Whales!

The title of this post says it all.  In a couple of days I will be traveling to San Diego to join a Road Scholar trip to Baja California, Mexico, to see the gray whales.  Officially, the name of the tour is called 

"Mexico: The Great Gray Whale Migration and Baja’s Natural Wonders"

Although the ultimate goal is to watch the gray whales spending the winter on the Pacific coast of Baja California, the trip includes drives through the desert.  As with other Road Scholar tours it is intended to be an educational trip.  This is the first time I am traveling with Road Scholar although I received their emails regularly.  They have many tours of all varieties around the world.

Below is a summary of the 8-day trip:

Day 1: Arrival and Orientation

• Participants check in at the Courtyard by Marriott in San Diego, with luggage storage available until rooms are ready.
• Orientation includes registration, a welcome packet, and an overview of the program schedule, safety guidelines, and logistics.
• After lunch, the group visits the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Birch Aquarium for a lecture on whales, followed by a nature walk in La Jolla.
• Dinner is at a local restaurant, and the evening is for settling in and preparing for the next day. ​

Day 2: Entering Mexico and Scenic Drive ​

• After breakfast, participants check out and board a motorcoach to cross the border into Mexico, carrying all belongings. ​
• The journey includes a scenic drive along Mexican Federal Highway 1 to Ensenada, with a lunch stop at a private home. ​
• The afternoon features a drive through diverse landscapes to San Felipe, where participants check into a beachfront hotel and enjoy a seafood dinner.

Day 3: Sea of Cortes and Central Desert ​

• A pre-breakfast beach walk is offered before departing for Guerrero Negro, with stops at scenic viewpoints along the Sea of Cortes. ​
• Participants explore the Central Desert, learning about unique flora, including the boojum tree and giant cardons.
• After checking into the hotel, the evening includes a toast and socializing with fellow participants. ​

Day 4: Whale Watching at Scammon’s Lagoon

• Early morning check-out leads to whale watching excursions in Scammon’s Lagoon, with participants divided into small groups for panga boat rides. ​
• Lunch is a bag meal on the boats, followed by a return to the hotel for freshening up and a local beverage tasting before dinner.

Day 5: San Ignacio Lagoon and Town Exploration ​

• Participants travel to San Ignacio Lagoon for another whale watching experience, followed by lunch at an eco-camp. ​
• The afternoon includes a walking field trip to explore the town, visit a local home, and learn to make tortillas.

Day 6: Scammon’s Lagoon and Desert Walk ​

• After checking out, participants return to Scammon’s Lagoon for a final whale encounter. ​
• The afternoon drive to Cataviña includes a walk among unique desert flora, with a tequila tasting and traditional Mexican finger foods in the evening.

Day 7: Rock Art and Return to Ensenada

• An early morning walk precedes a visit to a cave with ancient rock art. ​
• The journey continues with a lunch stop at a historical restaurant, followed by a visit to a local museum.
• Participants arrive in Ensenada for a farewell dinner and toast, sharing experiences from the trip.

Day 8: Departure

• The program concludes with a morning departure from Ensenada, crossing back into San Diego. ​
• Participants are reminded to keep their passports handy and are provided with travel instructions for their onward journeys.

The tour starts and ends in San Diego, which is a very convenient for me.  Originally, I was planning to drive there and leave my car at the hotel.  But the hotel was going to charge me $30 a night to park my car there.  So flying becomes a cheaper and more convenient option.

Today this whale-watching trips are very common.  There are several companies that offer trips in the lagoons to get very close, even touching, the whales and their babies.  Here is a YouTube video posted by National Geographic Lindblad Expeditions of one of their trips:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mt52wGWn1yI

What's Next? Feedback and Comments Please!

