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Honey to the moon and back
  • Mates on tour
  • Maria julia Nold
  • Mates on tour
  • Maria julia Nold

Honey to the moon and back

Reporting from our half year sabbatical and honeymoon to America with our converted van Ruedi... Since Colombia backpacking 🎒 Weiterlesen
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  • Honey to the moon and back

    Yellowstone National Park

    28. Oktober 2022 in den USA ⋅ ⛅ -3 °C

    We woke up cosy and warm in our bed but the air felt a little cooler than usual and when we started Ruedi it showed -14 degrees Celsius outside temperature ❄️
    But it didn't feel that cold and we were quickly on our way to the entrance of the world-famous Yellowstone National Park. There were some closures due to the floodings earlier this year and snow conditions, especially for the trails. But overall nothing major.

    Almost directly after the entrance there were plains with grazing bison, unbothered by the cars driving by and taking pictures. Then we hopped quickly out of our van to check out a rest area which offers nice views over the valley and the winding Madison River. One of the highlights is the geyser "Old Faithful" because it reliable breaks out every 90 minutes. We missed it closely so we went for a little walk through the nearby geyser hills and watched the different forms of bubbling and boiling water or mud in awe 😍 The geyser was really fun to watch but other features looked more interesting in my opinion.
    The next stop on our highlight tour was the Grand Prismatic Spring that we had previously seen close up on a boardwalk. But there is also a nice little trail leading up to a viewpoint offering a gorgeous view on the colours. The pictures aren't able to show the whole spectrum, color and playful fog of this natural wonder.
    The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone left us absolutely stunned, just because we didn't expect anything like this here. Especially the view from the Artist's viewpoint was breathtaking with all the colors and details carved into the walls. And the huge waterfall gave the perfect centerpiece.
    This National Park really has everything, even a large lake with little thermoactive springs next to it and a little trail overlooking all the way to the Grand Teton mountain range.

    For the evening we drove back to Old Faithful as there was an eruption of another geyser (Castle) scheduled but when we arrived it was pitch black dark and we almost stumbled over some bisons next to the trail 😅 So we canceled that plan but were luckily surprised to see Old Faithful erupting on our way back.

    Ultimately we "stealth" camped near a closed boat ramp in the beginning of the Grand Teton National Park.

    This has been an amazing, surreal experience to be here and see all of these iconic places first hand.    Weiterlesen

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  • Honey to the moon and back

    Grand Teton National Park

    29. Oktober 2022 in den USA ⋅ ⛅ -2 °C

    Another chilly morning (-15 degrees) was rewarded with the sunrise over the Grand Teton mountain range and a beautiful coloured rose sky.
    We made our way to the stops rather quick to get on the trail and warm up. But unfortunately most of the trails were already closed for the winter, so we stuck to the nonetheless pretty viewpoints. By mid morning the fog covered the whole mountain range and we found a little loop walk along Lake Jenny. Afterwards there wasn't much left of the park, so we drove the last bit to the Visitor Center to stock up on water and get a stamp in our National Parks Pass.

    We enjoyed the time in the park but unfortunately couldn't take advantage of the many hiking opportunities. This calls for a revisit in summer ☺️

    As we finished our time in the park earlier as expected we went back on the road in direction of Utah. Directly after leaving the park there were some cars stopped at the side of the road and that usually means: Wildlife! It was a moose laying down in the meadows. After about two hours the warning sign about the injection in Ruedi turned on again but went out again after a little while. We're hoping that it was just a little Halloween scare by Ruedi 🙈🧐

    On our way we made a short stop near Salt Lake City because that's where the first KFC was opened 😅 It wasn't that late and we decided to drive all the way to the Arches National Park to do some night photography. It did get pretty late and there weren't any proper camp spots anymore, but there was a parking and we paid the fee 🤷‍♂️ The photos turned out quite good and we enjoyed just laying there without freezing temperatures and watching the perfect night sky with lots of shooting stars ☄️🌠🌌 It was also the first official campground we stayed at and the first quite warm night...    Weiterlesen

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  • Honey to the moon and back

