Feliz Navidad 2014....with Woof Woof, Santas!

Skipper and Sparky get ready for the big day!

The "season" Mexican beach style is such a different thing.  There are a few plans, but the biggest of these is setting up the luminaries...maybe 300 bags with candles set along the curve of the beach.  The best part this year is that there are lots of children, big and small, and the bags are filled with cups of sand, totted up the beach and the teens carefully place the candles inside each bag.  About dusk, campers emerge from their RV's, tents, palapas and trailers lighting each bag, and suddenly the beach is a magic scene.

The Curve of Coyote

Up close and personal

Luminaria lighter, Chris

We eat dinner with friends next door, and then a mini lighted boat parade passes by the beach.  Three little skiffs from the Posada community have made it through the waves and go bobbing by.

After dinner, a little ukulele sing along with our new tiny magic fire pit.  We sing for a few hours!

The rest of the evening fades into quiet.  As in QUIET.  But one of the children from a campsite nearby told me lately, "You know...Santa MADE it to the beach...and stopped at our tent and made a cup of coffee and then his foot prints went right to the paddle board!  He went out on the paddle board!!"  Musta been a really quiet Santa....with good balance!

Christmas Day, just as slow and quiet.  The regular things of a dog walk, Steve stopping to build little rock figures for the "forest of the rock people"....

Just gotta build...something...

Happy dogs, happy walk

Gotta have breakfast, and today it's pancakes in the new outside room (bug tent) which turns out to protect us from the bugs (that have disappeared) and some of the wind (bonus)!

Ole Oleson joke coming up about the syrup....I'm sure of it.

Yum!

An afternoon trip into town takes us to Hotel Serenidad for dinner with Wayne and Glenna.  Oh, but look who we find along the way.  A few furry Santa's got stuck in Mulege!  There were four of them....but you can only see two here.

Gotta get those hoods up!  Baby it's cold outside! (75 degrees)

Nice dinner with Glenna and Wayne

 Now many folks have told us to "have a margarita for me"....so, we decide to get it all over with at one time and order a "grande" for each of us.  And, yes, they were grande!  Lots of turkey to follow.

Yes, that's one killer grande margarita!  

Christmas Day 2014

Surprise tree crafted by a 10 year old girl from Ontario

Evening....another Christmas fades into darkness, but oh my, extra minutes of light lead us toward 2015.  

PEACE, Good Will Toward Men, Women, all the creatures of the sea and land...and to our planet Earth.  May we care for each and every one.

Back to the Beach Life!

This year the hurricane season left quite an aftermath.  The only palapa we find unoccupied has two walls, no roof and unsteady poles.  Luis, our beach landlord promises "Mañana!"  We believe him.  No choice!  

A sad sight

We move in a few chairs and a table anyway

We have our first propane fireplace fire....in our open air palapa.

 Sure enough, a few days later, Oscar shows up with a big smile, a machete, wire bits, shovel and a hammer.  Here we go...today is palapa construction day!  The roof comes in on the back of his truck from a pile of palapa parts leftover by some luck.

We draw in the sand that our building plans include walls on all sides and a single doorway.  

He tells us, with lots of espanol and many hand and body movements that soon we will be dancing inside this lovely palapa kitchen.  OK then!

The roof makes such a difference!!

Christmas cactus lights

Now things happen at warp speed.  We move our possessions out of the storage container in town and into the palapa.  We can seriously set up camp now.  The new "bug tent" goes up, and for the first year, we park with our rig looking directly out into the bay.  Palapa on one side, bug tent on the other, and a few chairs and table right out in front.  It's like having multiple living spaces.  

Before it seems possible it's Saturday and one of the beach families has arranged for the new orphanage in Mulege to bring their 13 children to the beach for a play day.  For some of these children, it's the first time they have been to a beach.  They range in age for 2 years to early teens.  Beach boats, paddle boards and floaty toys are pulled out of everyone's rigs.  The kids jump in the water right with their clothes and big smiles!  (each child has only one change of clothes and no...no one has the luxury of a bathing suit)

They are all captains!

