free camping – Roaming About

Tag: free camping (page 1 of 3)

Two Enjoyable Cities & Inca Ruins in Southern Ecuador – Cuenca, Vilcabamba, and Ingapirca

When the middle of July arrived, Mark and I found ourselves with only two weeks left in Ecuador, before our allotted three-month entry stamp expired (August 2^nd). By then, we had long decided to skip the jungle region and, more recently, the coast as well. For months, we had looked forward to visiting the beaches of Montanita, watching the sunset, having happy hour with our toes in the sand, and letting Maya frolic in the sea. But it would be a major detour and – as we were about to head that way – police officers, knocking on our door at 6am near Cotopaxi Volcano, talked us out of it. Drug-related crime and petty theft seem to fester along the Ecuadorian coast.

View towards the Temple of the Sun at Ingapirca

Ingapirca – Our First Inca Ruins

The three of us kept heading south after spotting the snowy peak of Volcano Chimborazo (I added a cool photo to my last Ecuador post of my friend Marie on top of the world – and closest to the sun – after scaling Chimborazo) and aimed for the Inca Ruins of Ingapirca.

Marie on the top of Chimborazo at sunrise
Photo credit Marie Fraisse

It was a long drive, involving a massive detour over bumpy roads around and through the town of Alousi, due to a massive landslide and subsequent road works. The scenery was stunning!

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Stunning scenery along the way in Alousi

Long and bumpy detour

This bus had a hard time making the turn!

We arrived at our destination late afternoon, so the parking lot was pretty full and we took a temporary, unlevel spot, while checking out the neighborhood with Maya. Once a level space became available, we moved and settled in for the night. We’d visit the ruins in the morning, thinking we would stay for two nights. But, since the parking lot was actually straddling a busy road and residents love to ride their loud motorcycles with 2-stroke engines, we decided to not face a second sleepless night.

Parking lot of the Ingapirca ruins, early morning

This relatively small site packed a punch for us, because it was our introduction to the Inca empire and culture. Tickets only cost US$2 per person and include a guide. Maya stayed home for this one. We booked the first tour of the day at 9:15am and enjoyed the different areas and English explanations of our excellent and passionate guide, Segundo.

Information sign three languages

Overview of the site

View towards the Temple of the Sun

Storage areas

Burial site of an important person and where the sun hits during the equinox

Part of the old Inca Trail in Ecuador

We learned a lot about the Incas and their predecessors, the Cañaris, whose building practices the Incas only integrated here at Ingapirca, Southern Ecuador. Both groups used different kinds of stones, visible at this site. The Cañaris utilized round river rocks and the Incas cut, rectangular blocks. This is the only Inca site in the world with a temple (Temple of the Sun – Templo del Sol) that has round walls, because of the influence of the Cañaris.

Grazing llamas on the site

Temple of the Sun

These blocks were removed from the site by farmers and then – during a local campaign – returned for their historical value. The wider curved stone acted as a beam support for a building. The narrower, deeper curved stone was to sacrifice llamas.

Temple of the Sun

This significant building was a gathering place and had important relics on display – nobody lived here

The Temple of the Sun seen from its back side in the fields

After the hour-long tour, Mark and I finished exploring the region with a self-guided walk past smaller sites and through nature. It was super quiet and we had to work around sprinklers in the fields to avoid getting soaked.

Significant rock

Walk through the fields

Carrying milk

Can you see the face?

A Popular & Fascinating Destination in Colombia: San Agustin’s Archaeological Park

May 30, 2023 / Liesbet / 23 Comments

San Agustin in Southern Colombia seems to be on the list of every visitor. We marked it way back as a top destination as well as another archeological site in Tierradentro, but gave up on the second, “underground” part when hearing reports of recent criminal activity in that region.

San Agustin in Colombia

Location San Agustin

We reached San Agustin in the middle of April, after a two-day drive from the Tatacoa Desert.

(Click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Beautiful view of the Magdalena River along the way to San Agustin

We’ve often driven through rows of trees like this in Colombia

Snacks I bought from vendors on these long rides – tiny grapes and two kinds of nuts. The “cheese sticks” were a gift from a Colombian family also waiting in line for another landslide cleanup.

The town itself doesn’t have much to offer. We might be spoiled with all the cute and colorful pueblos we encountered north of here.

It was still nice to walk to town from our free camping spot, shop for produce at the market or Ara grocery store, go out for a couple of meals, and watch the scene from a park bench. The main reason we spent a handful of days here was to do online work.

Main church in San Agustin

People watching with a drink

Mural with dogs

My favorite shot of town

Vendor stalls at the square

Walking goats in town

Eating out at a funky burger place

Our best set lunch meal (vegetarian) in Colombia!

