Life's Been Good To Us So Far!

We knew we were not going to be on the island very long but we also knew this was our highest risk area for bad weather. We decided this would be a recon mission so we knew where to come back to on future trips.

We had a perfect spot in Ucluelet and immediately if felt like home back in Northern California. We thought we would want more time and we were right, but we were also right about the weather. In fact, places were closing early for the arrival of the bomb cyclone (which I think meant they wanted to go surfing).

The truth is we managed to work in some hikes, and auto exploration before a perfect dinner. At dinner, travelers from the Netherlands recommended we stop at Stamp Provincial Park. It was recommended to them to go for bear watching when their orcas trip was canceled (bomb cyclone you know). It was on our way (sort of) . And we opted out of the logging road this time!

We were fortunate to be looking for bears with a local couple. For some reason the man could quickly and easy pick them out of the same forest I was staring at and saw nothing. (Yet in Prince Rupert we both screamed (sorry Brant) when a big guy emerged head first from a steep embankment with very curly frizzy brown hair. ) Good thing I didn’t have bear spray! After bear watching, which I get really addicted to and begin thinking everything is a bear, we headed to Telegraph Cove.

A friend in Vancouver recommended it as a nice spot. The bomb cyclone was just finishing up so kayaking was out. Actually the whole (tiny) town appeared to be closing done for the season. It was reminiscent of a Maine harbor (minus the lobster rolls).

We got to the airport a bit early but that’s okay because I like to talk and so do Canadians. The gentleman taking our rental car is an amazing gardener. He showed me pictures of his vegetable garden that were outstanding and was kind enough to write down the names of which seeds to use. (He used my favorite seed company, Baker, and enjoyed my story about visiting the homestore bank vault in Petaluma… heaven on earth we agreed ).I was impressed by the towers of green beans that were over 8 feet tall. (Brant wandered away after a half hour of this … I think right after we started on soil ph). A short but prolific growing season. We also met a nurse working in one of the First Nations communities that was only accessible by boat or plane but had access to the newest clot busters for heart attacks. He was headed back to his home in Australia. Now that’s a long commute. And of course, we met another La Ventana kite boarder.

Bonus videos… for those with good Internet. Includes bear video, bomb cyclone video and driving through a waterfall.

We took off for Prince Rupert without any delays. In fact we left a couple minutes early. Getting to places early and leaving early seems to be a theme amongst the Canadians! It was a pretty ride on a comfortable train. Lots of friendly interesting people on the train. Oddly this train ride (Jasper to Prince Rupert) cost 1/10 of the cost of the ride from Vancouver to Banff. This, however, was a very small group….only about 20 people!

Ron, the conductor was from Manitoba, others were from New Zealand, England, the Netherlands, many spots in Canada, China? (Communication issues…). But no one from the US or Mexico! One woman told me she would not go to the US until they began recognizing women’s rights. Many expressed concern about gun violence in the US. None brought up the drug cartel oddly.

I did learn that Baileys is called Moo Juice in Winnipeg and it seemed on the west coast of Canadá seemed many referred to it as “a little love”. Regardless, Ron had none to put in our coffee…. Much to the dismay of the many Canadians. I was just sad that Ron did not say, “all aboard!” (Because I had my own stash)

A strange feature of this route was the requirement to stop in Prince George… for the night. We were strictly counseled to stay together as a group and walk directly to our hotels. Apparently they call it the meth capital of BC. Last year they had 8 homicides. We walked an older solo female traveler from the Netherlands to her hotel and she asked us to come back for her in the morning. She spoke English well but had some difficulties with word confusion. She asked if it was true Mexicans went to church with “kanish”. We had no idea what she was saying until she stopped and knelt down….on the sidewalk. Knees! Then she said she had trouble with her kanish… and pointed to her brace. I wondered how often do I do this with my Spanish? …mucho I beto.

The train was had a few minor delays and while we had hoped to get to Prince Rupert about 8 we got there at nine. While we were a little disappointed to be late we were greatly relieved when we learned from shopkeepers and cabdrivers that usually it comes in closer to midnight. Nine was considered very early!

We were dropped of at a little house perched on a big rock just a 100 yards from PJs convenience store that is open 24/7 and served great spicy potatoes and fried chicken according to our cab driver. Guess what we had for dinner?

The next day we learned that Grizzly bear tours had ended 2 months earlier and orca trips had been booked out for the next 2 months. So we had a couple nice days of hiking, shopping (end of season sales), haircuts, museums and sipping coffee on the chaise by the window. Best of all, Heather and Annie drove down from Kitimat for lunch. I am not sure why but it’s surprising in Canada to be in (or hear about) these remote towns that have all the needed resources plus fast food, dance classes, and sometimes even pickleball (definitely hockey though). Plus with additional excitement of grizzly bears in your yard. We learned that the train is required to continue the route because there is no other access to some of the towns other than rail, but it certainly must run with a deficit with only about 20 passengers.

We generally try to avoid spots where cruise ships come in but this could not be avoided at Prince Rupert as it is part of the inside passage. They clear customs in Canada before moving on to Alaska. We felt like locals as we gave the cruisers directions and restaurant recommendations.

We felt lucky to have experienced a bit of sunshine in Prince Rupert before slumping into our 5 am cab ride to the ferry. There is a unique beauty here. The light (when the clouds) is a rich golden color.

Such a nice ferry but views limited due to some pretty torrential rain initially. The rain did not keep a humpback from breaching. They did have some decent food, comfy recliners and a couple Tom Cruise movies. Check out “live, die, repeat”. We were not early to arrive this time. We hoped to get to Port Hardie at 11:30 but did not get into our hotel room until about 2:30…. A very long day when starting with a 5 AM cab. advice: take lots of knitting.

These Italian Greyhounds hang out at the hair salon.. I want one.

We drove over Icefield parkway Jasper said to be one of the most beautiful drives in the world. Beautiful but when we arrived at scenic spots we often found quite a few people. Seemed odd to find this more in the Jasper area as it was becoming more remote. Perhaps the intermittent drizzle kept people away while we were in Banff. Also more French was spoken. Fun to see how easily Canadians slide from one language to the other.

Jasper hotels were also quite pricey (400 per night not uncommon and over 600 at the nicer places). In part I think because even 6 months ago many hotels were booked up. We were lucky to get a cute room in an air bnb. They had made clever use of ikea to create a tiny apartment with a separate entrance. Suited our needs perfectly with way less guilt when ordering at nice restaurants.

Everywhere there are warnings about bears. And reminders the elk are in rutting season. One night we had a wonderful dinner (best salad ever) and we got chatting with the couple next to us. I think the waitress wondered about us when Brant cut off a hunk of his weinschnitel to give the guy sitting next to us. (He had wanted to order). They told us how an elk had charged them that night on the way to the restaurant. Then we began sharing Wildlife photos. The waitress zipped over and said she could beat that! She pulled out her phone to show us a mama grizzly with her cubs in a large pine tree in her yard. Apparently they were nibbling on her Apple’s when discovered. You call a number and this person gets them out of the tree… how? She said they stayed in her tree for hours because bear removal man had to leave for an emergency. The Grizzly love the fruit trees so the city wants everyone to get rid of their fruit trees. There is a number you can call for free tree removal.

