We said goodbye to Todos Santos and packed into the car for the short drive (about an hour) to La Paz. But first, coffee! We stopped in at Docecuarenta only to find out that their power had gone out! No coffee! We proceeded to drive all the way to La Paz in an uncaffienated zombie state. Luckily there are a few Docecuarentas in La Paz so we didn't have to wait long for our fix.
Now well caffeinated, we drove a few blocks to the warehouse where we left our car while we went out to the island. We got fitted for wet suits and snorkels, and then hopped into a van for a short drive to the beach. There we loaded onto a panga and left La Paz behind to start our Espiritu Santo island adventure.
The boat ride wasn't long, only about 45 minutes, and the entire time we were cruising through clear blue water. The island coastline is an alternating series of cliffs, home to many of the local birds, and white sandy beaches. After cruising past several inviting looking spots we pulled into a semi protected cove and got out first look at camp. There were tents! Due to new regulations the camps have had to become much more portable, as they are now required to move them every 4 to 5 days. Our particular camp had a large central seating area with a wicker couch, dining table, and a coffee/snack table. The staff tents, kitchen, and prep area were to the left, and the lodging tents were to the right. Past the lodging tents were the very well constructed bathrooms, complete with a portable composting toilet system.
We dropped our luggage, got a tour of camp, and headed out for a paddle boarding exploration of the cove. The water was a tropical blue, and we saw several different types of fish swimming about. The water temperature was the real selling point though, so warm that even Mom was willing to swim without a wet suit.
We had lunch in the common area, composed of butterflied shrimp, a cream sauce, and rice. It was delicious. We gave many compliments to the chef and staff for their ability to create distinct and delicious meals with a very limited set of tools.
After lunch we jumped back in the panga to head to the sea lion colony. We stopped at a few spots to look at the pelican, gull, and blue footed booby nesting grounds. The sea lions were everywhere around their rock, and we cruised a bit before stopping to do some snorkeling with them. The water was a little too rough (and too full of sea lions) for Mom and Remy, so Dad and our guide Paulina went on their own. The sea lions liked to swim underneath us, usually approaching from behind, which often resulted in a bit of a jolt. We saw several juveniles in the water, a few males, and lots of females. One intrepid sea lion pup swam right up Dad's chest, did the same to the guide, and then swam off. I think we made a new friend.
Once back at camp we sat down for margaritas and happy hour appetizers before having a dinner fo sea bass with shredded zucchini. Remy had a special meal of steak and tortillas.
There isn't much in the way of unnatural illumination at night, so everyone was usually in bed before 9 am, us included.
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