Produce market in town

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad – June 2022

July 8, 2022 / Liesbet / 32 Comments

Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting, and adventurous life without breaking the bank. The less money you spend, the less you need to make. 🙂

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for two adults and one 60-pound dog (we adopted Maya on June 4th, 2019). Under groceries we incorporate food, produce, and non-alcoholic drinks predominantly bought in supermarkets. Toiletries belong in that category as well. Dining out means eating at a restaurant/event or purchasing take-out food. The health category covers non-prescription medicines and vitamins/supplements; medical contains prescription drugs and doctor’s visits. Because of our income level, Mark and I are eligible for free health care within the state of Massachusetts. For check-ups, we both return to the East Coast.

Last month was unusual to say the least; our expense categories, our location (mostly apart from each other), and our focus. Plus, the weather was extreme: rain almost every day Mark was gone and upper nineties Fahrenheit (mid-thirties Celsius) for three days shortly after his return…

(Click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)

My home while Mark was away

My living quarters

Roomy kitchen

Protection against all the Oregon rain

Extremely hot weather, the end of June – it was more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit in our camper, but the thermometer doesn’t go any higher than 99!

Mark flew to Newburyport, Massachusetts, for three weeks to help out his mom who injured herself, arrange the funeral service for his dad, Stanley, who passed away in February, and receive health check-ups, which caused extra stress and grief. He was super overwhelmed and busy those weeks.

Maya on her dinette bed

Maya on her dog bed

“Can I come up, mommy?”

Maya and I stayed in our recently-purchased Lance 830 truck camper on the property of friends in the Portland area of Oregon. Yes, the opposite end of the country. I organized our life inside (as we had quickly “moved in” two days before Mark’s departure), caught up with a bunch of internet tasks and work, did an interview as a presenter for my first Van Life Summit, and completed small projects.

Van Life Virtual Summit 2022

My presentation takes place at noon PST on July 21st (on Belgium’s National Day, while I am there)

Taking care of Maya and providing her with enough exercise also took a chunk of time and was much more fun when the sun peeked out.

Spring by the Columbia River

Main street in St. Helens

On the rare clear days, one can see Mount Hood from town

St. Helens is nestled along the Columbia River in Oregon

No crazy high categories in June. Our grocery costs were reasonable and we paid for fuel once in MA for Mark using the car of his mom and once for the truck here in order to drive it back and forth to PDX, Portland’s airport. Parking fees are steep in Boston, where some of Mark’s health check-ups take place.

Extra categories involved paying for one third of Stan’s funeral service, providing drinks for the gathering afterwards (recorded as a gift; on hindsight, it should probably have gone in miscellaneous as well), and spending too much money on annual credit card fees, because we forgot to cancel one of our cards in time. As I mentioned, too much else going on. While $95 might not seem like a lot to some people, it does make a difference for us.*

Mark reading my text for Stan at his dad’s memorial service on June 11th.

The Reverend presents the funeral service in the Unitarian Church of Newburyport.

I managed to follow the service virtually via Zoom.

Mark bought accessories for a new computer, but ended up returning the device. He will be able to use the parts whenever he decides to finally purchase a replacement laptop. I bought a few more items to organize the interior of our camper.

Filling a gap behind the mattress to be able to lean against the wall and sit upright in bed

Now we can sit upright in bed

Contents of one of the many packages we are ordering in St. Helens. It’s nice to have an address when doing heaps of projects!

Extra memory for Mark’s next device

We bought a custom-made blind for the back window

And, I finally gave in and purchased a raincoat, a garment I haven’t owned in years. There are three reasons for this decision: Oregon has been wet, I’m sure I need one in South America, and I want something with pockets to stuff them with goodies on the plane ride back from Belgium as I’m only allowed to take one personal item for a three-week trip! (Two weeks in my home country and one week in Massachusetts before flying back to Oregon.)

Our living quarters seen from the bed.

Maya stressed out (but still cute) and hiding behind our pillows during the fireworks that started well before July 4th.

We ordered an expensive pizza for take-out one evening, have been enjoying free music in town on Thursday nights with our friends (hence the drinking out), Maya needed a few items, and – for some reason – one now has to pay out of pocket to prep for a colonoscopy. Sorry if this is too much information. No taboos on this site.

Egg noodles with a mushroom – parsley cream sauce

Cauliflower soup – my first attempt in cooking soup.

Scott presented delicious homemade gnocchi for dinner one night.

The end result: homemade gnocchi with clam sauce (clams he harvested)

Maya cute and comfy on the porch

On a positive note, we didn’t spend a dime on accommodation, courtesy (again and still) of our friends here in St. Helens. And we have primarily been cooking our own meals and sharing some of them with our hosts. Once Mark was back, we dove into projects again. Stay tuned while we try and figure out our next move, which remains incredibly tricky and stressful…

From the moment Mark returned, he dove into more projects.