To be honest we were a bit disappointed with Maligne Canyon. Beautiful but a bit crowded. Perhaps at this point we had seen one too many waterfalls?

The boat ride to Spirit Island on Maligne lake was stunning though. Difficult to convey the beauty as always. It was fun listening to the stories of being there in the winter when it’s 50 below. (Thus explaining why so many Canadians in Mexico during the winter)

Our last day was a nice hike to Mt Edith Cavell. Though it was tshirt weather there were chunks of ice floating in the lake.

The food in Canada has been remarkably good. Most impressive have been the complex vegan dishes. Far more vegan dishes, and with more complex design, than anything I have seen in the US. Our last night here was a beautiful restaurant on a lake. We decided we deserved a nice dinner before settling into a 2 day train ride out to the coast.

Jasper had a different kind of beauty from the Banff. It seemed a bit more remote . While beautiful it did not have the stunning uniqueness of Banff. On the other hand it seemed more like a community. If we’d had a little more time we would have played pickleball.

After Apple cider donuts and press pot coffee we were back to back to Banf. (Lots of excellent coffee in Canada). Our first stop was at a wolf refuge. We had forgotten to stop at the wolf dog sanctuary so happened to find this. As it turns out wolf dogs are quite aggressive at unexpected times (many fatal attacks on humans) unlike wolves that are shy around humans. Sadly the idea this would make a clever new breed did not go well, hence the need for a reserve. To be honest, not sure why the wolves were here at the reserve. Some had been in the film industry and had imprinted on people as they were born in captivity so they were kind of stuck. Regardless it was interesting if also a bit sad.

This area is interesting in that there are 4 National parks in close proximity: Banf, Kootenay, Yoho and Jasper. Ever since looking through National Geographic’s as a kid I have wanted to come here. Happy to say I was not disappointed. In fact it was even more beautiful than I imagined.

We drove to Banff as a day trip from our timeshare in Fairmont Springs which we turned into an overnighter when we happened to find a cabin 1/2 price right next to Johnston Canyon.

So within the same trip we came back for a couple more days …. And looking forward to returning some day.

On our return trip we stayed at a beautiful spot along the river. They gave you matches to build a fire along the river.

The food has been very good to excellent. I have been surprised bu how many excellent vegan meals I have found. My favorite was a grated beet burger. Not a very spicy place though. I ordered a spicy pho at a Vietnamese restaurant and not less than 3 came back to make sure I knew it was spicy. It was and it was delicious. We have also has duck, trout, salmon and elk. All delicious! (Plenty of blackberries, raspberries and apples too… which pair well with all the homemade ice cream here). My favorite was lemon lavender.

Really this was a place about the beauty (sought by people from all over the world)…so the rest is all pics. The first visit in Banff it was a bit cloudy and rainy at times. When we returned there was not a cloud in the sky. The clouds made it dramatic (and dynamic) and the blue sky made it more unbelievable. I kept saying it is so beautiful it looks fake. I sent a pic to Maris and she said, “wow it looks fake! “. Hmmm…. Genetics?

It was another beautiful drive to Vernon in the Okanagan Valley . Another ferry but this time a cable ferry. We found our friend’s home very easily. We always comment on how GPS and the Internet has changed travel. You can find just about anything, but so can everyone else.

Brant was happy to find Southern style, barbecue, an easy walk from the house. Though sad our friends were not there with us, they were so kind to let us sneak into their bungalow. It feels good to be in a home after being on the road a couple weeks. And nice to walk through a neighborhood that reminded me of Berkeley to a good restaurant. It felt like home. They even had a cabinet on a post to seed swap in their neighborhood. I really wanted to get some seeds for it.

We headed south to explore the wineries. Sadly there’s still a fire burning in one of the areas we wanted to explore. I suspect this is what caused a landslide or rock slide which has now closed the road indefinitely. While it was still beautiful, you could certainly see smoke in the distance. Oddly, I couldn’t smell it.

The next day, we rode bikes around the lake. It was a beautiful bike trail that circled the lake. Really was reminiscent of California hills.

The pickle ball paddles came in handy again at indoor pickleball. They have 1100 members and a waiting list. They say they avoid outdoor courts so as not to upset people with the noise.

We have discovered that Canada has a late happy hour that starts at nine. Perfect for people like us who like to eat and drink late. And lucky for us after a full day of biking then playing pickleball and repacking for the road….. it was MARGARITA MONDAY!

So great to pick up our friend Heather at the airport after happy hour. Too short of visit but so good to see the places we talk about in Mexico.
Interesting that the airport here is international, you can fly direct to England or the Baja.

So now we are headed back to Banf for a couple nights. Sometimes your brain can only handle so many beautiful waterfalls and glAciers, but we are ready to tackle it again. Hope we don’t run into too much construction on the way…..

And yes we would come back but not until the rock slide is cleared and we can explore West Kelowna.

It is unclear why we chose to follow su casa man’s recommendations once again, but we did so, even after saying, we would no longer trust him with travel decisions. We finally found the recommended road which was a rock strewn, one lane logging road over the mountains. The flag man doing construction on the road slowly circled our car and said “yeah I think you could make it, but I sent a van yesterday and they came back after a couple hours”. Our constant fear was needing to turn around 3 hours into it then have an 8 hour drive. As he said though, something you shouldn’t miss. And it gave us street cred with the locals (incredulous that is).

We did make it to the ferry with 2 minutes to spare (excellent as it would be over an hour before the next ferry). The folks on the ferry advised us on good restaurants etc.

We were surprised to find vintage cars in the parking lot of our hotel which was vintage (but perfect) as well. This was first car show on Baker Street since COVID (SC) and really could see why folks enjoyed. Of course my favorite part were the colors…. That and finding Brants’s original college car, a Chevy Nova. His however did not have bucket seat. My first car, a dodge Polaris, did not make into the classic car show.

Nelson had a great young vibe. Lots of wonderful artisans, music, great bookshops…. Definitely a place I could live (in the summer). This town is also famous (or infamous) for being home to many draft dodgers. Many many never returned to the US. And became a part of the community.

This country has grab and go right! Grab (a lunch) and go (to a park).

Another beautiful drive and a cable ferry and we will be in Vernon. I n the US, when we say we live in Baja they never know what to say. They look shocked or act like they are sorry for us. Incredibly different here, they want to know exactly where we live because they go kite boarding in La Ventana. Or they miss going because their grandparents lived in Todos Santos. Another guy told his family lived in Belize for 3 years with Mennonites. Finally another got very excited saying it was his dream to live on the beach in Mexico. I gave him our condo listing. Such a clear difference but one that made us feel much better!

We did not realize Labor, make that Labour, Day, was a 3 day weekend Canada. As retirees we don’t get many opportunities to join holiday traffic, but it was a remarkably beautiful drive through the park (even if a bit slow) and down to Fairmont Hot Springs where our timeshare trade awaited us. (Banff so beautiful it gets it’s own separate post. Oddly once through the park there were no crowds at all, but still a beautiful place.