    Arches & Canyonland National Parks

    30. Oktober 2022 in den USA ⋅ ⛅ 0 °C

    Right after getting up we went to see the most famous and iconic arch, the Delicate Arch for sunrise. And we finished the 2 mile uphill just in time to see the first sunrays illuminating the arch. It's said to be better in sunset because the red color is more intense then. We loved the layers of red and orange and sat there a while. After a few lookouts we tackled a trail to Devil's Garden, approximately 4km one way trip with some elevation changes. It was pretty tough even with the moderate temperatures and the arches at the end of the trail weren't that spectacular. So we'd recommend to rather spend more time with the shorter trails like the Northern Window which were easily accessible and very picturesque.
    We did most of the viewpoints and shorter walks afterwards and by early afternoon we drove in direction of the visitor center. The beautiful courthouse rock formation is standing impressively tall next to the parkway. We stopped in the visitor center for a passport stamp and refill our water and then continued on to the Canyonlands Nation Park. Another option would've been Dead Horse Point, but that's a state park and (as far we understood) rather for mountain biking. There we took the parkway to see more arches and get an amazing view down over the valley. Another cool spot was a viewpoint to a probable meteor crater. We still had some time left before sunset and we used it to clean up and organize Ruedi a bit. In the meantime we cooked some pasta with pesto and then enjoyed it with a sunset and beer.
    Afterwards we drove a little while to the campgrounds at Natural Bridges National Monument, our first destination for tomorrow.    Weiterlesen

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  • Honey to the moon and back

    Capitol Reef & Bryce Canyon NP

    31. Oktober 2022 in den USA ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

    We woke up to a beautiful morning sky view out of the back of Ruedi. It was a pleasant temperature so I even prepared some coffee. The loop road was pretty short and we stopped at all viewpoints and did three short walks. The last natural bridge is impressively spanned across the canyon 🌉
    Next on our toady's agenda was the Capitol Reef National Park, the least visited of Utah's big five. But before we got there we were stunned by the beautiful scenic drive! Massive canyon formations as far as the eyes could see. The scenery was just breathtaking and it kept going (except for some plains) like this for more than two hours...

    The Capitol Reef National Park is not that big but has some unique features, like the fruit orchards and the beautiful canyon drive. It also offers some hikes but it was pretty hot and we wanted to reach our final stop for the day, the Bryce Canyon National Park. Similar to the Canyonlands it's on top of a plateau and has a parkway leading to the viewpoints and hikes.
    Once again we were surprised on the way there, first there was a sudden elevation change up to 2920 m (from 1400) on top of Mt Boulder and a beautiful overlook to Capitol Reef. Afterwards the street took us back down and into winding sharp turns within the canyons and narrow passages on top of ridges.
    At a turnout I spotted another Swiss license plate and we stopped for a quick exchange about each others travels and vans (they're having Ruedis bigger brother, Mellow).

    We reached the Bryce Canyon National Park with plenty of time left to do a little walk, check out some viewpoints and then see the sun set over the Hoodoos. And it was a magical experience seeing these unique features light up ember by the last sunrays. From the Sunset Point we took a little trail on switchbacks down to see the Hoodoos close up.

    Afterwards we drove a little while longer until we got a flat tire again almost near the stop for the night. So we changed it to the spare tire again and we will check if it can be fixed the next days.    Weiterlesen

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  • Honey to the moon and back

    Zion National Park

    1. November 2022 in den USA ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    Today we needed to get up even earlier than usual because the parking lot is often already full at 7 am. And by the time we arrived, 06:30, it was already busy with activity. All of the hikers getting ready for the hikes.
    The park is managed for the central part in a convenient shuttle system, running every 10 minutes. We had checked for the best hikes in Zion and "The Narrows" was among the best together with "Angels Landing", which has a chain and is pretty exposed. So we decided to go on the "strenuous" canyon walk up Virgin River. There was the possibility to rent equipment at the Visitor Center but we had decided that we'll try to do it with shorts and beach shoes. Despite being worried that it might be too cold (9 degrees water temperature) we got used to it pretty quick. We made it almost to the end (without falling into the water!) but decided to turn around when the obstacles got more and the walk on the slippery rocks got very technical. And we wanted to see more of the park besides this canyon. Overall we spent more than 4 hours in the river and the sandbanks next to it. When we got back we sat a while in the warm sun, reheating our frozen toes and having lunch.

    Next we did a little walk in the Zion Canyon leading up to three levels of emerald pools. It was a fun little walk with a beautiful view, especially in the lower emerald pool. The middle and upper ones are nice but not really worth the additional effort, also because the trail is very busy and you spend most of the time waiting for others to pass. We still couldn't get enough of the outlooks on the red striped canyon formations. Before heading off we went to the visitor center and stamped our passports and then drove back the way we came in the morning. And it was lucky that we did so because the drive and vistas were amazing, there was even a tunnel going through the red rock and we saw some bighorn sheep 🐏 !!