For some of the projects, our camper needs to be on the truck

Swapping the space-consuming plastic bathroom door out with a whimsical shower curtain

Installing a new track for a shower curtain in the bathroom

Trying to diagnose and fix a big issue underneath the camper

New exhaust vent cover and LED lights outside

(PS: We did have about $500 of Lance camper expenses in June as well, but since we budgeted for that (so far), it becomes part of our purchase price. I plan to write a separate post about those projects and costs.)

*UPDATE: We called our Chase bank to cancel that credit card and they will refund the $95 annual fee (so our total expenses for June 2022 are closer to $1,230). Apparently, this is their policy and courtesy when you cancel within 41 days of paying the fee.

Find all our expense reports here. To learn what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the blogs of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

Donate to Roaming About to help maintain this website.

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad – May 2022

June 10, 2022 / Liesbet / 27 Comments

Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting, and adventurous life without breaking the bank. The less money you spend, the less you need to make. 🙂

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for two adults and one 60-pound dog (we adopted Maya on June 4th, 2019). Under groceries we incorporate food, produce, and non-alcoholic drinks predominantly bought in supermarkets. Toiletries belong in that category as well. Dining out means eating at a restaurant/event or purchasing take-out food. The health category covers non-prescription medicines and vitamins/supplements; medical contains prescription drugs and doctor’s visits. Because of our income level, Mark and I are eligible for free health care within the state of Massachusetts. For check-ups, we both return to the East Coast.

Last month was quite crazy for us; on many fronts. Our circumstances – hunting for a different camper, picking it up, moving locations, preparing and delivering our original camper that was for sale, fixing imminent issues and systems in our “new” home on wheels, a terrible accident in the family, my mother-in-law breaking her shoulder, Mark having to fly back east, me booking a plane ticket, … (read about it all here) – hugely affected our expenditures in May.

(Click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)

These fuel prices greeted us when we crossed back into the US after four months on the Baja California peninsula in Mexico.

Crossing state borders again

Scenery along the way – gone are the blue skies!

Finally, Idaho – Mark and I never explored this state; and it wouldn’t happen again, this time around

Driving through part of Oregon again, on our return trip to Boise, ID

Wintry California landscape in mid-May!

The largest cost by far was gasoline for our truck, as we drove north in California, crisscrossed this state a few times between Auburn, CA, and Boise, Idaho, made a “detour” to Twin Falls, ID, to drop off our Cirrus camper, and headed west to St. Helens, Oregon. We knew we were spending hundreds of dollars over those weeks, but were still flabbergasted at the total sum of over $1,000!!! There is only one solution for our frugal budgets: sit still for a long while. Because of all our upcoming camper projects and issues, we kind of have to anyway.

Cheapest price for gasoline on the 520-mile drive. before arriving back in Boise

We often spent between $130 and $150 a tank of gas in May – and the prices are still rising!

Back in the days, when the fuel price per gallon was still under $5. Not so much in St. Helens, OR.

Biking to (hardware) stores to save fuel

Speaking of which, our Lance camper expenses are actually much higher than any other category, but since we budgeted for that (so far), it becomes part of our purchase price. I plan to dedicate a separate post for those projects and costs.

First stop in Auburn, CA, to check out this well-used Lance 830 truck camper for sale (by owner); we spent six hours scrutinizing it and had a chat with the friendly dealer

Ready to purchase the Lance 830

Too cold to eat outside – Mark and I save money by making and bringing our own meals everywhere

RV dealership where the camper was sold on consignment

Posing with RV dealer Glen, who was incredibly helpful with the transaction and communications

Collecting campers in the driveway of our friends

Ordering lots of parts for our “new” camper

Fixing lots of issues with our “new” camper

Lots of money exchanged hands in May

Some of our US car insurance money was still due, as we had paused this policy when traveling throughout Baja, Mexico, for four months. And, after all the driving, Thirsty was due for an oil change, which Mark performed a few hundred miles ago back in Boise. Being able to do most tasks and projects ourselves – now, in the past (also when sailing), and in the future – saves us a lot of money, stress, inconvenience, distrust, and disappointment.

Camped on the property of a friend in Julian, California

Deer in the yard

Front-row seats to watch wildlife

The cost of plane tickets – nationally and internationally – has doubled compared to last year as well. It was another shock to us when we browsed tickets for Mark (and me later this summer) to fly back to Massachusetts and for me to visit my family in Belgium. We used multiple one-way tickets through inconvenient airports, with funky layovers, and without carry-on luggage (yes, that’s a thing now – “only one personal item allowed”) to make these jaunts as affordable as possible. My dear parents covered my legs to Belgium. Thank you!

Home for a couple of weeks

We had an oven – nacho time!

Ready to move locations with our (partly) new set-up

Our other expenses were normal. Before we sold it, we had to repair a couple of things on the Cirrus camper after our extensive travels on the Baja peninsula this past winter. We also thanked our hosts for their hospitality with a few items we knew they enjoyed, and shared some rum and wine with friends to ease our worries a bit.

