Monday, November 24
During our first day at the orphanage in Vicente Guerrero, I had the opportunity to help collect the garbage cans from around the school and bring them to the city’s dump. This experience is nothing like going to the dump at home. First of all, they burn all the garbage in Mexico. A thick black smoke carries through the sky. So you better be lucky or you might have garbage day on a windy day. Second, the wildlife at the dump is incredible. Not in a good way. There’s people picking through, looking for building materials and recycling. There are also dogs, cats, squirrels, goats, and sheep. All simply trying to survive.
During our first day at the orphanage in Vicente Guerrero, I had the opportunity to help collect the garbage cans from around the school and bring them to the city’s dump. This experience is nothing like going to the dump at home. First of all, they burn all the garbage in Mexico. A thick black smoke carries through the sky. So you better be lucky or you might have garbage day on a windy day. Second, the wildlife at the dump is incredible. Not in a good way. There’s people picking through, looking for building materials and recycling. There are also dogs, cats, squirrels, goats, and sheep. All simply trying to survive.
Saturday, Nov 29
After Vicente Guerrero, we drove to Baja Los Angeles. Chantel and I were quite sick, so we made quite a few stops throughout the drive. After arriving in the city, we re-stocked the food and gas and decided to go look for a campsite. The paved road led to a one-way paved road, which eventually led us to a horrible gravel road. I don’t know if you’ve heard yet, but the rumours are true. We managed to get the van stuck. After losing sight of any and all signs, we turned off onto what we thought was a road. Not twenty meters from where we turned, the vehicle came to a stop. We all went quiet, and my dad said “uh-oh”. We were stuck. After attempting to dislodge the vehicle from its sandy doom for over an hour and a half, help had finally arrived. We were lucky enough to flag down a family from San Diego who had a house only three minutes down the road. We were free. With their SUV we managed to pull the ten thousand pound behemoth out of the sand. They were even nice enough to offer us a placed to stay on their neighbour’s property.
We awoke to the sound of waves crashing, and the beautiful ocean only steps from our door. The aftermath of getting stuck couldn’t be any sweeter. The husband of the family came to wish us goodbye, as they were heading back to San Diego that day. They told us we could stay on their property, and relax in their cabana to allow us to recover. Without a doubt, we accepted their kind gesture. Chantel and I are recovering at a good pace. We are planning to stay two nights here.
After Vicente Guerrero, we drove to Baja Los Angeles. Chantel and I were quite sick, so we made quite a few stops throughout the drive. After arriving in the city, we re-stocked the food and gas and decided to go look for a campsite. The paved road led to a one-way paved road, which eventually led us to a horrible gravel road. I don’t know if you’ve heard yet, but the rumours are true. We managed to get the van stuck. After losing sight of any and all signs, we turned off onto what we thought was a road. Not twenty meters from where we turned, the vehicle came to a stop. We all went quiet, and my dad said “uh-oh”. We were stuck. After attempting to dislodge the vehicle from its sandy doom for over an hour and a half, help had finally arrived. We were lucky enough to flag down a family from San Diego who had a house only three minutes down the road. We were free. With their SUV we managed to pull the ten thousand pound behemoth out of the sand. They were even nice enough to offer us a placed to stay on their neighbour’s property.
We awoke to the sound of waves crashing, and the beautiful ocean only steps from our door. The aftermath of getting stuck couldn’t be any sweeter. The husband of the family came to wish us goodbye, as they were heading back to San Diego that day. They told us we could stay on their property, and relax in their cabana to allow us to recover. Without a doubt, we accepted their kind gesture. Chantel and I are recovering at a good pace. We are planning to stay two nights here.
Wednesday, Dec 3rd
Yesterday was our first night at the grandparents, outside of Santa Rosalia. We planned for an early morning of fishing, and we managed to catch eight good-looking fish. Not bad for my first time fishing on the ocean. Also saw a beautiful turtle come up for air. Unfortunately when I arrived back to shore I heard that a stingray had stung my sister. So she was forced to spend a couple days inside recovering.
Yesterday was our first night at the grandparents, outside of Santa Rosalia. We planned for an early morning of fishing, and we managed to catch eight good-looking fish. Not bad for my first time fishing on the ocean. Also saw a beautiful turtle come up for air. Unfortunately when I arrived back to shore I heard that a stingray had stung my sister. So she was forced to spend a couple days inside recovering.
Saturday, Dec 6
Put my long pants on and decided to go look for the ugly creatures of the night. Within ten minutes I managed to locate four black widows and enough cockroaches to make your skin crawl. Literally. I’ve never felt so disgusted in my life. Yet something seemed to push me, so I carried on taking photos throughout the night. In search of something that would really stun me. Being in the desert, all the bugs are forced to move closer to where the food is. Which in this case, is us and our filthy lifestyles.
Put my long pants on and decided to go look for the ugly creatures of the night. Within ten minutes I managed to locate four black widows and enough cockroaches to make your skin crawl. Literally. I’ve never felt so disgusted in my life. Yet something seemed to push me, so I carried on taking photos throughout the night. In search of something that would really stun me. Being in the desert, all the bugs are forced to move closer to where the food is. Which in this case, is us and our filthy lifestyles.
Saturday, Dec 13
During our stay at Coyote beach in Baja Mexico, we heard about some nearby hot springs. We followed a thick trail up the side of a hill, along side the ocean. However, we quickly realized that this hot spring was not for people after all. This beautiful Oceanside hot spring had been turned into a local bathing pool for all the vultures. The rocks were covered with crap, and there were feathers everywhere. For all that I know this could be the birthplace of many illnesses and viruses. So we snapped a few photos, and quickly returned back to the van.
During our stay at Coyote beach in Baja Mexico, we heard about some nearby hot springs. We followed a thick trail up the side of a hill, along side the ocean. However, we quickly realized that this hot spring was not for people after all. This beautiful Oceanside hot spring had been turned into a local bathing pool for all the vultures. The rocks were covered with crap, and there were feathers everywhere. For all that I know this could be the birthplace of many illnesses and viruses. So we snapped a few photos, and quickly returned back to the van.
Friday, Dec 26
El Tecuan is a beautiful stretch of quiet beach off of the main highway. Although officially closed, there is vehicle access via a quiet one way road. The property of El Tecuan was first given by a former Mexican president to one of the chief generals in Mexico for the services to his country in the 50's. The general built a resort, swimming pool, tennis court, and airplane landing strip, but he died before he could fully finish his "Marina Resort". The hotel was leased out by his son for a few years, but was damaged by earthquakes and and closed in the 90's. The resort has been vandalized, stripped of anything valuable, and taken over by bats and wasps. However the resort still holds its eery and haunted look. Definitely scared us walking into there, feeling as though there was a zombie apocalypse or the end of the world. El Tecuan was also the setting for most of the film "I still know what you did last summer" in 1998.
El Tecuan is a beautiful stretch of quiet beach off of the main highway. Although officially closed, there is vehicle access via a quiet one way road. The property of El Tecuan was first given by a former Mexican president to one of the chief generals in Mexico for the services to his country in the 50's. The general built a resort, swimming pool, tennis court, and airplane landing strip, but he died before he could fully finish his "Marina Resort". The hotel was leased out by his son for a few years, but was damaged by earthquakes and and closed in the 90's. The resort has been vandalized, stripped of anything valuable, and taken over by bats and wasps. However the resort still holds its eery and haunted look. Definitely scared us walking into there, feeling as though there was a zombie apocalypse or the end of the world. El Tecuan was also the setting for most of the film "I still know what you did last summer" in 1998.