Our plan was day trips to explore the area and we added the goal of avoiding the holiday crowds. (And of course using up that time share week that was soon to expire). We borrowed movies and enjoyed the US open. We had 3 TVs in the condo and made good use of them in the evening. There was a big kitchen and 2 grills so I refreshed my cooking skills. Lots of great produce (the grapes were from Bakersfield!) and a large pint of blueberries cost about 1.75. The exchange rate is very favorable for US visitors.

Our first night there we asked the clerk if he could recommend a good place for a margarita. “Absolutely! Go to Su Casa, just around the corner!” Well, Su Casa did not have a liquor liscence and high school students were the servers. So we continued our search.

The next morning it was drizzling so we decided to check out the local pickleball group. On rainy days they play indoors.

Our timeshare also had 4 tennis courts so Brant and I decided to work on getting back to play tennis. After playing pickle ball that tennis court looks huge. At first I thought I might never be able to play again but gradually remembered why I love to play tennis .

In our area there are many hot springs. Most have been corraled into pools but some remain natural. At Fairmont springs we had heard and read there was a natural spring area hidden away. We found the entry point but there were 2 gates and 4 signs explaining why we shouldn’t go…. Most importantly a large fine. Instead we began up a small trail that lead to house.

Lots of provincial parks here. They have great hikes, facilities and views …. Without the crowds! Premier Lake had great hiking and we had fun watching them reel in rainbows. We did a 4 mile hike up around the lakes. Saw only 6 other hikers the whole day …. And it was Labour Day!

We took the cardiologist’s advice and drove to White Swan/Top of the World Provincial park. Another beautiful hike …. Followed by a good soak in the Lussier hot springs.

So after several days of hike, hot pools, tennis… repeat, we headed to Nelson. We puzzled over the best route to take but Su casa man once again had advice (which we unwisely accepted).

We arrived in Calgary to fortunately cloudy skies. Fortunate because it kept us from noticing the smoke. And it also gave us an excuse to go see “Barbie”. So well done.., thought provoking, entertaining and poignant. Brant may have a slightly different opinion, but I’m writing this.

Thanks to friends recommendations we had some terrific meals. Barbarellas:A restaurant described as an Amalfi coast inspired Italian but using Canadian ingredients. Kind of seemed like a silly description but it was very good . I have missed Indian food and was glad to go to a great Indian restaurant called the Calcutta Cricket Club.We were impressed with the diversity in the city.

When we awakened to a cloudy/smoky day we opted to check out the pickle dome. (Actually we could not smell smoke but the air rating was 4-5). A short cab drive away with a driver who was a bit confused as to what we were doing, took us to a jumbo sized Quanset hut with a locked door. The cab driver was adamant we would find a way in so I called the person listed on the website who advised to just pull really hard on the door. I guess air locks are important in a city that gets down to 40 below. Inside this huge building were 6 astroturf courts. The sign made it clear this was not just for pickleball… no cleats and no spitting was posted at the entry. While the astroturf was very kind to my foot a drop shot in this setting was killer… not much bounce!

As we were leaving a large group arrived with many suggestions as to where we should eat. (Pickleballers are very friendly and have been great way to learn about places). We were next to the professional football stadium so Nicks that has been there over 40 years won (the owner was a former professional football player). The city tram gave us a simple way to see the city. Shopping is fun when they have summer clearances and you live in the summer year round! I chatted with a storekeeper from Japan. It turns out she was from a small town in Japan we visited long ago. The world keeps getting smaller.

I always want to hate zoos. They just kind of seem wrong. But have to say, l loved this zoo. It is the kindness shown in the building of the enclosures that is as impressive. And of course once I hear the squeals of delight I am sold. It is really the joy and curiosity of the children that completes the experience. (We also enjoyed eating at Grazers… a restaurant with animals wandering right next to you).

The city was filled with flowers, good food and close outs of summer merchandise.I would definitely come back to use the bike paths along the river, maybe a river raft through the city and many more restaurants to try. We skipped many of the places mentioned on sites because it was just fun to wander. There is much more to the city than a once a year stampede…. Actually that’s a bit hard to imagine?

On to Fairmont Hot Springs!

Off to Deadwood! I think the town was like Placerville on steroids … or as Brant said, “like Placerville if they’d let them have casinos.”Still not too bad a place to wander around and taste whiskey. I wonder what Wild Bill would have thought praline pecan whiskey? Banana? Apple? Peanut butter? You have to be careful how many tastes you have when its like Baskin Robbins. I did like getting free fried shrimp while you gambled. I won a dollar and got free shrimp!

I wonder what Europeans think of this town? I bet they wonder why we idolize Wild Bill who shot his police partner (another marshall running toward him) then got shot in back of the head by a crazy man with a handgun over a hundred years ago. Or maybe they think, this makes perfect sense in the US!

The Adams museum was excellent. I did not want to stop playing in this sandbox. I want one.

After Deadwood, we made Rapid City our base which was remarkably easy for accessing the black hills. I think the lodges in Custer state park also looked great if you are thinking of coming but those Marriot points come in handy. (And there was a water park fully enclosed with glass…. I want to go there when it’s snowing!).

We spent one day exploring Custer State Park then on to Mt Rushmore. The other day was spent biking to Crazy Horse then some canoeing at Sylvan Lake before doing the Needles Highway.

I truly can’t choose one monument over the other. I loved the presentation done by the ranger at Rushmore. If you can find a video or script on you tube it is really worth a listen. Lots of great info on the Presidents followed by a touching speech about working together.

Would we come back: I’d like to do more hiking at needles and check back on Crazy Horse progress…. So maybe in a few years. And we must return for cave tours! And more Michelson.

Bizarre to have these 2 sculptures with such different backgrounds in the same area. One was a federally funded project with 400 workers done by a well trained sculptor who had strong ties to the KKK who was let go nearing the completion of the project. A sculptor who left much of the work to his son while he traveled the world raising more funds. And even with 400 workers he could not complete it by the date he projected.

The other sculptor was an orphaned son of Polish immigrants with no formal training. He refused federal funding and said at the beginning of the project that Crazy Horse would not be finished during his lifetime.

Regardless both were passionate about their projects. Both extraordinary talented as artists with a strong vision of what they needed to do to create these amazing sculptures. I became a little obsessed reading about these guys and their families (and neither could have done the sculpture without their family). In the end, however, far more important to just stand there and stare at what they did rather than judging their lives. Hopefully it will also give back to Native Americans a tiny tiny bit of what we took away. Together the sculptures describe so much about our nation. Though once again, I do wonder what visiting Europeans think about our sculpting techniques. Nope no hammer and chisel like Michelangelo….just dynamite!

On to Calgary!

Many thanks to all with so many great recommendations.

