La Paz – The Peace



La Paz - The Peace

La Paz Paseo

Shopping in La Paz

Panga Fishing Boats

Our friends had flight reservations out of La Paz so we departed the beautiful island of Espiritu Santo and arrived at La Paz on November 18^th around noon.  We immediately fell in love with La Paz; it’s a wonderful town with all the amenities and services one could want including great restaurants, market places, a town square, and a lovely paseo (promenade) bordering the waterfront.  As the capital city of the State of Baja with approximately 251,000 people, La Paz is an important regional commercial center.  We explored the town and noted many modern shops and clothing boutiques as well as the typical sidewalk vendors but without the high-pressure salesmanship.  It’s not surprising that expats have adopted La Paz as their home and many boaters from abroad stay at the marinas for extended periods of time.  Expatriates provide help to visiting gringos and hold special events that are announced on the VHF radio each morning on Channel 22A; information is also shared on their internet site at www.clubcruceros.net.  We spent a night out on the town with our friends Bruce and Pam before their departure, starting with drinks at a waterfront restaurant and then dinner at one of the finer establishments in La Paz.  La Paz is definitely one of those places that one comes to love and appreciate; it's like a vortex that keeps drawing you in, from which there is no escape.  Interestingly, John Steinbeck featured La Paz in his novel The Pearl (1947) and mentioned La Paz extensively in his travelogue The Log from the Sea of Cortez (1951).  The city is also the setting of the children’s novel The Black Pearl (1967) by Scott O’Dell.  The following day, we participated in one of the events organized by the Expats, a special welcome for the Ha Ha Fleet and other visitors to La Paz held at a local restaurant.  The event included a wonderful buffet dinner in an outdoor courtyard complete with entertainment by a Mariachi Band and dancers in colorful Spanish costumes, all for only $10 per person – the entertainment was absolutely superb and we no doubt would have paid much more for such an event in the U.S.


Pangas Along the Beach and Promenade

Beautiful Costumes



Superb Dancing



Excellent Mariachi Band

Isla Espiritu Santo




Bahia San Gabriel - Isla Espiritu Santo

Sheer Cliffs and Turquoise Waters

Stratified Cliffs - a great place to kayak and snorkel

Isla Espiritu Santo

After rounding the tip of Baja, we continued north into the Sea of Cortez, heading for the beautiful island of Espiritu Santo (Spirit Saint).  It is indeed a heavenly place with clear turquoise waters, white sandy beaches, and green cactus proudly standing among the red rock cliffs revealing a striking contrast of colors.  We anchored in the bay of San Gabriel and spent the day swimming and snorkeling in the warm, crystal clear water.  The water is so clear we could see our anchor chain lying on the sandy bottom a few feet below.  We abandoned our cold-water mindset of the north and embraced the warm waters of Cortez.  We took the dinghy and anchored it near the rock cliffs where the four of us spent time snorkeling - gliding through schools of brightly colored fish and corral.  We also had fun using the kayaks for a trip to the beach; I had brought my hiking shoes and walked to the top of a ridge for a beautiful vista over the bay.  The following day we motored further up the island and anchored in the cove of Ensenada Grande where we witnessed a beautiful sunset and star studded night, a perfect finale for our island visit with friends Pam and Bruce.  The island of Espiritu Santo is indeed a special place and is part of the National Park island chain that was created in 2003 by an alliance of Mexican and U.S. conservation groups to protect migratory birds, sea turtles, and numerous species of fish, a true National treasure.



