Dogs of Mexico

I've been waiting to post this for several years now.  As we travel through the small towns and cities, there are often dogs wandering or sleeping on the streets and sidewalks.  Many are quite haggard, but they seem to be content.  On only a few occasions have we ever been chased or intimidated by the dogs.  On one stop, I petted one only to have her growl and bite me.  So, lesson learned, keep hands to oneself.  As we continue our travels, I will be adding more editions to this blog post.

Playing frisbee near the marketplace in La Cruz.

So cute, but in a really weird way.  The hair was the most unique I'd seen, and no, it wasn't shaved.  

Also near La Cruz, happily waiting as her master raked the beach.

This one looked like the captain of his ship near Punta de Mita.

Quite the yawn from this one in Santispac.  He owned the beach and the restaurant.

This is somewhat typical in the smaller towns.  He was fairly perky as we strolled by, but left us alone.

Taken in La Cruz, note the cobblestone street.  

This guy was so peaceful, and barely woke up as we passed.

Not quite sure if he was stuck or just resting...

One way to travel is SUP at Punta de Mita.

I was shocked to see an English Setter in Sayulita, and he looked a lot like our Woody.

Winnie looking a bit playful as she protects the house at Concepcion.

This one was near La Cruz, at one of the beach restaurants in the early morning.  She had a scowl, yet was very friendly.

Sorry, I can't remember Marilyn's dog's name.  But so cute and playful.

This guy cracked me up.  First, these chairs are everywhere down here, and he seemed to know what they were for.  Second, note the refined coloring.

La Paz, East Cape road, Mexican 1000, and driving around Bahia de La Paz

After surviving entering the marina with the dredger blocking the way, we settled into chores for two days.  We ate several delicious dinners at Palermo, a pretty high-end restaurant on the malecon, and walked a lot.  Leif then decided that we needed to get out, so we rented a car and took a drive... This seemed like a great idea, relaxing, sight seeing and getting out of town.  As well as a chance to get some shopping done at Home Depot and other exciting stores.

Marina Ribera near Los Frailes.  Not much happening as far as construction today, hope it makes it.

   Off we went, on a trip towards Los Frailes, and a new marina that Leif wanted to check out.  We sped along the smooth highway towards the low lying hills between La Paz and the cape.  Lots of cactus, trees that looked dead, (but probably aren't) and desert, and not much else for miles and miles.  He promised me a lovely lunch somewhere along the way.  We arrived in Los Barriles, the home of the new marina and drove around for about an hour looking for jetties.  The Marina Ribera was down the road another half hour we discovered, after finally stopping to ask where it might be.  When we arrived at the "marina" it looks like it will be quite fancy, with homes lining the canals, and lovely new docks.  At this time, it's basically two docks with fishing boats, surrounded by dirt and digging equipment.  We had heard that some sailboats had anchored there, but probably only shallow draft vessels.

Marina Ribera and our little Nissan March, note the tiny tires, and low ground clearance.  Perfect for the Mexican 1000!

 And... no restaurants in sight.  It now is 1:30 p.m. and a cold beer would be really good.  So off we go to Punta Arena and Cabo Pulmo.  It sounded like a lot of fun and cute little towns?  A half mile out of La Ribera the lovely road disappeared and a well traveled dirt road started.

"Scenic" isn't exactly what I'd refer this to be.  Desolate maybe?

We had hopes that it wouldn't last too long as we wanted to drive all the way to San Jose del Cabo. Wrong.  We didn't tell the guy at the car rental what we had in mind, so our Nissan March was in for a beating.  Thank heavens for full insurance coverage.  We drove on, and on and on.  The views were beautiful I have to say, but the washboard road kept us on our toes to keep from becoming high centered and leaving us dangling.  Only twice.  And, no cute restaurants.  I forgot to mention that the Mexican 1000 road race was in town, and our dirt road had signs posted that the road would be closed tomorrow, May 14th as the race would be traveling its path.  Yup, we did the Mexican 1000 road.  I kept looking at my GPS which constantly told us that we were less than half way.  UGH.

One of the highlights of our drive.  I hope these guys manage to stay off the road tomorrow!

Ok, this is NOT Yellowstone park, and I did roll my window down on purpose.  She was looking for handouts, but only got rubs on her cute face.  Sorry, no carrots.

 Finally, some cute burros or donkeys appeared to get me laughing, as at this point I was not happy.  And, I'm a pretty patient, forgiving person I think??? I guess not.

   The homes became more and more like compounds, with many buildings and lovely gardens as we finally got closer to San Jose del Cabo.  It looked like we were going to make it as we finally jumped for joy at arriving on a paved road.  Well, that lasted only until we saw the huge holes which had been created by sand eroding out from underneath the sides of it and marked with sand filled soda bottles by some saving angel!  Truly, they extended into the middle of the road at some points, so you had to be on your toes.  After surviving that, we pulled into a restaurant in SJ del Cabo at around 5:45 p.m. and plopped down exhausted from our "lovely drive through the Mexican countryside".