One hour of fun: visiting Shoshone Falls in the town of Twin Falls, Idaho, before dropping our Cirrus camper off

It was a beautiful day

Our entertainment in May was free and comprised a one-hour stop at the magnificent Shoshone Falls in the town of Twin Falls, Idaho (usually $5 parking fee per car, but the kiosk was closed during our morning, weekday stop), before dropping the Cirrus camper off with its new owners and a quick visit of Idaho’s capitol in Boise, the day we left the area.

On the day we left Boise, we hopped over to the capitol

I am fascinated by capitol buildings in this country and want to see – and photograph – them all!

Getting a cashier’s check to pay for a big-ticket item, like a used truck camper, costs $15 with Bank of America. While it’s not that much, costs like these annoy us. The same with fees for administrative dealings, although the time, energy, and hassle involved are obviously more intrusive.

One-night stop along a street in Lodi, CA, on our drive north – not the quietest place….

Boondocked in Tahoe National Forest, CA on the way to Boise, ID.

Our first encounter with snow in a looong time (it wouldn’t be our last)

We managed to go for a nice, yet short, walk from our “campsite”

Second stop between Auburn, CA, and Boise, ID, at Antelope Reservoir (OR) – it was a long drive

Another cold and rainy night at Antelope Reservoir – familiar terrain now

Boondocked in a national forest in eastern Oregon on the long drive from Boise, ID, to the Portland area.

We didn’t spend anything on accommodation or camping, laundry, water, or electricity in May; something we are very thankful for. Hurray for friends – and family – in troubled times!

Home for the time being

Maya loved it in St. Helens and was spoiled with walks, treats, and attention

Find all our expense reports here. To learn what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the blogs of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

Donate to Roaming About to help maintain this website.

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad (mostly in Mexico) – April 2022

May 13, 2022 / Liesbet / 45 Comments

Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting, and adventurous life without breaking the bank. The less money you spend, the less you need to make. 🙂

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for two adults and one 60-pound dog (we adopted Maya on June 4th, 2019). Under groceries we incorporate food, produce, and non-alcoholic drinks predominantly bought in supermarkets. Toiletries belong in that category as well. Dining out means eating at a restaurant/event or purchasing take-out food. The health category covers non-prescription medicines and vitamins/supplements; medical contains prescription drugs and doctor’s visits. Because of our income level, Mark and I are eligible for free health care within the state of Massachusetts. For check-ups, we both return to the East Coast.

For most of last month, Mark, Maya, and I happily kept traveling and living throughout Baja California Sur and Baja California (Norte) in Mexico, slowly making our way back “home.” After 3.5 months south of the border, we returned to the United States on April 26th, 2022, and spent about a week in Southern California. We have covered thousands of miles since then.

Entering the state of Baja California, the northern half of the peninsula

Rows of bumps in corners to slow us down

Topes in towns are often unmarked, blended in, or fake

Back to the border – and border wall – in Tecate. The line wasn’t too long and the crossing itself was uneventful.

Back to highways and complicated road infrastructure!

And, super expensive fuel in California

That’s why we filled up in Mexico at US$4/gallon before crossing the border

Once we reached the historic town of Loreto by the end of March, we regretfully felt our time on the Baja peninsula was diminishing, as we would start making our way back to the US from there – where to, we didn’t know yet.

Camped along the dirt road to San Basilio after a failed attempt to reach the beach ten miles in

Back in Mulege, camped at our favorite spot south of the river, except, conditions change…. The humid climate (wet sand and salty air) chased us inland a bit

Our second spot to camp for a couple of nights, north of the river. This is where Katherine and Brandon “found” us

Little did we know that a couple of weeks later, a chance encounter with Katherine and Brandon in Mulege, sent us south again, back to Loreto Bay/Nopolo. Our new friends had invited us for a few days of splurging at their condo (showers, laundry, great company, a pool), which was followed by another handful of days of beach camping near town.

View from the condo’s balcony

Dinner at our friends’ condo in Loreto Bay/Nopolo

Fabulous food, drinks, and company

T&T parked near the condo building of our friends

Clean and beautiful Nopolo neighborhood

Narrow alleys in Nopolo village

Camped on the airport beach in Loreto for five nights, where I dealt with a dreadful flu

On April 22nd, we did – finally – start our long journey north and pretty much drove every day for the remainder of the month, slowly covering the 850 miles from Loreto to Julian, California, via San Diego. If you think our gas price for this jaunt in Baja was high, wait until the expense report for May comes out…

Driving north again…

…past the pretty Bahia Concepcion beaches, without stopping this time

Mission de San Ignacio

Interior of the San Ignacio Mission

Restaurant along the square in San Ignacio

Camped for the night along the shady square

We finished all the food in our fridge before crossing the border, so an extensive shopping spree was in order. Fortunately, our friend Janis made dinner in San Diego on our first evening back in the US. We had a nice time with her and her husband Paul.

