Category: Surfing

Volcanoes and Banana Thieves of Costa Rica

Leigh, Surfing, Travel

This is part two of the recap of our trip to Costa Rica.  You can catch up on part one here. 

La Fortuna was a little bigger and catered to tourists.  Just about every street corner had a shop with supersized pictures of people zip lining, riding horses and jumping into waterfalls… and big signs advertising the best prices in town.  We talked to a few and found out the horse ride wasn’t exactly what we’d hoped — it didn’t go to the volcano at all  — and we decided to ride later in the week at our beach stop.  But there was an option to hike to the top of a (dormant) volcano and swim in a crater at the top!  A quick group conference confirmed we all thought that sounded amazing, so we signed up for the next day.

The climb up to the top of the volcano was no joke.  It was hot and a bit more strenuous than we anticipated, but we all felt very accomplished to make it to the summit. When we reached the highest point, we met up with a group of German bodybuilding tourists, who tried to warn us in heavily-accented English about a big, long-nosed creature that came out of the woods and stole their bananas.  I thought they were pulling our legs until they showed us the video one of them had captured on their phone.  Sure enough, there was a banana-stealing creature confronting them.  I wanted it to come back out so we could get a look, but guess it was off in the jungle enjoying its banana stash.

The water at the top was chilly.  Some of us enjoyed a dip, while others enjoyed the leftover chicken we’d dragged up for a picnic.  It didn’t take us very long to head back down, where we decided a proper swim was necessary.  We’d passed some rushing water with a natural pool and a rope swing on our way to the hike, so we pulled over and got in.  This was clearly the place where the locals came to cool off, and they welcomed us with big smiles.  Edgar even got cheers and applause for his elaborate swing, tuck and dive off the rope.

With our waterfall and volcano boxes checked off, it was time to surf.  We got on the road again, this time headed for the coast.  On the way we saw a car pulled over and people feeding some sort of animal.  I had to see what that was, so we pulled over too and saw a bunch of the banana thieves all together! They’re called coati or pizote, and even though they look a little like an opossum to me, they’re actually in the raccoon family.   A family was there feeding them apple jacks.

It took us a few hours to reach Tamarindo, our destination for the next three days.  The hostel where we stayed was across the street from a break, and it even had a surfboard rental place right out front.  We walked into town and got some supplies for breakfast, and lined up our boards for the next day.

I don’t have beach pictures because we were all in the water and I didn’t want my phone to get stolen.  Just imagine several pretty beaches with some of us catching waves, and some of us petting dogs or playing hacky sack.

I do have some shots of the open air kitchen where we made breakfast, and the contraption that gave us delicious coffee.

I know this is sounding like quite the animal-themed recap, but I couldn’t leave out one of my favorite activities.  While Edgar checked out one more break, the girls and I took a two-hour horseback ride up into the mountains.  I asked the guide if he thought we’d see monkeys, and he said maybe.  But I think he over-estimated my desire because he kept doing little detours into more jungle and looking up, and then sadly saying, “Ohhh… no monkey…”    There was a bit of a language barrier, but I tried to communicate that I was just curious, and would not be heartbroken if monkeys were not spotted. (They were not.)

We said goodbye to the beach on Thursday and drove back to San Jose.  CR traffic can be a bear, and we didn’t want to be stressing out for our flight back to the states on Friday.  All in all it was a great visit. Everyone got a little color, a little exercise and a lot of ice cream.  Pura Vida.  🙂

Iguanas and Ice Cream in Costa Rica

Leigh, Surfing, Travel

The following is part one of a recap of our trip to Costa Rica.  Stay tuned for part two next week!

The hardest part of our adventures isn’t the planning of the trip, or finding a place we know we’ll love, it’s deciding where to go!  There are so many places to see and experiences to enjoy, but since Edgar and I had both been to Costa Rica before we met, we decided to go back together, along with his daughters.

Since we were coming from different places, we all met in Dallas and left for CR from there.  The flight left bright and early at 6am.  We had a layover in Florida, and arrived in San Jose around noon.  We grabbed our rental car and hit the road, planning to check out a waterfall or two, and then a volcano, before turning in for the night.

