Baja Jewels

Just as I was starting to feel in a rut with all the sunshine and surf (yes, I do understand how lame and ungrateful that sounds!), this region finds new ways to delight. A few highlights from recent weeks: 

Waterfalls at Km 83 - we heard from “neighbours” about an oasis up an arroyo 20 minutes south of us. No signposts, nothing mentioned on any tourist maps...just look for the dirt road before the bridge at Km 83 going south to Cabo (side note: all the highways in Cabo are marked with kilometre measurements between particular points so it’s always easy to figure out how much further any given destination is or where to look for landmarks). On the scale of waterfalls, it’s not like it’s Angel Falls or anything, but it is wonderful for a few reasons. First, during the dry season here in the Baja desert, there are few sources of fresh water. No lakes or rivers or reservoirs - just the occasional instance of a spring. Second, this is a multi-tiered set of small waterfalls with anywhere from 100 metres to a km between drops that you can hike along. The first waterfall is about 25-30 feet with a healthy flow that drains immediately into the sand below, creating an underground river. We scrambled up the rocks on one side of the waterfall to the first inland plateau that extended for a kilometre. Thanks to the regular flow of fresh water, this area is an oasis of palm trees not seen in any other parts of this region without irrigation. Coco loved frolicking along the shallow meandering path of the creek. The second and third waterfalls were both shorter but with more forceful streams due to narrower crests. They would make great showers but carry sand and silt from above. It was an awesome day trip, void of tourists.

Beach massage - The other day I awoke to see one of my most favourite things on the beach - a massage table. An enterprising traveller from Israel set up a simple bed with a foam mattress and sheet. He was charging 150 pesos (about $10 Cdn) for a 30 minute back massage and was GOOD! Both Andrew and I indulged. 

Mini Munchies Tuesday nights - There is a little store in Pescadero that caters to discerning gringos with fare such as fine chocolate, wines and whiskies, and organic dips and sauces. Each Tuesday night they open up their courtyard and string up some lights to invite local musicians to play. Last Tuesday we were there with about 100 other snowbirds listening to some great bands (including our neighbour Bob from Christina Lake on harmonica) and enjoying IPA on tap. 

Cerritos beach - finally pulled ourselves away from our “home” beach to check out the long swath of sand just south of us. Cerritos is a bit more touristy with several resorts and villas on it, but nice because it is shallower and much easier to swim at. Coco loved chasing sticks in the small waves. 

Tamale Man - most days around lunchtime we are visited by a friendly Mexican selling homemade treats from the back of his truck. He usually brings tortas (like McChicken sandwiches with salsa), empanadas (deep-fried pastries filled with a spicy chicken mixture), and our favourite, tamales. I never appreciated this traditional Mexican dish made of cornmeal steamed in corn husks before. But his tamales are yummy! Filled with seasoned chicken, served hot and fresh, one or two tamales make for a perfect lunch - that is, when we don’t go to Carnitas Machin. 

Carnitas Machin - a roadside taco stand in Pescadero that serves one thing and serves it well - pork tacos. Just go there and tell the dude how many you want, and you’ll be presented with that number of soft tacos covered with a huge heap of warm marinated pulled pork. Like many small stands, they put a thin plastic sleeve over the plate and put the food on that....no dishes to clean! Then you get to add your own preferred toppings - hot sauces, guacamole, pico de gallo, and a wonderful pickled concoction I’ve never had before called escabeche (more on that next). Two tacos each are VERY filling, totalling a ridiculous $5 Cdn. 

Escabeche - have you ever put carrots in your tacos? Now I do! One of the condiments at the pork taco stand is a pickled mixture of carrots, jalapenos, and onion with seasoning. OMG it is so delicious! The carrots are crunchy and spicy, and a perfect compliment to the soft chewy pulled pork. You can also buy this mixture in tins anywhere...the canned version is not as delectable as the fresh stuff from the taco stand, but as easy way to add some interesting heat to any dish. Several cans are going to come home with us! 

To Cabo for Costco

Oh, how do we love Costco...let us count the ways! With the cupboards and fridge near bare, we figured it was time to trek to Cabo San Lucas where the only Costco in Baja California Sur is located. 

Each time we drive into Cabo, we’re hit with two conflicting emotions: 1) Wow, this really is a spectacularly beautiful place, and 2) So sad what has happened to it. Many of the old-time campers here talk about the Cabo of 30 years ago when it was a tiny fishing village with one store and you could camp anywhere on the beach. I would have loved to have seen it then. The bay with rocky Land’s End and El Arco is utterly break-taking, and Playa Medano with its crystal waters and gentle waves is perfect for swimming. 

