Flying home this afternoon

We shared a taxi to the airport, arriving just an hour and a half before our flight; we were told there was no need to get there any earlier, and sure enough, there was plenty of time. Ours was the only flight that day, there is only one waiting area, and only one gate! You walk across the tarmac to the plane.
Thanks for following along; until next time!

Photo at Loreto International Airport taken by qbarandrew (Flickr Creative Commons)

Sunset with pelican

Today we cycled 7 km north to a restaurant right on the beach, across from Coronado Island. It took us 2 hours to get there on gravel/sand roads; we got lost a few times, were chased by aggressive gringo dogs (one nipped my foot but luckily I had runners on), and were riding into the wind. After a long lunch we headed back, and it felt like it was all downhill, as the wind was now pushing us; it only took one hour!
We've started packing as tomorrow we fly home.

Photo by aquanerds (Flickr Creative Commons)

Hibiscus

Today was a quiet day of walking, looking in shops (one has a sign that says Conchita's Curios on one side, and Conchita's Curious on the other), going to the Latte Cafe, and relaxing at the Inn. It was built as a family home in 1916, and turned into an Inn just 3 years ago. It has generous common spaces to relax, a covered outdoor kitchen, a garden with a hammock, and a patio sheltered by the wind, that catches the late afternoon sun. There are flowering shrubs, cactus, vines, a lime tree that rains limes when it's windy, and a fig tree. The resident dog, Isabella, welcomes everyone, while the cat, Banshee, rarely makes an appearance; he's half Siamese and half wild Baja cat - he has beautiful blue eyes and incredibly long legs.

Photo by lisstoun (Flickr Creative Commons)

Grey whales

This morning we left at 0730 to go over to the Pacific side - to Magdalena Bay. The grey whales migrate all the way down here from Alaska each winter to calve in the protected lagoons. We drove for two hours: first south, then west up switchbacks into the mountains, then on the flat straight roads across the desert, stopping to take photos of ospreys; every tenth power pole had a platform for the nests.
At the marina we donned our life jackets and went out in a panga. The first thing we saw was a small National Geographic ship, loading people into zodiacs. Soon we saw our first mother and baby whale; the mothers are grey, and the little ones are darker. We saw lots in the lagoon, some surfaced quite close to the boat. Twice we saw adults spyhopping! It was amazing. We saw dolphins, and along the shore saw herons, pelicans, egrets, cormorants and of course gulls.
After a lunch at a nearby restaurant, where we were all served the combo: fish, prawns and lobster, we headed back to Loreto.
Later, five of us from the Inn went up to the rooftop bar at the Posada de Los Flores, and sipped margaritas while watching the sunset and then the full moon appear.

Photo by trevor_clark77 (Flickr Creative Commons)

Sunday market peppers

This morning we went to the Sunday market, which is in the arroyo at the end of our street. It was half flea market, and half food market; we bought some fruit.
Then we went south of town (with 3 Canadians in their jeep) to a beach called Ensenada Blanca, where we walked around to the far side of the bay, and up a trail to the end of the point. We were up fairly high, and could see the south ends of both Danzante and Carmen islands, with sailboats in the distance; a beautiful spot.

Photo by webbmb (Flickr Creative Commons)

A day on the water: part two

We then went to the end of Isla Carmen and headed east; without the protection of the island, the sea was choppy, so it was a rough ride. Finally we got out to where some Blue whales were; we couldn't believe out eyes when the first one surfaced - they're enormous (the largest whales - they can be from 90 to 100 feet long), with a tiny dorsal fin, and they're a grey-blue colour.
It was the same watching, take pictures, getting some video, then when they dived down, we watched and waited to see where they would surface again. Usually we would hear them blow before we saw them.
After some time we'd all had enough, and so we headed back; on the way we found porpoises! They were fun to watch, and were really close to the boat. It was a great day.

Photo by kenbondy (Flickr Creative Commons)

A day on the water: part one

We left at 8 a.m. from the marina in a panga (small open boat) with 3 others and our captain, Rodrigo. The sea was smooth and glassy as we headed south. Up ahead we could see small dolphins, so slowed right down to watch them. Some were right beside the boat, the rest were just ahead, and sometimes 2 or 3 would surface together.
Then we headed over towards Isla Carmen, and soon noticed whales blowing. They were two Fin whales, big and black, with a small dorsal fin. They're the second biggest whale, and can grow to be almost 80 feet long. We would watch them surfacing, then they would dive down and we would wait to see where they'd come up next.

Photo by loretobay (Flickr Creative Commons)

Along the malecon

This afternoon we took the bikes and rode all along the malecon (seawall) to the end, then along sandy roads to the North edge of town. Walked along the beach, and watched people fishing from a bar, pelicans diving and egrets wading.
Now we're getting ready for a whale watching trip tomorrow.

Welcome sign photo by g-na (Flickr Creative Commons)

The significance of 1697

Our favourite restaurant so far is in the corner of this square, which has the bandshell in the middle. The restaurant is called 1697, which is the year the Jesuits landed and built a mission (B likes the name of the local basketball team: Los Misionaros); the mission was the first permanent Spanish settlement in the Californias. The Jesuits named the town after Loreto in Italy, where they'd studied.
Loreto is a small town with one traffic light, and many cobblestone streets.
Today we walked to the marina and watched the pelicans diving for fish. We also enquired, at a few places, about whale watching out past the island - we've had reports of blue and fin whale sightings.

Town square photo by rianap (Flickr Creative Commons)

Cycling

We borrowed bikes from the Inn; I was on a purple one speed with wide handlebars! We peddled south, and in a few blocks the road dipped down and crossed the arroyo, then at the edge of town it turned into a gravel and sand track that ran beside the beach. Farther along we saw the airport on our right. Signs explained the extent of the Marine park offshore and the do's and don'ts in both Spanish and English. Stopped for a break at a palapa, and went beachcombing; only found green and white beach-glass, despite the fact that we've seen lots of blue beer and tequila bottles here.

Photo by mksfly (Flickr Creative Commons)

Posada de Las Flores pool

A day for laundry and grocery shopping; we also walked to the luxury hotel Posada de Las Flores, in the historic centre of town a block away. It has colonial architecture, antiques, and most amazing, a rooftop pool with a glass block bottom, so that you can see the bottom of the pool from the lobby. We climbed the spiral staircase to the roof to see the pool and the view: you can see the whole town, and the Gigante mountains to the west.

(Flickr Creative Commons photo)

Back from second kayaking trip

Yesterday our group split up and B and two others paddled around the island, while we paddled to the next bay, then hiked up to a small ridge to see the view. It was a warm sunny day with calm seas.
Today the forecast was for wind, so we got up early, packed up, and paddled across before the winds got any worse. There were some big swells, but not as bad as last week, and I was in the front of the double, so that was great.

Photo by julioaka (Flickr Creative Commons)