http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Baja-Paradise-09/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Baja Paradise 09 en-us Tue, 05 Jan 2010 10:27:12 +0000 Tue, 05 Jan 2010 10:27:12 +0000 Time to pack up say goodbye to both new friends and old and to face reality of returning to our home in the good old U.S.A. This has been a good winter overall. The wind was more reluctant to lie down this winter but it finally did and it has been very hot the last couple of weeks. The waters have also become very warm but with the warmth come the aguas malas or jelly fish. On the sur http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Baja-California-Sur/blog-397332.html Today 27 April a group of us hired the Awesome Cruiser to take us to Cerralvo Island which is north of Los Barriles near the city of La Paz. It is an uninhabited island and is 18 miles long and Mexico's ninth largest island. It is a considered a big fish game location and there is an abundance of Golden Grouper Broadbill Swordfish Marlin Sailfish and other game fish. We were hoping http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Baja-California-Sur/blog-394507.html The last couple of days have been pretty busy. On Thursday I went on another ATV adventure to Pescadero on the Road to No Where. The road is washboard dirt and rocks and is long and winding but is right on the ocean The views are phenomenal However I didn't look too many times because I was concentrating on my driving the ATV. Pescadero is a small fishing village about 5 miles http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Baja-California-Sur/blog-393640.html Today I went on my first ATV adventure down the arroyo to San Bartolo a small village about 10 miles from Los Barriles. An arroyo is actually the Spanish word for creek but it is really a dry channel through which water flows intermittently and irregularly. These areas are public domain and the locals spend time in the arroyos having picnics and partying. During the rainy season water d http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Baja-California-Sur/blog-392268.html I don't like to think that I will be leaving here as the time has just flown by Seems that only yesterday we arrived and now it is almost time to go home. Well as they say All good things must come to an end. I don't like it but I know that God willing we will be back next winter. This week was kind of a busy one for me as I went into La Paz on Wednesday to interpret for a couple her http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Baja-California-Sur/blog-391905.html I know I already put up an Easter blog but this is the real deal Ha HaToday I went to the Sunrise Easter Service here on the beach. The service is sponsored by a non denominational church here by the name of Nueva Vida or New Life. The service started at 6.30 am and consisted of songs a passage from the Bible and a message delivered by the pastor in both Spanish and English. Although it http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Baja-California-Sur/blog-390125.html All the guys in the park here got feeling sorry for Mike because he has neither an ATV nor a boat. He has a couple of nice fishing poles but it is hard to fish without a boat. So last night he got home and found this beauty awaiting him. He now is really feeling like one of the gringos of Costa Brava. He is looking forward to venturing out in his new boat http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Baja-California-Sur/blog-388337.html Saludos de los Barriles. The weather here has been very weird the last few weeks still a lot of wind which has prevented me from kayaking but I guess the alternative of snow and rain is much worse so I don't complain. The fisherman are none too happy either. Our painter from last year Rogelio came by for a visit. He said that he had no work for three months and hopes for it to pick up http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Baja-California-Sur/blog-388230.html My brother Bob Boberto and his wife Joyce were here about a week or so ago for a WAY too SHORT visit but we packed as much in as possible and tried to provide for some down time too as they had been doing a lot of touring in AZ before getting here. So..........................here is their take on the trip to the Baja Sorry it took me so long to get it up but I wanted to get the picures http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Baja-California-Sur/blog-383788.html Hola..............Mike's only question is Who says a flatlander can't catch a fish in the Baja He is very proud of his white fish that he caught on Thursday. He went out with Bert a great guy here in the park. They fished just down the way off the beach here in a deep hole about 300 feet . Bert had all the equipment and he was sure that they would have luck and they did. The guys go http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Baja-California-Sur/blog-383747.html HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY TO ALL THE BLOGGERSStill here and enjoying the weather although it has become a little windy again but I am not complaining at all. It was a little cloudy too the last couple of days and it even sprinkled. That is very unusual.Today we just went on some of the back roads here in quest of this new hotel called Hotel de los Pescadores. We found it without a problem http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/blog-382037.html It has been awhile since I last entered a blog but things are still going well for us here. Bob and Joyce were here for about a week and we tried to acclimate them with cultural experiences so as to immerse them with an authentic feel for the Baja. They will be entering a guest blog here soon to relate their experiences.Before they got here we were able to get our gate work finished up http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Baja-California-Sur/blog-381227.html Saludos The winds are finally dying down here so the gringos are getting happier and the kiters are putting their equipment away for the year. The new Pemex station has opened and is having a big grand opening this weekend. Already folks are complaining that they are watering down the gas so as to make a bigger profit. There is another Pemex in town too and one of the locals who owns the b http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Baja-California-Sur/blog-378509.html Monday we travelled to La Paz about 70 Miles north of here to attend the Carnaval which is a long awaited event each year for residents of the city. It marks the celebration occurring right before the season of Lent which begins tomorrow. This year the celebration of dance music food and costume began the 19th and closes on the 24 of February. Eight residents from Costa Brava hit the road ea http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Baja-California-Sur/blog-376605.html Hola again from Los Barriles. The wind continues to blow but I am not complaining as I know how much snow dropped last night in Michigan. Even more reason to come down.........I hired the guys here to install a walk in gate as well as a gate we can use to pull in the car here when we leave. Ridiculously slow but I kept track of their hours and only paid by the hour. I think they were n http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Baja-California-Sur/blog-375899.html Not much new to report here. The big drama in the park is the structure being built on the front that is made out of steel. Everyone is up in arms bc of the welding that is going on which poses a huge fire danger to the palapas. First the structure was way too high so they had to lower it. In the process of lowering the trusses more welding along with more sparks. The owners on either http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Baja-California-Sur/blog-375131.html Hope this finds all of you well on this Valentine's Day. I began my day with a Rotary Club sponsored Run with you Hon 5k walk here in Los Barriles. There were not as many participants as last year but almost all the residents of Costa Brava Park walked none of us ran and were content to just walk and finish Well actually three of us kind of took a shortcut so we would not have to be las http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Baja-California-Sur/blog-373713.html Saludos amigos Nothing but sun and warmth to report from our paradise in the Baja. We know that Michigan is experiencing a bit of a warming trend too Hope it remains but......Saturday I was again in La Paz in search of one of my neighbor's Betty little Yorkie Rosie. Betty and her husband had been in La Paz for a doctor's appointment and then stayed at this B and B owned by another g http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Baja-California-Sur/blog-371579.html Wednesday morning I headed out to La Paz with three gals from the park here and headed for what they call Segundas which are second hand stores in quest of stuff. Last year I had found this great segunda outside the airport in SJD and found some great buys. an old recliner a table and with the other gals in tow we made out well with all of our purchases However it being a Monday I thi http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Baja-California-Sur/blog-370764.html The biggest news here is that the cattle are jumping over the cattle guard every evening and have eaten every bit of hibiscus in the park The park dog Oso is very good at chasing them out. Today we didn't do much but went to the store in the nearby village of Buena Vista to try out their government store which tends to be a bit cheaper than the local grocery store which attracts the gring http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Baja-California-Sur/blog-368869.html