SAILING CAMELOT

Not even the beauty of Honeymoon Cove is enough to hold us: wanderlust takes over as usual. We are underway by mid-morning, en route to Isla Carmen. The islands we’re visiting are so close together, it never takes us more than just a few hours of sailing, but it feels like we’re visiting different worlds. We reach Bahia Salinas early afternoon, well in time to enjoy a gorgeous sunset.

Bahia Salinas

What's left of the mining equipment

This was a thriving salt-mining location, but operations have ceased in the early 80’s. There’s a lot of abandoned equipment left to tell the story.

There are a couple of newer buildings serving as guest homes for the rare tourist who wants to spend a weekend in total solitude, and some less luxurious accommodations for the handymen that live here and also serve as watchmen.

Guest Houses

Guest Homes from the side

The rest of the buildings are slowly crumbling away, but they still convey an aura of a once-productive community. The ever-present church, small and old as it may be, is still standing and open for business!

Four-legged Parishioner visiting the Church

It’s eerie to see the remains of the railway once used to carry the salt to the waiting ships, now good only as a perch for the birds. The railway cars have been transformed into creative garden containers.

The Railway to Heaven

In a former life, this was a railway car used to transport salt

We take a stroll in the blazing sun, our curiosity pushing us to walk a long way to the salt ponds. It’s a very stark environment, fascinating and unique in its contrast of colors.

The Salty WaySalt Pond

The salt ponds go on for miles and look like snow fields! I resist the urge to throw myself on the ground and do “salt-angels” or build a “salt-man” with a carrot for nose… Instead I shoot dozens of pictures to capture the essence of this unforgettable place.

Salt Fields

And of course, I replenished my salt supply…

The Finished Product!

We spend three days in Bahia Salinas, thanks to a pesky northerly wind that we really don’t want to fight against. Sadly, it wasn’t conducive for swimming either… We wanted to visit the sunken remains of a tuna boat in the bay, gone under in the mid 80’s, now a natural reef teeming with marine life with plenty of colorful fish enjoying the wreck. But we had to settle for just taking a tour around it on our dinghy, and it still was very interesting. Of course on the morning of our departure there was no wind, the water was crystal-clear, the white sands of the half-moon shaped beach beckoning. Story of my life…

The Beach Chapel

But we must be strong! Other slices of Paradise await.

Bahia Salinas Beach

We leave Puerto Escondido with no regrets; this place has served as a convenient stop, but it hasn’t touched my heart. Our next destination is Isla Danzante  -the Dancing Island-, just a 3 mile hop from Puerto Escondido. In half an hour we’re comfortably tucked away in a small anchorage called Honeymoon Cove. We just spend the night here.

Honeymoon Cove

Honeymoon Cove Residents

Puerto Escondido sits at the foot of the Sierra de la Giganta mountains. It is a natural hurricane hole, well protected and surrounded by hills. Puerto Escondido lies about 18 miles south of Loreto, which is the nearest City. The Marina of Puerto Escondido has a small store, free Wi-Fi, a restaurant and a small Yacht Club. Unfortunately, that’s pretty much all there is and the taxi fare to Loreto is about $35 one-way, so we decided to rent a car.

Looking at the Mooring Field - Puerto Escondido

The Marina at Puerto Escondido

The agent from Hertz Car Rental picked us up at the Marina and drove us to her office in Loreto. Tiare speaks very good English and has a great personality. Along the way she pointed
out various landmarks and of course the useful boat-related stuff, like where to buy propane and where to shop for groceries.

Once we picked up the car we drove just one block and parked to walk around downtown Loreto. This time of year it is pretty quiet, but the stores and restaurants definitely
cater to tourists. We found the Mission Loreto, originally called the Misión de Nuestra Señora de Loreto Conchó, founded in 1697. It is considered the “Mother” of all missions in Baja and California.