This was one of the smaller holes, but still caused alarm as we slowed down to pass.  Note the markers next to it.

This is just before San Jose del Cabo, one of the nicer views showing the large surf.

   

  We had a very nice meal at Milagro restaurant, and decided that we'd drive on, after all it was only 7:00 p.m. or so.  If it got dark we would stop and stay for the night.  Not.  Entering Cabo san Lucas we saw a Holiday Inn Express that looked good, so we pulled in and asked if they had rooms available.  The concrete truck in the entry way should have been a clue, as they were still under construction, not open yet.  So, off we went, maybe stopping in Todos Santos at the Hotel California?  No, we ended up driving all the way back to La Paz, getting home around 9:30 p.m.  Leif looked at me as we entered the boat and asked " you're going to bed already?"  I just laughed and climbed in and nodded off immediately.  

   The next day we hopped into the little bomber and drove around Bahia La Paz. We drove until we hit a turnoff for San Juanico, at which point the road became dirt.  This was about two hours into the drive, so we stopped and turned around.  It travels along the high cliffs and the scenery was more dramatic than yesterdays drive.  There were fishing boats surrounding a large ship, possibly shrimpers around a mother ship near the end of the bay.  We saw more horses and cattle along the road, unrestricted by fences, just hanging out eating the trees or small patches of grass.  

  This time Leif did take me to a nice dinner, after turning in the car.  We laughed about the previous day, and walked the malecon back to the boat.  All in all, it was a memorable excursion with the car.    

Return to Los Gatos and Isla San Francisco

Leaving Puerto Escondido was a no brainer as there is really nothing to interest anyone, except for maybe the truly dramatic views of the Sierra Giganta Mountains.  We left early headed for Puerto los Gatos about 40 miles south.  Of course there was no wind, and when it did pipe up, it was on the nose.  I was a little ambivalent about stopping here, it’s pretty, and the water is nice and clear, but there is nothing here.  My mind changed after staying that night.  The cliffs are absolutely gorgeous, red striated, and smoothed by wind and water.  We went ashore in the dinghy and climbed the rocks again, finding pieces of large conch shells, but none whole.

A view of the red painted cliffs at Los Gatos.

Then when you look closer, there's a man...

  Around 3:00 p.m. I heard a noise, and there were two men in a panga selling lobsters.  It was the first time this year that the pangueros had come by and I was excited.  We bought two for 100 pesos and two beers.  Then, he came back later that night with 3 more for the same amount.  Dinner was delicious; we BBQ’d them and had mashed potatoes.  The last 3 will be for tomorrow.

Fresh lobster delivered by request.

There is no community here, so the nights are pristine.  The stars were out in droves and the crescent moon shone as if it were our mast head light. 

  The next morning we were off to Isla San Francisco, one of our previous trip’s favorite places.  This also was about 40 miles, so a morning’s sail or motor.  Arriving around noon, we dropped the hook and took a swim.  The water was nice and clear, so we grabbed our bottom cleaning gear and scrubbed the bottom of Finisterra.  All that work required some icy margaritas, a creation which Leif has mastered.  The air was calm, and there were 6 other boats anchored in with us for the night.

Serene landscape at Isla San Francisco, we are third from the left, farthest out.

  That is until this enormous ship came slowly oozing in around 8:00 p.m.  It was an Eco-tourist cruise ship, which holds around 50-70 people.  I have to say that it did a nice job of keeping quiet, and not disturbing the yachts with noise or generators.  In the a.m. it moved around to the other side of the island and discharged its passengers in large inflatables for a trek up the ridge line.

Eco-cruise ship from La Paz, a very nice way to see the islands if one doesn't have a boat.

Leif and I also went ashore, but did the other ridge line to stay away from the 20-30 people trudging up the steep rock cliffs.

The stunning sunrises of Baja did not let us down.

    Later that day we again went into the 80 degree water and cleaned some more off of the hull.  Leif also checked out the anchor.   Once again, this swim seems to bring out the need for a margarita.  We may need to get back to civilization soon as we are running low on snack items and mixer.  Not to mention that we have had no internet or phone service in 4-5 days.  That can be nice, but it takes a great deal of skill to let go and not worry about life outside of the cone of silence. We left the next morning and motored into Marina Palmira in La Paz.  As we entered the jetties, there was a group of men standing on them gesturing at us.  We had no idea what they were trying to communicate, so I went up on the bow to see if I could figure it out.  Yeah, me who knows so little Spanish.  So, I look ahead and low and behold there is a dredger on one side of the entrance with a large suction pipe extending across to the other side!  The current was going with us, and we were traveling around 5 knots already, carrying us forward.  I yelled to Leif, and he slammed it into reverse just in time as we drifted closer and closer.  The boat does not react on a dime and finally it began to reverse away from it.  Then the guys pulled the line away a bit and we edged into the marina in a 10' space on one side of it, around the dredger and back on course for our slip.  Lovely that they didn't mention it as we approached the marina.  Ahh but the ending was ok, so no harm no foul.   

