January 2012 USA and Baja Mexico

Photos are Lord of Wind Showdown between windsurfers and kitesurfers and birds on whale watching trip out of Guerrero Negro (bouncy boat ride).

Current plan is to rig and dog sit 2-9 February and then start heading north to Loreto where my friend Marcia is staying and then on to Punta Chivato to visit more friends.

31 January 2012 Tuesday (Los Barriles Mexico)
The last day of January....where did the month go???? I did go out last evening looking for the flare but did not see it! Another clear morning with beautiful sunrise and a very calm day so caught up on cooking veggies and shrimp/prawns that I bought from the fisher guy that drives through the campground (190 pesos per kg, and scallops are 140/kg and fish is 100/kg).

Per the Baja Pony Express website......Monday 30 January 2012
Baja Sky Monday Night: There will be a bright Iridium flare in the NE over Cerralvo Island at 7:32:56pm this evening. Look for it about halfway from the horizon to the zenith. The bright planet over the western horizon in the early evening is Venus. The waxing moon, close to the planet Jupiter tonight, reaches 1st quarter (half illuminated and the best time for viewing with binoculars or telescope) at 9:10pm. Tonight's flare over the middle of Cerralvo will be repeated Tuesday evening at 7:26:49pm. (In Los Barriles there will be a bright flare Monday evening at 7:05:29pm low in the SE sky.) Tom S.

30 January 2012 Monday (Los Barriles Mexico)
Great to watch the stars early this morning.....several falling/shooting ones. Morning walk up the mountain with Fern and then a visit to her house, which is just gorgeous......and she gave me fresh greens from her garden.....and then found fresh asparagus this afternoon at the veggie market in town......so healthy here!

29 January 2012 Sunday (Los Barriles Mexico)
A bit of a lazy day since the wind is really blowing....plan to join Sally and Eric (from the caravan) for dinner since they are leaving tomorrow for Cabo....where several of our group have gone to be near the action! My neighbor Jack caught some fresh rockfish yesterday so cooked it for lunch and it was delicious!

28 January 2012 Saturday (Los Barriles Mexico)
Up early to wash my clothes....got the quarters from Ulysses, our park manager, and clothes pegs at the supermercado......the washers here only take quarters ($2 for wash) and dry is on the line in the sun! Another gorgeous sunrise and maybe another calm day with less wind. Each day just goes by so quickly with the chores of washing the fruit and veggies properly and filtering the water (I have a Katadyn ceramic filter) and cleaning the dust and sand from the van and visiting with all the neighbors to catch up on the latest and either walking the mile to town or the three miles up the hill and back.
Met Robin today....she used to be my barrista in Juneau!!! She and her boyfriend just bought a house here and it is very lovely.....prices are high but appears that if you offer half, they may take it!

27 January 2012 Friday (Los Barriles Mexico)
Walked to town (about one mile each way) for coffee and donuts with the mayor of the town at the local city park and visited with folks from our caravan at the RV park next door. A gorgeous sunny day with no wind so sat on the beach this afternoon to watch the pelicans.

26 January 2012 Thursday (Los Barriles Mexico)
Morning walk up the mountain/hill then sussed out the auto accident that occurred the night before.....some guy from CA was driving to fast in his Jeep Hemi and hit a rock and flipped.....folks say that he walked away from the car so he is very lucky! Visited the Baja Ha Ha pre golf tournie practice round on the arroyo near the campground hosted by some Alaskans from Kenai.....the tournie is in March and this is on dirt and sand.....not green grass! Dinner of fresh bonitia caught by Phil who is Alaskan that works the AK ferry in summer to the Aleutians....he bought property here a few years back and is slowly building his home while he lives in his Airstream (1967 vintage.....wonderful old motorhome).

25 January 2012 Wednesday (Los Barriles)
Internet down for a few days..appeared to be area wide.
Rode with Jack (another man from our caravan and recent widower) to San Jose del Cabo to visit my friend Jan at her Grande Mayan timeshare while Jack drove onto Cabo to book a hotel for his daughter's visit next week. He asked me to housesit his big rig and very well behaved dog Murphy while he is in Cabo next week so looks like I may just stay in this area a bit longer....and have access to much larger living accommodation with television! We also shopped for groceries at the Mega store.

24 January 2012 Tuesday (Los Barriles)
Tuesday is when the man comes to visit in his truck with fresh fish (Saturday is fresh veggies and another day is bottled water delivery!). Visited Tanya from Breckinridge Colorado at the local newly opened health food store (Blue Wave) but found that she preferred dollars and gave not a good exchange rate if you paid in pesos. Fresh grouper and sea bass for dinner.

23 January 2012 Monday (Los Barriles)
Morning walk up the hill behind the campground (although the locals call it a mountain!) with Julie and Fern. They live here all winter (like many others who are mostly Canadians)....quite a community of folks that have been returning to this campsite over the past several years. The views from the top were stupendous. The sun is back so spent some time on the beach but then the wind picked up again and blew too much sand so back to camp for lunch. It is usually calm in the morning and afternoon with the wind blowing midday for all the windsurfers and kitesurfers to enjoy.

22 January 2012 Sunday (Los Barriles)
Calm morning with sightings of the whales close to shore.
A downtime day since the past two days have been quite busy on the road....I washed my van early this morning before the wind picked up and it now sparkles again! The winds have been calm for the past few days but very overcast.....I am hoping for sun today to work on my tan again....but it remains a bit overcast. I walked to the local minimart and returned with my neighbor and her dog on their quad....what fun!
The exchange rate is 13+ pesos on the dollar but some things still seem high for Mexico (since I am in the more tourist area).

