http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/tags/baja/ Tue, 08 Feb 2011 09:41:22 -0800 Tue, 08 Feb 2011 09:41:22 -0800 http://www.flickr.com/ http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4035/buddyicons/94618813@N00.jpg?1306529777#94618813@N00 http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/tags/baja/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5428155799/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/frank3/">frank3.0</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5428155799/" title="Another Roadside Shrine"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5092/5428155799_c457ecba6d_m.jpg" width="160" height="240" alt="Another Roadside Shrine" /></a></p> <p>I can’t say enough good things about the group of guys with whom I spent the last few days in Baja. Our host, Erwan, has a little Airstream on a cliff above a pristine beach, right next to some of the best wind surfing and kite boarding water on the Sea of Cortez. I had met Erwan once before at one of James and Ashley’s famous pizza parties up in Saint Francisville. But, only after I went on some rant about economics did Erwan recall that we had sat by the pizza oven and shared a few beers. What can I say? I guess I am most memorable when I am rambling about some subject that I probably have no business speaking on.<br /> <br /> The tip of the Baja peninsula was socked in with the same cold front that had Dallas and the rest of the south in its teeth when we landed in San Jose de Cabo at around 10:30PM on Thursday. We rented two small cars to accommodate all of the kite boarding gear and then set out for a two hour drive, late-night drive through the Mexican desert. Only when the sun rose on our frosty sleeping bags the next morning did I get a full picture of what the fuss was about. The landscape and sea were stunning. The water varied from deep turquoise to the faintest blue-green. The saguaro needled desert ran straight down to the water, sometimes in dramatic cliffs and sometimes along the bed on dry arroyos. Erwan had found himself an acre or two of paradise. The area is unspoiled, largely owing to its isolation. A good, paved road had just been put in a few year back. So, the little bungalows and palapa toped cabanas there had been constructed by folks who truly wanted to be in that spot. One did not accidentally find themselves in La Ventana. A person had to make a point of seeking out this windy bay near the point where the Sea of Cortez flows into the Pacific.<br /> <br /> Those that had found these beaches and waves just a few miles north of the Tropic of Cancer had come for the wind. Being a rather poor swimmer, I am not a kite boarder or wind surfer or much of one for water sports in general, but those who apparently know say the conditions around La Ventana are ideal. You can find a spotty internet connection, there are few roadside, fish taco stands and the occasional tiendita selling Pacifico beer in large, bomb-like brown bottles. But, this area is most certainly not geared toward the idle tourist. I could not even locate any postcards to send to the friends who are accustomed to my regular mailings. It just isn’t that sort of spot. And so much the better.<br /> <br /> Down the road a bit, some enterprising soul has but in a high-end cabana hotel where the little outbuildings rent for around $400 a day but the folks you see flying along the water, attached to the lunatic combination of a parachute and a surfboard, are more likely to be living out of a camper or renting a bit of thatch for $45. The slow-growing saguaro cactus, a visual icon of the American southwest but now largely gone because of development, abound here. The salty flat between Los Barilles and La Ventana is a forest of these alien looking monoliths. Raptors and vultures rides the thermal winds cooked up by the combination of sand and sun. Laughing gulls and pelicans bob on the cresting waves. In short, its is about as un-spoiled an area as you can find that also provides running water. The throbbing clubs and all-inclusive resorts of Cabo san Lucas feel about a million miles away.<br /> <br /> I could go on about how precious this spot seemed to me or about how much I enjoyed sharing coffee with Bob, Erwan and James as the sun rose, orange and purple, over these little fingers of the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains. But, I think you get the idea. I’ll just close by thanking Erwan for his hospitality and for putting it all together, Bob for his endlessly positive embrace of life and its questions and to James for introducing me to these fine folks and this lovely part of the world. It was a trip I won’t forget.<br /> <br /> <b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> Tue, 08 Feb 2011 09:41:22 -0800 2011-02-08T11:41:22-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (frank3.0) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/5428155799 23.958646 -110.024642 23.958646 -110.024642 12599696 Another Roadside Shrine <p>I can’t say enough good things about the group of guys with whom I spent the last few days in Baja. Our host, Erwan, has a little Airstream on a cliff above a pristine beach, right next to some of the best wind surfing and kite boarding water on the Sea of Cortez. I had met Erwan once before at one of James and Ashley’s famous pizza parties up in Saint Francisville. But, only after I went on some rant about economics did Erwan recall that we had sat by the pizza oven and shared a few beers. What can I say? I guess I am most memorable when I am rambling about some subject that I probably have no business speaking on.<br /> <br /> The tip of the Baja peninsula was socked in with the same cold front that had Dallas and the rest of the south in its teeth when we landed in San Jose de Cabo at around 10:30PM on Thursday. We rented two small cars to accommodate all of the kite boarding gear and then set out for a two hour drive, late-night drive through the Mexican desert. Only when the sun rose on our frosty sleeping bags the next morning did I get a full picture of what the fuss was about. The landscape and sea were stunning. The water varied from deep turquoise to the faintest blue-green. The saguaro needled desert ran straight down to the water, sometimes in dramatic cliffs and sometimes along the bed on dry arroyos. Erwan had found himself an acre or two of paradise. The area is unspoiled, largely owing to its isolation. A good, paved road had just been put in a few year back. So, the little bungalows and palapa toped cabanas there had been constructed by folks who truly wanted to be in that spot. One did not accidentally find themselves in La Ventana. A person had to make a point of seeking out this windy bay near the point where the Sea of Cortez flows into the Pacific.<br /> <br /> Those that had found these beaches and waves just a few miles north of the Tropic of Cancer had come for the wind. Being a rather poor swimmer, I am not a kite boarder or wind surfer or much of one for water sports in general, but those who apparently know say the conditions around La Ventana are ideal. You can find a spotty internet connection, there are few roadside, fish taco stands and the occasional tiendita selling Pacifico beer in large, bomb-like brown bottles. But, this area is most certainly not geared toward the idle tourist. I could not even locate any postcards to send to the friends who are accustomed to my regular mailings. It just isn’t that sort of spot. And so much the better.<br /> <br /> Down the road a bit, some enterprising soul has but in a high-end cabana hotel where the little outbuildings rent for around $400 a day but the folks you see flying along the water, attached to the lunatic combination of a parachute and a surfboard, are more likely to be living out of a camper or renting a bit of thatch for $45. The slow-growing saguaro cactus, a visual icon of the American southwest but now largely gone because of development, abound here. The salty flat between Los Barilles and La Ventana is a forest of these alien looking monoliths. Raptors and vultures rides the thermal winds cooked up by the combination of sand and sun. Laughing gulls and pelicans bob on the cresting waves. In short, its is about as un-spoiled an area as you can find that also provides running water. The throbbing clubs and all-inclusive resorts of Cabo san Lucas feel about a million miles away.<br /> <br /> I could go on about how precious this spot seemed to me or about how much I enjoyed sharing coffee with Bob, Erwan and James as the sun rose, orange and purple, over these little fingers of the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains. But, I think you get the idea. I’ll just close by thanking Erwan for his hospitality and for putting it all together, Bob for his endlessly positive embrace of life and its questions and to James for introducing me to these fine folks and this lovely part of the world. It was a trip I won’t forget.<br /> <br /> <b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> frank3.0 mexico baja laventana circularpolarizer canonef28mmf18usm canon5dmkii toycameraanalogcolor http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5428758412/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/frank3/">frank3.0</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5428758412/" title="Saguaro Forest"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5020/5428758412_87b5d40b62_m.jpg" width="240" height="240" alt="Saguaro Forest" /></a></p> <p>I can’t say enough good things about the group of guys with whom I spent the last few days in Baja. Our host, Erwan, has a little Airstream on a cliff above a pristine beach, right next to some of the best wind surfing and kite boarding water on the Sea of Cortez. I had met Erwan once before at one of James and Ashley’s famous pizza parties up in Saint Francisville. But, only after I went on some rant about economics did Erwan recall that we had sat by the pizza oven and shared a few beers. What can I say? I guess I am most memorable when I am rambling about some subject that I probably have no business speaking on.<br /> <br /> The tip of the Baja peninsula was socked in with the same cold front that had Dallas and the rest of the south in its teeth when we landed in San Jose de Cabo at around 10:30PM on Thursday. We rented two small cars to accommodate all of the kite boarding gear and then set out for a two hour drive, late-night drive through the Mexican desert. Only when the sun rose on our frosty sleeping bags the next morning did I get a full picture of what the fuss was about. The landscape and sea were stunning. The water varied from deep turquoise to the faintest blue-green. The saguaro needled desert ran straight down to the water, sometimes in dramatic cliffs and sometimes along the bed on dry arroyos. Erwan had found himself an acre or two of paradise. The area is unspoiled, largely owing to its isolation. A good, paved road had just been put in a few year back. So, the little bungalows and palapa toped cabanas there had been constructed by folks who truly wanted to be in that spot. One did not accidentally find themselves in La Ventana. A person had to make a point of seeking out this windy bay near the point where the Sea of Cortez flows into the Pacific.