Patrick and Elena are now back from 2 weeks surfing in Baja. They had an excellent trip with good waves and zero crowds. Check out the video below chronicling their trip.
If you wanna see more waves from their trip, check out Patrick's youtube channel. There are more videos there.
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Monday, May 19, 2014
Return to Baja
Patrick and his girlfriend Elena are leaving today for a 2 week surf trip in Baja. They will be exploring the pacific side of the peninsula hoping to find some good waves. They will be taking Patrick's truck down, loaded with surfboards. You can follow their location by clicking the link here.
Monday, April 21, 2014
Thursday, April 10, 2014
April 10 Back in contact
Thanks for bearing with our lack of posts, emails, etc for the last two weeks. We've had no internet except for about 15 minutes while grabbing fuel at Puerto Escondido.
We expected to be back in internet range long before this, but the weather had other plans. Haha, that's cruising: you can pick the time with certainty, but not both.
We should be in Santa Rosalia for the next 24 hours (Until 8am, April 11), but will likely be out of contact again for at least 3-4 days as we head north.
Thanks for bearing with us!
We expected to be back in internet range long before this, but the weather had other plans. Haha, that's cruising: you can pick the time with certainty, but not both.
We should be in Santa Rosalia for the next 24 hours (Until 8am, April 11), but will likely be out of contact again for at least 3-4 days as we head north.
Thanks for bearing with us!
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
April 4-9 Waiting out a Norther, San Juanico Cove
Hanging around San Juanico |
We arrived in the afternoon an anchored next to our friends on Brizo. Being Patrick’s birthday, he headed into the water to do some spearing. Got a few nice fish for dinner. We had a bonfire on the beach with the Brizo folk and a guitar was brought along for entertainment. We cooked our fish in the fire like hobo stew, with cut up veggies and spices wrapped in a few layers of foil. Yum-my! Played some tunes while watching the fire and Joe from Brizo displayed his music skills as well. Patrick enjoyed his bday gift from David, a bottle of tequila and was surprised that Brizo had baked a little cake for Patrick! How sweet! It was darn tasty too! Chocolate covered with coconut flakes. Despite the early start, it was a good mellow birthday.
"Lebanese" horseshoe at San Juanico |
Flying a kite on the beach |
One afternoon Patrick was spearing again( notice a pattern here?) and saw a familiar boat come in, Purusha. We had met Purusha a month previously in Santa Rosalia and were a little puzzled in trying to figure out the structure of their crew. There was an older hippie with 4 young women. Not sure if we were witnessing some sort of harem, but we got the story out. Turns out a few families own the boat and they have a hired captain (the hippie David). They were lots of fun to hang out with in Santa Rosalia and we were happy to meet them again. The next day we planned a beach game olympics with all the young’ns.
The Brizo crew during one of our joint fish-cooking sessions |
Patrick emerging from night spearfishing |
With a planned departure the next morning, we said goodbye to Brizo and Purusha and prepped for an overnight motor to Santa Rosalia the next day. While we lost some time to explore the Northern Sea, it was an enjoyable time buddy boating with other young cruisers.
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Apr 1-3: Bahia Salinas - Preservation, and Bighorn
Hauling the dingy up the beach |
Once again I am struck by how much Baja resembles the American west.
In this case, we have come across a ghost town rusting equipment and old mines. This ghost town is on the edge of a bighorn sheep breeding preserve. Sounds like a bunch of places in the US, right?
The difference here derives from the location: a beautiful sand beach on a large, largely deserted, desert island.
Bahia Salinas is so named because it was once a salt company town. The large flat area of the island behind the old town was used as a salt pond, and the salt was mined and shipped all over.
Today remain only a few buildings, a collapsed pier, and much rusty equipment. When we first started walking through the area it seemed abandoned.
But small snippets of habitation and visitation soon emerge. A sparse but cleanly maintained chapel. A recently built wooden doghouse. Some modern plastic water tanks. As we walk down a back street and see an occupied house it is clear that caretakers still live here.