The roads were decent and we didn’t have too much trouble finding the first stop.  It was actually a little chilly because we were up in the mountains, and we were glad to have packed an extra layer.  We dumped our things at the hotel and went out to explore.

The weather was… moist.  It wasn’t exactly raining, but it wasn’t dry either.  There was a sort of mist that hung around the place, which made it seem a little mysterious.  We took a little hike around before dinner.

We asked the manager about a nearby waterfall and discovered it wasn’t far at all.  It is a little tough to see here because of the mist and the fact that the sun was going down.  We stuck our feet in (cold!) and Edgar even drank a little of it, in case it was the fountain of youth.  (I assured him that’s in Florida, and I had a couple gulps when I was a kid.)

For dinner, we stopped at a French restaurant we’d spotted on our drive through “town”.  It was strange to sit and have a (delicious) French meal, prepared by an eccentric French chef, in the middle of nowhere, Costa Rica.  As we finished our dessert, we were greeted by a little cat who pawed at my leg and then jumped right in my lap!  Word of my feline generosity has clearly spread far and wide.

The next morning we spotted a cow hanging out by herself, and the girls wanted to go say hello.  They pet the cow for a while and then Edgar walked over and gave her the head scratching of her life.  I didn’t know cows liked that but this one was really leaning into it. You’re welcome, cow.  There were some others on the other side of the fence – you can kinda seem them to the upper left of the photo – and they came to the fence and made some noise.  I think they were trying to say they had itchy chins too.

After breakfast and the petting of the livestock, it was time to hit the road.  We wanted to check out the Arenal volcano, since we’d seen some pictures online and it looked like a good place to explore.   We were also told there was an ice cream shop along the way that was well-populated by iguanas. How could anyone pass that up?   We consulted the map and off we went.

Road signs in CR can be few and far between, and our map was not great with the finer details of the small cities.  We weren’t sure of one of our turns so we stopped to ask where the ice cream/iguanas were.  The store clerk didn’t speak English, and our Spanish needs some work, so Edgar helpfully drew this on our map.

Suddenly she knew exactly what we were talking about!  A few hand signals and “directo!  directo!” instructions later, we were on the road again.   The iguanas did not disappoint.  We didn’t know whether the people at the shop fed them, or they were already there and the shop came along after… but there were definitely iguanas everywhere!  Edgar asked the server if they were friendly, and he said, “Well, they have very sharp teeth, but they are nice.”  Okay.

We were all feeling a little unsure about petting the nice animals with the razor-sharp teeth, but we were okay with tossing them some leftovers, and then as we saw more people touching them and walking away unscathed, we felt safe enough to pet them too.

No hands were damaged in the shooting of these pictures.   That’s the remnants of a mango someone fed them.

With more of the wildlife fed and scratched, we headed off to La Fortuna and the volcano… and met a group of German bodybuilders I was certain was pulling our collective legs.  That’s in part two, coming up next weekend!

Rides Around: Stretch Wagon

Edgar, Surfing, Travel

We found another great ride for our Rides Around series!  This is a custom bug on a South Texas beach.

Someone enjoyed bugs so much, they wanted more.  Instead of getting a second one, they decided to add more to the one they had.

They cut the body and frame, added some body and frame and… voila!  A little paint and some elongated linkages, and this thing was ready for the sand.  The genius behind this knew the stock bug engine was a little light, so they went ahead and through a V8 in her.  That should do it…

The most amusing part of this long bug, is the fact that the owner stuck w/ this theme and has a longboard on top.

I applaud the creativity, apptitude, and drive this creation took from its creators.

Well done!

The Rig: Stretched VW Bug
The Location: Some South Texas beach
The Driver: a creative and ambitious Louisiana gentleman
The Special Circumstance: as a species, our creative well is limitless
Edgar~

Rides Around: Rekombinando

Edgar, Surfing, Travel

The second vehicle featured in our “Rides Around” series is a VW combie van with an interesting story and a fantastic paint job.  I was at a little surf spot just southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas, when I spotted this creation pulled up on the sand.

Before paddling out, I introduced myself to the driver, a bit of a surfing icon, and the father of an exceptional woman who was passionate about making a change and actively doing so through her “social project “.  It is called “Rekombinado” and can be read about here.  It is an educational mission based out of the van, and takes place en route from Brazil to Northern California.