Bahia Concepcion, Santa Rosalia, Puerto Escondido

4/20/14

   At 8:30 a.m. we raised anchor and left for Bahia Concepcion.  As we rounded the corner of the peninsula, we picked up internet access for a few minutes from the town of Mulege.  This was a sad day for us as the email came from Shelly that our sweet Labrador, Casey, was not eating and seemed lackluster.  As it turned out, after several emails and a call to the vet, we had to make the difficult decision to have Casey put to sleep.  She was a great dog, and will be missed.  The effects of that decision stayed with us for awhile, putting a damper on our spirits. 

Jerry McCord's house on the hillside in Concepcion.  Our home away from home with his gracious gifts of internet, car, alcohol, and live piano music and excellent company!

  As we pulled into our favorite anchorage, we spotted a boat that seemed familiar, yet not.  It turns out that our friends Tom and Sylvia from Banderas Bay Race Week in 2011 were here on their boat Cinnabar.  We knew them, but had never seen their boat, a beautiful Schumacher 52’.   Anchored next to them was another fun couple that we met, Joe and Kitty on Talitha.  What a small world.  We called our long time friend, Jerry who lives above the cove in a beautiful stone home, complete with a classic piano, and met for dinner.  One of many to come.  Jerry was so gracious to us during our stay, he provided a car, a phone for the vet, live piano music, palomas, bloody marias, and introduced us to new friends: Marilyn, Ramona, and Bonnie.  Needless to say, we had a fantastic time every day, eating, sightseeing, kayaking, drinking, dancing, and meeting such interesting people.  We had planned on staying only 3-4 days, but ended up for over a week as the winds picked up.

The TKT restaurant in Santispac. 

 Apparently there was a mix-up between the owners of the two restaurants onshore at Santispac.  Now, Ana's isn't the place to go, but TKT is.  All I know is the food was excellent, margaritas were deadly, and the nightly music was loud and fun to dance to.  We did need bug spray at sun up and sun down for no see ums which were not there the last time.

World class view from Jerry's balcony.  Lt-Rt.: Finisterra,  Talitha, and Cinnabar.

   One other event which I had planned was to meet Ron and Diane who bought Susie’s old home in Posada Concepcion.  Ron had emailed me after seeing my blog on Concepcion and wanted more info on the house.  I didn’t have much to add to his knowledge, but it was great to meet them.

Diane and Ron enjoying Sunday Bloody Marias and Ramos Fizzes at Jerry's.  

  They seem to fit right in and are enjoying their time in Mexico.  I invited them to Jerry’s (Senior Paloma) for the Sunday bloody maria event so that they could meet.  It was such a lively time after such a slow quiet trip up the baja.

Susie's dad's former home at Posada Concepcion.  Now owned by Ron and Diane, who were so gracious to allow us to use their laundry and internet!

   Marilyn and I went to Santa Rosalia to have haircuts and a pedicure.  We spent the a.m. looking for a place to buy coffee, but the whole town didn't have power yet, so we went without.  My haircut was perfect, and only $17.00.  Gotta love Mexico.  The pedicure was also good, but the polish didn't stay on long, probably the salt water, sand, and rough sailing life?  On another morning, I invited Jerry, Ramona and Marilyn over to the boat for banana pancakes and mimosas, one of my favorite boat breakfasts.  Well, maybe not mimosas very often...  Leif was the water taxi and after arriving with two loads of people and supplies (OJ and Champagne), we all got down to having another fantastic time talking, eating and taking photos.  This went on until after 3:00 p.m., when we all needed some down time to recuperate!

Post Mimosa... the happy group of new and old friends!

   The next day we did a dinghy ride with Joe and Kitty in search of whale sharks, which we didn't see, but they did later in the day.  As time sped by, we said our goodbyes at dinner that night, and then later at the bonfire, we hoped to leave in the a.m.  Morning arose and we motored out to San Juanico, headed back towards La Paz.  I saw Ramona’s bright orange doors to her palapa open as we went past.  And also Marilyn’s yellow pathfinder parked by the beautiful home that she is house sitting.  Sad to leave, but we must sometime. 

Jerry in his element, serving up libations in his lovely home.