<br /> <br /> Those that had found these beaches and waves just a few miles north of the Tropic of Cancer had come for the wind. Being a rather poor swimmer, I am not a kite boarder or wind surfer or much of one for water sports in general, but those who apparently know say the conditions around La Ventana are ideal. You can find a spotty internet connection, there are few roadside, fish taco stands and the occasional tiendita selling Pacifico beer in large, bomb-like brown bottles. But, this area is most certainly not geared toward the idle tourist. I could not even locate any postcards to send to the friends who are accustomed to my regular mailings. It just isn’t that sort of spot. And so much the better.<br /> <br /> Down the road a bit, some enterprising soul has but in a high-end cabana hotel where the little outbuildings rent for around $400 a day but the folks you see flying along the water, attached to the lunatic combination of a parachute and a surfboard, are more likely to be living out of a camper or renting a bit of thatch for $45. The slow-growing saguaro cactus, a visual icon of the American southwest but now largely gone because of development, abound here. The salty flat between Los Barilles and La Ventana is a forest of these alien looking monoliths. Raptors and vultures rides the thermal winds cooked up by the combination of sand and sun. Laughing gulls and pelicans bob on the cresting waves. In short, its is about as un-spoiled an area as you can find that also provides running water. The throbbing clubs and all-inclusive resorts of Cabo san Lucas feel about a million miles away.<br /> <br /> I could go on about how precious this spot seemed to me or about how much I enjoyed sharing coffee with Bob, Erwan and James as the sun rose, orange and purple, over these little fingers of the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains. But, I think you get the idea. I’ll just close by thanking Erwan for his hospitality and for putting it all together, Bob for his endlessly positive embrace of life and its questions and to James for introducing me to these fine folks and this lovely part of the world. It was a trip I won’t forget.<br /> <br /> <b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> Tue, 08 Feb 2011 09:41:19 -0800 2011-02-08T11:41:19-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (frank3.0) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/5428758412 24.011971 -110.008163 24.011971 -110.008163 129557 Saguaro Forest <p>I can’t say enough good things about the group of guys with whom I spent the last few days in Baja. Our host, Erwan, has a little Airstream on a cliff above a pristine beach, right next to some of the best wind surfing and kite boarding water on the Sea of Cortez. I had met Erwan once before at one of James and Ashley’s famous pizza parties up in Saint Francisville. But, only after I went on some rant about economics did Erwan recall that we had sat by the pizza oven and shared a few beers. What can I say? I guess I am most memorable when I am rambling about some subject that I probably have no business speaking on.<br /> <br /> The tip of the Baja peninsula was socked in with the same cold front that had Dallas and the rest of the south in its teeth when we landed in San Jose de Cabo at around 10:30PM on Thursday. We rented two small cars to accommodate all of the kite boarding gear and then set out for a two hour drive, late-night drive through the Mexican desert. Only when the sun rose on our frosty sleeping bags the next morning did I get a full picture of what the fuss was about. The landscape and sea were stunning. The water varied from deep turquoise to the faintest blue-green. The saguaro needled desert ran straight down to the water, sometimes in dramatic cliffs and sometimes along the bed on dry arroyos. Erwan had found himself an acre or two of paradise. The area is unspoiled, largely owing to its isolation. A good, paved road had just been put in a few year back. So, the little bungalows and palapa toped cabanas there had been constructed by folks who truly wanted to be in that spot. One did not accidentally find themselves in La Ventana. A person had to make a point of seeking out this windy bay near the point where the Sea of Cortez flows into the Pacific.<br /> <br /> Those that had found these beaches and waves just a few miles north of the Tropic of Cancer had come for the wind. Being a rather poor swimmer, I am not a kite boarder or wind surfer or much of one for water sports in general, but those who apparently know say the conditions around La Ventana are ideal. You can find a spotty internet connection, there are few roadside, fish taco stands and the occasional tiendita selling Pacifico beer in large, bomb-like brown bottles. But, this area is most certainly not geared toward the idle tourist. I could not even locate any postcards to send to the friends who are accustomed to my regular mailings. It just isn’t that sort of spot. And so much the better.<br /> <br /> Down the road a bit, some enterprising soul has but in a high-end cabana hotel where the little outbuildings rent for around $400 a day but the folks you see flying along the water, attached to the lunatic combination of a parachute and a surfboard, are more likely to be living out of a camper or renting a bit of thatch for $45. The slow-growing saguaro cactus, a visual icon of the American southwest but now largely gone because of development, abound here. The salty flat between Los Barilles and La Ventana is a forest of these alien looking monoliths. Raptors and vultures rides the thermal winds cooked up by the combination of sand and sun. Laughing gulls and pelicans bob on the cresting waves. In short, its is about as un-spoiled an area as you can find that also provides running water. The throbbing clubs and all-inclusive resorts of Cabo san Lucas feel about a million miles away.<br /> <br /> I could go on about how precious this spot seemed to me or about how much I enjoyed sharing coffee with Bob, Erwan and James as the sun rose, orange and purple, over these little fingers of the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains. But, I think you get the idea. I’ll just close by thanking Erwan for his hospitality and for putting it all together, Bob for his endlessly positive embrace of life and its questions and to James for introducing me to these fine folks and this lovely part of the world. It was a trip I won’t forget.<br /> <br /> <b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> frank3.0 mexico baja laventana circularpolarizer canonef135mmf2lusm canon5dmkii toycameraanalogcolor http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5428155883/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/frank3/">frank3.0</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5428155883/" title="Our Last Sunrise"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5020/5428155883_6675061d0e_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Our Last Sunrise" /></a></p> <p>I can’t say enough good things about the group of guys with whom I spent the last few days in Baja. Our host, Erwan, has a little Airstream on a cliff above a pristine beach, right next to some of the best wind surfing and kite boarding water on the Sea of Cortez. I had met Erwan once before at one of James and Ashley’s famous pizza parties up in Saint Francisville. But, only after I went on some rant about economics did Erwan recall that we had sat by the pizza oven and shared a few beers. What can I say? I guess I am most memorable when I am rambling about some subject that I probably have no business speaking on.<br /> <br /> The tip of the Baja peninsula was socked in with the same cold front that had Dallas and the rest of the south in its teeth when we landed in San Jose de Cabo at around 10:30PM on Thursday. We rented two small cars to accommodate all of the kite boarding gear and then set out for a two hour drive, late-night drive through the Mexican desert. Only when the sun rose on our frosty sleeping bags the next morning did I get a full picture of what the fuss was about. The landscape and sea were stunning. The water varied from deep turquoise to the faintest blue-green. The saguaro needled desert ran straight down to the water, sometimes in dramatic cliffs and sometimes along the bed on dry arroyos. Erwan had found himself an acre or two of paradise. The area is unspoiled, largely owing to its isolation. A good, paved road had just been put in a few year back. So, the little bungalows and palapa toped cabanas there had been constructed by folks who truly wanted to be in that spot. One did not accidentally find themselves in La Ventana. A person had to make a point of seeking out this windy bay near the point where the Sea of Cortez flows into the Pacific.<br /> <br /> Those that had found these beaches and waves just a few miles north of the Tropic of Cancer had come for the wind. Being a rather poor swimmer, I am not a kite boarder or wind surfer or much of one for water sports in general, but those who apparently know say the conditions around La Ventana are ideal. You can find a spotty internet connection, there are few roadside, fish taco stands and the occasional tiendita selling Pacifico beer in large, bomb-like brown bottles. But, this area is most certainly not geared toward the idle tourist. I could not even locate any postcards to send to the friends who are accustomed to my regular mailings. It just isn’t that sort of spot. And so much the better.<br /> <br /> Down the road a bit, some enterprising soul has but in a high-end cabana hotel where the little outbuildings rent for around $400 a day but the folks you see flying along the water, attached to the lunatic combination of a parachute and a surfboard, are more likely to be living out of a camper or renting a bit of thatch for $45. The slow-growing saguaro cactus, a visual icon of the American southwest but now largely gone because of development, abound here. The salty flat between Los Barilles and La Ventana is a forest of these alien looking monoliths. Raptors and vultures rides the thermal winds cooked up by the combination of sand and sun. Laughing gulls and pelicans bob on the cresting waves. In short, its is about as un-spoiled an area as you can find that also provides running water. The throbbing clubs and all-inclusive resorts of Cabo san Lucas feel about a million miles away.<br /> <br /> I could go on about how precious this spot seemed to me or about how much I enjoyed sharing coffee with Bob, Erwan and James as the sun rose, orange and purple, over these little fingers of the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains. But, I think you get the idea. I’ll just close by thanking Erwan for his hospitality and for putting it all together, Bob for his endlessly positive embrace of life and its questions and to James for introducing me to these fine folks and this lovely part of the world. It was a trip I won’t forget.<br /> <br /> <b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> Tue, 08 Feb 2011 09:41:23 -0800 2011-02-06T20:26:01-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (frank3.0) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/5428155883 24.048345 -109.98516 24.048345 -109.98516 129557 Our Last Sunrise <p>I can’t say enough good things about the group of guys with whom I spent the last few days in Baja. Our host, Erwan, has a little Airstream on a cliff above a pristine beach, right next to some of the best wind surfing and kite boarding water on the Sea of Cortez. I had met Erwan once before at one of James and Ashley’s famous pizza parties up in Saint Francisville. But, only after I went on some rant about economics did Erwan recall that we had sat by the pizza oven and shared a few beers. What can I say? I guess I am most memorable when I am rambling about some subject that I probably have no business speaking on.