February 26, 2015 - El Requeson

The wind stopped during the night and we woke to a beautiful, sunny day. We walked back to Playa La Perla camping area this morning and continued all the way to the highway. You can reach the camping area from El Requeson, or you can take the narrow rough road from the highway. I think I would choose getting there from El Requeson!

There is no one camped there, and the beach is quite small. I think the camping fee is the same as El Requeson at $100 pesos per night. ($7 USD)
We saw these birds on our way back to camp. I am always amazed at their habits. It seems like the pelicans all dive after fish at the same time and all rest on the rocks at the same time. Makes me wonder if they are members of the local pelican union!


Around 11 this morning, the low tide allowed us to walk over to the island without getting our feet wet. There are supposed to be trails on the island, but we only had on flip-flops and the mangroves are dense, so we opted to just go over and back.

This afternoon, our neighbors, Larry and Joyce, loaned us their canoe. We went out of our bay and went around the island from the south to the north. The wind had picked up a little so we had a little wave action, which always makes me nervous! Tobey just laughed at me – but didn’t dunk me. The picture below shows our camping area from the north – and you can see the waves.

After passing the island, we came into another bay where there is a restaurant. We stopped to check out their menu before heading back. Rather than carry the canoe over the spit, we went around the outside of the island and back into our little bay. The wind finally died down and the last ten minutes was a gentle ride in!Larry and Joyce made steamed clams for dinner this evening and invited us to join them. I am not a clam-eater, but Tobey is, so I made potatoes and we joined them. Tobey said they were very tasty. We played a couple card games after dinner and again, enjoyed their good company. You certainly can meet a lot of nice people when you are RV camping!

RV CAMPING – BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR

February 25, 2015 - El Requeson

The wind howled all night and our little RV shook here at El Requeson camping area, but we actually both slept really well! El Requeson is located on the southwestern shore of Bahia Concepcion. During the winter months this area is subject to brisk northerly breezes which funnel down the length of Bahia Concepcion and we sure felt it.

Today, however, the wind died back a little and we took a couple of small walks around the camping area. First we headed a little north from the beach area and spotted this egret in the water. We then headed to Playa La Perla, a camping area just south of here. It was deserted and the few palapas that are there are in terrible repair. We found later we should have gone further for a better view of this bay. Oh well, there is always tomorrow!El Requeson is actually the small island lying off shore, but at low tide, it is connected to the mainland by an isthmus. The picture below is before low tide.The next picture is closer to low tide and you can see the sand spit which connects the island.This afternoon we met our “next-door”  neighbors, Joyce and Larry. After dinner they invited us to their place and we played cards and visited for a few hours. They are really interesting and we had a great time.

We are hoping for calmer weather tomorrow.

RV CAMPING – BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR

February 24, 2015 - Loreto to Playa Requeson

Our camping spot last night south of Loreto near the airport was great. It was quiet with no roosters crowing or dogs barking; only the sound of the waves hitting the shore. The airport guards (at least we think that is what they might be) went by a few times during the night on their 4-wheeler patrolling the beach, but we barely heard them so we slept great.
Today it seemed like we had a busy day with lots of chores. We headed into town this morning and stopped by the Riviera del Mar RV Park to get a recommendation on where to get an oil change. When we pulled up to the oil change shop, we ran into Steve and Darlene, a couple we met at Los Frailes! They were just finishing up, so we were next. Small world – or small peninsula. It was $675 pesos (about $48 USD) for the oil change including a Fram filter and Quaker State oil which is more than we pay in the States, but not too bad. The couple that ran the shop were really nice and it is located on Salvetierrra , just west of Independencia.

Our next stop was topping off our fresh water tank. After jockeying our way into the water store’s filling area, we found out they didn’t have a hose adaptor that would fit our intake! Slowly, Tobey backed out and we decided to head back to Riviera del Mar. We paid them $30 pesos (just over $2 USD) to fill our water up.  While we were there, Marla & Andrew pulled in to camp there!
We finished the rest of our chores – groceries, ATM, and then went to Orlando’s for lunch. Some of the campers at Rattlesnake Beach told us they had the best coconut shrimp they had ever eaten there. Well, it was okay, but definitely not the best we’ve had. Tobey had the flautas and they were okay, but the ones we had up by San Javier Mission were better! The restaurant definitely caters to “Gringos” – it was full, and everyone was a tourist, and the prices were high! The ice cream shop next to the restaurant was a good treat, however. A double dip cup of ice cream for $22 pesos ($1.60 USD) so we treated ourselves!

It was time to hit the road to Playa Requeson – about 90 kilometers away. It wasn’t a bad drive, but the road was narrow and curvy. We also had our first real military inspection today. Two soldiers boarded the RV and looked in the cabinets, drawers, and refrigerator while they asked questions about where we had been and where we were headed. It only took less than 10 minutes and we were on our way. They were very polite and it’s not a problem – especially when you have nothing to hide!
We parallel parked the RV in the line of other campers along the beach. It is really windy, and we didn’t stay outside very long today.There is a sand spit that connects the mainland to the small island. During low tide, you are able to walk across to the island. We are hoping that the wind will die down tomorrow so we can go across and explore the island a little. At the bottom of the picture below, you can see the sand blowing into the water.
We are tucked in for the night and will probably pull out an extra blanket because it has chilled off quite a bit.