   We motored out of the long bay, and noticed a shimmy in the boat.  Perhaps we had picked up some kelp on our prop as we motored in the headwinds, so we backed off of the speed and put up a sail.  The boat shimmied as we upped the rpms.  Upon arriving at San Juanico, I jumped into the water, and sure enough, there was kelp wrapped around the top of the prop which I easily pulled off. 

This is Agua Verde, not much to see from the water, but a small community lies behind the trees.

  

The cute goats at A.V.

The next day we left again early, although I hadn't slept at all, bound for Puerto Escondido and Loretofest.  Loretofest is a cruiser affair that helps the local charities, and has many fun events for cruisers.  We bought tee shirts and decided that we’d leave in the a.m.  Not that we’re anti- social, but it seemed a bit like a groupie thing, and we had just spent a week of social fun.  In the a.m. we are headed to Los Gatos, and eventually Isla San Francisco

  

Isla Partida and Ensenada Grande, Los Gatos, Agua Verde, Puerto Escondido, Loreto, San Juanico

We left La Paz around noon and arrived at Ensenada Grande at 5:00 p.m. It was very windy as we arrived, of course on the nose.  The red cliffs here look like the rock melted and ran over the edge, very picturesque.

Ensenada Grande cliffs dripping into the water.

  Water temperature is 76 in the afternoon, rising from 74.3 in the morning.  It is interesting how the temperature varies during the day.  We anchored in with a couple of other boats that we know: Wavelength, and Beaumaris.  There is a blue footed booby rookery around the corner from our anchorage, and we took the dinghy over for a look.  There were no nests, too late in the season, but we did see several birds hanging out on the cliff sides.  They have a wingspan of 4’-5’, feed on fish and lay 2-3 eggs at a time.  Both parents participate in incubating the eggs for approximately 45 days.  The nests are placed on the ground, and they use their feet to warm the eggs rather than laying on them.  I think they are so unique looking with their bright blue feet, and it appears that their numbers are growing from the last time we were here.

Blue Footed Booby near Ensenada Grande.

 

   The coromuel winds blew all night at around 22 knots, and we decided to head across the channel to San Evaristo.  Last trip we saw lots of wild burros here, but this year none were to be seen.  We did see evidence that they are around, just hiding out I guess.  This time we were underwhelmed with the anchorage, so we left for Puerto Los Gatos.

   Los Gatos has amazingly smooth red rock cliffs.  We hiked ashore a bit, climbing up the cliffs and walking the beach.  There were signs of coyotes up in a wash, and lots of shells from fishermen cleaning oysters.  One day here was also enough for now, headed out to Agua Verde. 

   Agua Verde had many campers who were enjoying Semana Sante at the beach.  It is a tradition for many families to spend holidays at the beach, camped out with friends.  They do know how to party, bringing tents, boom boxes, grills, all sorts of water toys, and lots of beer.  As a cruiser, it can be a little noisy when we get used to having the beach to ourselves.  But, it is their country after all! 

One of many encampments on the beach near Agua Verde.

   We decided to head to Puerto Escondido which had internet, laundry, a tienda, and restaurant.  I say “had” because this year it was basically shut down.  We arrived all excited to have some modern conveniences and a mooring, but found only the laundry was still open.  Well, that wasn't what we had in mind, so we left early the next day for Loreto.  It seems that we are on the move a lot this trip, as the water hasn't been overly warm or clear.  Things are getting better though, the temperature is rising a bit. 

   Arriving off the small marina near Loreto, we dropped anchor and got cell service for the afternoon.  This is where we got the sad news that our sweet dog Casey has a large tumor and her condition is unknown at this time.  We don’t have phone service, so I can’t talk to the vet yet.

Casey in her favorite spot, right under foot.  

   We spent the night at anchor and decided to leave to Bahia Concepcion early in the a.m.  This was a tough decision as there is no internet or phone service there, but we were not safe anchoring where we were as it is an open beachfront, not a cove.  If the winds came up, we’d be in trouble.  It would be a two day trip, stopping at San Juanico for a night.

Touching down after a two foot flight, while mom is unimpressed.

 

   San Juanico is another beautiful spot, blah blah, cool rock formations, clear water, lots of interesting birds all around.  We saw two Osprey nests perched high up on pinnacles, with the young birds testing their wings by lifting off about two feet into the air then settling back down. 

Our first and probably last Dorado.

On our way up the Baja, we trolled daily for fish.  Somewhere near San Evaristo we managed to catch a large bull Dorado.  He was bright yellow, and fought hard to keep from becoming our dinner.  I always feel a little sad when we kill a fish, but this one was truly a prize.  We had Dorado for four nights, including this night in San Juanico.  It is my favorite fish, and last trip we were skunked on catching any. 

He's already losing his vibrant color.

The winds here blew hard all day and night, it seemed like it funneled through the nearby mountains.  As we left the next day, the winds dropped off and we had to motor our way into Bahia Concepcion.