<br /> <br /> The tip of the Baja peninsula was socked in with the same cold front that had Dallas and the rest of the south in its teeth when we landed in San Jose de Cabo at around 10:30PM on Thursday. We rented two small cars to accommodate all of the kite boarding gear and then set out for a two hour drive, late-night drive through the Mexican desert. Only when the sun rose on our frosty sleeping bags the next morning did I get a full picture of what the fuss was about. The landscape and sea were stunning. The water varied from deep turquoise to the faintest blue-green. The saguaro needled desert ran straight down to the water, sometimes in dramatic cliffs and sometimes along the bed on dry arroyos. Erwan had found himself an acre or two of paradise. The area is unspoiled, largely owing to its isolation. A good, paved road had just been put in a few year back. So, the little bungalows and palapa toped cabanas there had been constructed by folks who truly wanted to be in that spot. One did not accidentally find themselves in La Ventana. A person had to make a point of seeking out this windy bay near the point where the Sea of Cortez flows into the Pacific.<br /> <br /> Those that had found these beaches and waves just a few miles north of the Tropic of Cancer had come for the wind. Being a rather poor swimmer, I am not a kite boarder or wind surfer or much of one for water sports in general, but those who apparently know say the conditions around La Ventana are ideal. You can find a spotty internet connection, there are few roadside, fish taco stands and the occasional tiendita selling Pacifico beer in large, bomb-like brown bottles. But, this area is most certainly not geared toward the idle tourist. I could not even locate any postcards to send to the friends who are accustomed to my regular mailings. It just isn’t that sort of spot. And so much the better.<br /> <br /> Down the road a bit, some enterprising soul has but in a high-end cabana hotel where the little outbuildings rent for around $400 a day but the folks you see flying along the water, attached to the lunatic combination of a parachute and a surfboard, are more likely to be living out of a camper or renting a bit of thatch for $45. The slow-growing saguaro cactus, a visual icon of the American southwest but now largely gone because of development, abound here. The salty flat between Los Barilles and La Ventana is a forest of these alien looking monoliths. Raptors and vultures rides the thermal winds cooked up by the combination of sand and sun. Laughing gulls and pelicans bob on the cresting waves. In short, its is about as un-spoiled an area as you can find that also provides running water. The throbbing clubs and all-inclusive resorts of Cabo san Lucas feel about a million miles away.<br /> <br /> I could go on about how precious this spot seemed to me or about how much I enjoyed sharing coffee with Bob, Erwan and James as the sun rose, orange and purple, over these little fingers of the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains. But, I think you get the idea. I’ll just close by thanking Erwan for his hospitality and for putting it all together, Bob for his endlessly positive embrace of life and its questions and to James for introducing me to these fine folks and this lovely part of the world. It was a trip I won’t forget.<br /> <br /> <b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> frank3.0 mexico baja laventana graduatedfilter canonef28mmf18usm canon5dmkii http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5428758476/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/frank3/">frank3.0</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5428758476/" title="Saguaro"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5180/5428758476_9e317c722c_m.jpg" width="160" height="240" alt="Saguaro" /></a></p> <p>I can’t say enough good things about the group of guys with whom I spent the last few days in Baja. Our host, Erwan, has a little Airstream on a cliff above a pristine beach, right next to some of the best wind surfing and kite boarding water on the Sea of Cortez. I had met Erwan once before at one of James and Ashley’s famous pizza parties up in Saint Francisville. But, only after I went on some rant about economics did Erwan recall that we had sat by the pizza oven and shared a few beers. What can I say? I guess I am most memorable when I am rambling about some subject that I probably have no business speaking on.<br /> <br /> The tip of the Baja peninsula was socked in with the same cold front that had Dallas and the rest of the south in its teeth when we landed in San Jose de Cabo at around 10:30PM on Thursday. We rented two small cars to accommodate all of the kite boarding gear and then set out for a two hour drive, late-night drive through the Mexican desert. Only when the sun rose on our frosty sleeping bags the next morning did I get a full picture of what the fuss was about. The landscape and sea were stunning. The water varied from deep turquoise to the faintest blue-green. The saguaro needled desert ran straight down to the water, sometimes in dramatic cliffs and sometimes along the bed on dry arroyos. Erwan had found himself an acre or two of paradise. The area is unspoiled, largely owing to its isolation. A good, paved road had just been put in a few year back. So, the little bungalows and palapa toped cabanas there had been constructed by folks who truly wanted to be in that spot. One did not accidentally find themselves in La Ventana. A person had to make a point of seeking out this windy bay near the point where the Sea of Cortez flows into the Pacific.<br /> <br /> Those that had found these beaches and waves just a few miles north of the Tropic of Cancer had come for the wind. Being a rather poor swimmer, I am not a kite boarder or wind surfer or much of one for water sports in general, but those who apparently know say the conditions around La Ventana are ideal. You can find a spotty internet connection, there are few roadside, fish taco stands and the occasional tiendita selling Pacifico beer in large, bomb-like brown bottles. But, this area is most certainly not geared toward the idle tourist. I could not even locate any postcards to send to the friends who are accustomed to my regular mailings. It just isn’t that sort of spot. And so much the better.<br /> <br /> Down the road a bit, some enterprising soul has but in a high-end cabana hotel where the little outbuildings rent for around $400 a day but the folks you see flying along the water, attached to the lunatic combination of a parachute and a surfboard, are more likely to be living out of a camper or renting a bit of thatch for $45. The slow-growing saguaro cactus, a visual icon of the American southwest but now largely gone because of development, abound here. The salty flat between Los Barilles and La Ventana is a forest of these alien looking monoliths. Raptors and vultures rides the thermal winds cooked up by the combination of sand and sun. Laughing gulls and pelicans bob on the cresting waves. In short, its is about as un-spoiled an area as you can find that also provides running water. The throbbing clubs and all-inclusive resorts of Cabo san Lucas feel about a million miles away.<br /> <br /> I could go on about how precious this spot seemed to me or about how much I enjoyed sharing coffee with Bob, Erwan and James as the sun rose, orange and purple, over these little fingers of the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains. But, I think you get the idea. I’ll just close by thanking Erwan for his hospitality and for putting it all together, Bob for his endlessly positive embrace of life and its questions and to James for introducing me to these fine folks and this lovely part of the world. It was a trip I won’t forget.<br /> <br /> <b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> Tue, 08 Feb 2011 09:41:20 -0800 2011-02-08T11:41:20-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (frank3.0) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/5428758476 24.011971 -110.008163 24.011971 -110.008163 129557 Saguaro <p>I can’t say enough good things about the group of guys with whom I spent the last few days in Baja. Our host, Erwan, has a little Airstream on a cliff above a pristine beach, right next to some of the best wind surfing and kite boarding water on the Sea of Cortez. I had met Erwan once before at one of James and Ashley’s famous pizza parties up in Saint Francisville. But, only after I went on some rant about economics did Erwan recall that we had sat by the pizza oven and shared a few beers. What can I say? I guess I am most memorable when I am rambling about some subject that I probably have no business speaking on.<br /> <br /> The tip of the Baja peninsula was socked in with the same cold front that had Dallas and the rest of the south in its teeth when we landed in San Jose de Cabo at around 10:30PM on Thursday. We rented two small cars to accommodate all of the kite boarding gear and then set out for a two hour drive, late-night drive through the Mexican desert. Only when the sun rose on our frosty sleeping bags the next morning did I get a full picture of what the fuss was about. The landscape and sea were stunning. The water varied from deep turquoise to the faintest blue-green. The saguaro needled desert ran straight down to the water, sometimes in dramatic cliffs and sometimes along the bed on dry arroyos. Erwan had found himself an acre or two of paradise. The area is unspoiled, largely owing to its isolation. A good, paved road had just been put in a few year back. So, the little bungalows and palapa toped cabanas there had been constructed by folks who truly wanted to be in that spot. One did not accidentally find themselves in La Ventana. A person had to make a point of seeking out this windy bay near the point where the Sea of Cortez flows into the Pacific.<br /> <br /> Those that had found these beaches and waves just a few miles north of the Tropic of Cancer had come for the wind. Being a rather poor swimmer, I am not a kite boarder or wind surfer or much of one for water sports in general, but those who apparently know say the conditions around La Ventana are ideal. You can find a spotty internet connection, there are few roadside, fish taco stands and the occasional tiendita selling Pacifico beer in large, bomb-like brown bottles. But, this area is most certainly not geared toward the idle tourist. I could not even locate any postcards to send to the friends who are accustomed to my regular mailings. It just isn’t that sort of spot. And so much the better.<br /> <br /> Down the road a bit, some enterprising soul has but in a high-end cabana hotel where the little outbuildings rent for around $400 a day but the folks you see flying along the water, attached to the lunatic combination of a parachute and a surfboard, are more likely to be living out of a camper or renting a bit of thatch for $45. The slow-growing saguaro cactus, a visual icon of the American southwest but now largely gone because of development, abound here. The salty flat between Los Barilles and La Ventana is a forest of these alien looking monoliths. Raptors and vultures rides the thermal winds cooked up by the combination of sand and sun. Laughing gulls and pelicans bob on the cresting waves. In short, its is about as un-spoiled an area as you can find that also provides running water. The throbbing clubs and all-inclusive resorts of Cabo san Lucas feel about a million miles away.