I spent a few minutes discussing the van, its travels, and function w/ the gentleman in the driver’s seat before paddling out.
During my session, I contemplated purpose and passion and priorities.  I thought of how I choose to spend my time, and where I burn the most calories.  It was a bit of a self check-up that I passed w/ some ideas for improvement.

As I was wading back in from my surf, and wrapping my leash up on the tail of my board, the combie was pulling off into the setting sun.  It was undoubtedly headed out to continue its mission of education and love.

Funny how chance encounters can impact lives…

The Rig: VW Combie Van

The Location: Packery Channel, Texas

The Driver: a surfing icon named Joao

The Special Circumstances:  an amazing encounter during a Tuesday after work surf session

Edgar~

Taking the baja down the Baja: Day Nine

Leigh, Surfing, Travel, Yoga

Note: This is a recap of Day Nine of our journey driving a ’68 bug from Sacramento, CA to Sayulita, Mexico.  You can catch up on day eight here.  

The most surprising aspect of the ferry ride was the timing.  We had given ourselves plenty of wiggle room, because we didn’t know if it would leave or arrive on time.  It did both.  We cruised into Mazatlan right before 9am, and everyone lined up in an orderly fashion to disembark.  I joined the exit line, rushed back to return the borrowed movies and remote control, then joined the line again while Edgar went down below to fire up the bug.

I walked off the ramp and met Edgar in the parking lot, where he was holding our exhaust pipe.  He’d lightly tapped a truck during the unloading process, and it was enough to cause the pipe to break off.  Once again our jar of bungees came in handy, and we headed off toward Sayulita with the pipe carefully fixed to the roof rack, while keeping a careful eye out for a welding shop.

At lunch time we found a nice little place right on the water just south of San Blas, selling shrimp and cheese empanadas and the now standard coca lites.  While we wrapped up the meal, we asked around about a nearby break called Stoners.  No one at the restaurant knew what we were talking about, so we went off-roading again.  We found some pretty beaches, but no swell.

We’d spent enough time in Nayarit to know where the swell is located there, so we got back on the pavement and headed in that direction.  In La Cruz we spotted what looked like a welding shop, and quickly turned in.  We used our spanish and a lot of demonstrative movements to explain the problem, and one of the workers said the magic words, “no problem”.  He brought out the torch, and waved off Edgar’s suggestion of a helmet.  A few moments and pesos later, the pipe was once again married to the bug.

We were close to home, but had enough light to check out one of the local breaks, so we took a quick peek.  Burrows wasn’t too exciting, but the pizza joint nearby had a live band.  They sounded good and so did a slice of pizza, so we settled in to enjoy both.

After dinner, it was time to go home.  Casa Aves has the perfect spot for the bug right out front.  We spent time unloading boards and supplies, and giving the green meanie a little dust-off as a welcome home.

The next day, we grabbed a ride to the airport, and a much faster trip home.

Miles traveled on day 9:  245

The story doesn’t end here; it’s just the closing of this chapter.  Thanks to everyone for following along and enjoying the recaps with us.  It was a great adventure and we enjoyed sharing it with you.  We’d love to hear your feedback and/or questions.  What surprised you about the journey? Is there anything we didn’t cover that you really want to know? Have you, or would you want to, make a similar trek?  Would you have joined Fibber McGee for dinner, or adopted a Mexican street puppy?  Share in the comments and let’s keep the conversation going.

Taking the baja down the Baja: Day Eight

Leigh, Surfing, Travel, Yoga

Note: This is a recap of Day Eight of our journey driving a ’68 bug from Sacramento, CA to Sayulita, Mexico.  You can catch up on day seven here. 

Ferry day!  This was the most unpredictable part of the trip.  When we made our plans, the driving part had some wiggle room, but was overall pretty clear.  The ferry leg wasn’t, and we were excited to see what it would bring.

In the morning we walked to a coffee shop for delicious coffee and cookies.  The girl at the register told the guest ahead of us she worked 14 hour days.  She must have put all that time into her recipe for blonde brownies, because it knocked our socks off.  We spent a few minutes happily sipping coffee, shaking our heads and saying things like just how good is this brownie…

Once properly sugared up, we got back on the road and headed to surf Cerritos.  It was a family-filled beach with a lot of kids getting up on big foam boards wearing baggy rash guards and grins from ear to ear.

