Back in the Baja!

Swimming at sunset

It has been 4 months today since I last recorded any of our life events.  What a difference four months can make in a life.

I will post more of the details of our travels of the last 4 months in a future blog.  

Let me just say how happy we all are to be back.  I don't know if we realized how much we missed being here until we were not!

Our Mexican tree

Goofing on beach

Getting around in Baja

Because Bryce takes the car everyday to work,

we have had to rely on other forms of transportation.

Sometimes we have friends give us rides,

but mostly we taxi it.

Taxis in Baja are CHEAP

And by cheap, I mean 11-13pesos each way (about a buck)

Leigh has become proficient in her Spanish to be able to get us where we need to go

There are taxicabs (cars) that are a bit more, you pay for comfort.

Most of the taxis are vans...not the newest models...

stuffed with as many people they will hold

Our favorite ones have been what I can only describe as "the short bus"

they are the most comfortable and seem to be the best drivers.

They write where their destination is on the window and the fare on the front.

12.00- local, 16.00- La Mision

They have a wide variety of entertaining signs also.

We saw one last week that said, "After each stop, check for sleeping children under seats." In English.

 Or this one:

Also in English, when most of the passengers and drivers only speak Spanish..

Makes you feel real safe.

People bring all kinds of stuff on too.

This guy got on around Popotla (fishing area)

with a 5 gallon bucket of fish.

 

Leigh riding the bus/taxi.

Tubing

Ack!  Sorry for the delay in posting.

We have been busy with doing stuff and also our WiFi has been wonky to non existent

I did receive a phone that has 3G (more like 2G in Mx)

and international texting and that has been helpful

Thanks Babe!

Recently on a trip to CA, the kids purchased pool tubes

and have been loving them!!

Surf Camp!

Living at the beach does afford some fun and interesting opportunities for education.

Surf camp, for one.

This is NOTHING like Girl Scout camp I assure you.

Leigh signed up with excitement and after 2 days it is living up to her expectations.

With some very patient instructors and much persistence, she is doing well after two days.

She is very exhausted though.

But says it is worth it!

Sand

So I used to be a fanatic about sweeping sand up from the floor any other time we've been visiting to the beach....

Meh, considering I sweep about a beach worth of sand off the floor every week...I don't really seem to mind it anymore.  In the big scheme of things, not such a bother..

Carson

Kid could have fun anywhere.
He uses his imagination and enjoys every minute
whether he's swimming, reading, watching TV, playing video or other games, or building with Legos.
He's full in.

He has probably fit himself into our new environment, culture and lifestyle better than all of us.

with the stick he found in the ocean 3 weeks ago...he takes it everywhere and it has become 'eveything'

Leigh

Daily.

Every wave.

A challenge she accepts.

She can boogie board for hours and when she's done, 

she body surfs or dives into the waves.

Jesse

Jesse is definitely hanging in there. 
He was afraid of the roar of the surf at first but he adapted to it and doesn't stand by the screen door at night trying to figure out what that sound is anymore.

There are too many steps for him to even consider tackling to actually get to the waves though

He watches the other dogs here in Mexico.
(surprisingly stereotypically...A LOT of Chihuahuas...)
He gives gentle tail wags and friendly sniffs but doesn't play much anymore.
He ignores their yipping.

He is content and settled; retired.
He is the elder statesman of perros.

Bryce

 Sometimes I forget that Bryce has made a lot of sacrifices to be here in Mexico.

Sometimes I remember and forget to tell him that I am grateful.

He spent the 1st couple of weeks moving all of our stuff here from Chula Vista.

He crossed the border everyday, finding the best way to go, waiting hours at a time, alone.

He then would have to load everything into the car by himself, and wait with it through inspection 

to bring it back into Mexico; so we would have what we needed.

He now leaves every morning before any of us are even awake to go to work.

we are lucky that we can enjoy just 'hanging out at the beach' all day.

he comes home tired, after driving back across the border to home.

The kids and I have it easy because he works hard.

I love you babe, thanks.

Tide Pools and 'crabbing'

So, last night at sunset, we went down to the beach and investigated the tide pools a little.
This is one of the kids favorite activities.
They are amazed at the sheer volume of crabs that are in and around the areas.
There are dozens of tide pools formed along the rocky outcrops of the Baja coast.

Today, we went back down this morning when the tide was really low and crawled around trying to see as much as possible.

I got some really good shots of some of the crabs,

 along with the rows of anemones lining the pools.

There are a multitude of snails and mussels also residing in the pools.

There is always a new adventure there!


The kids also decided to check out the hermit crab 'hotel' that has formed in a pool that is farther in towards the shore.  Real hermit crabs in their natural environment...hmm, none of them have those fluorescent shells you see in the boardwalk shops...

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