    We had checked in the visitor center where we'd go next and it made sense to go to the Grand Canyon before Las Vegas. Julia wanted to see the Horseshoe Bend and it was just a 2 hour drive away which means we should arrive by sunset. And it was perfectly timed, the light in the sunset was magical 🥰    Weiterlesen

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  • Honey to the moon and back

    Grand Canyon National Park & Route 66

    2. November 2022 in den USA ⋅ ☀️ 4 °C

    We took our sweet time in the morning and got a nice hot coffee for the one hour drive to the park entrance. It was a bit confusing as the time zone changed again but I think now we're set until we get back closer to the pacific. Right at the first viewpoint that we stopped were majestic wide, far and deep views over and into the Grand Canyon. But there was also a freezing cold wind that made it soon pretty uncomfortable.
    We continued to some more viewpoints before hopping on a shuttle (the road is only accesible like this) to the westernmost part of the park, Hermit's rest. From there we walked for about half an hour to hop back on the bus. We liked the park but compared to the others it was a bit confusing.

    After leaving the park we took the interstate west and soon afterwards changed on the Route 66 and it's "birthplace", a little town called Seligman until Kingman. There we visited a tire shop to get our tire fixed and it went quick and pretty cheap, so we were soon on our way to the Hoover Dam. But right before we reached it another tire blew 🙈 Luckily we had our spare again and we are getting pretty good at changing the tire. So 20 minutes later we were already back on the road to Las Vegas and it appeared 30 minutes later shining bright at the horizon. Our first stop was a tire shop but unfortunately this time the tire was completely wrecked so we needed to buy a new one.
    The employees at the shop were Mexicans, and were super nice to help us right before closing. They also gave us a little prayer 🙏 on the way for our travels.

    After that we needed to have dinner and there was even a In-n-out burger 🍔 which we wanted to check out because from what we heard it's really popular. And it really is amazing!! They only offer three types of burgers and it tastes delicious.

    Before going to bed we drove through the Las Vegas Strip which was chaotic and super slow but a real experience.    Weiterlesen

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  • Honey to the moon and back

    Las Vegas

    3. November 2022 in den USA ⋅ 🌙 9 °C

    We started our day with a breakfast at Denny's before visiting a thrift shop to drop off some stuff we didn't need anymore. Julia found some boots and I bought a shirt :)
    Then we drove a little bit to get to our hotel for the night, we had decided to go to one of the resorts, more specifically the Luxor hotel directly on the Las Vegas Strip. And we were lucky to get in the room already at 11:30am to relax and refresh ourselves before exploring the strip. This took us the whole afternoon and we went to gamble a bit in Caesars Palace. When I was in Las Vegas 6 years ago I didn't gamble but changed 10$ in jetons and brought them to Julia in Mexico with the promise that we'll go there someday together and play with them :) And Julia was actually very lucky with the slot machines and doubled what she started while I lost the same 😅

    Unfortunately none of the shows we'd like to see was playing this evening so we invested the winnings clever in a Luxor hotel shaped drink, made ourselves presentable and went back on the strip to see the fountain show at Bellagios 🍹In the evening we explored our hotel and then fell exhausted in our bed.    Weiterlesen

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  • Honey to the moon and back

    Death Valley National Park

    4. November 2022 in den USA ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    We made the most of our time in the hotel and slept in a bit. It was a fun experience staying in a hotel like this but it's not really our thing and next time we'll probably be in a motel again. After checking out we wanted to visit a diner for breakfast but the parking situation was frustrating so we left 😅
    And it also felt good leaving the city behind and driving into the calmth and serenity of nature, in this case the Death Valley National Park about two hours away from Las Vegas. It was supposed to be on the way but when we arrived at the visitor center they told us that the roads leading west and north are closed due to floodings. The detour will take another 4 hours so we had plenty of time to explore the valley. First we went to the Badwater basin, a salt plain stretching out far in between two mountain ranges. Also, the temperature there (around 20 degrees) felt like summer for the first time since going on the trip 🥰
    Afterwards we went on a short scenic drive named Artist's drive, winding through steep canyon walls and "splattered" with magnificent colours. The time went by pretty fast and we drove to a viewpoint (Dante's view) about 2000m above the salt plains we had been walking on earlier. We arrived there just in time for the beautiful sunset 🌇

    On our drive today we saw a coyote 🐺 and in the evening a kit fox 🦊    Weiterlesen

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  • Honey to the moon and back