<br /> <br /> I could go on about how precious this spot seemed to me or about how much I enjoyed sharing coffee with Bob, Erwan and James as the sun rose, orange and purple, over these little fingers of the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains. But, I think you get the idea. I’ll just close by thanking Erwan for his hospitality and for putting it all together, Bob for his endlessly positive embrace of life and its questions and to James for introducing me to these fine folks and this lovely part of the world. It was a trip I won’t forget.<br /> <br /> <b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> frank3.0 mexico baja laventana circularpolarizer canonef28mmf18usm canon5dmkii toycameraanalogcolor http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5428155859/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/frank3/">frank3.0</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5428155859/" title="Tropic of Cancer (38)"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5100/5428155859_acc6d512ea_m.jpg" width="160" height="240" alt="Tropic of Cancer (38)" /></a></p> <p>I can’t say enough good things about the group of guys with whom I spent the last few days in Baja. Our host, Erwan, has a little Airstream on a cliff above a pristine beach, right next to some of the best wind surfing and kite boarding water on the Sea of Cortez. I had met Erwan once before at one of James and Ashley’s famous pizza parties up in Saint Francisville. But, only after I went on some rant about economics did Erwan recall that we had sat by the pizza oven and shared a few beers. What can I say? I guess I am most memorable when I am rambling about some subject that I probably have no business speaking on.<br /> <br /> The tip of the Baja peninsula was socked in with the same cold front that had Dallas and the rest of the south in its teeth when we landed in San Jose de Cabo at around 10:30PM on Thursday. We rented two small cars to accommodate all of the kite boarding gear and then set out for a two hour drive, late-night drive through the Mexican desert. Only when the sun rose on our frosty sleeping bags the next morning did I get a full picture of what the fuss was about. The landscape and sea were stunning. The water varied from deep turquoise to the faintest blue-green. The saguaro needled desert ran straight down to the water, sometimes in dramatic cliffs and sometimes along the bed on dry arroyos. Erwan had found himself an acre or two of paradise. The area is unspoiled, largely owing to its isolation. A good, paved road had just been put in a few year back. So, the little bungalows and palapa toped cabanas there had been constructed by folks who truly wanted to be in that spot. One did not accidentally find themselves in La Ventana. A person had to make a point of seeking out this windy bay near the point where the Sea of Cortez flows into the Pacific.<br /> <br /> Those that had found these beaches and waves just a few miles north of the Tropic of Cancer had come for the wind. Being a rather poor swimmer, I am not a kite boarder or wind surfer or much of one for water sports in general, but those who apparently know say the conditions around La Ventana are ideal. You can find a spotty internet connection, there are few roadside, fish taco stands and the occasional tiendita selling Pacifico beer in large, bomb-like brown bottles. But, this area is most certainly not geared toward the idle tourist. I could not even locate any postcards to send to the friends who are accustomed to my regular mailings. It just isn’t that sort of spot. And so much the better.<br /> <br /> Down the road a bit, some enterprising soul has but in a high-end cabana hotel where the little outbuildings rent for around $400 a day but the folks you see flying along the water, attached to the lunatic combination of a parachute and a surfboard, are more likely to be living out of a camper or renting a bit of thatch for $45. The slow-growing saguaro cactus, a visual icon of the American southwest but now largely gone because of development, abound here. The salty flat between Los Barilles and La Ventana is a forest of these alien looking monoliths. Raptors and vultures rides the thermal winds cooked up by the combination of sand and sun. Laughing gulls and pelicans bob on the cresting waves. In short, its is about as un-spoiled an area as you can find that also provides running water. The throbbing clubs and all-inclusive resorts of Cabo san Lucas feel about a million miles away.<br /> <br /> I could go on about how precious this spot seemed to me or about how much I enjoyed sharing coffee with Bob, Erwan and James as the sun rose, orange and purple, over these little fingers of the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains. But, I think you get the idea. I’ll just close by thanking Erwan for his hospitality and for putting it all together, Bob for his endlessly positive embrace of life and its questions and to James for introducing me to these fine folks and this lovely part of the world. It was a trip I won’t forget.<br /> <br /> <b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> Tue, 08 Feb 2011 09:41:23 -0800 2011-02-08T11:41:23-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (frank3.0) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/5428155859 23.544474 -109.67926 23.544474 -109.67926 12599697 Tropic of Cancer (38) <p>I can’t say enough good things about the group of guys with whom I spent the last few days in Baja. Our host, Erwan, has a little Airstream on a cliff above a pristine beach, right next to some of the best wind surfing and kite boarding water on the Sea of Cortez. I had met Erwan once before at one of James and Ashley’s famous pizza parties up in Saint Francisville. But, only after I went on some rant about economics did Erwan recall that we had sat by the pizza oven and shared a few beers. What can I say? I guess I am most memorable when I am rambling about some subject that I probably have no business speaking on.<br /> <br /> The tip of the Baja peninsula was socked in with the same cold front that had Dallas and the rest of the south in its teeth when we landed in San Jose de Cabo at around 10:30PM on Thursday. We rented two small cars to accommodate all of the kite boarding gear and then set out for a two hour drive, late-night drive through the Mexican desert. Only when the sun rose on our frosty sleeping bags the next morning did I get a full picture of what the fuss was about. The landscape and sea were stunning. The water varied from deep turquoise to the faintest blue-green. The saguaro needled desert ran straight down to the water, sometimes in dramatic cliffs and sometimes along the bed on dry arroyos. Erwan had found himself an acre or two of paradise. The area is unspoiled, largely owing to its isolation. A good, paved road had just been put in a few year back. So, the little bungalows and palapa toped cabanas there had been constructed by folks who truly wanted to be in that spot. One did not accidentally find themselves in La Ventana. A person had to make a point of seeking out this windy bay near the point where the Sea of Cortez flows into the Pacific.<br /> <br /> Those that had found these beaches and waves just a few miles north of the Tropic of Cancer had come for the wind. Being a rather poor swimmer, I am not a kite boarder or wind surfer or much of one for water sports in general, but those who apparently know say the conditions around La Ventana are ideal. You can find a spotty internet connection, there are few roadside, fish taco stands and the occasional tiendita selling Pacifico beer in large, bomb-like brown bottles. But, this area is most certainly not geared toward the idle tourist. I could not even locate any postcards to send to the friends who are accustomed to my regular mailings. It just isn’t that sort of spot. And so much the better.<br /> <br /> Down the road a bit, some enterprising soul has but in a high-end cabana hotel where the little outbuildings rent for around $400 a day but the folks you see flying along the water, attached to the lunatic combination of a parachute and a surfboard, are more likely to be living out of a camper or renting a bit of thatch for $45. The slow-growing saguaro cactus, a visual icon of the American southwest but now largely gone because of development, abound here. The salty flat between Los Barilles and La Ventana is a forest of these alien looking monoliths. Raptors and vultures rides the thermal winds cooked up by the combination of sand and sun. Laughing gulls and pelicans bob on the cresting waves. In short, its is about as un-spoiled an area as you can find that also provides running water. The throbbing clubs and all-inclusive resorts of Cabo san Lucas feel about a million miles away.<br /> <br /> I could go on about how precious this spot seemed to me or about how much I enjoyed sharing coffee with Bob, Erwan and James as the sun rose, orange and purple, over these little fingers of the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains. But, I think you get the idea. I’ll just close by thanking Erwan for his hospitality and for putting it all together, Bob for his endlessly positive embrace of life and its questions and to James for introducing me to these fine folks and this lovely part of the world. It was a trip I won’t forget.<br /> <br /> <b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> frank3.0 mexico baja 365 laventana circularpolarizer tropicofcancer canonef28mmf18usm canon5dmkii toycameraanalogcolor http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5428758332/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/frank3/">frank3.0</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5428758332/" title="Bones in the Desert"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5175/5428758332_d30da5a5f9_m.jpg" width="160" height="240" alt="Bones in the Desert" /></a></p> <p>I can’t say enough good things about the group of guys with whom I spent the last few days in Baja. Our host, Erwan, has a little Airstream on a cliff above a pristine beach, right next to some of the best wind surfing and kite boarding water on the Sea of Cortez. I had met Erwan once before at one of James and Ashley’s famous pizza parties up in Saint Francisville. But, only after I went on some rant about economics did Erwan recall that we had sat by the pizza oven and shared a few beers. What can I say? I guess I am most memorable when I am rambling about some subject that I probably have no business speaking on.<br /> <br /> The tip of the Baja peninsula was socked in with the same cold front that had Dallas and the rest of the south in its teeth when we landed in San Jose de Cabo at around 10:30PM on Thursday. We rented two small cars to accommodate all of the kite boarding gear and then set out for a two hour drive, late-night drive through the Mexican desert. Only when the sun rose on our frosty sleeping bags the next morning did I get a full picture of what the fuss was about. The landscape and sea were stunning. The water varied from deep turquoise to the faintest blue-green. The saguaro needled desert ran straight down to the water, sometimes in dramatic cliffs and sometimes along the bed on dry arroyos. Erwan had found himself an acre or two of paradise. The area is unspoiled, largely owing to its isolation. A good, paved road had just been put in a few year back. So, the little bungalows and palapa toped cabanas there had been constructed by folks who truly wanted to be in that spot. One did not accidentally find themselves in La Ventana. A person had to make a point of seeking out this windy bay near the point where the Sea of Cortez flows into the Pacific.