November 16-20, 2015

What happened…

Amanda writes: Everything happens for a reason. Missing the ferry because the bus was packed certainly wasn’t what we planned, but the week we spent with friends was not something I would exchange to catch the ferry. When we arrived at the RV park we both liked the vibe. We had ridden past a couple of other parks and beach camping communities along the way that just didn’t fit our profile. When we decided to stay we were greeted by Ken within minutes. He was the first indication that we had made the right choice. Such a chatty guy with so much enthusiasm and kindness. We just sat back and exchanged stories and smiles and he basically gave us a tour of the facilities. Throughout our week of being neighbours with him we were always greeted with warm smiles, more stories and he even helped us out with our plugged up stove. If we were at a different point in our lives and were looking for a seasonal community to live in, Ken would be a reason I would pick this community. Good guy!

After Ken showed where best to put our tent, some French Canadian travellers rolled up in their vans and we chatted with them for a bit. And from there a wonderful week began. We were quickly introduced to our neighbours. First Irene popped by with some freshly baked cinnamon buns and introduced herself. Such a lovely lady and so easy to talk to. Andrew went off in search of an internet password and learned that the internet itself was not working. After chatting with Leonard for a bit, he offered to take us into town for groceries which was really appreciated since the store was upwind. After getting some food into our system Andrew offered up his technical wisdom to help out with the internet problems.

The following couple of days consisted of relaxing in the day time, Andrew meeting tons of people and working on the internet and then a nightly happy hour with appetizers with our neighbours. We met so many incredibly kind and generous people. Grant and Darlene are from the Calgary, Alberta, Canada area and Andrew worked closely with Grant on repairing the internet. They had a lot of fun troubleshooting the situation and ultimately fixing it. Darlene plays a mean guitar and can sing like a pro. Both Andrew and I enjoyed jamming with her and learning a few songs. Darlene was so encouraging even though we are clearly beginners. Her enthusiasm for sharing music with others is contagious and she really left me wanting to play the guitar more and learn more songs. When we weren’t playing music we learned that Grant and Darlene know how to play euchre! Yippee … we played a few games, ate some awesome food and chatted for hours; good times. Toward the end of our stay Grant took me out fishing as this would be a valuable tool for us as we continue our travels. I tried so hard and unfortunately ended up fertilizing the ocean … again. I’m still hopeful that with more practice I can get in a boat without getting sick and catch a fish. Grant was incredibly patient and kept a fish he caught so we wouldn’t come back empty handed. He would normally have either sent this fish back in the ocean or used it for bait in the future.

Through the week we also got to spend time with Irene and Paddy, also from the Calgary, Alberta Canada area. Irene is a master in the kitchen and even has a solar oven. We were lucky enough to share a couple of meals with her and it seemed like every day we got some freshly baked treats from her oven. As a starving cyclist who can never seem to get enough food it was like being in heaven. Irene even shared a couple of recipes with me and I’m excited to get to an oven and work some magic. She really reminded me how much fun being in the kitchen can be. We spent a few nights chatting for hours with Irene and Paddy getting to know them and hearing some incredible stories about their travels over the years. When we hear adventures like theirs it makes me so excited to see the rest of the world and meet amazing people like they have.

Once the internet was working we received a message from Desirae, a cyclist from Canada who we met in Sparwood, BC, Canada. She could tell from our satellite tracker on our website that we were close to each other. We sent off a message telling her where we were and then crossed our fingers. Next thing you know, she rolls up with two other cyclists! I was so incredibly excited to see her. Desirae is one of those people that you meet and just feel an instant connection. They had pulled into the park after receiving our email and sat and chatted with us for hours, it was so incredibly awesome. She ended up connecting with two other cyclists heading in the same direction as her. James and Dave are from Australia and seem like good guys. They are raising money for under privileged youth in Australia (Southward Bound). We exchanged useful information with them and Desirae and I chatted and got to know each other more. She plays the guitar and sings beautifully and I enjoyed listening to her music for a bit too. I really hope that we end up seeing them again as we continue South. After visiting with them I was convinced that we were definitely meant to miss that boat.

By the end of the week when we were finally able to get to the ferry I felt like we were leaving a group of friends. We enjoyed getting to know everyone and being the benefactor of so many kind people. The community even helped pay for some of our nights in thanks for Andrew fixing their internet. Through the week Leonard and his wife Verna took me into Santa Rosalia for some groceries and essentially a bit of a sightseeing tour. I got to know them a bit too and heard a great story about their Son who still has his VW van that he came to Baja in so many years ago. Ken and his wife France would pop by daily and chat with us and also share some super yummy cookies with us. They have 6 fluffy dogs, one of which would come and have breakfast with Andrew and I every morning. Ken ended up driving us to the ferry terminal in the end and we got a bit more one-on-one time with him. It was very fitting to have been greeted by him when we arrived and for him to send us off.

For anyone that has the opportunity to take a couple of days off in Baja California Sur, stay at the Dos Amigos RV Park about 30 km South of Santa Rosalia. Super great people to get to know. While we originally didn’t want to miss the ferry, I’m glad we did.

Today’s Photographs