Amazing how easy customs is with the new facial recognition. Actually it always has a hard time recognizing me…. Big Hair? Blinking eyes? Criminal convictions? Who knows…

What is not easy to do in Sioux Falls, is to find food at 10 pm. Thanks to that rental car we were able to a drive thru at Burger King. The next day was able to get my Marshall’s shopping fix . We were disappointed when thunder and lightening started, but in true Midwest form… the sun came out after 30 minutes of rain so the outdoor concert was on. We found out about the Levitt outdoor concerts from my seat mate on the plane. Her husband and son farm 3500 acres…. Hard to imagine.

The concert was unexpectedly terrific. Starting with food truck dinner and drink, and followed by Humble Town (local bluegrass) and Damn Tall Buildings (bluegrass group from Brooklyn). Really wonderful to be in the middle of the city with all different ages just having fun and dancing to the music. Interestingly, they keep a flag out of different colors to warn of weather. If there is a lightning strike within 10 miles, a red flag is posted and everyone must leave.

On return to the hotel we found the Desantis bus was parked at our hotel. Oh no! Is it that time again? His slogan is “Never back down”…. Hmm not so sure a good idea with nuclear diplomacy etc. …. See minuteman discussion later.

Unbelievably, I walked into the DMV at 8:50 AM for my 9 AM appt. I left with license at 9:10. And she even took a nice pic…. And laughed when I blinked (usually they get really annoyed).

So we were off to Badlands … about 5 hours away. There were many small towns on the map so thought we’d have plenty of stores and restaurants. This was incorrect. Remarkably few places of business on the way. Has anyway had a Forestburg melon? Grocery store clerks say people wait all year for them. Too big for those hotel fridges…

I really was craving a salad. This is apparently not a normal craving in this area.

I think this would be a great place to bike. Easy to stop and take photos of giant abandoned barns and old farmhouses. You could camp in a sunflower field.

The scenery became flatter, more desolate…. And then we could see Badlands popping up out the sage brush. Beautiful in its own weird way. Made me think of “All the Pretty Horses”.

Strange to hear the ranger give a talk that night about the minuteman missile program then jump into a star watching program. . She described step by step how a missile would be fired. It was an excellent but scary talk… rare that you laugh with hair standing up on the back of your neck. Was good to hear that the missiles had been removed from the area we were in (with a museum in its place) but there are still 450 (previously 700) nuclear warheads in other desolate areas that could be in Moscow in about a half hour. And creepy to think that every day there are a whole bunch of folks waiting for that order…..every day!

Now for some amazing Badlands photography….

People are exceedingly friendly here. I think they might be bored. I’ve heard lots of unique stories. They chat away and once in a while they ask us where we live. We say Mexico and generally that stops the conversation. They look befuddled and don’t know what to say.

We stayed at a hotel that was part of the park system with nice views of Badlands. I’m not sure what this says about us, but generally the parking lot was empty when we came in at night and everyone had left by the time we left. Long trip… we must pace ourselves.

The history of Badlands is very interesting. It existed as tropical islands in the ocean 75 million years ago, then Indians lived there for eleven thousand years. Then the air force used it as a training area from 1942-1945… gunnery and bombíng practice. .

All of this has resulted in a rich collecting ground for fossils and Indian antiquities, but do not pick up shells or casings. It may be unexploded ammo from the Air Force. There is a phone number to call if anything is found (so they can detonate). Progress… it only took 75 million years to mess it up. ( I know it’s more complicated than that).

There is a town near one end of the park called Wall that has a place called Wall Drug store. A pharmacist and his wife began it with a 3,000 dollar inheritance in 1931 (depression years). They were about to go broke when the wife thought it would be good to offer free ice water to travelers on the interstate. That did it, the tiny town’s pharmacy became a little mini mall with gift shops and bookstores and a restaurant. They still have 5 cent coffee and free water. Seems very asynchronous with the nearby beautiful national park, but I did get some water and coffee.

So the usual, would we go back? Not sure but probably not. Beautiful and unique but it’s a fur piece away. On second thought might go back for a fossil hunt!

It is very difficult to pick which photos to use, so the heck with it. If you’ve already seen enough you can stop now, but I wouldn’t because they are some cool pics.

Off to the Black Hills…

After asking what we do in all our spare time, the next question is: “how hot is it?”. Well, this summer was very hot and humid, but that’s not a very descriptive answer. When playing pickleball there are little wet spots from droplets of sweat flying on to the court. The ATV seat can give you 3rd degree burns and the pool got up to 95. Okay enough of that whining! It is still beautiful… especially with cold drink in hand.

Despite the heat we managed to play lots of pickleball. Love how the game seems to bring people together. And very thankful to those who have been so kind to allow us to play on their courts.

Rotary gave money for the purchase of school backpacks that are remarkably (2-3 higher) pricey here. We had the fun part of the job of handing them out. They were even stocked with some school supplies but when boys got pink pencils they were quickly up at our desk looking for a trade. All that hard work, justified driving to a French bakery in SJD.

Actually we drove there for our health care maintenance appointments. My mammogram was reasonably priced and efficiently done. We have been happy with the Opthamology care. And it’s pretty nice to get a room on the beach to go to afterwards….(in Cabo)

We fell out of our 3x week gym habit once the kid’s summer camp began and yard pruning began. It’s a program that’s been around for about 15 years and enrolls about 200 kids. They stay busy learning about how to protect and preserve the ocean. When pool days roll around they are ready to cannonball ! Wait I meant to say learn how to swim. And Brant as a swim teacher learned lots more Spanish phrases…. Like stop splashing, or machete… copa… machete… copa. I have to say the kids were very cute (and funny).

It ended with taking the kids snorkeling. The seas got a bit rough and there was a lot of seaweed. Needless to say I was a little worried I’d lose sight of one of the kids. I think I can speak for both of us when I say we were exhausted at the end of the day. The margaritas on the beach that night seemed much stronger than usual.

This is is a program sponsored by the town with lots of contributions from gringos as well as many locals. During the winter movies are shown on a screen in the cancha. The earnings from that buy rash guards and snorkeling gear and more. While the money is important it is amazing to see the huge number of volunteers that help. Many of the younger volunteers did the program when they were kids. A woman who did a pedicure on me told me how much fun she had doing it as a kid but still remembers how tired she was at the end of the day. And yes, hopefully in part this is a little bit of a break for those working parents trying to get through the summer.

One by one we watch the restaurants close for a few weeks. Bit by bit you realize you see the same 50 people everywhere you go…, though it used be the same 25. LB is growing.

On weekends the tents go up on the beach. Why not? Much cooler by the shore.

Scrabble, chess, boggle and floating in the pool watching the stars and a multitude of home maintenance projects. The painting gets a bit tedious but the clerks in the paint store are extraordinarily patient with my bad Spanish. Though I think they look a bit scared whenever I come in. I spent a week sorting out what color I wanted to paint my shower but she very patiently (and with great sadness in her eyes) explained I had a choice of 3…. White, black or gray (in 5 not 50 shades)…. Or transparente. I was a little slow to catch that last one.

There is more time for staff to chat at restaurants. So wonderful to hear from the waitress at Tios (and the wife of our Mar y Sol gardener) that their son is in university to become a physician. And nice to see them having enough time to walk on the beach together.