We rented two boards – an egg for Edgar and a pink foam long board for me.  We headed right out, and I promptly got clobbered on the first wave and banished myself to white water.  Edgar paddled out and got into some better waves.  We were glad we had wet suits, because the water was still pretty chilly.

After the quick surf session we headed for Cabo, intending to surf there too, but traffic was building and we didn’t want to risk missing the ferry.  We gave Cabo a glance and turned back toward La Paz, stopping for some pizza and coca lites.  I thought the restroom signs were hilariously clear.

They really gotta go!

The ferry guys put us back in line to be inspected and weighed, so note to readers, the dry run is not necessary.  We had the same guys at the inspection and weigh stations as we did the day prior; the only difference this time was a fee after we were weighed.  That seemed a little suspect, and we made a few noises in that direction, but in the end we paid it and got in line to drive on the boat.

Only one person was allowed to be in the vehicle  during the loading process, so we split up and Edgar drove the bug on board, while I filed in with the other walk-ons in the passenger line.  We met back up at reception and got escorted to our room. Bunk beds, bathroom and a separate living room area.  Pretty snazzy!

Dinner was being served on the upper deck, so even though we weren’t all that hungry, we went up to check it out.  It was kinda like the dining area on a cruise ship, but buffet style.  We had chicken, tortillas and banana pudding for dessert.

Back in our room, we tried to watch TV but couldn’t get it to work, so I checked at the desk to see if they offered movies for rent.  They did, at no cost, and they had some in English!  We floated across the sea of Cortez while watching the epic struggle to climb Everest, then turned in.  Edgar says he slept like a baby, but I had a bit of a hard time with the rock of the boat, and doors nearby opening and closing.

Miles traveled on day eight: 250 by road and 260 by boat.

On Day Nine: Sayulita and home sweet home.

 

Taking the baja down the Baja: Day 7

Leigh, Surfing, Travel, Yoga

Note: This is a recap of Day Seven of our journey driving a ’68 bug from Sacramento, CA to Sayulita, Mexico.  You can catch up on day six here. 

Our search for coffee in La Paz took us to a shop just a block away from the hotel, with Shakespeare quotes on the wall.  We enjoyed our flat white and mocha outside, next to the Sea of Cortez, and took a few moments to catch up on some work.  Then it was time for the big event of the day: getting ferry tickets.

When we mapped out our trip, we knew we needed to catch a ferry ride from La Paz over to Mazatlan, and main land Mexico.  We found some information online, but we weren’t 100% sure on the details.  Did it only go to Mazatlan on weekdays?  Was the Saturday trip just to Topolobampo? (Still need a pronouncer on that one but it’s fun to try!)  How quickly would it fill up?

Finding the ferry dock wasn’t too tricky, and we asked the man directing traffic where we needed to go to get a ticket.  He motioned to the building and parking lot.  We parked, walked inside, and took a number for the ticket counter.  The office was filled with what appeared to be local families, on their way to or back from vacation.  I’m pretty sure we were the only Americans driving our ’68 bug across the country for kicks.

At our turn at the window, we learned we needed to be inspected and weighed first, before a ticket for the vehicle could be issued.  We went back outside and got in line for that.  The agent in our lane asked about our paperwork, which we had, and our VIN number, which we could not point out for him.  I’m sure it’s on the car somewhere, but we had no idea where.  After a few words of explanation, and absolutely no inspection, he waved us through to the scales.

The bug weighed in at around 1500 pounds.   Back inside the building, we purchased two passenger and one vehicle ticket for the ferry the next day, and got instructions to show up two hours before departure.

Feeling confident about the next leg of the adventure, we headed off to celebrate with some waves at Todo Santos, which basically involved driving straight south to the Pacific side once again.

Lunch was on a nice patio in town, with two stray dogs snoozing nearby.  Before we ate our meal, dessert arrived via a woman and her children, selling donuts for five pesos.  We got two.

