BAJA HONEYMOON TRIP

WHEN WE WERE MARRIED IN PHOENIX IN TH 80'S WE WENT ON A HONEYMOON TRIP TO BAJA. WE DROVE OUR CAR TO SAN DIEGO AND TOOK A TAXI TO THE BORDER. WE RENTED A CAR IN TIAJUANA AND BROUGHT OUR BACKPACKS WITH US. WE HAD NEVER BEEN THERE BEFORE. WE TOOK OUR TIME LOOKING AT ENSENADA, A BEAUTIFUL COASTAL TOWN WITH MANY TYPES OF ARTISTS. WE DID NOT BUY ANY OF THE ART. WE WENT DOWN TO THE NEXT CITY AND DISCOVERED THAT OUR CAR WAS NOT WORKING RIGHT, SO WE DROVE BACK TO ENSENADA. WE HAD TO STAY THERE FOR THREE DAYS UNTIL THEY FIXED OUR CAR. WE HAD A GOOD TIME LOOKING AROUND THIS CITY. THE OCEAN WAS WAY TO COLD TO SWIM IN IN THE WINTER. WE CONTINUED ON OUR TOUR OF BAJA AND THE WIND BLEW SO STRONG THAT THE WINDOWS OF OUR RENTAL CAR WERE PITTED! WE STAYED AT A MOTEL HALF WAY DOWN THE PENINSULA. THE MOTELS ONLY HAD COLD WATER! OH WELL.... WE ATE SOME FRESH FISH AT SOME OF THE RESTAURANTS AND DISCOVERED THAT MANY OF THE GAS STATIONS WERE OUT OF GAS. IT WAS UNFORTUNATE THAT THE LARGE MOTOR HOMES HAD TO WAIT DAYS TO GET THEIR GAS. WE FOUND GAS AT ANOTHER TOWN FOR OUR LITTLE CAR.

WE HIKED AROUND THE BEACHES BUT IT WAS WAY TOO COLD TO GO SWIMMING. THE OCEAN WAS BEAUTIFUL. WE ALSO HIKED IN THE DESERT AND SAW MANY PLANTS THAT WERE COMPLETELY UNKNOWN TO OUR SONORAN DESERT IN PHOENIX. THERE WERE FEW PEOPLE WHO HIKING IN THE DESERT, ESPECIALLY FROM THE CARAVAN OF RECREATIONAL VEHICLES.

WE CONTINUED TO ENJOY OUR TRIP ON SOME VERY RUGGED ROADS - THEY HAD SQUARE TURNS IN THEM SO WE HAD TO BE VERY CAREFUL DRIVERS AND DID NOT DRIVE AT NIGHT! WE WENT TO SAN IGNACIO TO SEE IF WE COULD FIND THE WHALES THAT COME TO THE LAGOON TO BREED AND DELIVER THEIR BABIES. THEY WEIGH 30 TONS AND TRAVEL 5000 MILES FROM ALASKA TO BAJA! WE SPENT ABOUT AN HOUR THERE AND ONLY SAW 1 OR 2 WHALES. IT JUST WAS NOT THE RIGHT TIME OF THE MONTH I GUESS. WE CONTINUED SOUTH TO A NEAT TOWN WHERE THERE WERE INDIGENOUS PALM TREES. WE HAD FUN WATCHING AND TALKING TO THE FUSHERMEN WHO BRAVED THE LARGE SURFS OF THE OCEAN IN ORDER TO CATCH FISH, CRABS, AND SHRIMP FOR THEIR LIVING.

IT WAS AN EXCITING TRIP AND WE LOVED THE SMELLS OF THE OCEAN. WE DROVE BACK TO TIAJUANA WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS AND BY THEN THEY HAD GAS AT THE STATIONS. THE UNUSUAL THING THEIR WAS THE LACK OF MARKETS AS THE HAVE IN CENTRAL MEXICO. I GUESS ENSENADA HAD MARKETS. LUCKILY WE HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THE WATER OR FOOD.