    Sequoia National Park

    5. November 2022 in den USA ⋅ ☀️ 6 °C

    The drive from yesterday evening brought us up until about 2 hours before the park entrance which we reached shortly after 9 am. Unfortunately we were told there that we can't go through the whole park because for a part it's state law to carry snow chains. Even though the park ranger said that there is probably no snow on the roads in the afternoon anymore 🤷‍♂️
    But it wasn't a big deal, it just meant that we wouldn't be driving to Kings Canyon National Park (wasn't planned initially anyway). So we drove an hour up a winding, steep and narrow road to the rainforest section. I was surprised to see that those gigantic trees are growing in about 2000m above sea level because I thought that the soil isn't that supportive in higher elevation. The sight of these mighty trees left us stunned at first sight.
    All the pictures and videos aren't able to showcase the true extension and sheer size of the sequoia trees. We spent the rest of the morning and into the afternoon walking the snowy paths leading deep through the Giant Tree Groves.    Weiterlesen

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  • Honey to the moon and back

    Yosemite National Park

    6. November 2022 in den USA ⋅ 🌧 6 °C

    We thought we got up early but it was just because of the daylight savings time 😂 But it was raining so we took our sweet time to get up and prepare a breakfast. We've had a great spot for the night, quiet and even with Wifi. Next to us was a big campervan from Switzerland but we didn't have the chance to talk.
    It was raining all the way up to Yosemite National Park and the Yosemite Valley was covered in a deep fog. Some roads had already been closed due to winter conditions and a snow storm was forecasted for the late afternoon/night. We skipped the first viewpoints as there was nothing to see at the time and went to the visitor center to check for recommended walks. The first one we did was a 6km loop to Mirror Lake which was completely dry due to the season and merely a meadow. But the walk itself was nice 🙂
    The second was a similarly long walk up to Vernon Falls which features scenic views over the valley. The views of the falls were okay but the valley was still in fog. But on the way back we saw the highlight of the day, a bobcat!! A couple before us had seen it and we observed it for about half an hour, fascinated by this elusive feline. It wasn't bothered by our presence and was on the lookout for a squirrel shaped snack while cleaning itself 🐈🫶
    By the time we were leaving the park the clouds gave us some glimpses of the famous El Capitan rock face and the surrounding valley. A well deserved treat after a day of walking in rain and with meager views 😁

    For the night we drove down to the valley in direction of Napa Valley.    Weiterlesen

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  • Honey to the moon and back

    Napa Valley & San Francisco

    7. November 2022 in den USA ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    We had plenty of time in the morning so we wanted to check out the Napa Valley Trail buuut after about 10 minutes searching I gave up frustrated finding a park spot 🤷‍♂️🥲 So we used the time to organize our things in the van and get a coffee, actually the first one in our trip from Starbucks. And it was pretty awful 😅 The filter coffees from the gas stations have a better and more intense taste!
    Then it was time for our appointment at William Hill for a wine tasting overlooking the vineyards. At night it had been raining and storming, but by the time we arrived at the winery the sun broke through the clouds and it was even a little bit warm. The wine tasting was fun and the wines were pretty good but with the cheapest bottle being at least 50€ and the border crossing ahead we didn't want to take any with us. From there it was just an hour drive to our second major stop for the day, San Francisco.

    I've been here 6 years ago but this time my impression was so much better. First we spent some time at a viewpoint overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge, the city and Alcatraz. I haven't been there before and we were even lucky enough to see the bridge without any fog. Afterwards we parked at Ghirardelli Plaza and then explored the city. We did all the things you need to do except for riding the tram because it was too crowded. At the Fisherman's Wharf we got a tomato soup in a sourdough bread and watched the sea lions 🥰

    In the evening we drove further South and ended up close to Bakersfield where we had spent the night after visiting the Death Valley National Park.    Weiterlesen

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  • Honey to the moon and back

    Los Angeles

    8. November 2022 in den USA ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    It started raining quite heavily at night at our spot for the night about one hour before Los Angeles. The precipitation also said that there will be more rain coming today but that can change 😅 So we made our way to the trailhead near the LA hills with the Hollywood sign. The trail is more than 10k with quite the elevation but a slow elevation change so we were up at the sign within an hour and by the time we arrived there the fog had cleared and we got great views over the city. Afterwards we went to see the famous Walk of Fame at the Hollywood Blvd. together mit the Dolby and Chinese Theaters. The weather was still nice and it wasn't as crowed as we were expecting, so we had a nice time strolling along the boulevard and spotting famous names. We did a little driving tour around Beverly hills and the most famous avenues.
    Then we took a look at some art expositions at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and finally we made our way to the famous Santa Monica Pier. It was nice for a bit, then it started pouring down, so we decided to grab lunch at one of the pier`s restaurants. It stopped raining, so we went to our last stop on LA, the Venice beach sign. After a photoshoot with Ruedi and the sign, we made our way out of the city, with the hope that we'll beat the rush hour, but LA never rests, so we drove through the traffic for a couple hours in direction of one of our last stops in this USA chapter: Joshua Tree National Park.

