Lazy Days and a mini-hurricane in Pescadero

February 18 - Today is our first day of really bad weather. The Cabo tip is being pummelled by a mini hurricane - very unusual for this time of year. This is the first time that Coco has ever experienced rain and she is NOT impressed! And as luck would have it, our laptop crapped out a few days ago...the inner power jack broke off so there is no way to get power to the machine or charge the battery.

We had heard a storm was predicted for today, so thought it would be a good time to make the 50-min trek into Cabo San Lucas to check if there was anything at Walmart or Costco that we could watch our DVDs on. There was a $500 laptop at Costco but we didn't want to have to buy a whole new laptop just to play DVDs, and I guess no one sells portable DVD players anymore. Probably time we stop being such luddites and just download movies on my iPad! But that won't help us today while we're holed up in the lashing wind and rain whiteout. On the positive side, it is washing away all the dust and sea salt that has accumulated on the vehicles.

Over the past week, Coco has made a great friend in Daisy, a puppy the same age who was rescued by our next-door campers. Daisy is part of a litter of six that was found on the side of the road in a box. She looks like a chihuahua/pug/boxer type of mix and is thinner than Coco, but that doesn't stop them from scrapping it out play fighting at every opportunity. But Daisy's family doesn't have a waterproof campsite so they actually rented a house this weekend to avoid the storm, and Coco is seriously depressed sitting inside missing her buddy.

We've made some good friends in Lael (rhymes with kale) and Pete, a younger couple from Northern California. Lael runs her own dog grooming business, so she's been super helpful with tips for Coco, and Peter runs a computer repair business, so he broke the news to us that our laptop is kaput after examining the jack (though we are keeping our fingers crossed we'll find a computer repair place in La Paz). Together they share their camperized Sprinter with three large rescue dogs that Coco has also become friends with.

The past week has been marked with just lazy days by the beach, evening camp fires,  and watching Coco and Daisy TV. Coco is getting bigger, over 9 pounds now and usually goes the whole night without a potty break! Lael, who has a ton of experience with dogs, says she is one of the most chill and sweetest pups she's ever met. We're beginning to think there might even be some daschund in her background as she is does have legs somewhat shorter than her body, which I think contributes to how sillily adorable she looks at a full out run.

Coco warming up after getting soaked in the rain:

Finally caught up on blog posts!

February 10, 2017 - Since there is often a long delay between writing a blog and actually posting it, thought I'd start to include dates.

We left Cabo Frailes on Feb 7 and made the trek back to the Pacific side, giving the solo biker Brent a lift back to Highway 1 and saving him a day of hard riding. We used the new toll highway between the Cabo airport near San Jose del Cabo to north of Cabo San Lucas. It was expensive but was worth every penny as it saved us going through the slow snarls of traffic in those two large tourist towns, though we did exit into CSL for supply stops at Costco and Walmart. We had hoped Costco would be stocking the camp chairs that Andrew lost to the fire, but no such luck. However, Costco did carry flats of Pacifico beer and their own Kirkland Signature reposada tequila amazingly cheap, so it was worth the diversion!

Spent a few nights at our little El Litro park to load up with water, snag a hot shower, and reconnect with friends there, then moved to the free beach boondocking site south of Todos Santos called Pescadaro. There is a large community of about 20 RVs and many tents here, and some couples we've met before at other sites including Saint Alice. We even hooked up with a couple from Langley who we'd first met the night before crossing the border at Potrero County Park. They have a massive fifth-wheel, about 40 feet long, that they live in full-time and pull with a custom Ford diesel F450 4X4, plus a dune buggy they use for getting into town.

This area is popular with surfers due to the way the waves break and thus enjoys a much younger crowd. The beach is nice and some rocky areas actually create small tide pools that are perfect for swimming lessons for Coco. There is even a small little bar catering to the residents. Everyone here has at least one dog or several, so Coco is making lots of friends and getting more accustomed to her "kind" all the time. This morning she play-fought with a 10-month-old border collie named Jenny, jumping and yapping having a great time. Jenny's owner, Andreas from Germany, found the whole scene so cute he wanted to take a picture. He said Jenny hates getting her picture taken so tried to hide the camera at his hip, but the snapping noise alerted her and sure enough - play time was over and Jenny angrily strode away. No amount of cajoling from Andreas would bring her back...the dog was actually mad at getting her picture taken! I've never seen something so bizarre!

