From Coastal Desert to Mainland Mountains

We started our adventure on the Baja in the beautiful Todos Santos. It was a lovely ten days that felt very much like a vacation with sandy beaches and palm trees. We had a sort of whirlwind tour of Baja Sur, in that time traveling up north to see the whales, back to Todos Santos then up to La Paz for a few days. We were in La Paz last eight years ago, and it is just as nice now as it was back then. Unfortunately, this was also a place where we said our goodbyes to our hosts, Donna and Dal, and some new friends we met through them. It was time to head inland toward our next destination.

We flew from La Paz to Guadalajara on a short and rather uneventful flight. It was easier than expected and an even easier to get a cab toward El Centro where our hotel was. Hotel Frances was really amazing. At 375 years old, it maintains a historic feel with carved wood and marble. An enormous chandelier hangs from the ceiling and a wood staircase wraps it's way up three floors. If you don't want to climb the stairs, there is even an ancient cage elevator available if you can figure out how to make it work.

The hotel was located in a beautiful plaza with a theater on one end and a church on the other. Although it is a very large and bustling city, I wouldn't mind spending more than a day in that part of town.

From Guadalajara, we hopped a bus to Guanajuato, where we will be spending the next four weeks learning spanish. We found our little casa rosa without much trouble and have spent the last few days walking and exploring the city. Many of the streets are small alleyways that twist and turn invariably leading uphill at some point. This is definitely a walking city. Many streets are also pedestrian only because a car wouldn't be able to fit. There is an incredible amount of spanish influence in the buildings with beautiful colors and potted flowers on nearly all of the balconies. This is a city of rich culture and history. We have already found the roasted chicken, farm fresh fruits and vegetables, hand-made tortillas, and locally roasted coffee. We have a kitchen in the place we are staying, so we will be eating delicious and local. I look forward to our time here.

Hotels:
Hotel Frances: $44/night

Restaurants:

Transportation:
Plane to Guadalajara
On foot

Activities:

Whales in Magdelena Bay

Early Sunday morning, we were picked up at our hotel in Todas Santos and headed our way North to Puerto San Carlos. It may have been five and a half hours to get there, but seeing such an amazing thing is worth it. The gray whales swim a very long distance to calve in the warm waters of Magdelena Bay to the delight of the many tourists who flock there annually. We were just as excited.

We stayed in a pleasant, and oddly Irish themed hotel called the Brennan, who helped organize the tour. They even met us there and took us to the docks. Loaded into the small boat that perfectly fit the six of us, we realized that we couldn't have asked for a better day on the water. It was sunny, not too hot, and quite calm. With pelicans soaring overhead, we finally spotted a whale breaching in the distance. We crept closer to discover that it was a momma and her baby. There were many boats, so we didn't get a clear view right away. However, we were soon rewarded with a up close and quite personal view of both momma and baby. The first time the larger of the two started to surface was incredible and awe inspiring. You don't realize just how big they are until their 40 feet of length is literally next to your tiny boat. We were satisfied, but that was not the end of it. We had a good couple of hours of whales so close that we were bumped from underneath from momma and baby coming up for a pet on the nose from Dal. All I have to say is, amazing! At first we thought the boats might be harmful and chasing the whales down, but we soon discovered their the babies willing to be playful and curious nature. Overall, this is a highly recommended experience for all.

Hotels:
Motel Guluarte, Todos Santos: 400 pesos/night (DO NOT STAY HERE)
Hotel Brennan, San Carlos/Magdalena Bay: 750 pesos/night
Hotel Lorimar, La Paz: 650 pesos/night

Restaurants:
Manny & Mama’s, Todos Santos
Miguel’s, Todos Santos
Cafelix, Todos Santos
La Esquina, Todos Santos

Transportation:
Family, on foot

Activities:
Whale Watching in Magdalena Bay: 1070 pesos
Tortugueros Las Playitas, Todos Santos: free
Galaria Logan, Todos Santos: free
Malecon, La Paz: free
Balandra Beach, La Paz: free

The First Leg of the Journey

It still doesn't seem real. I feel as if I am on vacation. We quit our jobs a week ago and have been in Mexico for a few days. Honestly, it may take a while before it kicks in that this is my life for the next eight months. 

The adventure officially started when we left Stanwood on the airport shuttle. Even though we were only staying in Seattle, we were away from home in the first of many hotels. The Red Roof Inn was cheap and on a questionable part of International Blvd, but it was clean and had a quick shuttle service to the airport. We had a romantic Valentines dinner next door at the Ramada, and spent the evening relaxing and watching TV. We had a little bit of excitement when someone pulled the fire alarm and we had to pile out of the hotel with the rest of the guests. Thankfully, it wasn't too long standing in the cold rain before we were allowed to go back. 

The flight to Cabo San Lucas was short and uneventful. We sat next to a lovely lady who had lots of experience traveling. We compared notes on the places we've been, and got some advice on places we are going. When we arrived at the airport, Ian's parents were waiting for us. The drive to their home in Todas Santos was through the beautiful desert mountains with the sun slowly setting against a distant coast line. They fed us some delicious chili rellanos and a cerveza in town at an adorable little restaurant. When we finally arrived at their cozy little house, we were greeted by their sweet dog Charlie and given the grand tour. 

Todas Santos is sunny and warm with nearly deserted beaches and an adorable little town. The beach is walking distance from the house and the town is only a few blocks in either direction. We spent the last few days exploring the area by foot. The sunsets have been gorgeous and colorful. The water is warm, and we even spent a day boogie boarding in the smaller surf. We saw some baby turtles and learned about their nests. Some of the activities to come are listening to Dal play music in Cabo,  whale watching, and swimming with whale sharks. It has been very relaxing to be here.