Kayaks, Sea Lions, Dolphins (11/7/2011)

I was awake at 5:00 AM.  The waxing moon had set and the darkness of the night sky finally allowed the stars to sine though with brilliance. The sun rose at 6:30, so I had a good hour of quiet, in this dark, surreal place.  The temperature had dropped during the night and the wind had picked up a bit, so I layered on some clothes and a jacket to stay warm.   During the day I came to appreciate two articles of clothing: my Marmot rain jacket for its ability to break the wind and keep me dry from sea spray and splashing waves in the boat, and my Mountain Hardware hat for keeping me dry and protected from the sun.

Next time I need to remember to bring a travel mug for coffee.  I had to gulp down my coffee before the call for "Fishing!" went out each morning.  Becky was smart - she brought her mug along!  Four of us went fishing today: me, Becky, Russell, and Mo (Becky and I went every morning that fishing was available).  I got a small hit on my lure, but nothing else.

We were back at camp a few minutes before a breakfast of scrambled eggs, beans, tortillas, juice, and of course more coffee.  After that we packed up camp, loaded gear on the boats, and headed out along the eastern coast of Espiritu Santo Island.

On this side of the island the sheer, rugged cliffs rise abruptly out of the sea to hundreds or a thousand feet.  There are a couple of small beaches, but most of the coast is rocky cliffs.  The rock walls are stunningly beautiful with their horizontal bands of reds, greens, and shades of brown - a geologist's dream!  Waves striking the rock walls send geysers skyward towards the nesting sea birds whose presence leaves whitish streaks of guano pointing back to the sea.  The air was still cool and the wind was blowing, so the ride was cold enough for us to don our rain gear for warmth.  The trip to the sea lion rookery at Los Islotes took about 1:20 and we were a bit chilled when we arrived.  Fortunately the day had warmed considerably, and within just a few minutes we were all warmed up again.

Our first stop was the sea lion rookery at Los Islotes.  As we dropped anchor the sea lions were visible sunning themselves on the rocks about 40 years away.  The water looked a little choppy at first but turned out to be quite calm once we jumped in.  The water was warm, clear and full of schooling tropical fish.  As soon as we entered the water a large adult sea lion swam over to check us out.  It kept its distance watching us as we snorkeled around the boat.  Apparently we passed inspection and were deemed not a threat because a few minutes later the parents gave the kids permission to come and play!  Soon there were four of five young sea lions darting around us.  They loved to speed straight for our faces like a game of chicken, then swerve away at the last second, missing us by inches.  They liked it if you dove down deep because they'd often swim along side you in graceful arcs and curves.

After Mom warmed up she joined me in the water and we swam up close to the rocks to watch the smallest juvenile sea lions playing with the adults.  As we swam back to deeper water a larger pup followed us to repeat the game of chicken for several more minutes.  It was a magical experience!

Next Chuy's skiff took us to San Francisco Island.  It was a long, cold ride and we were glad to arrive and climb out on the warm sand to bake under the hot sun.  After a lunch of smoked tuna, cheese, salad and drinks, we kayaked for about 2 hours south along the coast of the island.
The weather forecast indicated a high pressure front was about to pass through the area, so our guides decided we should head on to San Jose Island and camp there for the night.  That was another 1:20 north, so loaded the boat and headed out.  Along the way I was watching for signs of whales, and far off to the left I spotted what I thought was water spray from a whale's blow hole.  I pointed it out to Chuy and he immediately changed course to investigte.  It was not a whale, but  small pod of bottle nosed dolphins who looked just as happy to see us as we were to see them!  As we approached they began jumping high into the air on all sides of the boat.  We had a wonderful time for a few minutes watching them surf our wake, race under our bow, and jump repeatedly into the air (photo of dolphins jumping was by Russell - thanks!).

We arrived at San Jose Island about 30 minutes before sunset and were surprised (and happy) to see the crew had already set up all our tents!  All we needed to do was pick a spot, carry our tent to it, and secure the sand stakes, a process that took only about 10 minutes.  After that I took my first seawater bath and changed into warmer clothes for the cool evening hours.  Then it was time for happy hour with a huge bowl of fresh guacamole (these guys were GREAT cooks!) and a pot of pina coladas.