I am taking a break from traveling and spending time in Phoenix and Flagstaff.  At this time of the year, in January, it's nice and warm in Phoenix.  So it's time for golf!  Most golf courses are crowded with tourists and winter visitors (aka snowbirds).  Getting a tee time at an 18-hole course is difficult and expensive.  Not only that, it takes about 5 hours to play an 18-hole round of golf.  In contrast, a 9-hole is perfect.  Less than 2 hours and time for lunch.

This is also ski season - at Snowbowl in Flagstaff, AZ.  It's about a 2-hour drive from Phoenix to Flagstaff and a 30-minute drive from my condominium to Snowbowl.  I buy a season pass every year that is good for skiing from Monday to Friday.  The ski season is short so I take advantage of it as much as I can.  Skiing helps me keep my balance and agility and sharpen my alertness.  Importantly, I "practice" falling as many older citizens hurt themselves from falling.  It's better to practice falling on snow than on concrete.

So far, I have 4 trips upcoming trips planned for 2026 - February/March to watch the Gray Whales in Baja California, a 40-day trip to China and Taiwan from April to June, a trip to Munich for Oktoberfest in September, followed by an OAT Trip to Sicily in October. 

I am most excited about the trip to China because I have not been there for almost 10 years.  I want to enjoy the food, culture and history, and leave out the politics.  For everything you find wrong in China, you can also find something wrong in the United States.  My travels in China start in Shanghai, then Huangshan, Suzhou, and Hangzhou.  Then I fly to Yunnan Province in the southwest part of China, going to Kunming, Dali, Shangri-la and Lijiang.  The next part of my tour takes me to Tibet, where I have always wanted to go.  In Tibet we start in Lhasa, the capital, then Shigatse and Everest Base Camp (EBC).  If you have been following my travels, my friends and I hike to EBC in Nepal in October 2018.  Now I will be going to the northern EBC in Tibet.  EBC is where mountaineers who want to hike to Mount Everest start their climb.  I finally end my China tour in Zhangjiajie.  This is where Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is located.

The China itinerary was put together by Eileen Wu of Asia Odyssey Travel (AOT). Then I fly to Taipei to join another AOT tour in Taiwan, but outside of Taipei, because I have been to Taipei recently but not other parts of the island.  I will finally end my trip by spending 3 leisure days on my own enjoying the food, sights and sounds of Taipei.

Feedback and Comments Please!

I have been writing this blog since 2010 when I went to Hanoi, Vietnam.  I thought I want to share my travel experience with friends and family and anyone who is interested in reading my blog.  I don't make any money but I find it enriching for myself and those who read it.  It makes me think about developing and telling a story, together with photographs, so that those who are not so fortunate to travel as much as I do, can share my experiences.  Some friends tell me they travel vicariously through me.

Over the years many people have followed and read this blog.  Who are you?  What do you think?  How can I make this better?  What places would you like to see me travel to?  If you can post your comments in the public comments section, that would be wonderful.  If you want to send your comments and feedbacks directly to me, you can send it to my email:    k.meng.tay@gmail.com

I may publish your comments in a post so that everyone can know what others are thinking.  I know this sounds like Facebook or Instagram but I stopped doing social media a few years ago, for various reasons.  It will be help me improve this blog if I know you, the readers, give me some feedback.

Thank you very much for reading!

Day 6 and Final Day of Caravan Tour - Ferry Across Gulf of Nicoya and Wildlife Viewing

This is the last leg of our trip.  We checked out of the hotel, hopped on our bus and rode for a little over 30 minutes to the ferry terminal.  We disembarked from the bus and walked to the ferry terminal.  Chieya (our driver) drove the bus onto the ferry.  We scattered around different parts of the ferry.  Some sat in the air-conditioned section at the lower level and some went upstairs and sat outdoors in shaded areas.  It was not hot so sitting outside was comfortable and you get a good view of what's going on.  The ferry ride was almost two hours.

