10 days, 929 miles and we have made it back up Baja to Ensenada. It is hard to believe we have been gone since October. They don’t call it a “bash” for nothing. It felt like we were climbing uphill as we headed north into the seas and wind. We did get a few calm days at sea and even anchored over night by a sea lion rookery. The young pups entertained us for hours jumping, splashing and rough housing right beside the boat!
We had a wonderful two week visit with the girls in Baja. We started in Loreto and ended in La Paz. We played, laughed, cooked, swam, snorkeled and hung out together. It is always a blessing to have family time!
Arriving in Loreto
Fun on land!
Fun under the sea!
It was a breath of fresh air to arrive back on the Baja side of Mexico and the sparkling Sea of Cortez. The sparse orange, red, yellow landscape is a sharp contrast to the turquoise blue water. We crossed the sea from the mainland of Mexico to Isla Carmen and anchored in Salinas Bay where we toured an abandoned salt mine and processing plant. The crumbling buildings were a peak into the past where families once lived and worked. The pristine church stood in stark contrast to the ghost town surrounding it.
We left Mazatlán and travelled north to the port town of Topolobampo (I love that word!) where we took the Chiahuahua Railway, known as El Chepe, up into the Sierra Madre mountains to visit the Copper Canyon (Barrancas del Cobre). The train is an amazing engineering feat which winds its way from sea level to 8000 feet, crosses 37 bridges and goes through 86 tunnels as it travels through the spectacular countryside of Mexico. We loved the experience of travelling by train, watching the scenery go by while having lunch in the dining car and sticking our heads out between the rail cars. It is a much more civilized way to travel!
We disembarked the train in Barrancas and stayed for the night at the Hotel Pasada Mirador which sits perched on the very edge of the canyon. From the balcony of our room it looked like we were floating above the canyon below. The national park encompasses a series of canyons that get their name from the copper-green hue of the canyon walls.
The Copper Canyon is home to the indigenous Raramuri people who live in caves and small huts along the bluffs of the canyon which paint a sharp contrast to the luxury hotel above. The women dress in brightly colored skirts and scarves and with hands flying weave beautiful baskets in a matter of minutes that they sell to support their families. I bought 11 and wish I had bought dozens more!
We visited Isla Isabel for a second time on our way north and it was just as amazing as the first time. When we came through in the end of January, I photographed this pair of frigates with the female sitting on the nest and when we returned in March I was so excited to see the happy family. What an amazing opportunity to be able to see the baby chick!
This visit, I hiked over a different part of the island and saw many frigate families living in the tops of the trees. They make quite a ruckus and have quite a strong odor.
I also saw some more of my favorite blue footed boobies!
We took our own Disney Jungle River Cruise in Puerto Vallarta not a ½ mile dinghy ride up the estuary from the world class Paradise Village Resort. Hundreds of iguanas were sunning themselves in the trees. Herons and egrets sat side by side with the iguanas resting after a morning of fishing. The jungle noise from all the “critters” reminded us of being at Disneyland except here it is all natural!
Isla Isabel ~ The Galapagos of Mexico
Parque Nacional Isla Isabel, a small volcanic island located approximately 20 miles off the coast of Mexico, is home to over 30,000 nesting sea birds. Jacque Costeau first visited the island to film the mating habits of the majestic frigate birds and the adorable blue footed boobies. The birds are very tame and you can get quite close to them because of the isolation of the island from humans and the lack of predators. It was a magical experience!
The blue footed booby mating dance
I really do hate to admit when Bill is right. He has been talking about Barra de Navidad for months, ad nauseam, to the point that I could hardly stand hearing about it, but in the end I have to go on record as saying – he is right! It is beautiful and warm and the sun always shines. The marina is part of the Grand Isla Navidad Resort and we have access to all the lovely pools and beaches. It has a Mediterranean ambiance, built into a hill with a stucco finish and red tile roof. Best of all “The French Bakery” panga pulls into the marina every day selling croissant, baguettes, quiche and tarts that are some of the best we have ever eaten.
Each morning after we devour our almond croissant and limon tart we jump into the water taxi and head across the bay to the small fishing village of Barra de Navidad for a morning Spanish lesson. At noon when our heads are spinning with too much Spanish, we grab a couple of $1 tacos and head out in the dinghy to explore the shoreline or take a beach walk to Melaque the town 2 ½ miles at the other end of the bay. For dinner we eat sushi “Mexican” style in the hotel lobby while listening to live piano music or take the water taxi back to town and dine alfresco on the beach, watching the sun set into the Pacific.
This is our furthest port south and on Saturday we will start working our way north again. I have been remiss in keeping up the blog for the last 6 weeks due to spotty internet and too much fun so I am going to flood you with pictures on the photo page of our travels from Mazatlan, to Puerto Vallarta, to Barra including many small anchorages along the way. We also took a break from the water for a road trip across Mexico to visit San Miguel de Allende and Guadalajara.
Don’t forget to scroll through the photo page and also the map page if you want to see all the stops we have made ~ adagioboat.com
From our family to yours,
Wishing you a wonderful 2016 filled with love, laughter and happiness!
Just so you don’t think we are only sitting under a palm tree drinking piña coladas, Bill cleaned the bottom of the boat on Christmas day and fixed the water pump on New Years Eve ~ not a happy camper!
Check out our underwater videos below!
More swimming with the sea lions
The national park islands of Espiritu Santos and Partida lie just 20 miles north of La Paz. The islands are dotted with small bays headed by white sand beaches and the years of geologic activity have exposed layer upon layer of pink, ivory and black rock. Below the surface the water is teaming with sea life. We have been snorkeling with manta rays, sea lions, and hundreds of species of fish.
