journey yesterday, we just decided to relax by the river today. We suntanned, played cards, and fished!!! Both Tess and I caught fish. Catch and release of course Don't let the picture of me and the fish fool you. That was the smallest one. Both of us caught some biggies!

Tomorrow...on too......havent decided yet. Maybe Melege, maybe Loreto. We'll sleep on it.

Pictures should be posted within the next couple of days.

Until next time,

Jay

San Diego was sweet....Tijuana, umm not so sweet. Yesterday we spent the morning and early afternoon at the zoo. There was soo much to see and it was all amazing. There were about a dozen giant tortises each over 80 years old and weighting over 700 pounds. The Orangutangs were funny, they tried hiding themselves under broken palm leaves. It was kinda like a 2 year old covering there eyes in hopes that you can't see them becuase they can't see you. It was awesome. And then we saw a giant 350 pound Silverback Gorilla backhand the glass where a guy was taking pictures of it, as if to say "get the hell outta here while i'm still in a good mood"

After the zoo we walked all the way to downtown, had a great dinner, walked through an open-air mall (they get no rain here so everything is open-air, even the schools), and then went to a wicked Reggae concert that we managed to get free tickets too from a Hostelling International guy. Pictures and a small video will be posted some time soon. It was a perfect weekend to start the trip...and were under budget!!!

So now were in Tijuana...grrrrr. We've been here for about 2 hours now and I would have been happy leaving after 10 minutes. Tess did manage to bargain her way down half price for a shirt. That was fairly exciting. The street pedlers that bombard you every 15 seconds to buy cheap jewelery, $1.00 beers or something called a "Scooby-doo". (I definitely didn't wanna find out what that was) has lost its luster. It's interesting when McDonalds is the only establishment you trust...haha. Anyways, we are now heading to catch a bus to Ensenada. A much more lovely Mexican town I hear.

Until next time,

Jay

ps.

Check out http://www.flickr.com/photos/tessarex/ for more of the photos that we've taken and will be taking.

We woke up at a quarter to 5, after 3 1/2 hours sleep. Fully, completely awake. Mom and Dad drove me to the airport, and there we met Jay and his entourage (His Mom, Dad, Brother Chad, Brother's girlfriend Whitney and Nicky, the dog) at the check-in. After tearful goodbyes we slipped through the gates and had a seamless check-in. Interesting to note: they make you take off your shoes now at the security check.

Napping on airplanes is convenient and fun, and I took half the flight off and woke up with half an hour to go. We hung out in the San Fransisco airport and played games on the long moving sidewalks until our delay finished. An hour and a half later we were in San Diego.

I won't recap all of it, but our hostess Cynthia is amazing. She drove us all around town and showed us the sites, took us to a tasty restaurant for lunch, and has an extremely nice apartment. Both Jay and I felt a little queasy after lunch, and I'm attributing it to our sensitive northern sterile food-friendly tummies. I'm all better now, but Jay had us pull the car off to the side of the road so he could 'get a better view of the grass'.

Highlight of the day: Finding a baby starfish at the edge of a tidal pool by the Cabrillo National Monument.

Tomorrow: Zooooooo!!!!

Love Tess