2/26 (David) We met Harold, the local fishing guru. He loves to fish and enjoys telling stories about his exploits both on the sea and on the land. I think he could give a great tour of lots of interesting places on the Baja. He also knows a lot about the night life on the Baja. Joanne and Bird are working on the Animales y amigos fundraiser for Saturday, so Smokey and I worked on projects at Casa Azul. We ran the wire for his internet hook-up and fixed a screen door for the main room. Today we will pack for our trip to San Carlos where I am sure we will have a great time and hopefully will catch fish and see whales. I am in charge of the evening meal, so I plan to find the Super Pollo truck and purchase chicken dinners. Note: Bird cheats at Mexican Train.
(Joanne) It has been "Arts & Crafts" time for me as I have been working on decorating 2 large donation jars for the animal rescue group. Bird is very active in rescuing dogs, and the group has 2 events this weekend, a garage sale on Saturday morning and a vaccination clinic on Sunday morning. Right after the clinic ends we are heading for San Carlos, a five hour drive.
Today there is a road race involving cars and motorcycles that will be going through town. We may go check it out, but I think we will be able to hear it from the house. I have been able to check email every day. The weather at home sounds awful--ice and snow. Glad we are here!
2/27 (David) I am not sure that an ATV is the vehicle for me. I practiced on Bird's 4-wheeler for 20 minutes and then Joanne and I went for a drive around town. I haven't driven an ATV before, but I did have a motorcycle in the 70s. Not sure I could take more than 25-30 minutes on one as it is stressful on my hips and knees. The roads and intersections won't allow much more than 15-20 mph, so a wild ride at 40 - 50 with the wind blowing through your hair was out of the question.
No Super Pollo--the bus never arrived, so probably will order pizza and /or spaghetti from a local place. I would have to find a hobby or project if I were down here longer than a week or two as I feel an urge to accomplish something. Buying an 8-pack of Modelo and having a few beers doesn't qualify as a major project--although quite enjoyable. We will have to plan better for next week since Smokey will be in San Diego. I will have time on my hands to get some adventures planned and completed.
(Joanne) The big garage sale fund raising event was quite successful from the fund raising aspect. It was held at a home that is Se Vende (For Sale) in La Ribera. I heard $500,000 to $600,000 as the asking price. It is a beautiful 2-story, 5 bedroom, 5 bathroom home on 4 lots. Gorgeous patios and gardens. That started a conversation with Bird about buying property here, which ended with an offer by her to rent us their upstairs apartment.
2/28 (David) Happy birthday Joanne! I hope you have a great day whale watching, fishing, and staying on Magdalena Island over night. We had a long drive over mountains and desert to get to our destination. The trip from La Ribera to La Paz was less than 2 hours, but was mostly through mountain passes and up and down the cliffs. From La Paz to Constitution it was a straight shot over high plains down to the Pacific coast. We arrived in San Carlos at about 6:30 p.m. and found our hotel, a small establishment with 5 rooms to rent. The owner offered to cook us dinner and prepare huevos rancheros for breakfast. Our trip to the island will begin at 8 a.m. The town of San Carlos has grown considerably since Smokey and Bird were last here, 7,000. Lots of poverty with people living in 12 x 12 plywood shacks, but it seems each has a satellite dish on it. Our guide for today is Gabriele, and he has 2 boats and will be taking us in his smaller one, a 16 foot panga. He seems quite the businessman. Vanamous compadres!
(Joanne) I will celebrate my 62nd birthday with a boat trip/fishing expedition/whale watching adventure. We drove all afternoon to get to San Carolos where Bird and Smokey have a friend with a boat. We didn't leave until after 1:00 p.m. because Bird helped run an animal vaccination clinic in the morning. Dave got a good dose of Mexican driving, and did a good job. Our hotel is the Villa Isabella. It is very clean and well-maintained. The proprieter is a young woman who is helped by a cook and security guard. We ate a great chicken dinner for our supper. Bird and Smokey's friend Gabriele is a very personable young man. He is Jehovah Witness, very clean cut and polite. He and his wife have a beautiful home in the midst of a lot of poverty. Lots of hurricane damage has been repaired (from 2009) but there is more to fix.
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