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.