Trying to Catch Up!

It is now almost the end of May and I have to confess that I am falling behind! I have completed about 2/3 of my list and I only have 2 months to go, but I have not given up yet. My trip to the UK knocked several items off the list; seeing my sister's new home - a 350 year old renovated coach house in Essex and I have the dents in my skull from the low beams to prove it!
I also made side trips to Aberdeen, Scotland and visited Balmoral, the royal family's country home,
and went to Paris, France on the Eurostar train and did plenty of eating, drinking, shopping and sightseeing to help with some other items on the list. The boat trip down the Seine was spectacular and we discovered a truly fabulous restaurant just off the Champs Elysee.


So now I have about 21 more items to do. The Balloon ride is booked for the 28th of July - our 10th wedding anniversary, the Champagne drinking is well under way, as is the monthly present and the Geocaching but I need help with some of the others. Anyone have a nice, low, friendly tree to climb and a nice safe motorbike to ride pillion on? I could also use someone with some cows who need to be rounded up..(could be a problem that one!) Oh well, next...

Touch and be touched

When I wrote this item "Touch a grey whale" I knew that I was setting a goal that was not totally within my control and indeed an expedition to Lopes Mateos in January was unsuccessful as the mothers kept their new babies far away.
The second visit in early March was totally different as these photos will prove. I drove with Merv, my sister Stella and her husband Mike to the same little town on Magdalena Bay and we set out in the boat. The baby whales, now a month old, were delightfully curious and the mothers were more relaxed and just stayed nearby and watched.
We were thrilled to see so many whales so close and at times we were surrounded by more whales than we could count and there was no doubt that we were the ones being watched.
Mike was convinced that one baby whale was particularly interested in him because she kept coming back to be stroked and scratched.
The texture of a whale is totally unfishlike, feeling more like a smooth elephant, and they are as hard as a rock, but they constantly presented their heads and mouths to be rubbed and stroked. Even the mothers came close to the boats and often swam underneath us and surfaced alongside - a truly breathtaking moment.
There were several other boats in the area all full of people having the same amazing experience. A nearby boat full of excited Mexicans was almost tipped over as they rushed to the side to be close to the whales!

I have described the sight, the feel and the enjoyment but words fail me when I try to describe the emotional impact of touching these massive, intelligent creatures and the immense feeling of privilege and gift that their interest in us brings. Some of these whales are old enough to remember the bad old days of whaling in this very Bay when they came close to extinction. Perhaps we should all learn the gift of forgiveness from these gentle giants.

Sunrise from a Kayak

To paraphrase the words of the confessional, "It has been a month since my last blog update" and I have no excuse other than to blame the timeless nature of the world that I am living in this winter. I have been here in Loreto for almost 3 months and it has flown by. I cannot believe that I return home in just two weeks. This photo taken just before dawn from a kayak goes a long way to help explain the tranquility and beauty of this wonderful place. My soul is at peace here.

In order to complete this task I talked to a friend who owns a double kayak because the kayak rental man does not arrive until 10am. She was happy to help me and another friend wanted in so at 6am on a chilly morning we met on the beach. Both these ladies own small dogs who accompanied us (each dog wearing a lifejacket) and for a wild moment I imagined trying to get Blu into a) a lifejacket and b) a kayak!
The water was calm with no more than a gentle lapping motion at the edge as we launched. The sky and the sea went through a glorious range of colours from violet through all the reds to palest pink until the sun appeared behind Isla Carmen and the day began. Another amazing experience and I am so glad that I made this committment to myself. My thanks to Kristen and Vicky for helping me complete this task.

A patio artist!

This list item may seem strange to some people but for me it has been a truly fun experience and certainly one I have never done before. In our mexican casa there is a glass door off the kitchen to a tiny walled courtyard that is scarcely big enough to turn around in. When we moved in it was gravelled with a few rough paving stones so I decided to make it beautiful. The first thing I did was hang a hummingbird feeder so I could watch las colibris feeding while I have breakfast.
The next step was to plant a tree and two bougainvilleas for shade and colour. This year I began the search for my "Patio artist" and I found him working in a local store that was having a reno done. His name was Frederico and he spoke no english but I managed to explain what I wanted and he helped me design this patio. The attention to detail is exceptional and it took him a week to finish.
I am thrilled with the result and he was glad of the work - a true "win-win" situation. Even the hummingbirds are pleased and I think the bougainvillea has grown taller with pride! Next job - how to furnish it! All suggestions welcome.
As a footnote to this blog, I have found that my ability to speak and understand spanish has improved greatly this year. It is not that I have taken classes or improved my grasp of the grammar but I have become more confident and discovered how much the experience of living in Mexico is enhanced by communication with the wonderful local people. So few people make the effort and they are missing so much. Hasta luego.

