Treking home.

This sign painted on the rocks is at the entrance to Playa Santispac. Does it say 1 or 3 miles? Maybe some competition change the distance to his store!



When we left Santispac, a little 3-4 yr old came out of the office to open the gate for us. Of course he got a tip!



The water here stayed shallow for a long distance.

This is the Café Exquisito out front of Campestre Maranatha. Josef manages this one. This photo still has all the Christmas decorations up.



This sign is out front along Hwy-1.



It didn't take long to get the 10 lamps that we packed along to get installed on the new wall.



Here is the view of the new wall section during the day. It is taken from the main entrance.



Mari Lou and Phillipe provided the Byers family a great Carne Asada dinner with all the fixin's!



After the celebration Jose lite a large bon fire. Good for us because it was cold. Here Jeff and Katie are listening to Ramon sing and play music.



Faye addressing the crowd at the 50 year celebration.


I don't think that Katie has ever seen so many tamales in one pot! And there were two more pots!



Jose and I lifting a 2-ton pot of posole.



Mari Lou with more posole than I knew existed. Some with pork and some with chicken. Everyone had something to eat for sure.



Elijah eating Mexican corn! Covered with mayo sauce and mexican cheese. They boiled this corn for over 2 hours.



Ummmmm........any chance you two could be brothers? Glen and Rod Byers waiting before the Celebration started.

Heading home this morning Jan 1.

After much of the day away on Sunday, here Frankie is having one of her "Lap Dog" moments!

It is now early morning Jan. 1 and we are ready to start our trek home. We will post more of Mexico pictures when we enter the US and have continuous internet service.



Brody, Madalyn and Elijah had collected over 100 stuffed animals and are seen here distributing them to the kids that where there that night.




Went to church Sunday at Meliton. They had a special end of year service. There were many kids. There was a large meal for everyone. Pinatas for the kids. I was standing away when one was busted open. There was a shop light lighting up the area where the pinata was an about all I could see because of the scramble for the candy was a cloud of dust!



Here is the "famous" balanced Balandra Rock in Balandra Bay. I showed a picture of it from the shore earlier. Many come to get their picture here.........including us!

More catching up!

Rick took the kids out for a ride. Brody ask if he could drive. When Rick stepped aside and said "sure", Brody wasn't quite sure what to do next. "Where should I go"? Rick said anywhere you want, you're the captain! That was all he needed. We were off for a good ride including into Balandra Bay.

Marcia seems to really be enjoying her "dry" trip ashore!



It looks as if Glen was able to hire a "Mule" to get ashore!



The day after Christmas Rod's, Glen's, Jeff's, Dustin's went to Playa Tecolote for a second day at the beach. Rick had taken Rod's, Dustin's and Jeff earlier in the morning in the boat from La Paz to an island off of Isla Espiritu Santo to swim with the sea lions. They say that that was quite an experience. Those bulls can get very big! But only the young sea lions would swim up close. They swim directly towards you and then turn at the last moment!

This looks like a "native" greeting party as the sea lion swimmers join us on the beach at El Tecolote.

Catching up the blog!

This of course is the end result of a real good connection with the piñata. The candy disappeared very quickly but the peanuts seemed to just stay on the ground!



Dustin gave several violent wacks at the piñata. Great form but not good enough connection!



Jose is giving Glen last minute piñata instructions before he turns him loose! Glen used a unique approach. He gave the piñata strong upper cuts!


Piñatas are something we have experienced several times on this trip. Our three grandchildren got the opportunity several times to wack at the piñata. But as you see here, I think that Rick is having more fun with the piñata than any of the kids!



Tonia and husband Omar. Tonia is Faye's grand daughter. Tonia and her husband have established a business here in Baja Sur called Cafe Exquisito. You can visit her website at http://www.cafe-exquisito.com/ There is one located right here next to Campestre Maranatha which has been very handy!



My Sister-in-law Faye and her husband H D Swartzendruber from Harrisonburg, Virginia. Faye has written a book titled His Treasures in Earthen Vessels documenting "Fifty Years of Sharing His Treasure in Mexico". You can see this book at http://maranathaministriesinmexico.org/



Here we met up with Ivan de la Peña at his palapa. He plans to build it in as a rustic cabin.



On Christmas day Jeff and I went on about a 25 mile ride which much of the ride was along the Bay of La Paz.



Dustin is trying to take me on the teeter totter so I recruited some help!

The Beach for Christmas Eve day!

Set up for lunch out of the wind.



Rod and Marcia and Lila Byers choosing shade over sun.



Dustin out with the sailboat!



Linda and me at Balandra Bay.




Balandra Rock in Balandra Bay. This rock has fallen several times but because it is "famous" they have placed it back up again.



Today we are going about 45 min. away to a beach called El Tecolote. Will have lunch there and be back this afternoon.

Click on this link and scroll down a little bit and see the pictures of Elijah telling his "fish story" of when he was kayaking!!

http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=43184

We keep reminding ourselves....it is Christmas time!

Got to get one of these pictures when you go into La Paz to the Mercado. I took Linda's brothers Rod and Glen and their wives Marcia and Lila as well as Dustin and Jessica. Notice the guy in the background getting a good laugh.



Getting into the Christmas spirit here in La Paz.



Dustin and Frankie under the Elephant tree.



Dustin exploring just before sunset.






Some of the beauty tonight towards sunset.



Putting the "pickup" to work again today. We unloaded the clothes that were brought down on this trip. The back seat was filled as well.



Doesn't feel too bad!!



The pool here at Campestre Maranatha needed painting. Time to refill the pool. About 10 truck loads of water will just about do it. Dustin thinks he is going swimming in it tomorrow! We will see how long.

There are now two teepees at Campestre Maranatha. It is amazing how much floor space there is in one and how many can sleep in it. Click on this link to see more of Campestre Maranatha http://maranathaministriesinmexico.org/index.php/news/photo-gallery?func=viewcategory&catid=2


Linda is talking with Ramon. He and his wife Gwen pastor Nueva Vida. We will be bringing the youth from Fairview Mennonite Church to Campestre Maranatha over spring break to pour the floor in their new church. They have been meeting in homes until they purchased this property.



Brother of Linda's Glen and his wife Lila from Salem, Oregon arrived into Cabo yesterday.



Dustin and Jessica arrived at the La Paz airport yesterday about 3 pm. Easy to go get them with the airport only 3 miles away! Linda's brother Rodney Byers and his wife Marcia came on the same plane. Great-niece Tonia made the flan for us tonight for dessert. Some of the best I ever had. She also serves it in her Exquisito Café.



Hosea with the stack of cots we brought added to the ones already in use.



Packing around the camp 28 cots that we had delivered to La Paz.



A man and his son who own a welding business here in Chemetla came out removed the steps and took them to their shop. They brought them back in a few hours looking like this. Good job I think! No question, we will be checking the steps every time on the way home to see if they have retracted!