Nature in HD

Check out this cool perspective on the recent Sandy River flood up in Oregon by Tyler Malay and Alexandra Erickson "Nature’s torrent rendered beautiful with a Canon 60d and Canon 7d…"


Source: Open Culture


Also, this is a neat little collection of timelapses shot by Mike Flores in Baja California:

Baja California Timelapses from Mike Flores on Vimeo.

Source: Thanks, Armando!

Backpacker's Guide to Mexico's Michoacán Coast

While living in the neighbouring state of Jalisco for a couple of years, I was lucky enough to discover some of the hidden treasures in Michoacán - majestic colonial mountain towns, beautiful little villages, and some of my favourite beaches in the country. That's why I was excited to come across this incredibly in-depth guide, called Backpacking the Coast of Michoacán.

This site has photos, maps, tips, and every other piece of information you could possibly want if you were heading to the area. The author is clearly very familiar with the subject, and he even describes some of the recent political history of some sites. So head down there, take some photos, and report back!

Baja Trek's Vegetarian Pozole Recipe

Photo Credit: Eliza Wilmott

I'm posting this recipe by popular request from our recent trekkers! As I always say, the beauty is in the garnishes... Enjoy!

Vegetarian Pozole (serves 20)

Soup base:
-4 pounds cooked hominy
-2 cans pinto beans (or other kinds!)
-8 quarts water (with 2 vegetable bouillon cubes)
-1 whole head garlic
-1 whole onion, sliced
-4-8 dried red chilies (pasilla, ancho, guajillo, or any combination)
-4 Tbsp olive oil
-2 tsp oregano
-Two 14-oz cans of chopped tomatoes
-coriander, cumin, salt & pepper to taste

Garnishes:
-2 red onions, chopped
-1 pound radishes, sliced
-1 head of cabbage
-60 tostadas
-½ cup dried oregano
-½ cup chile pequin
-10 limes in wedges
-1/2 lb cotija cheese (or queso fresco)

Instructions:
Saute onions and garlic in olive oil in the bottom of a large pot.
Add the water/broth as well as the hominy, pinto beans, chile peppers (remove seeds and stems when soft) and tomatoes and simmer for 2 hours in large pot.
Add oregano and other spices and cook another hour.
Prepare garnishes. Serve soup in individual bowls & invite guests to add their own garnishes.

Excellent with freshly-picked mussels and grilled cheese sandwiches on the side!

Upcoming Trek: Jan 29 - Feb 6 Whale Scouter

Quit your jobs! Take vacation! Dig the sunscreen out of the closet! It's time for that once-a-year chance to see the migrating California Gray Whales at their breeding grounds in sunny Baja California!

Join us on board the bus for our 9-day Whale Scouter Trek.  We're going South along the Pacific coast as far as Laguna Ojo de Liebre, about halfway down the peninsula. It's a famous whale-watching spot, and with good reason!  Along the way, we'll make stops at some of our favorite beaches and towns, get our fill of fish tacos, and cook up some delicious camp meals too.  From bonfires to starry night skies, we can pretty much guarantee that you won't want to go home when the trip is up.

To sign up, just fill out a booking form here: http://bajatrek.com/book-a-trek.htm

Hope to see you on board!

The Travel Film Archive

"See the world the way it was" at the Travel Film Archive's Youtube channel. They've got all kinds of excellent old videos from around the world, including ones from as far back as the 1920's. Check out Mexico - This Land of Ours, from 1947. Be careful though, it might make you wish you had a time machine and could see all of these places while they were still a little more undiscovered...