December 30, Day trip to Cabo San Lucas

LOCATION:  Rental house in Todos Santos, Baja, California

WEATHER:  Beautiful. Highs in 70s

We picked up our daughter Alexis from the airport and drove into town.  The drive along the coast was beautiful, but lined with resorts, high-rise hotels, and American stores.  

Our destination (of course) was to Cabo's only brewpub, Baja Brewing.

It was atop one of the resort hotels, on a rooftop overlooking the beach.

Lots of tourist activity....swimming, skiing, jet boosts, wind surfers, parasailing.

We had lunch and sampled different beers.  We are so happy to be with our daughters Meredith (left ) and Alexis (right).

Cabo was fun for a day, but we much prefer Todos Santos, away from all the gringo tourists.  

We stopped on the way home at a beach, looking for a fisherman selling fish, but no luck.  So, we stopped at the vegetable stand, then the tortilla store, then the small market for dinner ingredients.

Meredith (chef) made a beautiful platter of different salsas for dipping tortilla chips....

DINNER:  Meredith made fajitas with meat, soy chorizo, and veggies, topping with more of these salsas.

December 29, 2015. Moving into Casa Dia in Baja

LOCATION:  Todos Santos in SW Baja, California, Mexico

WEATHER:  Partly cloudy.  Highs in 70s

We unhooked the camper and settled into the rental house.

It is a beautiful 3-bedroom house.

With lots of bougainvillea all around.

In the back, there are hammocks under a palapa for shade.

We have a lovely view of the Pacific Ocean.  

We drove into Cabo airport to pick up Meredith and Gautham.  As we drove along the ocean, we saw hundreds of whales splashing and blowing.

We got settled in the house, and went looking for a guy that might take us fishing.  

DINNER:  Meredith made appetizers of cheese and meat-filled peppers.  I made the smoked fish pasta recipe I had made before.  The fish was marlin, very tasty.

December 28, 2015. Hello, Pacific Coast, Baja

CAMPGROUND:  Not!  We have rented a house through VRBO in Todos Santos for about 10 days.  We are celebrating New Years with our daughters and son-in-law.  We actually start the rental tomorrow, but the property manager said we could park in the driveway tonight.

LOCATION:  Todos Santos, Baja, California.  About 45 miles northwest of Cabo San Lucas on the Pacific Coast

WEATHER:  Beautiful.  Highs in 70s

Last morning in Los Barriles.  Since the RV park didn't have showers yet, we swam in the sea, then rinsed off with our outdoor shower.  The water was plenty warm since the hose had been out in the sun.

We walked over to a little roadside restaurant for lunch.  We shared an order of Agua Chile.  It is similar to ceviche, but spicier.  It was raw shrimp, scallops and fish, "pickled" in lime juice with chile peppers.  Very tasty!

The restaurant was adjacent to a nursery.  The hibiscus were the largest I've seen.  

Back at the RV park, we said good-bye to our Quebec friends. Note our tiny Airstream compared to the large motorhomes....

Then we drove to Todos Santos, about 2 hours.  We drove south, inland, to Los Cabos Airport, then northeast and west on a brand-new bypass around the city.  

I had directions to the rental house from the homeowners, but the street signs had all been taken down due to some street construction.  So, we got lost, of course.  We drove down narrow dusty streets, pulling the Airstream, terrified that we would hit a dead-end.  We stopped and I asked some guys for help.  We drove through orchards and organic farms, a few miles out of the town.  We finally found the house, we thought, but no one was here.  We wanted to make sure it is our house....Casa Dia, before parking the Airstream.

So, we just parked in the middle of the road, and walked around, trying to find someone.  The house next door had some cars, so George went in to their pool area.  He said he talked with 2 strange  American women who seemed drunk and vague about whether we were in the right place.  So, we looked around some more. No one.  So, together we went back to the women's   house.  We  started talking with them, and they became totally unhinged.  They yelled at us to leave and said we were trespassing on their property and harassing them.  George got defensive, which didn't help, and it became a yelling fight.  He left, and I stayed to try to calm things down, and they finally  yelled at me to leave.  

