The Trip that Changed My Life (Part 3 of 3)

The sea!! We could see it! There it was, just down the road!

Can you see it? That little speck of blue, way down the road?

Our next home was the Vermillion Sea Research Station. It is a beautiful house on the Sea of Cortez; with a view that will knock your socks off. This is the view from the back door.

You have no socks now. I know it.

Our time here was spend exploring, of course. Traveling by boat, we were introduced to the landscape and animals that called this place home.

This island is completely white, covered with excrement. There are so many Blue-footed boobies that spend there time resting and defecating on this rock, it has turned pure white. Oh, and I know it is too small to tell, but that is a Magnificent Frigatebird on top of the cactus. This totally blew my mind.

Once again, we broke into groups and set out to answers our burning questions. This is my awesome exploration crew gearing up for research.

And this is my snorkel partner, James. We are snorkeling around an island recording the number and locations of schools of fish. He kept our underwater records. Thanks, James!

Our docking station. Not too shabby, eh?

We swam with dolphins. We swam with sea lions. We swam with stinging nettles and sea jellies. Okay, those last two were not so awesome. But, swimming in the Sea of Cortez is never less than awesome. Look at all of those happy feet.

We also saw manta rays jumping out of the water; common dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, and pilot whales, all from our boat! Once we got in the water, we were treated to animals like sea cucumbers, rays, octopus, and all kinds of fish! This is a chocolate chip sea star; one of the many super cool animals we got to see.

Again, we slept under the stars, but this time with a slightly different view.

On our last full day, we were taught the code of conduct for viewing WHALE SHARKS! We were setting out in search of these gentle giants. No promises were made. But, we were taught the rules, just in case we did find them. Rule # 1, Do not mount the whale shark! That one is kind of a joke. I mean, it is a real rule, but who would think you could? The other rules detail how far you should be from the animal and how many people can be near the animal at one time.

We set off in search of these incredibly large and docile beauties. And only 15 minutes later, WE SAW A WHALE SHARK!!

We gently slipped into the water. I looked back at the boat captain and he pointed at a classmate, Kristen, and said "Follow her. That one is closer." That one? How many are there? I put my head down and swam toward Kristen. When I reached her, I stopped, caught my breath and put my mask in the water. This is what I saw.

I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. It started to get hard to breathe. My whole body started to shake. I could hear myself thinking very clearly, "Calm down. Breath. Everything is cool. Breath. Even thought this shark is HUGE, you are totally safe. Breath." My whole body tingled. I gathered myself together enough to take some pictures and shoot. It was absolutely amazing.

Our home at the Sea of Cortez, the Vermillion Sea Research Station is filled with the artwork of the previous classes that have stayed and learned here.

We were invited to add to the collection. Brad created an amazing compilation of our experiences with the help of Lis and Elaine. It was amazing how quickly magic happened.

 Here is the mark our class left behind. We truly felt lucky each and every minute of this trip.

When our trip came to a close, we finally all realized how tired we were. This was the first van ride where people slept. And sleep they did. Well, expect for Megan.

This place will always be in our hearts.We learned to push our limits, open ourselves to new experiences and share ourselves with each other. We will never be the same. We are better and stronger and primed to face the next new challenge. Thank you, Baja! Thank you, Earth Expeditions! Thank you, Rafael, Esmeralda, Lalo, Alex, Andreas, Jasmine! Thank you, Robyn, Elizabeth, Meghann! Thank you, Lauren, Jay, Cece, Dez, Erin, Bekki, Laura, Elaine, Lily, Megan, James, Michelle, Mohammed, Kristen, Lis, Brad, Scott, Sarah, and Jody!

The Trip that Changed My Life (Part 2 of 3)

After a long and bumpy (emphasis on bumpy!) drive, we reached our new home!

Rancho San Gregorio! Little did we know how deeply our hearts would connect to this unfamiliar place. This ranch has been managed by a single family for many generations. The current patriarch, Rafael, guided us around the ranch, teaching us the benefits of using native plants in foods and medicines.

In addition to teaching us the survival skills of knowing which plants can help us and which can harm us, Rafael shared the beautiful and personal story of his family's history on this land. This is Rafael at the old home site, where he used to play with his cousins as a child.

The home was nestled among the surrounding desert mesas.

In addition to Rafael's extensive knowledge, we also learned through experience. Watch where you put your head! Everything is pokey.

At the ranch, we ate together as a family. The amazing food was cooked by Rafael's wife, Esmeralda and children, Lalo, Alex, Andreas and Jasmine.