Prepare to be boarded!

To add to the special day, Santa arrives with a bag of stuffed toys, one for each child.  Then there is a hot dog and chip and apple juice buffet and of course, a piñata!  On top of "what could be more??"...our camping motorcyclists (going around the world in 5 years) have offered rides!  Talk about SMILES!

Santa Roy

Two cold swimmers

Hot dogs all around

This little guy pops up from under the table and tried to sneak the chip bag!!  Busted!

Biker from Holland gives big rides

Mike from Bogeta, Columbia and his new best buddy!

The kids leave and their magic smiles have transferred to all of us left on the beach.  What a gift in giving!

Start 'em young!

One last photo of this cool mini kayak that a kayaking dad made for his son....I guess instead of a cradle!?  Soooo cute.

Hola! On into Baja

We cross the border at 1300 hours on Saturday, December 13, 2014.  The new crossing at Tijuana is very efficient, with an easy place to pull over, walk into Immigaration and get the tourist permit, pay for the permit, get the permit stamped and all done at one counter.  The permit this year, for 180 days, cost $25.00 USD.  (or 306 pesos)

After going through the corridor gate we are pulled over for the full inspection, including a sniffer german shepard dog, inside the rig and outside and the Jeep as well.  We pass.

We are on our way to our first stop, Ensenada, by 1340 hours.  We know there is a detour when reaching the last third of the toll road.  (it fell away into the sea last December several days after we crossed it)  The last part of the road, back on the old Mex #1 free road takes an extra 40 minutes.

Yes, we immediately know we are in Baja!  And, reminded....time to start practicing that espanol!
What happened to the resolution to learn it over the summer?  Dang!  I forgot!  Again.

We make three stops on the way down this year.  The first is Estero Beach Hotel / RV just south of Ensenada.  It's a lovely lovely place and we enjoy our first sunset south of the border here.  We pull in, pay $10 USD less than last year?....and find a spot among one other traveler and two more permanentes.

Space # 1 

Spectacular sunset....across the estuary

We leave at 08:15 in the morning after a restful night's sleep.  The roads today take us through the farm towns to San Quintin and beyond up to Catavina.

Farm towns....lots of them....merging into each other...endlessly...

The only thing to say about Mex #1 as a highway...is that the lane is narrow, but the shoulders are more narrow....ranging from WOW, great shoulder, to two tire width shoulder, to one tire width shoulder, to NO tire width....like that.  Variety, yes.

Shoulder!  Approaching inspection check point

One tire width shoulder.....

Two tire width

No tire width

So, yes, variety.  None of these photos include the parts of the road where the asphalt has actually fallen away and you must swerve to the center to avoid "no road."  At all.  There are not many of these.

All in all, we find the road this year to be in better shape than ever before.  There are no detours.  No missing bridges.  Not too many pot holes or really really rough patches.

Our second night brings us to Catavina, Santa Ines campground.  There are four campers tonight, and Ralph makes his rounds on his motor bike.  No dog Lucky this year.  Lucky passed on to the campground up high in October, after 17 years on the earthly campgrounds.  Such a good dog.

We leave the high country of Catavina, after a very starry night, full of desert smells...and head for San Ignacio.

Welcome to Baja Sur....the flag and the eagle sculpture greet you!

The only check point at the Baja Sur line, right before Guerro Negro,  is the agriculture inspection.  "Any frutas for vegetables?" they ask....I'm busy figuring out what is my "give it up" item or two...hum,  no, hide the sweet potatoes, and...oh, not the bananas....or the avocado...(freeze it)...or...oh no!... how many mini peppers do I have anyway???  By this time Steve has said, "oh, no poco espanol...???....limons???" ...and the guy gives up and waves us to the "spray" for 10 pesos per vehicle and "Señor, close your windows!!!"  Ok, it's all good.  I keep everything.  Later I realize just how much of everything it is!  Muchas!