Lorena and Bruce Diving from the Mother Ship

Got d' Fever's Anchor Chain Visable through the Clear Water

Cactus Grow Even Among the Rocks

Long-Time Friends - headed to shore for an evening stroll

Los Frailes and Los Muertos




Beach at Los Frailes

Deep Soft Sand at Los Frailes

Some Shade at Los Frailes

We departed with our friends Bruce and Pam from San Jose Cabo at 8:50am on November 13^th headed for Los Frailes on the southeast tip of Baja.  The seas were choppy making somewhat of a rough ride for our guests but fortunately calmed later in the afternoon.  Los Frailes (the Friars) is a lovely bay with a few homes and a hotel.  We arrived in the early afternoon and took the dinghy ashore.  The sand was so deep and soft that it was difficult to pull the dinghy up on land even with all four of us pushing and pulling.  We managed to get the dinghy a comfortable distance from the water’s edge and then went for a walk on the beach.  Java had a great time exploring and bounding through the sand, happy to have space to run.  The next morning we departed for Bahia de Los Muertos (bay of the dead) located 6 hours to the north in the Sea of Cortez.  In the 1920’s, the cove served as a cargo port for off-loading supplies for a nearby silver mining operation and years later the site was used for salt production and storage.  Today the cove has several beautiful homes and a first-class private resort, a best-kept secret among boaters.  Having arrived in the late afternoon, we made the most of the remaining daylight and went ashore by dinghy.  This time the sand was compact and we found it easy to wheel the dinghy up on land.  We visited the beautiful resort and discovered that the lovely dining room in the foyer was open to the general public.  We ended up enjoying this very special place with a bowl of Tortilla Sopa, Quesadillas, and drinks.  The high ceilings above us held a special surprise for guests - a three-tiered train track runs around the rectangle space of the room with multiple trains and realistic sets – I loved the hacienda scene, it looked like there had been a shoot-out.  By the time we left the resort it was pitch black except for the twinkle of stars overhead and the anchor lights of a few boats in the harbor, it was truly a lovely evening.



Bahia de Los Muertos

Lovely Resort at Los Muertos

Train Set - Hacienda Scene

Three Levels of Train Track above Diniing Room

Cabo – a world of contrasts

 

Cabo San Lucas

Disney Cruise Ship at Cabo

Glitzy Hotels in Cabo

 

After arriving in Cabo San Lucas in the wee hours of the morning, we anchored in the bay just off the beach awaiting our turn for an assigned slip at the marina.  The bay was alive with a variety of activity including parasailing, paddle boarders, and water taxis.  A major Fishing Derby was taking place so sport fishing boats were coming and going from the marina like bees to honey.  Soon the Disney Cruise Ship pulled into the bay and lowered her anchor taking up a good share of the anchorage.  The organizer of the Baja Ha Ha Rally was assigning spaces at the marina (based on the date of registration for the event) and it became clear that some boats would need to anchor out due to the extra demand for boat slips.  We decided to up anchor and motored to San Jose del Cabo about 30 miles away and stayed at this more secluded and quiet marina.  Not wanting to miss the Ha Ha celebration, we rented a car and drove into Cabo San Lucas to attend the “we cheated death once again” party.  We spent some time before the party exploring Cabo and found a striking contrast between the upscale shops and hotels along the beaches vs. the town itself, which would be considered ordinary without the glitzy beachfront developments.  The Ha Ha celebration was held at the marina in Cabo surrounded by upscale shopping and mega yachts.  It was a casual event held outside in the warm evening air with lots of seating and plenty of drinks to go around.  Everyone was declared a winner and presented with a ribbon and certificate, Got d’ Fever now proudly displays her certificate in the pilothouse.  We really enjoyed our stay at San Jose del Cabo, a more authentic Mexican town with narrow paved streets and adorable shops and cafes catering to both locals and tourists alike.  San Jose is where we began to learn how things are done differently in Mexico and started to shed our preconceived American way of doing things.  I had planned to take our sheets into the lavanderia (laundry) to have them washed, expecting to have the task completed in a couple of hours.  After walking through the streets in the hot sun, occasionally stopping to ask for directions, we finally found the laundry shop.  The attendant saw my bag of laundry and said “no agua;” she pointed to the two large 300 gallon water tanks and said “manana.”  It was clear that she had run out of water for the day and that we would have to come back again tomorrow.  I should have used the drop-off and pick-up laundry service offered by our marina, which is exactly what I did the following day.  During our stay in San Jose del Cabo, we visited an outdoor market held in the mangroves accessed by a non-descript dirt road.  A variety of unique arts and crafts were available for purchase; I bought a turtle necklace carved from bone, and my friend Pam purchased a hand-embroidered blouse.  Our friends Pam and Bruce had flown into Cabo to join us for our cruise to La Paz.  The evening before our departure, our friends treated us to a wonderful dinner in San Jose and we walked the town square observing local families enjoying the cooler evening air.  It seemed rather active even for a Monday and we were told that the town square becomes quite a social scene on weekends.  We said goodbye to this adorable town and settled in for the rest of the evening back at the boat - we would be departing mid-morning for the next night's anchorage at Los Frailes.


