Doesn’t everyone go to the Baja to ride a camel?

Strong winds buffeted the Los Cabos area for the second straight day, putting the kibosh to our Wednesday morning bike tour. With unexpected free time, we decided to walk the beach along the hotel zone. The tide was high and the surf was explosive.

It’s hard to capture in a photo, but the beach is actually tiered. The bottom level, which is quite wide at low tide, is impossible to walk safely at high tide. There’s a fairly steep, but easy to negotiate, twelve-fifteen foot rise to the next level, which is maybe twenty feet wide. Then there’s another small rise of about four feet that leads to the main, very expansive beach. These shots sort of show the larger, bottom rise.

The particularly large waves not only submerged the entire second level, they’d sweep up over the top tier to where we were walking, as well.

We followed the beach as far as we could go, to where it ends at the rocks. Round-trip, it took three hours, and as the wind died down, we found ourselves over-dressed and over-heated.

The surf was calmer here and the beach was flatter.

A snowy egret

Hubby’s favourite – pelicans flying in formation.

The beach horses were out for a ride.

We took more surf pics that afternoon, and it was a little easier for me this time to turn my back on all that power. I had to plant my feet into the sand to keep the waves from sweeping me away.

Natural sand art.

The clouds were brilliantly coloured that evening.

Wednesday night’s Mexican Fiesta featured traditional costume dances.

On Thursday, we did a photo safari of the resort and its surroundings. It was comical how like small children the restaurant sparrows were, taking the toast and pancakes, but leaving the eggs and fruit alone.

Gorgeous surf colours

Watchtower & estuary

Estuary

American Coots

Ibis

The estuary’s brackish water must be fresh enough for the horses to drink.

The fellow in the canoe almost took a spill into the water, much to the immense amusement of his coworkers.

This flooded section of the estuary was hauntingly beautiful.

Snowy Egret

Great Egret

Hubby’s favourite stop, the adult pool bar.

Adult pool

The resort’s open-air corridors were planted with cacti, as were much of the grounds.

We used this fountain as a landmark to get our bearings.

We never tried the main pool, on the other side of the resort.

Lanais

The activity pool, situated near both restaurants.

Restaurante Frutas y Flores, the buffet, had seating outside and indoors. We enjoyed eating breakfast and lunch outside.

Restaurante Azul Estero, on the beach, served snack food (ice cream cones!) and A la carte dinners.

La Terraza, where the bi-weekly Mexican Fiestas are held.

The beach horses’ meagre shelter.

That’s one heck of a load of chairs.

Thursday evening, we strolled San Jose’s art walk, where the local artisans display their wares for sale.

Cabo San Lucas sparkled in the sunshine, Friday morning, and we were pleased to have such perfect weather for our excursion.

Some entertainment

Colourful little fish

A cruise ship was in, making the busy marina even busier.

We rode in a Unimog 4X4 to Rancho San Cristobal for our Outback Camel Safari.

All the camels are rescue animals, although rescued from what, I don’t know. They had plenty of room to roam and appeared well cared for.

These camels don’t spit, but apparently they, uh, foam…

After donning helmets camouflaged as flowing turbans, we boarded our camel, Keeko, and were led in a caravan to the beach. I loved riding Keeko, even though we were quite high up and swayed ominously with each step.

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We stopped on the shoreline to take pictures.

Keeko, on the right, has been with the company longer than any other camel.

The waves were picturesque, although not as rugged and awesome as where we were staying.

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After the photo-op, our caravan continued down the length of the beach, before turning back to the ranch.

A platform is used for getting on and off the camels, rather than have them kneel, because it’s better for the camels’ knees. I was told to put my foot on the platform and step off the camel. Not so easy. Even after stretching my leg, I came nowhere near touching the platform. Seeing my dilemma, a brawny young employee plucked me off the camel and set me on my feet as though I weighed nothing.

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We did a meet and greet with Powder. He’s just a young camel and is as affectionate as he is adorable.

The next part of the excursion was disappointing. Rather than hiking through the outback, learning about the local flora and fauna, we walked for maybe ten minutes, stopping twice. Once at this huge cara cara cactus.

And again at this tiny cactus. I don’t remember its name, but this is as big as it gets, and it’s an endangered species.

The view was interesting, at least.

Back at the ranch, we had a simple, yet incredibly delicious lunch. The Chicken Mole, my favourite Mexican dish, was the best I’ve ever had.

Afterward, Hubby partook of the tequila tastings.

I spotted the cruise ship leaving Cabo.

I’m a huge fan of aerial photos and have occasionally taken some spectacular ones. My seat on the plane home didn’t afford me a great view, but I managed to capture some of the Sea of Cortez’s extraordinary colour.

Isla La Partida, Sea of Cortez

Humphries Peak, Arizona

I had the misfortune of being on the wrong side of the plane as we flew over the Grand Canyon. This was all I saw.

Another enjoyable vacation behind us. Where should we go next?

Read my first San Jose post here.

