The Traveling Widower

Tag: california

  • Hot and Humid Part II – A Wondrous Day

    Close-up of a lizard perched on a branch, showcasing its textured skin and prominent eye against a natural background.

    March 26th, 2026

    This has definitely been the strangest trip I’ve been on since I started my new life of traveling. Maybe strange is the wrong word, but this definitely has been different in terms of the wide variety of activities I’ve participated in.

    Today (Thursday) was focused on a full day of activities in one particular area quite a ways west of the Golfito Bay, where multiple activities started from a single point – Playa Blanca. We had to sign up for two activities a few days ago, one in the morning, one in the afternoon, all of which required short bus rides from the beach. Most of the activities were focused on exploring some Costa Rican family run eco-related business, as well as a bit of Costa Rican culture. It was another wet landing (boo hiss), this time to a large public beach where we had reserved space for our lunch activities, and where the charter buses would pick us up. This time, I had appropriate water shoes. No more dancing through the rocks (ouch!)

    I chose a rain forest hike, at a privately owned eco-lodge and park for the morning adventure. A very good choice.  The lodge (https://www.dantalodge.com/) was absolutely beautiful, and had trails wandering off into the rain forest. Our hike crossed a few creeks, and meandered up a somewhat steep trail (with a rope handrail) which peaked at a three story observation tower. Along the way, we stopped to photograph anything of interest we spotted along the trail  – this included some birds and a lot of amphibians and lizards – small Basalisk “Jesus Christ” lizards (they walk on water) were found along streams, and there were some extremely small (and lightly poisonous) frogs in the leaf litter along the trail. 

    A bird with a striped brown and white plumage standing on rocks by a stream, surrounded by green foliage and fallen leaves.
    Close-up of a thick tree trunk covered in spiky texture, surrounded by green leaves and a large brown leaf resting nearby.
    A small brown and black frog camouflaged among fallen leaves and branches on the forest floor.
    A group of hikers crossing a wooden bridge in a dense, green rainforest.
    A panoramic view of a lush green jungle with a bright blue sky and fluffy white clouds, featuring a leafless tree in the foreground.
    A colorful woodpecker peeking from a textured tree trunk against a blurred green background.

    There was not really an abundance of wildlife, but it was just an enjoyable hike – it was hot and humid, but were in the shade most of the way, and we had a great naturalist describing everything as we strolled along at a reasonable pace.

    Once we made it back to the lodge, the owner provided a nice selection of fruits and juices, and the best empanada I’ve ever eaten. We also spotted some Toucans, and I found a large Basalisk, sunning itself in a fountain. A great photo-op.

    A bamboo structure with a metal roof, surrounded by lush greenery and tropical plants, featuring a pathway leading to the entrance. People can be seen inside the building, engaging in various activities.
    Interior view of a wooden structure surrounded by greenery, featuring bamboo columns, wooden furniture, and a spacious wooden floor.
    A lizard sitting on a wooden surface, displaying its textured skin and long tail, with shadows and natural background elements.

    And I finally managed to get a couple of half-way decent shots of a Toucan.

    A close-up of a toucan's colorful head and beak partially hidden behind a tree branch, surrounded by green foliage.
    A toucan perched on a tree branch surrounded by green leaves.

    After we were done re-hydrating and relaxing, we boarded our air-conditioned bus for the short ride back to the beach.

    The Nat Geo/Lindblad crew really does a great job of introducing the guests not only to local culture, but also to the country’s efforts to maintain the environment of their lands and ocean. Aside from a nice barbecue lunch, we were entertained by a local dance group, and then had another presentation by an organization that tracks and rehabs sea turtles – they brought along a recently captured one, to show us how they record information on the turtles, clean them up if necessary, and the re-release the guy. Which they did. A happy turtle.

    A woman dressed in traditional attire with a white blouse and a purple skirt is dancing outdoors. The setting includes canopies and other people in the background, creating a festive atmosphere.
    A group of dancers performing a traditional dance outdoors, wearing colorful folkloric costumes. The scene features bright blue, red, and gold outfits, with dancers showcasing vibrant movements under sunny trees.

    I chose a visit to a chocolate (cocoa) plantation for my afternoon outing. Another great choice – Finka Cobo (http://www.fincakobo.com/). It turned into a combination garden/flora walk and Squirrel Monkey photo-op. Woo hoo. We walked the garden with the owner and our own National Geographic naturalists, with the owner describing non-stop all the plants, the history of his property, the different fruit varieties….a veritable fountain of knowledge. Once we got to the cocoa plants, he gave a great demonstration of the process behind turning the cocoa beans into chocolate – even got to chew on a bean or two. I knew it was a complex process, but it was great to actually see what the producers had to go through. 

    Close-up of a tree trunk with greenish bark showing small white flowers and a blueish patch near the base.
    Close-up of delicate white and yellow flowers blooming on a textured tree trunk, with green lichen accents.

    Along the way, we had already spotted a bunch of squirrel monkeys bouncing through the trees – photographing them became the focus of the rest of our walk. These little buggers are difficult to photograph, as they move quickly through the thick foliage. But if you are persistent, you can get a couple of good shots. They are not exactly cute – the look like little devils!

    A squirrel monkey hanging upside down from a branch, surrounded by dense green foliage.
    A squirrel monkey perched on a tree branch surrounded by large green leaves.
    A squirrel monkey perched on a tree branch surrounded by green leaves.
    A squirrel monkey perched on a branch amidst lush green leaves in a forested environment.