Another nice neighbor finally came by and told us we were in the right place, so George started to park.  

Then, when we were trying to back the airstream into the driveway, the 2 crazy women brought a guy and approached us again on the road, yelling at  us and telling the guy how we had harassed them and their "impressionable " 15-year old son.  We just kept apologizing and they kept yelling.  I was just shaking and trying to calm George down. I've never met such rude people.  

It took quite a while to get the Airstream parked.  George is so good about backing up and squeezing in tight spots.

The property manager came and assured us we were in the right spot and suggested we sit on the back patio to watch the beautiful sunset over the water.  Wow!

We were too tired to go into town for dinner or shopping, so ate from the emergency  food box

DINNER:  Grilled SPAM and cheese sandwiches with avocado slices.  

December 27, 2015. Last day in Los Barriles

CAMPGROUND:  Last night in Baja Sunrise.  The workers work tirelessly trying to get everything ready and fixed.

LOCATION:  Los Barriles, Baja, California in SE Baja, Mexico

WEATHER:  Very windy.  Cooler. High about 70

The high winds kept us inside in the morning.  We watched these Mexican cowboys gallop by, right in front of our Airstream.

 

Then, we drove into town to a beach bar, appropriately named La Playa for lunch.  

It is also a main launching area for the kite-boarders.  They were loving the wind!  These are kites ready to be used.

We had shrimp tacos and a seasonal winter beer called Noche Buena (poinsettia, also means Christmas Eve) .

Then, we went on a drive to another area called Buena Vista.  It is a hotel/resort built in the 1950s.  It used to be just a fishermen's hotel with such famous guests as John Wayne, John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway, Dwight Eisenhower, and Desi Arnez who all came here to fish and to escape from the media.  We had a peyote beer in their beachfront bar. 

In the evening, we chatted with our neighbors.  They invited us in to their beautiful motorhome for a drink.  For dinner, we planned to walk to a little seafood cafe near us on the highway.  We found out it was closed, so I made due with some leftovers.

DINNER: Stir-fried rice during leftover cooked rice and the grilled chicken.

December 26, 2015. Are we in Quebec or Baja?

CAMPGROUND:  Another night at Baja Sunrise.

LOCATION:  Los Barriles, Baja.  On SE side of Baja Peninsula, Mexico

WEATHER:  Cooler.  Very windy. Highs in 70s

We awoke to a beautiful sunrise......

Our neighbors from Quebec have a large motor hone.  We selected our site next to them so that we would be in their shadow/shade when the sun beats down.

The workers are working frantically to get the rest of the sites ready, as the RV park opened just a few days ago.  Consequently, Our electricity and water come and go as they work on it.

Two more huge motorhomes arrived, French Canadian friends of our neighbors.  We feel like we are in Quebec!  They are all very friendly, switching to English when we are around.

As they were hooking up, they ran into electricity problems.  One motorhome's inverter got "fried" to the tune of a few thousand dollars.  

The wind was very strong in the afternoon, making it heaven for the kite boarders.  I watched one in front of us jump up out of the water and fly about 25 feet before floating back.  

We went into town and stopped at a restaurant for some ceviche.  Yum.  Did some grocery shopping and got cash.

During these 2 1/2 years on the road, I have prided myself in conserving food, rarely needing to throw anything away.  I try to repurpose leftovers trying different recipes.  Two mistakes, however, occurred recently.  First, George thought he'd save a peso or two by buying Mexican store-brand soy milk.  Big mistake.  It was a sweet powdered milk liquid. I tried it on cereal, and it was revolting.  Not wanting to just throw it away, George added vodka to it for a cocktail.  Even he admitted it was pretty bad.  The second mistake was buying a cheap container of  "Crema".  I thought I could use it like sour cream or yogurt in cooking, but it was a little sweet. George tried it on his cereal and got tourista, so we threw it out.   

DINNER:  Speaking of repurposing leftovers.......I used the  smoked fish and creamy smoked fish spread left over from a restaurant lunch a few days ago.  I sautéed onion and garlic, then added the fish, just to warm up.  Meanwhile, I cooked some pasta.  I mixed the drained pasta with the fish mix and added the fish spread to melt, and capers.  It was fabulous!  We are going to try to buy some mire tomorrow to have on hand for when the girls come.