Mission de Nuestra Señora de Loreto Conchó, aka Loreto Mission

The Priest's Home, adjacent to the Mission

The tourist shopping district is located just south of the mission and has large bush trees stretching over the road, forming a nicely shaded tunnel – much appreciated in the 95 degree day. We had lunch in a small restaurant, which featured various Mexican foods and fresh caught fish from the Sea.

Loreto Shopping District

This is what Lori looked like BEFORE the road trip... Her hair is now white!

After that, we decided on a whim to head west into the Baja Desert and visit the town of San Javier. As we left Loreto and turned off the main highway we saw the Baja Desert in all its beauty and starkness. It is hard to imagine anything living or growing out there, but the land had various kinds of grasses, bushes and the ever present cactus. The desert hills and mountains are the most prominent features, with odd shapes and flat mesas with colors ranging from brown to brilliant reds.

Mountains of the Sierra Giganta

The Prettiest Mountain in the Desert

A medium size Cactus

As we drove the two lane highway we saw construction ahead and then realized that although the paved road ended, the construction workers were waiving us through. It seems
that only a stretch of about 20 kilometers of the road to San Javier is completed, after that it becomes nothing more than a fire trail, occasionally crossing dry Arroyos.  This is definitely not the place you want to break down, but it was fun cruising along the desert.  Another great adventure!

Am I really supposed to squeeze past you?

We really needed a 4 wheel drive here, not a small car!

As we approached San Javier we noticed painted white rocks marking the side of the road, which was still unpaved. Around the next corner we came to a large arched gate and once
inside realized the whole town was paved in cobble stones. We followed the signs and drove down a long street, which ended at the Mission.

Almost there!

At last! Misión San Javier

Quite impressive! Definitely worth the trip.

Mission San Javier -actually Misión San Francisco Javier de Viggé-Biaundó – was completed in 1758 and is considered a Mecca from many of Mexico’s Catholics.

Mission Style Naved Ceiling

The Altar

The return trip seemed somewhat faster, maybe because this time Tom was driving at breakneck speed… Along the way we stopped to see the Cave Paintings, situated in what
appeared to be an oasis in the desert.

The Arroyo at the Cave Paintings site

Cave Paintings site

The area has an arroyo (small river) with trickling water, keeping most of the plants and palms green. Although there is no consensus on the reason or meaning of the cave
paintings, all agree they were made hundreds of years ago by the indigenous people.

The Mysterious Paintings

I would really like to know what this means

While admiring the cave paintings we noticed two Turkey Vultures eye balling us from a distance. As we moved they would hop from one cactus to the next, following us… We
started to wonder if they knew something we didn’t. ..

So graceful in flight, yet so ugly when perched on a cactus staring at you...

Are you comfortable up there. buddy?

We finished our day in Loreto shopping at the local grocery store. We were very surprised to see the shelves stocked with everyday American goodies like Skippy Peanut Butter
and Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup. It further confirmed that Loreto is largely populated by Americans and Canadians.  And the shopkeepers adjust their inventory accordingly…

Hwy 1 - The road from Puerto Escondido to Loreto

Puerto Escondido is just on the ther side of those hills

Tomorrow Saturday May 28, we will leave Puerto Escondido and head for the closest island off shore – Isla Danzante – supposedly another spectacular place. We will probably be incommunicado for about two weeks, no phone signal and certainly no Internet access. Not a problem, as we’ll be busy sunning ourselves and enjoying the beautiful waters of the Sea of Cortez.

As lovely as Agua Verde is, we are eager to reach Puerto Escondido, our next port of call. It’s a mere 4 hour trip further north. We’re
up and running by 10 o’clock, waving goodbye to yet another unforgettable place.

This trip too is uneventful, not even a dolphin in sight… We’re traveling close to the coast, so I concentrate my photographic efforts on the peaks of the Sierra Giganta, a chain of mountainous rocks that runs the whole length of the Bahia California Peninsula. The scenery is breathtaking, huge rocks dropping straight in the Sea, the contrast of the vivid colors incredible. My trusted Canon is hot in my hands. I get some truly incredible pictures of wispy clouds floating in the cerulean sky like some delicate brush strokes. Nature is truly the primary form of art.

