“Are you coming back out?” I heard our neighbor (who we had not met) say to Pete as he was reentering our camper.
Pete apprehensively: “Uh...... I'll be coming and going”
Neighbor: “Well good! Because I want to know what the hell you guys are doing!”
We are camped at an RV park filled with mostly year long residents, having found one of the only sites that doesn't contain a permanent structure. "Oh no".... I think to myself. These will be our first unfriendly neighbors, so of course I hide inside and let Pete deal with it. After several minutes of trying to eves drop I realize that I must eventually get this meeting over with since we are only separated by a 5 foot wooden wall.
As I exit the camper I see Pete standing with a gray bearded man and a sweet looking woman. “Let me tell you what these idiots are doing!” I hear the man say to his wife. As soon as I hear this and see the expression on his face I realize this guy's not unfriendly, he's got a brusk straight forward sense of humor and I instantly like him. Turns out, Sherry and Ron, Coloradans who winter in Loreto, will be the highlight of our stop here.
Loreto was lovely. More touristy than the rest of the Baja Peninsula we had visited, but we didn't mind. Touristy meant coffee shops with flaky pastries, the best fish tacos yet and an immaculate malecón and beach.
The small town square was filled with precisely pruned trees, a 300 year old misión, a variety of restaurants, stores selling brightly colored souvenirs, street musicians and probably our favorite, a brewery that made a tasty IPA.
The square was surrounded by beautiful Spanish Colonial style homes with wooden windows. All within a 5 minute walk of our camper.
Over the next few days Ron, Sherry and Marsha (another resident) would give us the down low on all the social happenings and best restaurants in town. They would take us to a clam buffet with live Cuban music and two football games showing on a big screen (probably the highlight of Pete's week).
The conversation was easy and enjoyable as if we had know each other for a while. Even though we invaded their home and space, they were incredibly welcoming; even patiently enduring the spats Malta and Carly (their labrador) had.
Thanks Ron and Sherry. We had a blast. You two are cool cats. We miss you and hope to see you again in Colorado, Tennessee or better yet Loreto!