Cabo Pulmo after the hurricane

Hola hola.

So we are back in Cabo Pulmo. Gordon (the owner of the house we are staying in) had arrived two hours before us. He knew about the hurricane, but couldn't get any detailed news, he couldn't reach any of his friends from the area (due to no phone and internet service in the hurricane area), so he decided to come and see what had happened to his house. In nine days he drove from south-eastern coast of Canada to southern Baja California.

Cabo Pulmo was lucky, didn't get direct hit of hurricane, everybody agrees, that they had expected stronger wind. But besides that the opinions of witnesses differ. According to some, the wind speed was 'only' in category 2, around 150 km (90 miles)/hour, other say, that it was stronger here than in La Paz and everybody had some damage. Based on what we've seen we think it was stronger and more damage in La Paz. Some palapas (roofs made of palm leaves) were little destroyed, the sea took a wall which was on the beach, trees lost many branches and leaves. On the beach Las Barracas next to Cabo Pulmo they even lost the whole beach. But otherwise everything seems ok, just some cleaning is needed. The biggest lost for them now is that there are very few tourists coming, so all the businesses are struggling (except palaperos and carpenters). First few days after the hurricane they were cut off the rest of the world, not having the phone service and arroyos (riverbeds) being full of running water, some of them across the road to La Ribera. They started to run out of drinking water and food, but the helicopters founded by government came and brought some supplies. The cob-houses we had helped to build, had some troubles too; parts of the plaster of the first one were washed away (we knew it needed more lime), the second one doesn't have roof yet and some parts of not plastered walls collapsed.

Gordon's palapa needs some repairs too, some of the palm leaves are broken (because the net covering the roof to protect the leaves, was old and torn) and the pergola in front of the house, made from wooden sticks, was blown down and now it's just pile of wooden sticks and splinters. Some parts of the inside walls are dirty because of water trickling through the holes in the roof. And some parts of leaves, which were supposed to be outside, are inside now. But in spite of that the roof is still holding pretty well, we've had some rain again and the water almost didn't get inside. These palapas are more durable than they look (and also more expensive, repair will cost almost 2,000 dollars.)

So now we are cleaning and working on the outside oven for Gordon (building this oven is our payment for the opportunity to live in his house). But working here now is not easy at all – it's too hot during the day and in the morning and evening the insects go crazy – mosquitos and “nosee'ems” - flies so small you can hardly see them, but smaller they are, more they bite. And, of course, “bobos” - small flies which like to go inside your eyes, ears and nose. And now this place looks like green jungle. Apparently the fastest growing plants on the Earth are the dessert ones – as soon as they get water.

On October 15^th we'll go back to La Paz, to take care of Jonn's house and dog once again.

All the best,

Barbora and Martin.

P.S.: While writing this e-mail I suddenly feel floor moving a little – probably small earthquake just happened. So many new things that we've never experienced in Europe :-)