GPS: 26.63766N, 111.83183W
RV CAMPING – BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR

February 23, 2015 - Rattlesnake Beach to Loreto

We packed up this morning and headed a little further north. On the way out we saw a snake crossing the road – not a rattlesnake, but now we know for sure there are snakes in the area.
There were low-lying clouds hanging over the canyon area we hiked yesterday with the water pools. We actually drove up the road a little way because there is a water tap where we were able to fill the RV with well water. All of the water trucks that sell water come there to fill their tanks so it must be good!

Near the Loreto airport, we turned off the highway and drove 36 kilometers to the San Javier Mission. The road started off fine, even though it was fairly narrow. Pretty soon, the straight section disappeared and we entered the winding mountain track.
We encountered lots of road damage from rock slides and washouts.
There is one section of the road that was washed out and replaced with a single lane dirt/rock road. Fortunately, the dirt section was less than 1/2 mile long!
There are several “vados” which are low areas where the river crosses the road. We approached these with extra care, not knowing for sure what the condition of the road surface below the water was like.
This crossing was fairly rough, and if you look at the picture below, you will see the section of concrete that SHOULD HAVE BEEN the road was washed into the river! We don’t know if this road damage is from the hurricane, but there were several areas where water moved lots of the road into new places!

We finally arrived at the small village where the mission is located.

This mission was founded by Father Francisco Maria Piccolo on May 11, 1699. When it was founded, it was known as “Vigge Biaundo” which translates as “high lands in the heights of the ravine.” Construction of the church took place from 1744 to 1758.

It is still one of the main sanctuaries of the Baja peninsula and thousands of pilgrims visit on December 2, when they celebrate “Javier Days.The art and beautiful altar pieces, as well as the wood and stone sculptures, make it one of the most beautiful temples in Baja. The interior floor plan is shaped as a Latin cross and it was the first to have glass windows in California.



The gilded altar pieces were made in Mexico and brought by ship and mules from Tepozotlan 250 years ago. Outside we got a side view of the building – it was huge!

We had lunch at the restaurant next to the Mission. I had the flautas and Tobey had the burritos. They were both tasty and we were well-fortified for the downhill trek.

Once we were back on the highway, it was just a short drive into Loreto and out to our camping area for tonight. We are boondocking just south of town in an area that was a planned area by FORNATUR (Mexico’s tourism department).

The government put in concrete curbs and divided roadways, but it isn’t paved. They were hoping to develop this area with hotels and shops, but it hasn’t happened yet. It is just east of the Loreto airport. A few miles south of here is the Nopolo area, which is also a FORNATUR development which has a couple hotels, golf and tennis courts, restaurants, and lots of condominium type properties. It looks like they were hoping to connect Loreto and Nopolo via this malecon. We asked the guard if we could camp here overnight and he said it was no problem.
Tobey and I walked the beach this afternoon and found the palapa – the only structure along the beach! It is about a mile south of where we ended up and not a big enough attraction for us to move.

We planned to eat dinner in town tonight, but the restaurant we wanted to go to was closed on Mondays! Oh, well, we can try at lunch tomorrow.
We decided to come back to our quiet beach spot and had dinner here. We are looking forward to a quiet night, listening to the waves crashing on the shore and not the roosters and dogs we heard in town!

GPS: 25.99310N, 111.33838W
RV CAMPING – BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR

February 22, 2015 - Rattlesnake Beach

We were up early today because we wanted to hike the “Hart Trail” which leads to the the top of the hill overlooking the beach and Puerto Escondito harbor. It was a little cloudy (yeah) which helped keep the temperature a little cooler.

We saw some creepy beetles and some small lizards. The lizards actually had a brilliant green underbelly which was cool to see.


Close to the top we could look back at the beach and see the campers parked along the beach. The boats in the foreground belong to the local fishermen. We saw them bring in a ray this morning, but that is the only fish we have seen them catch, unlike the busy fishing beach at Los Frailes! We are parked near the top of the photo, near the blue spot.

Marla and Andrew caught up to us (quickly since I am such a slow hiker!) and joined us for the final trek to the top.

There was a good view of the harbor at Puerto Escondito, too!


The white cross is visible from the highway below, but we were seeing it from above. Looking behind the cross is the road we took this afternoon when we went to the fresh water pools. We took the scooter out of the camping area and crossed the highway up another rough gravel road.

At the end of the road, we parked and began our ascent up the canyon to a small river and fresh water pools.
The trail is marked with small rock cairns, and we did lots of up and downs across the boulders.
At the next to the last pool, we met a really nice Mexican family who we talked to for quite a while. They were from Loreto and having a Sunday swim/picnic. Their little boys were really cute and shared their potato chips with us!