Approaching the Ferry Terminal

Vehicles loading up onto the ferry

Outdoor sitting area

Leaving the Guanacaste Peninsula

More outdoor sitting space

A Snack Bar

A similar ferry going the opposite direction 

The air-conditioned space at the lower level

We finally approached the mainland and got on our bus again.

Lighthouse on the mainland

Vehicles are ready to drive off

Getting back on our bus

Our map location:

We are now in Puntaarenas and headed for the Tarcoles River for a wildlife cruise.  There are many groups here and this appears to be a popular activity in Costa Rica.  The river is adjacent to the Carara National Park and has many different types of wildlife in the mangrove forest.

Our location 

After a quick lunch we were ready for a slow cruise down the river.  Our boat captain and guide pointed out many species of birds and wildlife.

Boarding out boat

A similar cruise boat

Lazing by the river

Vultures waiting for their opportunity

Another crocodile

An unusual and beautiful flower

Difference between a crocodile, alligator and caiman

This is our final activity for the tour.  We drove another 2 hours to the Sheraton Four-Point Hotel in San Jose.  It is a different hotel from the one we started.  I suppose it's because this hotel is closer to the airport.  That night we have our real final farewell dinner.  Following dinner, Aaron surprised us by showing us a 15 minute video of our trip.  Because of its size I have to upload it to YouTube and then insert it into this blog.  Here is the link for the YouTube video:  https://youtu.be/Hy5jE8Q1Y0U

It was a great way to conclude a wonderful tour.

We have a couple of hours before our dinner so I decided to go to a nearby supermarket to buy some local Costa Rican coffee.  I asked for directions and it sounded nearby.  However, when I started walking I realized that there are no sidewalks.  It was rush-hour and the "sidewalk" that I could walk on was only about 12 inches wide.  I think most American would have a hard time walking along and crossing the streets.  Luckily, the locals are nice enough to allow me to cross whenever there is a break in the traffic.  

Like any coffee everywhere there are different qualities and different prices.  I asked the store manager and he recommended a coffee that he said is the best in Costa Rica.  It was about $17 for 300g, which came out to about $26 per pound.  I saw the same coffee at the airport and they were selling for $21 for 300g, or about $32 for a pound! 

Expensive CR specialty coffee

Reasonably priced CR coffee

In spite of its coffee producing heritage Costa Rica today is not even in the top 10 countries in the world.  The five biggest are:  Brazil, Vietnam (mostly Robusta coffee), Colombia, Ethiopia and Indonesia.  We were told that CR is focussing mainly on specialty coffee.

In the morning we were taken by a van to the airport, depending on your flight departure time.  It was a short ride to the airport.  As we go through security I looked up and saw the following sign.  It sums up what Costa Rica is all about:  Pura Vida!

Costa Rica is Pura Vida

Day 5 of Caravan Tour - Turtle Rescue

It is an off day for us, before we start heading back to San Jose the next day.  Our guide planned an outing for us to a Turtle Rescue Center about an hour away in a small town called Montezuma.  For those of us interested, we loaded up on our big bus and stopped at a small cafe so that we can use the restrooms.  We then drove another 10 minutes to town.  We did not walk around the town but there appears to be a few tourist shops.  Many cater to tourists and we saw other tourists wandering around the streets.

We then split into two groups so that we can fit into a small passenger van and drive about 5 minutes away to visit the Turtle Rescue Center.

Turtles are reptiles characterized by a hard shell over their bodies.  They move very slowly on land but in the water they can swim up to up to 30km/hr.  Turtles have been poached because most people see them as slow-moving animals and can easily be captured.  More importantly, people have been digging up their eggs for consumption or other purposes.  Animals and birds too, have been culprits of digging up turtle eggs.  Those swimming in the oceans face entanglements from fishing nets and other debris and swallow debris like plastic, that looks like food.  The overall turtle population has been declining.  Like all wildlife the turtle species have been threatened.

