This Beautiful Bird

If you haven't heard, the pelican has been voted the Official Bird of La Bocana*.




Many pelicans have been landing and taking a breather at the lagoon lately. They are a sight to see, with their awkward landings. I tried to get a picture of a splayed legged pelican making his final descent, but there were no incoming pelicans the day I brought my camera. I did stalk this guy for a while and watched him preen himself.

Let's get to know our official bird the Brown Pelican:

Size: 39-54 inches
Wingspan: 6 - 8 feet
Weight: 70.6-176.5 ounces (roughly 4 to 11 pounds)
Official Name: Pelecanus occidentalis

Unique among the world's eight species of pelicans, the Brown Pelican is found along the ocean shores and not on inland lakes. It is the only dark pelican, and also the only one that plunges from the air into the water to catch its food.

The nest location varies from a simple scrape on the ground on an island to a bulky stick nest in a low tree. These birds nest in colonies, usually on islands.

After nesting, the birds move in flocks further north along the coasts, returning to warmer waters for winter. Their young are hatched in broods of about 3, and eat around 150 lbs. of fish in the 8-10 month period they are cared for.

Unlike most birds, which warm their eggs with the skin of their breasts, pelicans incubate their eggs with their feet. They hold the eggs under the webs that stretch from the front toes to the hind toe, essentially standing on the eggs to warm them. This peculiar incubation method made them vulnerable to the effects of the pesticide DDT. The DDT made the eggshells thin, and the incubating parents frequently cracked their eggs.

Normal pelicans can live more than 30 years.

*I'm sorry if you weren't there for the vote - it was kind of an impromptu election held on the bluff above rock beach. If you have another bird to nominate, please submit it for the next round of elections to be held... well, I'm not sure when but I'm pretty sure the polling place will remain the same.

It's not too late

The flowers are still in bloom - it's incredibly beautiful. And I didn't think it could get any more beautiful there.









Photos by Lucy Holman.

Miss these guys?

Imagine this sunset with some whale spouts and then you will know what it was like in La Bocana this past week!

Photo submitted by Carol

Senor Tortilla and Lisa Marie

Two friends visited La Bocana with us last weekend. Before leaving San Diego, we looked at this blog and I showed them Margery's beautiful photo of the wild horses. Lisa Marie was immediately taken by the idea of seeing the wild horses while we were in La Bocana. Joe and I explained that we have only seen them few times over the years and each of those times, they were far up on a ridge.

We arrived on a Saturday and talk of seeing the wild horses persisted all weekend. On Sunday evening, Lisa Marie and Nancy decided that the next morning, they would hike up the road over the hill behind the fishing village (where there is often a guard) as that was where Joe and I saw the horses in December. We stressed that the horses could be anywhere in the valley and it would probably be a fruitless endeavor. And we planned to leave on Monday morning. I suggested that we all think positive thoughts and encourage the horses to come to us so we don't have to go on a wild horse chase.

Sunday night, we didn't shut the gate to our property since we hadn't seen any cows around and we were planning to leave the next morning. And, well, we were feeling a little lazy.

Monday am, Joe woke up early to take photos of the blooming flowers and what did he see?

A horse in our yard! Joe ran in to get us and we all went out to see the horse. Was it a wild horse? We didn't know.

Lisa Marie grew up with horses and she decided to investigate. Armed with a head of romaine lettuce, she proceeded to inch closer and closer to the horse.

This took more than an hour. She saw that the horse was un-shoed, unbrushed, and the tail/mane was not trimmed. There was no brand or tag on the horse. Eventually, Lisa Marie was able to pet the horse.

He even seemed to like it. Note the white dot on his forehead. She coaxed him out of the yard and shut the gate. We named him Senor Tortilla.

After cleaning and packing up, we had about 45 minutes until we had to hit the road. We decided to drive over to the port and perhaps take a short hike up the hill to see the view. On the way there, Lisa Marie shouted, "Look! There's Senor Tortilla!" Sure enough, there was a horse up on the ridge.

We parked the truck and went up the hill with Lisa Marie running ahead of us.

As she neared the top, she saw several horses. She waited for the rest of us to catch up. We turned the corner and what do we see? 10 beautiful animals, including Senor Tortilla. Nine horses and one burro.

The horses wouldn't let us get close but Senor Tortilla stayed at the tail end of the group, often looking back at his new friend Lisa Marie. Eventually, they all went over the hill.

Could Disney have written a better horse story?

And yes, we did call Lisa Marie the Horse Whisperer.

Kayaking in the river

Have you ever seen it this green?