21 January 2012 Saturday (Los Barriles)
Went with Chester and Linda (both retired IBMers) for road trip to Cabo San Lucas.....and Costco (where I found fresh blueberries)! This area has sure grown since I last visited 35 years ago....had considered camping there but may be too busy for me! Dinner of fresh yellow tail tuna at Smokey's.

20 January 2012 Friday (Los Barriles)
Beautiful moonrise before the beautiful sunrise on the sea.....listening to the slapping of the whales and/or rays on the water as I do internet on shore! Joined several other local residents for breakfast at Martin Verdugos in town. Then ran into Chester and Linda on their way to La Trinidad, about 20 miles south, so joined them in their car to meet up with Kurt and Margaret at this very remote RV park.

19 January 2012 Thursday (Los Barriles)
Met more of the local folks here....mostly Canadians.....walked the beach north where there is free camping.....most of the folks have set up a permanent residence with their RV sheltering them from the wind. Saw a tarantula hawk today.....a big bug that kills tarantulas!

18 January 2012 Wednesday (Los Barriles)
Walk to town (about a mile) for visit to Roadrunner cafe for espresso coffee (Cabo coffee) and fresh scone.....the wind is really blowing today for the kite surfers!

17 January 2012 Tuesday (Los Barriles)
Another gorgeous sunrise.....and time to get some chores done but no rushing into it......washed clothes....and the dryer is hanging them on the line, which I love! More kite surfers on the beach where I hung out to get a tan. I am staying at Playa Norte RV park which is one of the few RV parks right on the beach north of town. The ones in town may have more amenities but they have smaller sights and no view. The workers were clearing brush near me and I got a great photo of a snake crawling out...and then he went back in....to stay, I hope!

16 January 2012 Monday (Los Barriles)
Gorgeous sunrise on the water this morning.....nice to not be driving.....walked to town of Los Barriles today and visited the supermercado. There is a big windsurfing championship (Lord of the Wind Showdown) here with no wind early this morning and then the wind did blow for the race!

15 January 2012 Sunday (Ciudad Constitution to Los Barriles)
Last day of driving but a long one.....longest one of the nine days on the road(about180 miles....but very slow and winding road)! Now camped on the beach at Playa Norte in Los Barriles.

14 January 2012 Saturday (Mulege to Ciudad Constitution)
Beautiful drive along the Sea of Cortez to Loreto then over the Sierra La Giganta mountains to Ciudad Constitution. Overnight at Palapa 206 campground with power and limited internet!

12-13 January 2012 Thursday (Guerrero Negro to Mulege)
Two nights dry camping on the beach of Bahia de Concepcion/Sea of Cortez on the east side so no internet again.....Playa Santispac.....

11 January 2012 Wednesday (Guerrero Negro)
Three hours on the water in morning in small open boat (for 12 people) and saw heaps of gray whales and porpoise and sea lions and all kinds of birds.....afternoon walk to local mercado to stock up. We could not bring fresh veggies/fruit in to Baja South, where we also changed timezone to mountain time. Clouds are moving in and rain is predicted for the west coast.....but we are heading east so hope that there is sunshine!

10 January 2012 Tuesday (Catavina to Guerrero Negro)
Early morning problems with Ford Pleasure Way...appears to be transmission so he brought up the rear in low gear. Gorgeous drive! Back to camping in the 'big' city RV park in Guerrero Negro.....drove out with folks in their tow car for sunset on the estuary....heaps of birds....tomorrow we go whale watching so a day of no driving.

9 January 2012 Monday (El Pabellon Beach to Catavina)
Early morning problem with one of the CB radios so found a replacement....this communication via CB is critical and actually has been heaps of fun as we chat going down the road....primarily the wagon master up front telling us what is coming or the rear guy telling us what is going to pass us! Overnight under stars with full moon at Rancho Santa Ynez....evening bunkhouse Mexican meal for $5! No internet here.

8 January 2012 Sunday (Estero Beach near Ensenada to El Pabellon Beach)
A late start because one of rigs forgot to get gas.....heaps of strawberries along this bit....evening camp right on the beach with campfire and tamales and margaritas (for some)....no internet.

7 January 2012 Saturday (USA to Baja Mexico)
Woke up at KOA to no power! 8:30 departure (supposed to be 8am) for thirty mile drive to Tecate to cross the border. Beautiful drive through the wine country then a stop for wine tasting and tour (could have done without this stop) before our overnight at Estero Beach near Ensenada (a resort with hookups on the beach). Some internet.....

5 January 2012 Thursday (San Diego CA)
Early morning meeting to meet the folks on our caravan......and found that we are 18 rigs and 33 folks plus the wagon masters.....way too many for me but only for the next nine days.....guess that another trip was cancelled due to death of the owner of the company.......and then we all went to Mexico border crossing at Otay to do the paperwork before our real crossing at Tecate on Saturday.

4 January 2012 Wednesday (San Diego CA)
The start of the Baja trip with Baja Winters begins at the KOA (not my favorite place though) but met my friend Marcia from Juneau and we are in the back corner of the park so that her dog Chet can be near the doggy park.

3 January 2012 Tuesday (San Diego CA)
Drove to Trader Joe's to stock up and when I returned to my van, I found a green puddle under the engine......so spent most of day getting new radiator installed.....overnighted at Santee Lakes where I enjoyed heaps of birds!

1 January 2012 Sunday (San Diego CA)
Happy New Year to all......camping at Lake Jennings about 20 miles east of San Diego.....heard a few partyers at midnight but otherwise quite peaceful here on the lake with views of el capitan mountain.