HOME IN LA CRUZ

                         

We finally got across the Sea of Cortez to Mazatlan and down the coast to La Cruz and home .  Buster yelled at us a lot for having left him for so long, but behind all the complaining I'm pretty sure he was happy to have us back.

The ferry that brought us across was the small Mazatlan Star.  I was told by one of the passengers that it was in it's first week of service with Baja Ferries.  Not that it was new, far from it.  Apparently it had been used in France somewhere because many of the onboard placards were in  French plus all the art on the walls was of European scenes.  Unfortunately the only seating for people who did not have a cabin was in the bar or cafeteria on very unsuitable chairs, but they were making the best of it.  The booze was flowing, the large screen TV was blasting cartoons at full volume and the bar, full of mostly men was rocking.  

As we were waiting for our drink order a young Japanese woman approached us, asking if we spoke English.  The bar was to noisey for a conversation so we went outside and she was able to ask us if there were any other seating options.  We didn't know, so we went to the reception area where we recieved our cabin key and asked.  Nope, what you see is what you get.  Iku, we had made introductions by then, was clearly distressed at the prospect of spending the night in the middle of a party zone, but resignatedly returned to her seat in the bar.  Judy and I finished our drink, feeling relief that we could escape to the peace and quiet of our cabin.  Passing Iku on the way out, it occurred to us that we could let her use the third bunk in our cabin.  Judy asked if she would care to join us, and with great happiness Iku agreed.

Iku is a university graduate in her late 20's who has been travelling the world, seeing Asia, Europe, northern Africa, and the U.S.  She is now heading south to Peru, Chili and Argentina.  She's got a lot of guts travelling  alone and kind of making it up as she goes.  Not many young women from any culture would do this, but for a Japanese gal, she is extraordinary.



STILL IN LA PAZ

As I write this we should be on a bus traveling somewhere between Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta.  Such is not the case however.  I am sitting exactly where I was sitting yesterday morning, doing exactly the same thing:  sipping coffee and writing the blog.

Yesterday's ferry was full.  Even though we arrived three hours early instead of the two they recommend we found that all the available cabins and seats were gone, or being held for truck drivers. 

When we called to make reservations for the Mazatlan to La Paz crossing the person on the phone told us they did not make reservations.  The only way to get tickets is to purchase them at the terminal, but not to worry as the trip was lightly traveled and there would be no problem getting tickets.  This seemed to be true, as there were not more then 150 foot passengers aboard.  The ferry crew closed off some of the unneeded seating areas that could have accomodated at least another 150 people.  The car and truck deck was completely full.  Mostly semi trucks.  It seems that providing a shortcut for semis between the mainland and Baja is the main reason for the ferry.  Foot traffic seems to be an after-thought.

I was not completely surprised that the boat was going to be crowded.  As we approached the terminal I noticed that the ferry at the dock was not the large Chihauhau Star that we were on before, but the Mazatlan Star, a smaller ship.  I was thinking we may not get a room, but it never occurred to me that even the seats would be completely sold out.  That never happens on Mexican buses.  There is always room for one more person, no matter how crowded.  Oh well, as Reagan used to say "trust but verify" only forget about the trust part.  My mistake was not to verify.  Before we went back to town we bought our tickets for today's sailing, and this morning I verified that the ship is actually in port and ready to sail at the scheduled time.

I don't want to be a whining gringo.  I am learning that one must not make assumptions here, and that it is my responsibility to check that things are as advertised.  And if we had left on time we would not have been able to spend yesterday afternoon with Lisa, a friend from Seattle who now lives in La Paz.

That doesn't mean I can't make one more dig....

PASSENGERS AND LINES GET
EQUAL TREATMENT

VISITING STACY & KURT

As I write this we are in La Paz on our way back to La Cruz, our boat, and Buster.  It will be nice to get home.  We are staying in the world's narrowest hotel, the Baja South, just behind the tourist bus terminal on the La Paz malacon.  It's very nice inside, with perfect tile work everywhere, good beds, tv and fast internet.  If we ever need a hotel in La Paz this is where we will stay.