My Personal Interpretation of Heaven

Random Rocks sticking out of the Water, keeping us alert and amazed.

The last third of the trip towards Puerto Escondido takes us through a scattering of rocks, islets and islands, all tickling my curiosity. I wish I could drop my kayak and paddle around, but… not yet.

This mini island is begging to be explored!!!

Scissor Island - Yep, that's its name, I kid you not.

By 14:00 we enter the cozy little bay of Puerto Escondido. There’s a mooring field, the Harbor Master assigns us to one of them and we quickly take our rightful place. There are about 40 boats in the mooring field, we’re all comfortably spread out and there’s still a lot of room for more.

After completing the check-in formalities with the Port Captain we’re free to enjoy our stay.

We’ll call this home for the next 3 or 4 days.

It’s another wonderful day of enjoying life in one of the finest places on earth. We get to thoroughly enjoy the scallops provided by
Manuel, and what a treat that was! Maybe we ate a little in excess, to be truthful… We spend an easy day aboard, alternating light chores to periods of utter relaxation.

We make our way back to the village in the late afternoon around 6 o’clock. The Fiesta is to start soon and Tom is very anxious to be the first in line. The villagers gather around the basketball court, where the event will unfold.

The Basketball Court - Location of most Public Events

Women are busy setting up their cooking pots, men are fiddling around with the (LOUD) sound system, toddlers and children are running all over the place chased by playful dogs, cows are wandering the streets. We Gringos are all huddled in the shade of a big palm tree, watching the commotion.  Well, since the show is a little delayed I think I’ll wander about and take some pictures!

Kindergarden and Primary School

There’s even a little jail in this place, very official looking, with two cells for potential unlucky offenders. I just have to snoop.
The cells are very small, a place where I wouldn’t like to spend even a minute, but the steel doors are rusted open: a sign that they’ve not been used for a while? I don’t see many opportunities for crime, here. Maybe the occasional obnoxious drunk… I chuckle as I share a private joke. I’m thinking: would a drunken man prefer going to jail instead of facing his own wife at home? Mexican women
are known to be strong and feisty…

The Federal Jail

My guide Osvaldo, showing the entrance to the cells at the back of the jailhouse

The ceremony starts at last. The Lady Mayor of the village first introduces the Maid of Honor and her escort. The couple walks the
perimeter of the basketball court, taking their position.

Maid Of Honor and her escort

Next follow the Princess and Prince.

The Princess and The Prince

Finally, the 2011 Queen of Agua Verde makes her entrance with her escort. He is not introduced, so I’m not sure if he’s the King or
what…

Esmeralda, Queen of Agua Verde 2011, with her escort

The Queen’s name is Esmeralda. They all seat in the Coronation Corner on one side of the court, where soon a glittery crown is ceremoniously placed upon the Queen’s head. With a lesser degree of pomp, another crown is placed upon the Princess’ head.

The Royal Posse

The festivities may now begin.

To warm up the crowd –of maybe 60 people-, a very young girl dances to the tune of a Mexican disco song, lip-synching and strutting about, a fake Madonna-style microphone sticking out the side of her head. She’s maybe 14 or 15, and she gives her best.
I commend her for her courage. Opening the show is not an easy task!

The Next Madonna - should be on Mexican Idol

Next we have a mock rooster fight, the roosters impersonated by two young kids, with two slightly older kids as the roosters’ proud owners.  It’s hilarious!

Rooster Fight

Saving the best for last: a couple of very young girls in Hawaiian attire sway with the music, performing their Hula dance. In a thoroughly deserved thunder of applause they conclude the entertainment for the evening.