A young white dog joined our group and became known as "Pero Blanco".  He belonged to one of the local fishermen who was part of a group camped a few hundred yards up the beach.  He was skittish as first, but after a few handouts and a bowl of water he warmed up to us.

Carlos treated us to ghost stories about events that took place along the baja coast line, including one about a crazy ring-tailed cat near Puerto Gato, where we'll go next.

At least that's "plan A."

La Paz to Espiritu Santo Island (11/6/2011)

Mom and I met our fellow island hoppers for breakfast around 8:00 at the Posada Luna Sol Hotel where we were all staying.  In all there are 16 of us.

Roman and Carlos, our guides, set up breakfast and briefed us on the day's events.  We did introductions and talked about our individual goals for the trip.  As I looked around the room I wondered which of these new faces would become new friends.

Afterwards we packed our gear in two bags each; one day bag containing snorkel gear, towels, water bottle and everything else we'd need for the day, and the other containing gear that would be transported to the campsite.  This routine would be repeated each day we changed camp sites during the trip.  Mom and I felt we had over packed until we saw some of the gear others were bringing along!  Now we didn't feel so bad.

After picking up a few rental gear items (mom and I rented sleeping pads) and a fishing license, we all loaded our second bags into one of the smaller boats (on a trailer in the courtyard of the hotel), then paraded the two block to the marina led by Carlos.  There we boarded the larger skiff.


The trip to Espiritu Santo Island (ES) took about 1:20. The weather was warm and comfortable with a cool ocean breeze.  Our boat captain Chuy (short for Jesus) sang all the way there.

(below: Chuy - photo by Linda)

I got to know Chuy well during the trip and came to learn he loves driving the boat.  He grew up in a family of local fishermen and he knows the waters of the Sea of Cortez like you or I know our neighborhood streets. He reads the winds, weather and currents with an expert eye, and it was his job to keep us all safe and as comfortable as possible.   There was only one day that Chuy didn't sing; the day he navigated us safely through 8' - 10' seas about 25 miles from San Jose Island to Puerto Gato, but that story will come later!

Upon arrive at ES we unloaded gear and received a lesson from Carlos and Roman on how to set up our tents and secure them with sand stakes.   It wasn't difficult and mom and I had our tent set up on no time.  Then we had some time to relax before a lunch of ham and cheese sandwiches, salad, and fruit.

Carlos also briefed us on our beer rations: one beer per person per day - honor system.  We were allowed to share or forego our ration on any given day, and roll over rations from one day to the next.  The only "catch" was on the 3rd day your ration reset to 1 beer.  Of course the beers were in 750 ml bottles, so 1 beer was really the equivalent of two beers per person. Also, not everyone drank beer which meant more beer for those that did.  Thus, there was always more beer than we could drink.  In addition, each evening they made a big pot of margaritas or pina coladas for happy hour which substantially reduced the beer consumption! For people who choose not to drink beer or margaritas there was always a cooler stocked full of sodas, club soda, and bottled water.  There was also juice with every breakfast, and large coolers of purified water on the boats and at the camp site.  On about the 4th day Carlos told us we were behind our beer quota and rationing was therefore relaxed.

After lunch Ramon gave a kayaking lesson for beginners (there were several of us on the trip).  He covered things like how to get in and out of the kayak, how to get escape if your kayak capsizes, how to paddle, and how to do a deep water rescue.  After that we went out for our first trip via kayak in the Sea of Cortez.  It was incredibly beautiful and tons of fun!  I made a mental note to work on my paddling technique because my arms eventually got tired and that is not supposed to happen with proper technique (according to Roman).


We were back at camp in time for a wonderful evening swim before a dinner of tamales they had brought from La Paz.  They were the best tamales I have ever had!  They were served with a fresh garden salad, refried beans, and a giant pot of margaritas.

As the sun set and the 3/4 waxing moon rose, the night surrounded the camp site.  Most people headed off to their tents. A few of us hung out by the kitchen tent.  Katie (from Alaska) played guitar and sang until she was relived by Roman.

It was a great first night camping in baja!