Outdoor Market - San Jose del Cabo






Entertainment at the Outdoor Market

Shopping in San Jose del Cabo

Town Square - San Jose del Cabo

A Magical Cruise



Dolphins Racing with Got d' Fever

Dolphins Playing Across the Sea

Speed, Name of the Game

Heading for Cabo San Lucas and the tropics - we departed Bahia Santa Maria on November 7^th at 5am in calm seas with little to no wind for our 24-hour sojourn.  During mid morning we saw a large number of Dolphin pods displaying their antics all over the sea, quite a sight to behold.  As expected, a group came to ride along our bow in the morning light, perfect for some great photos.  Around noon we saw a sea turtle swim past the boat, an indication that we were nearing the tropics.  Indeed, around 4pm we officially crossed the Tropic of Cancer and entered what is called “the tropics” - the area between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.  It is customary for boaters to dunk themselves in the water or have some kind of special ceremony when crossing one of three significant latitudes.  For us, it was taking out a bottle of Champagne to celebrate and a photo opportunity on the bow of our boat.  The Tropic of Cancer (also referred to as the Northern Tropic) currently lies 23° 26′ 16″ - its position is not fixed but varies dictated by the tilt of the Earth’s axis relative to the plane of its orbit.  It is presently drifting south at the rate of almost half a second of latitude per year.  At night fall, we could see countless stars and the band of the Milky Way Galaxy arching across the night sky in all its glory.  Lights on the masts of the sailboats could be seen in the distance bobbing in the water, it was a magical cruise.  The crescent moon appeared at 12:30am, shaped like a bowl with an orange rim.  We finally reached Cabo at dusk and peered at the huge sea stacks and homes tucked in the hillsides through blurry eyes - we had reached a significant milestone, having come 2,400 nautical miles or 2,750 statute miles.  Tomorrow would be the “we cheated death once again” ceremony and celebration with the Baja Ha Ha Fleet.

Dolphins Looking Up At Us

Calm Seas!



The Milky Way

Approaching Cabo at Dawn



Sea Stacks at Cabo

Lovely Bahia Santa Maria

A Beautiful Sunrise At Sea

The Fleet at Bahia Santa Maria

Lovely Bahia Santa Maria

Panga Crossing the River Bar

Our Turn to Cross the Bar

Bloom of Green

Dinner Party - Bahia Santa Maria

We slipped out quietly on the morning of November 3^rd so as not to disturb our sailing buddies anchored nearby and made our 3:30am departure as planned.  It was a lovely morning with no wind and calm seas, just what power boaters like, not so much for sailboats who prefer the wind.  We arrived at our chosen anchorage behind Punta Abreojos at 4:30pm.  We were expecting a small village, but to our surprise discovered that Punta Abreojos is a fairly large town by Baja standards.  Just before dusk, the winds had kicked up, wouldn’t you know!  Despite rocking through the night and the loud music heard from shore, we managed to fall asleep.  The following day was our 20-hour cruise to Bahia Santa Maria, departing at 10:30am so as to arrive by daylight the next morning; most of our Ha Ha friends and crew would already be there, having sailed directly from Turtle Bay.  As the day turned to night the pitch black enveloped us, stars pierced the black canvass overhead; the moon had withheld its face until 11pm.  We could see other boats at sea on our Radar and AIS tracking, including fishing boats, a cruise ship, and several sailboats.  As we neared Bahia Santa Maria, boats began to converge toward shore, chatter on the radio could be heard and we identified several sailboats that belonged to the Ha Ha Fleet.  We motored into the bay and set anchor just as it was beginning to turn light once again.  We stayed awake long enough to listen to the Ha Ha announcements that are given on the radio each morning and then “hit the sack.”  It was rest day for the Fleet; party time would have to wait until tomorrow.  Bahia Santa Maria is a lovely spot, a few small fishing huts dot the shoreline backed by beautiful mountains and meadows which had turned green thanks to a tropical storm that had passed through earlier.  A small river empties into the bay exposing sand bars frequented by birds; sand dunes stretch along the shoreline creating a blend of contrasting colors.  Folks from the local village of Lopez Mateos (located 40 miles away) organized a nice dinner and beach party for the Ha Ha Fleet, $15/plate complete with a lively band for entertainment – another financial benefit for a local community.  Once again, pangas brought guests to shore or boaters brought their dinghy over the river bar and up on the beach.  We managed to safely ride the surf, where the ocean swell met the shallow river bar; our dinghy wheels touched the bar briefly protecting our outboard motor and then the wave carried us into shore.  The landscape is rugged, treeless, and remote; we looked for what little shade there was to enjoy our seafood dinner near the shelter of tents which were provided; several boaters went swimming in the 75 degree water to cool themselves off!  After a bit of hiking, we headed back to the boat with our dinghy and made ready for our longest cruise yet to come – 24 hours to Cabo San Lucas.






