Loreto, Mexico

Thursday, March 3, 2011
Ahh Mexico.

Barnaby and I arrived in Loreto, Mexico on Tuesday afternoon. Located on the Sea of Cortez, (or as some of us like to refer to it — the Gulf of California, since Cortez was such a butcher), about 2/3s of the way down Baja. Loreto is the oldest settlement in the Californias, including present day Baja California and California to the border of Oregon. The date of settlement — October 5, 1697 is commemorated all over town. The first mission was built here, and though it has been rebuilt many times due to earthquakes and hurricanes, it still stands.

Ahh Mexico — where time really does move slower.

 
Dinners take hours, even when the hostess includes all of her guests in the food preparation. Our first dinner (which may end up being our most memorable) was at Sophia’s cafe next to the old mission. A sort of outdoor affair with a wood burning brick stove and tables covered with handmade pottery, she served up delicious margaritas, cold beer, chile rellenos, the best mole I’ve ever eaten and blue corn and bean tamales that we all helped prepare. It was three hours long and delicious. All meals have paled since.

Ahh Mexico — where the people are very friendly and the beer is cold.

 
Loreto is very clean, smallish — only 12,000 people, and hopefully they are all aware that they need to protect this beautiful ocean and the amazing wildlife that inhabit it. Barn and I hope it doesn’t ever end up like Cabo.

The wild fig tree grows in rock

Ahh Mexico.