The key to burning off chocolate icing is paddling out, so we hit the surf shop in town to pick up a leash for one of our boards.  The woman running the store was happy to sell us the leash, but cagey about the local breaks, clearly pretending not to know much about La Pastora, which we’d heard was amazing, and steering us more toward Cerritos.  But we wouldn’t be detoured so easily, and double checked the online descriptions for La Pastora, which was rumored to be a good place to get barreled if you hit it on the right day.  (To be clear, only one of us was looking for that sort of thing.)

The bug was a trooper and pressed on through all kinds of sand, brush and hills.  Several times we spotted farms and fences, and surmised this might be La Pastora, only to walk down to a flat beach.  Finally, around sunset, we saw an opening in the brush and turned off — there it was!  The waves were once again no match for my skill level, so Edgar grabbed a few while I flowed on the beach.

Trust me, he’s out there.

When the sun went down, we headed to a hotel I had booked online, but when we got to the gate no one answered.  There was a note and a giant bell to ring for the clerk.  We gave it a couple pulls… nothing.  Called the number…nothing.  The neighbor came home and mentioned the desk kept “crazy hours” and that if we kept trying someone “might answer.”  Rather than being stranded at dark in the street, we decided to press on into town and found the Maria Bonita.  The young girls working the counter enjoyed some giggles at our Spanish, but they did have rooms available, and we had ourselves a place to rest.  Dinner was sushi with a hot pepper Mexican twist…. an unexpected and tasty fushion!

Miles traveled on day seven: about 50 from La Paz to Todo Santos, plus a good amount of wandering in search of La Pastora.

On day eight: We watched the struggle to climb Everest while traveling through the night on the Sea of Cortez.

Taking the baja down the Baja: Day Six

Leigh, Surfing, Yoga

Note: This is a recap of Day Six of our journey driving a ’68 bug from Sacramento, CA to Sayulita, Mexico.  You can catch up on day five here. 

The hotel offered breakfast, so we made the most of the coffee, fruit, and yogurt — the last made by the waitress herself, the night before.  The morning was overcast and a little chilly, so we decided to see about getting some laundry done before heading to the beach.  While at the hotel, we met a surfer named Chad from Colorado.  We had a good chat about surfing, traveling and a little politics.  He asked if he could use Edgar’s phone to email his wife and let her know he’s alive.  He said he was in the middle of a three-week surfing pilgrimage, and that she allows this once every year.  But, she does worry if she doesn’t hear from him, and he was only carrying a flip phone.  We shared our technology and got the message through, then told him we’d see him at the beach.

Scorpion Bay has a reputation for being one of the best and longest waves in the world.   If conditions are right, you can get on one, take a right, and just keep going.  The bug got a warm welcome at the break, where Chad and some other folks were already parked and suiting up.  A guy who introduced himself as Bubba, also from Colorado, couldn’t get enough of our Green Machine, and took several photos for the boys back home.  He was doing the trip in a VW bus, and explained he belonged to a VW fan club.  “They’ll love this!” he said with a big grin on his face, snapping photos like he was with the paparazzi.  He also showed us the sticker he had on his bus, which celebrated the journey.  It read, “I Survived the North Road!”  I wanted one for the bug, but didn’t get around to finding the right shop.

The super clean lines were calling, so we waved to the guys and headed down a little ways to the next of the four points.  The rocks and the swell were intimidating for me, so I took a flow on the beach while Edgar climbed down and paddled out.  It was breaking clean, at waist to shoulder high, and he reported back that it was super fun.

The sun came and I had plenty of time to salute it repeatedly and then work on hand stands on the beach.  I can only hold for a second or two, but it feels like forever.  I’m always hesitant to practice on hard surfaces since I know I’ll tumble, but the soft sand was perfect and the bug was also kind enough to offer a steady assist.

As we got ready to leave, we ran into a Japanese surfer with a board tucked under his arm.  He was so excited he was running for the beach.  “I am at the end of my surfing trip,” he told us.  “I think I will go to America and work some more, save up more money, until I have enough to go again.”  Living the life.

We needed to get moving to stay on schedule for the ferry, but we wanted to stare at the lines a while longer so we grabbed some fish tacos at a beachside restaurant.  While we waited for the food, I pet a tiny dog, who didn’t mind the interruption to his afternoon nap.

