19 March ‘07
Monday
Yesterdays drive up to La Paz and Tecolate Beach was uneventful with the exception of the “Hot Rod” sound coming from underneath the coach. The drive though La Paz was easy and then taking the road out past the ferry terminal and onto Tecolate was all new. The road was a typical two lane roadway from here in Mexico, narrow, potholed, and a couple “deviations” before getting to Tecolate. When we arrived we found that it would be to our best interest if we would unhook one of our cars and drive out onto the sand and check out if and were we could park the motor homes. We found it wasn’t too much of a challenge, so we pulled out. We wound our way around sand dunes and other motor homes and campers, a few tents and beach goers. Finally we found a place that would work. We pulled the two motor homes right onto the rocks that bordered to sand and the sea, we were finally here. Getting ourselves all set up, jacks down, chairs out, and a sand mat laid out, we were ready to sit and relax with the Sea of Cortez at our door steps. About an hour later we noticed that the wind would come up and throw sand all over us and then it would die down again. This happened for about 30 minutes and then it got to the point that the wind and sand drove us inside for the night…Let me tell you, it was a NIGHT to remember…the wind howled and shook the coach so hard, and the sand was pelting so with a rage that come morning we decided to GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE !!! It was nasty. In the morning it did die down, but we had had enough. We were now on our way to Puerto Lopez Mateous (Magdalena Bay). After stopping for gas and traveling across the peninsula, we found a campground just outside of Constituion. This morning we headed out to Puerto Lopez Mateous to see if we could find the gray whales. We left the motor homes behind and took Phil and Kathy’s Honda. It was about a 45 minute drive. Once there we contacted a tour guide that could take us out to see the whales. The 4 of us and Fernando our skipper jumped into his “Panga” and headed out. The boat ride took us out past this peninsula of sand that seemed to stretch for miles. Just after rounding the end the sea got to swell and swell and swell…we were in for a “boat ride” to end boat rides. The swells came from the bar that separated this peninsula from the Pacific Ocean, similar to the bar at the Columbia River. Finally as we got closer to the bar it’s self, we were in the middle of the whales. Big “Momma” whales and little “Baby” whales. I don’t know how many we saw, but we had a blast over the next hour and a half, “WOW, LOOK !!!, OVER THERE !!!!, It was amazing. We also saw a group of porpoise that was following our bow. On the way back, Fernando saw something on the sandy peninsula that he wanted to show us. As we came to about 15 feet to shore and a group of small tree branches that were hanging out into the water, there on one of the branches was this little sea lion pup…Fernando made his tip on this trip !!!
Monday
Yesterdays drive up to La Paz and Tecolate Beach was uneventful with the exception of the “Hot Rod” sound coming from underneath the coach. The drive though La Paz was easy and then taking the road out past the ferry terminal and onto Tecolate was all new. The road was a typical two lane roadway from here in Mexico, narrow, potholed, and a couple “deviations” before getting to Tecolate. When we arrived we found that it would be to our best interest if we would unhook one of our cars and drive out onto the sand and check out if and were we could park the motor homes. We found it wasn’t too much of a challenge, so we pulled out. We wound our way around sand dunes and other motor homes and campers, a few tents and beach goers. Finally we found a place that would work. We pulled the two motor homes right onto the rocks that bordered to sand and the sea, we were finally here. Getting ourselves all set up, jacks down, chairs out, and a sand mat laid out, we were ready to sit and relax with the Sea of Cortez at our door steps. About an hour later we noticed that the wind would come up and throw sand all over us and then it would die down again. This happened for about 30 minutes and then it got to the point that the wind and sand drove us inside for the night…Let me tell you, it was a NIGHT to remember…the wind howled and shook the coach so hard, and the sand was pelting so with a rage that come morning we decided to GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE !!! It was nasty. In the morning it did die down, but we had had enough. We were now on our way to Puerto Lopez Mateous (Magdalena Bay). After stopping for gas and traveling across the peninsula, we found a campground just outside of Constituion. This morning we headed out to Puerto Lopez Mateous to see if we could find the gray whales. We left the motor homes behind and took Phil and Kathy’s Honda. It was about a 45 minute drive. Once there we contacted a tour guide that could take us out to see the whales. The 4 of us and Fernando our skipper jumped into his “Panga” and headed out. The boat ride took us out past this peninsula of sand that seemed to stretch for miles. Just after rounding the end the sea got to swell and swell and swell…we were in for a “boat ride” to end boat rides. The swells came from the bar that separated this peninsula from the Pacific Ocean, similar to the bar at the Columbia River. Finally as we got closer to the bar it’s self, we were in the middle of the whales. Big “Momma” whales and little “Baby” whales. I don’t know how many we saw, but we had a blast over the next hour and a half, “WOW, LOOK !!!, OVER THERE !!!!, It was amazing. We also saw a group of porpoise that was following our bow. On the way back, Fernando saw something on the sandy peninsula that he wanted to show us. As we came to about 15 feet to shore and a group of small tree branches that were hanging out into the water, there on one of the branches was this little sea lion pup…Fernando made his tip on this trip !!!