Diver - 10-12-2005 at 05:50 PM
(I thought about labeling this one #8 just to get you guys looking for the missing adventure - naw !)
From Cuidad, on to the outskirts of La Paz and then southeast to La Ventana, on the water. Another checkpoint before the turn towards El Sargento; by
now I am enjoying the novelty of travelling with a small blond-haired child in Baja. The checkpoints always seem easier when half of the soldiers are
googling the baby and the other half are being amazed by a 100 pound yellow dog.
3 more miles and we are there. Through the gates into the huge beachfront camping area and not another 50 feet before spotting our friend Jorge', the
honorary camp leader.
He is riding an old bike while wearing a ladies bathrobe, fuzzy slippers and curls in his hair. He is not crazy, he just likes to play with other
people's realities.
Jorge' beckons us to follow as he moves an abandoned tent and secures us a beautiful spot with one of the occasional trees to be had. After hellos and
hugs, off he went on official camp business; someone was having a party without him !
We set out our stairs, unloaded the dogs and started getting comfy in our new digs. "Hello", I hear. "Well hello there little girls, how are you today
?"
"We heard that you have a little girl and wanted to know if she could come play at our camp ?"
Word had already been spread by a nutty guy in a purple bathrobe. My wife decided to walk down to the girl's camp to see what there was to see.
Amazingly, the other mom was married to a friend of a friend from home ! Baby sharing !!
Our first night was the evening of the weekly potatoe bake where everyone brings a dish to share and a bag of potatoes, individually wrapped in foil,
are buried in a sand pit with hot coals for a few hours to share. With campers from at least 10 countries, the collection of potatoe topping
preferences was baffling and no-one went to bed hungry.
The next day was relaxation on the beach, not much different from Bahia Conception. Kids and dogs on the beach; inflating the Zodiak, laundry
delivered to and picked up from the nice lady down the street.
AND a quick peek under the hood..........something is still leaking......we'll be here for a few days so I'll check it out tomorrow.
The next morning the water was flat and no wind so we decided to head over to Punta Arena for some snorkelling and to check if the tortillaria in Los
Planos is open today.
They were, and the fresh, warm, flour tortillas were better than candy !! Just a Dibble of honey...... or a slice or avocado.... a little salsa, or
nothing at all !
Snorkelling in the shallow water off the rock ledge at Punta Arena was nothing spectacular until I put our daughter on her boogie board with her
goggles and towed her out to look down over the reef. "Daddy there are fish down there !!" We had a blast and got a blessedly long nap that afternoon
(the daughter napped).
OK, let's look under the hood. Something is still leaking. A few of the bolts on the valve cover that I couldn't reach easily still needed tightening.
That MUST be where this leak is coming from ! Let's check all this other diesel-looking stuff and tighten whatever looks loose as well. After numerous
helpful comments, confident and not, from a number of bored campers, I was satisfied that I HAD to have fixed the problem. I'm so macho !!
This morning, a shrimp boat had anchored in the bay about a half mile from shore. We had buzzed out in the Zodiak and inquired, "Seniors, se vende
camarones ?" (Note that conjugation of the verb, vende comprises almost half of my spanish vocabulary.) After a quick run back to shore for a case of
Pacifico and a few groceries for the boys, we returned with two kilos of their largest catch. Mexican shrimp scampi for dinner !!! Maybe shrimp kabobs
tomorrow ! Ceviche for lunch ?? Oh yeh !!!
Tomorrow we will need to head into La Paz for propane, groceries and our ritual stocking-up on tequila to bring home.
calacowboy - 10-12-2005 at 08:38 PM
Great stories, thanks for sharing. I dream of the day when I can take a similar trip.