We drank tea boiled from the branches of the trees on the ranch.

And we slept under the stars. Life was good. Life was very good.

Our time on the ranch was jam-packed with lessons, collaboration and exploration. We learned about each other, we learned about our surroundings and we learned about ourselves.

We broke into groups, created mini research projects and set out to collect data; which we organized and presented to the class. 

We reflected on what we discovered and recorded our lessons in our journals. Sometimes we got a little help from the local fauna.

Everything we did was as a team. We all came with different strengths and were given so many opportunities to share what we knew with each other.  It is amazing how fun it is to teach and learn at the same time.

After our lessons were over, we were invited to find a way to give back to the ranch in our own small way. Some of us chose to assist in the harvest of Ejoton pods, which are ground and made into tea or serums that help support the immune system. Rafael offers it to many people who come to him seeking help with ailments.

The bushes were rather spikey, so it took some finesse to reach the pods without scraping your hands or dropping the pod out of reach. But, we stayed focused and picked as many as we possibly could.
Lily and I were quite pleased with our haul.

We also helped fill capsules that can be used to treat folks who were not well. We were happy helpers!

On our last morning at the ranch we hiked up the mesa before the sun came up. It was a hard climb, but oh so exhilarating. Everyone was panting and grinning. The view was simply amazing.

As usual, we explored along the way. Here is a barrel cactus that has been nibbled by a hungry animal. By looking at all of the available evidence, we deduced that only the bottom of the cactus was nibbled, because this was the only place where there were areas free from spines. Mmm, tasty.

We said our goodbyes and hit the road, heading for the coast.

The Trip that Changed My Life (Part 1 of 3)

I don't mean to overstate how amazing this trip was, but it was most definitely life changing. I will try my best to share my experience with you without detailing every amazing minute. It will be hard to decide what NOT to include.

The trip began at a hotel in San Diego. Twenty students and three instructors eagerly pile into two vans and head south. Along the way, we pick up two brothers who will spend the next 10 days sharing details of their beautiful country with us. Here is one quick shot of the scenery from the van.

GRAPES! Lily, one of my classmates, yells "Grapes" and Meghann, one of our instructors, quickly turns the lead van into the parking lot. We all pile out and peruse the fruit and nut selection. Yum!

After driving a bit farther, we take a break to make time for introductions. The class circles up in a park and shares their goals and intentions. This is when we first got to know the people we would soon be close friends with. We were invited to push ourselves outside our comfort zones and welcome the exhilaration of exploration. We (if most were like me) were all excited and also a little scared.

We drive farther south, stop for dinner and a good night's sleep. The next day had more driving and exploration in store. Our first stop was at a beautiful historic site containing paintings from the Cochimi; the indigenous people who once lived in this area, hunting and fishing.

There were paintings in all kinds of nooks and crannies; preserved best in areas where the sun does not reach.

We reflected on the lives of the people who lived here, off the land. We were invited to take some time to ourselves to reflect on this place and ourselves. I found a spot atop a boulder and perched, just outside my comfort zone, and scribbled excitedly in my journal. Our journey had begun.

Bring Out Your Dead!

If you have ever seen Monty Python's Holy Grail, you may recognize this post's title as a line from that movie. That scene replays in my head whenever I see this tree in bloom.

This flowering shrub is Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea) or Shadbush. The flowers come out very early in spring before this tree's or any other tree's leaves come out. In the absence of leaves, these flowers really standout in the forest.

The story goes that the name Serviceberry dates back to a time when the flowers were a sign that the mountain roads were once again passable and preachers could once again hold services. This would also be a time when the ground had thawed enough to dig graves for those who passed over the winter; and funeral services could be held.

I am not sure that is the actual origin of this species' common name. But, it helps me remember it!

The not-so-golden Golden Net-Winged Beetle

While out tearing down Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense), the non-native invasive shrub that has taken over the hillside, I came across this striking little beetle.

(Dictyoptera aurora)

Despite its bright red coloration, it is called a Golden-Net Winged Beetle (Dictyoptera aurora). The adults, like the one seen in the picture above, eat nectar and pollen. They are closely related to fireflies, but do not glow. Although they are rather wide-spread, this is the first one I have ever seen!

Raining Red Maple Blossoms

Red maples (Acer rubrum) have been blooming for a few weeks now. They buds burst open the same time the Hazel Alder catkins appeared.

 Suddenly, the flowers appear to be raining down. The paths are covered with these flowers!

Nature's red carpet.