Heather
Nomad
Posts: 370
Registered: 10-31-2002
Location: National City, CA
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Cabo to La Paz and back
We arrived in Cabo about a week or so ago, unpacked the car at our camper, settled in for a couple of days, and then made a return trip to La Paz on
Sunday to visit the in-laws. We had made plans to go to the beach, but left Cabo about noon, with a stop in Pescadero to visit my step-son that was
in the car crash, and drop off the other one (17 year old) cause he was tired of hanging out with us!
Arrived in La Paz about 3pm, ready for the beach, as predicted the family in La Paz was not quite ready to go to the beach! My hubby and his sisters
set about making ceviche de callos (scallops), and c-cktail de almejas-chocolates (clams) the favorite of La Paz. Someone else made a run to Waldos
for the tostados and drinks, and by 6pm we were ready for the beach!
We didnīt make it to Balandra, but stopped at Pichilingue - La Bruja, menos bugs there. We stayed until about 10pm, enjoying the beach, the stars,
and all the cousins running around the sand! The lights of the cars stretched from beyond that beach to La Paz, as there was quite the traffic jam as
everyone left Tecolote and Balandra.
The next 2 days we passed at the Hotel Oasis, all of the cousins (my 3 sister-in-laws and their kids) came over for the pools. It was a good time.
My 2 girls that speak mostly English, some how are able to get along and play with the cousins. There are about 10 cousins under the age of 10, so my
2 at 5 and 8 fit right in. Nana and Tata were there, too, of course, keeping an eye on everbody.
The last day we went to Playa Balandra, again with 3 carloads. Most of my cunados are working, so mainly just the girls and kids again. Nice time
there, until the wind and sand blew us out. Itīs usually the jejenis (no se ums) that make us leave that beach early, the wind took care of them,
though!
From the beach we stopped at the rancho of Tio Juan. Itīs a really cool ranch, San Lorenzo, right near the beach. I donīt know the whole story here,
but my suegroīs brother, Juan, had been living there, but it was really owned by "El Gringo", so now, Tio Juan is the "foreman" and living in the
great new house that the gringo built. Beautiful place with a palapa and hammock on the second floor, and a view to die for! Beach and mountains and
deserts.
The kids all enjoyed the animals in the corals; burros, mules, cows, goats, and in the aviary; chickens, geese, ducks, guinea hens, turkeys, and of
course peac-cks! What a place! Tio Juan wasnīt around though, he was off to Todos Santos to sell some "machaca de burro", but we did find a sister
of my father-in-laws, Tia Chuy. She is a school teacher in La Paz, so enjoying some of her vacation at the ranch!
Last leg of the journey is back to Cabo. My father-in-law is a diabetic, and has lost most of his sight this past year, so a real hard time for my
suegra. They decided to come back to Cabo with us for a few days. First stop on the way to Cabo is for the tortillas. Hand-made from someones
house, near the Baptist church that looks like a Faro (light house). Bollis are for sale nearby, so a few of those too. Of course my girls both want
that one vanilla one that daddy buys, instead of the jamaica one that he bought for them, so thatīs a good half hour of arguing for the start of the
drive. OK, weīve got the tortillas, now we need the cheese. My suegro was a truck driver, so even blind he knows the road and where to get the best
cheese. Turn at the aguamoche tree. We find Rancho San Alfonso and get 2 blocks of cheese for 70 pesos. What next? Stop at the side of the road in
Pescadero for some fresas, 70 pesos for half a flat. Again, visit the boys in Pescadero. We also want to get some mangoes so they hop in their
cousinīs pick-up and take us to a huerta of mangoes. We gather our share and also some red cirellas, a weird green fruit Iīve never seen before, and
some bell peppers that have been left to go to seed.
The people in Pescadero are all sporting new cars and building new casas as they sell their beach lots. Weīll see how long their money lasts! My
hubby and his sons have a little lot there as well, but no plans to sell, yet.
Now, ready for Cabo! We arrive and unpack the car again, and look for a place for everyone to sleep. I was teasing my mother-in-law, that Cabo is
supposed to be for the ricos, but thatīs not us! Gramma gets a place in the camper on the sofa, and daddy finds a tent and mattress for Tata to sleep
in outside. We put him not too far away, cause we donīt want him to wander down any steps in the night time!