Travel to La Paz (11/5/2011)

It was another glorious morning at Ken and Ruann's! Ken made us buckwheat pancakes for breakfast, then we relaxed and finished packing.  Mom and I decided to lighten our loads and leave some gear and clothes there for the return home.

Around 11:00 they drove us into town to the bus station.  Mom had purchased our tickets the day before.  It turns out there are two buses from San Jose del Cabo to La Paz; the express bus or the local bus.

(Photo to left: Mom and I wait for our bus to La Paz)


The lady at the station had recommended to Mom that we not waste money on the express bus because there was lots of construction on the main highway to the north.  This meant the express bus would take as long to get to La Paz as the local one.  That was great advice because later we learned from Russell, Windy and Ryan their ride took over 4 hours on the express, while our trip took only 3:15!


After almost getting on the wrong bus (the porter's error, not our's!), we were on our way to La Paz.  The route was mostly inland but intersected the coast at a few places.  One such town, Buena Vista looked worthy of a future visit.  There were paved sidewalks, many boats in the harbor, nice neighborhoods, and signs of an established group of surfers.

We arrived in La Paz and caught a taxi to the Posada Luna Sol hotel (using the free ride voucher provided by our tour company).  The hotel is quaint, clean, and comfortable.  It's located about 2 blocks from the waterfront and "Malecon" or broadwalk.

After a walk along the Malecon we decided to stop and have a cold drink.

(Photo to left: Malecon, La Paz)

At La Costa restaurant we met Pam and Tony, a couple from Calgary, Canada who had just completed the Loreto to La Paz version of the trip we were about to take.  They told us of their wonderful experience, wetting our apetite for adventure!

As the sun set we began to notice mosquitos buzzing around the open air dining room.  We decided to head back to the hotel for some insect repellent.  This would be the ONLY TIME during the entire trip that we needed insect repellent of any kind.

We went back to La Costa for a great dinner of ceviche and pan fried red snapper.  Later we met a few of our fellow travelers at the hotel; Dennis, Helen, Linda, Becky, and Mo.  It was Helen's birthday and we all had cake before bed.

Map of Our Island Hopping Route

Linda, one of our new friends on the tour, has done the Island Hopping tour multiple times.  She says every time it is different because of so many variables and options. Things like group preferences and abilities, weather, ocean currents, local events, hunting seasons, etc impact the guides' selection of routes, stopping points, and activities along the way. Having watched these discussions in action I can attest to this!  In fact, it would be almost impossible to exactly duplicate any one trip.

Below is a map and overview of how our trip went.  This map may be a useful reference when reading the details in future posts.

• Start 11/6 - La Paz
• Camp Site 1st night - Espiritu Santo Island
• Day of 11/7 - fishing, skiff along north side of Espiritu Island to Los Islotes for snorkeling w/ sea lions, kayaking at San Francisco Island
• Camp Site 2nd night - San Jose Island
• Day of 11/8 - fishing, hiking on San Jose Island, snorkeling
• Camp Site 3rd night - San Jose Island
• Day of 11/9 - fishing, exciting skiff ride to Puerto Gato (wind & waves)
• Camp Site 4th night - Puerto Gato
• Day of 11/10 - hiking the mountains and cliffs near Puerto Gato
• Camp Site 5th night - Puerto Gato (full moon)
• Day of 11/11 - fishing, snorkeling on Monserrat Island, kayaking on Isla Carmen
• Camp Site 6th night - Isla Carmen
• Day of 11/12 - fishing, skiff across the bay, bus to Loreto, farewell dinner in Loreto

A Day in Cabo and San Jose (11/4/2011)

Awake with the rising sun to the sounds of birds and the waves on the beach below and a cool ocean breeze – what a beautiful way to live!  Over the next 11 days I’ll get accustomed to waking like this.  I never tired of it, but today it’s extraordinary; a wonderful reminder that I’m on vacation in a special place far, far from my normal routine.

After coffee and cereal I headed down the coast to Cabo San Lucas in Ken’s borrowed truck for a morning of SCUBA diving.  The dive charter was Sunshine Dive Center.  Ken’s directions were great and I located the shop without any trouble.