One night in Mission Hills – photo taken by Janis Heppell

Meeting up with Janis and Paul in San Diego

In Baja, it was still affordable to go out for dinner, so we did this a few times, to celebrate our postponed combined birthdays at the amazing restaurant Mi Loreto and to eat fish and shrimp tacos in San Ignacio. After taking Katherine and Brandon on the incredible Mesquite Canyon hike, they were extremely generous by treating us to a delicious seafood lunch on the drive home.

Birthday dinner out at Mi Loreto

View of the Mission from Mi Loreto

Swimming through Mesquite Canyon

Seafood lunch at the “clam shack” on the beach – thank you, Brandon and Katherine

Restaurant where we had fish and shrimp tacos and a Jamaica (hibiscus) juice for me

Our last meal out in Mexico at Victor’s

Mark and I swore we would not eat out – or do take-out – anymore once we left Mexico, as inflation is hurting us, but we happily bought our friend Amy a pho on our second night in San Diego and were treated to pizza by our friend Diana, once settled for a few days on her beautiful and peaceful property in Julian, CA.

Stocking up on fresh ratone pastries in Loreto before leaving the area and the peninsula

Diana taking a selfie by the fire with Doug, Mark, and me in it

We paid for six nights at campgrounds in April – in Loreto, Playa La Perla (Bahia Concepcion), and near Ensenada on our last night in Mexico, which happened to be the least attractive and priciest stay of the bunch.

We returned to Rivera del Mar RV Park in Loreto and tried to sell our electric bikes, unsuccessfully.

Home for three nights – Playa La Perla along Bahia Concepcion

Sunrise over Bahia Concepcion

Pancake breakfast at the beach

Finally a spot to hang our hammock up again!

Walking south from La Perla

Homemade gnocchi dinner with new friends Mary and Ted

Our last night in Baja was spent at Mi Refugio in Ensenada; not our favorite

The rest of the month, we boondocked (camping without facilities) in nature for free.

Camped in an arroyo for one night after visiting Mission San Javier

Maya waits to go for a walk

Cactus in bloom

One of our last nights in Baja, surrounded by cacti in Catavina

And we finally bought a souvenir – a handmade Mexican blanket. We’d been keeping an eye out for one and gauging prices at a few markets to get a feel for what they were worth. Eventually, after three months on the peninsula, we bought one from a beach vendor at a very fair price.

Our Mexican blanket, which will grace one of our dinette cushions one of these months

Parked near Mission San Javier

Mission San Javier near Loreto

Looking out through a door in the church

Surroundings of the mission

Now that we are back in the US and expect to spend thousands of dollars on camper preparations, parts, and fuel, we have to cut down on expenses in other categories. The coming months, we will avoid eating and drinking out, buying alcohol, and paying for laundry. We are fortunate to have friends in the Pacific Northwest, who will happily host us and provide services, like a level driveway, tools, water, electricity, a shower, and laundry facilities. Let the camper work and another transition begin!

Changing gears again the coming months

Find all our expense reports here. To learn what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the blogs of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

Donate to Roaming About to help maintain this website.

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad (in Mexico) – March 2022

April 9, 2022 / Liesbet / 26 Comments

Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting, and adventurous life without breaking the bank. The less money you spend, the less you need to make. 🙂

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for two adults and one 60-pound dog (we adopted Maya on June 4th, 2019). Under groceries we incorporate food, produce, and non-alcoholic drinks predominantly bought in supermarkets. Toiletries belong in that category as well. Dining out means eating at a restaurant/event or purchasing take-out food. The health category covers non-prescription medicines and vitamins/supplements; medical contains prescription drugs and doctor’s visits. Because of our income level, Mark and I are eligible for free health care within the state of Massachusetts. For check-ups, we both return to the East Coast.

Last month, Mark, Maya, and I happily kept traveling throughout Baja California Sur in Mexico. The grocery and car expense categories battled for the top position. As to be expected, fuel burned a lot of money as we rounded and explored the southern part of the peninsula. The gas prices in Baja haven’t changed much from last year, but they are fluctuating, just like propane. In any case, these prices are less than in the US now, so we will fill all our tanks before returning.

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Filling our tank when it’s close to empty is an expensive endeavor – more than US$100!!

The top price is for gasoline and one of the cheapest per liter that we have found in Baja this year

Gasoline prices in Loreto, one year ago (the top number)

Driving on rough roads is not good for the fuel economy!

Rough road downhill to Agua Verde

Rough road to one of the Pacific beaches

Our utility cost while in Mexico is higher than in the US, because we kept paying for our cheap and discontinued AT&T data plan north of the border and for internet in this country. We also pay for drinking water now and keep having to fill our propane tanks to run our fridge and cook. We can’t wait to get a compressor fridge that works on electricity, which we have plenty of thanks to our solar panels.

