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.
Many times, we are passed by cars and trucks who cross the solid yellow line. I waited for an incident right at the “no passing” sign…
Heading towards the east coast of Baja again – nobody cares about the “no passing” yellow line…
Approaching one of the military checkpoints, with a volcano in the background
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.
Mission San Ignacio
The door was locked, but looked pretty cool!
View of downtown, seen from the mission
Downtown San Ignacio
Around the square
One of the restaurants around the town square
Walking back to the campground, five minutes from downtown, we often met roaming horses.
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)!
Fuel station in Loreto
Out of fuel!
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!
Our favorite taco restaurant (so far) in Mulege
Street tacos on a bench in Mulege
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 $25) in Mexico, which comes in handy around towns. Staying at official campgrounds has allowed us to be frustrated with take advantage of intermittent WiFi. We are filling our fresh water tank up with agua purificada from water-dispensing stores, so we can keep drinking it instead of buying and refilling 5-gallon jugs. Doing the dishes and showering with “pure” water does feel a tad luxurious!
Camped at a rocky beach in Baja California “Norte” – Papa Fernandez
Lush campground in San Ignacio
Sunrise along Bahia Concepcion
Lush campground – Huerta Don Chano – in Mulege
February was a month of few expense categories and enjoying a quiet, basic lifestyle. This is reflected in our less-than-average total, despite the extra money for certain conveniences. I am a bit behind with my blog posts and – certainly – with my blog reading and commenting, but I happily blame the lack of internet for that, which has been blissful! 🙂
Laundry day in Mulege
This campground only has a (cold) washing machine, no dryer.
To see how our friends Duwan and Greg made out in February, click here.
Find all our expense reports here. To learn what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the blogs of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.
Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting, and adventurous life without breaking the bank. “The less money you spend, the less you need to make” is my motto. 🙂
Our first yearly expense report (2016) can be found here, the report of 2017 is here, the one for 2018 here, and our 2019 expenses are located here.
These reports include ALL of our expenses, in US$, for two adults and a 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. The utility cost refers to phone data plans with AT&T.
In 2020, Mark, Maya, and I lived in our campervan Zestyfor six months and in the “room above the garage” the other six months. We spent about $1,000 less than the previous year. The fact that we sat still for so long during “the summer of Covid” certainly has something to do with this.
Free camping in New Hampshire
Hiking in the White Mountains, NH
Waterfall in the White Mountains, NH
We went on a couple of multiple-week trips in our van during that period, but used less diesel and replaced less parts than in 2019. On the other hand, we needed to buy a few household items to survive – read: cook – in our guest room in Newburyport, MA.
The room above the garage
Our cooking station
The grocery category was relatively high, probably because we pretty much cooked all our meals at home once the pandemic arrived. Our average grocery cost in 2020 was $357 a month.
Falafels in homemade pita bread, served with eggplant, aioli, hummus, tomato, and lettuce
Homemade lobster rolls and French fries
Pad Thai with chicken
Usually, I split the bigger categories up in the table underneath, but WordPress is causing me trouble, so I’ll itemize #2 and #3 here. The camper category is divided among maintenance: $1,511; insurance: $1,118; diesel: $1,110; registration: $136; parking: $14; and tolls: $4.
New tires!
Checking the tire pressure
Mark fixes a few blemishes on Zesty
Writing was a new category last year, and a big one at that. The total sum for publishing my travel memoirPlunge accounts for my editor: $2,024; book cover:$175; ISBN numbers: $295; proof copies: $72; license: $35; software Quicken: $25; font: $15; and postage: $13. I still have a long way recuperating that $2,654 in sales!
Publication of Plunge – One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary
Alcohol and gifts are pretty much in line with last year. The dog category is lower, thanks to Maya needing less drugs for her allergies. The utility category is higher, because AT&T raised their (unavailable now) monthly unlimited data plan from $25 to $35. None of the other categories stand out, except camping. In 2019, we managed to camp for free the entire year. Last January, we paid for a one-week stay at a developed National Forest campground in Florida for me (and Maya), while Mark flew back to Massachusetts.