December 25, 2015. Merry Christmas from Baja!

CAMPGROUND:  2nd night at Baja Sunrise.  Now have water back.  A worker told me the bathrooms do work.  

LOCATION:  Los Barriles, Baja California in SE Baja

WEATHER:  Hot and sunny.  Highs in low 80s

It is a surreal Christmas.  It just seems odd to be on the beach and without family and traditions.  But, I'm not whining!

We have a sea wall in front of the Airstream.  I like to sit there and watch people  go by.....lots of ATVs, wind-surfers, kiteboarding-surfers, water skiers, fishermen, joggers, paddle-boaters, and kayakers.

This is our 61-year- old neighbor kite-boarding.

I went snorkeling and saw lots of pretty fish.  It was a good workout swimming back against the waves. 

George grilled dinner on a charcoal grill as the full moon rose up over the water.  Wow!

DINNER:  Grilled chicken legs with rice and peas.

December 24, 2015. Move to the beach in Baja

CAMPGROUND:  Baja Sunrise RV park.  Opened a few days ago.  Rating of 5 for magnificent location, but not so good for services.  The owner first said there are bathrooms, but now says they aren't ready yet.  Full hook-ups, though the water quit working.  Wifi.  We are the 3rd campers here.  No shade, but cool breezes.  4 stars. $24/night.  Right on the beach, outside of town, so much quieter.

LOCATION:  1 mile south of Los Barriles, on SE coast of Baja, Mexico

WEATHER:  Sunny and hot. Highs in 80s

We packed up from Martin Verdugo's RV park.  George befriended the old gardener there.  They had meaningful conversations in Spanish!  Not!

The name of the town of Los Barriles means The Barrels.  Would be interesting to know how it got its name.

We thought we would try out this RV park for a few days.  You can't beat the location!  It is just a mile south of town, off the main highway, right on the beachfront.  Our airstream is in the front row, along the beach wall.  Only 2 other RVs here.

Our neighbors are a delightful French-Canadian couple.  We sat outside, watching the sunset over the water,  and had cocktails with them.  

The full moon reflecting on the Sea of Cortez was really special.

DINNER:  Shrimp and grits.  I needed to use up the rest of the shrimp I had bought the other day.  I found a new recipe online.  First, I sautéed onions, garlic, green peppers, and added bacon.  Meanwhile, I made grits, using  chicken broth I had made.  The recipe called for cheddar cheese, but I improvised with a Mexican cheese.  Then, added the shrimp to the veg/bacon mix to cook only a few minutes.  Then, mixed everything together.  I zapped it in the microwave to melt the cheese.  Great Christmas Eve dinner!

We listened to some Christmas music on the iPad and got nostalgic about Chrustmas past.

December 23, 2015. A day of gluttony in Baja!

CAMPGROUND:   Last (5th) night at Martin Verdugo's.

LOCATION:  Los Barriles, Baja, on SE coast of Baja peninsula

WEATHER:  Very warm and sunny,  highs in 80s

We started the day by strolling to a restaurant for breakfast.  We didn't have any food on hand, and decided to eat out.  We steered away from the gringo cafés, and found this cute place.  We split an order of scrambled eggs which came with tortillas, refried beans and guacamole.  We helped ourselves to some picante sauce in this huge mortar.

Behind George, you can see a container of purple liquid.  Later, I learned that this is a popular local drink....hibiscus iced tea.

We walked around another RV park where they have lots of "permanentes"......big RVs inside beautiful palapas.  It is a very inexpensive way to have beachfront property.

Around our RV park, people hang colorful Mexican blankets up for privacy. 

Our site is nestled between some bougenvilia trees.

For lunch, we returned to the strip and ate in a restaurant that smokes fish.  We ordered their smoked fish special which was a huge platter of smoked yellowtail and a cream-cheese smoked fish spread.    Lors of leftovers!

While we ate, a boy washed  our pickup.  He informed us that it was very dirty.  Yes, indeed!