Finally we began the laborious task of closing the house down, doing it slowly over the course of a week. That’s when we found out a hurricane was on its way and expected to hit in 4 days… which was later changed to 3. The pace picked up but we managed to complete it. Brant has become excellent with those shutters (except for the perilous one on the side of the house).

I feel like this is the end of a year and much like New Years…. I feel badly about things not done…that no mosaics were made, few knitting projects completed, still no fluency in Spanish, the mural remains incomplete as well as many paintings, not enough SUP or fishing time… and forgot to revarnish the doors.

On the other hand, we truly feel a bit more a part of this community, and have met so many helpful, kind and interesting people. And we really did get a lot of projects done … and when it’s 93 you do them slowly… and when it’s 80 you go biking, or hiking or kayaking instead. This could take awhile….

Now off to South Dakota, then Canadá then Sequim and Shingle Springs.

PS… We were amazed by how many people checked on us when the read about Hilary. Thanks for your concern. fortunately it swerved a bit and gave us only much needed rain. Sadly they experienced flash flooding north of us. Still it does not take much to push the sand around. We put a lot of work into preparation and the town works hard on clean up.

The most common question people ask is: “What do we do in our spare time?’ It’s a good question because I wondered what we would do to fill our time. I made sure I brought lots of knitting, painting, and art supplies. Finally, we are at the time of year that those things are starting to come in handy.

It seems that people start to head north from Los Barriles in April. We were happy our friend organized a whale shark snorkel for all of us in La Paz. It was our second snorkel with the whale sharks and while both were fun, we could relax more and enjoyed it more the second time. We were happy that it is now better regulated with less people, fewer boats and a lot more time given to just swimming alongside the shark. A La Paz marine biology student served as a tour guide. Not sure how to explain but there is a certain peacefulness in swimming along next to him. Initially the guide yelled for me to move to the side a bit as I was headed straight into the whale’s mouth. I was able to stop and then start swimming right next to him for several minutes. It felt like a half hour but was much less than that. Brant initially got swished away by the tail but then was able to catch up and swim along as well. All four of us had a wonderful experience.

So that was our anniversary celebration——our 40th. We also had an outstanding meal at the Tiger Club. Asian fusion foods and unique, excellent wines at a restaurant owned by a woman from France who grew up in Singapore and now lives in La Paz. While our home is only 1.5 hours away, we loved staying at the Cathedral Hotel that had been recommended by so many.

After that trip, we continued to fill our time with saying good bye to all the folks headed north (wimps). We took a couple of trips as well. First, a trip to Brooklyn to visit Maris and assist with Gabe and Maris’ new apartment move in. It was a great way to learn the location of every hardware store in Brooklyn. Then onto North Carolina where we were thankful to have an elevator in the building. Sarah and EB planned a great trip to visit Brant’s nephew and explore the Carolina sea coast. Not to mention a playdate on Mother’s Day with Jack the great nephew… others (several mothers) were there but it’s the little ones that make it so special. We were only back in Los Barriles for a couple weeks before taking a quick trip to Shingle Springs/Coloma. So great to have friends so willing to put up with us and our crazy shopping sprees. Not easy to find Miracle Whip in the Baja! As much as I love Baja Sur, California will always be my special place.

At last, back home in LB for a couple months before we head to Canada for 5 weeks. Time to catch up on more of those DIY projects. Today the last of the tomato plants were removed, and the bed covered with plastic. (Hoping to solarize to death the fusarium wilt). Working on making new planters out of metal barrels, propagating succulents, fertilizing citrus and many painting/varnish projects including a mural. Very hard to fit it all in between our pickleball 3x a week, weightlifting at gym 3 x a week schedule. (We take Sundays off). And of course there is happy hours with those left in town, scrabble games, chess, duo lingo, and finally time for a little reading. As I think everyone finds in retirement, there is never enough time…. And at the moment I am watching an iguana wander very slowly across our pool deck. Sorry for the length of this post but rest assured at least a thousand pics were left out.

After sort of catching up on house chores it was time to celebrate a birthday. Brant set up a perfect day of snorkeling near the sea lions which happened to be on a tiny rocky island that was surrounded by beautiful coral and reef fish. I was impressed that we swam around the island twice until I realized how tiny the island was. The water was much warmer (no wet suits needed) and crystal clear compared to our whale shark visit in April. We shared our boat with a young couple from Germany traversing Canada, US, Mexico, Central and South America over the course of 2 years with their new camper. Our boat captain deftly parked the boat up on a secluded beach in Balandra Bay where we had a picnic of shrimp ceviche and burritos and beer and our own private beach. I felt very pampered as the boat captain set up 3 umbrellas for the 6 of us to dine under. My favorite stuff all in one day….snorkeling, and a spectacular beach. Then a nap in a beautiful hotel (Casa Al Mar) ….and a wonderful meal at Nemi. (We went to Nim the night before which was also very good). We could not remember which was the place people always recommend so we just went to both. We are good at problem solving. Both were very good. Nemi had very unique and special foods, after a nine course tasting menu paired with eight wines, I don’t have an excellent recall of what they were…. But I do recall enjoying every bite!

Except for a couple days in Cabo for health maintainence appt, we will be here and back on our summer schedule until we seal up the house with storm shutters and head to Sioux City/Canada/ Seattle/ Sacramento travels for high hurricane season. Was going to get the islands painted on my mural today but need to get my appetizer fixed for happy hour——hasta luego! As always so thankful for this kind of crazy place we live that is filled with adventures and fun people… always ready to help out or just have a great happy hour together.

Sorry if you get this twice, bizarrely post fell out of site and had to “republish”. I noticed a friends comment was truncated so checked on site and noticed the entry had disappeared!

We love the Baja but in the winter it sometimes seems a bit too windy and cold. So when friends mentioned Sayulita we were on it. We thought we were pretty clever to get a 22 dollar flight to Mexico City which is a HUGE airport. I guess it was cheap because it was too late to get a connection. Our good old Marriot points served us well with a nice dinner and a hotel we could walk too. The airport is like a small city.

The last time we went to Puerto Vallarta (with an explore to Sayulita and Punta Mita,)Maris was about 4 years old. It had changed so much that we recognized nothing…..absolutely nothing. We remember miles and miles of beautiful beach with occasional shacks selling buckets of shrimp and beer.

A driver took us up to Sayulita (last time it was the good old VW bug) where he expertly navigated through narrow streets made more narrow by curbside dining. Sayulita seemed like a California surfer town, mixed with a Greek island village in the middle of a jungle on the coast of Mexico.

The driver (utilizing unique driving techniques including sidewalks and prolonged backing up on hilly roads) took us to our container resort. A very cleverly built place clinging to a jungle cliff overlooking the ocean. It was perfect for a few days but not a long term set up for sure . (It is what I envision an economy room on a cruise is like but Branted pointed out… this would probably not come with sliding glass doors the length of the room that go out to a large ocean view deck). Our containers shared the amenities with a swanky resort… so we had a beautiful pool to enjoy. It was surprisingly quiet except for the birds and coati.