I know I'm probably getting a bit repetitious saying we're in paradise, but...well, it is. Apologies to everyone shivering in the snow ;-)

Cabo Frailes Part 3

It's been a blissfully lazy week in Cabo Frailles since I last wrote. Each day we get up with the sun to Coco kisses, make some coffee and big plans...will it be a beach day, or kayaking, or hiking? We've met a ton of people, introduced Coco to all their dogs and she's thriving.

One thing we noticed was that Coco never seemed very interested in her puppy kibble that we got from the vet. She would eventually eat it when mixed with some chicken or fish but she clearly was doing it out of necessity rather than enjoyment. Her stools were always runny and gassy despite all the proper shots and deworming.

Then we met Alice from Comox, who we've come to call "Saint Alice". Alice had rescued many dogs, including an "Air Bud" puppy - a Golden Retriever bred in the wake of the movie hype - now in her later years. She suggested Coco might enjoy a grain-free food as the Mexican kibble is notorious for including excess amounts of processed corn and wheat, and gave us a sample of the dehydrated high quality meal she'd imported. Coco wolfed it down in 20 seconds and showed huge energy immediately, and later had the first solid stool we'd seen her do. As luck would have it, Alice had brought in more of this dog food than she thought she'd need, so we were able to buy a box from her.

Today we had a surreal afternoon, going deep into the arroyo with the truck to collect more firewood. We found a spot with plentiful hardwood and after filling the back of the truck, sat and enjoyed a beer in the solitude of nothing but hills, cacti and sand around us with Queen "I Want to Break Free" cranked on the truck speakers. Magic.

We discovered the hard way which is the best kind of firewood to collect - there is plentiful wood in the arroyo of many kinds of dead trees and cacti. But the cactus wood is very light and full of holes, which Andrew learned often harbour little beasts when he went to move a log on the fire and get stung on the little finger by an exiting scorpion about 4 inches long. He quickly ran to Bernie, an old-timer who has spent many winters here, to ask if he was going to live.

"Don't worry - they're just like a bad bee sting", he said, but did give Andrew a raw onion poultice that was supposed to help draw some of the poison out. The finger did feel numb and tingly and painful for about 3 days. Andrew learned to only collect hard, dense wood and ALWAYS use gloves!

More from Cabo Frailes

Cabo Frailes continues to be wracked by intense winds, making it undesirable to be near the beach with flying sand. We've moved camp a bit further inland nestled into a grove of bushes, but there are still gusts that knock items off our outdoor table. Last night, a gust flung Andrew's camp chair into the fire while he was out of it and the nylon quickly lit. Thank heaven we also brought lower beach chairs so we still have something to sit in!

One of the most interesting aspects of being down here is meeting fellow travellers. There is a huge contingent of RVers from BC who set up elaborate shelters here in the free arroyo for the entire season. Another group is the Europeans, like Franz, who actually ship their rigs across the ocean for long forays through the Americas. Then there is a group of wildly hardy adventurers who are here on bike or foot.

Tyler Burgess camped next to us the past few days and is walking the coast from La Paz to San Jose del Cabo, around a 200 km trek. Yes - walking! She says she does about 16-20 km a day, camping on the beach or staying some nights in hotels along the way. If this isn't impressive enough, it's even more so when you know that she is...(well, we don't actually know)...but guessing she's in her 60s or beyond. Tyler's done many long distance solo walks and her gear is like something from a MEC uber-catalogue - all top notch and designed to be as compact and light as possible, weighing in at 33 lbs for all her gear, shelter, clothing, food, etc - astonishing! For anyone interested in learning more about Tyler, her blog is www.walk-with-me.com.

Our new neighbour is also packing light. He is a young man from New York who has spent the last eight months biking from home through the States and into Baja. These people make us feel like our Escape trailer is a palace!

But some of the BCers truly have constructed castles for their winter homes. Several of the large rigs here have complete outdoor sheltered patios made of tarps, created rock gardens, trees of lights, and in one case, even a mini golf course! Many come year after year and even get protective of their "spot". A regular schedule of water and grocery suppliers has been established to ensure this little winter community isn't in want for anything. This morning, I bought a bag of mixed leafy greens, baby heirloom tomatoes and a head of orange cauliflower from a farmer who drove right to our camp!

We've heard the winds are supposed to subside after the weekend (it's Friday as I write this) and on Sunday there is a transpenicular road race set to blast past on this dirt road, so likely we'll be here a few more days, lazing through the winds inside the comfort of our RV.

More from Cabo Frailes - late Jan - sorry, no pics!