We swam and snorkeled in the afternoon.  The water temperature is 74, so very pleasant.  We sat around the tiki bar to dry off.  

After it cooled off, we went grocery shopping, as we don't know whether shops will be open on Christmas and Christmas Eve.  

Then, we walked back on the strip, in the opposite direction for dinner.  We are moving to another campground out of town tomorrow, so wanted to check out these restsurants while we are still in town today.  This place grills seafood and shrimp over a charcoal fire.  We shared a grilled fillet of fish.  Delicious.  It is a tiny family-run place.  The owner's 9-year old daughter was our waitress.  On the wall next to our table, people had written their names and compliments about the restaurant.  One comment "best place in Los Barriles" was signed by Alice Waters.  I wonder if that is THE famous Alice Waters chef.  

While we were eating, a mariachi band came in to serenade the table next to us.  I recognized the people.  One was an older gentleman, a doctor, who retired here about 30 years ago.  His family are visiting him. I think he had arranged for the musicians.  Nice touch!

December 22, 2015. Biking around Los Barriles

CAMPGROUND:  Another night at Martin Verdugo's

LOCATION:  Los Barriles, Baja, Mexico on SE coast of the peninsula

WEATHER:  Beautiful.  Sunny. Highs in 80s

We heard a truck honking near our Airstream and went out to investigate.  It was a guy selling fish, shrimp and lobster.

It all looked fresh.

We bought some fairly large shrimp and later had delicious shrimp cocktail for lunch, with plenty left for another recipe.

The fisherman didn't have change for our 500 peso bill, so asked that we get some change, and said he would return in the PM for the money.  He didn't come back!  We hope he comes tomorrow so we can pay him. 

We biked around the town on the only paved street.  The speed bump " topes" are killers on bikes.  Then we went down to the beach.  We watched windsurfers.....

And kite boarders....see the colorful kites in the background.

Later we biked to a beach bar for margaritas.  

DINNER:  Chicken salad sandwiches.  Not too exciting, but we needed to use it up.   

Tonight there was more music wafting from a nearby bar.  Unfortunately, tonight's singer was pretty bad, with painfully loud, off-key singing until the wee hours.

December 21, 2015. Nice, slow day in Baja

CAMPGROUND:  Another night at Martin Verdugo's 

LOCATION:  Los Barriles, Baja, Mexico oN SE side of peninsula

WEATHER:  Cloudy.  Highs in 70s

We lounged around most of the day, with breaks to walk in the town and on the beach.  We took a drive in the country.  I wanted  to follow a road along the coast that I saw on the map, but it turned out to be just a terribly pot-holed sandy path.  

Even on this deserted road with potholes requiring <10 mph, , there were the dreaded speed bumps....

Lots of saguaro cactus....

It was windy so the kite-boarders were out in full force.  

DINNER:  Tortilla with tortilla......I made a Spanish tortilla (an omelette with veggies and potatoes), and served it with a Mexican tortilla.   

December 20, 2015. Another day in Baja paradise!

CAMPGROUND:  Another night at Martin Verdugo's.  We will stay here 5 nights.

LOCATION:  Los Barriles, on SE coast of Baja Peninsula.

WEATHER:  Cloudy, but nice. Highs about 80

We finally tracked down someone in the office to pay.....quite laid back!

There is not much of a town here, mostly one main road with some shops and restaurants.  We found a small  grocery and bought a few things, then went next door to buy fresh tortillas, right off the grill.  These dogs were guarding this shop.

We strolled down to the beach and enjoyed Bloody Mary's.  We watched the kiteboarding surfers and the wind surfers.  There were many out there.

 

We found a nice place for lunch with draft beer.  This is a craft beer made in Cabo. We had the restsurant's world famous" green chile stew.  

After a walk on the beach, we did some internet work, mostly figuring out how to get to Cabo airport to pick up our daughters and son in- law next week and how to get to the house we have rented.  On this map, we followed highway 1 from Guerrero to Santa Rosalia to Loreto, then La a Paz, now Los Barriles.  The VRBO house is in Todos Samtos on the western (Pacific) side. 