Free camping along Camino Cabo Este

Parked for the night at Playa Palmilla in San Jose del Cabo

An entire arroyo, just for us

Boondocked along the road to Agua Verde

Parked in a free public lot in La Paz again, for a couple of nights

Camped at El Canejo beach

One of our favorite free campsites in Baja California

As always, most of our camping spots were free and attractive.

We stumbled upon an international triathlon in La Paz

Baby turtles ready to be released

Turtle release after sunset in Todos Santos

Hiking above Agua Verde

Hiking with friends of the furry kind

Beach walks with Maya

Hiking in Mesquite Canyon, worthy of a separate blog post…

Just like lots of activities we enjoy: witnessing a triathlon in La Paz and a turtle release in Todos Santos, hiking, bird watching, beach and town strolling, hanging out with friends, snorkeling, watching sunrise and sunset.

Van pizza made by Greg and Duwan and eaten with them and our new friend, Gehn

Snorkeling in Agua Verde

Even Maya made new friends: Delilah and Pyros…

… and Lola, the beach dog, of course.

In March we did stay at a couple of pay campgrounds (south of El Pescadero and in Loreto), ordered a part for our awning (which was shipped to a friend in San Diego, CA), and cooked more meals than in February.

Camped for a few nights in Rivera Del Mar RV Park, Loreto

Dinner out with friends, Greg, Duwan, and Gehn in Todos Santos

Delicious fish tacos in Todos Santos – the cheapest we’ve bought in Baja

Homemade pizza in the truck camper of our new friends, Deb and Andy, who have an oven!!!

Sharing a fabulous homemade pizza with Deb and Andy on our beach in Agua Verde

Mark made the most delicious tortilla soup for dinner one evening – with fabulous toppings!

There were also a few smaller expenditures: laundry, new flipflops and a quarterly blood test for Mark (did you notice how cheap these are in Mexico?), a small turtle souvenir for me, and a bone for Maya. All in all, not a bad month…

Walking around Todos Santos

Hotel in Todos Santos

Sunset in Agua Verde

Sunset over the Pacific Ocean, which has bigger waves than the Sea of Cortez

Another sunset over the Pacific Ocean

Find all our expense reports here. To learn what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the blogs of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

Sunset over the Pacific Ocean through a cactus

Donate to Roaming About to help maintain this website.

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad (in Mexico) – February 2022

March 18, 2022 / Liesbet / 34 Comments

Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting, and adventurous life without breaking the bank. The less money you spend, the less you need to make. 🙂

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for two adults and one 60-pound dog (we adopted Maya on June 4th, 2019). Under groceries we incorporate food, produce, and non-alcoholic drinks predominantly bought in supermarkets. Toiletries belong in that category as well. Dining out means eating at a restaurant/event or purchasing take-out food. The health category covers non-prescription medicines and vitamins/supplements; medical contains prescription drugs and doctor’s visits. Because of our income level, Mark and I are eligible for free health care within the state of Massachusetts. For check-ups, we both return to the East Coast.

Mark, Maya, and I spent the entire month of February in Baja California Sur, Mexico. It was a fabulous time for the mind, body, and wallet, once Mark returned from his 10-day visit to Massachusetts to spend quality time with his dad.

Sunrise in the Sea of Cortez

Our home beach for ten days, near Agua Verde

Walk along the beach and rocks

Beautiful waters of the Sea of Cortez

Maya in the dunes

As a matter of fact, February 2022 was a month for the books – we generally had a really good time, exploring the peninsula, discovering peaceful beaches, spending time with friends, and eating delectable fish tacos. I hope to elaborate on some of our fun Baja experiences in upcoming blogs, whenever resources allow.

Dinner at our place with Jon and Gail

Campfire with friends

Happy hour with Duwan and Greg on a hill – Cabo Pulmo

Our biggest February expense was the car again, mostly because our annual Newburyport residency tax was due. Since we sat still for a chunk of the month, the fuel amount wasn’t too bad. In Baja, Mexico, a liter of gasoline costs around 22 pesos at the moment. This is roughly $4.20 per gallon. Usually, this is more expensive than in the US. While prices for fuel have gone crazy there, in Mexico they have gone up less than 1 peso per liter (20 cents per gallon) since March 2021. Food for thought…

Rock formation with Maya

Rock with a view – Cabo Pulmo

Endless beaches along the Cabo Pulmo peninsula

We didn’t spend a lot on groceries for a few reasons: prices for produce are cheaper than in the US, we don’t care about imported or brand products, and we have eaten out multiple times, which is reflected in the higher than usual dining out category. Once a week, Mark and I order fish or shrimp tacos from a street vendor or at a restaurant. These cost around $2 a piece, of which we each consume three or four. And, there might have been an extra meal or two on top of that.