We continued to the last pool and enjoyed a refreshing – some would say cold – swim! The water was really clear and it actually felt good.

After drying off, we started our climb back down the hill which wasn’t always easy, but we made it.

Back at camp, we were planning to see if the fishermen had any fish to sell when another neighbor offered us some yellow tail they had caught. It was a new fish to us, so we readily accepted and ended up cooking it for dinner. It reminded us both of tuna, but it was pretty tasty pan fried with garlic.

We also joined two other couples for happy hour and had fun visiting until the no-see-ums got bad. We enjoyed the sunset colors reflecting over the water. It always seems weird to me because looking at the water we are facing east! I won’t attempt to explain it, I’ll just enjoy it.

Tomorrow we will pack up and move a little further north.

RV CAMPING – BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR

February 21, 2015 - Rattlesnake Beach

It was another laid back day in Mexico.

We walked the beach this morning and enjoyed visiting with the people who are camped here. Several of them have been coming for years and years and have developed a community-type atmosphere. Everyone is really friendly and happy to share information about good camping spots.

Ironically, Mike and Gloria, the people who already have their 5th wheel in this site, arrived today! They were only dropping off some things before going over to Puerto Lopez Mateos for a couple days, so they said it was no problem for us to stay here!
We scootered over to the harbor area, hoping to get cell service this afternoon. One of the Mexicans at the harbor gates drove us over to an area where there was some reception. Of course, no place to sit and no shade! Tobey improvised and used the scooter as a chair and desk for the computer. We were unable to get a good enough connection for calling home, but he was able to shoot off a couple emails. The signal wasn’t strong enough to post blogs, either! We hope you are all doing well – we miss you! For our family and friends in Colorado, we are sorry about all the snow you are supposed to get this weekend.



We walked around the harbor, then went up the road about 5 kilometers to check out Juancalito Beach. There is absolutely NO ONE camping there and it didn’t look like we would want to stop there as our next destination, so we will look at the maps again before heading on.

Back at camp, we walked some more then had “happy hour” with a nice young couple, Andrew and Marla, who we had met at Puerto Lopez Mateos. Around 5:30 – 6:00 pm, the “no-see-ums” started coming out in force, so we headed back to our rig. Tobey got a couple bites while I am covered with them. It looked like I was doing the chicken-dance while I was making dinner – trying to scratch my leg with the opposite foot and stirring the food at the same time! Time to dig out the bug spray and take an antihistamine.

RV CAMPING – BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR

February 20, 2015 - Puerto Lopez Mateos to Rattlesnake Beach

This morning we walked back to the dock area and saw a couple whales spouting not far from the shore, but we decided not to go out on the boats. We had such a good experience at Guerrero Negro that we want to keep that good memory of Baja whale watching!

We decided to head over to Rattlesnake Beach, south of Loreto. As we drove through Puerto Lopez Mateos, we spotted an osprey land on the nest and feed her babies.


We stopped the RV and watched as she landed and fed the babies, then settled back in on the nest. Lucky for us, there wasn’t any traffic on the road at the time!

Continuing on, we again were retracing our route on Highway 1 from the Pacific side through Cuidad Insurgentes, then crossing the peninsula to the Sea of Cortez. The road passes through several portions of the Transpeninsular mountain range. We both enjoyed the scenery.

We decided to stop for lunch at a little “loncheria” in the middle of nowhere. It turned out to be a good stop.

The building with the restaurant’s name on it, is in fact, the famly’s home. The restaurant is just to the right of it in a smaller building with a kitchen. There were three tables and about six items on the menu – each costing 80 pesos (about $5.75 USD). Tobey had the “bistek asada” with beans and salad and I had an order of carne burritos with beans. They were both really tasty and we were full when we left. They didn’t have any Pepsi or Diet Coke, but they were okay with us bringing our own in.

We actually went into Loreto to go recharge our Banda (internet) for another month and stop at an ATM to get cash. That is one thing that is so different for us coming from the US to Mexico; we are accustomed to using credit cards to pay for everything, where Mexico is definitely a cash-based society. Filling the gas tank on an RV when you are paying about $3.75 USD per gallon is quite expensive – over $100 USD per every time!

When approaching Loreto from the south, you get a great view of the golf course. There are a couple of bridges over the lagoons for the carts to get to the different holes. It is pretty – too bad neither of us golf!

After finishing our town chores, we headed back to find a camping spot at Rattlesnake Beach, about 15 miles south of Loreto. It is located near Puerto Escondito and accessed via a 1-1/2 mile gravel and dirt single track road. This area is a haven for fishermen from Canada and the US, as well as the location of a local fishing camp. Most of the spots were taken and we are actually camped by a 5th wheel that is long-term here, but the owners are not, so it is sitting empty.

We have noticed lots of “no-see-um” this evening and are hoping they disappear during the day. We are both tired tonight so will probably have an early bedtime.

GPS: 25,79536N, 111.31165W
RV CAMPING – BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR