Charo, Faye & I paddle through the mangroves of Magdalena Bay. (OK, OK, to be fair, Charo did most of the paddling.)
We were in our kayaks by 11:00 am. Paddle-talk included insight from our guides, Charo & Nolberto, on the ecological make-up of mangroves, the local fishing industry, as well as an animated conversation about our overnight coyote visit. Our tents provided the perfect place for dew to gather, and a few thirsty four-legged friends provided the most unique wake-up call I've ever encountered. After breakfast, four curious coyotes reappeared at the campsite to further checkout their new neighbors. (Note to self: Bring sandals, or other possible chew toys, into the tent at night.)
We easily paddled through the mangrove channels. The water was warm, calm and clear. About an hour into our journey we decided to get out and stretch our legs. Countless tiny crabs lined the top of the bank. They waved their large claws slowly back and forth. Naturally, I waved back. Charo explained this is how the males flirt with the females. I'd never had a crab get fresh with me before; I was flattered. But the crabs all quickly scurried back into their tiny dens as we made our way onto the bank. Turns out, I'm not their type. I tried not to take it personally.
Matt defines "stick-in-the-mud".
We got muddy. Noberto showed the kids how to dig for clams along the mangroves and we captured a few of the flirtatious crabs to get a better look. Our new travel-mate, Matt, decided to take on some of the more serious muddy shorelines, which quickly swallowed him up to his knees. We helped by laughing as he struggled to get out and proceeded to loose both of his shoes. Aaron took lots of pictures.
"Why, yes I'll have smore," says sugar-happy Samuel & Faye.
That evening Chef Hubert did his best to accommodate a Smores request. He lit a fire and found a few chocolate bars and a bag of bombón -- pink and white marshmallows. The kids got their sugar-fill and taught Noberto and Charo the "I hate rabbits" trick to keep the smoke away.
The stars were is rare form: bright and animated. The sky was clear and the moon hid beneath the horizon. On our isolated Baja beach, we were completely void of light pollution and couldn't help but be in awe at our ceiling of stars. We did our best to pick out a few familiar constellations: Orion's Belt, The Big Dipper and its "Little" sidekick. I dug out my 5-dollar constellation map which I had purchased at a gas station a few weeks prior to our trip. I felt pretty smart pointing out various astrology signs, until I realized my map was upside down. Oh well, no one seemed to mind. Our feet were in the sand and our heads tilted towards the heavens.
Excellent travel advice and service
This is my second experience working with Adventure Life. I’m sold. Jess Heuermann is an experienced traveler and provides a lot of useful information when planning a trip. These are the questions I like to ask at the outset - What’s it like to go here, there, what would you suggest, what do people report, can we add any additional side trips? Jess took the time to answer my questions and seek additional information to share with me. Petchie Colina is outstanding in helping with travel logistics and final preparations. Adventure Life has excellent guides and offers private guides and small group adventures. We enjoyed the opportunity to talk with the guides and drivers to learn more about their countries, cultures and histories. A highlight was having the guides pick local restaurants where we could share meals together. Highly recommend.
Claire Cordon
4 days ago
Our six-day tour in Iceland went smoothly with one exception. We had asked for two rooms each night. Somehow we were booked with one room with three beds. It could not be fixed at the first hotel in Reykjavik because the hotel was fully booked. Once informed of the problem, however, Adventure Life rebooked for two rooms for the remainder of the trip. As an 85-year-old traveler, I appreciated that one could participate at different physical levels at many of the stops. Iceland is a great place to visit but on the expensive side.
Mary Warren
5 days ago
Jess was very easy going and answered all our questions. It’s not easy dealing with 6 people at once but she did an outstanding job!
Diane Foster
1 week ago
Kassandra and the Adventure Life team have been incredible! Kassandra was very knowledgeable and attentive to our asks while making sure we kept within our budget. This was our first experience with a travel agent and we were blown away by the booking/initial exploration service. We will use Adventure Life again.