The first day we headed to a jazz festival in San Pancho. They had 2 stages set up for the festivities. To enjoy both, you simply rotated your chairs about 180 degrees when the bands changed.

We felt very lucky to have 4 friends guiding us to the best restaurants and beaches as well as an outstanding beach massage. They even took us to a beach where they delivered hot French fries to our beach blanket.

We love walking and so do our friends. We walked from Sayulita down the beach and up some steep cliffs all the way to San Pancho where we bought a king bedspread from a guy selling stuff on the beach. I think he should paid us for lightening his load but Brant was happy to avoid shopping by bartering at our lunch table.

It was a great trip for relaxing and seeing a different type of Mexican beach town. The jungle plants made me want to do watercolors (not that I did). A good place to be with adventurous travelers sharing interesting conversation over good food and drink.

It seems as we age it gets tougher to come up with new birthday ideas, but remember that dinosaur themed birthday when you were 7? We had a real dinosaur party… and we are not talking about the attendees (sorry, bad joke).

Many months ago, we met someone who did some great plant maintenance and building projects in our yard. We learned he had a very large property…. About 1500 acres. And on that acreage he had found a megaladon…..

He was kind enough to take 9 of us on a big hike through his property (with terrific assistant guides). First stop was the megaladon… just a quick side trip off the road. Amazing to think it was there for millions of years but not revealed until a heavy rain uncovered it’s spine and teeth.

Next stop was a group of small buildings designed to allow them a good place to sleep when deer hunting. They were busy building a big grill and we are hoping to join them for a big barbecue one of these days.

We did not have a clear idea how long we would be hiking or exactly where we were going. Regardless, we were not disappointed! But it would be nice if I worked on my Spanish. The terrain was not easy. Lots of ankle turning rocks in stream beds followed by trail clearing with a machete and finally a steep climb to an observation tower (for those deer). Along the way we saw many fossils, glass like sheets of quartz, beautiful (but a very dry) landscape.

Well we do wish we’d packed a bit more water… so happy the guys helping with the hike had extra. Despite that minor detail, we had a wonderful day.

Be sure to turn the volume up …,

We are glad the ocean retreated and gave us this great playground. And so glad to have friends to share the experience with who never once whined (at least not in front of me). Brant and I want to try to use our birthdays to have new experiences. (Hey nice weather here in February if anyone wants to help next year). Brant says this one will be hard to top. I better get working on it. We headed back and soaked our sore legs in the ocean so we could get ready for a wonderful party for Brant at our friends’ home the next day. So kind of them to do after hiking all day the day before! We refuse to fossilize quite yet…. Gotta keep moving (but with more water in our mochilas next time).

Yes, we were here last year in December but somehow with all the projects and moving here, it did not feel very festive. This year we took time to really enjoy the holiday season and I have to say it was a lot of fun. We have been doing a better job of trying to balance exercise, projects; both home and community and plenty of fun stuff. It is so important to remember that the community needs our help and the need to try to support it financially becomes more clear as “year rounders”.

Brant is now in Rotary Club and the big fundraiser is the “Taste of East cape”. About 20 restaurants give out delicious big tastes of ceviche, tamales, torras, ribs, barbacoa, ice cream and pastries , with a band playing and a silent auction. Much money was raised and the kids get a new playground and many other projects will be completed.

Then there is the art show and sale that takes place scattered out over a kind of subdivision in the desert that has yet to be fully built. It’s a desert hike combined with an art show. A great place for Christmas shopping with the proceeds helping local schools.

And there is the annual house tour…. Leaving you feeling house poor, but at least you have given to a good cause. It’s a great tour to do with friends so you can first argue about directions then later argue about which is the best house. The group that does this gives scholarships to students. Currently they are fully paying for 200 students in our area to attend school. Mexico pays for school only until the eighth grade.

There was also the Country Classic ATV ride. An exciting ride through the dessert with stops for line dancing, smores over a campfire, a beer bar in the middle of nowhere, a band stationed even more in the middle of nowhere and all done while answering country music trivia questions on paper plates attached to trees. We had a group of 4 ATVs of friends traversing arroyos, gorges, rocks, creeks, and I thought probably impassable ditches. ( I got out to take the weight off the vehicle). I am sure the route took many days to create but the proceeds raised will help fill the food pantries which help many needing food for their families, and is especially critically needed during hurricanes.

The toy drive was held at the entrance to town marked by the barrels fountain (where many stop for family photos and was constructed by the Rotary club). After Santa piles up all the toys dropped off, they are driven by rotary club members to a more remote town and given to the children on Three Kings Day. This is the day gifts are generally given in Mexico. I was surprised to see how many kids enjoyed getting their pic taken with Santa. Brant had fun taking pics for families and I enjoyed watching the excited kids.

Finally it was time to decorate so the Margarita and Ornament Making Party at Cafe Marias was well timed. I probably would have made even more ornaments if it wasn’t for the strong drink in a big red solo cup. It seemed unwise to mix drinking and hot glue guns but it was for a good cause. The money raised helps fund an after school art program for the kids. and it sure was a lot of fun.

The best fun was a surprise delivery of those ornaments to our friends in Shingle Springs. Friends invited us and we grabbed a cheap fare which apparently explains the quiet Cabo airport that day. We had a great time surprising our friends with the help of our hosts that even supplemented us with warmer clothes. And I got to got to go to Christmas Book Club….. even if I wasn’t as big a surprise by then! It was a fun filled few days …. A perfect Christmas gift for us .

Once we returned it was time to decorate. We were surprised to see more decorations in town than we have ever seen before. I knew I wanted a Baja tree but wasn’t sure exactly what that was or how to get one. As it turns out our century plant began producing one in the summer. (And yes they do die after they bloom.) we were also surprised that it was about 20 feet long, so we cut off 5 feet and very carefully dragged pulled and tilted it up to our rooftop deck on the third floor. We were surprised how big it was but we applied many strings of lights ( good thing we are retired and have time for this stuff) then Brant lashed is to our rooftop terrace. I can say Boy Scouts taught him well because it stayed up throughout the holidays. The neighbors enjoyed our light show tree with only one jokingly complaining about light pollution but with some complaining when we forgot to turn them on. Now we have to figure out where to store it. Not sure if this will compost!

We had a smaller agave bloom next to our pool stuck in our umbrella holder. ( I found it propped against our neighbors fence by some gardener who knew someone wanted so I dragged it up the street. Some police officers stopped and helped me trim it to a good 8 foot size). We decorated with pretty un breakables collected since college. The breakables stayed inside on a tiny little Christmas tree and our bar…. Nice reminders and so glad they are here to be taken out once a year.

Our friends had us over for Christmas Eve for tasty US tacos that can not be found here. So wonderful to have watched their home transform from a dirt lot with a beautiful view to a warm and cozy home with a spectacular view. And love those tacos that remind me of summer poolside parties. We often had tamales for Christmas but they are not plentiful here . The supplies to make your own are plentiful…. Hmmm maybe next year! My friends and I did that one year and thereafter bought….