    The weather was overall pretty intense today, when we left LA there was a flash flood warning for the area and then heavy rain and storms on the drive. So we were rocked to sleep by strong wind gusts on Ruedi.    Weiterlesen

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  • Honey to the moon and back

    Joshua Tree National Park

    9. November 2022 in den USA ⋅ ☀️ 6 °C

    The wind and rain had settled during the night and we woke up to a sunny day with just a gentle breeze, so perfect weather for our trip to Joshua Tree National Park. It was just a 15 minute drive to the visitor center where we informed us on closures (there are none!) and nice little walks. Already on our way to the visitor center we had seen some of the iconic Joshua trees and after the entrance they were in abundance.
    We did some interpretative walks among them and it was interesting to see how they shape and keep the distance from each other. There were also extensive explanations on other flora and fauna inhabiting this part of the Mojave desert. One stop had an amazing view down over the Coachella valley and the mountain ranges already bordering closely to Mexico. We spent the whole day in the park and stopped on the way out at the Cacti Gardens consisting of uncountable cacti beautifully and naturally arranged.
    After leaving the park in direction of Imperial, a border town, we somehow managed to end up on a very scenic drive on a road winding through the canyon floor. For our last night in the US we drove closer to the border.

    This is a good time to recap our USA trip... First some plain facts:
    - 16 days
    - 11 National Parks
    - 2 National Monuments
    - 2 flat tires (damn you Arizona!)
    - Countless scenic drives
    - 8000 km with Ruedi
    - No roadkills caused
    - Around 35$ in gambling loss
    - Lotsss of burgers & friessss ☺️🍔🍔🍟🍟🍟
    - Wildlife!! 🐏🦊🐈🐭🐰🦬🐿️🦆🐾

    Even though it was a pretty quick fly through we enjoyed the time we could spend on the West Coast very much. We both hadn't been here a lot so it was amazing to experience this changing scenery together. There are a few spots we had missed (some because of winter closures) so we might come back again ☺️    Weiterlesen

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  • Honey to the moon and back

    Rosarito

    10. November 2022 in Mexiko ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    We had somehow managed to end up in a little mountainous area where the temperature dropped down to 0 degrees during the night. So we got up at 06:30 to a frozen windshield and cold wind.
    But that couldn't keep us from driving the remaining hour to the Mexican border. We had informed us a bit upfront what we need and how the procedure works. After parking and walking up to the border I got my visa quickly but we couldn't go back and get Ruedi 🥲 A US border patrol said that he saw us crossing but we're not allowed to go walk back there but need to use the proper way 🙈 So it took us half an hour to be back at Ruedi and to be able to take him across the border. The process was pretty chaotic but after about 1 1/2 hours completed and we were on our way to Rosarito, a quaint little beach town not very far from the border.

    BIENVENIDO A MÉXICO 🇲🇽

    And we had planned to spend some time at the beach but there was an intense storm that made even just walking on the sand uncomfortable. So we just walked a few steps (dipping a toe in the water) and then went to grab lunch. There was sooo much I wanted to try but decided on scrambled eggs with a local speciality meat( huevos con machaca). And it was delicious! I can't wait to try more... The temperatures are rising now pretty fast, we had over 20 degrees today!

    Afterwards we decided to cross Baja California to the eastern side because there are some spots we want to check out. We didn't expect anything from the way there so we were surprised by beautiful hills, endless cacti gardens and an interesting red/green coloured landscape.

    For the night we drove further South along the coast to a campsite.    Weiterlesen

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  • Honey to the moon and back

    Santa Rosalía

    11. November 2022 in Mexiko ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    In the morning we talked a bit with the owner of the place where we parked for the night. The original owner, Coco, who originally founded the place called "Coco's Corner" had died in August. He had offered travellers to stay there for decades.
    After a short drive we stopped at a lovely little restaurant that was completely full already at 07:30 in the morning. It seemed like a popular spot for the truckers inmidst the desert, the inside was completely made of wood. Even the tortilleras were wooden 🥰 We ordered some classic Mexican breakfast (Huevos rancheros) and it was absolutely delicious!