Sadly now it’s an over-run tourist zoo complete with Senor Frog’s-esque chain restaurants on every corner and carts selling fluorescent blended cocktails in plastic yard-long cups. Approaching town on the new 4-lane highway, we could see a Carnival ship in the bay at the same time we were driving past corrugated tin sheds in the outer slums. 

However, I do recognize my own hypocrisy. You can’t really have one without the other. I’ve stayed at all-inclusives in Mexico and the Domincan Republic, and taken Caribbean cruises. We wouldn’t be able to shop at Costco if the town and accompanying tourist trade couldn’t support it. I guess the best we can do is appreciate the beauty of every place and try to treat it as gently as we can. I do support the local stores here in Todos Santos and the farmers with their roadside stalls. But if you want to get any decent wine...it’s off to Costco you gotta go! 

With all the gringos in and around Cabo, the wine department at the Costco is massive and well-stocked. Kirkland Signature 1.5 l California Chardonnay for the equivalent of $10 US. A 6-pack case of Concho Y Toro Carmerre Cabernet for $24! 1.75 l of vodka and tequila for $9! Shall we say the back of our truck looks like a liquor store right now. 

They also carry a ton of special vintages, even Dom Perignon (though I’ve discovered that rarely does a $200 bottle of bubbly taste any better than a decent $25 one...with the exception of Veuve Cliquot which I treat myself too maybe once every two years!). 

Of course most other items at Costco are too bulk for us to keep in the trailer. But it was nice to get a bag of washed salad greens...impossible to find locally. And a huge block of cheddar to enjoy with the vino ;-) Worth the hour-long drive each way.  

Our Baja Rig

Since we’ve been parked for a while, and blogposts saying “Another sunny day” would get pretty boring, I thought I’d share other details of our travels. Today, how we came to choose our truck and trailer: 

Four years ago when we drove the length of Baja for the first time, we did it in a 21-ft Class C Slumber Queen motor home with a 1998 Chevy 350 engine. These models are ubiquitous nowadays as small Adventurers and often used as rentals. 

While it worked great and we loved the layout, we quickly realized it posed some challenges for Baja. It was a widebody and barely left inches of clearance on either side of the narrow highways down here. It certainly wasn't aerodynamic or nimble. We did brave some crazy dirt roads and deep sandy beaches, and thanks to Andrew's driving skills didn't get stuck, but the rattling threatened to shake the stick-and-tin motorhome to bits. 

But we realized that taking advantage of Baja's glories necessitated a separate vehicle and living space. There are several amazing free beaches to camp at, but we were always hampered by having to do supply runs. For example, Playa Tecolote is about 30 minutes north of La Paz. In the motorhome, we couldn't go more than 5 days without having to run into town to buy more fresh water, groceries and dump tanks. And this meant having to entirely pack up camp, secure everything in the motorhome, and navigate our unwieldy home back to La Paz. 

A truck and trailer, plus a portable holding tank, solves this dilemma. Everything can stay in your "home" on the beach locked safe and secure while you use the truck to reload. So then....what truck and what trailer? 

We knew we wanted something short and lightweight for a trailer. It's difficult to find anything among the popular commercial brands less than 20 feet with a useful floor plan and amenities. Most of the big RV companies seem to cater to those that want home-like size - with slide-outs, fireplaces, kitchen islands, and separate bedrooms - that are only going to be used on Canadian or US highways to sit at full-service RV parks. Durable and lightweight only exist in a handful of trailer makes - the most famous of which is Airstream, and on the other end of the spectrum with the most rabid advocates, the moulded fibreglass manufacturers - the "eggs" like Scamps and Bolers. 

After much research, we decided on a 19-foot Escape trailer. Constructed in two moulded pieces from boat-grade fibreglass, they are said to be virtually leaf-proof (the bane of regular RV construction) and half the weight of conventional trailers, including Airstreams. 

Escape Trailers are made in Chilliwack, BC, by the same family that founded the company years ago. They currently make only four models - a 17', a 19', a 21', and a 21' fifth-wheel. They are not sold through any dealerships, but all direct from the manufacturer, and it is not possible to buy one off the lot...they are all custom-made with over a year's waitlist. We were almost ready to order a new one  when we discovered the Escape Trailer forum - an online community of Escape lovers sharing tips, tricks, and sales of pre-owned models. 

Andrew monitored the site for weeks, noting that pre-owned models were selling almost as quickly as they were posted with little depreciation. When a coveted 2010 19-ft model came up in Alberta at a decent price, we pounced. 

Finally christened "Moby" like the great white whale, our Escape has the exact layout we wanted - a queen-sized bed at one end and a permanently set-up dinette at the other, with the bathroom, fridge, storage and kitchen in between. It features a 5-cubic-foot fridge (enough for us for several days) and three-burner stove, all powered by propane.