We arrive at Rice and Beans RV site at about 15:40 hours.  It's bright and sunny, and soon John and Stephanie from Posada pull in too!  BTW, the turn off is now right up on the highway above the RV sites.  It's a wide and easy turn down into Rice and Beans.  Take it!

Our favorite spot at Rice and Beans....right in front of the "pool"...

Rice and Beans margarita!!  One of the best in the Baja!

Within these three days of driving we share Mex #1 with.....12 bicyclers peddling, four horses running wild, five burros bucking, and a few big cows a munching.  There are many trucks and cars, but only a few camper vehicles, and no motorhomes!

Running away from the pavement!  Thankgoodness!~

On Tuesday morning we are off for the beach!  It's an easy two hours up and over the "hill from hell"...mostly down going south.

Big guy heading up as we head down....

Mulege River-----after the big burn last summer

We find ourselves in Mulege by 11:30, stop to diesel up, and get some water from the tienda...time to head for the beach.  It is cloudy today, and as we round the bend to, Santispac, the first beach...the usual awesome bright blue color of the water....just isn't there.  It's still beautiful.

Beach arrival is about 12:30 and now....the search for the winter settle-in spot.

Arte we there yet????

Yes, Sparky....we are.

All Along the Southbound Odyssey....Baja Bound 2014

 The day after Thanksgiving....we find our wheels rolling in a southbound direction...right out of Froglanding and toward the ferry landing.  We make the 4:00 p.m. ferry by almost just driving on...no wait!  Somehow the effort to get organized and load up, ready to go, is paramont this year.  No excuses....it just is.

The trip south is just ahead of the latest storm system and we just keep rolling....rest area to rest area, fuel up to fuel up....until....we find ourselves safely in South Carlsbad State Beach Park...three days later.  Yes, a few big traffic jam ups on our way south....not exactly like driving on San Juan Island!  At all.

Almost to Harris Ranch.....ALMOST.....

L.A. between 11:00 a.m. and noon.....ugh.

Arrival....with a dead battery?

Our first walk to the end of the park....beautiful evening....and...a green flash!

Uke night with Pete and Nancy at Ukulele Society of America meet up.

What to do in San Diego you say?  We have our ideas!  First, play ukulele with two different groups in the San Diego / Carlsbad area.  Camping near Pete and Nancy (whale watch buddies from FH) we all spend Thursday night at The Stag and Lion with the USA Group (Ukulele Society of America) strumming away the evening.

Then, time to visit with Sarah and have dinner out at the D Street Grill....after a little uke playing!

Dinner out at D Street Grill with whale watch buddies Sarah and  Nancy

Steve soaks up the sunshine and warm temperatures....before torrential rains hit!

Yep, time to use the "Do It Yourself Dog Wash" at Petco!  

More soaking up the sunshine....out for breakfast.

Lesson time!  Craig Chee and Sarah Maisel uke workshop!

I know, how about a trip out with Captain Dave's Dolphin / Whale Safari from Dana Point?  What else do naturalists from whale watching boats do "on vacation"?  

Sunday on the water on a catamaran off of Dana Point

Grey whale flukes!

Pretty distinctive fluke markings!  We will call her "Spot"!  ....or "Scratch"?

Sea lion pups.....looking like puppies!

Harbor guards....end of the breakwater at Dana Point

This trip we find pacific whitesided dolphins, Californai sea lions, a grey whale headed south and our breakwater sentenials: grey pelicans standing guard.  This 2 and 1/2 hour trip seemed really short compared to our four hour trips in the San Juans!  

So, basically, it was 12 days of organizing to cross the border, getting Mexican Insurance, obtaining a tiny rosemary Christmas tree in a tiny red pot, a few LED lights, other last minute items and a little shopping for requests from people already on the beach....wash the dogs...mail more last minute things, and play ukulele!

Like any good time...there is always an end to the beginning....and the beginning of yet another adventure.  Crossing the border day is suddenly upon us...and on Saturday, December 13th we head out for the Tijuana crossing.