    Afterwards we made our way down crisscrossing the Baja peninsula. And realized that we need to adjust our travel estimations here, a 350km drive took us almost 5 hours... They were redoing the Highway 1, which goes along north to south of Baja California Norte and Sur. So we had many deviations with sandy and unpaved roads, luckily no tire victims this time 🍀. But we arrived in Santa Rosalia in the afternoon (back into another timezone when we crossed from Baja California Norte to Baja California Sur) with enough time to explore the town center and beach. The town is small, pretty and quite green. We walked a bit around and bought some pastries that the region and bakery is famous for. It was pretty good but a little dry so we saved it for tomorrow mornings coffee. Then we checked out a hotel nearby because they're supposed to be quite cheap currently in the off season. And the price was okay, besides we haven't had internet the last two days and needed to do some planning for our trip.

    The hotel "Las casitas" (the little houses) is really cute with cosy fully equipped rooms and ocean views. Unfortunately it was very windy so we didn't go down to the beach but instead had a great dinner at a local taco shop. Afterwards we grabbed some beers, relaxed on the porch and planned our next steps.    Weiterlesen

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  • Honey to the moon and back

    Todos Santos

    12. November 2022 in Mexiko ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    We were woken up quite early by our noisy neighbors and then excitedly made our way to Coco Beach, about an hour South. It is one of the most beautiful beaches and surroundings I have ever seen. Crystal clear waters in a secluded bay, the intense white sand in contrast to the clear blue sky 😍
    We spent some time swimming, sun bathing and walking along the beach. Just enjoying all of that...

    There were some more beaches coming up but we wanted to see Loreto, one of Mexicos "pueblos mágicos" (magic towns). Our navigation system led us right through the old city center and we were in awe by the beautiful town center with the town square, city hall and church in the colonial style. Besides these renovated buildings the whole area is pedestrian only, perfectly clean and beautifully detailed decorated. We took our sweet time strolling through the whole town up until the beachfront which opened up to a large bay. But because of that there was also a pretty strong wind blowing. The beach right next to town wasn't very pretty but it had turtle nests 🐢 The taco leftovers from yesterday evening made a great brunch right next to the sea before we proceeded further South.

    We arrived in a little town named Todos Santos shortly after sunset, which was a lucky coincidence because there was some kind of party going on at a hotel today. There was live music, several food stalls, cocktails and wine tastings.    Weiterlesen

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  • Honey to the moon and back
    11

    Los Cabos

    13. November 2022 in Mexiko ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Waking up to the sound of waves and the view of palm trees is the stuff of dreams 🥰 Right afterwards we took a swim in the beautiful clear (and quite warm) water while watching the surfers catching waves. Then we took a little walk along the beach and encountered a tiny little turtle struggling to get back into the water. We watched it a little while until it succeeded 🫶🐢 The spot we spent the night consistent mainly of surfers and had generally a relaxed and laid-back vibe.
    Then we drove another hour to Cabo San Lucas, a vacation hotspot on the southernmost tip of Baja California. We've heard a bit on the way (mainly by policemen and soldiers at checkpoints) that it's very touristy. But when we arrived it didn't feel that bad, the people are quite spread out and even at the tourist hotspots you could find a bit of calmth. We took a little boat tour to these hotspots: An arch and a little beach called Love Beach, where we spent an hour swimming in the perfect sea and sun bathing.

    The next stop was at San José de Cabo, the so-called elegant twin because of the old city. We spent an hour exploring the old city which was really beautiful. Once again the zócalo (main square) with the church and city hall painted a beautiful picture. Also the surrounding blocks with little art shops fit right into the picture.

    Our last stop for the day took some consideration because the road to get to Cabo Pulmo goes for more than 10km on an unpaved road. But we ultimately decided to give it a try and even though Ruedi had a tough time, he managed it perfectly. We found a free camp spot right by the beach on a stony flat area.
    The exhausting drive had made us hungry, so we walked on the beach to "town". It consists of two dirt roads, three restaurants and bars and one general store (water and chips). Besides that, there are around 10 dive and snorkel shops offering tours to the nearby coral reef. We talked to some and going to see if we get a spot tomorrow morning.

    After an amazing dinner with a beautiful sunset we went back to Ruedi to get some rest.    Weiterlesen

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  • Honey to the moon and back
    2

    Cabo Pulmo

    14. November 2022 in Mexiko ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    We've had a beautiful morning at our beach parking spot and prepared some coffee for breakfast. Then we went into town to see if we can get a snorkel tour in the morning. And after a few shops we got lucky, a couple from Alaska just arrived and they were also looking for a tour. So after half an hour we were all set and headed out to overall 4 spots, each with around 30 minutes. The water is crystal clear and there is a huge variety of colourful fishes 🐠🐡🪸🐟 It is a bit too early to see grey whales but maybe we'll get a chance further South. The snorkel instructor pointed to a bull shark 🦈 close by but we were too slow to see it. But we saw a few turtles 🐢 and sea lions 🦭. It was a fun, exciting guided tour and the town is very inviting (despite the difficult drive).