Mezcal tasting and dinner out with Duwan and Greg

Dinner out in La Paz with Duwan and Greg

Utilities include propane (which, luckily, is cheaper here than in the US), water (which we buy at agua purificado shops that have a hose to fill our tank – average cost is 13 cents per gallon or about $5 for a full tank), discharging our black tank (when we’re careful, it takes three or four weeks to completely fill Temp’s toilet tank; this has never happened – in Zesty we could only go one week), and internet. We keep our US data plan going, even though we are not using it right now. At $35/month for unlimited data, we don’t quite want to give that up, because this particular AT&T plan doesn’t exist anymore.

Ordering purified water in La Ribera

In Mexico, we use a local SIM-card and buy internet plans. Our friends Duwan and Greg (from Make Like An Apeman) had extra data the end of February, so they were super generous to let us use as much as we wanted. Most of the time, however, we are not in areas with cell (data) service. Because we make phone calls through Google Voice (over the internet), we don’t need phone plans.

Flor de Cana tasting on the beach

Birthday happy hour on the beach

Happy Birthday, Mark

We started celebrating Mark’s birthday a day early, on February 28^th. I’d bought him a 7-year-old bottle of our favorite rum, Flor de Caña, and we did a tasting – adding the 4- and 5-year-old versions we already had – on our “private” beach in a remote area of the peninsula. Tip for anyone else who likes Flor de Caña rum, which originates in Nicaragua: the 4-year-old one is pretty much the cheapest rum here on Baja, at 160 pesos ($8) for a 75cl bottle!

Sea of Cortez

I joined Duwan and Greg on a day trip to the Sol de Mayo waterfall and a couple of other sites. Dogs were not allowed, so Mark stayed home with Maya. At seven dollars, the entrance fee to the falls seemed steep, but it was worth it. One could spend an entire day there, swimming, photographing, and walking upstream to smaller pools and cascades. Plus, I snuck a shower in the refreshing water!

Visiting Sol de Mayo

Sol de Mayo waterfall

Walking upriver revealed more pools and cascades

Under the waterfall

We managed to camp for free the entire month, finding some amazing places off the beaten track. As always, we couldn’t have done it without our trusted iOverlander app and tips from friends. Special thanks to Jon and Gail and Sandie and Karsten.

Playa Juncalito, south of Loreto

Parked in La Paz with Ballena Blanca for a few days

Sunset at our camp spot in La Ventana – T&T and Ballena Blanca

Camped on the small peninsula of Cabo Pulmo town

Less windy campsite in Cabo Pulmo

Beach-side camping

Beach camping by ourselves

Camped in a peaceful arroyo along the Cabo Pulmo peninsula

Our total expenses were well under average last month and we hope that’s an indication of how we can live and travel south of the border. Once we arrive in South America, we hope $800 (instead of $1,300) can become our new average…

Find all our expense reports here. To learn what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the blogs of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

Duwan and Greg also covered their month of February in two blog post: here (part 1) and here (part 2).

Sunset on the sandspit in La Paz

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Extremes in Baja California, Mexico – From Peaceful Paradise to Ferocious Flames

March 13, 2022 / Liesbet / 58 Comments

I invite you to come along for a particular 24-hour time period in Mark and my life, last week, in an area south of Todos Santos, on Baja’s west coast.

Mark, Maya, and I are driving north along the southwest coast of Baja California in Mexico. We’ve picked a free camping spot for the night at Jimi Beach, which we read about in iOverlander. Tomorrow morning, we will try to access a different place by a waterfall, which promises to be peaceful yet adventurous to reach. That’s why we opt for an early start and not push our luck today.

“I’m not sure camping at Playa Jimi is such a good idea,” I mention as our truck camper T&T (Temp & Thirsty) bridges the gap to our destination’s turnoff on the GPS.

“Why is that?” Mark asks.

“Well, you also read that people were robbed at gunpoint just south of there, two weeks ago. We want to be able to sleep at night and not worry about intruders.”

So far, we have never felt unsafe on the Baja peninsula, but it appears that the southern tip is more crowded, touristy, and potentially dangerous.

“I guess we can go to the waterfall spot instead. Better safe than sorry. It is getting late, though,” Mark says, as he focuses on the road ahead.

We usually aim to be settled by 5pm. It is 4pm and we have no idea what to expect. We change the waypoint on the GPS to the turnoff for this new location. Mark had scrutinized that area on satellite images ahead of time.

“I read the turnoff is very tricky, so look for it carefully. It is situated just past the second bridge,” he says. These “bridges” span arroyos (washes or dry river beds), which are often used as roads.

We slow down and pull over, off the main road. The turnoff is behind us, an extremely sharp bend that double-backs parallel to the highway. The only way to get there is by making a U-turn over four lanes. Luckily, this section of the pavement does not have a divider.

