Guaymas

Nov. 24-26

Our final stop on this trip was at Guaymas, a city located on San Carlos bay, which opens up on to the Sea of Cortez.

Unlike las Glorias, where the land was very flat, here the mountains come right down to the sea. The bay is very  picturesque. From the number of signs and advertisements in English for condominiums, it appears that the area has attracted a lot of Americans.

The shoreline of theSan Carlos Bay and the Sea of Cortez.

Our campground was part of a hotel complex, which had better facilities than we had seen at other campgrounds.

The hotel fronted on the bay and offered beautiful views of the area.

Nearby was the only operating pearl farm in the western hemisphere. It was started as a research project by the university and is now a commercial venture. The pearl oysters from which pearls are harvested are in nets suspended from the floats.

The process for growing pear oysters and implanting them with a nucleus on which the pearl grows was explained by  the manager at the pearl farm. He is holding the shell of a pearl oyster, which is only distantly related to the oysters that are eaten.

A chart explaining the process for getting pearls.

Part two of the chart. Now you know how it is done!

One of their pearls in a silver necklace setting.