Primary School Hula Dancers

The cutest and most talented of the Performers

The Queen and her entourage strut back the whole perimeter, while the Mayor is announcing over the microphone that starting tomorrow applications for next year’s Queen will be accepted. The applicants should be under 30 years of age and unmarried. Jeez,  the freshly crowned Queen is not even off the court yet!

I wish I could have understood more of what this tradition is all about, but my Spanish is limited. We enjoyed the ceremony enormously, regardless.

As soon as we’re up, first cup of coffee in hand, we pull the anchor and leave this coastal jewel. Traveling the Sea of Cortez is like opening the proverbial box of chocolates! You’re done with one and you already want to unwrap the next. At least this is how I feel as we make our way to Bahia de Agua Verde. The name itself sounds intriguing, promising green waters. It’s a short hop, a mere three hours, but the dolphins were waiting for us. Between their company and the amazing scenery, time goes by in a flash. By 11 o’clock
we claim our spot in Agua Verde. I’m struggling to stay concentrated on the “deploy-anchor” task while my head spins around almost like Linda Blair’s in The Exorcist movie. The place clearly lives up to the name! I can’t properly describe the shades of jade, teal, turquoise, sapphire, so I hope some pictures can substitute my inadequate words.

The Isthmus at Bahia Agua Verde

This will be our Anchoring Spot. Not too bad!

Tom is soon in the water, a loud splash signaling his customary “we’re here!” celebration. After declaring the water adequately warm
he climbs aboard, a wide and satisfied grin on his tan, happy face.

Tom keeping up his custom of diving upon arrival in every new place we visit.

We spend the day lazing off on Camelot, forcing ourselves to go to shore only after hearing other boaters zooming around. I suspect Tom misses human interaction… We get to the beach and “park” our dinghy beside the others, joining the small group of cruisers eager to walk to town.

The streets are actually dusty trails, the village a handful of small square buildings scattered about. It’s quite a nice community! Every property is delimited by a perimeter of posts and fence wire. Surprisingly, most homes have a very colorful and lush garden, a strong contrast with the stark surrounding. There are a few cows meandering, dogs of many sizes, colors and nondescript breed, a pig tied to a tree watching our every move and calling to us (for company?).

Typical Residence of Agua Verde

Pepe the Lonely Pig

There are a number of “tiendas”, small shops selling tortillas, refreshments, canned goods, cleaning supplies. A couple of places
offer meals. We get to Maria’s tienda; she’s well known in the cruising community, maybe because she’s so friendly and acts as the information center for the village. At her tienda a relative of hers is selling jewelry made strictly from natural resources: necklaces and earrings of coral and shells, even driftwood is artfully paired with wooden beads, arranged in a stunning necklace. I’d have taken pictures, but all the cruising women piled up in admiration prevented any chance…

We’re told to make sure to come tomorrow evening, there’s a ceremony not to be missed: the crowning of the Queen and King of the village, a yearly occurrence bringing the community together with performances from the kids of the local school. The ladies of the village will cook their best specialties; there will be tamales, fish in any guise, barley juice and more.

We return to our boat before it gets dark, after solemnly promising to attend the festivities tomorrow. Right now there’s another
performance I don’t want to miss: the pelicans feeding in the magical sunset.

Sunset at The Beach

Pelicans' Sunset Dinner

Rise and shine, by 7:30 we’re already on our way. Next stop Ensenada Los Gatos, four hours further up. Again we encounter only a couple of boats going the opposite direction. There’s no radio chatter, the only noise is the low rumble of our engine and the water sloshing on our bow. I see some sort of commotion on the water straight in front of us and before I can even blink
we’re surrounded by a pod of at least 30 dolphins. Reaching our bow they gracefully turn 180 degrees and split into two groups –one on each side of Camelot- , immediately starting their playful antics.

Dolphins flanking Camelot's Bow

Having a Blast!