River Delta and Fishing Hut




River with Dunes in Background

A Lovely Sunset at Bahia Santa Maria

The Fleet Has Arrived



The Ha Ha Sailboats Begin to Arrive in Turtle Bay

Our Panga Taxi Service

Lorena Headed for First Base

Gathering for Dinner at the Veracruz Restaurant

On the evening of October 30^th, sailboats began arriving in Bahia Tortugas and by daylight the bay was filled with what we jokingly call “stick boats;” our Baja Ha Ha friends had arrived.  This year’s Annual Baja Ha Ha Rally participants include 137 sailboats and three power boats, including Got d’ Fever.  The goal of the Rally is to cruise from San Diego to Cabo with the company of other boats and includes two scheduled stops down the Baja Coast, one at Turtle Bay and the other at Bahia Santa Maria before reaching the finish line at Cabo San Lucas.  Such enormous distances and long hours require extra crew for continuous day and night sailing which is all part of the fun for many sailboats. Since Got d’ Fever has a crew of only two, we left San Diego ahead of the fleet so we could visit Ensenada and enjoy a couple of overnight anchorages along the way.  We had arrived in Turtle Bay ahead of the fleet and were pleased to see so many boats sail into the harbor the following day, a pretty sight.  Each year, the village of Turtle Bay prepares for the arrival of the Ha Ha, ready with their panga services to transport people to shore, provide fuel, or pick-up garbage for a small fee from visiting boaters, all of which provides a nice financial boost for the community.  Children from the village look forward to receiving candy from the gringos and participating in activities like a friendly game of baseball held at the playfield in town.  I joined the long line of hopefuls for several turns at bat and played a little outfield.  Other  boaters seated in the stands cheered us on and a volunteer sports announcer enthusiastically described each play.  Some of the boys from the village wore their baseball uniforms and showed us Americanos how the game is played!  One boy really has an arm; perhaps he will be the next Alex Rodriguez.  After the game, we all gathered at the Veracruz Restaurant for dinner (la comida), a nice opportunity to meet other boaters in the group and share stories.  The next day included an afternoon potluck at the beach east of town.  The locals set up tents for the festivities and brought tables and chairs in their pickup trucks.  Boaters used the panga service to get to shore or came to the beach by dinghy or kayak.  Yes, this was our first opportunity to use those new dinghy wheels we had installed earlier.  Thankfully, the surf wasn’t huge and two boys on the beach came to help pull the dinghy ashore.  We appreciated the assistance, which meant a more graceful exit from our dinghy and gave los ninos the appropriate tip (propina).  Several boaters donated fish for the barbeque which they had caught during their cruise and the rest of the group brought plenty of side dishes to share – it was a great feast!  Games included volleyball, water balloons, and old-fashioned tug of war plus music and a talent show.  I couldn’t resist participating in the tug of war – it was ladies against the boys.  We were holding our own until a few men stepped in to help the boys; my hands were getting chaffed by the dock line so it was time to let go - the ladies caved.  The party continued on till after dark, but we needed our rest so it was back to the boat.  It would be another early 3:30am departure for Got d’ Fever and another 13-hour cruise to our next overnight anchorage at Punta Abreojos.


Local Boys Assist Boaters



More Arrivals at the Beach



Preparing for the Barbeque