January Showers Bring February Flowers

Bocana is GREEN and full of FLOWERS! If you can get down there any time soon, you will be amazed at the transformation our little piece of paradise has made. Here are some photos to give you an idea:

Click on a photo to make it larger.

Photos taken by Nancy O'Brien, Lisa Marie Bader, Joe Darrough, and Sharon Darrough

New Year's Eve Party

And, so we will remember each other when we meet again, here's a guide to our names:

Thank you Art, Jennifer, and friends for the wonderful firework display on New Year's Eve - it was a great way to welcome in 2008!

The New Year's Eve Dinner Gang at Cathy and Paula's. Thank you Cathy, Paula, Doug, and Rhonda for a wonderful evening!

Happy New Year to one and all! Hope to see you in La Bocana!

(click on photos to make larger)

Bus from Tijuana to Ensenada

Taking one of the ABC buses to Ensenada is easy and inexpensive (currently about $10 one way). They leave the bus terminal every half hour from early morning to 9:30pm at night. After walking across the border you will pass through the first border turnstiles, take a right at the intersection and walk through a second set of turnstiles. Cross the street, turn left, and walk past all the yellow taxis and the McDonald's towards the Plaza Viva sign. The station is easy to find, it's on the street to the right just past the Taxi Libre pickup behind the large building with mirrored windows.

TIP 1: Don´t let anyone direct you to other buses, which may not be as nice and may take longer with frequent stops. ABC is the bus line you want. These buses are nice and comfortable with plenty of room and they usually show a movie on the way. If the bus is full you should take your assigned seat.

TIP 2: You can request to sit on the right side of the bus, which will give you a better view of the coastline.

TIP 3: The bus usually makes a stop before getting to the bus terminal near Ave. Juarez which is about four blocks from the main tourist street, which can save you several blocks if you are walking. You can ask the driver to identify the stop close to Ave Juarez. The ABC Bus terminal in Ensenada is located at the corner of Riveroll and Decima (10th street). A taxi ride between the tourist zone (Lopez Mateos/1st. street) and the terminal is currently $5, however if you don't have much luggage it isn't too long of a walk.

Thanks Margery.

The Road

Since many of us will be venturing down to our favorite spot over the next week or so, Dallas sent a report on the road. He says that the lower road is passable though muddy in some spots.

There is more rain predicted in the upcoming week, though, so be sure to drive carefully and don't go into uncharted muddy waters!

A Bit of Bocana History

Gordon and Opal (first American residents of La Bocana) recount finding La Bocana in the early 1960's:

At a party in Pasadena, we met Art Luczynski and casually mentioned our quest. He suggested looking at Puerto Santo Thomas, where he often camped. One sparkling April morning, Opal and I drove south on the San Diego freeway, bound for Baja and Puerto Santo Tomas.

Lightheaded, we breathed spring air and anticipated four days in new territory. The euphoria intensified as we passed Maneadero, ten miles south of Ensenada, into traffic-free country beyond the border influence. Only an occasional Mexican pick-up or aging sedan shared the two-lane road which turns off the highway and follows a fertile valley for seventeen miles
to the sea.

We were soon in an oak forest. Sunlight filtered through the leaves in dusty gossamer beams. Russet leaves were dappled with light. In a clearing, we passed the farm of our future friends Arturo, Maria, and Amalia. Their simple home appeared to have been built around an arched Window facing the road, as though the window had been there first and later the house had been built around it.

We left the oaks and bumped along the washboard road through green, yellow, and brown farm country in the valleys basin. The rich color was in sharp contrast to our preconception of a barren Baja. Small farms, corrals, and low farm houses complemented the rustic landscape. Overhead was blue sky and thick clouds.

In an hour or so, sea air cut through the road dust. From a knoll, we glimpsed ultramarine water and off-white sand The underground river running through the valley emerged to the surface, passing through the tulles to empty into the sea at La Bocana. Dense riverside growth ended on the brink of a sandy beach. Here, also, the road seemed to end. A road side sign in Spanish announced that this was Gomez country. Across the road from the sign was a small, unoccupied building which later was rebuilt to become Romulo’s store. Ahead, a hint of a road climbed straight up a steep, rocky hill. It looked formidable, if not impossible.

But where was Puerto Santo Tomas? Had we driven seventeen miles on the wrong bumpy road? After coming this far, we decided to chance the hill to see what lay beyond. A narrow
road at the summit followed the side of a precipitous mountain overlooking the sea. Further on, the road rose and disappeared over a mound.

"I'm not going over that hump without knowing what's on the other side,” I told Opal. "It might hide a drop-off to the ocean". I walked to the top of the mound. Ahead, near the tip of a distant point projecting far into the sea, were several buildings like rectangular, pallet-knife dabs of bright paint.