<br /> <br /> Those that had found these beaches and waves just a few miles north of the Tropic of Cancer had come for the wind. Being a rather poor swimmer, I am not a kite boarder or wind surfer or much of one for water sports in general, but those who apparently know say the conditions around La Ventana are ideal. You can find a spotty internet connection, there are few roadside, fish taco stands and the occasional tiendita selling Pacifico beer in large, bomb-like brown bottles. But, this area is most certainly not geared toward the idle tourist. I could not even locate any postcards to send to the friends who are accustomed to my regular mailings. It just isn’t that sort of spot. And so much the better.<br /> <br /> Down the road a bit, some enterprising soul has but in a high-end cabana hotel where the little outbuildings rent for around $400 a day but the folks you see flying along the water, attached to the lunatic combination of a parachute and a surfboard, are more likely to be living out of a camper or renting a bit of thatch for $45. The slow-growing saguaro cactus, a visual icon of the American southwest but now largely gone because of development, abound here. The salty flat between Los Barilles and La Ventana is a forest of these alien looking monoliths. Raptors and vultures rides the thermal winds cooked up by the combination of sand and sun. Laughing gulls and pelicans bob on the cresting waves. In short, its is about as un-spoiled an area as you can find that also provides running water. The throbbing clubs and all-inclusive resorts of Cabo san Lucas feel about a million miles away.<br /> <br /> I could go on about how precious this spot seemed to me or about how much I enjoyed sharing coffee with Bob, Erwan and James as the sun rose, orange and purple, over these little fingers of the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains. But, I think you get the idea. I’ll just close by thanking Erwan for his hospitality and for putting it all together, Bob for his endlessly positive embrace of life and its questions and to James for introducing me to these fine folks and this lovely part of the world. It was a trip I won’t forget.<br /> <br /> <b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> Tue, 08 Feb 2011 09:41:17 -0800 2011-02-08T11:41:17-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (frank3.0) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/5428758332 24.011971 -110.008163 24.011971 -110.008163 129557 Bones in the Desert <p>I can’t say enough good things about the group of guys with whom I spent the last few days in Baja. Our host, Erwan, has a little Airstream on a cliff above a pristine beach, right next to some of the best wind surfing and kite boarding water on the Sea of Cortez. I had met Erwan once before at one of James and Ashley’s famous pizza parties up in Saint Francisville. But, only after I went on some rant about economics did Erwan recall that we had sat by the pizza oven and shared a few beers. What can I say? I guess I am most memorable when I am rambling about some subject that I probably have no business speaking on.<br /> <br /> The tip of the Baja peninsula was socked in with the same cold front that had Dallas and the rest of the south in its teeth when we landed in San Jose de Cabo at around 10:30PM on Thursday. We rented two small cars to accommodate all of the kite boarding gear and then set out for a two hour drive, late-night drive through the Mexican desert. Only when the sun rose on our frosty sleeping bags the next morning did I get a full picture of what the fuss was about. The landscape and sea were stunning. The water varied from deep turquoise to the faintest blue-green. The saguaro needled desert ran straight down to the water, sometimes in dramatic cliffs and sometimes along the bed on dry arroyos. Erwan had found himself an acre or two of paradise. The area is unspoiled, largely owing to its isolation. A good, paved road had just been put in a few year back. So, the little bungalows and palapa toped cabanas there had been constructed by folks who truly wanted to be in that spot. One did not accidentally find themselves in La Ventana. A person had to make a point of seeking out this windy bay near the point where the Sea of Cortez flows into the Pacific.<br /> <br /> Those that had found these beaches and waves just a few miles north of the Tropic of Cancer had come for the wind. Being a rather poor swimmer, I am not a kite boarder or wind surfer or much of one for water sports in general, but those who apparently know say the conditions around La Ventana are ideal. You can find a spotty internet connection, there are few roadside, fish taco stands and the occasional tiendita selling Pacifico beer in large, bomb-like brown bottles. But, this area is most certainly not geared toward the idle tourist. I could not even locate any postcards to send to the friends who are accustomed to my regular mailings. It just isn’t that sort of spot. And so much the better.<br /> <br /> Down the road a bit, some enterprising soul has but in a high-end cabana hotel where the little outbuildings rent for around $400 a day but the folks you see flying along the water, attached to the lunatic combination of a parachute and a surfboard, are more likely to be living out of a camper or renting a bit of thatch for $45. The slow-growing saguaro cactus, a visual icon of the American southwest but now largely gone because of development, abound here. The salty flat between Los Barilles and La Ventana is a forest of these alien looking monoliths. Raptors and vultures rides the thermal winds cooked up by the combination of sand and sun. Laughing gulls and pelicans bob on the cresting waves. In short, its is about as un-spoiled an area as you can find that also provides running water. The throbbing clubs and all-inclusive resorts of Cabo san Lucas feel about a million miles away.<br /> <br /> I could go on about how precious this spot seemed to me or about how much I enjoyed sharing coffee with Bob, Erwan and James as the sun rose, orange and purple, over these little fingers of the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains. But, I think you get the idea. I’ll just close by thanking Erwan for his hospitality and for putting it all together, Bob for his endlessly positive embrace of life and its questions and to James for introducing me to these fine folks and this lovely part of the world. It was a trip I won’t forget.<br /> <br /> <b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> frank3.0 mexico baja laventana circularpolarizer canonef28mmf18usm canon5dmkii http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5424813861/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/frank3/">frank3.0</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5424813861/" title="Erwan's Getaway"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5293/5424813861_3c2abab8a1_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Erwan's Getaway" /></a></p> <p>I can’t say enough good things about the group of guys with whom I spent the last few days in Baja. Our host, Erwan, has a little Airstream on a cliff above a pristine beach, right next to some of the best wind surfing and kite boarding water on the Sea of Cortez. I had met Erwan once before at one of James and Ashley’s famous pizza parties up in Saint Francisville. But, only after I went on some rant about economics did Erwan recall that we had sat by the pizza oven and shared a few beers. What can I say? I guess I am most memorable when I am rambling about some subject that I probably have no business speaking on.<br /> <br /> The tip of the Baja peninsula was socked in with the same cold front that had Dallas and the rest of the south in its teeth when we landed in San Jose de Cabo at around 10:30PM on Thursday. We rented two small cars to accommodate all of the kite boarding gear and then set out for a two hour drive, late-night drive through the Mexican desert. Only when the sun rose on our frosty sleeping bags the next morning did I get a full picture of what the fuss was about. The landscape and sea were stunning. The water varied from deep turquoise to the faintest blue-green. The saguaro needled desert ran straight down to the water, sometimes in dramatic cliffs and sometimes along the bed on dry arroyos. Erwan had found himself an acre or two of paradise. The area is unspoiled, largely owing to its isolation. A good, paved road had just been put in a few year back. So, the little bungalows and palapa toped cabanas there had been constructed by folks who truly wanted to be in that spot. One did not accidentally find themselves in La Ventana. A person had to make a point of seeking out this windy bay near the point where the Sea of Cortez flows into the Pacific.<br /> <br /> Those that had found these beaches and waves just a few miles north of the Tropic of Cancer had come for the wind. Being a rather poor swimmer, I am not a kite boarder or wind surfer or much of one for water sports in general, but those who apparently know say the conditions around La Ventana are ideal. You can find a spotty internet connection, there are few roadside, fish taco stands and the occasional tiendita selling Pacifico beer in large, bomb-like brown bottles. But, this area is most certainly not geared toward the idle tourist. I could not even locate any postcards to send to the friends who are accustomed to my regular mailings. It just isn’t that sort of spot. And so much the better.<br /> <br /> Down the road a bit, some enterprising soul has but in a high-end cabana hotel where the little outbuildings rent for around $400 a day but the folks you see flying along the water, attached to the lunatic combination of a parachute and a surfboard, are more likely to be living out of a camper or renting a bit of thatch for $45. The slow-growing saguaro cactus, a visual icon of the American southwest but now largely gone because of development, abound here. The salty flat between Los Barilles and La Ventana is a forest of these alien looking monoliths. Raptors and vultures rides the thermal winds cooked up by the combination of sand and sun. Laughing gulls and pelicans bob on the cresting waves. In short, its is about as un-spoiled an area as you can find that also provides running water. The throbbing clubs and all-inclusive resorts of Cabo san Lucas feel about a million miles away.<br /> <br /> I could go on about how precious this spot seemed to me or about how much I enjoyed sharing coffee with Bob, Erwan and James as the sun rose, orange and purple, over these little fingers of the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains. But, I think you get the idea. I’ll just close by thanking Erwan for his hospitality and for putting it all together, Bob for his endlessly positive embrace of life and its questions and to James for introducing me to these fine folks and this lovely part of the world. It was a trip I won’t forget.<br /> <br /> <b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> Mon, 07 Feb 2011 07:45:07 -0800 2011-02-07T09:45:07-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (frank3.0) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/5424813861 24.048345 -109.98516 24.048345 -109.98516 129557 Erwan's Getaway <p>I can’t say enough good things about the group of guys with whom I spent the last few days in Baja. Our host, Erwan, has a little Airstream on a cliff above a pristine beach, right next to some of the best wind surfing and kite boarding water on the Sea of Cortez. I had met Erwan once before at one of James and Ashley’s famous pizza parties up in Saint Francisville. But, only after I went on some rant about economics did Erwan recall that we had sat by the pizza oven and shared a few beers. What can I say? I guess I am most memorable when I am rambling about some subject that I probably have no business speaking on.