One of our Escorts for the trip

These guys are big! They’re so close we can see scars on some of them. Riding our bow wake with great enjoyment, they occasionally look straight up at us. I’m frantically shooting pictures before turning the camera to Tom. He’s admittedly better at taking pictures of these fast-moving creatures. After having their fill of fun one by one they peel off, diving deep underwater and disappearing from sight. The show lasted about 5 minutes. There will be more performances during the trip, some involving incredible acrobatics
– and I have the photos to prove it!

Airborne!

Mid-Air Twist

Pirouette Completed!

Los Gatos is even more picturesque, surrounded by boulders of rock in shades of red and orange making a strikingly beautiful contrast with the jade and turquoise of the water. There’s only another sailboat sharing this slice of Paradise.

Arriving at Ensenada de Los Gatos

The Red Boulders of Los Gatos

We find our perfect spot and get busy lowering the dinghy in the water. We want to go explore! Just as we’re getting ready to leave,
however, a Panga approaches. We invite the lonely fisherman aboard for a chat and a beer. His name is Manuel and he talks very fast –Spanish only-, so I get a real language workout trying to keep up and respond. We get along quite well!
After the customary exchange of information about our respective families and places of origin, Manuel offers us some lobsters he just caught. Pulling up a small net, he dumps five lobsters on our cockpit floor. I get my first close encounter with these curious creatures. Unlike their Atlantic counterparts, these crustaceans have no claws. They look like giant insects! They also make a
lot of clacking noises, spreading their tails and waving their long antennae.
I’m fascinated by their colors. They’re muddy brown with splotches of orange and turquoise. I feel repelled and riveted at the same time. Tom picks the biggest two and puts them in a bucket of sea water.

Pacific Lobsters

Just look at those colors!

They’re supposed to be our dinner, but I’m already plotting a different plan… Manuel also offers us
a kilo or scallops, already shucked and neatly packaged in a bag. The total cost for this bounty is 150 pesos, about US$ 12. I almost feel guilty… After more amiable chit-chat Manuel leaves, wishing us good health and good luck, and may the Lord protect us. Thanks, Manuel, same to you! What a pleasant fellow.

Manuel, the Friendly Fisherman

Leaving the two lobsters resting in their bucket, we finally jump in the dinghy to go explore the bay. The water is crystal clear and far
below we can see lots of colorful fish darting in and out of their caves, interesting rocks and a whole lot of underwater life. And we didn’t even have to get wet!

Once satisfied with our excursion we return to Camelot, peacefully bobbing on the calm sea. It’s only late afternoon, so we lazily
settle down for an hour or two of reading. My mind, however, is forming a plan to free the lobsters…

I know very well that if I had to catch and kill my own food I wouldn’t last very long. I love lobster just like everyone else, but don’t ask me to put them alive in a pot of boiling water! Tom catches me while I’m furtively eyeing the lobsters. I must have a guilty and revealing expression on my face, as he sighs and shakes his head. “Go ahead” he says, “do what you need to do”. He knows me so
well! He keeps shaking his head, muttering “what a waste of a good dinner”, while I swiftly empty the bucket returning the lobsters to their home. I feel better, and stupid, and guilty… So I go downstairs and make a nice pasta dinner to make up for my silliness. Tom has no complains, although he’s still shaking his head. I love that man!

As soon as dinner is over we get literally swarmed by bees, seems like a hundred or more! We heard about this, but never had any problems before. Apparently, the bees come out in droves looking for fresh water. If there’s a single drop around, they’ll find it. And there’s more than just a drop in my galley sink right now… We sit speechless in the cockpit, watching the bees fly directly into the companionway, invading the galley. It’s unsettling but fascinating at the same time. They mean no harm, they just want water! Tom goes below, fills a bowl with water and brings it above, placing it on top of the liferaft in an attempt to divert the bees. It takes about half an hour, but the strategic plot works. The bees concentrate on the bowl, leaving the inside of the boat. Sadly, however, they start drowning in the bowl! So I place a brush in it for them to climb on and escape death. No, I’m not a soft heart; I just like bees and respect their job!

