Follow the Rio

Time seems to fly by here, and now we have a bit more understanding of why so many people spend the entire winter in La Ventana. On Wednesday, the 20th, we are taking  the ferry from La Paz to Mazatlán and beginning some new explorations of mainland Mexico while heading South. Although we are very excited to move on, this is definitely a hard place to leave. The last few weeks have been a general routine of kiting, socializing, eating great tacos, hanging on the beach. Taking two months to really settle in here and take advantage of this place allowed us to make better connections with new friends, feel more at home, and really get to know the area.

January ended on a slightly hectic note, with Rio being attacked by a mean dog and one of our tires blowing out. Unfortunately she was attacked on our first day in Cabo Pulmo, the national park on the east cape that we wanted to spend a few days exploring and diving. Things settled out fairly fast, and Rio’s paw – luckily her only injury – has healed and she is back to top speed, but we had to leave Cabo Pulmo for the vet and didn’t get to see too much of it. Mitch decided to sell his electric bike and buy a Honda 150 dual sport motorbike for his alternative mode of transportation. It has proven to be pretty convenient for getting us both around town in certain situations, like going to get tacos for dinner after dark. Mitch is also liking riding around some of the dirt roads here that wind through the desert by the ocean. We also acquired a couple of used stand up paddle boards, which are fun to cruise around on when the water is calm in the mornings, with Rio riding along.  My knee finally made just about a full recovery, so I am getting a last good week of kiting in here which has been amazing.

The wind has been strong every day this week and it is getting warmer out as well, a very enjoyable combination. The range of kiting the bay here provides is pretty special. Most mornings begin with lighter wind and calmer water, perfect for foiling. Stronger afternoon winds make for some great twin tip sessions just out from our campground, with fun rolling swell and the reef gliding by underneath the board as you come into shore. The south end of the bay catches the swell as it breaks into nice sets of waves, easily accessible by a downwind kiting mission on the surfboard.

The social aspect of the little kiting community at our campground here has been sweet as well, and we plan to keep in touch with friends here after we move on in the truck. Having scored another beachfront spot for the last week, our days generally start with coffee and a few friends circling through to chat and check out the wind status on the water. Bonfires on the beach, homemade tamale and margarita parties provided by the campground owners, and Monday night gatherings at Mr. Fish, the weekly taco stand,  are a few of the fun times that come to mind. Of course, it’s hard to beat hanging down at the beach soaking up the sun with some friends after a good kiting session. La Ventana and Baja California have treated us well, and I imagine we will come back here someday, but in the meantime we are excited to explore some new areas. We know this won’t be the only place we will find great kiting and friendly faces, as the two seem to go hand in hand.