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A Life Less Ordinary

Tag: Mexico (page 2 of 2)

Tale of Two Towns – Mulegé & Loreto in Baja California Sur

Mark, Maya, and I entered Baja California, Mexico, on February 1st 2021 in Zesty, without much of a plan. No surprise there! The main reason for our decision to cross the border was threefold: we needed a break from the US and its chaos, politics, and atmosphere, we aimed to find warmer weather, and we were both ready for a little “vacation” after all the hard work on my travel memoir Plunge.

Other than that, we’d drive until we found 1) warmth or 2) an area that spoke to us. Number two came first in the form of Mulegé, a town off the beaten tourist track about 2/3 down the Baja peninsula on the Sea of Cortez side.

Why Mulegé?

Sometimes, when you find a place that touches your heart, it’s difficult to describe why. Mark and I drove through and stayed in this town – actually in the exact same campground – fifteen years ago on our journey south (which brought us all the way to Panama and back) in a truck camper with our dogs Kali and Darwin. But it didn’t leave an impression. Also, we had different goals of sightseeing and exploring back then, not hanging out and immersing ourselves.

Here’s what we liked about this little gem on our recent visit:

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Monthly Expenses – March 2021 (on the Baja Peninsula, Mexico)

Expenses - image

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.

Pretty much the entire month of March, Mark, Maya, and I lived and traveled in Zesty in Baja California, Mexico. In general, life is cheaper south of the border, with the big exception of fuel. That’s why these final numbers were a bit surprising to me; I thought we’d do better. But, there were some unusual additions to our normal spending habits.

One of them was the annual city tax for our camper, which ironically is rarely ever in Newburyport and when it is, it just sits on the driveway unused. We splurged on a whale tour, which was seriously worth the money – but not so much the effort getting there… Our annual Chase Sapphire Reserve visa card fee is always due in March. While this seems high, we get much more than $150 back in credits, points, and other benefits during a year of usage. We also had a wonderful dinner out for Mark’s 50th birthday.

One of the many whales approaching our little boat

The utility category is higher than usual, because we kept our affordable and discontinued AT&T plan in the US  ($35/ month for unlimited data use) while also buying a Mexican equivalent from Telcel for our time in Baja. The same happened with our dog, Maya. We needed new dog food in Mexico, which wasn’t a good idea (more about that in an upcoming blog) and which resulted in ordering better food that awaited us upon our return across the border.

On the flipside, groceries were affordable. We only bought enough for a few days at a time and ate out frequently. Based on that, I did expect the dining out category to be higher, especially since it includes a fancy (very!) delayed birthday meal for me, joined by our friends Sandie and Karsten. On my actual birthday (and book launch), our bubble of friends only had snacks to hold us over because nobody felt like cooking.

While it sure adds up, camping appeared cheaper than anticipated as well. Half of the nights in Baja, we paid for Zesty to be parked at an official campground ($10 a night) or on the beach ($7 – $10/night), where Mexican concessionaries would collect their fees. I did bargain when we stayed longer in one place along Bahia Concepcion and we intermittently camped for free in Mexico and always once back in the US.

To see how fellow nomads Duwan and Greg made out in March, click here.

March 2021 Overview:

Camper (diesel: $184; city tax: $77):

Groceries:

Camping:

Bank charge (visa card):

Dining out:

Entertainment (whale tour):

Utilities (internet: $61; water: $9; prop: $6; Skype: $5):

Dog (food: $61; vet: $4):

Gifts (B-day dinner Mark):

Household:

Alcohol:

Clothing (flip flops):

Laundry:

 

TOTAL:

 

$261

$189

$162

$150

$97

$94

$81

$65

$50

$25

$8

$6

$6

———

$ 1,194

Compare this result to the one from last month – also in Baja California – here. 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.