The cliffs and beaches of Cabo San Lucas are stunningly beautiful!  The dive sites are just a 5 minute boat ride from the marina.  First we dove at Land’s End (by the famous stone arch).  At Land’s End you’re in the Pacific Ocean when on the west side of a small rock island, and the Sea of Cortez when on the east side.  There were large numbers of schooling fish, some big green moray eels (guarding their live lobster “pet” in a cave).  The second dive was by Pelican Rock where there’s an interesting underwater sand flow – a constantly moving river of sand that flows down the sloping sea floor and over a cliff into the dark depths 800 feet below.  It’s like an underwater “waterfall” of sand.

I was back at Ken and Ru’s by about 1:30.  Everyone was napping so I decided that was the order of business and took one for myself.  In the afternoon Ken and I relaxed at home while Mom and Ru when into town for some shopping.  That evening Ken made us some yummy pizza in his stone pizza oven under the Palapa.

Travel to San Jose del Cabo (11/3/2011)

Awake at 4:30 AM and out of the house in Jackson by 4:50 for a 6:00 flight to Houston where I’ll meet Mom.  Denise wanted to drive me to the airport but she can’t because she’s flying later this morning and has to be at the airport herself in a couple of hours.  Mom has a similar early departure from VA, but she has 2 flights (via Chicago) to get to Houston.

It’s actually COLD in Houston when we land.  That’s something I wasn’t expecting and had not dressed for. I had booked the early flight to Houston because I wanted to reduce the chance of a missed connection to Cabo.  As a result I have a 4 hour layover.  Mom has less than an hour between flights, so we meet at the departing gate just before boarding.  We tried to get seats together but the flight is overbooked.  They are offering $500 for people willing to give up their seats, but the next flight isn’t until tomorrow.  No matter – they still get several takers for the deal.

The flight was uneventful and we arrive in Cabo a few minutes early.  A long, slow moving line through Immigration and Customs quickly consumes those few minutes we had gained.  It takes us more than an hour to get through.  Ruann is waiting for us on the other side and we load everything in our truck and are on our way…or at least we think so.  Much to our surprise the lady at the airport parking lot won’t take US dollars to let us out and none of us have had time to get any pesos (Ru and Ken also just arrived a day or two before).  We argue and plead – finally the attendant relents and allows us to pass for a combination of $2 and about 20 pesos.  With the exchange rate she made a profit.  Lesson learned – save a few pesos or get a few at the airport (something I usually do, but forgot this time).

The airport is in San Jose del Cabo, about 35 minutes north of the southernmost Cabo San Lucas.  San Jose is a large, bustling city with lots of traffic, honking horns, and people.  The climate is arid and in town there’s a fine coat of tan colored dust on everything.  Ru and Ken’s house is in a small neighborhood on the beach about 15 minutes north of San Jose.  It takes about 30 minutes to get there from the airport.  Instead of going straight to the house we stopped for lunch in town.  On the way home we stopped at Flora Farms for a loaf of bread for dinner.

Mom and Ruann getting bread at Flora Farms

Their house is a work of art sitting on a hillside overlooking the beach with San Jose in the distance.  The view is incredibly beautiful (more on the house in a separate post later).

We met Ken at the house (he’d just returned from a morning of fishing).  We spent the rest of a delightful afternoon and evening resting, swimming, and visiting with Ken and Ru.

Bus Ride to La Paz

The bus ride from San Jose del Cabo to La Paz was comfortable and fun. We thought we'd never get out of San Jose; 40 minutes after the bus left downtown and we were just passing the airport! It went much faster after that. The Baja Sur country side is a mix of rugged beaches, desert low lands, and jagged mountains that rise abruptly out of the sand.

We arrived in La Paz around 3:30 (a little ahead of schedule) and caught a taxi for the short ride to our hotel.

Morning at The Ewing House

If there is a more beautiful view in the world I don't know what it might be! This is the view from the "sitting room" overlooking the pool.

Pizza with Ken & Ruanne

We had a great day with Ken and Ru. I went for a pair of morning dives in Cabo.

Mom and Ru went into San Jose in the afternoon to do some shopping and to pick up our bus tickets to La Paz for tomorrow.

The Flight to Cabo

I arrived in Houston before Mom. There's our ride to Cabo; the larger aircraft on the left.