    Then we made our way to La Paz, the capital of Baja California Sur, to make arrangements for the ferry transport to the Mexican mainland. The drive was pretty scenic winding through mountains and little villages. The city isn't that big and navigating through the traffic was pretty relaxed. Also the booking process was done very quick, so we had time to get something to eat and then explore the city's highlights. I've finally tried ceviche (raw fish and seafood that is "cooked" by the acidic lemon juice) and it was great!
    We walked along the beautiful made waterfront stretching for kilometers and enjoyed the warm weather. There are a lot of sculptures along the way inviting to read. After a quick stop at the hotel for a shower we went to a bar for drinks, snacks and seeing a bit of the nightlife.    Weiterlesen

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  • Honey to the moon and back

    La Paz

    15. November 2022 in Mexiko ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    After checking out of the hotel at 07:30 we drove North to the most famous beach of La Paz, Playa Balandra. The amount of people that are allowed to visit is limited and it fills up very quickly, so we were there already shortly before 8 when it opens. First there was a short walk up to a viewpoint overlooking the secluded shallow bay. From there you could also see the iconic Mushroom Rock, a balancing rock which we later read that it's man-made because the original broke 20 years ago 🙈 We still walked up close to it but didn't want to wait in (a surprisingly long) line for a quite unimpressive rock 😁
    So we rather spent our time at the beautiful clear beach even though it was quite cloudy.

    After a little breakfast next to the beach we drove to Pichilingue, the ferry terminal north of La Paz. We were told to be there 3 hours ahead of the departure and even though it went pretty smooth we needed to wait then for 2 hours 😅 But it wasn't like we had something else to do 🤷‍♂️ At least there was a lunch waiting for us after boarding and we left Baja California almost on time.
    The 8 hour ferry ride was a bit uncomfortable but uneventful and the disembarking went quicker than expected, so we were soon at our spot for the night.    Weiterlesen

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  • Honey to the moon and back

    Los Mochis

    16. November 2022 in Mexiko ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    We set our alarm to 5:30 because we had a big day ahead of us... The next stop is in the mountainous area of Chihuahua, called "La Sierra'. Even though it was just about 400km, the time estimate was more than 9 hours. The first part was on toll roads and two lane highways until it reaches the Sierra. There the roads are narrow, winding with steep slopes.
    The last 80km there started appearing large and particularly deep potholes more often and we could only drive 30 km/h at best. But the scenery was absolutely gorgeous 🥰
    Another reason why we started early was to avoid driving at night with these road conditions and there had been reports the area isn't that safe recently due to cartel activities. At a nearby town, Creel, which we had visited 6 years ago, it is recommended to not go out at night. So far anywhere we went felt pretty safe so were not worried. On the other hand it's better to be safe than sorry... And it also matches with our plans, so we stayed in a little town called Basaseachi for the night at a hotel.

    We had wanted to get some cash at the ATM but both in town were empty. Luckily the hotel and the restaurants accepted credit card 😅 I've tried something new there, Quesicarne de Arrachera Especial. Like a quesadilla but additionally to the cheese also with specially seasoned steak pieces inside. We relaxed with some Mexican sweets in the hotel before going to sleep 💤    Weiterlesen

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  • Honey to the moon and back

    Parque Nacional Cascada de Basaseachi

    17. November 2022 in Mexiko ⋅ ☀️ 7 °C

    We wanted to get up early to see the highest single drop waterfall in North America buuut when we got up at 06:30 it was still dark and the temperatures freezing. So we took it slow and prepared a breakfast coffee before driving to the parking lot of the waterfalls. The temperature was still just around 6 degrees when we walked to the first, easiest and most accessible viewpoint, right on top of the falls. This is an uncommon way to see a waterfall, so very interesting and exciting!
    From there we continued first up to the second viewpoint "La ventana", offering the first full view of the waterfall. Despite being a little low on water (normal for the season) it was an impressive sight. You can follow the falling water down from top to bottom for more than 200 metres. The last 1.7km of the trail lead steep down right to the small lake bottom of the waterfall. But from there you had the best view up and right to the place you've been standing before looking down. The sun painted a beautiful rainbow into the mist of the Basaseachi waterfall 🌈