Magnificent Surf and Plenty of Feathered Friends in San Jose del Cabo

After several expensive home repairs last year, Hubby and I decided against our usual January vacation. But as winter dragged on, we missed getting away, so I booked an inexpensive trip to San Jose del Cabo for a week in March.

We’ve been to Cabo San Lucas before, but never to San Jose, and I’ve always wanted to go. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Resort, which is an economy accommodation, but perfectly situated next to a bird estuary and within walking distance to San Jose’s historic downtown.

We were lucky to get upgraded to a ground level lanai room, close to the estuary and the adult pool. Although our room was no-frills, the location was lovely and quiet. Hubby especially enjoyed the hammock on the lanai.

Our view towards the pool.

And towards the estuary and beach.

San Jose is situated at the bottom of the Baja, in the Gulf of California, where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific Ocean. It’s not safe to go into the water because of the notorious riptides. The surf is incredible and, once we’d settled in, we headed for the beach.

The mountains blocked our view of the sunset, but the sky was painted with beautiful colours.

Compared to other places we’ve stayed, the evening entertainment was rather lacking. The fire dancers at Saturday’s Mexican Fiesta were impressive.

I didn’t actually see the sun rise out of the ocean (an unusual occurrence on the west coast) because I was still fast asleep, but my early-riser Hubby enjoyed the experience almost every morning.

I had hoped to explore the trails through the estuary on Sunday, so was disappointed to find out they’ve been under water since that devastating Hurricane Odile wreaked havoc on the Baja in the fall of 2014. We made due with exploring the edges of it.

We saw many fine feathered fowls. A red-tailed hawk having breakfast.

Snowy Egret

Great Blue Heron

Pelican

Greylag goose

Turkey vultures

In this photo of the gulls, the ocean is on the left and the estuary is on the right.

Farther down the beach, past the estuary, is a marina with breakwaters to protect the calm little beach.

We started down a path hoping to find the other side of the estuary, instead we came across some camels. Yes, camels.

With such clever camouflage, I almost didn’t spot this crab.

Cute little flowers decorated the sand.

Views of the resort from the estuary

It took all of my willpower to stand with my back to those powerful waves that sounded like a locomotive coming right at me.

Incredibly, we spotted grey whales breaching on the horizon. I actually saw as many as three whales jump at the same time. They were too far away to photograph; we had to use binoculars to see them.

The strong wave action made interesting sand formations.

These horses were on the beach every day, and I couldn’t help feeling sorry for the poor things. Seemed like a sad life just standing there all the time, and I worried about how often they were watered.

Another gorgeous sunrise I missed seeing.

Sunrise surf.

On Monday morning, we walked up Blvd Antonio Mijares into San Jose’s historical downtown. Unlike touristy Cabo, San Jose has a laidback small town feel.

Palacio Municipal (Gov’t building)

Plaza Central

Plaza Central with Mision de San Jose del Cabo Anuiti in the background

Mision de San Jose del Cabo Anuiti

Calle Morelos

While strolling Calle Morelos, we came upon El Encanto Suites and were intrigued into peeking inside at its enchanting yard.

Back at the resort, we visited with the horses stabled next door. The flooded estuary has invaded their area, but at least they can still move freely and have water and shelter from the sun.

My typical lunch – salad, fish, and buns with cranberry juice. Yum.

Little restaurant sparrows entertained us at every meal.

After lunch, we headed to the section of the estuary where the trail used to go through before it flooded.

Egret & Heron

Great Egret

I accidentally took some pictures with my new camera’s special effects setting. Mostly they were junk, but some turned out fantastic. The following photos of workers at the estuary are from the same frame, with three different effects applied. All are similar, yet also wonderfully unique, and I thought to myself, this same outlook could be (and should be) applied to people. We’re all humans, yet we’re all different, and we’re all special in our own way.

Quite amazing to come across the beach horses relaxing on the estuary trail. They weren’t tethered and completely ignored us.

Estuary watch tower

Hubby looking for whales in the watch tower

See that tiny splash in the water? That’s a pelican diving for fish. Despite many attempts, that was the best shot we captured.

Estuary on left, ocean in the background, with sand spit in between.

More surf shots because they’re so magnificent.

Drinks on the lanai.

Cactus garden by the beach restaurant.

Glorious sunset colours.

A talented mariachi band entertained us Monday evening.

We bussed to Cabo Tuesday morning, only to have our excursion cancelled because windy conditions had whipped up a sandstorm. After rescheduling the tour, we had about half an hour to wander the marina. It’s changed a lot since we were there seven years ago, but still very busy.

The sandy atmosphere is apparent in the background of this shot.

Despite the stormy sky, it was quite pleasant lounging by the resort’s pool.

That afternoon we spent several enjoyable hours roaming San Jose’s lovely residential streets.

The clouds continued to look threatening, but the weather remained mild.

Unique cloud formations treated us to an interesting sunset that night.

Join me next week when I wrap up our trip with even more pictures. Click here for next post.