We had a nice time with Stacy and Kurt.  We sampled all the better resturants in Mulege, took some walks, a drive up the valley, spent some quality time on the beach, and had quiet evenings playing Scrabble while sipping Kurt's dynamite Margaritas and Cuba Libres.  They also have an ongoing shared crossword puzzle effort.  Stacy and Kurt have a New York Times crossword puzzle book with hundreds of puzzles, from which they tear out several puzzles, leaving them on the dining room table.  When at the table you grab a puzzle and fill in what you can, then toss it back in the middle and grab another.  After a couple days most get pretty much filled in.  It's a neat way to do crosswords.

They have a beautiful home in Mulege.

MULEGE HAS MILES OF
EMPTY BEACHES.....

ALMOST



BAJA BUS TRAVEL

TRAVELING THRU LA PAZ

LA PAZ MALACON AND ANCHORAGE

We're on our way to Mulege to visit our daughter, Stacy.

La Paz, from our very limited exposure, seems to be a lovely, clean, well maintained place.  I can see why it is so popular with cruisers.

We came across the Sea of Cortez on the Baja Ferry, leaving Mazatlan yesterday, and arrived here this morning.  The ride was very nice, we got our own room and were able to comfortably sleep thru most of the passage.  But this morning the ferry had problems docking.  They were trying to tie up with the stern to the dock, but a stiff wind was hitting the boat on the beam causing problems.  The linehandlers on the dock lost one of the lines and the ferry could not hold position.  It was drifting down on a freighter sharing the dock.  When the ferry got to within a few feet of the freighter the capitano decided to abort the landing.  Unfortunately the line handlers on the dock didn't realize what was happening soon enough to get the tightening mooring lines cast off the bollard.  The only thing they could do was run for thier lives before they were cut in two by snapped lines whiplashing across the dock.






BRINGING STARBOARD LINES TO SHORE

 

BRINGING PORT SIDE LINE IN
JUST BEFORE LOSING IT OVERBOARD

DRIFTING DOWN ON FREIGHTER
EVEN AT LOW SPEED THAT BOW BULB
COULD HOLE THE FERRY

SNAPPED LINE IN THE WATER

The captain took the ferry all the way out of the bay, before turning around to make another, sucessful, attempt.  We were about two hours late in getting tied up, plus we had to wait an additional hour while the cars and trucks were unloaded, plus another hour waiting in line so the military could search our luggage.  Why they did it mystifies me, as it had been searched as we got on board yesterday in Mazatlan.  I guess maybe they were afraid drugs would drop out of the sky, landing on deck for all us honest but shady characters to stash in our luggage.

So, instead of getting on our bus to Mulege at 9am we will be leaving at 1pm, but I am quickly coming to accept these things as part of the pleasure that Mexico affords.

La Cruz

We are adding La Cruz to our favorites list, joining Fort Bragg and Walnut Grove.  It's a small fishing village with about 2000 souls located on the northeast shore of Bandaras Bay.  In spite of being overrun by gringo cruisers and gringo condo residents it has retained it's old Mexico charm.  Evenings there is a pleasant mix of locals and visitors enjoying resturants, clubs and the community park.

PHILO'S BAR
A LOCAL CRUISER FAVORITE

OUTDOOR TACO RESTURANT

TAX DAY

No, not US income tax.  Mexican property tax.  We paid two years of tax on our Puerto Vallarta condo to the city.  2010 and 2011 taxes came to about $9600 pesos, $775 US.  Thats around $390 per year.  One month's property tax on our Seattle condo was way more then a whole year's tax here in Mexico.




