While the above picture is meant for an RV park, it also seems to apply to the internet speed. We were finally able to upload the pictures to the blog today!
After we left El Triunfo, we spent a wonderfully cool night (relatively speaking) in the mountains at Rancho Verde.
Next day we were back on the Sea of Cortez at Los Barilles, which is Spanish for The Barrels. It began as a fishing village and was given the name, Los Barilles, when ships from all countries stopped here to fill their barrels with fresh spring water. We stayed at a recently reopened campground called Baja Sunrise, right on the sea. There we met the owner’s son, Jorge (pronounced Hoar-Hay).
As you can see from Jorge’s Dragon’s Den stance, he will be an entrepreneur. Move over Jim Treliving! Jorge was quick to arrive with all of the relevant information on little typed sheets. Next he arrived at each person’s rig to take orders / instructions for rig and truck washing. Sonya was so impressed with his English, she told him he sounded Canadian and presented him with our 3’ Canadian flag. His eyes lit up as he said, “I collect things from around the world". Sonya nicknamed him Jorge Hilton, and told him that one day she expected he would be building fine hotels all over Baja!
While we were there, the Canadian Grey Cup was on. As we had power, we also had satellite television! So, our travel colleague Chuck and I jury rigged our bedroom tv to hang outside in the garage section of our rig so that everyone could gather round to watch the game. While not optimal perhaps, it did the trick!
That evening our group enjoyed the game and, more importantly, the ambiance of getting together to watch the game. Our wagon masters, Dan and Lisa, hosted with libations and snacks for all, which the group appreciated very much!! Sonya made vegan "pulled pork” and vegan nacho "cheese sauce”, which everyone chowed down on with apparent delight, as there was little left at the end of the evening.
Next, we were off to Pescadero, with stops at the Tropic of Cancer, a propane refill, Walmart (of course) and the blanket factory, before heading to Los Cerritos Surf Colony RV Park. We are now back on the Pacific Ocean, and this area is considered a world class surfing area.
Here we are standing on the Tropic of Cancer, at 23.43709 degrees North Latitude, or there about (more below).
The Tropic of Cancer is where the sun reaches its most northerly latitude on the northern hemisphere summer solstice. This line is actually moving about 15 meters south every year, due to the Earth’s rotational axis not being exactly fixed, but having small fluctuations called precession, or polar motion, a bit like a spinning top. This impacts the tropics, the polar circles and the equator. It does eventually come back, but the full cycle is about 26,000 years, so don’t hold your breath!
After being on the road for 21 days, it was time to get a propane refill. Lisa calls out that we are making a propane stop, and we promptly turned on to a gravel road and bumped along for several hundred meters, before coming upon a large Caligas propane refuelling station. You would have thought they might have had a sign on the highway and a paved road.
Who knew such a place would be in the middle of the desert! Our propane agent was very congenial to one and all, despite not being able to speak much English.
Our next stop was at the blanket factory, where our leaders suggested that if you are going to buy anything, to buy it here, because it would be much less costly than anywhere else.
Here I made a tactical error. After a quick tour of the place I told Sonya that I was heading back to the truck to do my daily Qigong practice. As Sonya did not have any pesos left in her wallet, I left her my wallet! Big mistake! The good news was that she decided not to buy the MN$18,000 (mexican pesos) wall hanging. Whew - even at MN$20 = US$1 that was a close call! However, she did buy one for MN$2,500 and a couple of other items. That will be the last time I do Qigong while she is shopping with MY wallet!
Finally we arrived at Los Cerritos Surf Colony RV Park. As Dan says, “This is really just a parking lot thinly disguised as a campground without any services (dry camping)”. However, Dan circles the wagons in true wagon master style, and manages to create a lovely ambiance where neighbours come together at Happy Hour to chat.
Being about half way through our trip, Dave, the master mechanic of our group, asks everyone to see if they would like him to check their air filters after some of the tough construction we have been through. He does this for all, including me. This shot will give you a sense of what we have been through. Just a bit dirty!!!
Fortunately, I had brought a spare with me, so in it went!
Next we were off to Todos Santos (which means "All Saints"), a quaint artist community. In this town is the Hotel California! Not the same one made famous by the Eagles song (although it is across the street from a bar and restaurant call Tequila’s Sunrise). It is a beautiful place built in 1947 by a Chinese immigrant named Mr. Wong. In the 1950s, Mr. Wong brought ice from La Paz to Todos Santos for the first time ever, and the hotel served the only cold beer in town! The hotel had been neglected, and in 2001, a Canadian couple named Debbie and John Stewart purchased the hotel and did a complete renovation. It is now a boutique hotel considered a jewel in the middle of the desert.
Sonya brought balloons decorated with Maple Leafs and spent the day handing them out to the little kids in town. It was fun watching their eyes light up as we blew up the balloons and presented them to each child. Kids are the same all over the world! Here are a few candid shots of the children.
While I was working on this blog entry, Sonya was wandering around the Los Cerritos Surf Colony looking for nice shots. While out walking on the beach, she ran into the surfing instructor, shown below on the left. Sonya insisted that I post this eye-candy for the ladies, and I do so under protest.
His name is Tona, and he has taught a lot of people to surf over the last ten years. He told Sonya that the oldest person that he had taught to surf was 74, so "it's OK for you to try if you want to as well." No doubt she was tempted, but cooler heads prevailed!
The gent on the right is Philip from Australia. Philip and his girlfriend are travelling by campervan and are headed all the way to Panama. Philip, a surfing enthusiast, arrived at Cerritos Surf Colony planning to stay one day and was still there a week later. Must be some pretty good waves! For those not in the know there hand gesture means - "Hang Loose"
Now we start our trek back north, heading to La Paz, Spanish for The Peace.
Hasta la próxima vez,
Paul & Sonya