Wrap-up post about how we feel about Loreto

Stopoff in Los Angeles, CA, United States

We are back in the United States. We are grateful to have started our sabbatical in Loreto, the wonderful town of 20,000 people. This is our last post about Mexico…for now. We may have a few thoughts to share about our day in Ensenada coming up next week. If you’re confused, go back and read the blog post from April 13 to see what our next plans are!

Okay, back to Loreto. We met so many wonderful people (like Richard and Irene from Kelowna and Bruce and Christy from Ocean Shores). Again, everyone in and around town were so friendly. Real small town hospitality and community.

We recharged our batteries via sunshine and pool time. If you want to travel in Mexico and be simultaneously comfortable and slightly off the beaten path, I highly recommend Loreto. If Cabo is too big and touristy for you then consider heading a few hours north. It’s small and easy to explore by foot or bikes. If you hate haggling (and I do!), prices for taxis are set and listed on a board, and excursion pricing is basically steady regardless of the provider. Most people speak at least some English, but they’re usually delighted when a gringo tries to speak in Spanish.

The last week went by quickly! We spent most afternoons at the rooftop pool and enjoying the amenities of our hotel. I just posted a video on IG with a bunch of pictures form our room, hotel, and rooftop.

My favorite things we did in no particular order:

1. Live entertainment. This must be one of the most artistically gifted towns because everyone here can sing and or play instruments. There was live music nightly at different restaurants around town. While staying at the hotel we would sit on the rooftop terrace in the evenings. Music drifted up from nearby restaurants, but also from choir practice at the mission, the Friday night singing competition in the plaza, and a man with an operatic voice an an acoustic guitar that would sing almost every morning.
2. We ate well and often. So many delicious places to try that we ran out of time trying to get to them all. The hours of some restaurants were erratic which made it impossible to try and schedule it out.
3. Bird watching. I loved sitting on the beach and watching the pelicans dive clumsily into the shallow beach in search of food. Kerplunk! Splash! Even the seagulls cracked me up.
4. Walking. I walked these streets in 5 different pairs of shoes. I got a chance to break them all in without getting a single blister. My sister, Tracy, gifted me a pair of Rothy’s and they’re awesome. If you’re looking for a versatile, comfy, stylish shoe then check those out.

Things I learned in Loreto:

1. The actual words to La Bamba (yo no soy marinero)
2. The history of Spanish missions in Baja California (Loreto was the first permanent mission in the Californias, and nearby San Javier was the second)
3. Chard is delicious when stuffed into an empanada with small bits of potato
4. A Samsung phone can charge an iPhone without using a cord. It was magical

With all this in mind, we decided that even though we had a good trip we will probably not return. There is a lot more world out there to explore. And I’ve told Corey how awesome the beaches are in Thailand, so it’s time for me to prove it.