This site we are visiting in Montezuma is manned by two young Germans from Berlin.  They are on their Gap Year (between high school and college) and decided to volunteer for this project.  They are partially funded by the German government.  It is a great way for young people to do something worthy before going to college.  They learn so much working in a different environment and became worthy citizens.  I think more American kids should spend a gap year doing something worthy or travel to meet other people.  They mature so much when they are not constantly under the watchful eyes of their parents or teachers.

Young German volunteers 

Beach where they keep a lookout for turtles laying eggs

Sanctuary for the eggs to keep away from predators

Eggs are kept here until they are hatched

These are not turtles!

Decorations around the site

Beach facing the Pacific Ocean

You would miss this if you didn't know their mission

After returning from Montezuma we have some free time.  You can swim in the hotel pools (there are quite a few), go to the gym, get a massage, walk through the wildlife center again, or just laze around.  I decided to use the gym and after that laze around and do some packing.  I also took a dip in the ocean, just to say I swam in the Pacific Ocean in Costa Rica.

That night our group had a farewell dinner at their specialty steak restaurant.  It's a step up from the buffet restaurant and they served each individual his or her choice of cut of steak.  I ordered the ribeye medium-cooked.  It was edible and probably equivalent to steak you eat at a low-end steak restaurant.  The sides and desserts are of higher quality and the restaurant is quieter than the buffet restaurant.  It is the restaurant closest to the beach and probably the "Crown Jewel" of all their restaurants.

Day 4 of Caravan Tour - Macaws and Wildlife Hike

Barcelo Playa Tambor Hotel is an all-inclusive hotel.  This means you pay one price and everything is included - your room, meals, drinks (including alcoholic drinks), entertainment, recreation, etc.  It is a very big hotel and very popular among Costa Ricans.  We are staying here for 3 nights, which means we don't have to keep moving from hotel to hotel.  Caravan Tours has 3 groups staying at the hotel at the same time.

On its property is a wildlife center, where wild macaws come to roost.  On the first morning our guide, Aaron, took us on a tour of the wildlife center.  When he is not leading tours he is volunteering at a wildlife sanctuary.  This means he is very knowledgeable about all kinds of wildlife.  Macaws are long-tailed and colorful parrots that are found in South and Central America, Mexico and the Caribbeans.  We walked through this sanctuary and saw many wild macaws and some that are caged.  The ones that are caged are hybrids and will not survive on their own in the wild.  It was a fascinating lesson on macaws.

We also saw other wildlife in this sanctuary.

Here are pictures of other parts of the hotel:

This is the first time I have stayed at an all-inclusive hotels.  It's becoming very popular.  I see many that are advertised in the beaches of Mexico.  The beach at this hotel is part of the Pacific Ocean and even though there is a long beach there are very few people swimming in the ocean.  I dipped in the ocean a couple of times.  The water is warm unlike water in the Pacific Ocean in California.  It is too shallow to swim but the waves are strong.  

There is a downside to an all-inclusive hotel.  The meals are mostly buffet-style.  It means you have a lot of choices but you also have a lot of waste.  I talked to one of the restaurant workers (using Google Translate and my new Apple AirPod 3) and she told me that recycle the waste into compost and gave them or sell them to the farmers.  On our way to the hotel we passed by many melon fields.  I have bought golden melons from Costco that were grown in Costa Rica.  I did not see any pineapple fields even though most pineapples you buy at Costco come from Costa Rica (except in Hawaii).

There are a few specialty restaurants at the hotel.  You have to get up very early to make reservations because they are often sold out.  A family from California and I booked a table at the Japanese restaurant called Miyako.  We were very excited when we were able to reserve a table for six.  That night we dine at the restaurant expecting to eat Japanese food.  It looked like Japanese food but it tasted anything like sushi.   It was the worst Japanese food I ever had.

There are a lot of activities going around the hotel late into the night.  They are mostly for the locals.  Some are kids programs and the families seem to enjoy it very much.  Me?  I rather spend a quiet evening in my room - writing this blog.