And at last, I finally used my cookie gun… yes worth it to find room in the truck. Wow now that is a fun fast way to make cookies. Getting colored sugar was another challenge; first finding really white sugar that was not available here until about 2 years ago, then borrowing food coloring from a neighbor who happened to find one day and has never been seen again. Yup who knew you could make your own ! Three of us made a hundred little cookies in no time.

We had a wonderful Christmas Day dinner with our neighbors after a walk down to the beach. We pulled our gate open and found a cat painted on a rock. We lost Jude this year (sad but a cat who had a lot of fun), so it was a special mystery gift. As we walked down the road we saw that someone had left beautiful cat rocks next to many neighbor’s gates. A nice mystery that took quite while to solve….

We can now find turkey here and our neighbors cooked up a delicious smoked Turkey. We had all the usual trimmings followed by a fire crackling in an outdoor fireplace made it feel a bit like our old home.

As always, New Years comes up quickly after Christmas. Last year there was little energy left for New Years and no black eyed peas to be found but we decided this year we needed to make up for COVID New Years. Reservations made for the beach restaurant with a good band …. And most importantly a group of great friends not opposed to packing into a Photo Booth.. and even more important, black eyed peas on the roof at midnight… with a few fireworks in the distance. (so thankful for friends who sent us off with black eyed peas from California last summer). And those same friends joined us on the roof that night. So happy that D and C found a way to get here. It was great to share the evening with silver and gold friends together.

Well this has been far too long a blog entry, and sad that Brant is not putting together his terrific music filled Christmas CD this year. The year before last was one filled with too much excitement tinged with fear and the work of closing down shop and saying goodbye to so many over so many months . It was a year of getting rid of most of a lifetimes collected stuff and for me it was a sense of great loss. This year was about building a new “home”. We have been surprised to find so many friends who share our interests yet come from diverse backgrounds . We love having time to pursue new interests and projects. Most importantly, it is so good to realize we still love learning new stuff. We look forward to having a year of sharing new discoveries with our friends both old and new.

Our “Christmas card” is a bit late but hope everyone had good holidays with family and friends. It is never too late to wish a year of good times to all!

What better place to have a parade of SUP witches? Seems far better spot for SUP than on Lake Michigan in October. Brant and I rode our bikes out to the beachwatch the arrival of witches and a few lucky dogs. It marked the beginning of several days of festivities.

October is a wonderful time of year, except there is too much to do. The Sendera Sisters/ Hiking Hermanas are back to it. Love having a little routine in our weeks that seem to become effortlessly busy .

Halloween has become more popular in Mexico. The skills of Día de Los Muertes face painting have been applied to Halloween with great success. This year we went to the pooch parade which was combined with the kids in costume walking down the sidewalk (much like Placerville) . We enjoyed handing out candy to the kids that had some pretty awesome costumes…. As well as some parents. It was a little chaotic as pick up trucks of workers left for the day, mixed with ATVS of costumed halloweeners , and a few cows who looked a little confused.

On the next day we attended the parade for Dia de Los Muertes which ended at the cemetery on top of a hill in Los Barriles. There were shrines and bands and children proud of their artwork. And yes, it was a celebration of so many people that clearly meant so much to those there, but you could also see the sadness of loss . So a unique mix of both… and that is why face paint can be a good thing! And Music and food ….

Back home in LB, and the house still not completely back together….mainly because we find other things to do….like going to a turtle release. Friends are in town visiting, so it seemed only right to go “try “to see a turtle release. We have wanted to do it for many years but neither of us are “morning people”. Jet lag has made me more of a morning person (check back in another month) so off we went to the turtle release….

It’s about a 3 minute atv ride (or a ten minute walk) from our home where they keep a fenced in area with what looks like chicken wire hooped cages over the hatching eggs. We could see the tiny turtles from behind the fence trying their best to escape.

I mentioned “trying” because it was somewhat difficult to figure out how this actually works. When we got there, no one else was around other than the 5 of us. A gentleman on the beach said that we didn’t have to wait for the release because we could just find hem wandering to the beach. He said they already picked up about 5 and moved them to the water that morning. (They are moved so that they aren’t inadvertently run over by an ATV or picked up by a dog or seagull)

I was puzzled because I had walked on this beach many many times and had never seen a turtle. As we stood there at the chain link fence it suddenly became clear what was happening. We looked down and saw a little gal trying to make her way through the fence and then we noticed another that had already crawled under the fence. We carefully (and joyfully assisted: scooped them up in sand to avoid human touch (bacterial spread either way). They seemed so tiny and fragile and yet so determined to get to the water. When I blocked the rising sun the turtle changed course….ahah…they really are headed to the rising sun. My phone flashlight got her back on course.

I have heard what an amazing experience this is and while I have always wanted to do it, I was surprised by how much fun we had. Just wonderful to see the little turtles crawl as fast those little legs would take them into the surf and just swim away. After about a half hour they were all gone except for the occasional bob of a tiny turtle head to get air. Sadly one was scooped up by a gull.

So for several months of the year, a group of people (many I believe in the same family) take an ATV down the beach every morning. They cover several miles of the coast and when they see the mama turtle marks on the sand, they hop off their atv and dig up the eggs. When they arrived that day, they had 84 new eggs to bury.

These are Olive Ridley Sea Turtles. They are the most common and smallest of the sea turtles—-only growing to a max of 100 pounds. They return to the same beaches every year …but just the females who have to be 30 years old before they can lay eggs.

Our last Greek Island of our trip…saved the biggest for last! We knew Crete was too large and our travels for so long that spending a week going spot to spot was not the way to end our trip. We had planned to do a Turkey Riviera Sailing cruise but we got kicked off the first because we are too old and the second because they could only find one other couple to travel with us. So we will save the sailing cruise for another time.

We arrived in the dark, rented a car with a few other Brits pulling out nearby that seemed to be having difficulty adjusting to driving on the correct side of the road. The plan was to spend a night in Heraklion so we could go to the Palace of Knossos in the morning. Yup, just needed a simple room to spend the night before heading out…..but they upgraded us to another property due to construction issues. Now we were on our way to an all inclusive on the beach for one night! We had missed dinner so they had made us up a plate. But more importantly, the bar was open till midnight so we tossed the bags and headed to the bar with a half hour to spare.

Once again…we are faced with the pressures of trying to figure out which cocktail to pick. There are 3 types of new alcohol here to research. One is ouzo which Brant has already written off. I like ouzo with fennel though it is a little like using mouthwash that makes you a bit drunk. Then there is Raki (also known as Tsipouro or Greek Moonshine). This varies hugely as much is homemade with shots handed out for free at the end of a meal. I think its better with honey and herbs added, this I think it served hot in the winter. My favorite was Metaxa which is basically brandy but they can no longer call it that because they don’t use French grapes. There is also Mastiha which is a liqueur made from the resin of the Mastic tree. It has a pine herbal flavor. And if you get bored of regular wine, you can try Retsina. It is a wine that that has pine flavor that seems like what pine sol would taste like….though I had one Retsina that was very tasty.

The bartender decided we needed a little help and made us a special welcome cocktail. Tasty and strong. He then went on to describe his travel plans. His biggest problem was having enough money for those plane tickets. He felt he could find jobs wherever he went. I loved listening to his confidence and desire to see the world.