Then it was time.  We put the bug in gear and headed for La Paz, about six hours away.  The road was all pavement, and smooth-sailing, quite the change from our bumpy ride in.  Even though we were cruising along with one headlight and two fog lights, we were greeted with quick waves and the “move along” motion at the checkpoints.  We found the La Perla hotel for sixty USD, a safe place to sleep right by the water.  When we pulled into the turnout for valet parking, the attendant said it was okay to just keep it right there.  The workers all regarded our rig with a little smile on their faces.

We walked to a nearby Italian restaurant and ate sandwiches for dinner and watched people cruise down the main strip.  For dessert we had cheesecake, which we thought was going to be carrot cake.  We could tell the waitress wasn’t sure when we ordered, and when she delivered it she was looking sheepish.  “My English is not so good,” she said.  But that was okay because the cheesecake was.

You Are Here

Miles traveled on day six: 242 smooth ones on the best road so far

On day seven: We conducted a dry run for the ferry, and annoyed a surf shop owner who tried to lure us away from “her” waves.

Quality

Edgar, Surfing, Travel

We (as individuals) are responsible for our actions.  That being said, we also own their knock on affects.  Every action we have affects others, directly or indirectly.  Simple physics, “for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”  The world around us is changed by our presence in it.

Pause, and consider the gravity….

Not too long, we do not want sucked into a black hole.

In construction there is a saying, “Today’s quality is tomorrow’s safety.”  People that are building nuclear facilities say things like that, well..,we hope.  We should all carefully consider the quality of our actions before executing them, because we are ultimately defined by our actions, not our sentiment.  The road to hell was paved, by masons, w/ good intentions.

I am a hurricane survivor and so is my motorcycle.  My motorcycle (a KLR 650) was nearly perfect before hurricane Harvey.  It had 2300 miles on it and not a chip of beautiful orange paint was missing.  When the system was spinning up into a cat 3, I decided I would be spending my hurricane days in Mexico (surfing).  The storm shifted, so all of the Texas surf was going to be blown out by gale force on shore winds.  No reason for me to stick around (and Mex was firing off), so I “secured” my things.  As any (first world) natural disaster survivor knows, the best way to “secure” is to insure.  (I should probably trademark that one.)  I know that now, but pre-Harvey I didn’t.  The bike was uninsured (liability) and unsecured, but physically I did what I could.  I put it in a 7’x7′ Lowes plastic shed next to my 38′ 5th wheel and locked the door.  This, my friends, is NOT secure.  Harvey whipped up into a real nasty little creature, and I went surfing in Mexico.  As I was traveling out of town, the storm started tracking more easterly (towards mi casa).  Less than ideal.

Before leaving, I had the bike in the shed and next to the porch.  I had several boards outside, and “secured” under the camper.  I decided to up my level of security for the boards.  I put 5 boards in my bathroom and shut the door.  My longboard went in the shed w/ the bike.
When the storm blew through, it flopped my 5th wheel over and onto my shed, presumably crushing my beautiful, orange, uninsured, dual sport.  Again, our actions dictate a lot of things, and some things we would/could never consider.


Texas is not known for surf.  I tell people I surf in Texas and they ask, “is there a ocean in Texas?”  I don’t get into the whole geography thing, and how Americans are notoriously poor at it, as are Australians, but I do mention that the Gulf of Mexico touches Texas.
Anyone who surfs the Gulf of Mexico appreciates longboards and their necessity.  I got mine in Galveston (the stoke in this town is incredible).  It was shaped by Mark Wooster.   I bought the board off a used rack at a local place, and the shop owner bragged on Mark and his boards.  He said that Mark took care in building a solid board.  Quality.  The shop owner was right, and Mark is a stand up guy.

Mark Wooster saved my KLR.

When the storm knocked my 5th wheel onto the shed, the 5th wheel contacted the northwest corner of the shed first.  That is where the elevated nose of my board was.  As the shed crushed from the weight of the trailer, it rotated the board counter clockwise and lined the board up perpendicular to the shed, spanning over the bike like a joist carrying the trailer’s weight, and keeping it off the bike.