Cabo Frailes continues to be wracked by intense winds, making it undesirable to be near the beach with flying sand. We've moved camp a bit further inland nestled into a grove of bushes, but there are still gusts that knock items off our outdoor table. Last night, a gust flung Andrew's camp chair into the fire while he was out of it and the nylon quickly lit. Thank heaven we also brought lower beach chairs so we still have something to sit in!

One of the most interesting aspects of being down here is meeting fellow travellers. There is a huge contingent of RVers from BC who set up elaborate shelters here in the free arroyo for the entire season. Another group is the Europeans, like Franz, who actually ship their rigs across the ocean for long forays through the Americas. Then there is a group of wildly hardy adventurers who are here on bike or foot.

Tyler Burgess camped next to us the past few days and is walking the coast from La Paz to San Jose del Cabo, around a 200 km trek. Yes - walking! She says she does about 16-20 km a day, camping on the beach or staying some nights in hotels along the way. If this isn't impressive enough, it's even more so when you know that she is...(well, we don't actually know)...but guessing she's in her 60s or beyond. Tyler's done many long distance solo walks and her gear is like something from a MEC uber-catalogue - all top notch and designed to be as compact and light as possible, weighing in at 33 lbs for all her gear, shelter, clothing, food, etc - astonishing! For anyone interested in learning more about Tyler, her blog is www.walk-with-me.com.

Our new neighbour is also packing light. He is a young man from New York who has spent the last eight months biking from home through the States and into Baja. These people make us feel like our Escape trailer is a palace!

But some of the BCers truly have constructed castles for their winter homes. Several of the large rigs here have complete outdoor sheltered patios made of tarps, created rock gardens, trees of lights, and in one case, even a mini golf course! Many come year after year and even get protective of their "spot". A regular schedule of water and grocery suppliers has been established to ensure this little winter community isn't in want for anything. This morning, I bought a bag of mixed leafy greens, baby heirloom tomatoes and a head of orange cauliflower from a farmer who drove right to our camp!

We've heard the winds are supposed to subside after the weekend (it's Friday as I write this) and on Sunday there is a transpenicular road race set to blast past on this dirt road, so likely we'll be here a few more days, lazing through the winds inside the comfort of our RV.

Coco TV in Cabo Frailes

Keeping up with blog posts is likely going to be more neglected now that we're on Coco TV. It's so fun to watch her all day long...guess that's what happens to every new besotted puppy parent.

We landed in Cabo Frailles two nights ago. It is a wide arroyo (seasonal water channel) beside a headland that forms a good-sized beach cresent, just south of Cabo Pulmo. It is on the East Cape of the Baja tip, the coastal arc between La Paz and San Jose del Cabo that is famous for kiteboarding due to regular "El Norte" - strong winds from the north. The headland here helps break the winds, a bit. We still find the winds quite strong and variable, leading to getting stung with flying sand on the beach and facing swells on the kayak.

Okay, back to something more chronological than waxing poetic on weather patterns...knowing that this location was remote, we first drove from Todos Santos to La Paz for a full stock up of propane and supplies. Outside of La Paz is a Caligas station, one of the few places on the peninsula to refill our three 20-pound tanks. At the Walmart in La Paz, we were able to stock up on food, drink, and get puppy essentials such as a nice bed and brush for Coco.

Then on to Los Barriles to a free boondocking location we had discovered on our last trip. Los Barriles is probably about the same size as Todos Santos but has a quite different vibe as most of the expats settling there have done so to kitesurf in the El Norte. We arrived just as the day's "Lord of the Wind" competition was wrapping up for the day. Unfortunately, the kiteboarding competition was also sponsoring a huge beach party that night, with loud music and festivities going until about 4 AM. So we left asap in the morning to make the trek to Cabo Frailles.

Although only about 80 km Los Barriles, we knew this part of the journey would take about 2.5-3 hours because the last 27 km are on a washboard dirt road that we could only do about 10-15 km/h on. It's maddening driving along slower than a walking pace with the trailer bouncing crazily behind us! But it did get us to a paradise.

Cabo Pulmo is a national marine park with an off-shore coral reef famous with snorkellers and scuba divers, but the beach there is quite rocky. Cabo Frailles is another 8 km down the dirt road and opens to a fine white sand beach with a large colony of RVers camping freely through the winter, the majority being from BC! Coco took all the bouncing like a champ, actually sleeping through some of it on the floor of the truck out of the sunshine in her new bed.

We've been set up within 200 feet of the shoreline for the past couple of days, though we may move inland tomorrow as this location is very exposed to sun and wind. Coco continues to astonish us with her quick learning. She very quickly responds to coming at our whistles, which Andrew is beginning to realize is causing confusion when he starts to whistle to a song. Her confidence is growing as she wanders farther from our "home" and is willing to meet new people. Still a bit skittish around other dogs, but she's making quick progress with socializing with "her kind" too.

