Just when it seemed that everyone aboard had found their sea legs overnight it was time for a day on land highlighted by an ecumenical tour of the nearby Jesuit missions. Leaving our faithful ship and crew safely secured at the dock in Puerto Escondido, we embarked into our convoy of white vans and took the serpentine, yet supremely scenic road high into the Sierra de la Gigantes (The Giantess) to the small village of San Javier. The mission there has been built in a veritable oasis, tucked below towering desert plateaus and surrounded by lush green grove of centuries old olive trees. Xantus’ humming birds zipped down walking trails flanked by date palms, weaving a precise flight plan through hikers seemingly unsteady on now unfamiliar solid ground.
With our mission (viewing) accomplished, we took once more to our terrestrial transportation and made our meandering way to the port town of Loreto, where a sumptuous lunch awaited us. Afterward for those among us less chronologically inclined, there was a special treat for dessert, provided one could make the order in Spanish, at the local ice cream store. Fortunately naturalist William Lopez was on hand to teach some extremely earnest new students! To satisfy more cultural appetites, the Mission de Nuestra Señora, founded in 1697, happened to be right around the corner and served as an excellent rally point for everyone to coalesce before heading back to the ship for a well-earned siesta. Back on board with the gentle hum of generators and the slight rocking of the ship to calm the nerves order was restored. Cocktail hour, then Recap, followed by a delicious Christmas Eve dinner, although there may have been a piñata instead of a Yule log afterwards…