Encounters of the Whale Kind

The shallow Ojo de Liebre Lagoon (also called Scammon’s Lagoon) and the San Ignacio Lagoon in Baja California, Mexico, are the breeding grounds of the California gray whale, who migrate here every winter. Peak season to watch the adults and babies is from January through March. Ojo de Liebre (“hare eye lagoon”), a coastal lagoon near the town of Guerrero Negro, is a prime location to spot these humongous yet gentle creatures.

Whale and tail

Attempt One: Laguna Ojo de Liebre Campground

Sometime in February, Mark, Maya, and I drove 12 miles down a bumpy, gravel road past a salt mine to reach the departure point for whale watch tours ($50 per person) and set up camp for a few days.

It’s a beautiful location with lots of birds and trails to walk Maya – all for the price of 100 pesos ($5) for however long you’d like to stay. We could watch whale spouts through binoculars all day long. While a tad pricey for us, I decided to sign on for one of the tours, using birthday money from my parents.

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A Special Baja Birthday – My Husband’s 50th

Mark has a fantastic group of tight-knit college friends. Most of them turn 50 this year. The plan was for the men to gather somewhere fun in the spring of 2021 and have a mighty good time. But, because of Covid, no such plans were made. It was up to me to throw a two-person and one-dog special birthday party! How? By renting a small casita along Bahia Concepcion, via AirBnB.

The blue casita is where we stayed for Mark’s birthday weekend

A jaunt to Mexico seems to be my go-to when it comes to quick Mexican-themed birthdays for my husband. Three years ago, we ended up in Puerto Penasco, because I couldn’t find a restaurant in the middle of the desert of Southern Arizona to treat him (he loves Mexican food). In March 2006, we found ourselves on the mainland of Mexico for Mark’s birthday celebrations.

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read the captions. My images are heavily resized for easier downloading and uploading; I apologize for their inferior quality.)

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Baja Bound (Part Two) – Beach Time!

I’m running a little behind with my Baja blogs. Sorry! Blame my lack of internet. Or, just blame me. I haven’t felt like sitting behind my computer lately, or scanning thousands of new photos. I’ll get there. When time and WiFi availability allow. Soon. 😊

Who wants to sit inside, behind a computer, when this view can be had while relaxing outside?

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read the captions. My images are heavily resized for easier downloading and uploading; I apologize for their inferior quality.)

From West to East

The Baja California peninsula is relatively narrow, so it doesn’t take long to get from one side to the other. Mex 1 is the main “highway” in this part of Mexico. It predominantly runs along the coasts with a few zigzags back and forth. After our stop in Guerrero Negro, where I left off in a previous post, Zesty transported us through the narrow middle, past desolate landscapes, cacti, dry terrain, barren hills, and small settlements.

We decided to stop in the oasis of San Ignacio, a lush and tropical reprieve from the desert that is Baja California. The town is exceptionally clean and well taken care of. Highlights are the town square and the mission, Misión San Ignacio Kadakaamán, which was founded by the Jesuit missionary Juan Bautista de Luyando in 1728.

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Monthly Expenses – February 2021 (on the Baja Peninsula)

Expenses - image

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.

Approaching Bahia Concepcion

The entire month of February, Mark, Maya, and I lived and traveled in Zesty in Baja California, Mexico. In general, life is cheaper south of the border, with the big exception of fuel. Even though we drive a campervan – some might call it an RV – we get 23 miles to the gallon. This is awesome fuel economy, especially compared to the 16mpg in our truck camper, fifteen  years ago, and to most other campers. Back in Arizona, diesel was cheap ($2.20/gallon), which meant we spent about $1 for every ten miles we drove. Here in Mexico, we pay double that ($4.50/gallon)!

Another bigger-than-normal expense was the gift category. Mark had a special birthday on March 1st, but his main “present” was bought in February. More about that later. We also bought tourist cards upon entering the country.

Our camping/accommodation category is usually zero. In Mexico, we decided to take things a bit easier and more comfortable while at the same time supporting local businesses that are hit hard due to the pandemic. For the same reasons, we savored plenty of take-out and outdoor meals. We love street tacos, especially the fish ones!