<br /> <br /> The tip of the Baja peninsula was socked in with the same cold front that had Dallas and the rest of the south in its teeth when we landed in San Jose de Cabo at around 10:30PM on Thursday. We rented two small cars to accommodate all of the kite boarding gear and then set out for a two hour drive, late-night drive through the Mexican desert. Only when the sun rose on our frosty sleeping bags the next morning did I get a full picture of what the fuss was about. The landscape and sea were stunning. The water varied from deep turquoise to the faintest blue-green. The saguaro needled desert ran straight down to the water, sometimes in dramatic cliffs and sometimes along the bed on dry arroyos. Erwan had found himself an acre or two of paradise. The area is unspoiled, largely owing to its isolation. A good, paved road had just been put in a few year back. So, the little bungalows and palapa toped cabanas there had been constructed by folks who truly wanted to be in that spot. One did not accidentally find themselves in La Ventana. A person had to make a point of seeking out this windy bay near the point where the Sea of Cortez flows into the Pacific.<br /> <br /> Those that had found these beaches and waves just a few miles north of the Tropic of Cancer had come for the wind. Being a rather poor swimmer, I am not a kite boarder or wind surfer or much of one for water sports in general, but those who apparently know say the conditions around La Ventana are ideal. You can find a spotty internet connection, there are few roadside, fish taco stands and the occasional tiendita selling Pacifico beer in large, bomb-like brown bottles. But, this area is most certainly not geared toward the idle tourist. I could not even locate any postcards to send to the friends who are accustomed to my regular mailings. It just isn’t that sort of spot. And so much the better.<br /> <br /> Down the road a bit, some enterprising soul has but in a high-end cabana hotel where the little outbuildings rent for around $400 a day but the folks you see flying along the water, attached to the lunatic combination of a parachute and a surfboard, are more likely to be living out of a camper or renting a bit of thatch for $45. The slow-growing saguaro cactus, a visual icon of the American southwest but now largely gone because of development, abound here. The salty flat between Los Barilles and La Ventana is a forest of these alien looking monoliths. Raptors and vultures rides the thermal winds cooked up by the combination of sand and sun. Laughing gulls and pelicans bob on the cresting waves. In short, its is about as un-spoiled an area as you can find that also provides running water. The throbbing clubs and all-inclusive resorts of Cabo san Lucas feel about a million miles away.<br /> <br /> I could go on about how precious this spot seemed to me or about how much I enjoyed sharing coffee with Bob, Erwan and James as the sun rose, orange and purple, over these little fingers of the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains. But, I think you get the idea. I’ll just close by thanking Erwan for his hospitality and for putting it all together, Bob for his endlessly positive embrace of life and its questions and to James for introducing me to these fine folks and this lovely part of the world. It was a trip I won’t forget.<br /> <br /> <b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> frank3.0 mexico baja laventana canon5dmkii toycameraanalogcolor canonef28mmf2usm http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5424812779/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/frank3/">frank3.0</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5424812779/" title="The Airstream by the Sea (36)"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5012/5424812779_d521a55e14_m.jpg" width="160" height="240" alt="The Airstream by the Sea (36)" /></a></p> <p>High clouds came in early last night, so I was not able to get out into the cactus and photograph. To tell the truth, I was pretty happy to get into a warm sleeping bag at a reasonable hour. However, I did get a new shot of the Airstream we have been living out of for the past few days as the stars appear to rotate around Polaris. The editing on it pretty strong. Long exposures are sort of surreal by nature, so why not play with that? Also posted is a re-edit of the shot I posted yesterday of the North Star shot from an arroyo north of El Sargento.<br /> <br /> <b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> Mon, 07 Feb 2011 07:44:43 -0800 2011-02-07T09:44:43-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (frank3.0) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/5424812779 24.048345 -109.98516 24.048345 -109.98516 129557 The Airstream by the Sea (36) <p>High clouds came in early last night, so I was not able to get out into the cactus and photograph. To tell the truth, I was pretty happy to get into a warm sleeping bag at a reasonable hour. However, I did get a new shot of the Airstream we have been living out of for the past few days as the stars appear to rotate around Polaris. The editing on it pretty strong. Long exposures are sort of surreal by nature, so why not play with that? Also posted is a re-edit of the shot I posted yesterday of the North Star shot from an arroyo north of El Sargento.<br /> <br /> <b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> frank3.0 nightphotography mexico astrophotography baja 365 airstream laventana startrails canon5dmkii toycameraanalogcolor canonef28mmf2usm dwcffnight http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5425412966/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/frank3/">frank3.0</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5425412966/" title="45 Minutes Over Baja-New Edit (35)"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5296/5425412966_04bcc317b9_m.jpg" width="160" height="240" alt="45 Minutes Over Baja-New Edit (35)" /></a></p> <p>High clouds came in early last night, so I was not able to get out into the cactus and photograph. To tell the truth, I was pretty happy to get into a warm sleeping bag at a reasonable hour. However, I did get a new shot of the Airstream we have been living out of for the past few days as the stars appear to rotate around Polaris. The editing on it pretty strong. Long exposures are sort of surreal by nature, so why not play with that? Also posted is a re-edit of the shot I posted yesterday of the North Star shot from an arroyo north of El Sargento.<br /> <br /> <b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> Mon, 07 Feb 2011 07:44:30 -0800 2011-02-07T09:44:30-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (frank3.0) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/5425412966 24.048345 -109.98516 24.048345 -109.98516 129557 45 Minutes Over Baja-New Edit (35) <p>High clouds came in early last night, so I was not able to get out into the cactus and photograph. To tell the truth, I was pretty happy to get into a warm sleeping bag at a reasonable hour. However, I did get a new shot of the Airstream we have been living out of for the past few days as the stars appear to rotate around Polaris. The editing on it pretty strong. Long exposures are sort of surreal by nature, so why not play with that? Also posted is a re-edit of the shot I posted yesterday of the North Star shot from an arroyo north of El Sargento.<br /> <br /> <b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> frank3.0 nightphotography mexico astrophotography baja 365 laventana startrails canon5dmkii toycameraanalogcolor canonef28mmf2usm http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5424813521/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/frank3/">frank3.0</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5424813521/" title="La Ventana Beach"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5213/5424813521_1a08de5e3d_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="La Ventana Beach" /></a></p> <p>I can’t say enough good things about the group of guys with whom I spent the last few days in Baja. Our host, Erwan, has a little Airstream on a cliff above a pristine beach, right next to some of the best wind surfing and kite boarding water on the Sea of Cortez. I had met Erwan once before at one of James and Ashley’s famous pizza parties up in Saint Francisville. But, only after I went on some rant about economics did Erwan recall that we had sat by the pizza oven and shared a few beers. What can I say? I guess I am most memorable when I am rambling about some subject that I probably have no business speaking on.<br /> <br /> The tip of the Baja peninsula was socked in with the same cold front that had Dallas and the rest of the south in its teeth when we landed in San Jose de Cabo at around 10:30PM on Thursday. We rented two small cars to accommodate all of the kite boarding gear and then set out for a two hour drive, late-night drive through the Mexican desert. Only when the sun rose on our frosty sleeping bags the next morning did I get a full picture of what the fuss was about. The landscape and sea were stunning. The water varied from deep turquoise to the faintest blue-green. The saguaro needled desert ran straight down to the water, sometimes in dramatic cliffs and sometimes along the bed on dry arroyos. Erwan had found himself an acre or two of paradise. The area is unspoiled, largely owing to its isolation. A good, paved road had just been put in a few year back. So, the little bungalows and palapa toped cabanas there had been constructed by folks who truly wanted to be in that spot. One did not accidentally find themselves in La Ventana. A person had to make a point of seeking out this windy bay near the point where the Sea of Cortez flows into the Pacific.<br /> <br /> Those that had found these beaches and waves just a few miles north of the Tropic of Cancer had come for the wind. Being a rather poor swimmer, I am not a kite boarder or wind surfer or much of one for water sports in general, but those who apparently know say the conditions around La Ventana are ideal. You can find a spotty internet connection, there are few roadside, fish taco stands and the occasional tiendita selling Pacifico beer in large, bomb-like brown bottles. But, this area is most certainly not geared toward the idle tourist. I could not even locate any postcards to send to the friends who are accustomed to my regular mailings. It just isn’t that sort of spot. And so much the better.<br /> <br /> Down the road a bit, some enterprising soul has but in a high-end cabana hotel where the little outbuildings rent for around $400 a day but the folks you see flying along the water, attached to the lunatic combination of a parachute and a surfboard, are more likely to be living out of a camper or renting a bit of thatch for $45. The slow-growing saguaro cactus, a visual icon of the American southwest but now largely gone because of development, abound here. The salty flat between Los Barilles and La Ventana is a forest of these alien looking monoliths. Raptors and vultures rides the thermal winds cooked up by the combination of sand and sun. Laughing gulls and pelicans bob on the cresting waves. In short, its is about as un-spoiled an area as you can find that also provides running water. The throbbing clubs and all-inclusive resorts of Cabo san Lucas feel about a million miles away.