MC Raven Ride Report 32 - The View From The Palapa

At Vizacaino, BCS in the Kadaken Motel. Met Faviola: beautiful. vivacious, charming photographer. Works at the front desk of the motel and takes pictures of interesting travelers - she took mine (I think it was the North Pole, AK address that made me interesting). She promised to email me copies - I hope she does.

As she was taking my picture I admired her camera and mentioned that maybe it was time for me to upgrade my camera - then, I could take better photos. She reminded me - ever so gently - as she dropped into a low crouch to give a better angle to her picture that "cameras don't make good photos, photographers do." (I may have developed a little crush on her right then.)

Had breakfast at the hotel restaurant. 5 locals in a group were at the table next to me and a traveling truck driver was also there. Every one of them spent the entire time on their cells either, texting or talking. Even when their food came, they didn't talk to each other. I don't think they liked each other.

Stopped for a snack and gas at San Ignacio. San Ignacio is an oasis of date palms and a river in a canyon that cuts straight through different rock strata. Lava from the nearby volcano (Volcan de las Tres Virgins) covers the top layers.

I pressed on through Santa Rosalia and am right now set up in a $10US/night campsite right on a little bay with a palapa for shade. I may never leave.

The View From The Palapa

This campsite is in a small village named San Lucas. It's an expat enclave. All 60's-something Americans, not a Mexican in residence. Until this morning, the only locals I've seen were the man who took my money and a guy that helps the 'campers' with projects.

Some of the expats here have been coming to this place for as much as 40-years. Most just leave their trailors here year'round ($1400US/year- just over $100US/month rent) as it's cheaper and easier than round tripping them from anywhere in the US. Apparently, it gets really humid here druing the summer months (July and August especially) and very windy in January and February. But, the fishing out in Sea of Cortez is great and the sunrises are wonderful (as my pics show).

I've been here 2-nights - am leaving in the morning. Being here really makes me miss Raven the boat.
No one here speaks Spanish. It's like visiting Chinatown in San Francisco - all Chinese and no English.

Sunrise over the Bay - click on pic to enlarge

For years I'd dreamed of going somewhere warm with a nice beach, gentle breezes and a laidback lifestyle. The manana attitude has taken root. I could get sucked into this place real easily. Price is right, no one expects anything of you and, I wouldn't even have to learn Spanish. I spent an hour yesterday just practicing raising one eyebrow at a time.

Come on guys Donde Esta Los Mexicanos? I didn't come to Mexico to eat at McDonalds.

I left Camp San Lucas and instead of heading south, I went back north to Santa Rosalia.

Reading the Lonely Planet Guide for Baja, I discovered that, in Santa Rosalia, was a church designed by Gustav Eiffel - yep, the same guy that designed the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Apparently, he'd designed a pre-fab cast-iron/steel church for the 1889 Paris World's Fair. Lonely Planet says it was supposed to go to Africa but, ended up here in Santa Rosalia instead. I had to take a picture!

It's a lovely little church and, still very active: there was a birthday party going on there the day (Saturday) I visited.

On my way out of town I passed a library (biblioteca) with the wonderful name of: Bibliotecca Mahatma Ghandi! I suspect there's more to Santa Rosalia that meets the eye.