This place made me think of little cabanas on the beach in south Florida until they were leveled to build condos. A nice spot but time for Knossos. After a REALLY BFGB we are headed to Knossos. This spot was discovered by an archaeologist who many feel got carried away with his “remodel” of the site. Nonetheless it is very very old and after being deserted for 3,000 years it required lots of excavation. It is called Europe’s oldest city and was settled as early as the Neolithic age. Its first settlement happened in 7,000 BC and was occupied until about 1,100 BC. It was not discovered until 1878 and excavations began in 1900.

But here is what I think is most interesting. Long ago, I read a book called “Natural Born Heroes”.The book was mainly about the kidnapping of a German general from Crete during World War 2 but very tangential with descriptions of Crete and much about healthy lifestyles that enable hero behavior. I decided to reread the book while traveling on Crete. I was so surprised to realize that the book took place in the towns we visited and even on some of the hikes we took.

In the book, there is an archaeologist who was not respected by other archaeologists but is respected by Cretans who recognize his love for Crete. He theorizes that there is truth in Greek mythology. That Greek mythology reflects a few bits and pieces of the lives of true people. In the book the author outlines how the findings at Place of Knossos might further support his ideas…..even a plausible explanation for the Minotaur. It was remarkable to consider how ancient this site was and how even more remarkable that it existed for so long.

After leaving Knossos the plan had been to go straight to our next stop but Mátala Bay became irresistible. I hate to even admit we did it online but it was only an hour or so out of the way so why not? For those who don’t know, this is the beach where Joni Mitchell camped in a cave for a month with mean old Carey. The story amazes me. Here is this new star singer, well enough known for the hippies at Mátala to recognize her,who goes to Mátala trying to move on from her recent breakup with Stephen Stills and hooks up with a bar/cafe employee who lets her move into his cave with him. For a month she keeps writing, playing and singing and walks away with most of one of the most famous albums of all time, Blue. It seems a story as good as a Greek myth.

The beach was crowded, the town looked likely to have Joni souvenirs (so we avoided), so happy we did not park on the asphalt parking lot and instead in a dirt field, we just headed out to the beach and to get food and drink at Micheal’s Cafe (not the mermaid cafe)…in full of view of the Mátala Bay Caves. I know this place has changed but the beach is still crystal clear and the caves are still there. If you can erase the palapas and all the people except the ones wearing flowing skirts, you can imagine it. That album, I always felt, was meant to take you to another place, the best thing to do when you are stressed, and that album did it for me so many times. And it is still beautiful poetry that makes me tear up at times.

Then we headed up this crazy wild Baja Sur like coast to Chora Sfakion. We now will stay at a pretty big house looking over the coast which is described as being a traditional home. A good place to spread out, wash clothes, repack and ready for return. We are not sure why this is considered traditional…perhaps the terrazzo floors? The shuttered windows?, the large kitchen with 5 liters cans of olive oil?

And we came here to hike…especially the gorges. We told a young man we met from Berlin in Koufonisia that we were headed here and he said—-“oh, where the hikers go.” He is correct, everyone here is in their North Face or Patagonia best. Brant and I are here to test how well pickleball shoes hold on scree and marble cliff polished by thousands of hikers. (Shoes are toughest part of carryon).

Hike number one: Imbros Gorge, we drive a crazy curvy road about 20 min from the house, park and have some bowls of slow cooked lamb and pork beer and wine then head down the stairs into the gorge. It is described as being easy and it is for the most part. Some ankle turning rocks but a few miles later through a narrow gorge we pop out at small palapa with fresh squeezed OJ. The plan is take a cab, or the back of a pick up back up to our car. We are so happy to just have a ride back up to the top, but other hikers are busy negotiating the price. Such a strange system…the price keeps changing as a couple more hikers emerge. Finally we have 9 packed into an SUV (don’t ask how), but only after the driver has become angry with the Patagonian clad hikers trying to reduce the price from 5 to 4 euros. Ceremoniously the hikers who did not participate in the argument (us plus wives) are seated in front and the other 4 are stuffed into the back. I don’t believe there were even seats there!

Hike number two: Chora Sfakion to Loutros. The hike starts a couple kilometers outside the village which requires sharing a cliff hugging road with big trucks so we find a cab to take us to the trail head. We hop over the guardrail and find us on a trail going straight down between switchbacks. The switchbacks are so close together that the Brant’s head seems just a foot directly below my feet. It’s a relief when we each the part of the trail with a guide wire. We finally reach a spectacular beach called Sweetwater. And oh is it sweet to be there! The beach is about half naked and half not. There is a small pier to allow a boat to drop off and pick up passengers. There is a tiny restaurant on the pier too. Nice to not have to pack sandwiches on these hikes! But now we need to make a decision. Our calves are tired from tensing to keep our balance and it’s difficult to tolerate an even longer trail to a small town where we will meet another water ferry. A German hiker had just arrived from the little town and tells us this leg is about the same as the next just longer. This doesn’t seem possible based on what we have read. He says he has an app he trusts completely. We decide to take our chances and find the hike to the next town and find it is far, far easier, Oh my, still wondering what those hikers thought! . So wish we had at least given them the cab phone number. How nice to sit on the water ferry and let it take us home.

Hike number three: Marmara Beach to Loutros. This time the water ferry drops us at the beach. After a delicious lunch Brant swims out to the caves but sadly this beach seems a little crowded. (For the first time we see sign posted requesting no nudity), We are told in the busy season it is 4x busier. After checking the gorge, we are back up on white and gray seaside cliffs that are not too difficult just treacherous. It is even more treacherous when we have to share it with goats. The E4 route leads us to a bar but alcohol and cliffs are not a good combo. Eventually after visiting some castle ruins we make it to the tiny town of Loutros where we finally have those drinks and await our ferry back.

We left with many more hikes to do and another island to visit (Gavdos Island). We drove to the top of a gorge and then hiked in a bit at the bottom (we realized we did not have the time or proper shoes to do the whole thing). We have never been to a place quite like this. The hikes are unique and beautiful. We are surprised how different each one is and how easy the town has made it for those of us who need a little help (ferries, cabs and buses). It was kind of a playground for adults. You could hike down and have a boat pick you up on the beach after you finished your aperol spritz…..

Reading my book has made it easier to understand the area. Dramatic scenery is best description. Definitely a place to come back and finish our explorations.

It’s time to get back to Brooklyn so we headed to Chania. We stopped at a beautiful winery and spent the night at a beautiful perfect hotel in Chania. It’s a very touristy town but shops with some unique art pieces and of course every inch packed with cafes. For the past month we have eaten inside only once or twice.

Once the rental car is returned we are ready for a flight to Athens then Athens to Istanbul then Newark, NewJersey. Istanbul is such a huge city but feels very comfortable. We walked along a path next to the ocean and found a spot to eat. Thanks to google translate we were able to order—and we all laughed and the cats joined us…our typical mealtimes in Turkey and Greece.

They had an impressive variety of wine and learned that this where malvasian wines originated