<br /> <br /> I could go on about how precious this spot seemed to me or about how much I enjoyed sharing coffee with Bob, Erwan and James as the sun rose, orange and purple, over these little fingers of the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains. But, I think you get the idea. I’ll just close by thanking Erwan for his hospitality and for putting it all together, Bob for his endlessly positive embrace of life and its questions and to James for introducing me to these fine folks and this lovely part of the world. It was a trip I won’t forget.<br /> <br /> <b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> Mon, 07 Feb 2011 07:45:00 -0800 2011-02-07T09:45:00-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (frank3.0) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/5424813521 24.048345 -109.98516 24.048345 -109.98516 129557 La Ventana Beach <p>I can’t say enough good things about the group of guys with whom I spent the last few days in Baja. Our host, Erwan, has a little Airstream on a cliff above a pristine beach, right next to some of the best wind surfing and kite boarding water on the Sea of Cortez. I had met Erwan once before at one of James and Ashley’s famous pizza parties up in Saint Francisville. But, only after I went on some rant about economics did Erwan recall that we had sat by the pizza oven and shared a few beers. What can I say? I guess I am most memorable when I am rambling about some subject that I probably have no business speaking on.<br /> <br /> The tip of the Baja peninsula was socked in with the same cold front that had Dallas and the rest of the south in its teeth when we landed in San Jose de Cabo at around 10:30PM on Thursday. We rented two small cars to accommodate all of the kite boarding gear and then set out for a two hour drive, late-night drive through the Mexican desert. Only when the sun rose on our frosty sleeping bags the next morning did I get a full picture of what the fuss was about. The landscape and sea were stunning. The water varied from deep turquoise to the faintest blue-green. The saguaro needled desert ran straight down to the water, sometimes in dramatic cliffs and sometimes along the bed on dry arroyos. Erwan had found himself an acre or two of paradise. The area is unspoiled, largely owing to its isolation. A good, paved road had just been put in a few year back. So, the little bungalows and palapa toped cabanas there had been constructed by folks who truly wanted to be in that spot. One did not accidentally find themselves in La Ventana. A person had to make a point of seeking out this windy bay near the point where the Sea of Cortez flows into the Pacific.<br /> <br /> Those that had found these beaches and waves just a few miles north of the Tropic of Cancer had come for the wind. Being a rather poor swimmer, I am not a kite boarder or wind surfer or much of one for water sports in general, but those who apparently know say the conditions around La Ventana are ideal. You can find a spotty internet connection, there are few roadside, fish taco stands and the occasional tiendita selling Pacifico beer in large, bomb-like brown bottles. But, this area is most certainly not geared toward the idle tourist. I could not even locate any postcards to send to the friends who are accustomed to my regular mailings. It just isn’t that sort of spot. And so much the better.<br /> <br /> Down the road a bit, some enterprising soul has but in a high-end cabana hotel where the little outbuildings rent for around $400 a day but the folks you see flying along the water, attached to the lunatic combination of a parachute and a surfboard, are more likely to be living out of a camper or renting a bit of thatch for $45. The slow-growing saguaro cactus, a visual icon of the American southwest but now largely gone because of development, abound here. The salty flat between Los Barilles and La Ventana is a forest of these alien looking monoliths. Raptors and vultures rides the thermal winds cooked up by the combination of sand and sun. Laughing gulls and pelicans bob on the cresting waves. In short, its is about as un-spoiled an area as you can find that also provides running water. The throbbing clubs and all-inclusive resorts of Cabo san Lucas feel about a million miles away.<br /> <br /> I could go on about how precious this spot seemed to me or about how much I enjoyed sharing coffee with Bob, Erwan and James as the sun rose, orange and purple, over these little fingers of the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains. But, I think you get the idea. I’ll just close by thanking Erwan for his hospitality and for putting it all together, Bob for his endlessly positive embrace of life and its questions and to James for introducing me to these fine folks and this lovely part of the world. It was a trip I won’t forget.<br /> <br /> <b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> frank3.0 mexico baja laventana canon5dmkii toycameraanalogcolor canonef28mmf2usm http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5425414006/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/frank3/">frank3.0</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5425414006/" title="Baja Hummingbird (37)"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5013/5425414006_8cc13c357b_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Baja Hummingbird (37)" /></a></p> <p>I can’t say enough good things about the group of guys with whom I spent the last few days in Baja. Our host, Erwan, has a little Airstream on a cliff above a pristine beach, right next to some of the best wind surfing and kite boarding water on the Sea of Cortez. I had met Erwan once before at one of James and Ashley’s famous pizza parties up in Saint Francisville. But, only after I went on some rant about economics did Erwan recall that we had sat by the pizza oven and shared a few beers. What can I say? I guess I am most memorable when I am rambling about some subject that I probably have no business speaking on.<br /> <br /> The tip of the Baja peninsula was socked in with the same cold front that had Dallas and the rest of the south in its teeth when we landed in San Jose de Cabo at around 10:30PM on Thursday. We rented two small cars to accommodate all of the kite boarding gear and then set out for a two hour drive, late-night drive through the Mexican desert. Only when the sun rose on our frosty sleeping bags the next morning did I get a full picture of what the fuss was about. The landscape and sea were stunning. The water varied from deep turquoise to the faintest blue-green. The saguaro needled desert ran straight down to the water, sometimes in dramatic cliffs and sometimes along the bed on dry arroyos. Erwan had found himself an acre or two of paradise. The area is unspoiled, largely owing to its isolation. A good, paved road had just been put in a few year back. So, the little bungalows and palapa toped cabanas there had been constructed by folks who truly wanted to be in that spot. One did not accidentally find themselves in La Ventana. A person had to make a point of seeking out this windy bay near the point where the Sea of Cortez flows into the Pacific.<br /> <br /> Those that had found these beaches and waves just a few miles north of the Tropic of Cancer had come for the wind. Being a rather poor swimmer, I am not a kite boarder or wind surfer or much of one for water sports in general, but those who apparently know say the conditions around La Ventana are ideal. You can find a spotty internet connection, there are few roadside, fish taco stands and the occasional tiendita selling Pacifico beer in large, bomb-like brown bottles. But, this area is most certainly not geared toward the idle tourist. I could not even locate any postcards to send to the friends who are accustomed to my regular mailings. It just isn’t that sort of spot. And so much the better.<br /> <br /> Down the road a bit, some enterprising soul has but in a high-end cabana hotel where the little outbuildings rent for around $400 a day but the folks you see flying along the water, attached to the lunatic combination of a parachute and a surfboard, are more likely to be living out of a camper or renting a bit of thatch for $45. The slow-growing saguaro cactus, a visual icon of the American southwest but now largely gone because of development, abound here. The salty flat between Los Barilles and La Ventana is a forest of these alien looking monoliths. Raptors and vultures rides the thermal winds cooked up by the combination of sand and sun. Laughing gulls and pelicans bob on the cresting waves. In short, its is about as un-spoiled an area as you can find that also provides running water. The throbbing clubs and all-inclusive resorts of Cabo san Lucas feel about a million miles away.<br /> <br /> I could go on about how precious this spot seemed to me or about how much I enjoyed sharing coffee with Bob, Erwan and James as the sun rose, orange and purple, over these little fingers of the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains. But, I think you get the idea. I’ll just close by thanking Erwan for his hospitality and for putting it all together, Bob for his endlessly positive embrace of life and its questions and to James for introducing me to these fine folks and this lovely part of the world. It was a trip I won’t forget.<br /> <br /> <b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> Mon, 07 Feb 2011 07:44:53 -0800 2011-02-07T09:44:53-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (frank3.0) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/5425414006 24.048345 -109.98516 24.048345 -109.98516 129557 Baja Hummingbird (37) <p>I can’t say enough good things about the group of guys with whom I spent the last few days in Baja. Our host, Erwan, has a little Airstream on a cliff above a pristine beach, right next to some of the best wind surfing and kite boarding water on the Sea of Cortez. I had met Erwan once before at one of James and Ashley’s famous pizza parties up in Saint Francisville. But, only after I went on some rant about economics did Erwan recall that we had sat by the pizza oven and shared a few beers. What can I say? I guess I am most memorable when I am rambling about some subject that I probably have no business speaking on.<br /> <br /> The tip of the Baja peninsula was socked in with the same cold front that had Dallas and the rest of the south in its teeth when we landed in San Jose de Cabo at around 10:30PM on Thursday. We rented two small cars to accommodate all of the kite boarding gear and then set out for a two hour drive, late-night drive through the Mexican desert. Only when the sun rose on our frosty sleeping bags the next morning did I get a full picture of what the fuss was about. The landscape and sea were stunning. The water varied from deep turquoise to the faintest blue-green. The saguaro needled desert ran straight down to the water, sometimes in dramatic cliffs and sometimes along the bed on dry arroyos. Erwan had found himself an acre or two of paradise. The area is unspoiled, largely owing to its isolation. A good, paved road had just been put in a few year back. So, the little bungalows and palapa toped cabanas there had been constructed by folks who truly wanted to be in that spot. One did not accidentally find themselves in La Ventana. A person had to make a point of seeking out this windy bay near the point where the Sea of Cortez flows into the Pacific.