I Can Still Tread Water With The Best Of Them

Our second Monday at Sandos Caracol started much the same as most mornings, with a coati encounter on the way to breakfast. The burros always seemed eager for attention, but if we tried to pet them, they were all, “How dare you touch me!” Because we had no treats to offer, the fickle things wanted no part of us. Monday’s eco tour was the Earth Tribute. I planted a red mangrove seedling. The Chechen tree is the skinny tree with the light-coloured trunk and the visible black sap pictured below. The Chacah tree is the red-barked tree right beside it. Whenever you see one of these trees, the other won’t be far away. The sap of the Chechen, which runs freely down the trunk, is nasty and can cause serious, painful rashes. The antidote for this rash is found in the sap of the Chacah tree, which must be cut to release its sap. Noemi, our darling guide, shared this Mayan legend explaining the appearance of these trees and why they are found together. There once were two brothers, warrior princes, and like many brothers they occasionally squabbled and got jealous of each other. The younger brother was kind and well-loved, while the older brother was cruel and cold. Unfortunately, the two brothers fell in love with the same beautiful princess, and they fought each other to see who would win her love. A great battle ensued, with both brothers being killed. In the afterlife, they begged the gods for forgiveness, asking to return to earth. The gods granted their wish, and the older brother was reborn as the Chechen tree, which seeps black poison, burning whoever touches it. The younger brother was reborn as the Chacah tree, with a nectar that neutralizes the Chechen’s toxin. Wherever the evil Chechen tree grows, so does the pure Chacah, to protect and heal Chechen’s victims. Like the roots of the two trees, the brothers’ souls remain forever entwined together.

These stunning blue and black birds are Yucatán jays. Immature jays have yellow bills and eye rings. Mature jays (over four years) keep their yellow legs, but no longer have a yellow beak or orbital ring. After lunch, we strolled the beach. The day was much calmer and sunnier than the previous time. The skies were so clear, some buildings on Cozumel and the approaching ferry were visible. White sand and lots of seaweed. I saw pelicans for the first (and only) time. The elegant Snowy Egret We cooled off afterwards at the Tortuga pool. Hubby took a refreshing swim, while I was content with a wade and a drink. No new towel art that day, but we still had a nice family of them to enjoy. Because we’d gone on Tuesday’s eco tour the previous week, we explored the grounds by ourselves that morning. Something on the ear of this little elephant statue caught my eye. I think it was a gecko. About the size of my pinky finger, it was teeny-tiny and very adorable. Banana trees look so cool. Inside the deer enclosure. The deer with the small horns is the only male in amongst his harem of females. Turtle in the Cenote de la Cascade Snowy Egret at the Cenote de la Cascade On one of our tours, Noemi had pointed out a ‘crack’ in the ground by the Cenote de la Cascade, a possible start to a new cenote. Wanting to see it for myself, I ventured inside. Hubby chose not to join me. Besides an abundance of spider webs (I’m sure I walked through every single one), there wasn’t much to see down there. A mermaid to join our growing family! The old-fashioned TV came in handy to hold our various glasses. We really do use them all! After lunch we went for our long-anticipated swim in the Cenote Cristalino. Hubby ventured right out, eager to peer into its crystal clear depths. I sat on the steps for some time, psyching myself up to jump in. As much as I love water, I prefer being near it or on it, rather than in it. Eventually I just got over myself and took the plunge. I expected the water to be uncomfortably cool, but it was quite pleasant. Not much of a swimmer, I doggy-paddled over to hang on to Hubby. Lots of fish, all on the bottom. When Hubby got out, I asked him to take pictures of me, not knowing when or if I’d ever be in a cenote again. I envisioned something like this one of him, showing where we were. I got this. Oh well, he tried. There are currents in the cenote. A natural one from the underground river and a pumped flow to help keep the cenote healthy. Naturally, I got stuck in one. Did I mention I can’t really swim? So I paddled and I paddled and eventually made it to the steps on my own steam. Despite being tuckered out, I didn’t want to get out of that beautiful oasis. It was that glorious. Maybe the iguana lifeguard could’ve saved me. As we enjoyed drinks afterward, Hubby said, “A large snake just went under your chair.” I didn’t blink an eye because I’m used to his jokes, plus I rather like snakes. I peeked under my chair in time to see a skinny black three-foot long snake slither into the nearby shrubs. Pretty funny. Bike riding in a dress, after downing a Piña Colada in the hot sun, was great fun. I’m sure I only flashed a little bit. Some of the jungle trail is rugged(ish). Some places are wide enough to ride side-by-side. And some paths skirt the resort. Hubby’s plate of ‘salad’ at La Toscana Italian Restaurant. Unlike the few shy raccoons we’d seen so far, these cheeky buggers knew exactly what the garbage cans were for. The Xcalacoco ceremony that evening was The Arrival, the first in the series of three. We got to the beach early and found good seats on a front row lounger. Turns out, the seats weren’t so great. The rope placed around the ‘stage’ to keep spectators back just happened to be at eye level. Then, as the show started, a group of people sat on the sand in front of us. Right in front of us! And the performers, themselves, often stood on the perimeter of the ‘stage’ blocking our view. Still a great show, but not as enjoyable as the previous two because of the difficulty we had watching it. Click here for my post on our final day at the resort. Start from the trip’s beginning here.