The most amazing thing today was her first swim. We knew we'd want to have a swimming dog but that it would take time to get a puppy acclimatized to the water. We did get her close to the shoreline in Todos Santos which was amazing given how big the waves are there. Here the waves are very tiny, but she still squealed walking too close to them. But then all of a sudden, with both Andrew and I knee-deep, she conquered her fear and strode in, jumped into the oncoming wave and start to paddle! She swam for about 10 seconds before we picked her up and helped her back to the shoreline. She wouldn't come in a second time, shivering on the beach, so we wrapped her in towels and congratulated her until she warmed back up. We figured that was stressful enough for one day so didn't try again. But for sure she'll be a strong swimmer soon!

Meet Coco! From January 17

Well, many of you suspected this would happen. We, or more accurately, I (Marla) have been considering getting a dog for a while now. With no future overseas travels plans, work obligations, and the house finished, it seemed like a good time to add to the family. And we've always loved how chill Mexi-mutts are and the idea of rescuing an unwanted canine from a rough life.

While in Todos Santos, our walk to and from the beach took us past a ramshackle property with chickens and puppies scratching around the yard. Immediately, I fell in love with a tiny tan floppy-eared pup with a black and white nose. Each time we walked past for 3 weeks, I looked for the little baby. After some serious thought and discussion, we decided to try to make contact with the family who lived there. Knowing so little Spanish, I just called from the road to get their attention, pointed at the puppies and said "Se vende?" (For sale?). The man gestured "just take"! But we weren't able to communicate well enough to get a good idea of the age of the pups, whether they were weaned or who the parents were. So we came back with some Spanish-speaking friends from our RV park to learn all we needed to know.

We played with the four pups from two different litters. Two with longer hair were clearly older, healthier and had open dispositions, and two short-haired ones were sadly very underweight, frightened and covered with fleas. While it broke our hearts to leave the pups so obviously needing help, we realized that with limited Spanish and easy access to veterinary care, it wouldn't be wise to take on more than we could tackle. The tan one with the black nose that I first fell in love with from the road came right up to us and was calm - not nipping or yapping - and absolutely chillaxed as we bundled her up and walked home.

We couldn't have made a better choice. This little tyke astonishes us. Within hours of being with us, she is behaving like a 6-month-old, professionally-trained dog. Not that we're taking any credit for it...she just seems to be super-smart and low maintenance. We took her to the vet for first shots - no problemo - and confirmed she was about 8 weeks old. She is an absolute Mexi-mutt, meaning we have very little idea about her breeding, but by looking at her parents, we it's clear there is a mix of terrier breeds and maybe some beagle, pug, shepherd and lab. We guess she will end up on the small-medium size.  
                           
That first night, she immediately curled up to sleep on the little bed of towels we made for her under the table. We wondered what kind of night we'd be in for having no idea about her toilet habits. We put some newspaper around the floor and went to sleep. Twice during the night she alerted us to distress by whining, we let her out, and she immediately went to the bathroom outside, came back in and went back to sleep! We had a housetrained puppy!

Word spread quickly though the RV park and we had a constant flow of visitors congratulating us on our addition and marvelling at her demeanour. We contemplated several names until Andrew (of course, he is the best namer of things) uttered "Coco", as she was born under coconut palms and her furry little face looks like a coconut.

Today is Day 3 with Coco and she has truly captured our hearts with her easy-going disposition and ability to learn. She already walks along with us without running off, warms up easily to other people, comes at a whistle, seems to understand "no", and is quickly overcoming her fear of the ocean - we'll have her swimming before leaving Baja. We've traveled from Todos Santos to Los Barriles and Cabo Frailes and she has been a champ riding along in the truck, just going with the flow of whatever her new parents are doing. She never barks or growls, just softly whimpers when she needs to potty or is afraid of other big dogs nearby. She totally lets us do whatever grooming needs to be done without struggle - brushing, picking burrs out of her feet, putting on a collar, cleaning her eyes, cleaning out her ears, etc. And best of all, she instinctually knows to toilet away from home.

Of course this is all easier when living the way we are - out in the wild basically. I can't imagine how stressing it would be to try to bring a puppy into a household with work schedules, civic bylaws, and other children.

We know this will impact travel and lifestyle plans in a big way, but it's a change we can happily accept to be able to hang out with this beautiful little creature! She has already adapted to RV travel well. Can't wait for you all to meet Coco!