<br /> <br /> Those that had found these beaches and waves just a few miles north of the Tropic of Cancer had come for the wind. Being a rather poor swimmer, I am not a kite boarder or wind surfer or much of one for water sports in general, but those who apparently know say the conditions around La Ventana are ideal. You can find a spotty internet connection, there are few roadside, fish taco stands and the occasional tiendita selling Pacifico beer in large, bomb-like brown bottles. But, this area is most certainly not geared toward the idle tourist. I could not even locate any postcards to send to the friends who are accustomed to my regular mailings. It just isn’t that sort of spot. And so much the better.<br /> <br /> Down the road a bit, some enterprising soul has but in a high-end cabana hotel where the little outbuildings rent for around $400 a day but the folks you see flying along the water, attached to the lunatic combination of a parachute and a surfboard, are more likely to be living out of a camper or renting a bit of thatch for $45. The slow-growing saguaro cactus, a visual icon of the American southwest but now largely gone because of development, abound here. The salty flat between Los Barilles and La Ventana is a forest of these alien looking monoliths. Raptors and vultures rides the thermal winds cooked up by the combination of sand and sun. Laughing gulls and pelicans bob on the cresting waves. In short, its is about as un-spoiled an area as you can find that also provides running water. The throbbing clubs and all-inclusive resorts of Cabo san Lucas feel about a million miles away.<br /> <br /> I could go on about how precious this spot seemed to me or about how much I enjoyed sharing coffee with Bob, Erwan and James as the sun rose, orange and purple, over these little fingers of the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains. But, I think you get the idea. I’ll just close by thanking Erwan for his hospitality and for putting it all together, Bob for his endlessly positive embrace of life and its questions and to James for introducing me to these fine folks and this lovely part of the world. It was a trip I won’t forget.<br /> <br /> <b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> frank3.0 mexico hummingbird baja 365 laventana canon5dmkii toycameraanalogcolor canonef135lf2usm http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5423298458/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/frank3/">frank3.0</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5423298458/" title="Bob, Erwan and James"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5012/5423298458_8a2cbe870f_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Bob, Erwan and James" /></a></p> <p><b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> Sun, 06 Feb 2011 14:49:42 -0800 2011-02-06T16:49:42-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (frank3.0) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/5423298458 24.048345 -109.98516 24.048345 -109.98516 129557 Bob, Erwan and James <p><b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> frank3.0 mexico baja laventana canonef28mmf18usm canon5dmkii http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5423299126/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/frank3/">frank3.0</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5423299126/" title="Sunday Morning Wakeup"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5131/5423299126_f6b3bc41f7_m.jpg" width="160" height="240" alt="Sunday Morning Wakeup" /></a></p> <p><b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> Sun, 06 Feb 2011 14:49:55 -0800 2011-02-05T21:22:05-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (frank3.0) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/5423299126 24.048345 -109.98516 24.048345 -109.98516 129557 Sunday Morning Wakeup <p><b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> frank3.0 mexico baja laventana canonef28mmf18usm canon5dmkii http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5422694147/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/frank3/">frank3.0</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5422694147/" title="45 Minutes over Baja"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5299/5422694147_39504ed4cb_m.jpg" width="160" height="240" alt="45 Minutes over Baja" /></a></p> <p>Approximately 45 minutes (2,384 seconds) in an ice cold arroyo near the Sea of Cortez. ISO 640 (probably a bit too high, tonight I’ll shoot at ISO 400) f/4 through a Canon EF 28mm f/1.8 USM (recently returned from some WARRANTY work by Canon) on a Canon 5D MkII. I got several other test shots to try to center Polaris but this was the longest exposure by far. I’m pretty pleased with it but I think an hour exposure at a lower ISO will give me better results. The plan is to head out in to the desert southwest of town and shoot in the saguaros. Should be fun.<br /> <br /> <b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> Sun, 06 Feb 2011 14:49:49 -0800 2011-02-05T12:51:26-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (frank3.0) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/5422694147 24.048345 -109.98516 24.048345 -109.98516 129557 45 Minutes over Baja <p>Approximately 45 minutes (2,384 seconds) in an ice cold arroyo near the Sea of Cortez. ISO 640 (probably a bit too high, tonight I’ll shoot at ISO 400) f/4 through a Canon EF 28mm f/1.8 USM (recently returned from some WARRANTY work by Canon) on a Canon 5D MkII. I got several other test shots to try to center Polaris but this was the longest exposure by far. I’m pretty pleased with it but I think an hour exposure at a lower ISO will give me better results. The plan is to head out in to the desert southwest of town and shoot in the saguaros. Should be fun.<br /> <br /> <b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> frank3.0 mexico baja laventana canonef28mmf18usm canon5dmkii http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5423298106/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/frank3/">frank3.0</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5423298106/" title="Me and my Reflector Lens"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5017/5423298106_d05ae2d649_m.jpg" width="240" height="240" alt="Me and my Reflector Lens" /></a></p> <p>Look closely<br /> <br /> <b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> Sun, 06 Feb 2011 14:49:35 -0800 2011-02-06T16:49:35-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (frank3.0) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/5423298106 24.048345 -109.98516 24.048345 -109.98516 129557 Me and my Reflector Lens <p>Look closely<br /> <br /> <b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> frank3.0 mexico baja laventana canon5dmkii canonef135lf2usm http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5419620775/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/frank3/">frank3.0</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5419620775/" title="La Ventana, Day Two"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5254/5419620775_e72e3c8c3b_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="La Ventana, Day Two" /></a></p> <p>Kite Surfing in Baja, Mexico<br /> <br /> <b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> Sat, 05 Feb 2011 17:18:34 -0800 2011-02-05T02:15:58-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (frank3.0) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/5419620775 24.048345 -109.98516 24.048345 -109.98516 129557 La Ventana, Day Two <p>Kite Surfing in Baja, Mexico<br /> <br /> <b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> frank3.0 mexico kitesurfing baja laventana canon5dmkii canonef135lf2usm http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5420224208/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/frank3/">frank3.0</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5420224208/" title="La Ventana, Day Two"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5137/5420224208_67ca82dbbf_m.jpg" width="240" height="240" alt="La Ventana, Day Two" /></a></p> <p>Kite Surfing in Baja, Mexico<br /> <br /> <b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> Sat, 05 Feb 2011 17:18:00 -0800 2011-02-05T02:14:12-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (frank3.0) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/5420224208 24.048345 -109.98516 24.048345 -109.98516 129557 La Ventana, Day Two <p>Kite Surfing in Baja, Mexico<br /> <br /> <b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> frank3.0 mexico kitesurfing baja laventana canon5dmkii canonef135lf2usm http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5420223024/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/frank3/">frank3.0</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5420223024/" title="La Ventana, Day Two"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5296/5420223024_cc7b516bfb_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="La Ventana, Day Two" /></a></p> <p>Kite Surfing in Baja, Mexico<br /> <br /> <b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> Sat, 05 Feb 2011 17:17:28 -0800 2011-02-05T02:04:25-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (frank3.0) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/5420223024 24.048345 -109.98516 24.048345 -109.98516 129557 La Ventana, Day Two <p>Kite Surfing in Baja, Mexico<br /> <br /> <b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> frank3.0 mexico kitesurfing baja laventana canon5dmkii canonef135lf2usm http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5420225646/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/frank3/">frank3.0</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5420225646/" title="La Ventana, Day Two"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5096/5420225646_5b9ab53241_m.jpg" width="160" height="240" alt="La Ventana, Day Two" /></a></p> <p>Kite Surfing in Baja, Mexico<br /> <br /> <b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> Sat, 05 Feb 2011 17:18:43 -0800 2011-02-05T02:17:16-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (frank3.0) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/5420225646 24.048345 -109.98516 24.048345 -109.98516 129557 La Ventana, Day Two <p>Kite Surfing in Baja, Mexico<br /> <br /> <b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> frank3.0 mexico kitesurfing baja laventana canon5dmkii canonef135lf2usm http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5419619797/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/frank3/">frank3.0</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank3/5419619797/" title="La Ventana, Day Two"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5297/5419619797_4fe00ecdbc_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="La Ventana, Day Two" /></a></p> <p>Kite Surfing in Baja, Mexico<br /> <br /> <b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> Sat, 05 Feb 2011 17:18:08 -0800 2011-02-05T02:14:14-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (frank3.0) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/5419619797 24.048345 -109.98516 24.048345 -109.98516 129557 La Ventana, Day Two <p>Kite Surfing in Baja, Mexico<br /> <br /> <b>Check out more at my blog, <a href="http://www.lemonsandbeans.com/" rel="nofollow">Lemons and Beans</a>, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.</b></p> frank3.0 mexico kitesurfing baja laventana canon5dmkii canonef135lf2usm http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en