    Eventually, we did need to stop taking pictures, and headed back to the main lodge where they set up some fruit with chocolate sauce and a wonderful chocolate cake. This turned into a day for gorging on different foods. Diet time when I get home. And they also had those cute little Long Nosed Bats on the ceiling – at least I think they are cute.

    A bat hanging upside down on a textured wall.

    And there were lots of beautiful flowers in the garden – a bit of everything.

    A close-up of a vibrant pink orchid flower with a darker purple lip, surrounded by green leaves and natural foliage.
    A vibrant red and yellow heliconia flower hanging among green leaves in a tropical setting.

    We eventually got back in our nice, air conditioned bus, to return to the beach and get wet shoes again to board a Zodiac back to the ship. A long but great day.

    Peace

  • Baja and the Grey Whales – A Really Bad Start

    A person's feet in sneakers visible on a hospital stretcher, with medical equipment and staff in the background.

    Feb 21, 2026

    Note – I wrote most of this on February 22nd, and completed it on the 26th – much has happened in between. This is Part 1 of the Baja trip blog…sorry, you will have to wait for the rest of the story since I’m still working my way back home.

    I left for the first of my major 2026 trips on a beautiful Saturday morning, with high hopes for this long awaited trip. My plan was to drive down I-5 to Valencia (North of LA) on the 21st and stay at a nice hotel, then drive on Sunday to the hotel in San Diego where a van from Baja Jones will pick the group up on the 23rd, and travel to the airport in Ensenada. Great plan. It did not work out quite the way I expected it to. Read on.

    I drove down to Valencia on Saturday since driving all the way to San Diego in one trip is much further than I like to go in one day. I find it difficult now to drive one distance by myself – I miss my co-pilot. It was about a 5.5 hour drive, and I made it in time for happy hour at the hotel. I had a nice dinner at the bar, and two small glasses of beer, and headed back to my room. All good so far. When I was getting ready for bed, I got really dizzy and my heart was pounding. Not good. My heart beat was way over 100, and remained high. I was absolutely panicked and had no idea what to do – I tried to relax, but that did not help, so I eventually called 911. I do have heart related issues – these were classic symptoms of a tachycardia event, so I knew that I needed to have a physician check me out. An ambulance ride was not high on my list for this trip but I had no choice. There is nothing quite like being carted out on a gurney through a hotel lobby to an ambulance. 

    A long story short – they checked me out thoroughly at the ER –  my EKG’s, X-Ray and blood tests were all normal, so there were no indications that I had a heart attack. Always good news. My blood pressure was high, but not at a dangerous level and it had been elevated of late. The doctor said it was probably due to long and short-term stress and dehydration from the drive, and the alcohol and caffeine did not help either.  He recommended that I see my cardiologist soon, and also said I could go ahead with the trip.  

    The best part of this incident is that I got to experience the joy of being all alone in the ER. This facility had most of the patients on beds stationed along the walls and I was lucky enough to be where the police gathered with prisoners who needed medical attention. I got to listen to all the “Bro” talk from the officers, and the endless chatter from the handcuffed detainees. I was not about to tell the police to be quiet, but some poor patient, who was in incredible pain from a passing kidney stone screamed out “Shut Up”. That worked for a while. I’ve heard that passing a stone is the male equivalent of giving birth. I hope never to have that experience. 

    Now I understand why Jan hated going to the hospital,  but at least she had me by her side each time. Having support from a family member or friend really helps while you are lying there, waiting for hours for test results. She was always there for me whenever I did something stupid (rock climbing accident, bicycle accidents, etc.) This was my first time experiencing the ER solo. It sucks.

     I was eventually discharged and made it back to the hotel via UBER around 4:00AM. I was in no rush to leave the next day, so I managed to get a few hours of sleep. I considered briefly just heading home the next morning, but decided that I just needed to relax and stop worrying about the trip ahead. I really did want to see the whales. So, I headed off to San Diego later in the morning – just a 2-3 hour trip, depending on LA traffic. 

    Shortly after I arrived at the hotel, I checked my mail and found some additional, untimely bad news. I had read about the killing of a Mexican cartel lord in the news feeds, and the reprisal gang violence which had spread across Mexico. The owner of Baja Jones (Keith Jones) had sent out an e-mail providing some detail on the impact of our trip, and also included a copy of the State Department warning for a bunch of the Mexican states impacted by the violence. The two Baja states were listed at levels 2 and 3, with the latter suggesting to reconsider travel. Hmmm. 

    U.S. Embassy advisory for U.S. citizens in Mexico regarding safety measures due to security operations in specific states.

    I spent some time reading through the news reports, and to me at least, it appeared that all the violence was centered in the mainland states, not in either of the Baja states. But, there is still risk in going, possibly of being stranded in Mexico for a while. Keith had contacted his transportation companies, and there were no reported incidents in the places we travel through so for now, the trip was still on. One more thing to worry about, and stress was something I was trying to avoid. I had bought some calming gummies (no THC) on the way down and started popping those early on. After thinking this over for a few minutes (I did not have a lot of time, the vans were taking off at 7:00AM), I decided that if we could make it the airport without incident, we would be OK. Guerrero Negro was in an extremely remote part of Baja – not exactly a hot spot for tourism or the drug trade. So, I packed up my duffel bag, checked my pulse (almost normal), put a handful of gummies in my pocket, and headed down to the lobby. The two vans were in the parking lot – time to leave for Ensenada and start the adventure.