Homeward Bound

Los Barriles: Where to start?
Paul and Renota’s casa was delightful, we enjoyed everything about staying two weeks there and Paul and Renota are such incredibly nice people. They had a great camping trip too and are hoping to set up the same arrangement next year. So are we!

The carburetor
Well, it just wasn’t working – ask Lorne for the details. When we were in LA we borrowed a carburetor and distributor from Miguel that he had lying around. When Lorne started up the motor home to get things organized to pick up the kids at the airport, go to Costco, and move to Casa Metta – it was spitting gas all over the place. So we found Oscar the mechanico – he and his assistant came, removed the carburetor, tried to fix it, returned it later but it wasn’t fixed, removed it again and disappeared for a day. We found out later that he went to La Paz to find the parts he needed for it. Here’s where it gets complicated, you’ll need to pay attention (or not bother reading this): When we were in LA at Miguel’s we sent our carburetor and distributor back to the mechanic in Ontario who remanufactured and installed them in September as they were faulty. Miguel installed a carburetor and distributor that he had lying around so we could continue our trip and the Ontario mechanic was going to mail it back to LA all repaired. We were planning on picking it up in LA when we passed north. Back to Oscar - So not locating Oscar and not having faith that he would be able to accomplish what we needed, Lorne arranged for Mike to bring ours down – Miguel couriered it to the Mariott at the airport in Seattle. Mike had a 3 hour lay over on his way down here so he picked up the remanufactured carburetor. How’s that for coordination – sometimes the courier service actually works – maybe they should work it into an ad? Oh and yes, Oscar did return from La Paz with the necessary parts to fix the carburetor, didn’t want any money, but of course Lorne insisted.

The kids
Since the motor home wasn’t going anywhere we arranged for Octavio – who lives in El Cardonel and runs a fleet of 6 or 7 vans employing all his brothers and possibly some cousins too – to pick me up, take me to Mega Store in San Jose del Cabo to pick up groceries and then to the airport to pick up Mike, Kate and the grandkids. He had us back out to Casa Metta in record time. Lorne drove Paul and Renota’s quad out in time for dinner, then went back to install the rebuilt carburetor that Mike had brought down with him and drove the motor home out in the morning.

We had such fun with the kids! The first night in the pool Tristan wore his life vest but by the last night he was doing handstands and swimming around under water like a fish. They couldn’t use the pool in the day time as there were hundreds of bees interested in the water. There is a hive nearby that is very attracted to the water and we had to collect many dead ones by dusk.

The kids had lots of fun collecting shells and rocks, walking the beach, feeding the neighbors dog cookies and doing some crafts and a bit of school work. Lindsay had to keep a journal every day in French – just a few sentences. Sometimes a challenge when one is only in grade one. We rented quads and we drove out the Buenas Aires arroyo to the big pools and water falls, very fun. All of us kids had great fun on the quads and playing in the beautiful water. It feels like such a luxury to swim in fresh water in the desert.

The eagle rays were springing in the air doing their spring time dance, several pods of dolphins leapt past, we saw a mother and baby grey whale pass by and then we had some mating – it takes three of them to complete the task. It requires one mature male to do the deed and a juvenile to hold her. I guess it is a bit awkward in the water without assistance.

The ten days the kids were with us whipped by in a flash, I was very sad to see them leave – they are just so precious. Oh and Mike and Kate were fun too…. They brought a great game with them so the adults played at night too and of course Mike made his yummy adult slushies.

It was so nice to be at Casa Metta in Rancho Pescadero – we have such great friends there with the neighbours and the house is just perfect for the kids.

In the midst of their visit Lorne developed a kidney stone that refused to deliver so he was in tremendous pain for many days and nights – the poor guy really suffers with these stones, this was his fourth. “Four too many” says Lorne. In addition his dad took a turn and he had to get out of his sick bed to fly back to Hamilton to make arrangements for him. He went to the doctor in Los Barriles and flew off fortified with some very heavy duty pain killers, crossing his fingers and toes the usual nausea and vomiting wouldn’t occur on the plane. I guess, like delivering a baby, if you haven’t done it or even watched it being done one would have no appreciation for how much pain is involved. Some doctors say it is more painful than delivering a baby and then all you have to show is a little stone a matter of millimetres in diameter! Lorne’s pain tolerance is normally very high and he was quite incapacitated. Sometimes they have to do surgery to remove these stones; Lorne has fallen just short of having that happen.

Fortunately Art has three very capable adult grandsons who live in Hamilton, one of which is a doctor so he was in good hands and was hospitalized by the time Lorne was able to get there. Nonetheless, Lorne had forms to fill out so Art could go into long term care once he is stabilized. Art had become quite disoriented and delirious; however, all the tests they have given him have turned up nothing so we still don’t know what’s wrong with him besides being 96 years old and his old body is wearing out. Art had a few very brief periods when he knew who Lorne was. This is a very sad time of life for Art and very difficult and stressful for Lorne to be so far away from his dad.

We had 4 days stay at our friends Bill and Julies housesitting and dog sitting for them. It is a beautiful house, I think the most beautiful on this beach. We got to dog sit too - Vicki - a lovely dog who immediately accepted us as part of her pack. I enjoyed wonderful long walks with her. There is just nothing like walking with a dog. She also likes to ride on the quad - her normal walks are a run on the beach or the arroyo leading the quad along. When her run is over she likes to ride home.

Soooo…. We have left Los Barriles and are driving north as quickly as we can get home given that the roads in Mexico are not so great – one should not drive in the dark on these ever and it is a very long ways in a very old vehicle. Lorne will be flying back to Hamilton once we get home, or else we will drive straight to Hamilton, depending on what’s happening with Art.