Oh yea, before bed, time to eat, and the favorite meal of my family down here; frijoles (which Nana had made in La Paz), queso, tortillas de harina,
and of course aguacate!
Thatīs the first leg of our month in Cabo. My sister flies in on Monday, and she has plans to spend a few days at the Finisterra! Weīll see how that
half lives too! My girls are enjoying being with their Nana and Tata and helping them out and getting to know them better. A few cousins may be
coming from La Paz this weekend, and Iīm at the "Cabo Cousins" using this computer. Itīs quite a job, though since the keyboard is a bit different.
I think I finally got the hang of the apostaphes, and commas, which have moved around a bit! Saludos a todos and more of the trip to report on later.
Nana wants to wash some clothes, so guess weīll go back and get that started, and plan on making "chiles en rajas" for lunch. We ate most of the
strawberries with out pancakes for breakfast, and lots of mangoes to go around, yum! Saludos from Heather in Cabo
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BAJACAT
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2902
Registered: 11-21-2005
Location: NATIONAL CITY, CA
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wow another nomad from National city,thanks for your report. have any pictures
BAJA IS WHAT YOU WANTED TO BE, FUN,DANGEROUS,INCREDIBLE, REMOTE, EXOTIC..JUST GO AND HAVE FUN.....
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Sallysouth
Super Nomad
Posts: 1835
Registered: 10-9-2003
Location: Capo Beach
Member Is Offline
Mood: missing Baja...
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Nice report Heather! I totally was there with you on this leg of your journey. So nice that you have your Nana and Tata and of course
your Suegro were there with you.Mija lives there in Cabo.Can't say that I care much for the city, but there are some lovely beaches, if you know where
to find them.Looking forward to your next trip report.
[Edited on 7-12-2008 by Sallysouth]
Happiness is just a Baja memory away...
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Paula
Super Nomad
Posts: 2219
Registered: 1-5-2006
Location: Loreto
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I enjoyed your report Heather! Your family experiences bring a different slant than the more tourist-y experiences that most of us write about down
here. Looking forward to more!
Where in La Paz is the Hotel Oasis? I haven't read about it here before.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64595
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Nice report Heather, thank you!
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TMW
Select Nomad
Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
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Thanks for the report. It's great to have the family get together and it's so true how kids can interact thru their different language. Before long
they understand more and more. Ceviche is one of my favorite dishes.
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Heather
Nomad
Posts: 370
Registered: 10-31-2002
Location: National City, CA
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Glad you all enjoyed the report.
BajaCat, I thought you were from NC, but donīt think Iīve seen you around town??? I saw a post from you a while ago about a car at the Food 4 Less,
but it wasnīt me!! Iīll post pictures when we get back up north. We have another 10 days or so down here still!
Sally, your daughter is still in Cabo? I thought she may have left. Maybe weīll run into her at the beach. We were at Chileno yesterday, Sunday,
and the place was packed! My in-laws werenīt the only old folks there! It seemed like everyone brought their granparents to swim, or at least sit
out in the fresh air!
Paula, the Hotel Oasis is out near the airport. Itīs on a main road, but Iīm not sure if itīs the one that comes in from the North. Itīs near one of
the Ley supermarkets. It looks kind of small, but they have close to 200 rooms. Mostly Mexican families that stay there, or Mx. businessmen, truck
drivers, etc. Nice gardens inside and like I said, the pools!
Well, the in-laws left last night, we fed them a good last meal from Pollo de Oro after our day at the beach. If youīre in Cabo you gotta eat there,
itīs the best!! My husband and I tease each other that the old man that owns the place is our padrino, since they did cater our wedding!
I just talked to my sister and she is on the plane in San Diego, so we better get headed to San Jose and the airport to pick and her daughters up!
Theyīve been changing the roads around here since our last visit, so hope we find the fast way to the airport! saludos, H.
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Ken Bondy
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3326
Registered: 12-13-2002
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Mood: Mellow
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Really enjoyed your report Heather. I love the way you mix in the palabras espanolas. Keep 'em coming,
++Ken++
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