The access road to the fence and arroyo runs parallel to the highway and requires an approach from the north.

We wait until no cars are seen and make a quick loop on the asphalt to reach the dirt road, which leads to a barbed wire fence. I drag it open and close it again after Mark passes. That would keep the riffraff out, we both think.

The highway, seen from the dirt road after the turn-off

“Well, that was the worst part,” Mark sighs.

We follow the dirt track and turn left. Based on Google Earth, this is a short and easy stretch to join the wide arroyo Mark had spotted. Except, now, years later, pointy bushes and plants with needles have grown and the access route is very narrow.

Google Earth image of the area

Not again, I think, remembering our hours of cutting and sawing trees and brush to reach a lovely pebble beach last month. All in an attempt to prevent scratching up our truck camper.

Mark grabs our handsaw, which now lives in the cab of the truck, and jumps out. “You drive, while I cut branches,” he instructs.

For the next forty minutes, he labors and sweats, while I inch our camper forward, trying to avoid the remainder of overhanging branches. There is no room to turn around and we have no idea how much further it is to a less narrow part of “road.”

Mark saws branches while I slowly inch the truck forward

The sun is setting fast. Eventually, we reach a wider stretch – we have arrived in the arroyo, where soft gravel and sand await us. Mark takes over the wheel and stops again after a few yards (meters).

Back in Baja (Kind of) – A Week of Dunes, Drives & Decisions

January 24, 2022 / Liesbet / 53 Comments

It might not have been obvious in my previous blog posts, but Mark and I were antsy about returning to the Baja California peninsula of Mexico this winter, because we had a great time here last spring, meeting like-minded travelers and taking a welcome break after publishing a book. On this subsequent visit, we hoped to hang out with friends, explore this 1,000-mile narrow stretch of land a bit more, and relax on its many beaches. Our initial goal was to arrive in early December and stay until sometime in April.

Shell Beach vista

After multiple delays – trying to find jobs in Arizona, going to the dentist in Los Algodones, more camper projects in the desert, and a few important phone calls while still in the US with good cell service, we finally crossed the border into Baja on January 12th, six weeks later than planned. It was a good day! We had arrived back in Mexico and we could feel the stress and anxiety leave our bodies. Yet, we realized it would take a while to fully adjust to the life we intend to have: one of plenty adventures with a good balance between work and leisure, and plenty of walks for Maya.

On the access road to Shell Beach, 4WD is recommended

Parked at the end of the dirt road. We didn’t feel comfortable driving and camping on the soft-sand beach

Now that we have a 4WD vehicle (as opposed to our campervan Zesty, last year), more remote campsites are accessible and we feel that’s what a lot of Baja California is about: reaching peace and solitude surrounded by nature and the sea. One thing we noticed from the start, though, is that it’s much busier than last year. We were spoiled in 2021, when rarely a soul crossed into Mexico, and we often camped by ourselves.

A big shell!

Walking Maya on the pretty beach

Half an hour south of San Felipe is “Shell Beach” along the Sea of Cortez. This was our first stop and an awesome one. Miles and miles of empty beach, low dunes, gorgeous sunrises, clear night skies, and oh-so-quiet.

Sunrise on Shell Beach (Photo courtesy of Mark Kilty)

The empty beach runs for miles

The mountainous backdrop of our camping spot

Small dunes along the beach

A huge flock of pelicans on a sand spit at low tide

Huge sand spit

Tidbits from the Road – Heading West across the USA

November 21, 2020 / Liesbet / 54 Comments

The last time Mark and I crossed the United States from East to West was in October 2016. We attended the sailboat show in Annapolis as vendors with our marine WiFi and cell data product and invention, The Wirie, before driving to Northern California in our Prius. We had five days to cross this massive country in order to start our first housesit on the West Coast. We lasted a few years “out west,” house and pet sitting and exploring in our camper van Zesty, before making our way back east in the summer of 2019.

The Southwest is where our hearts lie. The vast, open spaces, low population, incredible natural sites, and sense of freedom trump the mountains and greenery of the East Coast. We think…

Our Route

If you’ve followed this blog for any length of time, you are familiar with our lack of planning. We pretty much take life as it comes, one step at a time; something that is evident in the title of my forthcoming travel memoir: Plunge. Anything can influence our route, our destination, our timing, our moods.

Here’s how we ended up in Arizona, this time around…

Roaming About

A Life Less Ordinary

Tag: free camping (page 1 of 3)

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Monthly Expenses of a Nomad (in Mexico) – March 2022

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Monthly Expenses of a Nomad (in Mexico) – February 2022

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Extremes in Baja California, Mexico – From Peaceful Paradise to Ferocious Flames

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Back in Baja (Kind of) – A Week of Dunes, Drives & Decisions

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Tidbits from the Road – Heading West across the USA

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