Then we return towards our dinghy, strolling along the beachfront homes. These have been refurbished into a swanky hunting lodge. People boat or fly in to the private airport to hunt bighorn sheep.
Although the island is used as a breeding ground for the sheep to repopulate the Baja Peninsula, hunting is apparently permitted. So luxury tourism is born, evident even in the artistic flair with which nearby abandoned equipment is decorated.
As if to emphasize the point, a National Geographic cruise ship arrives and drops anchor, enabling its guest explorers to head ashore and observe the facilities. A week aboard one of these ships for four people can cost more than blue eyes did, it's now quite a genteel crowd in the anchorage…
Well, that won't stop Patrick from taking the dinghy to the wrecked Tuna boat in the bay, and catching more triggerfish than he can count (and releasing almost all).
Although we've been stuck here for a couple of days, we should have ok conditions tomorrow, and we hope to arrive at San Juanico in time for Patrick's birthday evening. Brizo's been here with us, and it sounds like they may head to San Juanico as well. What fun that could be!
In this case, we have come across a ghost town rusting equipment and old mines. This ghost town is on the edge of a bighorn sheep breeding preserve. Sounds like a bunch of places in the US, right?
The difference here derives from the location: a beautiful sand beach on a large, largely deserted, desert island.
Bahia Salinas is so named because it was once a salt company town. The large flat area of the island behind the old town was used as a salt pond, and the salt was mined and shipped all over.
Abanoned waterfront of Bahia Salinas |
Today remain only a few buildings, a collapsed pier, and much rusty equipment. When we first started walking through the area it seemed abandoned.
But small snippets of habitation and visitation soon emerge. A sparse but cleanly maintained chapel. A recently built wooden doghouse. Some modern plastic water tanks. As we walk down a back street and see an occupied house it is clear that caretakers still live here.
Then we return towards our dinghy, strolling along the beachfront homes. These have been refurbished into a swanky hunting lodge. People boat or fly in to the private airport to hunt bighorn sheep.
The small chapel at Bahia Salinas |
Although the island is used as a breeding ground for the sheep to repopulate the Baja Peninsula, hunting is apparently permitted. So luxury tourism is born, evident even in the artistic flair with which nearby abandoned equipment is decorated.
As if to emphasize the point, a National Geographic cruise ship arrives and drops anchor, enabling its guest explorers to head ashore and observe the facilities. A week aboard one of these ships for four people can cost more than blue eyes did, it's now quite a genteel crowd in the anchorage…
Artistic re-use of the abandoned machinery (note the drivers) |
Well, that won't stop Patrick from taking the dinghy to the wrecked Tuna boat in the bay, and catching more triggerfish than he can count (and releasing almost all).
Although we've been stuck here for a couple of days, we should have ok conditions tomorrow, and we hope to arrive at San Juanico in time for Patrick's birthday evening. Brizo's been here with us, and it sounds like they may head to San Juanico as well. What fun that could be!
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Mar 31-Apr 1: Honeymoon cove - and young cruisers!
One of the coves of "Honeymoon Cove" at Danzante island |
Once again, this place has it all. Small secluded coves, good fishing, clear waters, and even nicely maintained hiking trails. We spent the next day lounging, and recreating around the anchorage.
Then that afternoon a boat pulled in, we were no longer alone. But when we got a better look it was ok, the other boat had four people aboard - all of them twenty-somethings!
Then they started recounting stories that they'd heard from other young cruisers, for instance one that about a couple of guys who bought a possibly haunted Junk off an old Nazi's estate in La Paz. They got it cheap because he passed away while aboard.
Overview of the anchorage at honeymoon cove with Blue Eyes in the background |
As the evening progressed, we realized that we had met all the same young cruisers: the aforementioned couples as well as the ladies aboard Purusha in Santa Rosalia.
There are so few of us young'uns down here that we can't help but meet each other. We certainly have a natural affinity for each other.
Tomorrow we head to Bahia Salinas on Isla Carmen. So do they, looks like we might buddy-boat for a little while, how social!
Sunrise aboard Blue Eyes at Honeymoon Cove |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)