To the layman, it looked like a pile of crushed rubbish, but after some creative rigging and tow truck operator finesse, the bike was recovered virtually unscathed.


I dressed the bike out w/ panniers and a surfboard rack, and now it resides in Mexico.  It is great transport, but every time I see it, my heart thanks Mark and his attention to detail.  I am convinced, a lesser board would not have taken this load.  The board did sustain some damage to its fin box, but is still rideable, and so is the KLR.

Thanks Mark.  You do good work, and I appreciate that.

Edgar~

Taking the baja down the Baja: Day Five

Leigh, Surfing, Travel

Note: This is a recap of Day Five of our journey driving a ’68 bug from Sacramento, CA to Sayulita, Mexico.  You can catch up on day four here. 

The first thing we did on Day Five, was get out the toolbox and give the bug some attention.  Well, the very first thing we did was get coffee.  I ordered from the hotel restaurant, and used my weak but growing Spanish to say “Cafe con leche. Dos. And….(I mimed walking fingers) vamose!”  It’s rough, but people seem to appreciate the attempt.  The waitress returned with two coffees to go and asked me for 35 pesos.  I handed her 40, and she handed them back to me and shook her head.  I looked down and noticed I had given her $40 Canadian.  Travelers’ problems

We spent about an hour in the hotel parking lot checking oil, reattaching fenders and getting the LED bar to work.  Then it was time to set our sights on Scorpion Bay.  We drove for a while before deciding to stop for lunch at a roadside restaurant.  Tacos, a torta and two coca lites really hit the spot.  The bill was a whopping 131 pesos, or $7.

At a gas station stop, Edgar filled up the tank and I went inside the little store for snacks.  I spotted a little bag of something called Choco Retas and decided we needed to try them.  They tasted like tiny little peppermint patties.  Addicting!

On the way out of the store I spotted a small dog, and of course stopped to pet it.  “You like dogs, amiga?” the man sitting in front of the store asked.  I admitted I did.  “I have puppies for adoption.  You want one?” I said no thank you and held firm, but I had to speed walk it out of there.

We’d spent some time researching the drive to Scorpion Bay, so we knew we would be a while on a dirt road, then take a left at a fish camp, and then we’d have the option to take the salt flats, or the north road.  There were warnings included with both.  Don’t stray from the path.  Don’t go alone.  Take a short wave radio…. and so forth.

Super salty.

We decided to go alone and take candy and a good attitude.  The north road needed a grader and it needed one badly.  It was washboard the whole way.  We tried to weave to a “better” part of the road, but better never really came.  A few times we would run into really soft sand, and we’d have to get a run at it to stay unstuck.  Other times we had to slowly rock crawl and rattle our way across stretches with no sand at all.  It was pretty exciting and we always made it up and out.

A few hours in we spotted a van coming the other direction, and the driver slowed to talk to us.  It was a couple from California and they were coming back from Scorpion Bay.  The driver offered us directions that included go straight, pass a goat farm, keep going, drive through the creek bed…. “How much farther is it?” we asked.  “Oh at least two more hours,” came the reply.  We waved our thanks and put the bug in gear.

All told, we were about seven hours on the north road.  We passed lots of cows, and a group of wild horses.  Of course I wanted to get close, but they were skittish and had foals with them, so they stuck around long enough for a couple long-distance clicks and then took off.   The scenery changed from the salt pools to sand to brush and then tall cacti.  We got a good long look at all of it, since the road conditions only allowed us to go about ten miles per hour.  (by ear)

One of the wild, wild horses.

Finally, we saw lights, and Scorpion Bay was just a right turn away.  The town is lovely… small, and developed just enough to have a few places to stay and one selling gasolina.  The Scorpion Bay Hotel still had rooms and the upstairs restaurant was open.  One note about the temperature – because Mexico is typically hot, the places we stayed had air conditioning but not heat.  If you travel during cooler weather, you might want to bring along an extra blanket.

After dinner, we took a walk and craned our necks to see a sky lit up with stars.

Miles traveled on Day Five: 194, including a decent section of the Baja 500

Coming up on Day Six:  Scorpion Bay delivers on its dependable reputation, and we meet a group of VW enthusiasts with an enormous amount of stoke.  Stay tuned (bro).