The utilities category is also higher than other months, because we are paying for two data plans: the one from the US (which we are not using at all right now) and our Amigo plan (8GB for $25)  in Mexico, which comes in handy around towns. Staying at official campgrounds has allowed us to be frustrated with take advantage of intermittent WiFi. We are filling our fresh water tank up with agua purificada from water-dispensing stores, so we can keep drinking it instead of buying and refilling 5-gallon jugs. Doing the dishes and showering with “pure” water does feel a tad luxurious!

February was a month of few expense categories and enjoying a quiet, basic lifestyle. This is reflected in our less-than-average total, despite the extra money for certain conveniences. I am a bit behind with my blog posts and – certainly – with my blog reading and commenting, but I happily blame the lack of internet for that, which has been blissful! 🙂

To see how our friends Duwan and Greg made out in February, click here.

February 2021 Overview:

Gifts (birthday Mark):

Camper (Mexican ins.: $143; diesel: $114; maint.: $17):

Groceries:

Camping:

Dining out:

Utilities (internet: $67; water: $11):

Customs & Immigration:

Alcohol:

Laundry:

 

TOTAL:

 

$277

$272

$196

$172

$86

$78

$61

$20

$5

———

$ 1,167

Sunrise over the Sea of Cortez

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.

Baja Bound (Part One) – A Change of Scenery

The Plan

Mark and I had been playing around with the idea of going to Baja California, Mexico, during the winter since the fall of 2020. But as long as I needed reliable internet every day (first to publish my book, then to promote it, on top of other jobs and blogging commitments), crossing the border was not going to happen.

As January approached and we found ourselves in an uninspiring, windy California desert that turned even more chilly from the moment the sun set (before 5pm), the desire to find warmer weather grew. Don’t forget our home measures only 80sq feet, so being able to live outside is a requirement. Whenever my live webinar/presentation for the Seven Seas Cruising Association (SSCA) was delivered, we would leave the US for a chunk of time.

Except, the day after my “performance,” rumor had it that the border officials in Mexicali were cranking down on non-essential travel into their municipality. Would they turn us back if we crossed there, even when only driving through? We didn’t want to lie about our reason for visiting (saying that we were going to Mexico for dental work for example), besides, I’d just been to the dentist.

So we changed our plans, added a few more days to prepping our crossing, which now included an extra drive back east to a different border town after doing laundry, washing Zesty, and stocking up the van in Yuma, AZ, instead of El Centro, CA.

The interior of Baja California seen from the interior of Zesty

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read the captions. My photos are heavily resized for easier loading of the page.)

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Birthday Weekend Abroad

When you live together 24/7 in a small space, it’s incredibly difficult to surprise your spouse. How do you sneak out and make your way to a nondescript store without your absence being noticed? What do you answer when asked “Where have you been?” Or, how do you order a gift online without an address? When we were house sitting, there was an opportunity to intercept the mailman and hide the package, but now that we travel full-time in Zesty again, I was at a loss about what to get or do for Mark’s birthday on March 1st. Believe it or not, but it was stressing me out. It’s one of the few events we celebrate, so it has to be done in style, despite my husband saying he didn’t care.

Ever since we’ve owned our Mercedes Sprinter Westfalia camper van, Mark has wanted to change the Dodge grill with the Mercedes one. These two engines are exactly the same, but for some reason, the van was “branded” as a Dodge when imported from Germany in 2005. The little Dodge emblem on the hood was immediately replaced, only costing a few dollars. But the grill replacement was vetoed by me. $70 for something cosmetic? That money would be better spent elsewhere on the van. After 1.5 years in our possession, Zesty was still driving around as a half Dodge/half Mercedes. Mark was getting antsy. He found the Mercedes grill on sale, and I said: ”Great! That’ll be your birthday gift.” I have to agree, our van looks much better now.

Installing the new Mercedes grill

Yet, a car part doesn’t constitute a good birthday gift. Continue reading

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