San Diego
Well today’s the day we’ve all been waiting for! The border crossing adventure. We’ve met up with a few friends that have done this before so we have some mentors to help us out. It has been a chaotic morning but we’re finally packed up and ready to change our lives! Everyone is anxious to sink their toes into the warm, beachy sand. Today we become true immigrants! Going to the beyond, to the places we do not know, to the dreams that can be chased! Fresh coconuts, mangos, pineapples, and papayas await us beyond the American border!
As nervous as my heart beats, I cannot wait to get to my dreamland. Marine biology everywhere, new people to greet, and new worlds to explore! Who would turn down an opportunity like this? I can only imagine what awaits me there. Though we’ve only been driving for 3 days, it’s felt like weeks! But my wait is over; we’ve finally arrived at the border! Only adventure awaits me….
Tiawana
We’ve finally arrived in Mexico! Upon arrival we were kindly greeted by a pod of friendly short finned pilot whales playing in the surf. Even though we’re not in Loreto yet we’re already amazing marine life! Who knew how beautiful this place would really be? Though the houses are smaller and the roads are bumpier, this place is so much more beautiful than the US. Even though Tiawana has gorgeous architecture, I can’t take my eyes off the ocean. The animals, the colors, and the motion is just so hypnotizing!
Mulahay
We’ve set up our camp in a small town about 2 hours north of Loreto. Though we were only planning on staying here for one night, we’ve fallen in love with the beach and we have decided to stay one more night before moving on to Loreto! The water here is so clear. The visibility reaches up to about 15 feet! It might not sound like a lot but underwater; 10’ goes a long way! The basic fish species swarm the 85-degree water! Everywhere I look there’s rays, fish, and FUN!
Rice and Beans
In between Tiawana and Mulahay lies a little motel called rice and beans. It was just a pit stop for the night, a place to park our trailer and recharge for the next day of driving. The morning of our departure, a 20 year old man named Jesus walked over to where I was hula hooping. He didn’t say anything just made hand movements and expressions. At first I thought he didn’t know we spoke a little bit of Spanish. After about a half an hour of hula hooping I realized he was deaf and mute! We communicated by hand motions and writing on the ground with water. It was such a great experience to find other ways to communicate with people other than using words! I’ll never forget that morning.
Loreto
Scuba diving, snorkeling, animals, and friends. Baja has been wonderful! Sadly, my heart already longs for home. Not seeing my best friends for 11 days has been terrible. It might not sound like a long time, but knowing that I still have 4 months to go makes each day longer. Not speaking Spanish prevents me from making new friends. It’s amazing how hard it can be just to say “Hi, I’m Terra”, in a foreign language!
We have been lucky enough to have met a super nice couple from California! They have recently built a home just outside of Loreto and they are letting us park our trailer in their driveway. They have a nice little beach with amazing snorkeling! Porcupine, puffer, and needlefish swarm the waters just a few feet off shore! It’s wonderful!
At low tide we can walk along the shore and fine all sorts of things. At a previous beach we happened to stumble upon a dolphin hide! We took the skull and the teeth from it but left the rest. We’re bleaching it so we can hopefully get past the military stops with out them having any suspicions.
The weather here is amazing! Hot and humid in the day and just the same at night! During daylight it’s a steady 90 degrees and at night it’s usually about 60-70! If you don’t like the heat it’s not going to be the ideal spot for you! Despite the wonderful weather, the sunsets are to die for! Yellows, oranges, reds, and pinks, like I’ve never seen before! And then adding the gorgeous mountains as a background; it’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen!
Best Day Ever
6:40 a.m. and everyone’s up! Jo and Julie (the couple we’re staying with) decided to take us out to some islands bright and early. We found a nice little cove out of the wind to scuba dive in so we got geared up and hopped in the water. Huge schools of hundreds of fish swarmed around us! Big or small they were all so interesting! To name just a few of them: Cornet fish, bass of all kinds, creole fish, pompanos, goatfish, king angelfish, and SO many more!
If all the amazing fish weren’t enough, we went clamming on a beach just as nice as the Bahamas! We got a whole bag of dinner plate and chocolate clams to make clam chowder mmmm J!!! I’ve only eaten canned clam chowder, which doesn’t even compare to the real deal!
Town
Loreto is an amazing town! They have a Sunday market with all sorts of cool things for sale. When we walked by the meat stand there was a skinned goat hanging upside down head and all. It had the strangest odor, fermenting meat and basil. Not the best combination! Each family had a little booth resembling a yard sale piled high with clothes, makeup, and anything you cold ever need!