DINNER:  With the fresh tortillas, I made fajitas.  I  used up the rest of the scallops, diced,  plus green pepper, green onions and regular onion slices.  Lots of cumin and cayenne.  Topped with a little cheddar.

After dinner, music from a nearby bar wafted our way until the wee hours.  Quite pleasant!  

December 19, 2015. Lost in La Paz

CAMPGROUND:  Martin Verdugo's RV park.  Many permanent RVs, some with palapas.  Decent bathrooms and showers.  Wifi. Full hook-ups. Part of a hotel with pool, beachfront, and tiki bar.  A little crowded. $24/night.  4 stars

LOCATION:  Los Barriles, on the Baja Peninsula about an hour NE of Cabo.  On Sea of Cortez.  

WEATHER:  Cloudy.  Highs in 70s

We awoke to the sound of Mexican Christian music blasting from a boom box.  A group of teenagers is having a retreat here.  Not a great wake-up call.

We unhooked the Airstream and went in to La Paz to explore and to see if we could find another RV park for a return trip here.  La Paz is the capital of Baja Sur state.  It is a large city of 200k+.  We drove downtown along its beautiful waterfront, lined with restaurants and luxury hotels.

Ferries and cruise ships dock here.

We did not find any other camping.  We also decided that we won't return here to stay, as it is such a big city.  We will have to pass through the edge it again, though on our way north.

We hooked up the camper and tried to head south.  We tried to follow instructions from a guidebook to follow a bypass, but missed the turn (unmarked).  We were in heavy traffic.  We pulled over, and I ran to a gas station to get directions.  A nice guy told me we were going in the opposite direction, but gave excellent instructions on how to get back on the highway.  While I was in the gas station, a random guy stopped to practice his English on George and to tell us to make a u-turn......not a good idea in this traffic and narrow streets.

We had a short drive of 65 miles to our destination of Los Barriles, right on the coast.  It was through the mountains again, on a winding road.  We stopped at this little roadside restaurant.

Gringos don't come here!  For $4, we had 2 beers, more than we could eat quesadillas, and the best refried beans we have ever had.

We found the RV park and unhooked.  Before deciding how many nights to book here, we drove around, checking out the town and tried to find other RV parks to compare.  The town is full of gringos, as we learned it is a popular wind surfers' destination.  We did find another spot where we will stay after 5 nights here.  It is right on the beach, and as we were standing there, whales swam by and gave us a show!  Wow!

Back at our park, we strolled down to the tiki bar and had margaritas as we watched the sunset.  We started chatting with a gringo from Alaska.  After comparing notes about where we had visited there, we realized that he had been our guide when we flew on a seaplane to watch bears catching salmon.  I remember him vividly, and remember how he had talked about spending winters in Baja.    What a small world!  

DINNER:  More of the scallops.  Sautéed them in butter with garlic, basil,  and tomato paste.  Served over rice.  Yum!

December 18, 2015. The Baja Peninsula is certainly long!

CAMPGROUND:  Campestre Maranatha.  Set up for groups.  Large palapa areas and play areas for  children.  Hookups available for $22.  We dry-camped for $15. Ok bathrooms and showers.  Laundry facilities.  Quiet and safe-feeling.  Super friendly office lady/owner.  3 stars.  

LOCATION:  La Paz, Baja on eastern coast of the peninsula.

WEATHER:  Hot and sunny.  Highs 85

We left Loreto which we had thoroughly enjoyed.  We may stop back there on our way north.

We drove 215 miles. The highway first followed the Sea of Cortez south, hugging the coast, offering outstanding views.  Then the highway did a zigzag, crossing the peninsula south and west so that we were almost to the western side, the Pacific Coast.  We were skirting the Sierra Giganta, the Gigantic Mountain Range. Then the road turned southeast toward La Paz, back on the east coast side. The highway was the best we have driven so far.  

Except......topes!  Topes are either huge speed bumps like this one....

Or a series of smaller bumps.  They often are not marked and /or the yellow paint has faded so you hit them driving at about 50 miles an hour and really bounce.  They are in towns and in the highways, to get you to slow down around curves.