Developed NF campground in Ocean Pond, Florida
Sunset over Ocean Pond, Florida
Because of Covid, our credit card company, Chase, allowed customers to use their points at 1.5x their value for groceries (usually this rate is only valid when buying plane tickets with points). We greatly took advantage of that, since we couldn’t fly back to Belgium and… 1/3 of our groceries for “free?” We also received some credit ($310) for owning a Chase Sapphire Reserve card. Why do I mention this? Because all these points (and credits) amounted to $3,084! So, technically, we spent that much less in 2020, which brings our total expenses for last year to $12,052 instead of $15,136.
Six months. That’s how long Mark, Maya, and I lived in “our room above the garage” at my in-laws’ condo in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Apart from a one-month stint further up New England in June, when we helped family with home renovations and visited a couple of friends. Six months! It’s the longest Mark and I have ever remained in one place, since becoming a couple in 2004. Impressive… Or not?
The Pros of Room Life
I am the first to admit that I actually enjoyed being in a “stable environment” for a little while. Life on the road is challenging and exhausting. This break was timely and welcome. I savored every shower and good night’s sleep; the unlimited electricity and comfortable desk. Even our noisy, inefficient “easy-bake oven” and unreliable college fridge (that barely held produce without some falling out each time we opened the door) had their charms. The sofa bed displayed two big indents from our bodies and pained my back, but we could sit up in it! Our dishwashing routine in the bathroom became familiar. We just had to remember it or teeth brushing was in jeopardy.
We helped Mark’s parents wherever we could. People, in general, wore masks when out and about. I was productive with my book. Mark had a decent job with the US Census. Maya was comfortable. Our six months here weren’t too bad at all; a nice change from what we are used to. And, we managed to hang out with good friends one more time, before leaving.
(As always, hover over the photos to read captions or click to enlarge.)
Sangria on an Indian Summer day
Kevin, Holly, and cute Ginger
BBQ at our friends’ house
Good friends Ryan and Denise out on a rainy fall hike with us
Maya sniffing something on a fall hike in Massachusetts
The Pros of Vanlife
But travel is in our blood. We are nomads after all! So, albeit with mixed feelings and not much of a plan, the three of us hit the road again in our 19ft camper van the day before my father-in-law turned ninety, on Saturday, October 17th. We’d head south first. Then, turn west.
For the last seventeen years, I haven’t owned or rented a house or an apartment. While this doesn’t mean I was homeless, it does boil down to living alternatively, in a moving home on hulls or wheels or one that belongs to someone else. House and pet sitting gave Mark and me a welcome break from life on the road. And, when we were sailing (from 2007 to 2015), a multiple-week visit to family offered the same reprieve. I ALWAYS soaked up and enjoyed the luxuries found in a house, which are taken for granted by so many.
For example, we didn’t have to catch, collect, or grow some of our own food.
(Unlike my usual photos, these ones are flashes from the past, where modern convenience was lacking and “back to the basics” was favored. Click on or hover over them to read the captions.)
Fishing with a handline off the stern of our catamaran
Mahi mahi
Tuna
Wahoo
Lobster
“Wild” bananas
Avocado picking in nature – French Polynesia
Mangos are abundant in the tropics
Gardening aboard!!
Growing our own mint, basil, and spinach
These “luxuries” were so profound to me that I touched on them in my upcoming travel memoir. Twice. But, once seemed enough, so I deleted the second mention. This is what I wrote in chapter eight, Hurricane Force, which is set in the Dominican Republic:
Coralie of the inspiring travel blog Grey Globetrotters interviewed me for her insightful “travel chat” series.
Travel Chat With Liesbet from Roaming About
In today’s travel chat with Liesbet from Roaming About, mature full-time nomad Liesbet Collaert shares how she has been travelling for a lifetime and blogging about her travels for thirteen years.
Her travel stories are rich, detailed and always leave me wanting to read more, so I was excited to interview her and get to know more about the woman behind the blog!
Hi, I’m Liesbet, I’ve been a full-time nomad since 2003!
As a nomad, originally from Belgium, I document our life and travels on the road (currently in a 19ft camper van in the US), my writing journey, and random thoughts and photos to inspire readers.
Q1. When did you start travelling?
