Mexico Trip - Day Two

March 8, 2013

     This morning started at 7am when we left the hotel to go whale watching.  We stopped at a cafe on the way for some drinks.  I had some delicious hot cocoa.  After being on the road for a bit we stopped for breakfast at a banos (bathroom) break.
     The place we stopped was beautiful, with many beautiful plants and flowers.  There was even a Mango Tree.  The banos were old fashioned (pee in a bucket) so I was really grateful that I did not have to go at the time.  Breakfast was an enchilada and burrito, so I decided to pass on that.  I ended up eating a pear, some yogurt and a clif bar and that was perfectly fine with me.  The yogurt was particularly bein (good).
     When everyone finished breakfast, we headed onto the road again.  We were traveling with our VCSU group and a small group of high school students from Conalep.  We travelled with them so we could practice our Spanish and they could practice their English.  They were really nice.
     When we arrived in Lopez Mateos, we strapped on life vests and hopped in a boat to go whale watching.  The sun was out, the area was beautiful. and the water was nice and cool.

     When we saw the first whale surface, it was amazing!! I've never seen anything like it.  They were majestic and beautiful.  And they would come right up to the boats!! I GOT TO PET A WHALE THREE TIMES!!!!!
     Their skin was smooth and rubbery.  It was a little squishier than I imagined it would be  but it felt really cool.  They would come up to the surface and blow their blowholes (I hot hit a few times). Lol.  It was such an amazing experience.  I thought we would see them from afar, not up close and get to touch them!  It was amazing!

     When we finished whale watching, we stopped at the sandbar on the way back to the dock to explore.  The sand was so warm and would blow around, erasing our tracks.  We climbed hills and meandered down them.  It was wonderful.  I took my empty water bottle and filled it with sand to take back home.  The sand was tan with black stripes.
     Once we made it back to the dock, we drove to a restaurant for lunch.  This meal was particularly stressful because one of our leaders ordered for us.  They knew I was not a fan of seafood because of previous meals.  I ended up with a plate of rice, tomatoes, lettuce, and what I think was beef.  I chose not to eat the beef (?) but enjoyed the rice in small corn tortillas.  The end of the meals seem to be really stressful because I am never hungry enough to finish the whole things so they always ask me if I am done and if I liked it.  But I have made it through the meals okay so far.  This was just the most stressful one.
     After lunch, we hopped back in the van and headed for Loreto.  Along the way, I tried Mexican Cheetos (delicious) and saw amazing landmarks.  The girls traveling with us from Mexico said they were not mountains but they sure looked like mountains to me!
     When we reached Loreto, we checked into our hotel, right on the beach.  I cannot believe the view of the water from out room!  It is gorgeous!
     We met up as a large group for supper - a  course meal of clams (cooked traditional style in the sand with fiery brush on top).  I was able to get a cheese quesadilla for dinner with everyone (do not like clams).  I was full after that so I passed on other courses but I tried the traditional wine made the way the missionaries used to make them in the mountains.  It was really sweet, a little too sweet for me (who knew that was possible with my huge sweet tooth!).  I also tried some red wine and Bailey's on the rocks.  Additionally, I tried the dessert with everyone.  It was date (the fruit) crepes with a strawberry and kiwi jelly-like sauce.  I really enjoyed the sauces and the overall crepe was decent.   It was a nice meal  (much less stressful than lunch).
     Now that dinner is over, I am chilling in my hotel room and I will probably take a shower and hit the hay so I am energized for tomorrow.  I need a little introverted time to regroup and recharge.   I also miss my boyfriend, Justin, and wish he was here to see all the beautiful sites and experiences with me.