    Afterwards we drove about an hour to a small village before Cuahutemoc where the family of Julia's father comes from. We visited some of her aunts, uncles and a cousin. It was really nice to see her connect with her family after not having seen them in years. They were all super nice and made various typical Mexican foods for us 🥰

    Before it got dark we drove to Julia's home in Chihuahua where her mom and dad were waiting for us. We spent the whole evening chatting and then made a little tour through the van. Before going to bed we emptied the van pretty much to sort out our things and bring it to a overdue service tomorrow.    Weiterlesen

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  • Honey to the moon and back
    2

    Chihuahua

    18. November 2022 in Mexiko ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    We tried to sleep in but woke up to our usual schedule around 6:30. So we started sorting out our stuff, washing clothes and dishes. Then we had a great Mexican breakfast with Tamales (Rojo & Verde), Frijolitos and a special drink called Champurrado.
    Afterwards we got ready and then bought motor oil for Ruedi (he's very needy and thirsty 😅). Unfortunately we and the store clerk couldn't find the right oil filter in their system... And the one for 1.9 Diesel didn't look correct, therefore we chatted up our friend Ben in Canada. He sent us the info on the original filter and the numbers used in other systems (Renault, Vauxhall, Nissan). Then we left Ruedi at the mechanic with the things that should be looked into: Oil change, a broken light, the windshield wiper fluid and a little issue with the acceleration (let's hope it's not the turbocharger again 🙈).

    Then we went to lunch at an Italian restaurant which had a great salad and a delicious Pizza Diavolo!

    In the evening we spent time with the family, tacos and a cake for my birthday ☺️❤️    Weiterlesen

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  • Honey to the moon and back

    Chihuahua II

    19. November 2022 in Mexiko ⋅ ⛅ 4 °C

    My birthday started relaxed with sleeping in a bit and then a delicious Mexican breakfast 🥰 Afterwards Julia had an appointment while I enjoyed the sun, read the birthday messages and got stung by a wasp 😁 Luckily it wasn't that bad but I immediately cooled it and also put garlic onto the sting site.
    In the afternoon we had lunch at a Lebanese restaurant, the rare occasion of several different vegetarian choices since we're in Mexico.

    For the evening we got ready and dressed up a bit for the 60th birthday celebration of Julia's uncle. It was a big surprise party with around 100 guests. I've met a lot more new family members, tried new foods and drinks. It was a fun night with some dancing and a Mariachi band 🥳    Weiterlesen

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  • Honey to the moon and back

    Más de Chihuahua

    22. November 2022 in Mexiko ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    On Sunday we finally managed to properly sleep in 💤 And then met up with a childhood friend of Julia for brunch. It was nice to see her again and catch up 😊 Later we went to church and then the movies to see "The menu".

    Monday was a public holiday (actually Sunday) to celebrate the Independence of Mexico. But luckily our mechanic worked and we picked up Ruedi with changed oil, a working backlight and windscreen fluid 🥰 Unfortunately he wasn't able to get the air filter and diesel filter but he said that they should be good for another few thousand kilometers. For the brakes we'll have to go to another place the next day. Carmen, Julia's sister, took us to a big park next to her former university where we had a great time chatting and walking around a little lake. In the evening we visited an aunt until pretty late.

    Right in the morning on Tuesday we dropped off the van at a mechanic specialized on brakes. When we got home we watched the second half of the Mexico match against Poland. After just about 2 hours we could pick up Ruedi with completely fixed brakes and it felt soooo much better 😅 Then we made a quick stop at a Renault car dealership to figure out how to get the missing filters. We could do it there but the shipping of the necessary parts (filters) takes about 5 working days, which would've meant more than a week more. Also they didn't have any open appointments, so we decided to drive further and closer to the main center in Toluca.
    Afterwards we started packing our sorted stuff back into the van and filled the water system. The first test ended up in water all over 🙈🥲 So we spent about two hours fixing the hoses and testing. Ultimately it worked at least 😅    Weiterlesen

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  • Honey to the moon and back

    Durango

    23. November 2022 in Mexiko ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    We woke up early to finish packing up and hitting the road. But it all took longer than planned and we enjoyed our last breakfast together before continuing our roadtrip. They all cared so well for us and it felt weird to leave again but there's so much more to see on our way. And we know that we'll be back soon 😊
    The shop of Julia's dad was on the way to Durango and we stopped by to say bye to him and Carmen.

    Then we we were on our way back South in direction of Durango (state and city). The roads were pretty good and we got some beautiful views of the mountains of Sierra Durango. It got dark already around 7 but we kept going until 9. For the night we found a spot near the highway leading to Mazatlan where we want to spend the day tomorrow.    Weiterlesen

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