As a child and teenager growing up in Belgium, I joined family vacations to France, Spain, Italy, and Norway and a school trip to Morocco.
Q2. Where did you go on your first trip, and why?
My first two trips without adults happened in the same year – the summer of 1993 – at age seventeen. One was by ferry and bus for a weekend in London, UK, with a friend. The other was a multiple-week hitchhiking adventure, with a different friend, to and in Italy.
Why? Adventure, freedom, and independence lured.
Liesbet at The Wave, Vermilion Cliffs, Utah, USA
Q3. How would you describe your travel style?
Low-budget, impulsive, 100% independent, flexible, adventurous. I’m curious about cultures, languages, and sights – architectural as well as natural. In general, light on luggage, but that doesn’t quite fit the bill when travelling with your own house (campers, sailboats, cars), which I have been doing now for seventeen years.
Q4. What do you love most about travelling? And what drives you crazy?
Being in nature with its peace and beauty, especially interacting with or observing wildlife, and being immersed in different cultures while meeting fascinating people are my favourites.
While I’m generally a flexible person, if nothing works out, consistently, and Murphy’s Law keeps following me, that drives me crazy! Also, not being able to get comfortable (or sleep) for days or feeling disrespected or taken advantage of diminishes my spirits.
Q5. How do you most like to travel? (mode of transport)
This really depends. While I like to say a small RV because that’s our current mode of travel and transportation, there are times I preferred our catamaran, and we both look forward to “no responsibility” travel in the future, as “backpackers” with just carry-on luggage.
Q6. Are you a planner or a last-minute traveller?
Last-minute traveller. We are quite impulsive and flexible and hate for anticipation to turn into disappointment. It’s better to have no or few expectations – pleasant surprises will await!
Liesbet & Maya – Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP, Colorado, USA
Q7. Are you a full-time or part-time traveller?
Full-time since 2003. Before that, two stints of a year at a time, and part-time.
Q8. Do you travel differently today to how you did in your 20s and 30s? What’s changed, and why?
Yes and no.
As a 20-something, I mostly backpacked on an even tighter budget than now and I explored the US and Canada in a small RV.
In my 30s, it was a slightly bigger truck camper and two smallish sailboats.
Now, in my 40s, it’s a 19ft campervan. It’s shorter than our last RV, but, in a way, more liveable and “roomy”.
With age comes the desire for comfort (I won’t call it luxury). The solution for me – and my past and present partner – was to travel with our own home, on the oceans and overland. We always knew we’d have a place to sleep at night (our own bed) and food to cook and eat (in our own kitchen).
And, we figured out a way to always carry enough water for showers and create our own electricity.
Q9. Has Coronavirus made you think differently about your future travels?
That’s a resounding yes, as travel is our life. The biggest impact for me is not being able to see my friends and family in my home country. It had already been two years since my last visit to Belgium and this year, that trip won’t happen either.
Here in the US, it affected us back in March and it will do so in the future. We will still be able to roam about, but facilities might be hard to come by, national parks entries might be restricted, and certain attractions will remain closed.
We usually boondock (camp for free) in nature and away from other people. But we still need access to dump stations to empty our tanks and fill with fresh water. If those facilities close (again), we are in trouble.
Q10. Tell us about the most memorable place you’ve visited so far.
There are many memorable places; their influence depends on personal interests.
In the last decade:
Wildlife – Galapagos Islands and French Polynesia;
Culture – Guatemala, San Blas Islands in Panama and French Polynesia
Happy Hours & Socializing – Eastern Caribbean; Beaches – Barbuda and the Tuamotu Archipelago
Snorkelling – Bonaire, the Gambier Islands, and the Society Archipelago.
Sailing on Irie in the Caribbean
Q11. Is there anywhere you wouldn’t go, or a type of travel/experience you wouldn’t be comfortable with?
I’m open to pretty much any experience as long as it doesn’t affect the environment or local people in a negative way. Hey, I went sailing for eight years while being prone to seasickness.
Q12. If you could live in one other country, where would you choose, and why?
Very difficult question and one my husband and I have been debating for fifteen years. If there was a perfect country, everyone would live there, right?
