We ended up spending the rest of our Baja time in the ex-patriot populated city of “Los Barriles”. Down an off the beaten-path road, my parents pop-up camper took a beating. One of the axles bent putting a wheel askew. They wanted to hunker down in Los Barriles while figuring out what to do. It ended up being a great spot to spend a week. We stayed in the camping section of an R.V. park. Space to put up our hammocks and the beautiful nearby beach made it very enjoyable. The most important thing was being able to spend time with my folks who I hadn't seen in a year, and who knows when I'll them see again. From Los Barriles we were able to do a couple of day trips. One to snorkel amongst dazzling schools of fish at Los Fariles. Another trip to circle the tip of the Baja and play in big waves on the pacific side. The owner of a recently opened fish taco stand in El Pescadero directed us to a beach where there was a resort, but also surfable waves. In exchange for the information, I showed him how to spell his sign “Fish Tacos” instead of “Fihs Tacos”. Very friendly guy and delicious tacos at the best price yet.
It was sad to leave my folks after having a great time together. With them we enjoyed beautiful beaches, caguamas (litre bottles of beer), good food, great conversation, snorkelling, and many hours of playing Big Boggle. We also finished off the last gallon of mead from a batch I had started almost a year ago. We had some unique experiences I'll never forget; like the time I got aggressive with two police officers who had pulled my folks over. They tried to give them a ticket for not wearing a seatbelt (even know they were wearing one). After awhile they let us go figuring we were more of a pain than they had bargained for. Asking for their badge numbers, the address of their office, and to speak with their cheif seemed to help.
Our last night we couch surfed (www.couchsurfing.org) in La Paz to catch the ferry the next day. This was our first time couch surfing in Mexico, but was with a guy from California, and England originally. Our host, Brian, was great. He was very generous and helpful. He pilots plains and helicopters and dose consulting. He had a condominium at a marina where some big sailboats are berthed. After a nice walk and some shopping, we retruned to his condo to make dinner together. Ilsa and I made a veggie dahl while he made pasta. We opened two bottles of wine and were joined by some of his friends. A woman, Jennifer, who just sailed in on a 48' sailboat. She was single handing it up and down the coast with her 10 year old son, Eric. After our main courses we were joined by to Mexican pilots, Sam and Samuel. One of them happens to also run a yoga ashram in La Paz. So, there we were, at dinner with three pilots, a bad ass sailor mom with a captain's license, and a yoga guru. One night was definitely too short for the interesting conversation shared. After breakfast and a tour of the sailboat we headed to catch the ferry.
Today is our second day on Mainland Mexico. The ferry ride was surprising, beautiful, and running on Mexican time. The ferry was much fancier that I had expected. On board there was an arcade, two bars, a restaurant, and several flat screen televisions showing movies. The sea was calm, but small swells rocked the boat enough to give Aña slight sea-sickness. It's a good thing Aña and Ilsa wanted to open our Christmas gifts aboard the ferry. A gift I had picked out was dried ginger which we made into tea and seemed to help with the nausea. Mainland was just coming into sight when another incredible sunset unfurled. We were off the ferry about two hours later than anticipated, and it was getting late. We stopped in the town of Los Mochis for dinner a perused a crowed Christmas market. Continuing to our destination the road condition deteriorated and I became to tired to continue driving. We pulled off onto a side road to camp near small shacks with pigs and chickens. The initial grunts of the massive pigs startled the girls who set up camp while I was passed out in the truck cab. I gave them the machete to hang onto in case the pigs attacked.
Now, we're inland at a smaller scenic town called El Fuerte for an old Spanish fort that has been replicated into a museum. I'm disappointed with the limited Lonely Planet description of this town. It is one of the more beautiful Mexican towns of its size I've seen. There is ubiquitous colonial architecture in various states of repair and disrepair. Even the dilapidated buildings hold a special charm. The town square is magnificent. Lush plants and palm trees lead past fountains to a Victorian wooden gazebo in the center. Ample benches provide rest in the cool shade and make-out spots for youngsters in the evening. Locals are very friendly, though not too talkative. The Lobina (a huge black river bass) from the bordering river is a local delicacy. This morning on a walk we watched an old man row an impromptu boat across the river to drop someone off. He wanted to take us across, so we had a little boat ride. On our walk to a fun suspension bridge we had to pass through an army of cows and patches of hungry no-see-ums. A wonderful morning walk, minus the no-see-ums.
We're staying in a hotel/hostel, “El Guerrero” (“The Soldier”). We were worried about staying here at first because most hotels are surprisingly expensive. Most wanted $50 U.S.d. or more per night for the three of us. Luckily we found three economical hotels and opted for the one that included breakfast. So for about $17/night we have a nice room with a bathroom and shower. Breakfast consisted of wonderful tacos with scrambled eggs, refried beans, and a homemade salsa. A great deal! $5.60/night/person including a yummy breakfast. The owner is an older guy who inherited the hotel from his grandfather through his mom. He shared some incredible local honey with us. Jokingly he said the honey is so good because the bees used pollen from marijuana plants. I know cannabis is usually wind or human pollinated, but the thought of stoned bees flying around was amusing. The owner even showed me how to prepare a Lobina I purchased for lunch.
Today we will prepare for our Copper Canyon trip! We'll hopefully be catching the 2nd class train tomorrow towards a canyon rim. There we'll be in a more winter climate at about 8000' in elevation. After a couple days of exploring the city of Creel and remembering what winter is like we'll descend into the canyon. It should be warmer in the canyon where orange trees and more tropical plants are grown. In the canyon we're hoping to get out hiking and do some more rustic camping. One hike between two cities deep in canyon country is about 20 miles.
* Travelling Note: So far our average spending has been $11/day per person since entering Mexico. This includes food, water, shelter, entertainment and transportation. This low number was helped out by my folks gifting us five nights of camping in Los Barriles. My mom had also brought us some money from a previously imported hammock that was sold in my hometown! Costs should decrease as we head south.
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wowza!
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