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