We contemplated living in Belize, thirteen years ago, but changed our mind. At the moment, while being mobile, we kind of live in the United States, but we are ready to take our travels and lives abroad again. More tropical locales await.
We do think becoming expats in a place like Mexico, Grenada or Bali might be in our (distant) future.
Q13. What’s the worst travel mistake/regret you’ll admit to?
Being too frugal when it comes to splurging on a meal or visiting a site. Yep, I’ve skipped many an attraction, encounter, experience, and activity for this reason.
Q14. What do you do first when you arrive somewhere new?
Check whether there is WiFi. I sure hope this will change in the near future. Maybe whenever we retire… In our camper, we actually check if we are level first (or make that happen as best as possible) and on the boat, it was making sure the anchor was set. Safety and comfort are still more important than internet availability.
Q15. How do you stay healthy when travelling?
We walk most anywhere, go on hikes in nature, and eat a plant-based diet. Most importantly, we now have a dog that needs exercise, so taking her for a few walks a day is part of our daily routine.
Q16. What wouldn’t you leave home without in your cabin bag?
My diary (now on my tablet), my camera, my laptop.
Q17. Which movie(s) or book(s) have inspired your travels?
None. As a (young) adult, I travelled before I read books or watched movies. If I have to answer something, I guess it would be guidebooks and documentaries.
Q18. What are the best and the worst things you’ve eaten on your travels?
Eating fish tacos in Mexico
I like to try new foods and love rice and noodle dishes with loads of vegetables and non-bony seafood. I’ve also come to like spicy food as I started traveling. Mexican fish tacos along the street are cheap and to die for and you can order me anything in a restaurant in Thailand…
The worst? Probably Chinese street food (very different than what you eat in Westernized Chinese restaurants, as I’ve never seen fish eyes and chicken feet on the menu there) and fried insects.
Q19. When choosing somewhere to visit, what’s most important to you?
That it’s affordable, attractive, and a new experience, and that I can stay a while.
Q20. Tell us about three midlife bloggers you follow, and why their blogs inspire you
While I read (too) many, I’ll stick to three travel bloggers I follow for different reasons:
Lisa Dorenfest from One Ocean at a Time – not only is she a positive, supportive, inspiring, kind, and strong real-life friend, adventurer, and sailor, she is also an amazing storyteller and photographer.
Laura and Kevin of Chapter 3 Travels – I only recently discovered this blog through a mutual nomadic blogging friend, Peta from Green Global Trek, and like following along because they also travel full-time in a camper, love dogs and have one aboard, take amazing photos, and produce engaging (sarcastic and truthful) travel accounts.
Duwan and Greg of Make Like An Ape Man – This adventurous nomadic couple has a lot in common with us. They owned a sailboat, did house and petting gigs, live frugally, and they currently travel in a camper van. We hung out with them in person a couple of times and hope to meet up again soon. I enjoy following their blog as it contains great shots and practical information that might come in handy.
Q21. What’s #1 on your travel bucket list and why?
I don’t believe in bucket lists. I think it’s an over-used word that has lost its original purpose and meaning. That being said, I want to travel to so many places still, with South Africa, Patagonia, and Antarctica high on “the list”.
Q22. Where are you planning to visit next?
We are driving back to the visually stunning American Southwest and hopefully hop over the border into Mexico again this fall and winter. Our short-term goal is to find a way (meaning a suitable camper) to explore the South American continent.
A Little More Travel Chat with Liesbet from Roaming About
Liesbet, Mark, Kali, and Darwin – Samara, Costa Rica
Liesbet’s Top 3 Travel Tips:
Top Packing Tip
Only pack what you need on a daily basis, nothing you rarely use. Comfortable clothes and shoes. Anything to collect memories and retain them.
How to Survive Long-haul Flying
With plenty of water and a book or tablet.
How to Stay Safe When Travelling
Be aware.
Remain vigilant, kind, and open-minded.
Learn a few words in the local language.
Trust your gut.