At dusk they all leave, returning to their hive with their water load. I clean up, picking the casualties. We find maybe a couple of dozen dead bees over the floor. Another new experience! From now on, however, I’ll wipe every surface dry.

With Camelot well provisioned, fueled up and clean, we leave Costa Baja – La Paz aiming for San Evaristo, our first stop of many in the Sea Of Cortez. It’s a 7 hour ride, the day is radiant, no traffic on the water. Tom settles down reading while I keep watch armed with my camera. We pass Espiritu Santo and Partida Islands, gorgeous even from a distance. It’s a quiet and uneventful trip; we encounter a cargo ship and a couple of sailboats going South. Needless to say, my camera is working overtime.

The Coast on the way to San Evaristo

Approaching Destination

We arrive in San Evaristo at 17:00. It’s a small and calm bay, there are three other boats anchored here. The color of the water is
incredible: you’d never guess there are hundreds of hues for the same color… We see a small fishing camp ashore that we won’t get to visit, as we want to get going further up the Sea early tomorrow morning.

San Evaristo Bay

We enjoy a spectacular sunset while having dinner. I can’t believe how dark the night is! Pitch black, with thousand of stars. No noise, either. We sleep like babies.

Today is provisioning day!

La Paz is a great place to stock up with everything you need. Costa Baja Marina provides a convenient shuttle service to downtown and the major shopping center, so we take full advantage and spend a good couple of hours playing shoppers. After that we treat
ourselves to a McDonald meal (damn Gringos!). I’m sure we won’t see any of these up the Sea Of Cortez…

Costa Baja Marina - Inner Harbor

The rest of the day is spent putting away groceries while Tom gets busy replacing both our U.S. and Mexican courtesy flags, reduced in tatters by a few months’ worth of wind.

Our stay here is not exciting this time, but rather utilitarian. We loved La Paz when we visited last November and still do, but we
both are eager to start our exploration of the Sea, so no time is spent dilly-dallying in town. As a matter of fact, the new adventure starts tomorrow.

View from Above

The funny part? We’re not sure where we’re going! Possibly we’ll take a straight shot to San Evaristo, a small and quiet fishing village
about 51 miles north of La Paz.

I said possibly, so I guess you’ll know where we are once we get there. It sure feels good to be free!

Beautiful Marina Costa Baja, world-class facilities

I’m so happy that we’re still young enough to feel brand new after a good rest! We greet the glorious new day with enthusiasm and we eagerly pull up the anchor after just one cup of coffee. It’s 7:30, we’re heading for La Paz. Early enough to enjoy a calmer sea and have breakfast along the way. In a few hours the wind gets frisky again, still blowing form the undesired direction.

We get some respite in the channel between land and Isla Cerralvo, but once out of that protected zone we get blown pretty hard by 20/25 knot winds. At least the sea in not too bad, our destination not too far. In fact everything calms down as we enter the San Lorenzo Channel, which is the entrance to Bahia de La Paz. Our attention is now devoted to the heavy traffic. As we arrive a
tanker joins us on the right, a ferry leaves the terminal on our left, a huge fishing vessel crosses our path and a couple of big powerboats approach fast in front of us. And here I was, camera in hand, wanting to take pictures of the welcoming party of Pelicans, Dolphins and jumping Rays… Forget it. I barely have time to shoot a couple of not-so-great shots…

An open-wing welcome!

The Welcoming Parade, a Dolphin leading the Pelicans

We make it to Costa Baja Marina despite the cross-fire. We tie up at the fuel dock to replenish our tanks and check in with Gabriel, the friendly Harbor Master. Formalities completed, we take our slip and are settled in by 16:00. Tom wastes no time, he gets the water hose out and gives Camelot a bath. I can’t believe the amount of crusty salt we accumulated!

While he does that I’m preparing dinner, a sumptuous pasta –Spaghetti Bolognese- to recover from the ordeal. Screw the diet! I need my carbs…

Seems happy to see us!