In between was a wide bay rimmed high cliff. "I think we've found our Port," I told Opal. In ten minutes we were there. As we drove in, two fishermen were repairing lobster traps and dogs dozed in the sun. An exuberant, weather­ smeared sign on the outside of the cantina read: "GOGE! GOGE! GOGE!" in elaborate letters bordered with giant musical notes. Loosely translated, they meant: "FUN! FUN! FUN!”

From the journals of Gordon and Opal - submitted by Marge. Thanks Marge!

How to take the bus

This site has some helpful information if you or your guests want to take a bus to Santo Tomas (or anywhere else in Baja):

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Mexico-82/Bus-Cabo-San-Lucas.htm

There are four buses per day going down the peninsula from Tijuana. Just ask to get off at Santa Tomas and be sure to arrange a ride to La Bocana. This is also a nice way to send someone back to San Diego if they are going back before you.

Thanks Margery.

Directions to the San Ysidro Sentri Lane

These are from Carol and her friend Marie. Unlike the previous directions, they have actually used these directions successfully to cross the border:

Take the toll road north all the way to the light at Benito Juarez.

There are three lanes. Get in the far right lane labeled Colonial Federal (it used to be the carpool lane). All three lanes turn left and you want to stay to the right so go on the right–hand side of the K-rail divider.

Follow this lane past all the folks waiting in the border line and keep going over the hill to the traffic circle. You want to be in the far left lane.

Make a U-turn onto Avenida Frontera.

Go one block to the huge speed bump and stop sign. Turn right and take the second left onto Paseo Centenario. Follow it to the first stop sign.

If you look over your left shoulder you will see the big green Sentri sign. Make a U-turn.

Congratulations, you have made it to the Sentri lane. There are currently two lanes that expand to four lanes as you proceed.

Occasionally, when you look back and see the Sentri lane you will notice that there is a long line of cars past where you want to do the U-turn. These people are already in line and you do not want to cut in line. Instead, make a left turn and go one block. Turn right and go one block. (Sometimes this is closed off, so make the first available right). Turn right again and you will return to Paseo de Tijuana (traffic circle). Turn right onto Paseo de Tijuana and you are at the end of the Sentri lane. Even if the Sentri lane is this long, you will still get to the border in less than 30 minutes.

Here is a link to a map showing both border crossings
http://www.tijuanaonline.org/english/maps/tj_otay.htm

Thanks Carol and Marie!

PS. I won't guarantee it, but this just might be the last post on the Sentri lanes.

There's been rain and there will be more

Dallas sent this report about the recent storm and the condition of the road:

First the rains came. We have a real mess with mass erosion, mudslides, and changes in the road out of here. Emily and I went to Ensenada today and found that twenty-two areas of the road were flooded out of existence or or made impassable by the mud. There are three sections of new road which bypass impassable sections. The next time you drive the road will be a new learning experience.

Today, it was the high surf. We are seeing eight to ten foot waves and some even larger. The surf washed all the way to the fresh water pond, hit Romulo's store and moved all the kelp to under the footbridge. I suspect that we will have brackish water for awhile. I have attached pictures of the surf.

Thanks Dallas - keep us posted.

Directions

Hi Folks,

I put a new link to the right titled Directions. These are driving directions with some photos to La Bocana from the border. I made them to give a visitor coming for the first tme. Our friend made it just fine so I hope these directions also work for your guests.

Share them and if you have any suggestions for clearer directions, let me know. Please double check the directions before you send someone and have them bring a map as well - I'm not responsible for any lost guests! You'll have to direct them to your house.

Photo from the fire in the valley

Thank you Marge for sending this photo of a burned area in the valley. I know we are all anxious about the conditions of that lovely valley.

(You can enlarge the photo by clicking on it.)

Spectacular Sunset

The fires in Baja did a lot of damage - an estimated 50 houses were burned. I suspect that our beautiful valley from the paved road to the coast will have a different look next time you drive down.

However, the smoke and the ash in the air did create some spectacular sunsets.

This was submitted by Marge.

Update on the Fires near La Bocana

This just in from Dallas:

San Diego isn't the only place burning; I suspect that Baja has as much land burning as California, if not more. The hills on both sides of the valley on the way in to La Bocana are burning or have burned. We saw at least one of the houses burned to the ground, and most disturbing of all,many of the old Oak trees are gone.

Although we feel safe where we are located, we are watching the advance of the fire. Perhaps, from our prospective, the smoke and falling ash are the worst at this time. We have to keep the house closed up.

Update 10/28/07: Dallas reported that the fires are mostly out and stayed about 2 miles from the coast (east of the dump).