Liesbet & Mark, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Final Quick Words for this Travel Chat with Liesbet from Roaming About
Self-guided travel or join a tour? Self-guided travel
Window seat or aisle? Window seat
Favourite thing to wear for travelling? Comfortable shoes. Shorts with deep pockets
Favourite Country? Australia
Checked bags or carry on only? Carry-on only
Book or Kindle? Tablet which has Kindle
Best travel resource? Other travellers
I hope you’ve enjoyed this travel chat with Liesbet from Roaming About! Don’t forget to check out her travel stories on Roaming About and do follow her on social media Facebook and Twitter.
New Hampshire’s attractive White Mountains are located 150 miles (241km) northeast of our current home base in Massachusetts. It takes a little over three hours to get there in our van (as opposed to 2.5 hours by car), since we stick to an average highway speed of 55-60mph (90km/h) in Zesty. This consumes less diesel, and we rarely have to pass anyone!
White Mountain National Forest was our destination this past week. It is huge, at 800,000 acres (which expand into Maine), attracts millions of visitors annually, and offers countless recreation possibilities, like 1,200 miles of hiking trails. When Mark and I returned from visiting people in Maine and Vermont in June, we drove through this stunning area and were impressed. We vowed to return for a proper immersion.
(Scroll over or click on images to read photo captions in the galleries.)
Just driving through the White Mountains – Mt. Washington
Today, I invite you into my mind. If you accept, you might regret it. So much is going on in there, you might get overwhelmed, or mad, or jealous. This chaotic brain activity even has a name: Monkey Mind. Although, its description appears a bit harsh to define my condition. Thank you for supplying me with the correct term, Peta, when I mentioned this busy-bee thought syndrome in my last writing update. Luckily, those mulled-over and constantly-sprouting concepts aren’t all writing-related. That being said, the idea for this post formed while I was in the shower, head-writing it. 😊
Pensive position
Some background information to help understand our conundrums in regards to… our future:
Mark and I met the end of 2004 and have been nomads ever since (me 1.5 years prior to that).
With two big dogs, we attempted a sailing adventure, which failed after nine months of prep.
The four of us traveled throughout Mexico and Central America in an RV for one year instead.
This was followed by three months in-limbo at a friend’s place in Texas, contemplating a move to Belize, a country that pleased and attracted us.
But, Mark’s dream to go sailing persisted: we lived in a tent and Toyota Tacoma with our two dogs for two months, in search of the perfect catamaran. We found Irie in Annapolis, Maryland.
After selling Irie in Tahiti, we didn’t want to settle but needed a break from our travels. The solution: house and pet sitting; frequent changes of scenery and the conveniences of a house.
Until we got itchy feet again and bought our current campervan, Zesty. Overland adventures continued, in combination with welcome breaks, house sitting.
We adopted Maya in June 2019 and house sitting was not an option anymore. We preferred our life on the road by then, so it all made sense to travel full-time again.
Every first Wednesday of the month, the IWSG (Insecure Writer’s Support Group) engages writers to share their fears, thoughts, progress, struggles, excitement, encouragement, or anything really, about their writing.A different question is posed each month as a writing prompt. Answering it is optional.For July, the question is: “There have been many industry changes in the last decade, so what are some changes you would like to see happen in the next decade?”
I’m a relatively new (book) writer, so the changes in the last decade did not affect me. Being unexperienced, I can’t suggest positive changes, but on a personal level I wish that every agent and publisher would have the decency, respect, and time to acknowledge or reply to queries, even if it’s with a “thanks but no thanks”. In an ideal world, constructive criticism would accompany the rejections. 😊
A different question: Do writers ever relax?
Does your mind ever stop spinning, spewing ideas, suggesting outlines, demanding attention? Minds must always be busy. At least, mine is. The only time I don’t think about writing is when I hang out with friends and have a good time. Unless we talk about my travel memoir. There must be a name for this condition. Overthinking? Thought Disorder? Mind Mush? Author’s Obsession? Please enlighten me.
View during a two-week stay in Lincolnville, Maine to help out with home renovations (photo courtesy of Dave Stuhlbarg)
We have been perpetual nomads since 2003 – sailing, camping, RVing, house and pet sitting – and are currently roaming about South America in a truck camper with our rescue dog, Maya. As lifetime adventurers, we are self-employed and maintain a tight budget. This blog is about all that – and more – to inspire a life less ordinary. Don’t dream but do! 🙂