In Baja, the length of the driving day is dependent upon where you end up in the afternoon.  It is extremely dangerous to drive at night, due to people dangers as well as cows roaming on the highway, unseen.  Only a few cities have camping facilities, so you either have a short drive to the next available RV park, or drive pretty far, to the next one, before it starts to get dark.  

We arrived in Ciudad Constiticion at about 1:00 PM, where there is an RV Park.  We decided it was too early to stop, and there wasn't anything special to do here.  So, we drove on to La Paz.  We stopped in this RV park on the outskirts, not wanting to take the airstream into a fairly big city.  We plan to go on to the SE coast tomorrow, and spend 5-7 days there, then will return to La Paz afterwards.  Tomorrow, we will unhook to see if we can find a better RV park for the return trip.

DINNER:  Mexican beans, rice and chicken, with slices of avocado on the side. 

December 17, 2015. Fun with Canadians in Baja

CAMPGROUND:  Last night in Loreto Shores.  Someone with a reservation for our site arrives tomorrow.  It has been a great RV park.

LOCATION:  Loreto, Baja, on eastern coast of Baja Peninsula, about halfway to Cabo

WEATHER:  Beautiful. Highs in 70s

There are a lot of Canadians here.  Many have been coming here for years as "snowbirds".  Our neighbors are from British Columbia.  Cute license plate...

Most of the little houses in our RV park are rentals.  The owners (mostly Canadians) generally arrive in January, so it is quiet now.  

We have the best view in the park.  Taken from our front door.....

Our B.C. neighbors invited us out for lunch at a popular gringo bar.  We sat outside and had a nice time.

Back at the RV park, we took a walk on the beach near our park.  It is another perplexing construction area.  Long stretches of roads have been built, as if preparing for a development, but now abandoned.

We drove into town to a bar called Augie's Bar and Bait Shop (so named as they sometimes serve sushi, aka bait).  It is popular as they have  good happy hour prices and serve complimentary snacks.  Tonight 's snack was a pizza made on top of a tortilla.  The bar is right on Loreto's sea wall.

DINNER:  Since we had the tortilla pizzas, we weren't hungry.  

December 16, 2015. Neighborhoods of Loreto, Baja

CAMPGROUND:  Loreto Shores RV Park.  Have extended our stay since we like it so much

LOCATION:  Loreto on the east central coast of the Baja Peninsula, Mexico

WEATHER:  Beautiful. Highs in 70s.  Wind

George put out the awning to keep the sun out.  That is the first time I've said that in a long time!  

Later in the day, a wind storm came through suddenly and about blew away the awning!  Then, the wind magically stopped.

We walked around the neighborhood near the RV park.  Many of the yards have beautiful bougenvilia.  

This yard has a nice palm frond fence with an interesting door.

This house has an RV inside.  Owned by a gringo, he built the house around the RV.  In the enclosed area is his kitchen, dining room, and living space.  He uses the RV as a bedroom.  Great idea!

Back at the Rv park, several vendors drove by, knocking on our door to see if we wanted to buy their wares.  The first one was selling scallops.  He told me the price.  I hesitated, thinking about freezer space.  He assumed I had hesitated due to the price, and instantly lowered it.  I bought a half kilo (>1 pound) for $14.  Then, later a watermelon seller came by.  No room.  Later, another fellow drove up.  He was selling tamales, smoked fish, and fish salad.  I bought tamales for tomorrow's breakfast.  Great entrepreneurs!  

Later, we drove out to a gringo housing development.  It was very strange.  Huge houses in the middle of nowhere.  Many were half finished and abandoned.  We later found out that most are owned by Canadians who got ripped off by a shady construction company.  Now, it is under new ownership and they are building again.  It seemed like a ghost town, though.

We stopped for happy hour at another little restaurant in the historical district.  George finally got a craft beer!  We had clams for an appetizer.....local ones baked with bacon, garlic and mozzarella.  Yum!

DINNER:  I sautéed some of the scallops.  They are huge!  I made an Italian sauce with onions, garlic, and basil.  The basil was a gift from our neighbor who is growing several plants.  Served over pasta with Parmesan.  Molto bono!