Today was an early day. We woke up at 6:00 to be ready by 6:30 for a bird-watching adventure. Our casita host, Sharon, was kind enough to make us some breakfast burritos to-go, which were of course delicious. We were all packed, ready to go, and in the vans but as we were pulling out, Sharon spotted a flat tire. We filed out of the van to let Sylvia and Citlali, our fearless problem solvers, fix the flat. Instead of venturing out of Todos Santos to embark on our bird-watching excursion, we walked around the casita grounds, spotting bunches of white-tipped doves, hooded orioles and bullock's orioles.
After bird-watching we ventured on to our cliff hike. We drove to the last beach of Todos Santos, climbed over a mountain and ended up on a secluded beach. We followed Citlali up the side of the mountain, practically scaling it. The hike was supposed to be easy going, but we were warned that the first ten minutes would be kind of steep, similar to our hike from the other day. At the start of the hike we all looked up at the massive mountain and questioned if we were actually going to climb it. Citlali forged ahead, leading the way, saying the climb was known as "ten mexican minutes of torture." For your information, "ten mexican minutes" means a half hour. We made it past the first incline, embracing the breathtaking view at the top. The whole hike was filled with great views, the refreshing ocean breeze, and informative lectures of the desert vegetation. Also filled with songs by Beyonce, Stevie Wonder, and multiple disney movies... all sung by yours truly. We learned about the agave plant, used to make mezcla and tequila, and the aloe plant used to cure wounds and sunburns.
As we rounded the cliff, we could spot our destination, a secluded beach, surrounded by a luscious estuary. We celebrated and ran to the sandy beach, elated to see the ocean and know that we could "jump-in." At the beach we swam in the waves, enjoyed a delicious lunch, and sang more songs. After our time at the beach, we made our way back to the hotel to swim a little and shower, getting ready to work with the Hogar del Nino children.
We ended the day playing a round of "nature bingo" with the Hogar del Nino children, observing the estuary's ecosystem and identifying the wildlife in both English and Spanish! After bingo, we settled down around the bonfire, roasting weenies and mallows with the children and families of both Hogar del Nino and Palapa Society. We served the condiments for the hot dogs and marshmallows,making sure every child and family got enough to eat. The campfire was fun for everyone and a great way to end our time as community service volunteers. We are sad to leave the kids we have connected so well to but we are excited for our final adventures in La Paz, the capital of Baja!