To pull Moby, we purchased a new 2015 Ford F-150 with a 2.7 l Ecoboost engine. Yes, that is a full-sized, 4X4 pick-up with an engine the size of a Mazda 3. The twin-turbos give it unbelievable towing power and even more unbelievable gas mileage. We are averaging between 15-18 miles per gallon pulling a fully-loaded trailer! Plus the safety and comfort in this truck on these crazy narrow Baja highways is priceless. We can highly recommend Escape and Ford as a winning combination for travel! 

Down south Dog Culture

Maybe it’s  the type of people who like to camp tend to like dogs. Or maybe it’s the people that have dogs find it easier to camp than to stay in resorts. Whatever it is, Baja beaches and canines go together like PB & J. 

About 95% of the campers here have at least one furry companion or more. You almost look sideways at campers without one, like they have yet to be initiated properly into the club. You often meet new neighbours through the dogs sniffing or barking at fellow arrivals. 

A higher-than-average percentage of them are mutts and rescues, and the dominant trait is that they are all chill. They play in groups on the beach, chasing sticks and balls flung in the water by their owners. They all get along...snarls and snaps at each other are very rare. Leashes are never seen except in town. 

Oddly, many are large - the antithesis of the typical Mexican chihuahua image. Sadly this means most don’t take any more interest in Coco other than a passing glance...it’s clear she won’t be able to keep up with them. So she bonds heavily with any dog in the under-40-pound range and puppies that she can actually play with.

Despite the rebuffs from the bigger kids on the beach, it is clear Coco is having more fun here each day than she probably has all summer in Kelowna. Here she can just be a dog - free to run, sniff, chase, bark, and nap at will. She can always hang with her people, even in restaurants, and never gets scolded for doing her “business” in the wrong place (because there is no wrong place)! No fences means there is no shortage of views to enjoy and visitors of both the canine and non-canine variety to play with. Ah, it’s a dog’s life! 

Memorable Days at the Beach

The little village here at San Pedrito continues to grow. There are now about 20 RVs and tents scattered along the high water mark of the free beach and the same on the other side of the arroyo in the paid section. Tenting on one side of us is a young couple from Israel and on the other side a single fellow from Oregon. Otherwise, the beach pretty much belongs to BCers. 

The beach itself is evolving also. As the sands shift, rock outcroppings are emerging where there used to be only sand, and low tides are allowing for easier swimming.

Last week, dark skies and winds strong enough to sling sand into your eyes kicked up. Everyone  started “battening down the hatches” in preparation for a storm and campers madly dug sand walls in front of their homes in case of high tides. We headed inside as droplets splattered down that we weren’t sure were from the waves or the sky.

All sorts of thoughts ran through my head...what if it’s a hurricane? If there is a tsunami, where is the easiest high ground to get to? What can we take in how much time? For someone who has experienced no natural disasters other than on television, it was a scary yet crazily exhilarating thought.  But within a few hours, it all just started to deflate and calm down. Since then, it’s been consistently sunny and hot. 

Yesterday brought another memorable experience. A camper and I were chatting on the beach as the sun was setting and we noticed a riot of splashing in the ocean right in front of us. Clearly there was a large school of fish in a feeding frenzy. Immediately all the anglers came running with their rods, casting towards the whitewater. 

For the next hour, over a dozen tuna were brought in and we marvelled at the silhouettes of the fish in the waves backlit by the setting sun. Some friends offered Andrew their rod while they dealt with their latest catch, and he brought a fish in one the first cast! It wasn’t a tuna, but a thin angelfish-looking silver thing that we knew we wouldn’t eat, so friends quickly helped to get the hook out of its lip so we could return it to the ocean. 

As magical as it all was, the funniest thing happened just before the anglers arrived. The camper I was talking to (we’ll call “Jodi”) was someone we met last year in, shall we say, quite unflattering circumstances. When she started screaming about the fish in the water, the first to arrive were our Israeli neighbours, who a) seem to eat/cook anything they can find, and b) both like to sunbathe topless. The Israelis weren’t interested in the larger fish in the water at first, but more into catching the little ones being chased that were now beached on the sand. While I was scooping these 2-inch fry and throwing them back into the ocean, they were gathering them up to cook. As their hands were getting full, Jodi decides to help them with their efforts and starts a conversation about how they planned to eat these tiny things...”are you going to fry them? Or eat them raw like right now?”. And then she decides she’s going to try them as sushi, ripping the head off one and starting to munch down on the little fish while me and the topless man and woman are standing there open-mouthed. I just didn’t know where to look. Surreal. 

Later, we joined the successful fisherman for a fish feast, and a great night of stories and companionship. This is a treasure of a beach.