People taking kayaking trips should understand that they can be somewhat strenuous. The next morning, after waiting twenty minutes for my breakfast at a small outdoor café across town, I had to sprint a mile with a tummy full of chorizo and eggs to catch tour van from hotel. I think it was toughest part of trip. Many restaurateurs here seem also to be in "vacation mode."

The van, with Judy as our guide, was taking us southwest to Magdalena Bay for whale watching. The twenty-two-foot open boats, owned by local fishing cooperative, are used for tours in winter when Gray Whales are in town. Our young boat captain, Jimmy, knew how to get close to whales without crowding them. He loved his job and cooed over calves as if they were his own children.

I feel like I need to make a disclaimer here, something like "Results not typical and may vary." We were a lucky group. Jimmy drove us across lagoon to La Boca de Soledad, where it opens to sea. He placed us well ahead of a mother and female calf (another driver had noted telltale ridges on calf's head), and we waited to see if two would come closer. The mother, about 45 feet long, checked us out while month-old calf, about 18 feet, playfully breached surface nearby. Then two sidled in close to boat and lolled about in calm water. We could hardly believe our eyes when mother gently lifted calf to surface, as if to present her little girl for our approval. When calf had lost all inhibition, she swam right up to me, lifted her head, and let me tickle her nose. She may have been attracted to underwater camera I was holding below surface as I leaned out over gunwale, but I like to think she chose me in particular. I'm usually not fond of spending my time on structured, organized tours, but this one was worth every minute and every peso.

Judy has been living in Baja for over ten years. An English tourist traveling in British Columbia, she came down to escape winter's onset and never went back. Many people come south down Peninsula in airplanes or R.V.s to get away from inclement weather or bustle of civilization. We thought we were about to escape both, but things don't always go according to plan.

Read this entire feature with photos at: http://www.jetsettersmagazine.com/archive/jetezine/sports02/kayak/baja/baja.html

By Rob LaGrone, Las Vegas Correspondent, Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com

Nick filled small yard with numerous flower pots with mountain herbs and flowers , and he made big windows to let sun come into cottage. “This will be our permanent house when we retire,” he adds. “Meanwhile, we visit Kerkyra 2-3 times a year and our kids come over in between their holidays too. We also let some close relatives to use it and some friends.”

Nick is just one of four other residents of village neighborhood. A few meters further on, a couple from Holland have rebuilt their own house and visit it every summer. The neighbors keep an eye on it when they are away, and they even take care of their small vegetable garden.

Some of benefits of this kind of tourism, can be listed below: 1.Save on rents of hotels, apartments etc. 2.Save on meals of restaurants 3.Carry no baggage 4.Make new friends 5.Ideal for retired people 6.Ideal for relaxing in a natural environment 7.Learn new lifestyle 8.Try new food Permanent tourism is nevertheless a new trend that will stay!

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Liana Metal is a writer living in Greece. Contact her at lianamet20@yahoo.co.uk