Tibor Canyon

Last Saturday a group of 12 hardy souls, including yours truly, set forth to conquer Tibor Canyon. This involved hiking up into the Sierra Giganta mountain range following one of the paths carved by the waters that collect during summer storms, moving massive boulders and carving caves and tunnels and natural rock pools.
There has been no rain in the Loreto area for two years but amazingly there was still some water left in some of the oases that we passed on the way. The climb was challenging and at times quite risky but there was always a friendly hand to pull you that extra few inches or guide you through a tight place.
In one spot there was a particularly steep face that needed to be scaled and several of us decided to take an alternate route that involved squeezing through an incredibly narrow gap between two huge boulders. This gap is usually not an option as it is normally under water, but for me with my fear of falling, it was a godsend! After watching several heads appear at the entrance as people squeezed through I decided to name that tunnel "the Birth Canal" and I think the name has stuck!
The hike also gave us an opportunity to admire the tenacity of nature as shown by trees growing in cracks and massive roots growing around the outside of huge boulders. Amazing!
After almost 2 hours up and another hour and a half down (often harder than the climb) we rewarded ourselves with a delicious lunch at a nearby restaurant and promised ourselves hot baths and massage therapy as soon as possible. Personally, I hurt for 3 days but it was worth every twinge!

Mexican moments

I have always maintained that time here in Loreto, Mexico does not pass, it just is. I have now been here for a month and it has simply flown by. People ask me "what do you do with yourself when you are there?" and I never have a simple answer, I just know that I am always busy and I am never bored. Several of my list items are Mexico based and I have now accomplished a few of them with plans in place for a few more. I have now played at least ten rounds of golf and I wish I could say it has led to a significant improvement in my game but in reality I think I will always be a hacker! I long ago decided, however, that I would never let the golf spoil a nice walk in the park, and the Loreto Bay golf course is spectacular. From the elevated 14th tee boxes you gaze across the Sea of Cortez to the islands of Carmen and Coronado and at times you can see dolphins jumping and, if you are really lucky, the spout of a distant Blue whale. Needless to say, I will continue to enjoy the golf and who knows, one day I will consider myself a golfer.

I am currently in the process of having my new patio installed. When it is complete I will post a photograph. I love these creative endeavours and am particularly proud of myself with this because I discovered the "artist" who is doing the work by talking to him in Spanish while he was working on something else. He has no English but we managed to come to an arrangement and he seems to be doing brilliantly.

When I made my list I left a few spaces for unanticipated opportunities for new, fun activities and there have been two things that I have now added. One was an evening stargazing with a group of fellow amateur astronomers. We found an area free of extraneous light and, on a moonless night, spent a couple of hours looking through telescopes and binoculars at the spectacular Mexican night sky. For the first time I saw the moons of Saturn, the Andromeda galaxy and the Orion cluster. This was a truly awe-inspiring event as well as being an incredibly funny evening stumbling around in the pitch black! Can't wait to do it again next month.
The other item is a hike to Tibor Canyon which we are doing tomorrow morning. I will write about it after the event and hopefully include some photos.

This week I tried to complete my goal of touching a Grey whale and went whalewatching in Magdalena Bay, an hour and a half drive from Loreto to the Pacific. We saw lots of whales, many with babies but sadly none came close enough to be touched. I guess I will just have to do it again - oh darn!
Whalewatching is something I could never tire of and living here so close to the breeding grounds for these magnificent animals is a true privilege and every day I am here I count my blessings.

From Mexico

It has been a busy few weeks and I have been very remiss about writing my blog but I plan to catch up now. Christmas came and went and was entirely wonderful. We managed to hang on to the snow just long enough for a real White Christmas and all the traditional Christmas fun, food and festivities were enjoyed by all. During the holidays another two bottles of Champagne were consumed, a family photo was taken, we went tobogganing and we played Cranium (check, check and more checks!).

Two days after Christmas Day we packed up the car, the dog and the trailer and headed south, making it to our Mexico home right on schedule on New Year's Eve after 5 long days of driving. True to my goal, I was awake at Midnight and watched the fireworks to welcome in 2012 (check). It is going to be a great year and I wish everyone who reads this a happy new year and may you have as much fun in it as I plan to do!

Now that I am in Mexico I have a lot of items to work on and I will do my best to keep up the energy to do them all, but Mexico is inclined to take away the urgency and stress of regular life and lure you to relax and watch the days pass by with a smile. We shall see! Some of the things on my list are just too much fun to ignore so I think it will be fine. I have already played a few games of golf so I think that goal will be easy - not pretty, but easy!

Hasta La Vista.