OUTSIDE THE TAX OFFICE
PV CITY HALL

 When we arrived at city hall we found a large crowd of people outside the tax office.  Not knowing the procedure I told the gentleman guarding the doorway we wanted to pay our tax.  He stepped out of the way and pointed to teller #6, who had nobody in line.  I am not sure if this is true, but I have heard that if you don't speak Spanish they jump you to the head of the line because it is easier then trying to explain the usual check in procedure.

Unlike other government transactions we have been in, the tax office was the height of efficiency.  They checked our account, took our money and issued our reciept taking only a couple minutes.  Usually one must check in with the official, they write out the document stating how much you owe, then you take it to a specified bank where you make payment, then return back to the official with a reciept from the bank.  He stamps the paperwork a bunch of times, gives you a copy, and then waves his hands like a baseball ump calling a runner safe to let you know you're done.

Maybe they let the city officials collect money because they pay them enough that they are not compelled to bribe or steal to make ends meet.

POIGNANCY

LEON AND HIS WASHBOARD

SITTING IN WITH THE BAND

(Thanks Chris for the pic!)

I've never been one to name my emotions, not that I could if I tried, but I think I got the tag on what I was feeling at Anna Banana's bar tonight:  Poignant.


Anna's was celebrating their 15th or 20th anniversary here in La Cruz and had a terrific band playing. The musicians, from San Francisco and La Cruz, have played together on and off since the mid 70's. They were real tight and real old. Geezers. Baby Boomers. Blue Hairs. As was their audience.

I'll bet the median age in the place was well north of 65. One fellow was assisted in by friends. He was of about average age, 65 or so, wearing sandals, shorts, a tee shirt and baseball hat and had a white beard. He was me, except half his body wasn't working so well. He got himself seated. Had beers brought to the table for him and his friends, settled in and had a good time. As did everyone else.

Most of the folks were couples. Couples with mileage. Couples who danced like they had been dancing with each other for years. Thru kids, mortgages, jobs, layoffs, aging parents, schools, drugs, grades, graduations, fear, hope, wins and loses. They enhanced the music with their ease and grace.

For me and many Boomers this cruise is the last harrah. The last adventure. The last dance before the old, old years take everything away. It made me feel sad that our beauty, born by wear and tear has come, at least for me, so late and will too soon falter, fade and be lost.

Made for a poignant evening.

My God they could dance.

EVENING ON THE BEACH

GRINGO BEAUTY

TACAH
PREPARING FOR A CLEANSING
CERAMONY



CHARLES FROM ENSENADA
(SO HE SAYS)



AZITROMICINA

 I would have been dead a day or so ago except for a drug call Azitromicina.


I may be exaggerating a little about this, but if a person can cough themselves to death I was on the way out. For about three days last week I was being wracked by fits of coughing that went on for hours at a time. Just the effort was wearing me down. My ribs were aching and I had pulled an abdominal muscle, but what was scaring me was the feeling I was one cough away from blowing a big ol' aneurism in the brain.

Fortunately the morning of my first attack, Judy and I had gone in to Bucerias to see Dr. Mauro, the local GP, and he got me started on an antibiotic called Azitromicina and some over the counter cough syrup. Cough medicine with codeine would have stopped the cough, but for some strange reason medications with codeine have not been available for several months. The doctor didn't really speculate why, but I got the distinct impression he felt there was something fishy going on. So for the next couple days my coughing continued, as the cough medicine wasn't that effective. I finished the four day course of Azitromicina yesterday, the cough has finally disappeared, and am beginning to feel good again.

I'm pretty convinced that a hundred years ago this little bronchial infection would have done me in. Thank goodness for "Zit".

Dr. Mauro is a well known figure in the cruising community here. He knows his stuff, speaks English, makes house and boat calls. He works by himself, no nurse or receptionist. He makes no appointments, makes no medical records. You come to his office and wait your turn.  And charges $200 pesos a visit, about $16 US. The Zit was way more expensive.

ENTRANCE TO DR. MAURO'S OFFICE
UNDER GREEN AWNING

My camera battery died after this shot. Did not get any photos of the office or Doctor.